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eNewsletter · December 2014 |
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
This past weekend, Mexico Beach celebrated at our annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The crowd was outstanding, and all the children were very excited to see Santa arrive on the big red fire truck. A special thank you to Wylie Petty and the staff of the El Governor Motel, who faithfully transform Sunset Park with spectacular Christmas decorations each year. From all of us in Mexico Beach, we want to wish our residents, visitors, and friends a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
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Celebrate Twice
The neighboring coastal villages of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe, Florida, have you covered this holiday season with a unique, fun, and safe event to help you kick off 2015. Celebrate Twice features 13 different bars and restaurants throughout the two towns and a free trolley system that makes regular stops at each one, giving guests the opportunity to celebrate the countdown to 2015 in the Eastern Time Zone at various hot spots in Port St. Joe, then take a short ride over to Mexico Beach in the Central Time Zone and do it all again—without worrying about who will be the designated driver.
This year will also feature a scavenger hunt throughout Mexico Beach. It’s a great way for the whole family to enjoy the beautiful beaches, shops, and nature in this charming fishing town before heading out to celebrate later that night. Visitors can obtain a scavenger hunt map at either the Mexico Beach or the Port St. Joe Welcome Center or online at www.CelebrateTwice.com. The map will list six businesses (three in each town) that will be distributing free New Year’s Eve promotional items. Visitors do not have to purchase items from the shops in order to collect the unique hunt items. To learn more about the shuttle stops and the scavenger hunt, visit www.CelebrateTwice.com.
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And the Winner Is…
 Last month, we were giving away a cozy, comfortable Mexico Beach sweatshirt. The lucky winner is Linda Hueser from Madrid, Iowa. Congrats, Linda!
Thanks to the popular demand of last month’s prize, this month we have up for grabs another cozy, comfortable Mexico Beach sweatshirt. To put your name in the hat, send an e-mail to Melissa and include your contact information. The lucky winner will be announced in the January newsletter.
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Mexico Beach Vow Renewal
 If you got married in Mexico Beach, we have a special treat for you. We’re inviting you to return next spring for a special vow-renewal ceremony on the beach. The weekend will be April 17–19, 2015, and will include a ceremony on the beach and a complimentary reception at the El Governor Motel afterward. We plan on extensive news coverage, and most of our lodging partners have special rates for that weekend. If you were married here, come join us!
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Meet Mexico Beach
 This month we would like to introduce you to Mike Marciel, owner of the Blue Marlin Gourmet Deli, located on the corner of Highway 98 and 41st Street. Mike has extensive experience in the restaurant business and has been operating in Mexico Beach for the past two years. The Blue Marlin is open seven days a week and serves breakfast and lunch all day long. Each day they offer a special of the day, and their Tampa-style Cuban sandwich is a favorite among locals. All side dishes and salads are made fresh daily, and Mike is available to cater weddings, birthdays, and special events. Next time you are in Mexico Beach, stop in for lunch and say hello to Mike.
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 Celebrate Twice
December 31
No need to wait another 12 months for the next New Year. This year, ring in the New Year twice! Start in the Eastern time zone in Port St. Joe and St. Joe Beach, then travel west just five minutes to Mexico Beach and celebrate all over again an hour later in the Central time zone. For more information, click here.
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 January Snowbird Biloxi Trip
January 6–7
Come join the Mexico Beach snowbird crew as they head off to win big and make some memories! The Mexico Beach Community Development Council will be hosting a Biloxi trip for those who want to press their luck. Buses will be pulling out early for this overnight adventure. With two days full of fun activities, you are sure to win something! For more information, click here.
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 Snowbird Shopping Trip
January 20
Ready for a day of brand-name shopping at unbeatably low prices? Come venture to the Tanger Outlets in Foley, Alabama, for the ultimate bargain hunter’s dream at name-brand and designer factory outlet stores. After a day of shopping for deals, we’ll dine at the famous Lambert’s Cafe, Home of the Throwed Rolls. For more information, click here.
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 February Snowbird Biloxi Trip
February 10–11
Come join the Mexico Beach snowbird crew as they head off to win big and make some memories! The Mexico Beach Community Development Council will be hosting a Biloxi trip for those who want to press their luck. Buses will be pulling out early for this overnight adventure. With two days full of fun activities, you are sure to win something! For more information, click here.
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 Mexico Beach Gumbo Cook-Off
February 21
Who’s ready for the best cook-off this side of New Orleans? The 17th Annual Gumbo Cook-Off will be held on Saturday, February 21 at Sunset Park in Mexico Beach. Come watch as chefs “cook it out” to see who has the best roux and wins the Gumbo King crown. The entire family is invited to come out and enjoy the day tasting gumbos, dancing to live music, and having a good time. For more information, click here.
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Recipe of the Month
Jane’s Barbeque Shrimp
Brought to us by Jane Wilson of the Miss Jane and the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association cookbook.
INGREDIENTS FOR SAUCE
1 lb. diet margarine
2 ½ oz. soy sauce
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tbsp. parsley
1 tsp. oregano
2 ½ oz. Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp. cracked pepper
4 tbsp. catsup
2 tbsp. garlic salt
5 lbs. shrimp (heads off optional)
DIRECTIONS
Mix together all ingredients for the sauce and heat until butter is melted. Do not boil. Pour over shrimp in a 9x13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Reheat before serving. Serve in bowls with sauce and plenty of toasted French bread for dunking. (You will need plenty of napkins after peeling the shrimp.) Enjoy!
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Thoughts for the Month
Fun Christmas Trivia
An average household in America will mail out 28 Christmas cards each year and see 28 eight cards return in their place.
Before settling on the name Tiny Tim for his character in A Christmas Carol, three other alliterative names were considered by Charles Dickens. They were Little Larry, Puny Pete, and Small Sam.
Candy canes began as straight white sticks of sugar candy and were used to decorate Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral in Germany decided to have the ends bent to depict a shepherd’s crook, and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services.
Charles Dickens’s initial choice for Scrooge’s statement “Bah! Humbug!” was “Bah! Christmas!”
Franklin Pierce was the first United States president to decorate an official White House Christmas tree.
Animal Crackers are really cookies that were imported from England in the late 1800s. The circus-like boxes were designed with a string handle so that they could be hung on a Christmas tree.
Hallmark introduced its first Christmas cards in 1915, five years after the founding of the company.
In an effort to solicit cash to pay for a charity Christmas dinner in 1891, a large crab pot was set down on a San Francisco street, becoming the first Salvation Army collection kettle.
More diamonds are purchased at Christmastime (31 percent) than during any other holiday or occasion of the year.
The poem commonly referred to as “The Night Before Christmas” was originally titled "A Visit from Saint Nicholas." This poem was written by Clement Moore for his children and some guests, one of whom anonymously sent the poem to a New York newspaper for publication.
The poinsettia, traditionally an American Christmas flower, originally grew in Mexico, where it was known as the Flower of the Holy Night. It was first brought to America in 1829 by the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett.
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