Publisher’s note:
In every edition I like to include a “Letter from the Publisher.” July was our first edition and I wrote to congrat- Alice Collins, Queen and Protector of St. George Island ulate and to warn the residents and politicians of the upcoming growth explosion headed to the Forgotten Coast. While there is no way to stop this event, it can be controlled, as Alice Collins has done for the past fifty years for St. George island. When we were first introduced I knew that I had met a kindred soul and a fellow warrior and pledged to help with her crusade to keep the island a pristine and special place.

You don’t often hear “ real estate broker” and “nature preservationist” used in the same sentence, to describe the same person. But that’s the case for case for Alice Collins. St. George Island , Florida – a pristine strip of barrier island flanked by The Gulf of America and Apalachicola Bay- owes much of its natural splendor and protected turtle habitats to the vison and courage of a real estate developer Alice Collins who moved to the Island in 1973. My husband and I lived in Tallahassee for several years, and he visited the island on a fishing trip with some of his buddies. At the time there was no bridge; you came by a ferry that could hold nine vehicles provided one was a Volkswagen. We fell in love with it, moved and I opened a real estate office here in 1973 and created an Island of our own.

St. George has been compared with Key West ( in the old days ) and The Outer Banks of North Carolina. We’re very interested in controlling density and we still don’t have any high rises. Back in 1973 , a fast talking Alabama developer wanted to build high rise condos on little St George Island. I was in the meeting when he unrolled his map and showed his plans to the county commission, he was not tarred and feathered, but was run out of town with the phrase ‘ No, this is not happening here” ringing in his ear. At that point, there was no zoning yet in the county. They contacted the Conservation Foundation, and people like myself and others putting together what was needed to protect the area. We have controlled density by what was accomplished during that time. I know that you have heard the expression “don’t mess with Texas”, here is another “ don’t Mess with the Queen from Tallahassee .”

Publishers Note

To all residents and politicians , if you want to keep the Forgotten Coast pristine start a commission and ask Alice to be the president, and pray she says yes.