Skip to contentBy Mike LednovichChampioned by Mayor Bradley Bean and Commissioner Darron Ayscue, the Fernandina Beach City Commission approved a proposal to build a connector walkover over a 17-foot high secondary dune on a heavily wooded strip of land that would accommodate guests from one hotel being able to access the amenities of an adjacent hotel.“It is a good plan that increases walkability for our city, and it increases different ways that our citizens and guests to our community can enjoy our environment, and that’s what we’re doing,” Bean said in support of the hotel plan.At issue...…Skip to contentBy Mike LednovichChampioned by Mayor Bradley Bean and Commissioner Darron Ayscue, the Fernandina Beach City Commission approved a proposal to build a connector walkover over a 17-foot high secondary dune on a heavily wooded strip of land that would accommodate guests from one hotel being able to access the amenities of an adjacent hotel.“It is a good plan that increases walkability for our city, and it increases different ways that our citizens and guests to our community can enjoy our environment, and that’s what we’re doing,” Bean said in support of the hotel plan.At issue...WW…

Skip to contentBy Mike Lednovich“A contract is a contract,” Ocean Highway and Port Authority Commissioner Mike Cole declared at Tuesday’s emergency meeting to discuss terminated Port Executive Director David Kaufman.And according to Kaufman’s OHPA contract, the commission was required to give Kaufman 60 days’ notice that it would not renew his position on Sept. 30. Although the port authority removed the port director’s salary from its 2023-24 budget, it never notified Kaufman by letter 60 days prior to the contract’s expiration on Sept. 30.The oversight means Kaufman’s contract...…Skip to contentBy Mike Lednovich“A contract is a contract,” Ocean Highway and Port Authority Commissioner Mike Cole declared at Tuesday’s emergency meeting to discuss terminated Port Executive Director David Kaufman.And according to Kaufman’s OHPA contract, the commission was required to give Kaufman 60 days’ notice that it would not renew his position on Sept. 30. Although the port authority removed the port director’s salary from its 2023-24 budget, it never notified Kaufman by letter 60 days prior to the contract’s expiration on Sept. 30.The oversight means Kaufman’s contract...WW…

Skip to contentBy Linda Hart GreenI grew up with “sand between my toes,” as my parents used to say. The New Jersey shore was my second home. My mother told me that on my first car ride to the shore as a tiny infant, I fussed in the car on the trip. As soon as she laid me on the bed at my grandmother’s house with the salt air blowing through the curtains of the open windows, I kicked my feet and cooed. I found my happy place at an early age.When it came time for retirement, I chose this sweet town by the ocean that no one in New Jersey had heard of. The historic downtown reminded me of my...…Skip to contentBy Linda Hart GreenI grew up with “sand between my toes,” as my parents used to say. The New Jersey shore was my second home. My mother told me that on my first car ride to the shore as a tiny infant, I fussed in the car on the trip. As soon as she laid me on the bed at my grandmother’s house with the salt air blowing through the curtains of the open windows, I kicked my feet and cooed. I found my happy place at an early age.When it came time for retirement, I chose this sweet town by the ocean that no one in New Jersey had heard of. The historic downtown reminded me of my...WW…

Skip to contentDear Sir,I’ve been reading about you. I do that a lot: reading about people who have changed their cities and towns for the better – or, like Einstein, changed the world.You might not be up there with Einstein (who is?), but you definitely are up there in the rarified world of philanthropy. You have changed your city, Richmond, Virginia, much for the better, you’ve protected barrier islands, especially Kiawah Island, and your gifts to cancer research have been stunning.I am writing to you from another island, Amelia Island. It’s only 13 miles long and at most two miles wide....…Skip to contentDear Sir,I’ve been reading about you. I do that a lot: reading about people who have changed their cities and towns for the better – or, like Einstein, changed the world.You might not be up there with Einstein (who is?), but you definitely are up there in the rarified world of philanthropy. You have changed your city, Richmond, Virginia, much for the better, you’ve protected barrier islands, especially Kiawah Island, and your gifts to cancer research have been stunning.I am writing to you from another island, Amelia Island. It’s only 13 miles long and at most two miles wide....WW…

Skip to contentBy Lauri deGarisFall has arrived! I have been waiting all summer for this turn of the seasonal wheel. Interactions in nature have been triggered by the change in light and air temperature. In the past, understanding nature’s cycles was crucial to day-to-day living. And an ecological calendar was an essential tool for staying in sync with one’s environment. It was important to know things like when to hunt and what night would be bright with full moon light.Phenology is the study of the timing of natural events. It evokes the essence of the seasons and emphasizes the natural...…Skip to contentBy Lauri deGarisFall has arrived! I have been waiting all summer for this turn of the seasonal wheel. Interactions in nature have been triggered by the change in light and air temperature. In the past, understanding nature’s cycles was crucial to day-to-day living. And an ecological calendar was an essential tool for staying in sync with one’s environment. It was important to know things like when to hunt and what night would be bright with full moon light.Phenology is the study of the timing of natural events. It evokes the essence of the seasons and emphasizes the natural...WW…