Time to Celebrate Goodland Road!

This past week I went to the Goodland Civic Association meeting (you really miss something if you can’t make it…they even have potluck!)  The talk of the evening was about the Goodland Road, of course!! The room at the Civic Association building was just about full! Lots of excitement in the air, and the people who are working on this road from the County were all there! It was a great meeting. The Goodlanders are so happy it is moving along so well. So is the County, but that’s the way it is planned, and no hiccups have occurred along the way. The room was overflowing, and very happy. Why do I still go there? You couldn’t meet a nicer group! That’s why. We all worked so hard on this road, especially trying to move it forward! But we made it. It took so long and I was already leaving office and it still took more time, but then again there were so many permitting agencies who needed to feel satisfied that everything was going in the right direction. One of the biggest concerns came from the Conservancy about the water being able to flow under all that rebuilding, which was desperately needed to bring the mangroves back to life! To tell you all the hoops these people had to jump through, and the questions that needed to be answered, and the regulations that needed to be met, was almost overwhelming! But those Goodlanders like Mike Barbush and Greg Bello never gave up and kept their eye on the ball, ALWAYS working with the County and the agencies, etc. In the beginning we had to fight to get it done with certain people deadly against it happening, and others trying to stop the progress, but no matter when thorns were thrown in their way, they pushed on. I was blessed to be a part of it from the beginning, but it took so long with all the permits and holdups and agencies, and someone (I won’t name his name, but he didn’t work for the County) actually saying there WAS NO flooding, even with pictures to prove it! It was a tough time, but everyone trying to rescue that area stood together and never wavered! It’s quite a story, but for now, the story has turned positive and soon will be accomplished. I hated to leave office without finishing that job, but once Rick LoCastro was elected, I asked to meet for lunch so I could give him the background so he wouldn’t be caught without information. You really can’t do a great job unless you have the background! And he has done a great job finishing up what we started at least 10 years ago! The Goodlanders never wavered and were there every step of the way for all the staff when they needed them and for us whenever the County called! Rick has done a fine job of finishing up the deal! I can’t leave the group yet, and probably won’t because we were together for such a long time that I felt like they were family, but I try to stay off Rick’s turf and not get in the way. I will always go to their pancake breakfasts, and try to get to all the civic meetings, but Rick will be the decision maker now, I’ll just be there to support him and the area. Now that the road is open and in the finishing stages it's time to go back to all the exciting opportunities and restaurants that await you! It must have been really tough for the businesses in that area between COVID and the construction for them to survive, but you know Goodland! They always find a way to survive and emerge better than ever! Hmmmmm, I wonder if Ben Allen will entertain at Stan’s? He used to be there once a month and he packed them in! Let’s see what happens once the construction vehicles are gone…well, they are still there, but people find their way there anyway! Goodlanders are survivors! They’ll be there waiting for you to come and enjoy!

*On November 5, the topic of the ‘Lunch and Learn’ series continues, either online or in person at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center, where Art Levy, Associate Editor for Florida Trend, will present “Made in Florida: Artists, Celebrities, Activists, Educators, and Other Icons in the Sunshine State”. For more than a decade, journalist Art Levy has traveled the state, interviewing prominent Floridians for a Florida Trend magazine feature called “Icon.” He’ll speak about the interviewees and tell stories about his journey across Florida. If you’d like to participate in the luncheon the cost is $20 and the luscious food is catered by Carrabba’s and served at Rookery Bay. 

*Our deepest sympathies go out to Tara O’Neill, our wonderful artist who lives on Goodland and has been a favorite of so many! Her wonderful husband, George, passed away a few days ago, and startled everyone because we didn’t even know he was ill. He will be a great loss to Tara (who absolutely adored him!) and his family. From all of us out here, Tara…we send you love and sympathy. He was such a sweetheart of a guy!