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Comment by Tripatini on August 16, 2010 at 6:29pm

Comment by Tripatini on August 16, 2010 at 5:49pm

Comment by Tripatini on August 15, 2010 at 1:17pm

From Houma Today (Lousiana), Aug. 15:

Hercules Rodeo Celebrates Return to Fishing and Fun
by Kathrine Schmidt

"...the rodeo ... is in its first year as a festival format, explained Rene Hebert, the event’s chairman. The idea was to get the community more involved with the rodeo, which in past years has been held in Cocodrie and focused mainly on saltwater catches.

This year, the Carnival krewe added live music, rides for children, a jambalaya cookoff and other events, as well as focusing on freshwater divisions that expanded the fishermen who participated.

...The event also benefits local charities, including the Terrebonne Children’s Advocacy Center and Voice of the Wetlands.

Many of the fishermen who participate in rodeos have been sidelined this year by the Gulf oil spill. Most of the rodeos in the Houma-Thibodaux area, including the high-profile Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, had to be canceled. But since BP has capped the spewing well, some recreational fishing has opened in time to let the show go on for some of the summer’s later events.

Locally, Hercules is the second major event, following the Terrebonne Sportsman’s League rodeo last weekend."

Comment by Tripatini on August 15, 2010 at 12:04pm

From Julie Pace/Associated Press, Aug. 15:

"Catching a glimpse of porpoises, President Barack Obama and his family went boating Sunday as part of a weekend trip to the Gulf of Mexico that was designed to showcase the region's attractions as well as the president's concern for those affected by the BP oil spill.

...The vacationing threesome leaned over the boat to see the porpoises as the boat cruised the calm waters of St. Andrews Bay near their Panama City Beach hotel.

Although only 16 of the 180 beaches in the western part of the Florida Panhandle were affected by the spill, tourism officials say many potential visitors have stayed away, deterred by images of oil-slicked waters and tarball-strewn beaches in other parts of the region.

On Saturday, Obama took Sasha for a swim in St. Andrews Bay, a signal to other would-be Gulf vacationers that the water and the beaches are fine.

...According to the White House, the Obamas swam off Alligator Point, which is in Saint Andrews Bay, not the Gulf.

The first family spent much of Saturday at their beachfront hotel, venturing to Lime's Bayside Bar & Grill, where they relaxed on an outdoor deck overlooking the water and ate a lunch of fish tacos, chicken tenders and burgers. They later headed into town for a round of miniature golf, where 9-year-old Sasha stole the show with a hole-in-one off the first tee."

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 3:17pm

From MediaBullseye.com, Aug. 13:

The Gulf of Perception
posted by Wayne Kurtzman

Social media journalist and content specialist Jeff Cutler recently returned from two weeks covering the Deepwater Horizon/BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

...Cutler, a 21 year journalism veteran, was hired with editorial freedom by the data company Environmental Data Resources (EDR).

..."'Anywhere else in the country north of the Gulf Region they have signs up saying ‘we don’t serve Gulf seafood’ because they’re afraid of what may have already happened to the seafood. There are people in Georgia and North Carolina that … every year, for their vacation is go to Orange Beach in Alabama, or Gulfport in Mississippi. And the beaches there are white-sand gorgeous, better than any Caribbean beach… and they were deserted at their peak season… and communities are down more than $1-billion in tourist revenue.'

'The reason, that I conclude that these beaches are deserted,' believes Cutler, 'is that everyone thought a layer of oil, like a tidal wave of oil, was up on the beaches and that they would be slugging through tar … and that the white sand was all destroyed. That’s not the case.'

...'When people went down there to the Gulf they were talking about 5-million barrels of oil being released. This was is in their mind, their editor’s mind, their producer’s mind, so they get someone down there with a camera and if they don’t see oil, then it’s a non-story.'

'They would go to the estuaries and the areas where the oil was most prevalent and that was what you saw on camera, and in the newspaper. And that caused a whole world to react to the oil spill as they did. Now a lot of news organizations have about-faced and told the story they probably could have told before: the beaches are cleaned up. The bad news has already taken its toll.'”

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 3:03pm

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 2:58pm

From Pensacola News Journal, Aug. 13

It's algae, Not Oil
by Travis Griggs

"Gulf Islands National Seashore officials Friday afternoon said mats of dark black material spotted floating near Northwest Florida beaches were
naturally occurring algae and seaweed, not toxic oil.

'It can be difficult to tell sometimes,' said Richard Clark, chief of science and resources management for Gulf Islands National Seashore..."

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 2:03pm

From Facebook page of Florida's Emerald Coast CVB (Destin - Fort Walton Beach - Okaloosa Island - Mary Esther - Cinco Bayou), Aug. 14:

Pam Pearce "Just got back on Sunday after a BEAUTIFUL week in Destin area at Miramar Beach. No oil in the water & not one tarball in the sand! Rented a pontoon boat from Harbor Watersports and had a blast ~ highly recommend & worth the $$. Booked our vacation for same house next July!!" 5 hours ago

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 2:00pm

Comment by Tripatini on August 14, 2010 at 1:59pm

From NewOrleans.com, Aug. 13:

Open Grand Isle Beaches Barren
by WGNO ABC26 News

"'We don't want people to forget us. Come down. We got fish. Beaches are open. Boom. It's real important,' said Bridge Side Marina Owner Buggie Vegas.

In zone 1, the beach near the marina, was nearly empty on Friday.

For quite a distance the birds are plentiful, enjoying the waves. No people around to crowd their space, until a couple of Floridian visitors decide they want to explore the vast seaside, devoid of people.

...Grand Isle is still working on cleaning the other closed beaches [and] hopes summertime crowds will continue to grow, especially into Labor Day weekend, and maybe beyond if the weather cooperates."

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