Government

Beginning Friday, March 8 through Sunday, March 10, from 8am to 4pm, District 4 Commissioner Sara Comander will be hosting a community clean-up weekend in Miramar Beach at Legion Park on Ponce de Leon Street.

The Walton County Public Works Department will be providing dumpsters for Walton County residents to dump trash, yard debris, tires, appliances and other miscellaneous items. There will also be a crew and equipment to offload heavy items.

The Souh Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) has named MC and Stella Davis as its 2012 Van Ness Butler Hospitality Award recipients. This award was first presented to Van Ness Butler Jr. in honor of his visionary leadership and the continuation of his family's legacy in making South Walton a premier tourist destination.

Gulf Place, at the corner of Scenic 30A and Scenic 393, has been added to the list of beach neighborhoods by the South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC). The Walton County Board of County Commissioners approved the move at a recent meeting.

Adding Gulf Place to signs and other marketing materials will cost an estimated $250,000. 

The report below is by Dotty Nist for SoWal.com Partner, The Beach Breeze:

Looking for a way to support the beaches we love? Need community service hours for scholarships or merit badges? Join the South Walton TDC for the 28th Annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15. The first 100 volunteers will get a commemorative t-shirt. Stay tuned for details regarding hours and locations. Meanwhile, please contact Amanda Barkley at (850) 267-4578 with questions.

In the past, some folks loved to set up a camp on the beach for a week on South Walton beaches and leave all of their stuff so they wouldn't have to lug it back and forth every day. A couple of years ago the county put their foot (feets) down and said, "no more". Thus the "Leave No Trace" program was begun.

The Cultural Arts Alliance (CAA) of Walton County has officially opened its doors to what is sure to be one of Walton County’s most special and prized places of interest. Nestled in the scrub oak and palmetto, the building isn’t even visible from the road, but is just off CR 393N by Cessna Park, the new sign leads you to  Walton County’s newest genesis for art and culture.

Sitting at the water’s edge a wooden ramp or stairs leads visitors to the wrap-around porch of the rustic Florida shotgun-style building that now serves at the Cultural Arts Alliance’s official residence.

The South Walton Tourist Development Council honored Walton County Sheriff Michael A. Adkinson, Jr. with the Van Ness Butler Jr. Hospitality Award during its annual meeting held at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa.

Sheriff Adkinson was noted for promoting South Walton as a secure, family-friendly paradise for citizens and visitors.

The South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) named jewelry designer Allison Craft its 2012 Artist of the Year at today's annual meeting.

With the approval of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC), District 1 Commissioner Brannon recently submitted a grant application for the 57-mile-long Choctawhatchee River Paddle Trail. The canoe/kayak trail would link three river landings with stops at other trail head locations, including Morrison Springs and Black Creek.

It's a popular and important program with the goal of saving lives. And with 26 miles of beach and lifeguards stationed at only eight public beach accesses (click to see the list of eight), Beach Safety Director Gary Wise knows there  are many long stretches of beach that go unguarded.