Tag Archives: Apalachicola

Apalachicola Documentary

Official website of the Murrow Award-Winning Documentary, “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” and various updates

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Rally for Apalachicola Bay in August before a Senate field hearing on the health of the bay. (photo by Donna Green-Townsend)

Tuesday, January 9, 2018 UPDATE: The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments on Monday in the 30-year-old water dispute involving Florida, Georgia and Alabama known as the Tri-State Water War. Molly Samuel from public radio station WABE in Atlanta attended the oral arguments.  Click to hear her report.

June 1, 2017 UPDATE:  Florida asks U.S. Supreme Court to Save Apalachicola River, Oyster Industry:

TALLAHASSEE — Florida is telling the U.S. Supreme Court that it represents the state’s last legal remedy for saving the Apalachicola River and the oysters and people who depend on it.  Gov. Rick Scott in 2013 sued Georgia in the Supreme Court, seeking to cap Georgia’s water use upstream on the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. But a court official recommended in February that the case be dismissed because Florida had not included the Army Corps of Engineers, which operates federal reservoirs on the Chattahoochee River. In a brief filed Wednesday, Florida argues that the court had never found that a state was harmed by upstream water use but then determined it was powerless to do anything about it. If the court dismisses the case, Georgia would be free to continue or increase its water use, Florida said. ….Click here for the full story.

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October 2013 UPDATE:   Florida Governor Rick Scott and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi have moved forward with their plans to file a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court over the decades old Tri-State Water War.  The lawsuit is primarily aimed at Georgia over that state’s withdrawals of water from the Chattahoochee-Apalachicola-Flint River system—a river system Alabama, Florida and Georgia all share.  At the heart of the ongoing debate is the health of Apalachicola Bay and Florida’s seafood industry.

Apalachicola Doin' Time

Click here to view highlights of the Senate field hearing held in Apalachicola on the issue in August of 2013. To learn more about how the Apalachicola community is affected by the “water war” listen and view segments below:

2000 Edward R. Murrow Award Winning Documentary

Pic I took at Apalachicola off Paddlewheel used for CD cover later
Fishing boats along the Apalachicola River bayfront (photo by Donna Green-Townsend)
Donna voicing the "Apalachicola Doin' Time" documentary at WUFT with co-hosts Daniel Beasley and Josh Azriel in 1999
Donna voicing the “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” documentary at WUFT with co-hosts Daniel Beasley and Josh Azriel in 1999
Now available: The full written transcript of the documentary with photos.
Introduction- to Re-Release of the Documentary Part One- The Issues
Part Two- Florida’s Oyster CapitolPart Three- Apalachicola’s Waterfront
Part Four- Water Quality and the Tri-State Water WarPart Five- Apalachicola’s History
Part Six- Tourism on the RisePart Seven- Water Quantity and the Tri-State Water War
Part Eight- Close and CreditsPart Nine- Epilogue

The Producers of Apalachicola Doin’ Time- (from left to right) Daniel Beasley, Joshua Azriel, Donna Green-Townsend and Bill Beckett)

Musicians Featured In Apalachicola Doin’ Time (featuring a sample of their music)

Dale Willfest 2001
Dale Crider

Dale Crider – Apalachicola Doin’ Time

"Changes In The Wind" Jeanie Fitchen
Jeanie Fitchen

Jeanie Fitchen – Changes In The Wind

"The River" Steve Gillette
Steve Gillette

Steve Gillette – The River

"Music Drifts" and "Margaret" Mike Jurgensen
Mike Jurgenson

Mike Jurgensen – Music Drifts

and Margaret

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Harvey Reid

Harvey Reid – Circles

ken skeens
Ken Skeens

Ken Skeens – Old Florida River

 
"Wisdom of the River" Mark Smith
Mark Smith

Mark Smith – Wisdom of the River

Various locations around Apalachicola, Florida and some of the people interviewed for the documentary.

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Musical Murrow Celebration

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Just prior to the RTDNA Murrow Award ceremony in Minneapolis, MN, singer songwriter Mark Smith had a celebration at his home which included several of the songwriters who had music utilized in the documentary. In this video Dale Crider sings the song that inspired the documentary.

Holding a portrait given to him by Donna Green-Townsend and George Floyd painted by Mary Ann DiNella
Crider holding a portrait given to him by Donna Green-Townsend and George Floyd painted by Mary Ann DiNella

For more than three decades Dale Crider worked as a wildlife biologist for the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission.  During that time he also followed his other passion, songwriting.  Crider wrote many songs about environmental conditions in Florida.  “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” was one such song.  It was by chance nearly 30 years after Crider penned the song that Apalachicola resident, George Floyd, happened upon one of Crider’s music tapes and heard his song.  On that day the concept for the need to tell the story of the Tri-State Water War was born.  Crider is considered to be Florida’s Environmental Troubadour.  He has inspired musicians across Florida to write songs about the environment.

Listen to an hour-long special on Across the Prairie on WUFT regarding the Re-release and update of the Apalachicola Doin’ Time Documentary Dale and documentary co-producer Donna Green-Townsend were special guests on the longtime Sunday afternoon program on WUFT, Across the Prairie with host Cathy DeWitt.  Click on the audio button below.

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Cover of Apalachicola Doin’ Time CD

Copies of the two-CD set of “Apalachicola Doin’ Time,” including the music companion CD, are available through the non-profit Will McLean Foundation. Will McLean is considered the “Father of Florida Folk.”  He’s the first folk artist inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame.  It was his mission to save Florida through music.

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In 2001 several of the musicians whose songs were used in the documentary were featured at not only the Will McLean Festival (March, 2001) but also the state’s official festival, The Florida Folk Festival (May, 2001). Click on the audio button below to hear the live presentation at the Will McLean Festival.  The late Jan Glidewell, longtime columnist with the Tampa Bay Times, introduced Donna Green-Townsend who hosted the special musical event.

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The late Homer Marks from Apalachicola

One of the key characters of the documentary, Homer Marks, lived to be 102.  (Homer died in 2005).  Click here to go to a special page dedicated to Homer Marks.

Dale Crider, Josh Azriel, Donna Green-Townsend and George Floyd and friend
Dale Crider, Josh Azriel, Donna Green-Townsend and George Floyd and friend

Funding for the “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” documentary was provided by a grant from George Floyd in memory of Jim Floyd and George Kirvin, two of the earliest heralds of the rivers and bays and their value as an undisturbed natural resource.

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Apalachicola Documentary Awards

1st Place National RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award, Best Documentary

1st Place Southeast Regional RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Award, Best Documentary

1st Place Florida Associated Press Broadcasters, Public Affairs category

Silver Reel from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters, documentary category

Finalist, Atlanta Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Green Eye Shade awards (Southeast 11 state Region)

Finalist, Society of Professional Journalists Sunshine State Awards, Public Affairs category

1st Place, BEA Student Interactive Multimedia competition in the Online category

Silver Addy in the Collateral Material – CD Category for the Apalachicola Doin’ Time CD cover, insert and tray card.

Some of the stations that have carried Apalachicola Doin’ Time:

KBAQ Mesa, Arizona
KBOO Portland, Oregon
KERA Dallas, Texas
KJZZ Phoenix, Arizona
Utah Public Radio/KUSU FM Logan, Utah
WABE Atlanta, Georgia
WETS Johnson City, Tennessee
WFSU Tallahassee, Florida
WFSW Panama City, Florida
WJUF-FM Inverness, Florida
WKGC Panama City, Florida
WQCS  Asheville, North Carolina
WSLU Canton, New York
WUFT-FM Gainesville, Florida
California Public Radio
Georgia Public Radio

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Documentary Summary by- Co-Producer, Donna Green-Townsend Two hundred yards below the Appalachian Trail in Georgia, the waters of the Chattahoochee River begin a 500 mile journey south.  The river flows each day through Atlanta, past Western Georgia cities like Columbus and along the state boundary between Georgia and Alabama — past more than a dozen dams and locks on the way to the Gulf of Mexico.  At the Florida-Georgia border the Chattahoochee meets up with Georgia’s Flint River and  takes on a new name –The Apalachicola. Sixteen billion gallons of water flow down the Apalachicola into the Bay every day making it Florida’s largest waterway and it’s at the heart of a tri-state water war.

This documentary is an audio journey to the community at the end of the drainpipe so to speak — Apalachicola: a Florida seafood community that worries about being at the mercy of its northern water using neighbors. We journey to the city’s famous waterfront, hear about the history of this unique river town and find out how the community’s affected by the rapid development of ecotourism and growth.  We also talk with the key negotiators involved in the current water war involving Alabama, Florida and Georgia as the clock ticks down on a deadline to resolve differences over shared river resources.

There’s a lot at stake for all three southern states: rapid growth in Atlanta creates a strong need to secure drinking water for the future. Farmers want to maintain the ability to irrigate their crops, Alabama residents want to maintain peak hydro power and navigational use, and in Florida, at the end of the Apalachicola River, the seafood industry worries about the future of its oysters, scallops, crabs and shrimp.

To read the full written script with photos click here.

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 Update: U.S. Senators Nelson and Rubio Hold Senate Field Hearing in Apalachicola while Governor Rick Scott says Florida will file a lawsuit seeking to limit the amount of Apalachicola headwaters Georgia can use. (aired August 13, 2013)

Apalachicola’s oyster industry see historic collapse in 2012 from drought and salinity  (originally aired April 26, 2013)

The severe drought in 2012 caused an historic collapse of Florida’s oyster industry.  During the past year a variety of state agencies have been working for the Florida Sea Grant Program to try and understand all the causes for the fishery disaster.  The cooperative effort is working toward designing a plan to help restore and manage the industry in the future.  WUFT’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with the Director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, Karl Havens, who is heading up the University of Florida’s Oyster Recovery Team, about the findings outlined in the group’s special report this week.

Links to Environmental Data

United States Geological Service — Water Resources of Georgia: The overall website for the USGS water resources program in Georgia. Links to a variety of pollution data, answers to common questions and USGS publications.

Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper: The website of the non-profit organization that keeps tabs on everything that deals with the Chattahoochee, including a section on tri-state water issues. Background information on the river, legal issues, and information about joining the group.

Georgia Department of Natural Resources: An extensive section on Georgia’s plan to deal with water issues among the three states

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs: The specific details of Alabama’s water plans for the ACF river basin and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River basin.

Apalachicola Chamber of Commerce: The online home to the Apalachicola area. Find out about the historic nature of “Florida’s Forgotten Coast.”

Tupelo Honey: The largest and densest stands of Tupelo trees grow in the swamps of the lower Apalachicola and Chipola Rivers. Nowhere are Tupelos so dense that honey can be made from and certified pure Tupelo.

Florida Department of Environmental Protection: The site provides the latest information on proposed environmental legislation, appointments, and programs.

Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve: The Apalachicola Reserve includes two barrier islands and a portion of a third. The Reserve also includes the lower 52 miles of the Apalachicola River and its associated floodplain, small portions of adjoining uplands, and the Apalachicola Bay system. The overall high water quality of the Apalachicola estuary, with the combined effects of other factors, provide the ideal living conditions for estuarine biota and have resulted in the creation of a highly productive estuarine system. The myriad of habitats found within the Reserve support a wide range of plant and animal species, many of which are threatened or endangered.

Apalachicola River and Bay Ecosystem Plan: A 183-page plan to balance human needs with wildlife needs. Developed by Florida State University for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the Army Corp of Engineers.

Corps of Engineers: The various recreation sites on the Chattahoochee, Flint and Apalachicola river system, including various lakes, locks, dams, and campgrounds.

Read the original 1999 interviews with key players in the tri-state water war:

Sally Bethea — Executive Director of Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper

Matt Kales — Program Director at Upper Chattahoochee River Keeper

Robert Kerr — Director, Pollution Prevention Assistance Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources

Steve Leitman — Environmental Scientist, NW FL Water Management District

Woody Miley — Director, Apalachicola National Marine Estuary

Lindsey Thomas — Federal Commissioner of the ACT – ACF River Basin Commission

Now available: The full written transcript of the documentary with photos.

Remembering Apalachicola Centenarian Homer Marks

Homer Marks by his garden behind his home in Apalachicola in 2000 at the age of 97
Homer Marks by his garden behind his home in Apalachicola in 2000 at the age of 97

(Homer Marks was born on August 20, 1903.  He lived to be 102 and passed away on August 25th, 2005)

As I was conducting interviews for my documentary on the Tri-State Water War, “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” in April of 1999, I met with fishermen, politicians, seafood operators, hotel owners and other business people as well as representatives of regulatory agencies.  But, the interview that left the biggest impression on me was the one with Apalachicola resident Homer Marks.  Homer was 95 years old when  I talked with him at his home in April of 1999.  Homer was like a living history book on the area.  He had memories of the early years of the seafood business in Apalachicola when he sold ice to the oystermen.  He had tales of working in the Tupelo honey business moving his bee hives up and down the Apalachicola River.  He knew about the early turn of the century hurricanes that took a toll on the town.  He remembers where all the old cypress sawmills used to be located.  He also remembers when there was no bridge that connected St. George Island to Eastpoint.

Margaret Howell's grave in Magnolia Cemetery in Apalachicola
Margaret Howell’s grave in Magnolia Cemetery in Apalachicola

Homer also knew heartbreak in his life.  When he was only 21 years old, his young girlfriend, 17 year old Margaret Howell, was killed on the first day of school back in 1923 in a pickup truck accident that injured three others.  Homer did eventually find love again and married Agnes Segree in 1927 and had two daughters, Barbara and Louise. Those who really knew Homer shared how they often saw him head to the Magnolia Cemetery to tend to Margaret Howell’s grave and later his wife Agnes’ gravesite on the north end of 12th street and Bluff Road.

When I first showed up at Homer’s home in 1999 I had the opportunity to briefly meet his daughter Barbara and two other family members before I sat down on Homer’s porch for an interview. 

Homer Marks on his porch at his home in Apalachicola in April of 1999 at the age of 95
Homer Marks on his porch at his home in Apalachicola in April of 1999 at the age of 95

To listen to the entire interview at one time (approx. 46 minutes) click the play button immediately below or you can listen to the interview divided up into 8 separate segments (to make it easier to listen to certain parts again if you wish.  There are also more pictures of Homer Marks and the Apalachicola area below).Full length 46 minute interview:

 

Interview separated into 8 segments:

Part 1  In the Homer Marks Interview Pt 1 Homer reflects on some of the businesses he’s run during his 95 years in Apalachicola, everything from an ice house to a wholesale grocery business as well as an outboard marine business.  He also briefly addresses the growth in the town since the construction of the two bridges in the community.

Part 2  In this segment, Homer talks about what it was like when he had 1,500 bee hives when he was in the Tupelo honey business and also the “juke joint” he operated.

Part 3  In this segment Homer shares the bittersweet story of the death of his first girlfriend, Margaret Howell who died in 1923.  He shares his knowledge of some of the historic houses in Apalachicola and what kind of doctors serviced the town in the early years.  You’ll hear about how he had to have his foot stitched up somewhere around 1907.

Part 4  In part 4 Homer talks briefly about his wife Agnes, his love of gardening and hunting and his memories of the construction of the bridge connecting Eastpoint to St. George Island.

Part 5 In this segment Homer shares how even at 95 he is still driving.  He continues his thoughts about gardening and talks about some of his historic citrus trees and some of the devastating freezes that wiped out most of the citrus in the area.

Part 6 Homer reflects on some of the colorful history in Apalachicola, including the period when several sawmills operated there before fires burned most of them down in 1900 and 1910.  He shares his views on the tri-state water war involving Florida, Georgia and Alabama and the potential effects on the seafood business there.  Homer also talks about his father’s bakery business and his dad’s years in the town’s politics.

Part 7  In this segment you find out what teenagers did for fun back when Homer was young in the early 1900’s.

Part 8  And finally, in part 8 you will hear more about the story of Homer’s first girlfriend, Margaret Howell, who died in a vehicle accident in 1923 on the first day of school, an accident that left three others injured.  You will also learn more about Homer’s parents and their ancestry.

Homer was born on August 20, 1903.  He lived to be 102 and passed away on August 25th, 2005.  He’s buried next to his wife Agnes who died on April 16, 1991.

scan0042Homer’s story was incorporated into the “History of Apalachicola” segment of my documentary, “Apalachicola Doin’ Time” that aired nationally in 1999.  Here’s the link to that segment: 

See the gallery below for more pictures of Homer Marks and some of the historic areas of Apalachicola he refers to in the interview:

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UF report: collapse of oyster industry due to drought, salinity (04/26/2013)

By  on April 26th, 2013

The severe drought in 2012 caused an historic collapse of Florida’s oyster industry.  During the past year a variety of state agencies have been working for the Florida Sea Grant Program to try and understand all the causes for the fishery disaster.  The cooperative effort is working toward designing a plan to help restore and manage the industry in the future.  WUFT’s Donna Green-Townsend talked with the Director of the Florida Sea Grant College Program, Karl Havens, who is heading up the University of Florida’s Oyster Recovery Team,about the findings outlined in the group’s special report this week..