LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Railroads fixed since Katrina, rail schedule still not announced

The nonprofit Florida Coalition of Rail Passengers is urging residents of the Gulf Breeze area to contact Amtrak's new President, Alexander Kummant, and their elected officials in Washington to request immediate resumption of Amtrak service to Northwest Florida.

Until Hurricane Katrina, Amtrak service linked Pensacola, Tallahassee, Crestview, Madison, Chipley, Lake City, Jacksonville and surrounding areas to other cities in Florida, Alabama, coastal Mississippi, New Orleans and points west. The train service was greatly important to tourism and commerce in many of these locales.

Hurricane Katrina passed through the upper Gulf Coast states many months ago now. But despite the fact that hurricane damaged railroad tracks, signals and bridges have long been restored along this route, Amtrak has yet to announce a date when train service will resume between New Orleans and Florida.

Amtrak President Kummant can be contacted by writing Amtrak, 60 Massachusetts Avenue, NE; Washington, DC 20002. Please tell him and Congress that the cities and towns along this route have waited patiently long enough since Katrina. Amtrak service should return to the Florida Panhandle immediately.

Sincerely yours,

Jackson McQuigg

President,

Florida Coalition of Rail

Passengers

Fundraiser thanks Gulf Breeze

My name is MaryEllen Wooten and I live in Charlottesville, Va. I have a very small non-profit www.fromustoyou. us I send care packages to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to express our gratitude for their service to our nation as well as to lift morale. I sent out a letter to my email contacts asking for support with our Christmas drive. By way of a friend of a friend, my email landed in Gulf Breeze. Mr. Tony Hess helped me network and pass the word. I am so PROUD of your community, as well as filled with gratitude with the response I received. The ending tally was $790! WOO-HOO!

Truly, I am in awe that so many wonderful strangers have supported my efforts. Don't know that I will ever get to visit Gulf Breeze to meet any of you to thank you in person, but please accept my most sincere appreciation for being true Americans and supporting our troops in harm's way.

The American Spirit is alive and well in Gulf Breeze. Many soldiers and Marines will receive care packages filled with love from the town of Gulf Breeze. I thank you and our troops thank you.

God Bless You All

MaryEllen Wooten

Director www.fromustoyou.us