How Sweet It Is! - The E-Newsletter from Mexico Beach

Mexico Beach eNewsletter | August 2020 View this email in your browser HOW SWEET IT IS! There are many things in life that are humbling and, in our opinion, a sunset at the beach is one of them. Our locals and visitors are treated to an original inspirational painting displayed on our sky each night. If you have been fortunate to see one of these beautiful paintings, consider yourself blessed. If you are wanting to come experience your first sunset at the beach, we invite you to visit our wonderful little slice of paradise. What could be better than sitting at the beach during sunset?   AND THE WINNER IS... Last month, we had a gift certificate to Caribbean Coffee and one of their skimboard tables up for grabs, and the lucky winner is Marlene Ombrello from Champion, Michigan. Congrats, Marlene! AUGUST GIVEAWAY This month, we are giving away a gift certificate to Mango Marley’s. From the house-made chicken salad to their famous Kahuna burger, Mango’s will fill you up and not disappoint. Be on the lookout for their grand reopening; they’ll be back into their building this month! To place your name in the hat, send an e-mail to Nick at nick@mexicobeach.com. MEET MEXICO BEACH This month, we feature two city officials who work daily to make Mexico Beach a great place to live and enjoy. We want to say thank you to these dedicated city employees. First, we would like to introduce you to Lindsay Hovind, who came to Mexico Beach from her birthplace in Scotland via Wisconsin. Lindsay has been with the City for over five years and recently was appointed as City Clerk. She is responsible for a wide variety of duties consistent with good record management and assuring that all laws regarding public records are observed. The second person we would like to introduce is Monique Crooks, who is originally from Jamaica. After Hurricane Michael, there were a lot of expenses and sources of funds to help our city rebuild. Monique joined the staff at City Hall at the beginning of this year to manage the financial aspects of the city, which includes overseeing funds, assuring our city receives compensation for emergency expenses, and making sure those funds are used properly. This month, we are delighted to share with you two wonderful couples who said their vows in Mexico Beach. For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit mexicobeach.com.   RANDALL AND GAIL The first couple are two of our local favorites-a talented musician, whom many of us know as Rockin' Randall, and his bride, Gail, who used to work the front desk of the El Governor Motel. They knew they had to come back to Mexico Beach to tie the knot, as this was where they first met and fell in love. It was a wonderful ceremony with lots of friends in attendance. Congratulations, Randall and Gail!   JIM AND LAURIE Our second couple celebrated their wedding on the beach at Sunset Park. Longtime visitor Laurie and her groom, Jim, came from Ohio to say their "I dos." It was a memorable beach wedding with family and friends in attendance. Congratulations, Jim and Laurie!   BAY SCALLOP SEASON August 16, 2020 to September 24, 2020 Ready to explore and hunt for scallops? The 2020 season opens August 16 and ends September 24 for scalloping in St. Joseph Bay. This season opening is from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County through the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County. A daily bag limit consists of two gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or one pint of bay scallop meat per person; maximum of 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in shell or a half-gallon of bay scallop meat per vessel. Recreational harvesters need a Florida saltwater fishing license to harvest bay scallops unless they are either exempt from needing a license or have a no-cost shoreline fishing license and are wading from shore to collect scallops (i.e. feet do not leave bottom to swim, snorkel, or SCUBA and harvesters do not use a vessel to reach or return from the harvest location). READ MORE   BLAST ON THE BAY SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL October 15-18 Celebrating our eleventh anniversary in 2020, Blast on the Bay Songwriters Festival here on Florida's Gulf Coast will play host to a group of talented musicians and songwriters direct from the streets of Nashville. Festival performances will consist of musicians who collectively have written hundreds of hit songs for such greats as Faith Hill, George Strait, Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, and more. Many songwriters from past events will be returning for another great weekend of music and storytelling, and in addition, guests can count on several new faces at this year's Blast. This annual event continues to deliver on the promise of an incredible time for anyone who appreciates great music. If you spend one weekend a year in the area, make it October 15-18 for the eleventh annual Blast on the Bay Songwriters Festival. READ MORE A FRIENDLY REMINDER: Mexico Beach is a Leave No Trace community, and we appreciate your assistance in helping us keep our beaches clean. Any items left on the beach unattended from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. will be removed and disposed of by the City of Mexico Beach. Items include, but are not limited to, tents and tent frames, beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, toys, etc. Also, please fill in any holes before you leave and please remain off the sand dunes and out of the sea oats to ensure their continued nourishment. There are boardwalks and walking paths that can be accessed to reach the beach. Your assistance with these requests will keep our beaches beautiful and pristine. For full details on this ordinance or questions, click here or contact City Hall at (850) 648-5700.

BAKED FLOUNDER AND SCALLOP STUFFING

This delicious dinner dish is sure to wow your guests! We publish it compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association Seafood Cookbook (www.mbara.org).

INGREDIENTS

Scallop Stuffing 1/2 cup butter 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, minced 1/2 pound bay scallops Salt and black pepper Dry white wine Fine breadcrumbs

FLOUNDER

6 (6-8-ounce) flounder fillets ¼ cup butter, melted ½ cup hot water

WHITE SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup milk Salt and pepper Dry white wine

PREPARATION

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a 10-inch skillet, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add garlic and onions; sauté until onions are translucent. Chop and add scallops and cook 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and white wine. Add enough breadcrumbs to make a moist stuffing.

Place each flounder fillet dark side up on a flat surface. Place the stuffing in the center of each fillet, dividing evenly between the fillets. Fold both ends of each fillet over the stuffing, overlapping the ends. Pour melted butter and hot water into 9x13 baking dish. Transfer the stuffed fillets to the baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Add milk, salt, pepper, and white wine. Increase heat to medium, whisking constantly until thickened. When the flounder has baked for 20 minutes, pour the white sauce over the fillets. Return to the oven and briefly heat until the sauce begins to bubble.

Serve with fresh bread and enjoy!

WORDS OF WISDOM AND THOUGHTS FROM WILL ROGERS

Will Rogers was an American actor and a Cherokee citizen born in the Cherokee Nation, Indian Territory, now part of Oklahoma. His most famous saying is "I never met a man I didn't like." We thought you might enjoy a few of his other insightful quotes. —Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggie" until you can find a rock. —People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing. —My ancestors didn't come over on the Mayflower, but they were here to meet the boat. —Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf. —The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn't get worse every time Congress meets. —Never miss a good chance to shut up. —If I could kick the person in the tail that causes me the most problems, I could not sit down for a week. —If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out. —Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing, and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.

"OUT IN THE BOONDOCKS"

This generally means someplace remote or far away. This is another phrase that most likely came from GIs assigned to overseas locations. In the Philippines, the native language is Tagalog, and in that language, the word bundok means "mountain." American GIs brought it back to the US and used it to mean any place far from cities or population centers. It is also the derivation of the saying "out in the boonies."

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