Meeting Notices
Monthly Business Luncheon
March 7, 2012, noon
Up The Creek Raw Bar
313 Water Street
Apalachicola
Business After Hours
March 8, 5:30-7:00 pm
Coombs House Inn
80 6th Street
Apalachicola
Monthly Business Luncheon
April 4, 2011 noon
TBA
Visitor Statistics
January 2001 1,204
January 2002 917
January 2003 868
January 2004 890
January 2005 1,268
January 2006 1,325
January 2007 1,863
January 2008 2,318
January 2009 1,286
January 2010 1,920
January 2011 1,352
January 2012 1,732
Website stats December 2011
Visits 22,518
Unique Visitors 17,735
Page Views 94,599
Average Page Views 4.20
Time on Site (mins) 4:10
Bounce Rate 31.71%
New Visits 73.13%
Chamber Board of Directors
PRESIDENT
Mark Friedman 670-1253
VICE-PRESIDENT
Ginny Griner 653-8853
TREASURER
Jerry Hall 653-9510
SECRETARY
Kristin Anderson 653-2249
BOARD MEMBERS
Brenda Ash 653-8805
Kristy Branch Banks 670-1255
Donna Duncan 653-8976
Bonnie Gomes 670-8450
Bud Hayes 927-3305
Beverly Hewitt 653-9510
Mike Koun 653-2191
Michael Shuler 653-1757
Candy Varnes 927-2322
Kevin Ward 899-0669
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Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ShootWhew, the past two weeks have been a blur. Trying to get a grasp of the enormity of the exposure (pun intended) of SI Swimsuit issue has been a challenge. This was an extraordinary project that places Franklin County in the context of world class vacation destination and will benefit us for many years to come. Coverage is not just in the pages in the magazine, which includes fifteen photographs plus a page on the Coombs House Inn and the area, a listing in the Where to Buy section and the Table of Contents. This issue, the most viewed magazine in the world, is only a small part of the actual coverage. The Sports Illustrated website also has three videosof the three models- Kate Upton, Ariel Meredith and Julie Henderson, describing the beauty of the area, plus sixty photographs. The videos in from the 2011 shoot garnered 103 million views.
And then there is the associated publicity surrounding the release of the issue which is enormous. The release on February 14th, made every major news and talk show on television, including the David Letterman Show where Kate Upton actually said “Apalachicola”. Just to give you an idea, in 2011, the SI Swimsuit issue garnered 62 million print impressions, 158 feature stories, 590 million television views, 1,200 reports, 2,700 online stories with an audience of 686.7 million unique readers, 29.7 million radio listeners on 51 stations and overall more than 2.6 billion media impressions in the 3 weeks surrounding the 2011 launch.
The first article to hit the stands was about us! Friday, February 10th, USA Today Life/Weekend Section had a full article about the shoot that took place here. USA Today has 3.2 million readers and 23,694,000 readers on usatoday.com. We enjoyed the solo spotlight for 5 days prior to the release of the magazine.
On Tuesday morning when the issue was released there was a flood tide of articles, blogs and mentions of Apalachicola and St George Island. It was talked about on the Good Morning America, the Today Show, Ellen, CBS News, ABC News, plus many local affiliated stations from Denver, Detroit to Arizona. Articles appeared in newspapers from New York, Washington DC , Miami, Atlanta, Vancouver, Canada, Europe, and articles in the Nigerian Times, the Hindustan Times, and the Cairns (Australia) Times. I have not even mentioned the Tweets and Facebook messages. Kate Upton alone has 205,729 followers.
Spring Break 2012
Click here to see the 2012 Spring break dates for the regional k-12 schools and a link to the Panama City Chamber college spring break date schedule.
New Members
Cypress and HoneyWelcome Susan Reichert with her a unique vacation rental home Cypress and Honey, a loft rental in the heart of downtown Apalachicola. This attractive well-appointed apartment has a queen bed in the loft area and a futon in the living room area. It has a fully equipped kitchen and dining room, a soaking tub in the large bathroom, a washer and dryer and a courtyard. Cypress and Honey is located next to the Apalachicola Seafood Grill behind Robinson Real Estate at 44 Avenue E Contact Susan at (618) 207-5150, by email or visit her website
Captain Don Davis Oyster ChartersCaptain Don Davis joined the chamber this month with his oyster harvesting charter business. He has been a US Coast Guard licensed captain for over thirty years. He and his wife Shelia have lived in Carrabelle for 20 years. They are originally from Homestead and Key Largo, Florida. Don takes passengers out to harvest oysters. He and his mate show you how to harvest and then you take home the oysters. Don has a nice wooden oyster boat that he recently built himself. This summer he plans to offer trips on the bay to harvest shrimp also. Don is also a licensed nuisance alligator hunter for Franklin County. Call Don at (850) 697-3105 or cell (850) 566-4177 or email him. Willow Beach Vacation RentalsCathy and Hank Browne joined the chamber with their vacation rental home on St George Island, Willow Beach. It is a five bedroom spacious home that is perfect for large family gatherings or a friend get away trip. The house recently got a makeover. Cathy and Hank also own Home Place Furniture in Panama City and Hanks Furniture in Arkansas, so they have an inside track on the furniture. The beds are all Heavenly Beds. The living area features all new furnishings, a wood fireplace, media center, large dining area, a really cool bar, a second seating area and a fully equipped kitchen for entertaining. The main floor has glass doors that open up all the way across for easy access to the large deck. Willow Beach is located in the Casa del Mar, 2230 Sailfish Drive on St George Island. Contact Cathy at (501) 258-4868 or 1-800-325-7210 or email her.
Sunset Reflections Vacation RentalsAnne and Rex Anderson joined the chamber with their vacation rental company, Sunset Reflections, located on Cape San Blas. They manage twenty-eight rental homes, mostly gulf front, on Cape San Blass, Indian Pass, and C-30. All of the homes are pet friendly, large single family homes either located on the gulf, bay front or have a pool. Anne and Rex focus attention to detail, great customer service and quality units. They also work for Coastal Realty Group as agents and they have been in the area for nine years. Contact Anne or Rex at (850) 227-1508, cell 227-5432 or visit their website
PressSouthern Boating was sent information and many images on the area for a feature story they are doing on Apalachicola in May. Bre Edmonds, Editor of Points North magazine, a lifestyle magazine in the Atlanta area, was sent lots of photos for the annual beach get away guide. They plan to feature St George and Apalachicola in this year’s edition.
Carl Dansbury, Editor of Points North, was in town mid February conducting research for an article on Apalachicola. David Draper was in town in mid February doing research for an article for his blog on the Field and Stream website. He also writes for other food related publications. Anthony Licata, Editor at Field and Stream was here in mid February. They are planning on doing an article on fishing in the area. Birmingham magazine was sent information and photos on the area for their annual beach guide. In association with the Sports Illustrated article and shoot we directly garnered the following interviews and articles: -USA Today -The Tampa Tribune -Tampa Bay Times (St Pete Times) -Miami Herald -WCTV, WMBB, WJGH, WTXL, WFSU
-Photos of the area where sent to the Travel Channel for a feature on their website about the locations for the SI Swimsuit issue.
Events
The Florida Dixie Youth State Softball Tournament will be held in Franklin County again this year July 12th-16th. It will be at the Will S. Kendrick Sports Complex in Carrabelle and will bring in hundreds of families to the area. If you have any questions contact Nikki Millender at (850) 653-8277.
30th Annual Chili Cook off The St George Island Regional Chili Cook off will take place Thursday, March 1th – Saturday, March 3rd. The weekend begins a golf tournament at 8:00 AM Thursday at St. James Golf Course. Then on Friday, the Auction Art Preview is in the evening from 5 - 7 at the island's firehouse (324 E. Pine Ave.). Saturday includes the 5K Red Pepper Run (8:00 AM), Crock Pot Judging (10-11:00), the Auction beginning at 11:00, booth showmanship judging (11:30 - 12:15), Miss Chili Pepper and Miss Hot Sauce judging (starting at 12:15), taste awards (3:30). Held in the center of the island. There is a $5 entry fee. Proceeds benefit the St. George Island Volunteer Fire Department and First Responders (850) 927-2753.
Camp Gordon Johnston Days The Camp Gordon Johnston Association and the CGJ WWII Museum invites everyone to come to Carrabelle on March 8-10 for the 17th annual CGJ Days reunion. Thursday there will be a golf tournament at St James Bay followed by a dinner and silent auction. Friday is registration and boat trips to Dog Island. The parade is on Saturday and will feature vintage Military vehicles, active duty troops and community organizations. City of Carrabelle will provide a free fish fry afterwards at the Fire Station. At 2:30 pm there will be a beach landing at Carrabelle Beach by the US Army. The Camp Gordon Johnston WWII Museum will be open all weekend. For a full schedule or call 850-697-8575. Crooked River Light House Park Carrabelle Crooked River Lighthouse will have a full moon climb on March 9th, from 7:00-10:00 pm. Tickets are $10.00, which includes beverage and a pastry. Moonlight maritime movies will also be included, so please bring a chair. For more info contact Crooked River Lighthouse Association at crookedriverlighthouse.org
St George Island Lighthouse Full Moon Climb Visitors will be able to enjoy the sunset and moonrise from the top of the Cape St. George Lighthouse on March 8 from 5:00-6:30 pm. A lighthouse guide will be onsite as visitors climb the 92 stairs to the top to see breathtaking views of the Gulf of Mexico, Apalachicola Bay, and St. George Sound. A climbing charge of $15 per person includes snacks.
Eastpoint Volunteer Fire Department Charity Rib Cook Off The 11th Annual Eastpoint Volunteer Fire Department Charity Rib Cook-off will be held Saturday, March 17th, at the fire house in Eastpoint. The event is located at the corner of 6th St and CC Land Road, one block north of US Highway 98. This year’s event promises to be the biggest ever with our competitors cooking more ribs than ever. In addition to the cooking competition we will have a car show, a silent auction and live entertainment, plus, back by popular demand, the Liars Contest. Rides and face painting for the kids. Free admission and the gates open at 9:00 am. BBQ dinners will be served from 11:00 am till it’s all gone. There will also be a silent auction preview and open mike entertainment Friday March 16th from 5:00-7:00 pm. For more information or to enter the cook-off or be a sponsor contact George Pruett at (850) 670-9000 or by E-mail at pru911@gtcom.netApalachicola ArtWalk Fine art in all forms will be woven in and around picturesque downtown Apalachicola on March 24, where artists will be showing, selling and demonstrating their talents from 11:00-6:00 pm. Festivities continue into the afternoon with a progressive wine tasting and hors d’ oeuvre from 3:00-5:00 pm. Later in the evening local chefs will prepare special dishes at their restaurants highlighting our fresh local ingredients. At 8:00 pm head on over to the Dixie for The Dixie Does Nashville. For more information call (850) 653-9419 www.apalachicolabay.org. 9th Annual Dixie Does NashvilleMarch 23 -24 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM Pat Higdon brings some of the finest and most talented writers working in Nashville to the Dixie to perform the hits they wrote for music legends like George Strait, The Dixie Chicks, Kenny Rogers, Rascal Flats, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, to name a few...don't miss the extraordinary, magical evening that is sure to be in store for those lucky enough to attend this year's version. Check outwho’s coming. St Vincent Island Open House March 30 th The Supporters of St Vincent sponsor their annual open house to provide a day of easy access to St Vincent Island for people to enjoy a free full day of nature-related activities. Transport to/from the island will be provided hourly. Guided tours and exhibits will allow people to learn about the island’s protected wildlife, diverse ecosystems, and history as well as enjoy the unspoiled beauty of this unique pristine uninhabited refuge. Contact Audrey Schmidt at http://www.stvincentfriends.com
Volunteers Needed The Apalachicola Bay Chamber Visitor Center seeks volunteers to help at the visitors center and with special projects. Duties include giving our visitor information, answering questions about places to stay, restaurants and things to do. If you would like to help, we’d love to have you. It can be a fun and rewarding. Contact us for details (850) 653-9419 or email us at info@apalachicolabay.org
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Directors Column
The 16th Annual Forgotten Coast Chef Sampler was a fabulous success. We’d like to thank all of the talented chefs, and their staff, who participated. They really out did themselves this year:
Apalachicola Seafood Grill, Boss Oyster, Blue Parrot Oceanfront Café, Café con Lèche, Caroline’s Dining on the River, Christine’s Cuisine, Crooked River Grill, Eddy Teach’s Raw Bar, The Owl Café, The Red Top Café, Sunset Coastal Grill, Tamara’s Café Floridita, That’s A Moray, Up The Creek, Southern Wine & Spirits, Republic National Distributing company, and the Lewis Bear Company.
We would also like to thank Andrea Duval for her help in coordinating the event décor and the very talented table designers who designed and set up 19 stunning guest tables: Apalachicola Municipal Library- Caty Greene, Karen Andrews, Bayside Gallery & Florist-Amy Price, City Square Community Garden & Gardens, Inc.-Jenny Billings and Barb Ward, Bonnie Fulmer, Petunia’s-Dixie Partington, Bev Hewitt, Karla Ambose and Pam Mahr for Big Bend Hospice, The Green Door-Amy Friedman, Butler Insurance-Denise Butler, Oystercatcher-Katherine Neill, Party Rental Company-Shelly James, Panache Tent & Event-Elizabeth & Rich Wynn and Andrea’s Nails-Andrea Duval.
Thanks also to our dedicated, hardworking volunteers who helped us stage the event: P J Trowell, Wayne Thomas, Sandra Smith, Donnie Gay, Debbie Flowers, Anna Carmichael, Pam Vathis, Earl Solomon and son, Kristin Anderson, Susan Richardson, Carol Barfield, Kristy Branch Banks, Jackie Lucy, Marc Grove, Lois Swoboda, Beverly Hewitt, and Jerry Hall. A very special thanks to Cheryl Creek and students Bria Walker, Lanae Wilson, and Kristopher Duncan from the Franklin County High School Culinary program. Cheryl, your students did an awesome job!
Last but not least, we’d like to thank James Marsh with Forgotten Coast Cleaners who pressed all of those table cloths!
Got Ideas? Suggestions?How can the Apalachicola Bay Chamber better serve you? Is there something that we can do better to help your business? Is there something you would like to see us add or change on the website, at the visitor’s center or in the visitors’ guide? Ideas are always welcome. Feel free to call or email us with your ideas at info@apalachicolabay.org.
Volunteers Needed The Apalachicola Bay Chamber Visitor Center seeks volunteers to help at the visitors center and with special projects. Duties include giving our visitor information, answering questions about places to stay, restaurants and things to do. If you would like to help, we’d love to have you. It can be a fun and rewarding. Contact us for details (850) 653-9419 or email us at inf
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