THE HOBNOB-DESTIN NEWS

1 October, 2010             Destin’s Hippest News Source

September 29, 2010 11:15 PM

Okaloosa County’s Tourist Development Council is working to restart its short-lived debit card program.

“We’re shooting for the middle of next week (to restart the program),” said Mark Bellinger, the TDC’s executive director. “We have to get the information out to all the lodging partners again who signed up for this, let them know exactly what’s going on again for instructions, let them know exactly how many cards we have left and what’s going on the website.”

The TDC’s Emerald Money Debit program is designed to provide tourists or locals a $200 debit card for purchases in Okaloosa County if they book at least a two-night stay at a lodging that collects local bed taxes.

The program was scheduled to run from Sept. 17 to Oct. 31, or until 5,000 available debit cards had been taken. But it was canceled after just two days when it was discovered that many businesses were trying to cheat the system.

Plans had called for participating hotels and condominiums to forward the qualifying reservations to the TDC for approval. Bellinger now is working with website developers to add a link to the TDC site where tourists or locals who make reservations can submit their date to the TDC themselves to reserve a debit card.

Bellinger hopes to have the website completed today so he can announce to the 189 participating lodging partners that the program is returning.

If the program is restarted next week, Bellinger said the deadline will likely be extended so people making reservations for early November could also qualify for a debit card if they make their reservation soon enough.

Of the 5,000 debit cards printed for the program, 576 already have been given out and about 645 have been reserved from the two days the promotion ran earlier this month. That leaves nearly 3,800 cards to give out.

“We’re still going to reserve all the cards, I think in a week, week-and-a-half,” Bellinger said. “It’s going to go really quick.”

The Emerald Money Debit program was funded through Okaloosa’s portion of a $7 million grant BP provided to the seven coastal counties in Northwest Florida to help bring tourists to the area after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Dusty Ricketts, Florida Freedom Newspapers

THE HOBNOB-DESTIN NEWS

6 August, 2010             Destin’s Hippest News Source

............SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS..............

SLOW SUMMER – POSITIVE OUTLOOK

The Destin Commons on a Friday in late July would normally be crowded with local and vacationing shoppers sampling the myriad of goods and services from this Destin Landmark destination. This day, however, the evidence of our economic slump and the impact of negative press from the oil spill is visible everywhere we look. The absence of crowds, however, has not deterred the enthusiasm of the business owners here. As we stroll the courtyard and visit with sales people and owners it is immediately apparent that they expect a rebound. All display a positive attitude that is a hallmark of our Destin community.  After the unprecedented destruction of Hurricane Opal, the same stalwart mindset was apparent; rebuild with vigor!  I took a few minutes to chat with Dave Del Donie owner, chief cook and hotdog handler extraordinaire, from Dave’s Dogs. Dave is one of Destin’s celebrities and has been turning out award winning hotdogs for over eleven years. No stranger to hard times, Dave is not only holding his own, he’s expanding! Yup, that’s right he’s adding a new location at Harborwalk just in time for the Destin Seafood Festival in September and launching a new website as well.  His effervescent attitude is infectious and while enjoying one of his famous “it’s all in the bun” hot dogs, I too took on his positive outlook. We both think that we’ve turned the corner. With the oil well capped, little or no negative impact on our beautiful beaches, it’s time to get the word out that Destin is the place to be! Everywhere you look you’ll find great values. From the stable price of gas, to the discounted hotel rooms and entertainment deals, now is the time to rediscover Destin. Dave will be ready with his famous smile, countertop banter and fantastic hotdogs. So if you’re just arriving here or are a local, check out Dave’s Dogs on the courtyard at the Destin Commons for an enthusiasm boost, a smile to go and my favorite hotdog in the world!

Filed 05-08-2010 HobNob Dave – Reporter-at-large