Florida 4-H Hall Of Fame Member Francis Robert Gindl, Sr. Passes Away
January 30, 2018
Florida 4-H Hall of Fame member Francis Robert Gindl, Sr. passed away Saturday. He was 89.
Gindl was passionate about 4-H and very active about supporting his children and hundreds of other children with their 4-H activities.
Gindl joined the 4-H Corn Club in 1939, but he soon found that 4-H had much more to offer. He was the first 4-H member in his club to raise more than 100 bushels of corn per acre. He participated in public speaking, beef, swine, poultry, and tractor maintenance projects. He also joined a state 4-H livestock judging team.
He became a volunteer leader with the Barrineau Park 4-H club, which is the longest operating 4-H club in the state of Florida. The club’s projects included consumer judging, tractor maintenance, livestock, and public speaking. His club participated in Florida 4-H Legislature, Florida 4-H Congress, the Pensacola Interstate Fair, and community service projects. His club was the first one to be integrated with both boys and girls in 1965 and then racially in 1972.
“Being part of Barrineau Park 4-H is a true honor” Dillon Conti , the 2016-2017 president of Barrineau Park 4-H Club said. “Mr Francis Gindl did so much for our club, we are very lucky that this rich history is preserved at Barrineau Park Historical Society in the museum for my generation and generations to come to see how much this man gave to Barrineau Park 4-H Club”.
He shared many of his skills with youth and adults in 4-H. He taught the state 4-H record book workshop for extension agents at the University of Florida and obtained community service grants for 4-H projects. He hosted an exchange student from Brazil with the International Farm Youth Exchange (IFYE) program.
When inducted into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame 2n 2002, Gindl said his decades as a 4-H member and volunteer helped him become a people person, improve his speaking ability and raising his confidence.
Gindl served on the Langley Bell 4-H Center Board of Trustees. The impact Gindl made on Escambia County 4-H is still felt today in livestock, public speaking and community service project areas. He was recognized with the State 4-H Alumni award in 1964 and was selected as the 4-H volunteer leader of the year in 1976.
He also spent 39 years working at Monsanto, and was a charter member of the Barrineau Park Historical Society.
Gindl was a 1946 graduate of J.M. Tate High School where he was voted the most handsome in the senior class. While he attended high school, he was employed by the system to drive a school bus because there was a driver shortage due to WWII. After graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba during the Korean War.
Gindl is survived by his wife, Pauline Summerlin Gindl; daughters, Linda (Andrew) Veren of Fairhope and Amy (Marc) Thibodeau, of Danville, VA; daughter in law, Tena Mann Gindl, Cantonment; sisters, Mildred Anderson, Pensacola and Mary Ann Prembroke of Bennington, VT; and a large number of other family members.
Visitation will be at Faith Chapel Funeral Home in Cantonment on Tuesday, January 30 from 5:00 to 7:00. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 2:00 at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church on Wednesday, January 31. Interment will follow at the church cemetery.
To read the complete obituary, click here.
Updated: Owl Recovering After Rescue From Tangled Fishing Line
January 30, 2018
A barred owl — better known as a hoot owl — rescued near Century Saturday is recovering from his injuries.
The owl was hanging by a wing that was tangled in fishing line at Salter’s Lake. After being rescued by a group of local residents, the owl was picked up by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and transported to the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida.
Wildlife Sanctuary Director Dorothy Kaufmann said Monday afternoon that the owl was examined by Dr. Tommy Knight at the Westside Animal Clinic. She said the biggest concern right now is the left wing tip from which the owl was dangling.
“We will see how things heal over the next six to seven days,” Kaufmann said. “The shoulder will also be a time situation to see how much he can recover the range of motion.”
The owl was rescued by local duck hunters Ben Preston and Lakelynn Parker…click here to read more.
Photos by Ross Daughdrill and Tammy Parker for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FFA District Winners Announced
January 29, 2018
Friday, FFA Chapters from across the area competed in the FFA District competition. Competitors previously won their Sub-District competitions in December to advance to this level.
The FFA provides numerous career and leadership development events providing a variety of opportunities for members to compete in individual and team events.
Winners of FFA District 1 competitions are below. The first place winner from each category will advance to represent the district at the 90th Florida State FFA Convention in Orlando in June.
Opening and Closing Ceremony:
1st Place – Jay Middle FFA
2nd Place – Paxton Middle FFA
Middle School Extemporaneous Speaking:
1st Place – Colton Philips, Paxton Middle FFA
2nd Place – Thuan Vo, Beulah Academy of Science FFA
Middle School Prepared Public Speaking:
1st Place – Haley Pickron, Paxton Middle FFA
Creed Speaking:
1st Place: Amber Gilman, Northview FFA
2nd Place: Laura Fleaman, Chipley FFA
Tractor Driving:
1st Place – Zach Rutherford, Central FFA
2nd Place – Bailey Miller, Bethlehem FFA
High School Parliamentary Procedure
1st Place – Tate FFA
High School Prepared Public Speaking
1st Place – Avery Young, Tate FFA
2nd Place – Bailey Patterson, Chipley FFA
High School Extemporaneous Speaking
1st Place – Wyatt Patterson, Chipley FFA
2nd Place – Gabe Ferguson, Tate FFA
For additional winner photos, click here.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Collects Thousands Of Pop Tabs For The Ronald McDonald House
January 27, 2018
Molino Park Elementary School students collected tens of thousands pop tabs — those little pull tabs off the tops of aluminum drink cans — to benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Northwest Florida.
The pop tabs were delivered to the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola Friday night…there were too many to weigh right away, so we’ll update you on the total later.
The money from recycling the tabs is used by the facility to help pay their utility bills for the house on Bayou Boulevard.
And it’s not too late to donate pop tabs to Molino Park Elementary for the Ronald McDonald House…the school is still accepting donations.
Pictured: Molino Park Elementary dropped off a lot of pop tabs Friday night at the Ronald McDonald House in Pensacola. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Storm Team At Work In Puerto Rico
January 25, 2018
A 10-man storm team from Gulf Power is on the job in Puerto Rico, helping to restore power to the island. The crew arrived Saturday and, after their trucks had arrived by barge, started working with other Southern Company workers to restore power. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
The PB&J sandwich: A Classic On National Peanut Butter Day
January 24, 2018
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is as about as American as apple pie. National Peanut Butter Day was Jan. 24.
The average American schoolchild will consume about 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time he or she graduates from high school, according to the Peanut Advisory Board, a nonprofit organization dedicated to research on the nutritional value of peanuts.
Libbie Johnson, agricultural agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County and co-organizer of the annual Peanut Butter Challenge for the Florida Panhandle, explained the popularity of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
“Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches taste so darn good,” Johnson said. “Or maybe because they require no refrigeration and are easy to prepare. They have enough sweetness to satisfy a sweet tooth, but they’re filling.”
Nan Jensen, a family and consumer sciences agent with UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County offers a more expansive explanation.
“It probably has to do with a combination of taste and nostalgia,” Jensen said. “The savory, gooey texture of peanut butter paired with sweet, sticky jelly served between two slices of your favorite bread make for a great flavor combination. Most of us grew up eating PB&J sandwiches — a lunch box staple — and the tradition has been passed down through the generations.”
But peanut butter’s value also lie in its nutrients, she said.
“While it is high in fat and calories, it is a healthier monounsaturated type, and you are getting some protein, magnesium, niacin, phosphorous and vitamin E for your calorie investment,” Jensen said.
Extension faculty suggest limiting intake to about 2 tablespoons – about 180 calories. Jensen offers additional advice to try to ensure people get nutrition without so much unhealthy trans fats and added sugar in their peanut butter: Buy peanut butter that is just ground peanuts with a hint of salt and one that doesn’t contain the partially hydrogenated fat and added sugars.
Consumers can do much more with peanut butter than make PB&J sandwiches. Jensen suggests some tasty, unique ways to use peanut butter:
- Put it in a smoothie.
- Make a sauce.
- Add it to soup.
- Bake with it.
- Use it as a dipper for fruit and veggies.
Price Of Postage Goes Up Sunday
January 21, 2018
The price of postage increased on Sunday.
The price of First-Class Mail Forever Stamps went up from 49 to 50 cents. Postcards climbed from 34 to 35 cents and metered letters went up from 46 to 47 cents.
The prices for single-piece letters being mailed to international destinations or for additional ounces for letters remained the same.
New Shipping Services product prices increased Priority Mail 3.9 percent and Priority Mail Retail an average of 0.8 percent. The new rates are as follows:
- Small Flat Rate Box
- Current price: $7.15
- Price after increase: $7:20
- Medium Flat Rate Box
- Current price: $13.60
- Price after increase: $13.65
- Large Flat Rate Box
- Current price: $18.85
- Price after increase: $18.90
- APO/FPO Large Flat Rate Box
- Current Price: $17.35
- Price after increase: $17.40
- Regular Flat Rate Envelope
- Current price: $6.65
- Price after increase: $6.70
- Legal Flat Rate Envelope
- Current Price: $6.95
- Price after increase: $7.00
- Padded Flat Rate Envelope
- Current price: $7.20
- Price after increase: $7.25
UWF Receives Top Award For Luna Settlement Project
January 21, 2018
The University of West Florida Division of Anthropology and Archaeology recently received the 2018 Daniel G. Roberts Award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology for the Tristan de Luna y Arellano project. The award was presented at the Society for Historical Archaeology’s annual meeting, held Jan. 3-6 in New Orleans.
“Our Luna Project team has been working for several decades, first on the shipwrecks and recently on the settlement, to explore archaeological traces of Luna’s ships and colonists after a hurricane destroyed the colony’s food supplies, and left the survivors stranded on the shores of Pensacola Bay from 1559 to 1561,” said Dr. Elizabeth Benchley, director of the Division of Anthropology and Archaeology and the Archaeology Institute. “From the beginning, we have reached out to Pensacolians to share our findings through lectures, websites, tours, and hands on opportunities, as we piece together this important story. We are indebted to the support and interest from the community, and especially the Luna neighbors who have allowed us to excavate in their yards. We are very honored to receive this prestigious award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology from the Society for Historical Archaeology.”
The award recognizes the efforts of a large team of faculty, staff, and students from the UWF Division of Anthropology and Archaeology, which includes the Department of Anthropology, the Archaeology Institute, the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Marine Services Center at UWF. The team has been studying the shipwrecks and land settlement linked to the 16th-century Spanish expedition led by Don Tristán de Luna y Arellano from Veracruz, Mexico to modern-day Pensacola, marking the earliest multi-year European settlement in the U.S.
The first ship, named Emanuel Point I by archaeologists, was discovered in Pensacola Bay by the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research in 1992. In 2006, UWF archaeologists identified a second shipwreck, Emanuel Point II. In December 2015, the UWF archaeology program identified the location of the Luna land settlement, serving as evidence of Pensacola being home to the first multi-year European settlement in the U.S. The team then discovered a third shipwreck, Emanuel Point III, in June 2016.
Arbor Day Tree Giveaway Saturday In Barrineau Park
January 19, 2018
The annual Arbor Day tree giveaway is coming up Saturday at in Barrineau Park.
Florida Arbor Day is observed the third Friday in January to recognize the benefits of trees, and to encourage planting and care. The Florida Forest Service and Escambia County UF-IFAS Extension will hold the Barrineau Park event with additional support from Escambia County Department of Natural Resource Management, Resource Management Services and the Northview High School FFA club.
The event will be from 10 a.m. to noon at Barrineau Park Community Center, located at 6055 Barrineau Park School Road.
Trees in one-gallon containers will be given away. Species include tulip poplar, Chickasaw plum, Shumard oak and fringetree. Special edition Arbor Day water bottles featuring the winning design from last year’s art contest also will be given away. A tree will be planted for the community center and as a demonstration of proper planting.
Pictured: Last year’s Arbor Day Tree Giveaway was held in Davisville. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Elementary Kids Write Letters To Sailors In At Boot Camp
January 16, 2018
Beulah Elementary teacher Allison Rhodes’ fourth grade students recently wrote letters to sailors at Navy Boot Camp in Great Lakes, IL.
The letters were passed to Capt. Kertreck Brooks, Commanding Officer of the Naval Education and Training and Professional Development Center (NETPDC) to ensure they get into the right hands.
Capt Brooks recently visited the class to thank them and took some time to explain just how special those letters are. He served as the Executive Officer of Great Lakes so he was able to share that when the new sailors arrive they get to make one phone call home and then their belongings, including their cell phones, are boxed up and mailed home. They then communicate with families the old fashioned way – with letters.
That makes mail call a special event.
He told the young writers that their letters will be shared with all 80 members of a boot camp unit. The students shared with him that they thought the sailors might need words of encouragement – and a laugh.
Each student included their favorite joke in their letter while they also learned how to format a letter and how to empathize with young adults away from home. The captain also answered questions about his time in the Navy.
