Perdido Post

BP Oil Well No Longer Leaking

I am happy to post the GREAT news!  As of 2:25pm today, BP says the oil leak has been COMPLETELY CONTAINED.  Although the newly installed cap is a temporary measure until the relief wells can be completed in early August, the cap is thus far working!  The company is now conducting a "well integrity test" to see if the well can remain closed until next month when it can be permanently closed with cement.  We are hopeful!

 

This news comes at a great time...riding the tails of an unprecedented Jimmy Buffett concert and busy July 4th holiday.  Here along the coast, beachgoers continue to enjoy warm weather and gulf coast hospitality in spite of the bleak, national media coverage showing oil-covered beaches.  Here is a photo taken during 4th of July in front of Palacio Condominiums on Perdido Key.  Spread the good news!

 

 

WHAT DO PERDIDO KEY BEACHES LOOK LIKE?

THE BIG QUESTION.  Everyone wants to know what the beaches look like from day to day, so here are a few photos that I snapped today in front of Palacio Condominium.  As you can see, there are people cooling off in the Gulf and loads of folks with their toes in the sand.  It is clear and beautiful beach day today.  Aside from the occasional four wheel "beach patrol" driving by and the "foot wash if needed" sign above a pan of dishsoap water on the boardwalk, you would not know we have oil offshore. 

The Escambia County Health Department lifted its health advisory on Friday for swimming in waters from the FL-AL line to Johnson Beach.  The advisory was rescinded because there is no oil within 100 yards of shore according to health officials.

Because the oil is dependent on wind strength, wind direction and ocean currents, the current outlook is favorable with off-shore winds.  So, come and enjoy the beach!

 

PERDIDO KEY BEACHES ARE BEAUTIFUL THIS WEEKEND!

PERDIDO KEY OIL SPILL IMAGES

Looking at the beach today, you will see a mix of sunbathers, beach umbrellas, and people splashing in the water.  You will also see clean-up workers mixed among beachgoers along certain portions of Perdido Key.  Clean-up workers in bright yellow and orange vests are working to pick up small pieces of oil in front of The Crab Trap restaurant and neighboring condo communities as well as other locations along Perdido Key.  So far, the small bits of oil have not stopped vacationers from enjoying the summer weather, white sand beaches, swimming pools and wonderful Gulf Coast hospitality.  For those of you curious to know exactly how the oil in Perdido Key appears, here are few photos taken yesterday in front of Capri and The Marseilles luxury condominiums:

 
To date, I have personally not experienced any smell of oil while enjoying my evening walk on the beach.  I can say with heartfelt sincerity, the beaches are still beautiful and there is plenty of clean, white sand to put your toes into!  I encourage you to make that trip you were planning...not only will you enjoy the beach, food and fun, but Gulf Coast businesses need your support now more than ever! 
 
 

Perdido Key Wine & Art Festival TOMORROW!

As the title sponsor to the event, ResortQuest is pleased to offer attendees the opportunity to save 33% on vacation rentals at Palacio, located directly across the street from the event site.  For details, CLICK HERE.
  

Letter from Lucy Buffett

Such a great letter from Lucy Buffett that I had to post it (since I echo her sentiments perfectly)...

"Dear coastal inhabitants everywhere and all who know the joy of putting their toes in the ocean:

I can’t remember when we have had a lovelier spring along the Gulf Coast.
In recent years, we have gone from crisp, clear mornings in February to tropical 90s temps by mid-March. But this year, it finally seemed that we were getting back to normal — back to the easy, Southern rhythms of my childhood, with the winter season moving gently into a luscious spring.
Spring was taking its own sweet time unfolding before diving head-on into the desperate heat of summer.

Everyone could feel it. You couldn’t help but notice the majesty and color of the coastal foliage bursting with brilliant pinks and purples, sounding the calls that we wait for all year long: "Let’s go to the beach!" "The fish are biting at the Big Mouth!" "Let’s take a boat ride!" "Tadpoles are out in the creek!"
That is how we live here on the Gulf Coast. Our love of the water — the Gulf, the bays, the rivers, the estuaries — and the way we enjoy it is absolutely holistic.

It transcends race, religion, socioeconomic status, age, gender and political affiliation.
The Gulf Coast is where the everyday person can play. We love where we live and are proud of it.
We get amused sharing it and seeing the surprise on folks’ faces when they realize that a little piece of unlikely paradise exists smack at the bottom of this magnificent country of ours.

So imagine our dismay, anger, grief and absolute heartbreak over the ongoing catastrophe of crude oil continuously and arrogantly flowing into our beautiful Gulf of Mexico.
This is indeed a major challenge for us physically, emotionally, environmentally and economically.
Personally, I prefer to remain positive about the oil spill’s impact, because I know mountains can be moved with a positive attitude. Why wouldn’t that work with a runaway well?
I do, however, live in a very real world, and I know that our corner of this world stands to be affected by the oil spill.

As we are called to action, we will respond with the dauntless spirit of coastal people, especially those born in the hurricane corridor. We will weather this storm as we have weathered the other monsters that have roared upon our shores in the past: by working hard, side by side, with dedication, compassion and a sense of community, and earning some fun in the process.

I am hoping that there will be little damage or interruption of beach recreation. Perhaps the oil spill will be just an inconvenience, much like too many jellyfish in the water or the occasional riptides.
If not, we are going to need everyone’s love, support and help. So I have a very special invitation for people to join us here in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach and on Dauphin Island and Mobile Bay.
Don’t cancel your plans or reservations. This could be one of the most memorable vacations you will ever have.

Most of you travel with children. What a great opportunity to teach our kids so many valuable life lessons — from the beauty of volunteering to the importance of helping your neighbor during a crisis, learning about the fragile ecosystem that created the remarkable Gulf of Mexico, and meeting new friends from all over the country with the same purpose of keeping our beautiful shores safe for our children and wildlife.

Recently, I asked a friend of mine’s 6-year-old if she knew how many oceans there were. "One, Miss Lucy," she promptly responded. Then with a little hesitation, she added, "Don’t they all touch?"
Out of the mouths of babes.

What is happening in our back yard could just as easily be happening in yours. But does it matter? We are all one. We all touch.

Am I outraged? Damn right! Is there a need for accountability? Damn right! But that is not my job. There are others who are trained and better equipped to master that task.
I’m a fry cook. I’m open for business. And so is the Alabama Gulf Coast.
We will take each day as it comes and make the best of it.
I am asking all of you who love this area as much as I do and love your own coastal areas to please not abandon us.

I promise you we will welcome you with open arms, some ice-cold sweet tea, an ocean of belly laughs, a plate full of scrumptious food and a humble, grateful heart."

Lucy "LuLu" Buffett is owner of LuLu’s at Homeport Marina in Gulf Shores and the author of "Crazy Sista Cooking: Cuisine and Conversation with Lucy An

1st ANNUAL PERDIDO KEY ART & WINE FESTIVAL

We are excited about the first ever Perdido Key Art & Wine Festival to be held on June 12th.  We hope you will join us!  To download the festival flyer, Click Here.

1st Annual Perdido Key Art & Wine Festival

June 12, 2010

 

12:00-7:00pm Art

2:00-7:00pm Wine

Sponsored By: Perdido Key Chamber & Visitor Center, ResortQuest Vacation Rentals, and Pen Air

$15 wristband that includes wine sampling, food sampling, and wine glass.

Also, enjoy live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, and kids area.

For more information call 850-492-4660 or email chamber@perdidochamber.com

 

OUR COAST IS CLEAR!

Visitors to Perdido Key enjoyed a sunny, beautiful Memorial Day weekend at the beach!  In fact, occupancy rates for Memorial weekend in Perdido Key exceeded last year according to ResortQuest Operations Manager, Ryan Christopher.  Similarly, Orange Beach and Gulf Shores beaches were hopping and occupancy rates were a whopping 93% with ResortQuet rentals, which is great news for owners.  Why not come and put your feet in the sand?  White sand and warm waters are waiting....

For those of you interested in the latest community oil spill update, click here to read the latest from our Perdido Key Chamber: Coastal Update.

Also, the Perdido Chamber of Commerce release the following statement today:

June 2, 2010

Like you, we are all watching the news and we are all concerned.  However, for the moment, all is well and our coast is still clear.  Please help us spread the word that nothing has come ashore yet, and Perdido Key is still a safe choice for vacationing.  It's possible that we may be only minimally affected with some scattered tar balls that are easy to clean up.  It could be worse, but we don't know for sure.

We want to assure you that we are dedicated to being the trusted source for travel planning, before, during and after this situation.  Please check our daily video at www.VisitPerdido.comand our live beach cam high atop nearby Eden Condominiums.  Our marketing company, IdeaWorks has pitched Perdido Key to several networks/shows including Good Morning America and CNN and there has been some interest.  You can also see a commercial that is running in our drive market right now.  Check out this link:  http://www.2150.tv/getpass.html, password: perdidokey (case sensitive).  Keep in mind that many of our Realtors and Property Management Companies have reduced their rental rates and drastically relaxed their cancellation policies.

Our water is clear and clean and our beaches are open! We will continue to monitor the situation closely and do whatever is possible to protect our shores, wildlife and residents.

For more information, we recommend the websites listed below.

http://www.escambiadisasterresponse.com/

www.visitflorida.org

www.noaa.com

www.DeepWaterHorizonResponse.com

http://www.dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm

www.BeReadyEscambia.com/training

http://www.co.escambia.fl.us/

To report oiled wildlife, call 1-866-557-1401

To discuss oil related damage, call 1-800-440-0858

To make your boat available to assist with the response, call 1-281-366-5511

To report oiled shoreline or request volunteer information, call 1-866-448-5816

Or call the Florida State Emergency Information line at 1-800-342-3557

Thank you for your continued support of Perdido Key!

 

Tina Makowski |  Director

Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce

and Visitors Center

15500 Perdido Key Drive

Pensacola, FL 32507

850.492.4660

www.VisitPerdido.com

 

Visit Perdido - The Coast is Clear!

 

 

Perdido Key Organizations Join Forces

Community organizations joined forces this week to publish the Coastal Update newsletter to inform Perdido Key citizens and property owners of the latest oil spill news & impact to our community.  Perdido Bay United Methodist Church, Perdido Key Association, Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce, and Perdido Key Presidents’ Forum will issue the joint publication on a weekly basis, which I will then post to my blog for my readers.

Thus far, we have been fortunate and winds have kept the oil spill offshore.   Perdido Key visitors are enjoying mild, sunny weather and blue-green Gulf waters.  It is truly a perfect beach day today!

GIANT DOME TO CAPTURE OIL

Gulf Coast residents and property owners are hopeful that a giant dome created by BP engineers will contain the oil which is currently pumping into the Gulf. Positive changes with offshore winds should also help to keep the oil off the shorelines.

BP engineers have begun constructing a giant dome that could be deployed to contain the spill in "six to eight days", the company's head of US operations said. The estimate is a much shorter time frame than the original two to four weeks.

It could be a major breakthrough in attempts to prevent the huge oil slick from wreaking enormous environmental and economic damage on the coast of Louisiana and other southern US states. US Coast Guard officials said the dome would be placed over the leak and instead of the oil leaking into the water column it would leak into this dome structure.

"The dome would capture or gather the oil and allow it to be pumped out of that dome structure," coast guard spokesman Prentice Danner said.

"If you could picture a half dome on top of the leak and the oil collects inside of this dome and is pumped out from there, that is the idea behind it."

Oil was originally forecast to hit the Alabama and Florida coast today, but wind and current shifts have pushed that forecast to later in the week. There are so many "What If's?" right now....weather, oil containment and dispersement. We continue to be hopeful that all these components will work together to form a positive result and that the oil will stay away from the shores.

Perdido Key Oil Spill Impact

I spent the past few hours cleaning up debris on Perdido Key beaches as part of a local volunteer effort called "Operation Clean Sweep".  Our goal is to remove as much debris as possible from Escambia County beaches before the oil spill reaches the shores to prevent additional contamination.  My efforts were concentrated on the beaches in front of La Belle Maison, The Marseilles, Capri, Molokai Villas, SeaWatch and Riviera Dunes.  Joining me were fellow ResortQuest agents (and great friends) Michelle Fulford and Kerri Hutchinson.  Hundreds of volunteers combed the coastline today in efforts to prepare our beloved beaches for what is being predicted the worst oil spill is U.S. history and a disaster of national significance. 

There is a tremendous amount of information flowing about the oil spill.

BEST INFORMATIONAL WEBSITES RELATED TO OIL SPILL:

www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com

http://www.co.escambia.fl.us

http://www.escambiadisasterresponse.com

http://www.emeraldcoastkeeper.org

The EPA just put up a "damage control" webpage for those living in the affected areas:  http://www.epa.gov/bpspill/

OIL SPILL CONTACT NUMBERS ISSUED BY BP:

To report oiled wildlife:  Call (866) 557-1401 and leave a message. Messages will be checked hourly.

To report oil onshore or to volunteer:   Call (866) 448-5816 or e-mail:  deepwaterhorizonresponse@hotmail.com.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Many volunteers will be needed over the upcoming months.  The Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce is spear-heading many local volunteer efforts. If you have any questions, call the chamber office at 492-4660.

To volunteer to handle petroleum-contaminated materials:

Registration is required for a four-hour health and safety training class. BRACE, United Way and First Call for Help are organizing volunteers for cleanups if the oil reaches shore. Call 595-5905 to register to volunteer.

To volunteer to help oiled wildlife:

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is seeking donations and volunteers as it prepares for the arrival of affected birds and other animals. Learn more at PensacolaWildlife.com.

Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research is accepting volunteer signups by phone, mail or e-mail as the group prepares to rehabilitate affected animals. Call (302) 737-9543 for more information.

The oil is expected to make landfall in the Perdido Key area as early as tomorrow, Monday, May 2nd.  The oil is extremely hazardous and should not be breathed or touched.  Do not attempt to pick up any contaminated matter and do not attempt to rescue any oiled wildlife, but instead call the wildlife hotline number above.

Please continue to pray that the leaks are stopped and oil will be captured before it hits land.  Also please continue to pray for all those people and animals whose lives and livelihoods will be impacted by this tragedy.

More information to come...

Blessings to you,

Kathy Justice, ResortQuest Real Estate, Broker-Associate