Regional Waste Roundup Saturday In Century
May 18, 2013
The Escambia County Department of Solid Waste Management will host a Regional Roundup Saturday from 8 a.m. until noon at the hold Carver Middle School on East Hecker Road in Century.
Regional Roundup events provide an opportunity for Escambia County, Florida, residents to properly dispose of electronics, household hazardous waste (HHW), shoes and up to four tires per vehicle, free of charge.
Businesses and residents can dispose of all types of clean, dry, recyclable electronics including computers, monitors and terminals, keyboards, mice, printers, TVs, copiers, gaming systems, remotes, fax machines, VCRs, stereo systems, cell phones and telephones. Electronics that have been gutted will not be accepted. Businesses with large amounts of electronics should call the Department of Solid Waste Management to make an appointment to dispose of those items at the Perdido Landfill. Appliances, including fans and air conditioners, are not accepted.
HHW items can cause injury if handled improperly. These items will usually have a warning or cautionary statement on their labels, such as flammable, corrosive, poison or toxic and include items such as swimming pool chemicals, cleaners, drain openers, paint and paint products, fuels, gases, lawn and garden chemicals, aerosol cans and automotive repair and maintenance products.
Shoes are also collected for the Soles4Souls program, which accepts donated shoes for the less fortunate. Donated shoes should be bound together with a rubber band.
All electronic, household hazardous waste and tires are recycled.
Northview Plays Two Spring Jamboree Games Today
May 18, 2013
The Florida 1A state champion Northview Chiefs will take on a couple of Alabama teams in spring football games this afternoon in East Brewton.
The Chiefs will take on Andalusia High School at 1:00 before playing Hillcrest-Evergreen at 2:40. Both games will be played at W.S. Neal High School.
The complete schedule for the five-team jamboree is as follows:
· 1:00 Northview vs. Andalusia
· 1:50 W.S. Neal vs Andalusia
· 2:40 Northview vs. Hillcrest
· 3:30 p.m. Linden vs. W.S. Neal
· 4:20 p.m Hillcrest vs. Linden
Admission is $5. W.S. Neal is located at 801 Andrew Jackson Street [map].
Pictured top: Northview Head Coach Sid Wheatley goes over the playbook with his Chiefs during a Tuesday afternoon practice. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Today: Market at St. Monica’s, Palafox Market Open
May 18, 2013
Two local markets will be open today offering fresh produce and much more.
The Market at Saint Monica’s is open the first and third Saturdays of each month (including today) from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Items expected include fresh produce, meat, prepared foods, plants, jewelry, hair bows ,fresh cut flowers, arts, crafts and more.
The Market at Saint Monica’s in the parking lot of Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church, 699 South Highway 95-A, Cantonment.
As it enters its sixth season, the Palafox Market continues to expand with new vendors and more products. Customers have Saturdays to browse the unique goods offered by local farmers, gardeners, artisans and bakers.
The Palafox Market is every Saturday from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. rain or shine. The market is located under the shade trees in Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza on North Palafox Street between Garden and Wright Streets. For more information, including products available and how to become a vendor, or to sign up for the weekly newsletter, visit the website at www.palafoxmarket.com.
Pictured: Lee Lee’s Sassy Blooms is an expected vendor at Saturday’s Market at Saint Monica’s in Cantonment. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Wahoos To Honor Molino Major Leaguer Travis Fryman
May 16, 2013
The Blue Wahoos will welcome two of Major League baseball’s greats to Pensacola’s Bayfront Stadium Thursday night. Tate High School grad Travis Fryman, former third baseman and shortstop for the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, will be throwing out the first pitch along with Ken “Squeaky” Parker, a member of the Cincinnati Reds’ organization and legendary major league scout.
Fryman, who currently coaches in the Cleveland Indians organization, makes his home in Molino with his family, where his children attend North Escambia schools. During his thirteen years as a Major League infielder, Fryman earned a .274 batting average, with over 1,000 RBI’s and more than 200 home runs. Fryman was a first round draft pick in 1987 and quickly made his way to the Majors by 1990.
Ken “Squeaky” Parker is a long-time major league baseball scout and Pensacola resident, most recently with the Cincinnati Reds. Parker also scouted for the Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, San Francisco Giants, and the Pittsburg Pirates. Fryman is taking time away his coaching responsibilities to participate in the evening’s ceremonies with Parker, because of their relationship forged while Fryman was a young ball player and Parker was a scout based out of Pensacola in the late 1980’s, where he signed another notable Pensacola Major Leaguer, Greg Litton.
Fryman and Parker will participate in the pre-game activities, including the ceremonial first pitch, and will be recognized by the Blue Wahoos for their contributions to baseball.
Jonathan Griffith, an executive with the Blue Wahoos, noted the team’s connection to Major League players past, present, and future.
“The Blue Wahoos are fortunate to be proving ground for the Major League stars of today and tomorrow, but we are also fortunate to count so many past Major League stars as members of the northwest Florida community,” said Griffith. “Our fans can watch current Major Leaguers as they rehab from injury, future Major League stars play here for a season or part of a season, and also see some of baseball’s historic greats – sometimes all in the same night. It makes the Blue Wahoos and Pensacola definitely a special place in the world of professional baseball,” Griffith continued.
Pictured: Travis Fryman speaks to a group at Northview High School last year. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Republicans Vote Today In House District 2
May 14, 2013
Today is the primary election for House District 2. It’s a closed primary, open only to Republican voters as the party elects a nominee for the general election.
The Republicans on today’s ballot are Ed Gray of Gulf Breeze; Mike Hill of Pensacola; Scott Miller of Gulf Breeze; Jack Nobles of Pensacola; David Radcliffe of Gulf Breeze; and Mark Taylor of Pensacola. The winner will face Democrat Jeremy Lau in the June 11 general election.
The race was necessitated after the death of Rep. Clay Ford, a Gulf Breeze Republican, in March.
Polls will open today from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Voters that are in line at 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.
Gray, Hill Hold Fund Raising Edge In Tuesday’s Special Election
May 13, 2013
With a Republican primary looming Tuesday in the campaign to replace the late Rep. Clay Ford, two candidates built fund-raising leads — though money flowing from special interests and lobbyists appeared to be divided.
Former Gulf Breeze Mayor Ed Gray piled up nearly $100,000 for the special primary election in House District 2, collecting $94,975 in contributions and loaning the campaign another $5,000, according to totals posted on the state Division of Elections website after a Friday filing deadline.
Pensacola insurance agent Mike Hill, meanwhile, collected $68,610. Former Pensacola City Councilman Jack Nobles raised $26,040 and loaned his campaign $14,000, while Mark Taylor raised $8,305 and David Radcliffe loaned his campaign $1,313.
A report for the sixth Republican candidate, Scott Miller, had not been filed as of early Monday afternoon, a Division of Elections spokesman said.
The only Democrat in the race, Jeremy Lau, raised $3,671 by Friday and loaned the campaign $500. Lau will face the Republican primary winner in the general election June 11.
The candidates needed to quickly gear up campaigns after Ford, R-Gulf Breeze, died of cancer in March. House District 2 includes parts of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and has been a Republican stronghold in races such as Rick Scott’s successful 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
The reports posted online reflect contributions to the candidates and do not detail spending by outside groups to influence the campaign. While much of the money contributed to candidates has come from the Panhandle, the reports also indicate that statewide interest groups and lobbyists have scattered money among three of the Republicans.
Gray, for example, has received contributions from groups and companies such as car dealers, utility contractors, beer wholesalers and ophthalmologists, according to the online records.
Hill has received heavy backing from insurance-related groups, along with getting money from organizations such as the National Federation of Independent Business. Nobles, meanwhile, has received support from physician groups, including the Florida Medical Association.
Some groups, such as the Florida Hospital Association and the Florida Bankers Association, have given to more than one candidate.
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida
Sunny And Warming Week Ahead
May 13, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 79. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 47. North wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84. Light and variable wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light southwest after midnight.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 85. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light after midnight.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Light southeast wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 86.
- Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 62.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 88.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 62.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 87.
Republicans Vie For District 2 Seat; Hill Boasts Double Digit Lead
May 13, 2013
Little more than a week after the end of the legislative session, Republicans in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties head to the polls Tuesday to choose a nominee to replace the late Rep. Clay Ford, R-Gulf Breeze, who died in March.
Among the candidates are insurance agents, a former mayor, a former city councilman and a tea party activist.
According to the latest survey by St. Pete Polls, Mike Hill is the front runner in the race by 12 percentage points. Hill, president of the Northwest Florida Tea Party, boasts endorsements from Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, and the National Federation of Independent Business in Florida, where he serves on the leadership council.
Hill fashions himself as a “genuine conservative” who says he will fight for limited government, lower taxes, personal freedom and individual responsibility.
But mailers targeting former Pensacola City Councilman Jack Nobles and former Gulf Breeze Mayor Ed Gray have served as a flashpoint in the race. Gray has produced an ad in which he says that Hill offers “no positive platform, no solutions, just a relentless smear campaign.”
In an interview, Nobles declined to comment in depth about the mailers, which paint Nobles and Gray as “two career politicians” who have voted to raise taxes. Gray declined to speak to a reporter Wednesday, saying he was focusing his time on contacting voters.
Hill said his campaign isn’t responsible for the mailers, but he backed up their message and said the attacks against Gray and Nobles weren’t personal.
“They’re career politicians, and that’s one thing I think that this area is kind of fed up with,” he said.
Beyond that, the race has covered everything from a feeling that Tallahassee is ignoring the area to how to use money meant to help eight counties recover from the effects of the BP oil spill.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of your governmental structure to go to Tallahassee, gain the respect of my peers over there and have state government look after the interests of northwest Florida just like they do all of South Florida and central Florida, because we deserve that,” Gray told a forum recently.
As for the BP money, most of the candidates agree that it should be spent by local officials.
“Let, at the local level, the counties determine how that money should be used,” Hill said.
Nobles adds that it should either be used to pay off debt or be invested and then used wisely.
“You give politicians money and they spend it pretty quickly,” he said.
Some of the candidates also have unique ideas and interests. Scott Miller, a businessman from Gulf Breeze and first cousin of Republican Sen. Greg Evers, says whoever represents the seat has to make sure that no one tries to use a toll to fund the replacement for the Three-Mile Bridge that runs from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze.
“I feel like we need to have somebody in Tallahassee who will watch that like a hawk,” he said.
Miller also has stressed his support for the Second Amendment, saying “people in South Florida” might try to curtail gun rights across the state.
David Radcliffe, a property and casualty insurance agent, developer and landlord, wants to return Citizens Property Insurance Corp. to a wind-only insurer. He worries that a recent measure creating a “clearinghouse” for the company will allow private insurers to “cherry-pick policies.”
“I need a good platform to go try to get my ideas heard in Tallahassee,” he said.
Mark Taylor, an insurance inspector who also works in construction and real estate, stresses workforce education, dovetailing with education reform efforts in Tallahassee. Taylor started selling real estate when he was in high school.
“Not everybody’s college-bound,” he said. “I wasn’t a college-bound guy, but still was very blessed and very successful.”
Whichever one of the half-dozen candidates emerges with the GOP nod in House District 2 will be a sizable favorite against Democrat Jeremy Lau in the June 11 general election. Gov. Rick Scott carried the district by 16 points in 2010 against his Democratic opponent, former Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink; Scott narrowly won statewide. Republicans also had an eight-point edge in voter registration, according to state numbers.
By The News Service of Florida
Letter Carrier Food Drive Is Today For Local Food Banks
May 11, 2013
Today, Escambia and Santa Rosa County letter carriers will again join forces to Stamp Out Hunger in our community, providing assistance to the thousands of area citizens who are struggling to put food on their tables every day.
Now in its 21st year, the Stamp Out Hunger effort is the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2012, drive organizers in our community collected more than 150,000 pounds of food for local pantries. This year, the food will be distributed to the following food pantries: Manna Food Pantries, Bay Area Food Bank, Warrington Emergency Aid, Acts Ministries of Gulf Breeze and We Care Ministries of Navarre United Methodist Church.
United Way of Escambia County, the U.S. Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers and Feeding America, Campbell’s Soup Company, Publix, AARP, Valpak, the National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, the AFL-CIO, GLS Companies, Source Direct Plastics, Valassis/Red Plum and Uncle Bob’s Self Storage are supporting the drive this year.
To participate in the Stamp Out Hunger drive, Escambia and Santa Rosa County residents are encouraged to leave a sturdy bag containing non-perishable foods, such as canned soup, canned vegetables, pasta, rice or cereal, next to their mailbox prior to the time of regular mail delivery on Saturday, May 11. Local letter carriers will collect these food donations as they deliver the mail and take them to postal offices for pick up by food pantries.
Pictured top: Stamp Out Hunger donations hang on mailboxes on Wiggins Lake Road in Walnut Hill. NorthEsambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Slight Rain Chance Tonight, Clearing Sunday
May 11, 2013
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. West wind 5 to 10 mph becoming north after midnight.
- Sunday: Cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 79. North wind around 10 mph.
- Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46. North wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday: Sunny, with a high near 80. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 86. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 61.
- Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.
- Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
- Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 86.