The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Great Outdoors Initiative is getting blasted by Republicans.
- It would build a 350-room park lodge at nearby Topsail Hill Preserve State Park.
Matt Gaetz on X: @MattGaetz: 1. DEP rolls out terrible idea to commercialize state parks 2. @WiltonSimpson & @JimmyPatronis show leadership & demand public hearings, citing their opposition. 3. Public hearings are canceled. @GovRonDeSantis — I know you love our Florida environment. We campaigned together on saving the environment in 2018. I saw your sincerity firsthand, up close. Please use your excellent leadership skills to kill this anti-Florida Man initiative. Keep our parks natural.
“Government-owned golf courses and hotels in state parks? A bad idea for Florida.” via Don Gaetz for Florida Politics —
“I want Florida to continue to be the golf capital of the world, attracting tens of thousands of visitors every year to our links. I want everyone who paid to live near a golf course or invested in building one to do well. I want all my pals to shoot under par. I just don’t want our state government to own golf courses that compete against private businesses and golf communities that pay taxes. We need to stop this one.”
DIG DEEPER: From The News Service of Florida late Friday:
The state Department of Environmental Protection has pushed back a series of meetings about a controversial proposal to add lodges, pickleball and golf at state parks. Eight meetings had been scheduled for Tuesday at sites throughout the state, but the department said Friday in a post on the social media site X that new meeting dates will be announced for the week of Sept. 2.
- “We want to ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate,” the department said. The post said the agency was looking for new venues to accommodate the public.
The proposal, dubbed the “Great Outdoors Initiative,” has drawn opposition from Republican and Democratic lawmakers and environmental groups. The proposed changes, which would affect nine parks, include lodges of up to 350 rooms, pickleball courts, disc golf courses and golf courses.
American Magic Weekend
Our team gave the Emirates Team New Zealand its only loss in the American Magic’s final Louis Vuitton preliminary regatta race.
Emirates Team New Zealand was the overall match 4-1-4, edging pass Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
American Magic finished third, 3-2-3.
Mayor D.C. Reeve posted this on social media
USA victory over NZL
American Magic secured a clear victory over Emirates Team New Zealand in the team’s final Louis Vuitton preliminary regatta race. The race win came after a great overnight repair job by the American Magic shore crew, ensuring that Patriot was in peak condition for the race. @americascup / @rspinto
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Florida Wins Little League World Series
Lathan Norton scored the winning run for the Lake Mary, Fla. team in the Little League World Series championship. Lathan raced home from second base on an overthrow at first as Lake Mary rallied to beat Chinese Taipei 2-1 in eight innings and claim the title.
Lake Mary, the Southeast region representatives, became the first team from Florida to ever win the Little League World Series championship.
Photo by Heather Ford on Unsplash