Beach efforts honored

SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL - Walton County officials accepted one of the 2008 Best Restored Beach awards from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association during a recent trip to Washington, D.C.
   
Sonny Mares, executive director of the Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council, said the association gave out about eight awards in different categories. Walton County and Destin were recognized for the 7-mile beach-restoration project that began in February 2006 and ended in May 2007.
   
Five of those miles were in South Walton, and 2 miles were in Destin. The project cost about $22 million.
   
"It made sense to partner with Destin on this and split the cost," said Mares, who added that Walton paid its share from the county's bedtax hike that was implemented in February 1999.
   
The association especially liked that the beach was significantly widened "and that it was just one continuous stretch of white, beautiful sand," Mares said. "This area is so unique with its white quartz sand that it was just a very striking, beautiful picture. So it was a good example for this association to show how restoration projects can also be very utilitarian as well as very beautiful."
   
At the Walton County Commission meeting Tuesday, TDC officials will request permission to raise the bed tax from 4 cents to 4.5 cents on the dollar to help pay for marketing costs associated with bringing in a low-cost airline to fly into and out of Panama City-Bay County International Airport.