Lower Landing park dedicated to Charlie Norton
The late afternoon air was quiet in the Howard Creek Lower Landing, save for the excited conversation of the new park’s visitors.
A small tent was set up on the park’s lawn to host a gaggle of guests, who gathered to take in the area’s natural beauty, snack on some light refreshments and celebrate the guest of honor – Charlie Norton – to whom the park was dedicated on Thursday.
“I just am so blessed to have a wonderful family, and I didn’t think I had about four or five good friends,” he laughed, looking out at the dozens gathered.
“It’s been so good to see all of you people here, and the main thing is, when you name something after somebody, they usually have died. So it’s such a real honor to be able to hear some of the nice things being said.”
Norton was selected as the park’s namesake by a unanimous vote of the Gulf County commissioners, all of whom were in attendance at the event.
The property, once known as Coe’s Landing, was acquired by the county from the Norton and Rish families in 2020, after finalizing a deal to have it set up for public use.
“The county bought this with BP money,” said County Administrator Michael Hammond. “Probably the best thing long term we could have ever done with that BP restore money was get 115 acres that will be protected for the public to have and use for forever.”
Two of Norton’s three sons, Jim Norton and Joe Norton, unveiled the park’s new sign, each taking hold of one side of the sheet that had been covering it.
After the speeches, guests lingered on the lawn to catch up and continue the celebration.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.