It's not rocket science. Mayor Badley Bean has said RYAM building a bioethanol plant in the city is "a no-brainer."

As the Fernandina Beach city commission election approaches, Mayor Bradley Bean's rhetoric has taken a troubling turn. While it is typical for election campaigns to highlight …

If you have traveled around Florida, and especially if you have traveled State Road 200/A1A, you know what these are: Bob’s Barricades! These highway icons come in all shapes and sizes. They …

While reorganizing an endless flow of paper, I came across old files I had saved. As you might guess, I stopped cleaning and looked through them. I found a file of poems I wrote in college in a …

Earlier this week, I listened to an episode of “On Point,” on WJCT called “The Intelligence of Orcas.” The marine scientist, Dr. Naomi Rose, spoke about the huge increase in …

A comfortably full crowd gathered in the Peck Center auditorium to listen, talk and learn together about the issues involving the connection between church and state on Wednesday evening August 7. …

I recently started watching the TV series “The Bear”on Hulu. You have to put up with a lot of yelling and cursing (I mean A LOT) to get into the story and learn about the ensemble cast. …

My cousin who is a pastor here in Florida recently posted on Facebook something I made reference to in my commentary of June 23 -- the Slave Bible. He found out more about it than I had known. …

I am not an early riser, but I am glad for those who are. I admire those who are not only up but OUT, enjoying sunrises over the ocean and general natural splendor. One of the people I am grateful …

Do you know who Roy G Biv is? He is not running for city commission! He teaches us the colors of the rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. Maybe you heard his name sung in a song …

Jim Wallis is an evangelical Christian who has worked for peace and social justice all his life. I remember when his book, “God’s Politics” came out in 2005 and caused quite …

I am not often at a loss for words. Here is a classic example. I was trying to explain to my oldest nephew, then aged 3, why it was time for bed. As my mother led him up the …

By Linda Hart Green Saying “I’m sorry” is hard. I am talking about the kind of sorry that does something about the hurt or wrong that was caused. This is called “restitution” or “making …

By Suanne Thamm Dear Commissioners: It seems to me that most of the complaints about downtown parking adequacy come from those who are engaged in money-making ventures downtown: Retail shops. It has …

By Dickie Anderson Live oak trees with their sprawling limbs add a dash of Southern charm from the north to the south end of Amelia Island. These gentle giants dot our island and are an intrinsic …

By Mike Lednovich Corrine Garrett led off the public comment segment of the May 7 city commission meeting with a question. "I would like to know if Fernandina Beach city commissioners are in line …

By Suanne Thamm Dear City Commissioners: Yours is not an easy or financially rewarding job. But the exercise of your duties as public officials is serious and impactful for the health and prosperity …

Earth Day 1970, Philadelphia. By Linda Hart Green Earth Day 1970, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I only skipped school one day in high school. I was a junior. I was also a …

By Mike Phillips Observer Editor and Publisher In the coming weeks, you will start seeing a very different Fernandina Observer. We didn't want to startle you one day, so here is a preview: The new …

By Mike Lednovich The deadline is just six weeks away for candidacy in the Fernandina Beach city commission and a concerning silence persists. Despite widespread dissatisfaction with the …