Huge Country Name Played at Tootsies in Pier Park

Singer/songwriter and Grammy nominee, Jamey Johnson played at Tootsies in Pier Park Friday night. “His guitarist called me at 4 pm and asked if they could play that night,” said Stephen Dibble, “they ended up staying and playing two sets, it was a great night.”

Tootsies Orchid Lounge originated in Nashville, TN and was made popular by their openly encouraging artists to just “stop by” and play a set. With roots that include country music legends such as Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings, today, it isn’t uncommon for big-name artists to drop in for a “hollar and a swallar.”

With the birth of Pier Park, Tootsies realized the perfect opportunity to expand into a growing area and be a part of a development unlike anything in Northwest Florida. Pier Park brings tremendous adventure to all those that are wanting to shop, eat, be entertained or take part in an awesome New Year’s Eve party.

The customary norm that has made Tootsies so famous in Nashville has rubbed off on our little location in Panama City Beach with the appearance of Jamey Johnson Friday night. I can’t say with confidence that he is the first big name that has dropped in, but I can say that he is a high profile and very talented artist.

Currently he is ranked in the top ten on Billboard.com for country songs and is expected to grow in popularity in the coming weeks. A few weeks back, he appeared on the David Letterman show and has made several “best” lists in 2008 including Rolling Stone’s Best Albums of 08, AOL’s Best Album, New York Times Best Album list, DallasNews.com best CD and tons more.

Talking to Stephen, he said that the touring season starts in a couple months and we should expect more artists of this caliber this season. I’m currently working with Tootsies to keep all of you up to date as to what is happening there. If you haven’t been, you should check it out. I was there New Year’s shooting some footage (forthcoming) and it was so packed, we could hardly move.

Tough economic times, require new approaches to education

One has to wonder how public education in Florida will be transformed by decreasing enrollment and a shrinking state budget (Enrollment down 30,000 at Florida’s public schools). Some people are discussing doom and gloom scenarios while others argue the tough times will encourage us to find more efficient ways to educate our kids.

We probably can’t do much to change the economy, but we can work together to come up with innovative approaches to provide high quality education at a reasonable cost. Some of the latest approaches include on-line “virtual” schools, international models and back-to-basics options. In each model, the goal is to teach more job specific skills for less money.

In addition to changing the way we teach our children academic subjects, some experts suggest we should rethink how extra-curricular activities are organized and funded. In the January 4, 2009 News Herald article, What is in their wallets, Pat McCann talks about cuts to high school athletic programs. If we continue to run the programs with the same approach without large budgets, the quality will erode quickly. Some pundits suggest we can provide the same or more attractive options by allowing outside organizations to offer these services. In Europe, for example, professional sports organizations run youth teams. In the US, national and regional sports organizations could possibly fill this role.

The thought of different types of schools and extra curricular options is a bit unnerving. However, in the current economic environment, creativity and flexibility are important. If we want our kids to have the best options, we will all probably have to start thinking outside the box.

Jason = MIA

I promise that I’ve got some great stuff on the Pier Park Beach Ball Drop New Year’s Eve Party. I promise to get up a video ASAP. The event was unbelievable. There were thousands of people there.

The marketing team at Pier Park did an amazing job of putting together a great event, Dan Rowe and the CVB did an amazing job of getting the word out – we interviewed many that were from out of town. Margaritaville presented the whole event, and them along with the other sponsors, the whole thing was well supported and very well received.

Again, kudos to all those involved – it was a huge success.

With a new baby, the Christmas Holiday, the New Year’s holiday and now we’re moving to a larger house that better fits the needs of our growing family, I’ve been super tied up, but promise that things will get back to normal next week.

Happy new year everyone, and thanks for reading.

Technical difficulties with live broadcast

Well, if you were watching earlier then you know our broadcasts were riddled with little bugs.

Maybe we’ll get it next year.

We’ve been getting tons of video footage all evening and promise a great video documenting the whole evening.

I sincerely apologize to all those that were counting on this to stay connected with us. You, the readers, have made this site what it is and we very much appreciate the support.

Have a happy new year and by 2009 bring you much success and tons of fun.

Jason Koertge
850-319-1172
Sent via BlackBerry – I know, I sold my iPhone.