This weekend in Gulf and Franklin
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This weekend in Gulf and Franklin

It’s going to be a busy weekend in Gulf and Franklin counties.   Have an event coming up you want us to share? Send details to wweitzel@nevespublishing.com. Liar’s Challenge The Coastal Communities Association is kicking off their 2023 Easter basket drive with a fun event, the Liar’s Challenge, at the Haughty Heron on Feb. 24…

Black history festival outdoes itself
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Black history festival outdoes itself

By most every measure, the 20th African-American History Festival lived up to its anniversary status last weekend. Blessed by sunny skies, and running like clockwork in the hands of organizers H’COLA (Hillside Coalition of Laborers for Apalachicola), the festival brought out a huge crowd and a robust number of booths.  The local nonprofits and government…

FSU researcher wants to hear from the fishermen
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FSU researcher wants to hear from the fishermen

For all those in the county’s fishing community who have felt that pointy-headed academics and other experts in the field of marine fisheries haven’t really listened to what they have to say, help is on the way. If you have insight into the historical changes that have transformed the Apalachicola Bay fishing community over the…

This weekend in Gulf and Franklin
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This weekend in Gulf and Franklin

Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-off The annual Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-Off is coming back hot this year. Chefs will bring a variety of tasty gumbo and Brunswick stew for guests to enjoy all day long on Saturday, Feb. 18, beginning at 10 a.m. at Parker Park. There will also be cold beverages, hot dogs and sausage…

Chef Sampler celebrates changing dining scene
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Chef Sampler celebrates changing dining scene

There’s been a lot of changes in the dining scene on the Forgotten Coast in the three years since the Apalachicola Bay Chamber of Commerce last hosted the Chef Sampler. Since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic first put a serious crimp in the styles of dining spots, and shuttered the Sampler, there’s been closures and…

How much does it mean to you?
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How much does it mean to you?

R.A. Tea Mathews | Guest Columnist All the Black men I know call one another “brothers.” In the early church, Paul referred to Christians as “brothers.” However, in my church, “brothers” mean something entirely different. Say that word and everyone knows who you mean—Mark, Merrel, and Michael, born two years apart. Older members call them…

Using the cell phone wisely
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Using the cell phone wisely

Michael J. Brooks | Guest Columnist It was a story from “The New York Post” last spring that I pondered and saved. The headline proclaimed, “City removes last-standing public payphone from NYC street.” The accompanying picture showed the removal of a telephone counter, not the old-fashioned telephone booth in which Superman changed clothes. It used…

Escaping my ego
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Escaping my ego

I normally don’t use this space for writing book reviews, but there is one that has really been working on my heart lately: “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness” by Timothy Keller. It’s short enough to read in about an hour or two. Because of this book, I’ve been doing a lot of self reflection and trying…

African-American History Festival to open Friday
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African-American History Festival to open Friday

It’s been 20 years since the African-American History Festival has served as the celebratory heart of Black History Month in Apalachicola, held at Franklin Square in the heart of the Hill. H’COLA, the Hillside Coalition of Laborers for Apalachicola, that has served as the foundation of the festival, kicked off a month-long celebration Saturday afternoon…

‘Sister Creatures’ goes to bat for laughs
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‘Sister Creatures’ goes to bat for laughs

A couple weeks ago, while trying to fall asleep, I heard a high-pitched chattering in the walls of my apartment, and groggily concluded it must be the return of some mice that would need to be ousted from the premises. Soon after an unmistakable fluttering sound followed. Perhaps it was a bird? I rose from…