November 18, 2004 Issue

Hold on just a second while I assemble my materials to assume the mantle of Bill Campbell. Glass of wine poured, check. Computer on, check. Good music on the stereo, check. Cigarette lit—oops not Bill—he had the sense to quit. I’m waiting until the great American Smoke Out which is the day this paper comes out, so if you see me with a noxious burning substance in my hand after that, feel free to come up and berate me, slap me and tell me just how stupid I am. Must stop this expensive nonsense so I can afford to hire someone to clean my house!

All right, I’m as Bill as I’m gonna get, so here goes: It has come to the attention of this newspaper that more often than not, two or more worthy causes schedule fund raising events at the same time or so close together that it seems like the same time. It is a shame that those with the wherewithal to support more than one cause often have to choose because of events being scheduled at the same time.

Therefore we are going to attempt to be a clearinghouse for those groups holding fund-raising events. To do that we need the cooperation of organizations in letting us know, as soon as possible after an event has been scheduled, when it will be. Then we can let other groups know that a big fund-raising event has been scheduled for a certain date, so they don’t mistakenly put theirs on the same date or right after it. Those willing to pay a Ben Franklin or two to play golf for charity, might not want to do it on consecutive weekends, so a little breathing room between charitable giving might fatten the coffers of all the organization which depend on the kindness and deep pockets of the community.

Even those folks who wish to help out might not want to pay big bucks two weekends in a row, so a little breathing time might be in order. We don’t know if this will work, but we thought we might try. Those of you who already have events scheduled in the spring should let us know as soon as possible. Email is probably the fastest and most effective method of communication, but you can also call our office if you wish.

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As long as I’m acting as a bulletin board, I may as well mention that a professional artist co-op is coming soon to the Destin and Santa Rosa Beach area. There is gallery and studio space available and consignment work will be accepted on a contingency basis. The organizers are looking for a variety of mediums, originality (ain’t we all!?) and all types of subject mater. The space available is limited, but if you are interested call Pamela, 654-8736 or K.K. 267-2104.

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Now that the election over, I have decided before the next one comes around I’m moving to a non-swinging state. A state with about five electoral votes that neither candidate must have in order to win seems just right. People in those locations were able to make their election decisions in peace. Their mailboxes were not jammed with flyers every single day and the phones were not ringing off the counter with those personal, warm pre-recorded messages from everyone from John McCain to Caroline Kennedy. In all the years I’ve been registered to vote, I have never felt so harassed about making a decision. It just doesn’t pay to be an independent voter.

No matter how you feel about the election, we in a swing state can be thankful it is over. Just one more thing to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. If you’re like me and have made no real plans for the holiday, you might want to amble over to Harbor Docks and enjoy the convivial company that gathers there each Thanksgiving. The annual event is a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity and the food is home cooked and you don’t have to be polite and help clean up, as there are plenty of volunteers to do that. In fact, it’s the “in” place to be on turkey day. See you there.

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