The summer season has brought many visitors back to our beach community. Many are new visitors who came here rather than travel to the Gulf beaches because of the oil spill. While we certainly feel badly for the businesses and residents of the Gulf, we welcome these new visitors to our community. I know that many people wish our beach was less crowded, let’s remember that these visitors are important to our Town economy in so many ways! So let’s welcome them and show them where to shop and eat right here in Sunset Beach!

Rumors, rumors, rumors

It never ceases to amaze me how rumors get started and then are dispersed without anyone checking the facts. As many of you know, a group of Sunset Beach residents has begun a campaign to Save the Pontoon Bridge and to encourage the Town Council to take whatever steps are necessary to purchase the five-acre tract located between Crabby Oddwater’s and Twin Lakes restaurants.

Those of you who have followed by campaign for Council know that I have always supported the purchase of that property. If you go to The Issues - Part 2 of this web site you will see the statements I made during the campaign.

The time is drawing near when the Department of Transportation will complete the Mannon C. Gore Bridge and move to dismantle the pontoon bridge -- I believe that we must not allow that to happen! We must respect and preserve our history -- and our environment! And that is why I support efforts to purchase the five acres and move the pontoon bridge to that tract of land.

A rumor is now circulating that doing this will result in a tax increase of $1,000. Let me state clearly --THERE WILL BE NO $1,000 TAX INCREASE!!!! The individuals who are spreading this fiction should be ashamed of themselves!

There has never been any discussion by Council to change the current 9¢ per $100 tax rate.

The plan that is under consideration will NOT increase taxes nor will it diminish Town services.

I hope you will speak out against efforts to misrepresent these efforts. We are all entitled to

disagree on issues. We are all entitled to our own opinions. We are all entitled to speak

out on issues.

We are NOT, however, entitled to create fiction and claim that it is fact.

So if you have any questions about my position on the park and the pontoon bridge, or if you’d like

to discuss ways to preserve our environment, please don’t hesitate to contact me. It would be a pleasure

to speak with you.

And, if I may, when you hear people misrepresent the truth, I hope you will encourage them to stop.

Thanks for visiting ... have a great day!