EWMS Spring Concert On The Lawn
May 21, 2014
The Ernest Ward Middle School Chorus and Band held their Spring Concert Tuesday evening on the front lawn of the school. A large crowd brought their lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the event, which also included an available fund raising BBQ sandwich plate. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Our Baby Mockingbirds
May 20, 2014
A few weeks ago, we posted photos of three mockingbird eggs nestled deep within the fronds of a sago palm at our NorthEscambia.com office. Two of three eggs hatched, and we’re happy to report that the two young birds have now left the nest. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Grad Jackson Completes Basic Military Training
May 18, 2014
Air Force Airman Justin J. Jackson recently graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Jackson is the grandson of Joyce Jackson and nephew of Kristi Toohey, both of Pensacola.
He is a 2012 graduate of J.M. Tate High School.
Registration Underway For Library Summer Reading Program
May 18, 2014
Registration is now underway at your local library branch in Escambia County for the Fizz, Boom, Read: Summer Reading Program. The program beings June 3 and continues through August 9.
Children and teens up to age 17 are invited to participate in the West Florida Public Library’s 2014 Fizz, Boom, Read program, which focuses on experimenting with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
The interactive program is a fun way for students to keep their minds sharp throughout the summer months. Join the library for the summer reading game and interactive enrichment programs where there will be prizes for reading books, a chance to take part in science experiments and meet new people.
Sherrill, Walston Wed
May 18, 2014
Mr. and Mrs. Kent Sherrill of Walnut Hill announce the marriage of their daughter Margaret to Logan Walston, son of Mr. Alan Walston of Atmore and Mrs. Kellie Hammond of Flomaton .
Meg and Logan were married in an outdoor ceremony on Sunday, May 4, at the home of the brides’ parents. Brother Ted Bridges officiated at the 7:00 service. Family members enjoyed a reception afterward on the lawn of the family’s home.
Grandparents of the bride are Dean Graham and the late Sam Graham and Hunk and Senie Sherrill, all of Atmore. The newlyweds are at home in Birmingham.
Escambia Special Olympics Held At Tate (With Gallery)
May 17, 2014
The track and field portion of the Escambia County Specials Olympics was held Friday at Tate High School.
Hundreds of athletes from over a dozen schools took part in Friday’s event. Hundreds of Tate High students also took part, running events and serving as volunteer “buddies” for the athletes.
The day included track and field events, softball and tennis ball tosses, and other competitive events — plus fun events like fishing games, a petting zoo, face painting and more.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Friday’s event had been rained out three previous times this year.
Pictured: Friday’s track and field events Special Olympics held Friday at Tate High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Tips For The Month Of May
May 17, 2014
The Escambia County Master Gardeners offer the following May lawn and garden tips:
- Continue planting summer annuals. Try one or two that you’ve never grown and/or one that is not available in stores as transplants.
- Plant heat-resistant summer flowering annuals such as begonias, impatiens, coleus, salvia, marigolds, torenia, verbena, ornamental peppers and gaillardia.
- Bulbs: Caladium, gladiolus.
- Vegetables: Continue planting warm weather seeds and transplants (Shade those transplants!). Use transplants for cherry tomatoes, eggplant and sweet potatoes. Plant seeds of lima beans, okra, southern peas: purple hull, crowder, etc.
- Prune and shape spring flowering shrubs and trees now. Later pruning may destroy next year’s blooms.
- Good cultural practices help maintain a healthy lawn and discourage insects and disease. Mow with a sharp blade. Centipedegrass should be cut to a height of 1½ to 2 inches. St. Augustinegrass normal growth habit cultivars should be cut to a height of 3 to 4 inches.
- Climbing roses are pruned after they finish blooming. Blooms form on one-year-old canes, so any older ones may be removed to make them more tidy. Cut each flowering stem back to the first five leaflet stem to encourage them to bloom again.Spray with horticultural oil or malathion for mites, scale and white flies, if insects are present, before it gets too hot (85 degrees).
- Yellow leaves on azaleas may mean they need iron. Apply iron sulphate or chelated iron.
- Feed citrus plants using special citrus fertilizer. Broadcast under the tree canopy and water in.
- Begin planting palms while the weather is warm and rainy.
- Make cuttings of azaleas, hollies, camellias, and other choice shrubs as new growth becomes half hardened.
- Take soft wood cuttings to root: alyssum, begonia, chrysanthemum, shrimp plant, dianthus, geranium, hibiscus, hydrangea, etc.
- Dig bulbs after foliage turns brown if they need to be divided or the space is needed for other plants. If the space isn’t needed, braid the foliage.
- Cut back the vines of Irish potatoes when they begin to die but leave the tubers in the ground for about two weeks longer to toughen the skin. Handle the potatoes carefully during digging, as skinned or bruised potatoes decay quickly when stored.
- Divide crowded and vigorously growing perennials.
- Promote continued flowering of bedding plants by removing faded blooms.
- Encourage coleus to branch and produce more colorful leaves by pinching off the flower stalks as they form.
- Prune poinsettias when new growth is 10-12 inches high (back to the last four leaves). Prune new growth at the base throughout the summer.
- Stop pruning after Labor Day.
- Keep roses watered, cut out weak spots, feed every six to eight weeks or at every new flush of growth, dust.
- For insect or disease problems in your garden, use the least toxic control possible.
Northview, Ernest Ward Hold Annual FFA Banquet
May 17, 2014
The Northview High School FFA held their 17th annual banquet Friday night.
The event includes a somber retirement ceremony for the chapter’s graduating senior officer…Courtney Solari slowly removed her signature blue FFA jackets and hung it up for the last time on a coat rack.
The night also included many awards for Northview and Ernest Ward Middle school FFA members and supporters.
Awards and honors presented included:
- FFA Creed: Mitchell Singleton
- Extemporaneous Speaking: Tiffani Cruce
- Prepared Public Speaking: Courtney Solari
- Parliamentary Procedure: Courtney Solari, Courtney Weekley, Hunter Kite, Haylee Weaver, Bethany Reynolds, Moriah McGahan, Mitchell Singleton, Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Ciara Campbell, Caleb Harigel, and Matthew Smith.
- Safe Tractor Operations: Hunter Kite
- Agricultural Mechanics: Tiffani Cruce, Courtney Solari, Hunter Kite, and Tabitha Chavers.
- Livestock Evaluation and Selection: Courtney Weekley, Haylee Weaver, Grady Rigby, Mitchell Singleton, Tabitha Chavers, and Cheyenne Redditt.
- Horse Evaluation and Selection: Courtney Solari, Bethany Reynolds, Tamara Barrows, Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Ciara Campbell, Caleb Harigel, and Jacob Johnson.
- Production and Showmanship: Haylee Weaver, Austin Cunningham, and Levi Soloman.
- GCA/NRA Livestock show: Tabitha Chavers and Matthew Smith.
- Forestry: Courtney Solari, Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Tiffani Cruce, Ciara Campbell, Hunter Kite, Caleb Harigel, Tamara Barrows, Grady Rigby, Carson Bailey, Matthew Smith, Jacob Johnson, and Ricky Jones.
- Ryan Rimmer Outstanding District Officer Award: Courtney Solari will be a finalist
- FFA Alumni Essay Contest: Courtney Weekley and Mitchell Singleton wrote about what “FFA Means to Me”
- Job Interview CDE: Courtney Solari competed in the preliminary round
- 2013 State FFA Convention: Courtney Solari, Karissa Strickland, Jessica Baldwin Jeremy Stacey, Dillian Crutchfield, Haylee Weaver, Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Courtney Weekley, Bethany Reynolds, and Lydia Weaver.
- Golden Members of the Chapter: Ben Preston, Brandon Korinchak, Ciara Campbell, and Laurie Purdy.
- Honorary Members Inducted: Mark Solari and Aimee Solari, Stephanie Solari, Sue Hopkins, and Escambia River Electric Cooperative
- Greenhand Degree: Tamara Barrows, Tabitha Chavers, Brandon Korinchak, Alyssa Lewis, Mitchell Singleton, Jessica Stacey, Christopher Stevens, and Brittanee Thomas.
- Chapter FFA Degree: Hannah Edmonson, Kaitlyn Kleinatland, Moriah McGahan, Bethany Reynolds, Grady Rigby, Haylee Weaver, and Courtney Weekley.
- Blue/Gold Awards: Gene Hassebrock, Grady Rigby, Zachary Sims,
- Star Greenhand: Mitchell Singleton
- Outstanding Sophomore: Haylee Weaver
- Outstanding Junior: Tiffani Cruce
- Outstanding Senior: Courtney Solari
- FFA High Point Award: Courtney Solari
- 2014 Dekalb Agricultural Accomplishment Award: Courtney Solari
- Gylnn Key Outstanding Student Award: Courtney Solari
- Jamie Hall Memorial Scholarship: Jessica Baldwin
- Northview FFA Alumni and Friends Scholarship: Courtney Solari and Jeremey Stacey
- Tommy Weaver Memorial Scholarship: Courtney Solari
- Outstanding Member Award: Courtney Weekley, Bethany Reynolds, Hunter Kite
- Retiring President: Courtney Solari
The new Northview FFA officers named for the 2014-2015 school year were: Haylee Weaver, president; Bethany Reynolds, vice president; Courtney Weekley, secretary; Moriah McGahan, treasurer; Tiffani Cruce, reporter; Tabitha Chavers, sentinel; Mitchell Singleton, public relations; Hunter Kite, parliamentarian; Kaitlyn Klinatland; historian; Cody Kite, chaplain; and Tamara Barrows, photographer.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pictured top: Northview FFA honorary members inducted Friday night were Kim Lambert, representing honorary member EREC, Stephanie Solari, Sue Hopkins, Aimee Solari and Mark Solari. Pictured inset: Outgoing and graduating FFA President Courtney Solari retires her blue jacket. Pictured below: FFA members and their awards. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview High School Tribal Band Members Honored
May 16, 2014
Members of the Northview High School Tribal Beat Band were recognized during their annual awards ceremony Thursday night at the school.
Band members were recognized for the following accomplishments:
Dixieland Marching Festival
- Superior Rating and Best in Class 1A award
- Drumline – Superior Rating and Best in Class 1A Drumline
- Drum Major Cory Hester – Superior Rating and Best in Class 1A Drum Major
- Color Guard – Superior Rating and Best in Class 1A Color Guard
- Dance Team – Superior Rating
Florida Bandmasters Association Marching Music Performance Assessments
- Dance Team, Majorettes, and Color Guard – Superior Rating
Florida Bandmasters Association Solo and Ensemble Music Performance Assessments
- Kendrick Walker – Excellent rating – Saxophone solo
- Kylie Brook – Excellent Rating – Flute Solo
- Paula Spicer and Abbie Johnson – Excellent Rating – Piano Duet
- Maddi Weber and Taylor Brook – Superior Rating – Trumpet Duet
- Taylor Brook – Superior Rating – Trumpet Solo
- Cory Hester – Superior Rating – Saxophone Solo
- Dance Team – Superior Rating – Dance Ensemble
Seniors were also honored with a trophy.
Members of the Northview High School Tribal Beat band are:
*Seniors denoted with an asterisk.
Drum Major
Cory Hester*
Band
Jessica Amerson
Ellie Amerson
Kylie Brook
Taylor Brook*
Anna Donald*
Amber Freeman
Magen Hardy
Austin Hill
Adrian King
Triston Long
Kyle Smith
Kent Smith*
Jessica Stacey
Samuel Stott
LaDarrius Thames
Kendrick Walker*
Emily Walston
Madison Weber
Pit
Tristan Brown
Hunter Dettling*
Davy Hanks
Abbie Johnson
Darion Riley
Jeremy Stacey*
Drum Line
Donald Baity*
Dylan Baker
Jonathan Elliott
Cheyanne Merchant
Benjamin Stott
Maxwell Townson
David Weber
Tristan Williams
Dance
Morgan Digmon*
Anna Fischer*
Leah Fischer
Chloe Leonard*
Jessica Lowery*
Shelby Nielsen*
Bethany Reynolds
Danielle Scott*
Rebekah Sepulveda*
Lily Townson*
Majorettes
Julie Hester
Brianna Smith
Morgan Wiggins
Color Guard
Tabitha Chavers
Sarah Dutton
Mashama Codrington*
Jasmine Maher*
Brittany Martin*
Morgan Packer
Paula Spicer
Pictured top and below: The Northview High School Tribal Beat Band’s annual award ceremony Thursday night. Photos by Gary Amerson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo: Amber Waves Of Grain, Purple ‘Mountains’ Majesty
May 15, 2014
An afternoon of heavy rain across the North Escambia area Wednesday gave way to a beautiful sunset above wheat fields in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.