On June 17, 2021, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSNWFL) surprised Panama City Beach Police Corporal, Tiffany McCullough, with the 2021 Virginia Thomas Big of the Year Award at the Panama City Beach Police Department.

Tiffany reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida in 2014 and stated that she believed that just one positive person in a child’s life could make a huge impact. Being a police officer, Tiffany has had a lot of interaction with children on the job but stated that these interactions were sometimes so brief that she wanted to do more and provide an ongoing influence to create a true impact.

Tiffany has been a strong, positive, and stable mentor for her Little Sister Daphnee, for the past seven years. Through good times and bad, she has helped Daphnee flourish into the young teenager that she has become today by always encouraging Daphnee to be herself. Tiffany has also done the dedicated work of bringing up Daphnee’s grades and maintaining that success.

Daphnee’s grandmother said that Tiffany has shown so much love to Daphnee and has become very protective of Daphnee’s family. Daphnee has commented that she “loves and trusts” Tiffany and she knows that no matter what, Tiffany will always be there for her.
Tiffany has also worked with the BBBSNWFL agency in helping recruit law enforcement for their Bigs with Badges program: a program to help bridge the gap between law enforcement and local youth.

The award’s namesake is philanthropist Virginia Thomas, whose heart was driven by her passion for opening doors and opportunities for local children who otherwise would never have. Virginia Thomas made a big impact in the Panama City community and in the lives of so many children throughout her life. This award was established to honor Virginia Thomas and celebrate a Big who exemplifies the passion of serving others.

Tiffany understands and encompasses the vision of Virginia Thomas along with the mission of BBBSNWFL. BBBSNWFL thanks Tiffany for all that she has done not only for her Little but for her community. BBBSNWFL is in need of more mentors like Tiffany. Become a Defender of Potential today by visiting www.bbbsnwfl.org or call (850) 433-5437.

By Julie McConnell, UF/IFAS Extension Bay County

If you call my office with questions about your lawn the first question I will ask is, “what type of grass do you have?” In Northwest Florida, there are four common species of warm season turfgrasses installed in landscapes and utility areas. Each type of grass has unique management requirements in order to thrive and resist pest, disease, weed establishment, and environmental challenges.

Bermudagrass, Centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, and Zoysiagrass are the most popular lawns in our region. Within each species there are numerous cultivars available with slightly different characteristics, but this article will cover generalizations for each species. All turfgrass has pros and cons – there is no “perfect” turfgrass, however, selecting grass not suited to your site will lead to excess maintenance cost and frustration.

Bermudagrass is a fine bladed dense growing turfgrass that is commonly used on golf courses. It has a reputation for high maintenance, but quality thresholds for a home lawn are lower than sports turf making it a good option. Bermudagrass spreads by both rhizomes (underground runners) and stolons (aboveground runners) which allows it to fill in quickly and recover from injury. It is tolerant of salt spray which is important in coastal landscapes or properties using reclaimed water. Bermudagrass should be cut at 1.5” high in the home landscape and benefits from monthly low-rate fertilizations during the growing season.

Centipedegrass is known as the “lazy man’s grass” because it has low maintenance requirements. Most of the problems we see at our office with Centipedegrass are when people love it to death by excessive fertilization and watering. This grass is naturally a light green color, so routine fertilization trying to make it a lush green negatively impacts this turf type. Centipedegrass is not salt tolerant and is only suitable in acidic soil (ideal pH 5.5) which makes it a poor option along the coast.

St. Augustinegrass has wide blades and is commonly grown in areas with large trees present. Although St. Augustinegrass is “shade tolerant” it still needs six hours or more of sunlight daily. Shady conditions are conducive to fungal disease development and thinning grass. Mowing St. Augustinegrass shorter than 3-4 inches causes damage to growing points and reduces the surface area needed to perform photosynthesis. Improper mowing leads to weak or dead areas of turf which contributes to weeds moving in. Additionally, St. Augustinegrass is sensitive to many herbicides, so weed control can be difficult.

Zoysiagrass is a dense forming turfgrass with similar growth to Bermudagrass (rhizomes and stolons) and when well maintained outcompetes many common weeds. Like St. Augustinegrass, some cultivars are listed as “shade tolerant” but still require 6 hours of sunlight daily. Zoysiagrass is tolerant of salt spray, a wide range of herbicides, and will go into drought dormancy when conditions are exceedingly dry. It is one of the last grasses to “green up” in the spring and forms thatch which must be managed to maintain healthy turfgrass.

To learn more about turfgrass and caring for your lawn visit https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/yourfloridalawn/ for links to publications about specific turfgrasses and common care issues.

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.

“If we wouldn’t wear it, we don’t share it.”

By Marta Rose-Thorpe

Katy Pinson launched Save the Closet, a free mobile closet (non-profit organization) for communities affected by natural disasters and individuals in life transition, following Hurricane Michael. Katy moved to Bay County, Florida from Charlotte, North Carolina, in the spring of 2015. As owner/broker of Beach Babes Realty, life was good at the beach and things were going well in her new home. Though she had experienced storms in North Carolina before, nothing could have prepared her for the wrath of Hurricane Michael in October of 2018.

After the storm, she started collecting donations of money and supplies for people who had lost their homes. “We were drowning in huge amounts of clothes,” she says, “though much of what was donated didn’t meet our standards.” Katy became compelled to collect ‘Donations with Dignity’ as she refers to the benchmark she tries to attain. “I knew we could do better, so we decided to set a standard.”

Save the Closet resides at a location on Hutchison Blvd. in Panama City Beach, across from Shipwreck Island, though they have facilitated a series of pop-up stores all over Bay, Gulf, Calhoun, and Jackson Counties, including towns such as Fountain, Callaway, Parker, Panama City, Port St. Joe, Wewahitchka, and several locations in Panama City Beach. In addition, Save the Closet responded to the need following Hurricane Laura in Lake Charles, LA, and made the journey to Alabama following the tornado of 2019. Focused on reaching further, their first pop-up in North Walton County is taking place next month. “The goal is to do these once a month, if possible,” she says.

Save the Closet has helped thousands of people since Hurricane Michael. “We serve communities following natural disasters and individuals going through life transitions,” she shares. In between mobile events and disasters, individuals in need are referred by churches, schools, agencies, or corporations. People are allowed to take what they need for free, and often they are in disbelief when they learn this. “Sometimes they cry, especially in areas where storms hit hard, and the PTSD is very real. ‘Retail Therapy’ is called therapy for a reason – it works!”

Save the Closet partners with Arc of the Bay and other community organizations for volunteers and employees. “People can do community hours while they’re here, plus they can find things they need,” she says. “We hope to keep expanding.” The charity also collaborates with local artists, taking donated items and turning them into wearable art pieces. Beachy Beach Real Estate is a big supporter. “When Katy told me she needed support, we started supporting!” says owner/broker Karen Key Smith. “That’s what you do. This is such a wonderful and important thing she is doing for our community.”

“Financial donations are welcome,” says Katy, “and we need more corporate sponsors.” Donations can be accepted through their Facebook page @savethecloset or website at savethecloset.com (click Donate Now). Clothes may be dropped off Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the main location at the beach at 12202 Hutchison Blvd. across from Shipwreck Island; look for the Save the Closet trailer out front.

By Marta Rose-Thorpe

Suzy Nichols has been fishing since she was four years old, and her fondest memories go back to when she was a kid fishing with her dad. “I have always been my dad’s fishing buddy,” she says. She recalls a memory of when she was nine years old, catching a blowfish in the bay of Long Island, New York. “They deflate when you bring them up to the surface, but after a few seconds, they begin to blow themselves up. I remember thinking it was so cool to watch him expand with his big front teeth, and thought he was the cutest!”
More recently, a favorite memory is of her trophy “Hebi” caught off the island of Kona, Hawaii. “Hebi is a shortbill spearfish,” she explains. “Its dorsal fin is shorter than that of other billfish species, and its bill is very short in comparison. He was beautiful!”

In 2013 Suzy created Reel Ladies of Panama City Beach (RLPCB) to encourage more women to fish. The club was made official in 2018, and in June 2021, launched in Panama City Beach with its inaugural meeting taking place at the newly reopened Bay Point Yacht Club. It is the first team of its kind, and the only fresh and saltwater ladies fishing team in Panama City Beach, Florida. “Through the years I’ve introduced many girlfriends to fishing, and they always love it… it’s better than a trip to Disney World!” she laughs. “Fishing has always been a male-dominated sport, and we want more ladies to explore all that fishing has to offer. Perfect example: there are hundreds of men fishing teams, but only a handful of lady fishing teams. I want to share these experiences and make memories with other ladies who like to fish.” RLPCB offers ladies the opportunity to explore fishing in a relaxed, friendly, fun environment with other ladies. Both beginner and experienced anglers are welcome to participate.

Encouraging more women to fish was one reason, but there was another motivation for the team’s creation. “I have to thank my husband, the captain of our boat. When we first started dating, he didn’t believe that I truly loved to fish or that I could bait or de-hook my own fish. After a few fishing trips, I earned a permanent spot on the Tiger and became a member of his all “guy” fishing team! RLPCB will allow my husband to have his guy trips and his team. After all, I fish like a girl, and if they tried harder, they could fish like one too!”

Suzy’s fishing repertoire includes inshore, offshore, bluewater, river, stream, and ponds. “I practice bait fishing, bait casting, spinning, and trolling. I also participate in catch and release and have caught many of my first trophy fish in this manner. I have fished in some of the most amazing places such as Costa Rica, Aruba, Hawaii, Cozumel, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Key West, Bahamas Alaska, and the Cumberland River in Tennessee. My travels all incorporate a fishing experience.”

RLPCB is made up of a diverse group of 21 and over women who love to fish, explore the outdoors, experience the camaraderie and sportsmanship of fun or tournament fishing, and are involved in promoting conservation and sustainable fishing through education. As a member of RLPCB, ladies will have access to the members-only Facebook group page, the website, and a variety of events and opportunities including hands-on workshops, seminars, socials, and ladies-only fishing tournaments. RLPCB plans to connect with today’s youth by offering fishing clinics and providing starter kits for kids consisting of a fishing pole, tackle, and a fun-filled day of fishing lessons. There are also opportunities for lady anglers to compete and earn RLPCB club records and awards if the angler first applies to and receives a record from the International Game Fish Association (IGFA). The annual membership dues are $70; Reel Lady shirts are required to be purchased and worn at all events. A valid Florida Fishing License required.

“Reel Ladies of Panama City Beach are ladies who love to fish, laugh, socialize, educate, and meet new ladies who will encourage and support each other – and promote our mission,” says Suzy. “This is a ‘No Drama’ ladies club; if you share the same, we invite you to apply!” For more information visit ReelLadiesofPCB.com.

So now that many people are making plans for a summer getaway, even if just for a three-day weekend, how do you keep your home safe while you are gone?

The Bay County Sheriff’s Office has a plan in place. It’s the Summer Home Check program. Simply call the Sheriff’s Office at (850) 747-4700, and ask for Dispatch. The telecommunicator in Dispatch will take your information down and send someone to check on your home while you are away.

The BCSO also has some tips for those who will be away from home for a week or longer:

• Cut back bushes around windows so you don’t give cover to anyone who may try to get inside through a window.
• Install floodlights that are motion-sensitive around your home.
• Cut off mail delivery while you are gone so a full mailbox doesn’t signal the fact you are out of town. Do the same if you receive a newspaper delivery, or make plans to have someone pick up anything you have delivered to your house while you are away.
• Put lamps inside your home on a timer so it will appear someone is at home when you’re gone.

The Summer Home Check program will send a marked vehicle by your home regularly to get out and check around the home. Call (850) 747-4700 to schedule your home for the Summer Home Check extra patrol.