Happy Birthday, America! - The Monthly E-Newsletter from the City of Mexico Beach

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA! Mexico Beach is a great place to celebrate the birthday of our wonderful country. With an overwhelming Sandy Shoes 5K Fun Run turnout, a spectacular firework display, and beautiful weather, it was a birthday to really celebrate. Special “thank yous” to Special Events for Mexico Beach (an all-volunteer based organization that raises funds all year to cover the July 4th festivities), the City of Mexico Beach, and our dedicated law enforcement and fire department for all the hard work in ensuring a successful, and more importantly safe, July 4th. Great job, everyone!

And the Winner Is... Up for grabs last month was a gift certificate for a 24-hour (one-day) paddleboard rental from Top Notch Beach Rentals, and the lucky winner is Jill B. from Coopersville, MI. Congrats, Jill!   JULY GIVEAWAY This month’s giveaway is a gift certificate from Mexico Beach Sweets. A happy place—that’s what Mexico Beach Sweets is all about. It’s a place for visitors and locals alike to find a moment of joy in their day by indulging in the sweetest of treats (ice cream, candy, milkshakes, and more). To place your name in the hat, send an email to Kathy at kathy@mexicobeach.com.

MEET MEXICO BEACH He’s back! This month, we would like to reintroduce you to Mell Smigielski, the City Administrator. Mell has previously held this role a couple of times, as both active and interim, and we are happy to report he has returned to serve full-time as our city’s administrator. As a graduate of the University of Illinois, Mell has over 36 years of service in city administration and government. He stated he’s happy to help and loves our area. We celebrate his return and look forward to working alongside him. Welcome back, Mell!

This month, we are delighted to introduce two couples who selected our beautiful beaches for their special day. For more information on weddings or vow renewal ceremonies on the beach, visit MexicoBeach.com/weddings.   DAVID & JANE First, we’d like to introduce David and Jane, who came to the beach from Oklahoma. Having vacationed in our area before, they knew our beach was where they wanted to say their vows. It was a beautiful ceremony with a nice breeze and clear weather. Congratulations, David and Jane! BRAD & KIMBERLY Next, we’d like to introduce Brad and Kimberly, who chose to travel from Texas to celebrate their wedding on the beach. It was a romantic ceremony that incorporated their children into the wedding’s sand ceremony. Congratulations, Brad and Kimberly.

FARMERS & CRAFT MARKET JULY 12 & 26 Come spend the morning from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Mexico Beach Farmers & Craft Market at Parker Park, located at 2500 Highway 98. Vendors will include produce, fresh jellies, one-of-a-kind crafts, and much more. Each market is sure to have new vendors, so be sure to come every time. If you’d like to be a vendor, sign up now. This market is put on by the Special Events for Mexico Beach, Inc.

MEXICO BEACH PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST NOW – JULY 31 It’s time to showcase your talent and capture the beauty of Mexico Beach! The 25th Annual Mexico Beach Photography Contest is open for submissions and runs through July 31, 2025. We welcome photographs taken in Mexico Beach, FL, whether from past adventures or recent visits.

MBARA KINGFISH TOURNAMENT JULY 25 & 26 Get your gear ready; it’s time to fish! The Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association (MBARA) is excited to host the 29th Annual Kingfish Tournament, the Gulf Coast’s premier fishing event. Mark your calendars for this unforgettable weekend! All activities will take place at the Mexico Beach Boat Ramp Park.

READ ABOUT ALL EVENTS HERE

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.

FLORIDA GRILLED POMPANO We publish it with the compliments of the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association cookbook (MBARA.org). INGREDIENTS 4 mesquite chips 1/2 tsp. grated orange rind 3 Tbsp orange juice 1 Tbsp butter, melted 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon 4 Pompano fillets (1/4 lb. each) DIRECTIONS Soak the mesquite in water for 30 minutes. Build a fire in the barbeque to medium heat. Combine orange rind, orange juice, butter, and tarragon in a small bowl and set aside. Drain the mesquite chips and place them directly on medium coals (gas grill owners may need to create an aluminum foil boat for the wood and wait until it starts to smoke). Grill the fish 6 inches from the coal for about 5 minutes on each side until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Baste often with orange juice mixture. Serve with your favorite side dishes, and enjoy!

OLDER WISDOM THERE'S A DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT WISDOM WHEN YOU GET OLDER. Aging gracefully is having a senior moment and blaming it on the elevator music. I’m not aging; I’m just becoming a vintage model. Aging gracefully is just pretending you’re not as sore as you actually are. Aging gracefully is like a fine cheese; you might be a bit moldy on the outside, but you’re still delicious. Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art. Age is not how old you are but how many years of fun you’ve had. Aging is the road that takes you to wisdom. With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone. At my age, “getting lucky” means finding my car in the parking lot. Wrinkles are nature’s way of saying I’ve earned this.

HELLO! Some say that “OK” is the most spoken word, and it might be, but “hello” is a close second. The word was first recorded in the 1800s and generally relates to health as in “hail.” It reached its current use thanks to the introduction of a new technology called the telephone. It’s rumored that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the carbon transmitter microphone used in telephones, encouraged use of the word “hello” when receiving calls instead of Alexander Graham Bell’s suggestion, “ahoy.” From there, the term caught on and is still used to this day as a standard greeting both over the phone and in person.

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