Beulahfest Announces Headliners
December 22, 2013
Beulahfest has announced their headliners for the annual two-day event in March — The Charlie Daniels Band and country star Rodney Atkins.
Rodney Atkins will perform on Friday, March 21, and The Charlies Daniels band will perform on Saturday, March 22.
The 28th Annual Beulahfest will have a new home this year. The event has been held for the past few years at the Escambia County Equestrian Center, but the March 21-22, 2014, festival will be held at the Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds.
Pictured top: Country star Randy Houser performs at the 2012 Beulahfest. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Gay Rights Backers Cheering Over Pensacola Partnership Registry
December 22, 2013
The passage of a domestic-partnership registry ordinance in Pensacola has gay rights advocates cheering.
But some social conservatives say the registries mean little in a state where a ban on gay marriage is enshrined in the constitution.
The Pensacola City Council approved the domestic partnership registry by an 8-1 vote last week after hearing from dozens of gay residents who tearfully shared tales of being denied hospital privileges for their loved ones and of drawn-out legal battles after their long-term partners died.
The city joined more than a dozen local governments in Florida, most of them in the more liberal southeastern portion of the state, with similar ordinances giving gay and straight couples who live together but aren’t married the right to make decisions about funerals, visit partners in the hospital or in prisons and be involved in dependents’ schooling.
The ordinance “has tremendous significance,” said Pensacola Councilman Larry Johnson, who sponsored the proposal.
“It does make a statement that Pensacola is a progressive, welcoming, open-minded, accepting, reasonable city,” he said.
With an active LGBT community, the city of Pensacola is decidedly more progressive than the rest of Escambia County. The city is included in a district represented by Republican Rep. Mike Hill, a tea party favorite and rising star in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
City Council Chairwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn cast the lone “no” vote on the proposal, saying it “undermines the very fiber of our culture, that is marriage and the family unit.”
But the city’s overwhelming approval of the domestic registry signifies a cultural shift in attitudes toward gay rights, said Rep. Joe Saunders, an Orlando Democrat who is one of the first openly gay members of the Legislature.
“There’s something viral happening,” Saunders, who works for a division of the gay rights organization Equality Florida, said. “What you’re seeing is places like Pensacola and cities and counties acknowledging that there are gay and lesbian couples who are contributing members of the community who deserve protections that the federal and state governments won’t give them yet. …It is a sign of progress.”
Monroe County passed the first domestic partnership registry in 1998. Since then, at least 18 other local municipalities or counties have passed similar ordinances. Most of them give domiciled couples the rights to be notified in cases of emergency, make medical decisions about an incapacitated partner, be guaranteed health-care visitation, make decisions about funerals and burials, participate in dependents’ education and ensure visitation in correctional facilities.
Populous Palm Beach, Broward and Orange counties are among the localities with the registries, meaning that more than half of Floridians now live in communities where they can enroll.
“If we can have a domestic partnership registry here, I would like to say that the rest of the state should be thinking about it as well,” said ACLU of Florida Northwest Regional Director Sara Latshaw, who approached Saunders about the ordinance and organized support for it.
Social conservatives discount the significance of the registries, saying they provide rights already granted with the proper legal back-up.
But the steady creep of the local ordinances could provide fodder for courts to overturn the ban on gay marriage, said Florida Family Policy Council President John Stemberger, an Orlando lawyer who spearheaded the Florida Marriage Protection Act put into the constitution by more than 60 percent of voters in 2008.
“I’m very concerned because the issue has nothing to do with these arrangements. It has to do with collective schemes being used as a whole by courts to advance homosexual marriage and other special gay rights. These arrangements are really just completely unnecessary and the crocodile tears shed at these meetings are without merit,” Stemberger said.
Despite the growing support of local governments for domestic partnerships, there’s little chance that the Republican- controlled Legislature will soon follow suit.
A domestic-partnership registry proposal sponsored by Sen. Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, received its first vetting in the state Senate this year. The 5-4 committee vote approving the measure, which later went nowhere, was considered a victory.
Saunders sponsored a proposal that would ban discrimination against gay employees. The bill never received a hearing but was co-sponsored by six Republicans. Saunders views that, too, as a win, and said it will be hard for state lawmakers to vote against policies supported by their local communities.
“I don’t think as entrenched as they are they can ignore this shift. Pensacola is the best example we have of the momentum. It doesn’t matter what party you’re in any more. …Eventually the leadership in Tallahassee is going to have to pay attention,” Saunders said.
In a historic June ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the federal Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, injecting new enthusiasm into the gay marriage movement throughout the country. In Florida, gay rights activists postponed pursuing an effort to put on the November 2014 ballot an initiative that would undo the ban on gay marriage. But they haven’t ruled out a legal challenge to the constitutional ban such as those being fought in other states.
The courts are “counting these ordinances around the country,” Stemberger said. “It’s a piece of the puzzle of what a court does to make decisions they don’t have a basis for in law.
Stemberger argues that the ordinances may mislead gay couples into believing they have rights they aren’t entitled to without proper estate planning or durable powers of attorney.
“I do think it’s harmful to them in a weird sort of way,” he said.
Social conservatives may have stayed mostly on the sidelines about the Pensacola ordinance — no one spoke against the proposal at two public hearings on the issue — but they won’t remain mum about gay marriage or an anti-discrimination law.
The registry “isn’t something to get into a yelling match over,” said Tampa Bay evangelical radio host Bill Bunkley, president of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission.
“The moment you start talking about an active campaign to change the Florida marriage amendment in the constitution as opposed to this registry I suggest you would see all of the robust opposition on the right from social conservatives. There is a distinct difference,” he said.
Stemberger said his organization and others are “going to spend a lot of time and money opposing” anti-gay discrimination laws like the one Saunders is pushing. The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled this summer that a photographer could be liable for refusing to provide service to a gay couple for their same-sex commitment ceremony.
“If I refuse to facilitate as a landlord what I consider to be immoral conduct …I am then faced with a lawsuit because I can’t practice my faith. There’s enormous encroachment upon a private enterprise, a private property,” he said. “It’s one thing to prevent them from doing it. It’s another thing to force them to engage in commerce.”
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida
Church Presents Live Nativity Scene
December 21, 2013
The Friendship Freewill Baptist Church celebrated the season with a live Nativity scene on Highway 31 east of Flomaton near the Country Pine Furniture Store.Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Santa Visits The Century Library’s Annual Christmas Program
December 20, 2013
Santa made a special visit to the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon, hearing those special last minute requests for items like tablet computers, video games, dolls, clothes and more.
The event also included a Christmas story, a craft, a gift from an elf and more.
Pictured: The annual Christmas program at the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon included a visit from Santa Claus. Submitted photos by August Whorff for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Your Christmas Photos: Molino Lights
December 18, 2013
This house on Highway 29 near Cross Faith Church is decorated for Christmas. Submitted photo by Charles Crumpton for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Share your Christmas lights or other Christmas photos. Email the photos to news@northescambia.com.
Donations Make For Merry Christmas At Century Care Center
December 18, 2013
Residents at the Century Care Center recently held their annual Christmas party. The event included gifts for the residents that were made possible by donations from local groups, families and staff.
“Thanks to all,” said Mae Hildreth, the facility’s activities director. “You help make Christmas wonderful, magical for our residents.”
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Toyz For Kidz Bike Ride Provides Christmas For Needy Kids
December 15, 2013
Santa had some very special helpers Saturday as the LA Bikers rolled through Bratt, Flomaton and Atmore making sure that nearly 60 needy kids had presents for Christmas this year.
It was the 13th annual toy ride organized by the LA Bikers.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Dozens of children received new bicycles and helmets, clothes, shoes and lots of toys. About 75 bikers took part in the event with stops at Bratt Elementary,the Flomaton Fire Department and Atmore City Hall.
Pictured: Children receive Christmas gifts Saturday morning in Atmore (top), Flomaton (below) and Bratt (bottom). Pictured inset: A parent thanks Santa Claus and the LA Bikers for providing Christmas presents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Santa Trades Sleigh For Fire Truck To Visit McDavid Area Children
December 15, 2013
Santa Claus traded in his sleigh Saturday for a big red fire truck as he visited boys and girls across the McDavid Fire Department district. The Jolly Old Elf stopped at children’s homes, visiting with children and listening carefully to those last minute Christmas wishes.
The McDavid Volunteer Fire Department has provided the Santa escorts for over 20 years.
Reader submitted photos by Betty Hasty, Sara Knighten and Tammie Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Wreaths Across America Honors Veterans
December 15, 2013
More than 3,500 wreaths were placed on graves at Barrancas National Cemetery on NAS Pensacola on Saturday.
The wreaths were placed as part of the national event “Wreaths Across America”, a tradition that began 20 years ago at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington.
“Freedom is not free,” Rear Adminiral (Ret.) Donald P. Quinn, Commander, Naval Education and Technical Training, said. “Thanks for remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as their families. This is important. ”
Pictured above and below: The Young Marines of Pensacola were among hundreds of volunteers that place more than 3,500 wreaths Saturday at Cemetery on NAS Pensacola. Pictured left inset: Beckie Nelson of Bratt pauses during the Wreaths Across America event. Photos by Karen Sztuckski for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Creative Gardening Gift Ideas
December 15, 2013
Still don’t have a Christmas present for your favorite gardener? Take heart, there is still plenty of time to find, or make, that perfect “green” gift.
Many gardeners don’t think of their landscapes as just plants in the ground. To the knowledgeable landscape designer, the landscape is a series of rooms; rooms that may require decoration.
Garden art can be anything from the whimsical garden gnomes, functional obelisks or metal sculptures.
Garden obelisks can serve many functions. In addition to providing interest during all four seasons, they can act as beautiful focal points in the garden. They can make your garden look as if it was designed by a professional.
In a flower garden, they provide support for plants such as climbing roses, flowering vines and many other climbers and twiners. In the edible garden, many types of fruits and vegetables, such as various types of beans, can be grown on obelisks.
Obelisks come in many different sizes and shapes. Common shapes include tall, rounded or oblong forms, rectangular forms, and pyramids. Most vining plants will take to any shape. Choose the shape that is pleasing to you and blends in with your garden design. Obelisks can be made from a variety of materials including cedar, copper and wrought iron.
Furthermore, if you are an avid recycler, there are plenty of materials just laying around that can be made into a functional obelisk with a minimum amount of skill and time. Take a look on the internet and you will find plenty of help in fashioning a home-made creation.
A “growing” trend is metal garden art. Metal garden art can be fun, playful or even classical. It can be used to create a focal point in the garden or to brighten up a dull spot. From small garden stakes, to colorful wall art, to sculptures small and large, the possibilities are endless. With so many materials to choose from and so many artists working in the field you will be sure to find at least one piece to add color and character to your yard.
Again, if you are an avid recycler, you will be able to find many pieces made from recycled metal. Recycled steel drums or tanks, discarded bicycle or tricycles, old car parts, these all provide the raw materials for the creative eco-artist.
Copper is widely used in metal garden art because it is beautiful, durable and adds elegance to any garden. If allowed to oxidize it will age gracefully to a natural weather worn green patina. It can also be preserved with a clear coating to maintain its bright, shiny look. Copper sculptures, wall art and garden stakes add a touch of class to any decor.
For a classic look add a bronze garden sculpture. Bronze sculptures have been around for thousands of years. They remain popular today because they are classic, timeless and will last for generations.
Whatever your taste, classic, contemporary or just playful, garden art will warm your heart even on the coldest winter day.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.