On Tuesday, September 16, 2008, the St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners will review funding and budget requests for beach restoration. The meeting starts at 9 a.m. at the county auditorium at 4020 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL.

According to the agenda for the meeting:

“The St. John County Annual Funding Request and Local Long-Range Budget Request to use Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) consists of the following elements:

1. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach/Summer Haven Beach Restoration
2. St. Johns County Shore Protection Project
3. South Ponte Vedra/Vilano Beach Restoration”

Here are the supporting documents.

There are many benefits to being a St. Johns County resident.  We enjoy a wonderful lifestyle, beautiful sights, and great attractions. Many new (and some old) residents to our county don't realize they can take advantage of many of St. Augustine's attractions at a discounted rate and in some cases free simply by showing their driver's license. When I have guests visiting me, I take them on the trains and I get to ride free (I think it's a two for one charge, but I like to think I ride free).

The St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau wants you to know that:

St. Johns County residents with a valid ID are always admitted free of charge to Government House Museum, the Lightner Museum, the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, the Fountain of Youth, the Ximenez-Fatio House,  and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse.  The daily tours and wine tastings at the San Sebastian Winery are free to everyone. Also, admission is free to everyone at the Authentic Old Drug Store, Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Photios Chapel and the Peña-Peck House (donations are welcomed).

So get out an explore your hometown. Your senses and pocketbook will thank you.

Finally! And yes, I am saying this as an impatient person that lives in the area and am tired of the "speed bumps".  The crosswalks are so nice and now will be able to be seen as crosswalks and not speed bumps. The roads in the Vilano Beach Town Center are now being paved. The work should be done within a week.

So, we will now be able to drive over the roundabout that is really a drive-over at the intersection of Coastal Highway and Vilano Road.  It should all be obvious to us soon.

Thanks to St. Johns County for all they have done for us!

Tara Dobson, Habitat Conservation Plan Coordinator for St. Johns County, has just finished the latest "Share the Beach" newsletter for St. Johns County. Click here to view it. You will learn about how to Adopt-a-Beach, where the off beach parking lots are located and costs of beach parking passes. Understand that the Conservation Zone(CZ) is 15' seaward of the toe of the dune. Pedestrian and vehicular activities are prohibited in the Conservation Zone. Additionally you will have her contact info and the Beach Lighting Officer's contact information. There will be a Sea Turtle Homecoming festival April 26, 2008. Turtle season is fast approaching (May 1st).

Please tell your neighbors that on Thursday, May 17th at 5 p.m. at St. Johns County Parks & Recreation Building at 2175 Mizell Road in St. Augustine Beach (the old Utility Building) will be a meeting soliciting your input and support for a grant to develop Nease Park. The address of the property is 3171 Coastal Highway. The county bought it for $1,200,000  on 10/25/2004.