Gameday For Heroes

Today is Game Day, Auburn vs. Alabama, #1 vs. #4, the “Game of the Century”. I’d like to take a moment to put this into perspective. One team wins and one loses. There will be a lot of Facebook posting and smack-talking, 2nd guessing by the armchair quarterbacks while one fan base enjoys the victory and another feels the agony of defeat and thinks about what could have been.

However, not all of America will be watching this game. Yesterday, I called a Colonel with the 7th Special Forces Group stationed at Eglin AFB, to ask if he had someone under his command who would like tickets to this game. He told me he was in the Atlanta airport on his way to Texas to meet the family and attend the funeral, today on Game Day, of one of his soldiers that was recently killed by an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on his first deployment.

This really hits home and puts things into perspective. Win or lose the fans are so passionate that some will call in sick to work on Monday because they are so devastated. Over the years I have seen trees set on fire and poisoned, fights break out post-game and more, all over a simple game of football while our young men and women are putting their lives on the line, risking death and life-altering injury to fight against terrorism and keep our country safe.

Four years ago, my wife Jana and I started Gameday For Heroes as a community service project of our local Auburn Club. We raised funds and bought six season tickets that were designated for wounded heroes. Then our club members began donating tickets they weren’t using and these went to not only wounded, but active duty and veterans to experience the college Gameday atmosphere. We invited them to tailgate with us and quickly realized how great a way this is to give back.

We received great feedback from the military that participated. Some told us it provided a great bonding time with their families, especially after long deployments away. Others with PTSD have stated that being at a game helped them with the fear of crowds and loud noises. All are most appreciative for the donors that make it possible for them to attend a game. Many have never been to a college game before and experienced the pageantry and festivities that may only be seen on a college football campus.

Gameday For Heroes has since grown rapidly and has sent military to college games in over 30 colleges. Last year alone, over 2,900 tickets were donated for military to attend regular season games, and also four BCS bowl games.

Military can visit our website and request tickets to college sporting events – football, basketball, baseball and more… Unfortunately, we have many more requests than we do tickets but hopefully as the word about this program spreads more requests will be granted.

Having tickets donated to the big rivalry games is a rarity, although we are fortunate to be sending military to Auburn vs. Alabama, Texas A&M vs. Missouri and Michigan vs. Ohio State today

However, when fans of just about any schools have tickets they are not using and tell us via the website they would like to donate them, we have a database full of military that would love to use those tickets. We can provide the donor with a tax letter for the face value of the tickets donated.

Want to get involved? How can you help?

If you are a season ticket holder or know any college season ticket holders, spread the word about Gameday For Heroes. Consider hosting a Gameday For Heroes tailgate or other event.

Consider buying and donating season tickets for your favorite school. You will know that military are benefiting and attending the games and sitting in seats provided by you.

Consider making a monetary donation to help support the program. Gameday For Heroes is a 100% volunteer run organization without any paid staff. However, there are expenses associated with operations such as website and database, shipping, marketing, etc… that must be covered. We are a 501-c-3 organization and donations are deductible for tax purposes.

Help sponsor a fundraising event in your city.

If you would like to get involved or learn more, visit us at www.gamedayforheroes.org or contact me at mike@gamedayforheroes.org.

Most importantly, say a prayer for the family in Texas that is burying a son, and a brother today. He lost his life defending us and our freedom so that we can do things like put 87,451 fans into a stadium and watch a game take place. And the next time you see a service member, thank them for their service!!

IdeaCamp this Thursday Night at the New ATC at Gulf Coast!

The wildly successful IdeaCamp held by the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce and made possible by Southwest Airlines is happening this Thursday evening, October 24th from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at Gulf Coast State College’s brand new Advanced Technology Center.

Community members are invited to Share, Learn and Network with other residents and business people in a relaxed environment. IdeaCamp attendees will enjoy light eats and a FREE drink ticket for the first 50 registrants that arrive. Please REGISTER HERE in order to secure your spot.

The event is FREE to PCB chamber members and $20 to non-members. Door prizes are awarded so make sure you bring your business card and look forward to a tour of the ATC at this IdeaCamp.

IdeaCamp is Back at g.Foley’s Next Week

The PCB Chamber of Commerce IdeaCamp is back on at g. Foley’s next week and will explore a topic that effects all of us, Real Estate in our area.

On Thursday, July 25, the Beach Chamber’s IdeaWorks Committee will hold an IdeaCamp “Think Tank” at g.Foley’s restaurant on 23rd Street in Panama City. This fun, interactive “idea-share” takes place from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This IdeaCamp is presented by Southwest Airlines, hosted by the Bay County Association of Realtors, and sponsored by Edward Jones and Emerald HR Solutions.

“IdeaCamp is about the coming together of the business community in a professional, interactive setting,” says IdeaWorks Chairman David Balmer, regional director of Dale Carnegie of the Emerald Coast. “People are hungry for information and connecting with other business professionals. Our locations are always good! Great venue + great topics + great speakers = IdeaCamp.”

This unique IdeaCamp will examine several home-buying and home-selling scenarios. The topic, “What does Perspective have to do with Real Estate?” will be covered in this interactive panel discussion.

The panel consists of six Real Estate professionals that will share their practical knowledge with IdeaCamp guests as well as answer questions.

Panelists include David Bowers, a builder with Art Construction of NW FL; Matt Kelley, an inspector with North Florida Home Inspections; David Merrick, an appraiser with Brightway Insurance; Jim Kochevar, a lender with Giles Appraisal Group; Darla Fontenot, an insurance representative with Suntrust Mortgage; and Maureen Richardson, a title representative with Setco Services.

Cost to attend IdeaCamp is free for Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce members and $20 for non-members. For more information, call the Beach Chamber at (850) 235-1159.

My Absence, A Likely Story

If you haven’t noticed we’ve been sparse around here, then you probably aren’t reading as much as you tell me you are when you see me around town. 😉 There can be a variety of complicated excuses and/or reasons that involve entrepreneurship, psychology, and management, but it really all comes down to lack of focus as a result of too much busyness.

As you know, summer season makes our bread-and-butter business crazy. Panama City Beach Luxury Properties is doing phenomenally well, but we’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to focus that much on writing. And I apologize for that.

On top of that, in the last two weeks, I’ve moved our personal residence to 30A (yes, we moved west)(with 4 kids worth of stuff) and now we’re moving our offices. And, on top of that, we’re making some huge business changes, growing dramatically and hiring like crazy.

So, whether you want to call these excuses or reasons, they’ve kept me from being able to focus on what’s important to you – news and information about Panama City Beach.

I can assure you, Panama City Beach is a passion of mine, and we’ll get back to regularly scheduled posts as soon as we get settled down.

I’m sorry for our absence and I thank you for your patience.

ZooWorld Needs Our Help This Saturday

I know you’ve been looking for some fun community service to partake in, and this is your chance. Zoo World, our local zoo is hosting a community service project this Saturday, let by the Panama City Beach Branch of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Every year, they do a Day of Service project where they look for a ‘big’ project in the community in which they can serve however needed.

Home to over 260 animals including several exotic and endangered species, they are a non-profit zoo open daily to the public. Some of the residents include a white bengal tiger, African lioness, florida black bear, and a giraffe who frequently pokes his head to take a peek at the cars traveling on Allison Road. Annually they have a variety of programs and events that draw crowds large and small.

What we’re doing this weekend.

As mention, Zoo World is a non-profit zoo, therefore funding is light. Staffed mostly by caring volunteers, they are in dire need of help doing general grounds clean up. As you know, they are in the middle of a pine forest which results in pinecones, pine straw and other debris resting all over the place. The cleanup of this is just overwhelming. So, we’re going to help clean it all up!

This upcoming Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm, we need volunteers to come out and help clean up. All you need to do is bring yourself, some gloves, some tools to help cleanup (if you have them), and water. Parents, bring your kids, but make sure they know they are here to work! 🙂

Here is what we’ll be doing.

Picking up pine cones
Raking and cleaning up pine straw
Power washing
Painting
Laying sod (if we get the sod in in-time)

Here is what you should bring.

Gloves
Rakes (if you have them)
Other cleanup tools (if you have them)
Water or something to keep hydrated

Event details.

When: 9 am to 1 pm

Where: Zoo World — — 9008 Front Beach Road

What: Zoo World Community Cleanup Project

Why: Because they need help, and you like helping.

What to bring: yourself, gloves, rakes, cleanup tools, and water

Who to contact for more information.

If you need more information, please call Zoo World directly and ask for Stephani. Their number is 850-230-1243.

Or, just comment below.

Image credit. 🙂

We’re Looking for Aqua, Splash and Majestic Owners [RENTALS]

Our vacation rental business is growing leaps and bounds and we’re gearing up for summer! We are looking to bring on some fantastic condos in a few fabulous resorts, specifically Aqua, Splash and Majestic Beach Resort.

There are a variety of reasons we love these resorts, including the fact they are all very nice, tend to rent extremely well and guests love to return to them year after year.

A little about who we are.

As you have come to know, one of our sister companies (my company to be specific 😉 ) is a short term vacation rental company. We manage 30+ amazing rental condos on the beach in a variety of resort locations. Our successful management program is unique in many ways and we’re looking to expand. We offer complete and full service management, handling everything from rentals, maintenance, upkeep and cleaning.

There are a lot of things that set us apart from our competition, but a few of the major differences between us and many other management companies are:

We charge a low, flat rate management fee of $397 per month, regardless of size and revenue
Our marketing is second to none, innovative and always on the cutting edge

You can read more about who we are and why our marketing is awesome on our Owner’s page.

What about our marketing that’s so awesome.

You’ve heard the success stories of property owners managing their condos themselves. They list it on VRBO, give their property tons of TLC, follow up rigorously with their rental leads and they book their condo extremely well.

As you may (or may not) know, this is all a ton of work and it’s something for which we have an extremely good system and work that system full time. The reason why our program is so successful is that we combine all the great things of managing a property individually with the scalability of a great system found in larger companies. The result is more bookings, higher revenue, better care for your property and less costs.

Each of our properties are marketed individually. This is done several ways and ensures that the condo that you’ve worked so hard to make awesome is rewarded for that hard work.

Each property on our vacation rental program gets:

Their own page on our website
An HD video tour
High resolution photos
An exclusive email database (created from inquiries)
VRBO listing (paid for by owner)
Album on our Facebook page

This individual attention creates a ton of work when bringing on new properties but translates to higher bookings and, of course, higher revenue than you’ve seen before. In most cases, we command a higher price than the competition because we pack so much value into a guest’s stay!

Plus we own PCBDaily and use it to leverage all sorts of opportunities for our guests.

Why We’re looking to expand in Aqua, Splash and Majestic.

We work hard to look for properties in great destinations. Each of these three resorts have characteristics that lend perfectly to performing well for vacation rentals.

When it comes to sophisticated luxury, Aqua is second to none in Panama City Beach. When you walk in, you’re greeted with a refined style that just isn’t found anywhere else. The surfaces, colors, accents and modern amenities make this resort an attractive, complete package.

Splash Resort is extremely well-known for being family-friendly and a blast for kids of all ages. The large-resort feel, tons of water play areas and quiet location in Panama City Beach make it perfect for families to vacation and property owners to enjoy fantastic rental performance.

Majestic Beach Resort is just huge. The amenity list seems to go on forever, and guests that stay at Majestic talk about it for weeks when they get home. Majestic is one of those resorts guests ask for year after year and condos in this resort perform well for owners, their management companies and the companies that service them.

Why we are a great fit for you.

The flat-rate fee does a couple of wonderful things for us and our owner-clients.

It saves our owner clients money almost 100% of the time
It gives us a projectable business model that works year round (you know we aren’t going anywhere)

And don’t worry about it not giving us the motivation to book your condo. If we don’t book you’re condo, you’re not going to be happy, then you’ll leave us. Unhappy owner-clients make an unhappy Jason. 😦

Our goal is to book 100% during peak season times. And so far, we’ve almost always achieved that. Now that’s cause for a smiley face. 🙂

How to find out more information.

So we’ve piqued your interest. Great. For more information, hop on over to our rentals website, or give us a shout at 850-238-6250.

Panama City Beach Mayor Election – Oberst Wins!

In what I would consider a landslide win, Mayor Oberst takes the election grabbing over 54% of the entire voting turn-out. The elections were today, and issues involved ranged from future development to spring break.

The Mayoral election results.

Sharon Hagstrom	19	(0.901%)
Ken Nelson	808	(38.34%)
Gayle F. Oberst	1,158	(54.95%)
Travis Schofer	122	(5.790%)

Panama City Beach City Council results.

Council Member, Ward 2

Phil Chester	878	(43.25%)
Rick Russell	1,152	(56.74%)

Council Member, Ward 4

Ed Benjamin	389	(19.01%)
Keith Curry	891	(43.54%)
Debbie Sasser	766	(37.43%)

Panama City Beach Mayoral Candidate Information

With election day coming up on Tuesday April 17th, the Panama City Beach Mayoral candidates are preparing to stake their claim on the results. There are 4 “qualified” candidates running and the issues they’re discussing range from future tourism, current spring break woes and future development-related concerns.

I reached out to three of the four candidates with interview questions and got a response back from two of them. Sharon Hagstrom I was unable to find contact information for. Sharon, if you see this in time, contact us here and we’ll get your answers added. Also, Ken, I sent you an email as well, if you get me your answers back, I’ll get them added.

The four candidates are Sharon Hagstrom, Ken Nelson, Gayle Oberst (current Mayor), and Travis Schofer (listed in alphabetical order).

Gayle Oberst – Current Mayor

Q. What is your background in public service and how do you think that background lends to your potential mayoral performance?

I have served as Mayor for the past six years and am involved in many social, civic, and municipal/state activities. I have served in various capacities in another state. I have first-hand knowledge of civic, business and community matters, and have written grants and worked to secure funding for many projects such as youth activities, building libraries, providing recreation, additional police services, and educational activities. My professional background in finance, budgeting, and management serves to make me a better Mayor. Since I am retired, I work full time for our community and city and bring to the Mayor’s office and the Council a balance representation of all beach residents and businesses.

Q. What is your position on the topic of College Spring Break, how it is now, how it used to be and what do you envision for it in the future?

As the culture of our nation has changed so has the culture of those attending spring break. The City is requesting that a task force be formed of the City Council, County Commission, TDC Board, Chamber of Commerce Board, Economic Development Director, and local residents to discuss spring break and tourism in general. I think these entities can make some changes such as with our special events and noise ordinances, parking issues, enforcement, etc. and coordinate activities so that we have better control. I sincerely hope that we can increase the family spring break business and that would make us less dependent on the college/high school spring breakers.

Q.What do you plan to do to help grow our tourism industry?

The City does not market the beach thus we do not plan for and grow tourism. Our concerns center around providing services for our citizens. We depend on tourism for the funding to support the City and these services. The City appoints 4 members of the TDC and two of those must be city council members. Usually the Mayor serves on that council and represents the local residents viewpoint. I make the point in discussions about the direction of tourism marketing “PCB needs to be a year round family resort.”

Q.What do you plan to do to help grow other industry in the Panama City Beach area?

The City works with the Beaches Chamber and Bay County Chamber of Commerce and they in turn with the Bay County Economic Development Alliance to attract industry to the area. As the commercial land in and around the airport develops, it would be natural since PCB is only 15 minutes away to see our City become the housing area for those employees.

Q. What are some of the other issues you believe are critical to Panama City Beach right now?

The City has been working on a number of things such as transportation/traffic issues. The County, Department of Transportation, and the City are installing high tech fiber optics along Back Beach Road and Highway 79 that is estimated to increase the efficiency of the traffic on these by 25%. We have also gotten the 6 laning of the Back Beach Road moved up in priority with DOT. We are working on loop roads that will ease the traffic off as well. The City has an environmental concern with putting retreated water into West Bay and that has been solved with the Conservation Park which is good for the environment and provides recreation. The redevelopment of the rest of the Front Beach Road with the Community Redevelopment Agency is something we will work on for the next 20 years and not only will it beautify the area but will solve parking and traffic concerns. Another issue is maintaining a noise level that works for tourism, second home owners, and permanent residents. Maintaining and increasing services provided to our residents without a property tax is an issue that the City has met but must always be aware of and work through on budgets. The Land Development codes for property development are updated, ready to be reviewed, and put into place.

Travis Schofer

Q. What is your background in public service and how do you think that background lends to your potential mayoral performance?

I am a Military Police Combat Veteran of the United States Army having served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. I have 12 years hospitality/service industry management. I have experience in US and world market financial trading as a day trader of the stock market. I live, work, and eat in Panama City Beach. I shop at Pier Park, I play softball at Frank Brown, and I walk my dogs at the dog Beach in Panama City Beach. I am an everyday resident of the working class.

Q.What is your position on the topic of College Spring Break, how it is now, how it used to be and what do you envision for it in the future?

I feel Spring Break is very important part of our local economy. I hear a lot about business owners alone profiting from Spring Break, but I think many forget about the employees of those business that rely on that boost to our economy to support their families after a financially slow winter for the hospitality/tourist industry. I believe that solutions to subsidize that Spring Break revenue need to be brought into plan before the City can actively put many employees out of work by pushing this boost to our economy away.

Q.What do you plan to do to help grow our tourism industry?

I have brought ideas out during my campaign such as the City working with the TDC to bring in a minor league sports franchise such as double A Baseball team to our City. If we can effectively market a small franchise we may be able to lure a Major League Baseball Team for a Spring Training which coincidentally begins early March every year. This would be family friendly and major tourist attraction that could partially subsidize a Spring Break crowd. I also believe we should try to market a major amusement park to our area.

Q.What do you plan to do to help grow other industry in the Panama City Beach area?

I believe that Panama City Beach needs a third revenue driver that is not reliant on only Military or tourism. I believe that we are sitting on a gold mine in our area and that laying the foundation, to build a proper infrastructure for a controlled healthy economic growth is important for our future 5 to 10 years down the road. We need to market our City to Major world “Site Planners” but we need cohesion of all City and County officials to market correctly. But at the same time if our City is going to rely on tourism to support our City, it is incumbent upon us as leaders to give the tourist something to do.

Q.What are some of the other issues you believe are critical to Panama City Beach right now?

I believe that Panama City Beach needs stronger leadership and transparency for residents. I believe that there is a silent majority out there of the next generation of leaders who need to realize they can make a difference in our community. I also feel that the City budget can be more effectively allocated to better serve the community. Panama City Beach needs to regain their confidence and that is what will help drive our economy. Panama City Beach needs a fresh start with new leaders of tomorrow stepping up to the plate today.

Wednesday Dinner at J.Michael’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar

This is the second in a series of articles in which we explore 7 Local Restaurants the Tourists Don’t Know About.

For this place, I had to come two different times to get information for my article. I made the trip there mid-week last week during lunch time, but upon walking in, I knew that was a mistake. It was busting at the seams! It didn’t look like there was but one table open. I asked to speak with a manager to see if there was a later time, and was told to come back one of the following days in the mid to late afternoon.

The second time I came in, I was able to speak with J.Michael’s daughter, Rachel, for a little while. She also gave me the number to contact J.Michael so that I could talk to the founder of this incredible joint himself. I gave him a call as I was leaving the restaurant and he told me to come right on back in because he wanted to give me a taste of what it was all about! Of course, I was more than willing and excited for this treat!

With that said, here is what J.Michael’s is all about!

All The Basics

Who to go to? J.Michael’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar

What they serve? Lunch and Dinner

Where to be? 3210 Thomas Drive, right in front of the light before the Bay bridge

When to go? Everyday, 11 AM — 10 PM

How to reach them? (850) 233-2055

How much to pay? About $10 for lunch, and around $15 for dinner

The Food

Ok, so according to Rachel, the most popular (cough, cough PACKED) times to eat there are either lunch on Wednesdays or Thursdays, or for dinner on weekend nights. I definitely saw how busy it can get when I came the first time. It was insane that I had never peeked my head in the place before with how much traffic it has. Apparently, my parents were ahead of me, seeing as they had already eaten there a couple of times before. I can’t believe they ate at J.M’s without me.

Any how, they offer a great selection of home-cookin’, turf, and plenty of surf. For starters, J. Michael’s is definitely the “oysters-can-be-made-basically-however-you-want-to-eat-them-at-any-quantity” kind of place, and it’s amazing. They have your classic reubens, favorite fish sandwiches, and big half-pounder burgers, while offering a flavorful top sirloin, a variety of shrimp dishes, and hearty seafood gumbo.

The local picks (other than the oysters) tend to be their steak, roast beef supreme, or shrimp J.Michael. Rachel’s, J.Michael’s, and most of the employees’ favorite meal is their red beans and rice, though. This great selection of food is all homemade, of course, right down to the cocktail sauce! And as you may have also assumed, the seafood and breads they serve are all from local suppliers. Awesome, right?

In addition, they claim to offer the coldest draft beer in the area! I wouldn’t know though, because well, I can’t, nor would choose to drink at all. So anyway, you guys will have to find out for me, and comment below to put this mystery to rest!

The People

To start off, this joint has had the same owner for 35 years now: J.Michael Stuart. He’s done a great job of making it incredibly family oriented, kid-friendly, and locally populated, with the help of his daughter. When a restaurant is family owned and operated, you know you’re in for a great time, with some good food, all in a pretty neat environment. Even though all of J.Michael’s employees aren’t family members of his, they all act like they are. You can tell that they have such a fun time at work, always helping each other out, cracking jokes on their fellow “siblings”, and daring to poke fun at “Boss-man” when they get the chance. Laughter lives at J.Michael’s! Together, they’ve all helped to serve 2.3 million people, just last year!

I was quite impressed by how dedicated J.Michael is to his business. He doesn’t just watch it run itself, like some restaurant owners do. Oh, no! The first thing he did when he came in for the day was to go behind the side bar, slip on a glove and start shuckin’ oysters with employee Tyler. I was sitting right in front of Tyler, just chatting, when he entered, so I wasn’t entirely sure that was even the owner until someone called him “Boss-man”. He shucked until he and Tyler were done with all of the many orders of oysters, and I thought that was pretty darn cool.

It shows how confident in his business J.Michael is, as he tells me that they “make it right”. It doesn’t take conviction from him for me to believe it, either. To those of you that have never checked them out before, J.Michael states how they “are like a book you’ve never read with an ugly cover. But don’t be afraid to come in, see what the stories are all about, and give it a try!” It was incredible timing after he said this, seeing as a few seconds following, a customer walks up to him and says, “I want to shake your hand. This is the first time me and my family have eaten here, and we were really impressed at what a nice job you do. Good food, and great service!” That, right there, is what happens when you read the J.Michael’s story.

The Environment

J.Michael’s has had three different locations, each one being more successful than the last. No matter what the location, though, people continually brought in things for him to put up all around the restaurant. The decor is certainly consumer oriented, with dollar bills and surfboards covering the beams on the ceiling and sections of the wall that aren’t already plastered by locals’ photos and seaside motif.

The place most certainly feels out-on-the-bay, with a southern touch. For instance, there are guns hanging everywhere! J.Michael told me that he started out with 2 or 3 guns, but once people saw he had those, many others decided to give him their rifles and such as well. So, he just started hanging them off of the ceiling. I thought it looked pretty neat!

My Take

When J.Michael told me he would “give me a taste”, I had no idea he meant he would give me four different dishes to try! But they were oh-so-wonderful! First I tried the employee favorite: red beans and rice. It was a total southern flavor, with nothing frilly. It was just good, hearty food; just like how it would be made at home. Next was the seafood gumbo. I could taste how very fresh the seafood was, and the blend of flavors overall was super nice.

Next, I tried the famous Shrimp J.Michael, which had such a strong homemade essence, exploded with freshness, and had a wonderful slight spiciness attributed to just the right amount of curry. For all 3 of these dishes, I found myself using all of my bread to sop up all of the leftover sauces and juices!

Last but certainly not least, J.Michael ordered me up a fried shrimp basket. Those, i dare say, were THE BEST fried shrimp I have ever had, and I’ve had a lot of fried shrimp. They were so big and plump, had the perfect seasoning, a nice light breading, and were full of impeccable flavor so much that there was no dipping sauce required! Sooooo good!

I know it’s not just talk when J.Michael told me, “Our #1 goal is the customer, and that has to come out to produce joy, quantity, quality, and price.” As far as I’m concerned, they get a check, check, check, and check!!!

Quick Pics

Links to the Other Articles

Introductory Article: 7 Local Restaurants the Tourists Don’t Know About

Tuesday Breakfast: Fatty Patty’s Cakes & Cafe

Frank Brown Park Playground gets New Surface

In what was a badly pitted, scared and bruised playground surface, the Frank Brown Park Playground safety surface has finally been replaced. When they first opened the playground in 2000, it was celebrated and welcomed. Over the years it’s been heavily used, and I for one have been there like a million times.

What’s new

You may remember how battered the previous safety surface was. Well, that’s gone and a new one has been installed. And it looks beautiful. The material is padded and protects against falls and injury.

The old one looked patched and dingy, but the new one looks cohesive and has that new padded-surface-smell.

They also replaced the fencing around the outside of the playground and replaced the table tops for the picnic benches.

The refurbished park should be open on Friday!