Category: Community

The Bay County Tax Collector’s Office has been in a steady state of change since Mr. Perdue took office in 2016. Improved service delivery and technology enhancements are two of the goals the office has focused on achieving. Now in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the team finds themselves adjusting yet again. The service industry has been particularly hard hit as safety measures require organizations to reimagine service delivery. Regardless, customers who visit the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office should expect modifications in service delivery, but all changes have been made with their team, customers and community in mind.

Due to the social distancing guidelines and the need to manage the number of customers in the lobby at one time, customers who can complete their transactions online, through the mail or by drop box are asked to do so.

“When you serve walk-in traffic it is really hard to manage how many customers walk into our lobby at any given time. We knew we had to make a change to delivery if we were going to keep both our team and community safe,” said Tax Collector Chuck Perdue.
“Appointments certainly help us manage lobby traffic, but it also limits our ability to serve as many customers. We do ask customers who are renewing a tag or a driver license, to please do so online.”

The office website BayTaxCollector.com provides a link to all online services to make it easy for customers to find the service link they need to complete their transaction online.

One of the most popular online services is Express Lane, which allows for online renewal of a vehicle registration by 3 p.m. and pick up same day in the office location the customer selects. An added bonus of this service is the vehicle owner can designate another individual to pick up the renewal on his/her behalf. The customer simply needs to visit the office location selected and let a team member know they have an Express Lane pick up. The team member can retrieve the renewal and the customer will be on their way.

“There are a few transactions which require customers to visit our office in order for us to verify identification, test or capture signatures. These are primarily new Florida resident licenses/identity cards, first time driver licenses, concealed weapon permit applications and vehicle title work,” said Perdue.

Those customers who must visit a Tax Collector’s Office to complete their transaction will need to schedule an appointment in advance. All customers are encouraged to visit BayTaxCollector.com to schedule an appointment. Appointments are typically booked about a week out, so customers need to plan accordingly. Customers visiting the office are required to wear a face mask.

“We want to thank our customers for extending grace and understanding during this challenging time for everyone. We recognize some of the measures we are taking are inconvenient, but our goal is to do our best to protect both our team and community,” said Perdue.

For more information regarding the Bay County Tax Collector’s Office, please visit BayTaxCollector.com. You can also follow them on social media to stay up-to-date on the latest news, deadlines and information.

By Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County

Hello PCB Life Readers! I am excited to write a monthly column for this publication and wanted to use this first one to introduce myself.

I am a graduate of Auburn University (B.S. Horticulture, 2001) and University of Florida (M.S. Entomology, 2016). After graduating from Auburn, I took a position as a wholesale sales rep at a family owned nursery in the metro-Atlanta market. I spent 10 years assisting landscape companies, garden designers, colleges, and government agencies with their plant and hardscape purchases. In 2012, I accepted a position with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Bay County office as the Horticulture Agent.

The University of Florida has Extension offices in all 67 counties in Florida. Our mission is to provide scientific knowledge and expertise about agriculture and life sciences to the public. Each Extension office has agents assigned based on local need. In Bay County we have Horticulture, Sea Grant/Marine Science, 4-H Youth Development, and Family and Consumer Sciences agents. We offer outreach programs for the public through classes, workshops, field days, social media, blogs, print and digital media, and individual consultations.

Volunteers are a critical component of a successful Extension program. My horticulture program has Master Gardener Volunteers who I recruit, train, and supervise. Florida Master Gardener Volunteers must pass a background screening, attend over 50 hours of training, pass an exam, then donate 75 volunteer hours in their first year of service to become certified. In Bay County, our 40 Master Gardener Volunteers donate about 3,000 hours a year supporting Extension in our community!

So, how are we reaching the community during the Covid-19 crisis? Like most of you, we’ve had to expand our use of technology to continue our outreach efforts while social distancing. I’ve teamed up with UF/IFAS Horticulture Agents from across the region to offer Gardening in the Panhandle LIVE! twice a month focusing on current horticulture topics. Attendees can join live using Zoom or Facebook or watch archived videos on YouTube. For details about this program visit www.nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/hort/

I have also started a Facebook Group called the UF IFAS Extension Bay County Gardening Group where you can share your gardening triumphs and tribulations. It is open to the public, but members are required to answer a few simple questions to ensure everyone understands the group rules.

By now you may be wondering if I’ll ever talk about plants in this gardening column! Before I run out of space let me leave you with a few gardening tips for September.

Start planting your fall vegetable garden. Edibles you can plant in September are cabbage, carrots, broccoli, collards, lettuce, mustard, onions, and radish.

September is the last month to fertilize your warm season turfgrass (Bermudagrass, Bahiagrass, Centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, or Zoysia). Avoid applying nitrogen fertilization to lawns from October-April since this is a period of reduced physiologic activity. Fertilizing at this time can increase the chance of cold damage and promote certain fungal pathogen growth.

Divide and replant overgrown clumping perennials such as daylilies, canna, agapanthus (Lily of the Nile), and peacock ginger.

If you have specific questions about gardening, please contact our office at 850-248-8091 or email me directly at juliebmcconnell@ufl.edu.

An Equal Opportunity Institution. UF/IFAS Extension, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Single copies of UF/IFAS Extension publications (excluding 4-H and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county UF/IFAS Extension offices.

By Ruth Corley, Bay County Sheriff’s Office

A lifeline is defined as a thing on which someone depends, something which provides a means of escape from a difficult situation. Inside the Bay County Jail, the Lifeline Drug Treatment Program, a 120-day substance abuse behavioral modification program, offers a means of escape and hope to those inmates ensnared by addiction.

Lifeline began nine years ago inside the jail and it has been successful; but two years ago Sheriff Tommy Ford realized that the structured physical, emotional, and spiritual fitness plan he was providing for his employees could, with a few modifications, be just as effective at empowering inmates battling opioid addiction. The program already in place at the BCSO, was called Mission Based Resilience and it was designed and being taught by former Navy SEAL Dr. Ed Naggiar.

Dr. Naggiar holds a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology, with expertise in performance under stress in extreme conditions. Dr. Naggiar had a 20-year career as a U.S. Navy SEAL Officer, often volunteering as a human experimental test subject to test the limits of human performance in extreme environments, before founding the company Human Performance Consulting, LLC.

Naggiar is a familiar face at the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, as he has been training groups of employees to develop strategies for not only physical strengthening, but emotional and spiritual resilience as well. Seeing the plan help employees cope with the stresses inherent with a career in law enforcement, Sherriff Ford was certain that learning to handle stress and develop successful coping strategies could help addicts, as well, especially the increasing numbers of opioid-addicted inmates housed in the Bay County Jail.

Now an integrated member of the Lifeline team, Dr. Naggiar’s Mission Based Resilience portion of the Lifeline program consists of a class of 15 carefully screened men that meet for seven weeks, three days each week. They spend one hour in the class followed by an hour outside completing exercises that apply the principles they learn in the classroom. The curriculum is about 20% physical fitness and 80% psychologically based.

Even after having conducted the classes for a couple of years, Dr. Naggiar is still amazed to learn that the men in each class, usually in their 30’s or 40’s, have never experienced successfully working in cooperation, or depending on others, until they were enrolled in Lifeline. As the men engage in physical activities designed to foster community, cooperation, and camaraderie, they gain confidence and build trust in themselves and others. How they see themselves, and the addiction they are battling, begins to evolve. This revelation, he says, and the hope it brings, begins to change everything for them.
According to Naggiar, the recidivism rate is now near 50%, a significant drop for the Lifeline program.

Sheriff Ford also believes the success of the program stems from its use of the many different resources available to help the inmates. The Lifeline program employs four counselors and enjoys healthy partnerships with various local organizations to provide other methods of treatment.

Through Gulf Coast Addiction Medicine (GCAM), the BCSO offers medication assisted substance abuse treatment to inmates before they are released. Once referred by the Jail Mental Health Team, GCAM meets with the inmate to determine if they are a candidate for the Vivitrol Program. If the inmate agrees and has no prohibitive medical issues, the first injection is given two weeks before release. A follow up appointment is scheduled with GCAM.

Another resource is Chemical Addiction Recovery Effort (CARE). This program offers peer recovery services to inmates at the Bay County Jail and connects them to services available to them upon release. The BCSO also recently contracted with Big Bend Community Based Care to provide Care Coordination Services. These services and the counsel of peers who have lived through mental health and addiction challenges will help bridge the gap between jail and productive life in the community.

Although encouraged by the program’s success in addressing opioid and other drug addiction problems, Sheriff Ford has even bigger plans for Lifeline. Once funding is available, he plans to expand the Lifeline program by constructing a 4,000 square foot standalone dormitory with minimum security for inmates with a substance abuse diagnosis. This removal from the general population to the new 100-bed facility serves a two-fold purpose. It allows for an increase in the number of men in the program and fosters a more rehabilitative setting.

By thinking outside the box of traditional treatments, and forging strong bonds with local organizations and agencies equipped to battle drug addiction, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office has confronted the addiction epidemic in Bay County. “I am so proud of the hard work of the men and women of the Bay County Jail,” said Sheriff Ford. “They are making a positive impact on the community, one inmate at a time.”

Visit Panama City Beach is pleased to announce that its President and CEO Dan Rowe has been appointed as the 2020-2021 Chair of the Visit Florida board. Visit Panama City Beach, the official destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Fla., works directly with Visit Florida to drive economic opportunity, job creation, community sustainability and quality of life for its residents through marketing and promotion.

“This year, Visit Florida will likely face new challenges; however, with the help of our community we can continue to position Florida as the most dynamic tourism destination on the planet,” shares Rowe. “Together we can take Florida places that no other destination will be able to match.”

For the past 13 years, Dan Rowe has served as president and CEO of Visit Panama City Beach and executive director of the Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC). Rowe has played a leading role in developing and executing marketing initiatives that have allowed not only the destination but the entire county to achieve unprecedented growth through uncertain times, including the BP Oil Spill, Hurricane Michael and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the course of his career, Rowe has been awarded the Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Hospitality Sales & Marketing by HSMAI (2012), the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce Pioneer of the Year (2016) and The General Andrew Jackson Baratarian Cup (2019).

About Visit Panama City Beach:
Visit Panama City Beach is the official destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Florida. The award-winning organization has earned industry accreditation (DMAP) from Destinations International, the world’s leading authority in destination marketing, and exists to drive economic opportunity, job creation, community sustainability and quality of life for its residents through marketing, promotion and stewardship of the destination’s REAL.FUN.BEACH. brand and attributes, tourism development, special event production, and managing beach re-nourishment and maintenance programs.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended our world this year and forced the cancellation of numerous special events that not only do we locals enjoy, but which attract thousands of people to Panama City Beach in the spring and summer. One of those events this summer was to be a special celebration marking the City’s 50th anniversary.

While the beach has been around a lot longer than 50 years, and the City of Panama City Beach was originally established in 1953, what exists as the City of Panama City Beach today is a merger of four communities. The City of Panama City Beach, the City of Long Beach Resort, the City of West Panama City Beach and the Town of Edgewater Gulf Beach were merged by the Legislature in June 1970.

Dan Russell, who had been the mayor of West Panama City Beach, was sworn in at that time, as the first mayor of the ‘new’ Panama City Beach. The City Council held its first meeting August 12, 1970. When the Council met 50 years ago, the biggest topic of discussion was moving a water line to make way for a new four-lane road on Highway 98 – which came to be known as Back Beach Road and today is called Panama City Beach Parkway.

Fifty years later and we continue to work with the Florida Department of Transportation to get this highly traveled road six-laned. Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) on Panama City Beach Parkway ranges from 44,500 east of the Richard Jackson Boulevard intersection to 52,500 at the Alf Coleman Road intersection west.

Due to the City’s steady growth, mobility remains one of the City’s top challenges 50 years after its founding. The City of Panama City Beach is committed to seeing PCB Parkway expanded, the completion of Bay Parkway as a means of alleviating traffic on the Parkway, and the conclusion of the Front Beach Road Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), which widens Front Beach Road while adding bike and tram lanes as well as streetscape such as sidewalks and improved lighting.

Mobility and transportation are at the forefront of our goals and, in fact, have been identified as one of the City’s strategic priorities through our recent strategic planning process. The City is working hard toward creating a well-maintained functional and multi-modal transportation system to enhance community mobility.

Our other strategic priorities include a commitment to public safety, support of the economic development of our area, maintaining strong financial health as a City, the enhancement of the appearance of our community, and a dedication to improving quality of life through the growth of cultural, recreational, health and other amenities.

As residents and visitors, we can appreciate the efforts of those who came before us. And we thank them for the strong foundation the City continues to build upon. All of us, all of you, make Panama City Beach a great place to live, work, worship and play.

By Sue Gambla

Saylor Grace Morgan radiates sunshine in her 4, almost 5-year-old (as she will gently remind you) soul. The sparkle in her eyes and smile captivates not only her proud parents, Pastor Steve and Mrs. Shawnc Morgan of Gays, Illinois, but everyone she comes in contact with! With saltwater in her veins, you will catch this mermaid frocking through the emerald waters as if she belongs there. Her love of donuts from Thomas Donuts (she can not resist that cute pink box with all the yummies inside) and Gulf Coast Burgers with their irresistible ice cream shakes can keep her lively spirit on the run through her favorite place; finding big crabs with her family at St Andrews Park!

Adventure is Saylor’s middle name with the need for speed on jet skis, renting “Little Jeeps” to cruise through PCB and beyond, or go carting, this girl loves the wind blowing through her sun kissed hair. A Wonder Woman at 4, she loves to bake and cook, run, hike, do yoga, play baseball, draw and color – especially anything pink with sprinkles, cares for her dog and lionhead bunny and even loves to ride horses. She is a smart little cookie with all her homeschooled learning, but her brightest attribute is her charming personality, affectionate tender heart, adoring love of her family and mostly her pure innocent love of Jesus. Mermaids are alive and well on the Emerald Coast; and her name is Saylor Grace.

Dementia Family Pathways Hosts Dementia and Parkinson’s Wellness Expo
Dementia Family Pathways will host their 2nd annual Dementia and Parkinson’s Wellness Expo January 21st, 2021. The event is FREE to the public, thanks to private donations and our generous sponsors. This much needed full-day seminar is an educational fundraising event. The money raised will go towards resources that increase understanding, awareness and advocacy for people living with Dementia and Parkinson’s disease, their care partners, family and friends in our community.

To register and view seminar details, and to obtain information about Dementia Family Pathways’ support groups visit: dementiafamilypathways.com

Fight Back Against Parkinson’s Disease! Join 850 Strong Rock Steady Boxing
Rock Steady Boxing gives people with Parkinson’s hope, by improving their quality of life through non-contact boxing-based fitness training. Rock Steady Boxing helps improve walking and loudness, promotes brain function and motor skills and increases stamina, energy and strength and halts the progression of the disease.

Grand re-opening at new location September 9th: Non-contact classes are offered 1:30 to 3 p.m. every Monday & Wednesday at Anytime Fitness Callaway, 856 North Tyndall Parkway, Callaway, FL 32404. For more information call Meghan O’Donoghue: 850.640.6150.

Not ready to venture out yet? No problem! Join the Dementia Family Pathways’ special virtual Parkinson’s Support Group meeting, via YouTube, Tuesday, September 8th. This special meeting will include representatives from the Council on Aging and the Lydell Conference Center. To find out more visit: shoutout.wix.com/so/39NFlP9pw.

HOPE Project
Need HOPE and help with PSTD, TBI, depression, anxiety, pain, marriage/family issues, spiritual concerns? The HOPE Project provides free Equine Assisted Therapy, therapuetic horse riding, resources and couseling for Veterans, First Responders and their families.
To find out more, or to volunteer call 850-896-4868, or find them on Facebook @HopeProject, Inc.

PCB Senior Center to Honor & Serve First Responders At October Cookout
The PCB Senior Center will be hosting a 1st Responders and Members appreciation Lunch on Wednesday, October 7th, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. This will be a safe, outdoor event. Your choice, take out or picnic style on the grounds of the Senior Center. The menu will include sloppy joes, hot dogs, baked beans, coleslaw, dessert and a drink. FREE to all 1st Responders and Senior Center members.

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Panama City
The Pregnancy Resource Center of Panama City has been serving women and men in Bay County for 37 years.

Volunteer nurses needed! Offering the following free and totally confidential services: pregnancy tests; ultrasounds; parenting classes; adoption information; post abortion recovery classes; abortion reversal pill; share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Office hours: Mon.,Tues., Wed., Thur.—9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Clinic Hours: Mon., Tues., Thur.—10 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed Friday.

The Pregancy Center is a faith-based, pro-life ministry and non-profit 501c3. Located at 701 Jenks Ave, Panama City, Fla 32401. Call 850-763-1100 or visit www.anotherheart.org. Executive Director, Pati Adams: pati@anotherheart.org.