Category Archives: Commentary

Let’s Learn from Fernandina Beach of the Past

By Linda Hart Green“Why did people here turn so ugly?” mused Lisa Williams, her big [...]

13 Comments

Say It Loud: No More Anonymity

By Mike Phillips Recent events have convinced me that our reader comments service needs a [...]

42 Comments

Setting the Record Straight: Private Groups Can Deny Access to Meetings

By April L. BoglePrivate organizations such as Citizens Defending Freedom-Nassau (CDF-Nassau) can assemble in public [...]

21 Comments

Commentary: Only True Believers Welcome at CDF Meetings

By Mike LednovichEvidently Citizens Defending Freedom – Nassau believes freedom isn’t for everybody. CDF’s meeting [...]

104 Comments

A Small Island with a Lot of Room

By Linda Hart GreenOne of my favorite Bible verses is from the gospel of John. [...]

9 Comments

Unexpected Bending

By Linda Hart Green “Why are they so angry?” Have you thought that after reading [...]

19 Comments

Why Amelia Island Needs a Statue of William Penn

By Linda Hart Green I grew up in a suburb of New Jersey just five [...]

31 Comments

Commentary: When is a Public Prayer Out of Line?

By Linda Hart Green “Will you offer a prayer, Reverend?” I have been asked that [...]

Commentary: The Times Have Changed, Mr. Knocke

By Darlene Drury FBHS class of 1974 I was born and raised a Fernandinian. When [...]

Commentary: Mr. Nicklas Has Opinions. Now, Here Are The Facts

By Chip Ross Steve Nicklas writes an opinion column called “Steve’s Marketplace” for the Amelia [...]

Commentary: Bad Advice on ‘Special Privileges’ for Developers

By Faith Ross Recently Tammi Bach, the Fernandina Beach City Attorney, gave a workshop for [...]

Commentary: The Divine Creation is Wonderfully Diverse

  By Rev. Linda Hart Green Is difference dangerous? There are those who think so. [...]

Commentary: The Law Is Clear. Deny the Tringali Townhouses

By Taina Cristner In early 2006, at the beginning of the aughts’ housing bubble, the [...]

Commentary: We Have a Chance to Degrade Our Home — or Add Value

Dear Nassau County Commissioners, The county’s reduction of coastal building height in 2021 was appropriate [...]

Commentary: A Church Where ALL means ALL

By Rev. Dr. Mark Charles I was told a story today about an individual in [...]

Community Leaders Speak: The Riverstone Proposal Is a ‘Hail Mary’

A Letter to  the Nassau County Commissioners and County  Attorney: Nearly two years ago, the [...]

Commentary: No Matter Your Beliefs, Stand Up for the Tylers

By Rev. Linda Hart Green In 2010, I was a pastor in Ridgewood, New Jersey. [...]

Commentary: OK Kids, Let’s Buckle Down

By Suanne Thamm Some years ago a now-departed neighbor added a new acronym to our [...]

Commentary: Challenges and Qualifications for a New City Manager

By the Conserve Nassau Board of Directors The Fernandina Beach City Charter provides general guidelines [...]

Commentary: Manager Search Must Be Done Professionally

By Margaret Kirkland Chair, Conserve Nassau With the current size and projected growth of Fernandina [...]

Commentary: A Deceit Beyond the Pale

By Mike Phillips Over the years I’ve lost track of how many city commissions and [...]

Commentary: ‘Criminal Enterprise’ Accusers Now on Record With FBI

By Chip Ross For years a few individuals have publicly stated that the city of [...]

Commentary: What Will it Take to Be United in Keeping Our Paradise?

By Suanne Thamm Hatfields vs. McCoys. Sharks vs. Jets. Natives vs. Newbies. Isn’t it about [...]

Commentary: What a Mess We Are In, Fernandina!

By Suanne Thamm Confused.  Frustrated.  Unhappy.  Angry.  Suspicious. These are just a few of the [...]

News Commentary: Commission’s City Manager Search Gets Off to a Ragged Start

By Mike Lednovich Fernandina Beach is searching for its most important executive, the city manager. [...]

Commentary: A Good City Manager is Hard to Find — And Too Easy to Fire

Editor’s note: This commentary first appeared in 2015, but it’s as fresh as it was [...]

Commentary: More Questions than Transparency in Firing

THAMM-O-GRAMM By Suanne Thamm When Vice Mayor David Sturges showed up at the City Commission [...]

Commentary: Cement Dust and Nassau’s Waterways

  Editor’s note: St Marys Riverkeeper — one of 15 Riverkeeper units in Florida — [...]

Commentary: A Voice of Reason from Suanne Thamm

Dear Readers: Some of you may remember that before I wrote for the Fernandina Observer, [...]

Commentary: Eminent Attorney Challenges City Attorney on Important Land-Use Case

Editor’s note: The following piece of advice to the Fernandina Beach City Commission was written [...]

Worldwide, Cement Dust is a Serious Issue

  Editor’s note: I’m very liberal about reader comments. So long as you aren’t calling [...]

Commentary: It’s No Wetland — It’s a Mud Bank That Could Be a Park

By Bob Allison City citizens who have read the waterfront plan I provided to the [...]

Commentary: Does This City Want to Lose $500,000 a Year on its Marina?

By Chip Ross Ten years ago, when former Commissioner Pat Gass asked when the city [...]

Commentary: Townhouses in a Neighborhood That Cherishes Its History – and the Law

By Julie Ferreira The Fernandina Beach City Commission is poised to make a significant decision [...]

Commentary — Townhouses: A View From the Historic District

  By Taina Cristner Most of us are very concerned about the impact this new [...]

Commentary: A Rebuttal of a Rebuttal on Waterfront Plans

By  Bob Allison I read with interest Commissioner Chip Ross’s rebuttal to my article about [...]

Commentary: Much Ado Over an Old Waterfront Plan

Editor’s note: It’s unusual, I know, for one news organization to publish a rebuttal to [...]

COMMENTARY: A Proud and Fearless Day, 45 Years Later

By Alexandra R. Lajoux Yesterday in Fernandina Beach, our community hosted the biggest local parade [...]

COMMENTARY: Why the Rush to Change City Elections?

By Genece Minshew Well, that did not take long. Less than a month in office, [...]

COMMENTARY: Let’s Keep Our Non-Partisan Elections Non-Partisan

By Arlene Filkoff On the Fernandina Beach City Commission agenda for Jan. 17 is an [...]

Commentary: a Heartfelt Argument for Girls’ Softball

by Amber Stuckey Board Member of Elm Street Little League   Some of my fondest [...]

Commentary: What’s the Risk at Jasmine Street? And Why is it a Mystery?

By Mike Phillips   Somehow, on July 11, the Jasmine Street beach access and some [...]

It Came from the Attic: A Community Show and Tell Event

For lovers of old objects and photographs, the joy comes more from the story behind [...]

Commentary: Questions for Michael Lednovich

If elected, what would be your first priority as a new commissioner? Finishing the city [...]

Commentary: Questions for Darron Ayscue

Editor’s note: This is the third response of four by candidates in the city commission [...]

Commentary: Questions for James Antun

Your first priority if elected. if elected, my first priority as a new commissioner would [...]

COMMENTARY: Whither Nassau County?

By Bill Gingrich Nassau County voters cast their election ballots in favor of who they [...]

Commentary: What a Remarkable Community Effort Looks Like

By Pam Hart Chair of the Protect Nassau Now or Never PAC We are thrilled [...]

COMMENTARY: How Covid Has Changed Health Care

By Diana Twiggs, MD It is not an exaggeration to say the coronavirus pandemic forever [...]

Dear 15%: Come on in With the Rest of Us!

By Mike Phillips Observer Editor I learned two new words this election: undercount and overcount. [...]

COMMENTARY: How Did We Do?

This is not a place that loves bond issues – even though they are a [...]

COMMENTARY: Our #2 Schools Spend More Than the #1 Schools

By Richard Lamken  Schools division lead in County Citizens Defending Freedom Nassau County School District [...]

City Commission Essay by Candidate Staci McMonagle

Editor’s note: The Observer invited Fernandina Beach City Commission candidates to write an essay about [...]

Candidate Essay by Darron Ayscue: Common Sense, Not Nonsense

Darron Ayscue for City Commission Seat 5, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

Candidate Essay by Mike Lednovich: Preserving Our City’s Quality of Life

Mike Lednovich for City Commission Seat 4, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

The Myth of City-County Discontent

By Dale Martin, City Manager In the midst of the current campaign season for two [...]

Candidate Essay by Genece Minshew: Better Ways to Get Things Done

Genece Minshew for City Commission Seat 5, Fernandina Beach EDITOR’S NOTE: A few weeks ago, [...]

Commentary: Another Close Call

By Faith Ross Luck was with Amelia Island again as the predicted heavier winds and [...]

We Can Reduce Suicide in Our Community

By Virginia Foxworth September is Suicide Prevention Month in the United States. The Nassau County [...]

Commentary: A Proposal for Funding Public Maintenance

By Gerald Decker I have a suggestion for getting our many visitors to help Fernandina [...]

Take Note of a Very Important Referendum on the November Ballot

By Mike Phillips Nassau County has a reputation for disliking bond issues, but it also [...]

Commentary: Time for a New Bike at City Hall?

Editor’s note: The Observer has invited all seven City Commission candidates to submit an essay [...]

Who Are We?

(Editor’s note: I’ve been thinking of creating a regular section in the Observer that asks [...]