Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Gulf Coast Benefit

GULF SHORES, Ala. - Jimmy Buffett and a few of his friends plan to give a free concert on the Alabama coast to show support for the Gulf region.
Alabama tourism director Lee Sentell says show will be July 1 on the beach at Gulf Shores.
Buffett's website says the concert is meant to demonstrate support for the people, businesses and culture of the Gulf Coast. It will be broadcast live on CMT.
Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band will be joined in Gulf Shores by Sonny Landreth, Zac Brown Band, Kenny Chesney, Jesse Winchester and Allen Toussaint.
A special souvenir T-shirt will be designed for the concert. It will be available online and at the show.

You want to help the Northern Gulf Coast? Take a vacation! Go to the Redneck Riviera! Get wasted in Margaritaville... again.

Cut from the Crusier's Net. An eyeball account.
The weekend will be kind to the Florida Panhandle. The oil slick has pulled back from the coastline as it moves slowly eastward. All of the Florida beaches have re-opened after several areas had swimming advisories (which many tourists ignored). Yesterday there was some yellow goo around the Bob Sykes bridge to Pensacola Beach, but even that has been cleaned up. The media pictures of these guys hanging off their swim platforms, mopping up the oil with a pom-pom on a boat hook are neat, talk about a solution that is labor intensive. As I said before, the locals are no longer getting excited about oil sheen or small tar balls. There could be long term impact to the delicate eco structure, but we are not seeing an immediate problem. The goo was a problem that has been cleaned up with a swam of workers, although we fully expect it will come ashore again. Just like the folks working the gushing well head, we are all learning how to deal with this new, strange situation.
The results of my earlier question are now available. Why are people canceling their Florida vacations? Everyone who has replied said that either they or people they knew believed that our beaches are covered with oily mess that smells like a garage. As I keep trying to say, that just isn’t true in Florida although conditions in Louisiana could be that bad. The Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce has set up beach cameras just so people can see how perfect the beaches are still. Help spread the word, come on down and enjoy the water and sand. The fishing is still restricted, but swimming is back again. Conditions can change daily, but the immediate spill forecast is looking good.
For boaters bringing their slow and expensive vessels into the area, be forewarned that you may not be able to move out fast enough to get out of a mess like our tourists with cars can move. Hurricane season will also complicate boater’s safety and piece of mind. We will be looking forward to seeing you all in the fall.
Stay safe and oil free,
Tom