Great Food, Awesome People

I am not a food critic, nor have I been to every restaurant that competes with this one, but I can say that the food I ate there was phenomenal and the service was even better. Hidden on Thomas Drive next to where Ruthy T’s used to be is arguably Panama City Beach’s most delicious Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria.

Red Rose Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria has been around for several years, but the new owners have only been here since February. Fred and May moved to the area with their daughters Sidney and Ella to be close to the water and get away from the big city life of Cincinnati, Ohio. When they purchased the restaurant, they added JEMS to the end and made it home. I won’t tell you the meaning behind JEMS, you’ll have to ask them the story.

What started this all was a quick lunch there of Friday. I had been to Red Rose in the past, but a buddy suggested this as a good place to have a quick meeting. Being a sucker for a good Calzone, I asked Sidney to prepare mine like she would her own. It was absolutely delectable. The texture of the bread was just right. The ingredient/bread ratio was perfect. Everything was not too dry, but not too moist and the sauce that came on the side had the right amount of tang and seasoning.

The Calzone that was prepared for me had ricotta cheese, blend cheese, hot sausage, peperoni, roasted peppers, onions and mushrooms. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

Also on the menu is everything you’d expect at an Italian restaurant from specialty pizzas to stromboli to spaghetti and meatballs. Everything is made fresh from scratch from fresh ingredients, they even grown their own herbs. If you’ve not eaten at Red Rose, I highly recomend it.

Again, they are next to where Ruthy T’s (Wahoo’s now) used to be on Thomas Drive right down from Joan Avenue. If you are going east from Joan, it is just past Moby Dick’s T-shirt shop.

Be sure to tell them you read about them on pcbdaily.

Red Rose Retaurant and Pizzeria
8501 Thomas Drive
32408
850-249-4367
www.RedRoseJems.com

Bud Light to Race this weekend

This weekend, the Bud Light Offshore team returns to Florida’s Gulf Coast for the Panama City Beach Super Boat National Championship. Dave Scott and team are looking to steer the Bud Light 50’ Mystic to another win in the Superboat Unlimited class.

This race could hold even more importance, as it will give the team a chance to check out other teams they will likely see at the World Championship in Key West, Fla., next month. Throttleman Johnny Tomlinson will be watching closely to size up the competition.

“It will be good to get back in the ocean,” Tomlinson said. “Since it’s an SBI venue, there will be some boats there that we’ll go up against in the world championship. We’ll be able to get a feel for the competition that will be down in Key West and have a better idea of what we need to do to win.”

“I was there my second or third time racing, in 1987 or 1988,” Tomlinson said. “I haven’t been back there in years, but it’s very similar to racing Destin or Orange Beach. With that in mind, I feel confident that we’ll do well. We’ve got a good team, and we just need to continue on with our momentum.”

In 2007, Scott and crew won their tenth National Championship at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. They also brought home the checkered flag in six regular season races. The team won its classes at the Lake Ozark Fire Rescue shootout and secured its eighth World Championship in Key West, Fla. The team’s most recent win of 2008 came at the Captain Ron’s Shootout, securing the Top Gun title with a speed of 178 mph.

Festivities for the Panama City Super Boat National Championship begin Friday, Oct. 3 as the race village opens at 9 a.m. On Saturday, all classes take to the water for testing at noon. National Championship racing begins Sunday at noon.

The Dave Scott Bud Light Offshore Race Team is one of the most successful offshore race teams in history, having earned eight world championships and ten national championship titles since 2001. The team is also the proud owner of six offshore speed records. Dave Scott, Johnny Tomlinson and Mike Seebold have more than 40 years of combined experience in offshore powerboat racing.

New Airport Construction Update

Well, with the new website, apparently comes more consistent updates. Recently posted, the airport is around 3 months ahead of schedule. With just over 40% of the total construction contract completed on 34% of the total construction TIME has elapsed.

4.5 million cubic yards of excavation has been completed (about 80% of the expected total).
12,500 linear feet of storm sewer is in place and 10,360 tons of asphalt which meets all interim milestones for the project.
Earthwork on Runway 16-34 is 99% complete and the asphalt base for the runway will be laid starting on October 6, 2008. Concrete paving on the runway should begin around November 24, 2008.
The limerock base course is complete in the northern half of the terminal parking lot and is continuing in the rest of the parking lot. Curb installation in the parking lot is nearing 90%.
The guard rail is being installed at County Road 388 entrance.
2.5” of asphalt base course is in place along the 11,000 linear feet of the main access road.
The security fence around the perimeter of the airport property is approximately 35% complete
The building pad for the terminal building is complete. Construction on the terminal building is scheduled to begin in October pending award of the contract for construction by the Airport Authority Board.

PCBDaily Twitter Weekly Updates for 09-30-2008

Bikes all over pier park lavela #
Fall is here with a cool morning at 66 degrees #
Bikers everywhere. #
Marty mcdanial is saying that our 2 percent increase this year in bed tax over last year may have been directly from recovery collectios #
At revenue enhancement meeting. Talking about how to increase bed tax #
Frank brown park and la vela are coming to life #
Airport meeting over check pcbdaily.com for the full update this afternoon. #
10,000 foot runway not final. 15 depth is. Waiting on final permitting from faa for 10,000 feet. Also centerline lighting approved. #

Bike Week on Panama City Beach, Day 4

Saturday was the last day of Bike Week, for me at least. There were still venues open and bikers abound yesterday, but since it was Sunday and I was completely worn out, I stayed home with the fam.

Saturday was crazy busy, although it seemed like there were more bikers on the road than at the venues. Riding around, it seemed like there were bikers everywhere. Talking to a friend yesterday, he said that it seemed like everywhere he looked, there weren’t just a few bikers, but several packs of bikers – streetside, hanging out, at gas stations, etc.

Talking to several local businesses, many thought this year was actually up from last year’s fall rally. If anyone has any quantifiable evidence to exactly how many people were here, please share! In the future, we’ll have to figure out how to make a count – I know that it hasn’t been figured out yet.

I spoke to the camp site across from La Vela, and they said they were busier than last year, but were unsure if it had something to do with more people wanting to camp because it was cheaper. Talking to vendors, I was told that sales were way up. Apollo Choppers sold 7 bikes! Ms. Newby’s had motorcycles parked all the way down Thomas Drive almost to where Red Rose is and Ruthy T’s used to be.

Check below for pics, and comment on the fun you had over the weekend!!

Bike Week on Panama City Beach, Day 3

Me? I’m great, other than my legs feel like they are about to fall off and I’m totally and completely wiped out. But, I had fun.

What many may argue as the first day of Bike Week on Panama City Beach, today was awesome. Technically the festivities started Wednesday. Some of the venues were open, some bikers had come in town, but for the most part, many of us were worried about the turnout for this rally. Things started picking up yesterday, but today, man o’ man, the bikers rolled in.

Talking around, the numbers still seemed down from this time last year, and I think most agree the current state of the economy and gas prices are to blame. However, overall the vendors I talked to seem to be pretty pleased.

The Apollo Chopper guys were ecstatic having sold 6 bikes between today and yesterday. Merchandise sales seemed to be going very well all around, and at 10 o’ clock tonight, Club La Vela and Ms. Newby’s seemed to be the only party in town. People were almost fighting for a parking spot at La Vela, bikers and cars alike.

I rode all day, and went pretty much everywhere; so did everyone else. There were bikers everywhere – from Back Beach Road, to Pier Park, all up and down Front Beach Road, at all the gas stations, condos, hotels. They were packed in groups on the side of the road, talking, hanging out.

Tomorrow should be fun.

Airport Intentions State 10,000 feet

Airport Authority Approves Preliminary Work on 10,000 foot Commercial Runway

Construction of New Airport Months Ahead of Schedule

The Panama City – Bay County International Airport Authority announced its intentions this week to construct a 10,000-foot main runway at the new airport in West Bay, subject to obtaining necessary permits and approvals. The Authority previously authorized the design of the runway extension which takes this runway from 8,400 feet to 10,000 feet and today approved a thicker runway and centerline lighting to accommodate a 10,000 foot runway.

Earlier, the Airport Authority had approved an 8,400-foot concrete runway with the option to extend it to 10,000 feet, if funding became available. The Florida Legislature, during its 2008 legislative session, awarded the airport an additional $4.5 million in funding to lengthen the runway to 10,000 feet.

The Airport Authority has begun the permitting process for the runway extension. The change in runway length is not expected to impact the construction schedule. The Airport Authority currently expects to open the new airport on Memorial Day 2010, with the 10,000 foot runway completed.

“We appreciate the tremendous support we have received from the State of Florida for this new airport,” said Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill. “The State knows how important this new facility is to the future of air service and economic development in Northwest Florida. It is an investment in the future of the Panhandle – and the future of Florida. This new runway will be the only 10,000 foot commercial runway in the Northwest Florida region.”

“From the beginning, our goal has been to build a new airport capable of serving the transportation and economic development needs of our region for decades to come,” said Tannehill. “The longer runway will put us in the strongest possible position to compete for better air service and large aviation-dependent economic development projects.”

“Our focus now must turn to marketing our new facility to commercial airlines, transportation and logistics businesses and other aviation and defense companies we have targeted as potential tenants of the new airport,” said Tannehill. “We are committed to improving the regions air service and expanding the economic base of Northwest Florida.”

Construction of the $318 million state-of-the-art airport began in January 2008 and is now nearly three months ahead of schedule. The runway has been graded and paving is scheduled to begin in early October, four months ahead of schedule.

The two-mile long main airport entry road has been completed, 80 percent of the storm sewer pipes are in place and the parking lot’s curbing and lime-rock base will be completed by the end of September.

“Construction of the new airport is going very well,” said Randy Curtis, the airport’s executive director. “It is truly amazing to see 10 years of planning coming to life.”

New Airport lauches New Web Site

The Panama City – Bay County International Airport announced that it has launched a new web site to help educate the public on the progress of its new $318.5 million airport.

The user-friendly site includes a timeline of milestones leading up to the groundbreaking of the airport, the first built in the U.S. in the past 13 years, as well as constant photo and video updates on the development of the airport. Current video updates featured are from pcbdaily.com!

“The development of the new airport is moving forward ahead of schedule and on budget,” said Airport Executive Director, Randy Curtis. “This new web site is a vehicle to carry useful and interesting project information to the local community, traveling public and those in the aviation and transportation industries.”

The website, www.newpcairport.com, features numerous photographs and videos of the many elements of construction and illustrates the progress now underway. Navigation tabs found on the site’s home page also allow users to easily access information regarding environmental impact, project partners and important contact information.

The daily countdown feature on the website lets readers know how many days are left until the Airport Authority’s target opening date of Memorial Day 2010.

All visitors to www.newpcairport.com are invited to use the site’s subscribe feature to have project updates sent directly to their e-mail.

Bike Week on Panama City Beach, Day 2

I didn’t have the pleasure of spending much time out and about this afternoon, but I was out tonight. As always, Ms. Newby’s was slammed. I had the great pleasure of meeting John McVeigh, who said business was good. There were people (and bikes) everywhere.

The weather was cool, and even almost cold riding a motorcycle, but the days have been absolutely gorgeous and clear.

It’s hard to say yet if the numbers are down from last year, but many are predicting they will be. With the current state of the economy and fuel prices, it is expected that many bikers stayed home.

I stopped by La Vela to find I just missed Kelly and The Healers. I’ll catch them tomorrow. Everything was slowing down by 9 pm, except the bars, of course. Edgewater was dead, but I did have the opportunity to see the Dan Lawson Band and the young Patrick jam it out.

Salty’s was busy with some pretty sweet bikes out front, one had a Jack Daniels bottle built into the take, cool.

Tomorrow should be a blast, I’ll have more time to visit the venues and check everything out.

Coastal Cleanup 2008

This time next year, we will be aware of and report the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup before the event happens. But this year, we are pleased to report that the event did take place in Bay County in four locations: downtown St. Andrews, St. Andrews State Park, Camp Helen State Park and Tyndall Air Force Base.

I chose to do my own little “KeeptheBeachClean.com” cleanup in the area of the weekend’s best event, Schooners Lobster Fest. I am pleased to announce that the beaches between Access #1 and Schooners were very clean, and I picked up less than 5 gallons of trash on both my morning trip and sunset run.

Thanks to Schooners for putting on events like Lobster Fest to improve activities for locals and tourists alike. It was such a perfect beach day…