Blue Jacket Jamboree Less Than Two Weeks Away
February 26, 2013
The Northview High School FFA Alumni Blue Jacket Jamboree is less than two weeks away.
This year’s lineup includes musical entertainment from local artists, along with an entire day of car shows, crafts, food, games, and more. The proceeds from this event will fund scholarships for graduating Northview seniors and promote agricultural education and FFA in Northwest Florida.
Featured music will include Shane Harrell and The Major Moves Band with a mix of Southern rock, classic rock, blues and country; and Denean Workman and her hope-centered music.
The Blue Jacket Jamboree will be held from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at Northview High School. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 10 and under, at the gate.
Arts and crafts vendor booths (except for food) are still available. For more information, contact (850) 256-5831 or (850) 327-6681 ext. 248..
The Blue Jacket Jamboree is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
Pictured top: Shane Harrell and The Major Moves Band. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Health And Hope Clinics Seek Donations From ‘Wish List’
February 24, 2013
The Health and Hope Clinics in Pensacola and Century provides well over $1.5 million worth of free medical care each year.
The clinic was first established in Pensacola back in 2003 by the Pensacola Bay Baptist Association to meet the needs of uninsured and medically underserved in Escambia County. The clinic is entirely volunteer and donor supported.
The Health and Hope Clinics are currently in need of donations on their “wish list”. Items needed are:
Household items
- Paper towels
- Paper plates
- Plastic utensils
- Trash bags, 13 or 30 gallon
- Batteries, AAA or AA
Cleaning supplies
- All purpose cleaner
- Antibacterial wipes
- Glass cleaner
- Bleach
Office supplies
- 8.5 x 11 copy paper, white
- Postage stamps
- Avery labels, 5160
- Staples
- Ink pens
- Highlighters, all colors
- Paper clips
- Scotch tape refills
- Sharpie markers, black
Medical supplies
- 1CC insulin syringes
- True Track glucose meters
- True Track meter strips
- Urine sample cups
- Blank patient charts
- Powder free latex exam gloves
- Sharps containers
- Antiseptic towelettes
- Bandaids, all sizes
Gift cards
- Grocery stores
- Fast food restaurants
Any items to be donated can be dropped off at either clinic location:
- Century, 501 East Church Street, (850) 366-4100
- Pensacola, 9999 Chemstrand Road, (850) 479-4456
Pictured top: The Health and Hope Clinic location in Century. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Early Flowering Trees Are Ushering In Spring
February 24, 2013
Warmer temperatures have raised the spirits of gardeners in Northwest Florida. Although we know from experience that we still have a good chance of another cold snap or two, nicer weather is always a welcomed foray into spring.
Warmer weather also means that some trees and shrubs burst into bloom producing flowers that brighten otherwise drab winter landscapes. Several members of the rose family are currently in bloom in Northwest Florida and sure to grab your attention.
Flowering Quince
During Colonial times a quince tree was a rarity in the gardens of wealthy Americans, but was found in nearly every middle class garden. The fruit—always cooked—was an important source of pectin for food preservation, and a fragrant addition to jams, juices, pies, and candies. However, by the early twentieth century quince production declined as the value of apples and pears increased. Its popularity has plummeted and it is now a rarity in contemporary landscapes.
Quince has been cultivated in the Middle East for centuries, and may have even been the fruit of temptation in the story of the Garden of Eden. The ancient Biblical name for quince translates as “Golden Apple.” In ancient Mesopotamia, now Iraq, cultivation of quince predates the cultivation of apples.
This small, thorny, deciduous tree is one of the first to bloom in late winter. It is a member of the rose family and explodes with typical rose-type flowers in February each year. The single, white flowers are 1½ to 2 inches across and grow on current season growth.
The fruit is a fragrant, many-seeded pome about three inches in diameter. The fruit’s shape ranges from round to pear-like and the flesh is yellow. Several references refer to it as “hard and rather unpalatable.”
If you would rather not deal with the fruit, non-fruiting cultivars exist. Since most quince cultivars are not well-adapted to Florida because of their high chilling requirement, choose your cultivar carefully.
Apples
Another pome-type fruit that embellishes our landscapes in late winter is the apple tree. Along with the quince, it too is a member of the rose family. It is older in cultivation than the rose and is sometimes referred to as the prince of the rose family.
Relatively few cultivars of apples (Malus domestica L.) can be grown successfully in Florida.
Most apples have a high chilling requirement. Chilling requirement is defined as the number of hours less than or equal to 45 degrees F during the winter. Apple cultivars suitable for North Florida have a chilling requirement of less than 600 hours.
Only a few cultivars meet Florida’s low-chill requirement. Recommended cultivars include ‘Anna’, ‘Dorsett Golden’ and ‘TropicSweet’. ‘Anna’ and ‘Dorsett Golden’ originated in Israel and the Bahamas, respectively. ‘TropicSweet’ is a patented cultivar from the University of Florida. These cultivars each have a chilling requirement of 250 to 300 hours.
For more information on low-chill apples, review the University of Florida/IFAS online publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg368.
Flowering Cherry
While we may not be able to produce beautiful, delicious cherries in Northwest Florida, we can enjoy a few ornamental, flowering cherry trees.
One species that does well in Northwest Florida is Prunus campanulata or the Taiwan cherry. The Taiwan cherry grows to 20 to 25 feet and spreads nearly as wide as it matures. Single, drooping rose-type flowers appear in late winter and will last for about ten days.
For other recommendations on flowering trees to add to your landscape, contact your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County. The use of trade names, if used in this article, is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they are approved to the exclusion of others.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Ernest Ward’s ‘Got Talent’
February 23, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School students proved they’ve “Got Talent” during a talent show Friday night.
The first place winner was Seth Killam for his guitar, harmonica and singing performance of “I Won’t Turn Back”, and second place went to Brianna Smith’s baton routine to “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”.
Additional awards were presented to Morgan Pope for selling the most tickets and Kaylin Glenn.
Pictured: Brianna Smith and Seth Killam, winners in the Ernest Ward Middle School’s “Got Talent” show Friday night. Submitted photo by Jacke Johnston, click to enlarge.
‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ Presented To Betty Coon
February 23, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School faculty member Betty Coon received the fifth annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” from members of the Ernest Ward FFA. The award presented Friday morning featured a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color.
(Cow dung, in case you did not know, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field. The award is 100 percent real dung spray painted a golden color. The golden piece presented Friday is actually the first award piece created four years ago.)
Coon received the award from the school’s FFA members as a “thank you” for supporting FFA. The same Golden Cow Dung Award was presented last year to history teacher Kenneth Hicks. Previous awards were presented to teacher’s assistant Lindsey Kelley, Family & Consumer Science teacher Kathy Ellis and four years ago to Principal Nancy Perry.
More than half a million members around the nation participated in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels this week.
Pictured: Ernest Ward Middle School FFA Golden Cow Dung Award presentation to Betty Coon Friday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Middle Holds Registration, Orientation
February 22, 2013
Ernest Ward Middle School held an orientation and registration Thursday night for all students who plan to attend EWMS next school year. During the program, EWMS and staff members were available to answer questions and explain middle school programs, extracurricular activities, and middle school academies.
Ernest Ward offers three middle school academies: Culinary Arts, Graphic Arts, and Fabrication and Pre-engineering.
For more information about Ernest Ward Middle School and registration, call (850) 327-4283.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Celebrates FFA Week With Breakfast
February 21, 2013
FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School did their part to celebrate National FFA Week with a Wednesday morning breakfast for faculty and staff.
Students cooked a breakfast of eggs, grits, biscuits, bacon, sausage and more for the EWMS faculty and staff.
Pictured: FFA students at Ernest Ward Middle School provided breakfast for the school’s faculty and staff Wednesday morning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview Celebrates National FFA Week
February 20, 2013
FFA members at Northview High School are celebrating National FFA Week with a variety of events. Tuesday, the FFA officers and members prepared a homestyle breakfast for teachers, staff and invited guests that support the FFA program.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Resident Celebrates 101st Birthday
February 20, 2013
Della Godwin of Century celebrated her 101st birthday on Tuesday with a party attended by family and friends at the Century Care Center.
Godwin was born in Jay back in 1912, one of 12 children born to her parents Annie and William Griffis. She has two younger surviving siblings - Jean Clark and Veda Welch. Godwin is the oldest resident at the Century Care Center.
Pictured top: Della Godwin (seated, center) of Century celebrated her 101st birthday on Tuesday with family and friends. Pictured below: Godwin celebrates at her party. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
Northview FBLA Members Awarded
February 19, 2013
Numerous Northview High School Future Business Leaders of America have received awards in several recent events and competitions.
Northview’s FBLA members competed in district performance events held at Washington High School in Pensacola district online competition, and the FBLA District 1 Leadership Conference and Competition Awards Ceremony.
The following Northview students placed in the FBLA district competition:
- Tamara Green—second place in Business Calculations
- Kahlil Grice—third place in Business Calculations
- Kasie Braun—second place in Business Communication
- Anna Donald—third place in Business Communication
- Landon Godwin—first place in Business Ethics—team event
- Rickey Smith—first place in Business Ethics
- Samantha Sharpless—third place in Business Math
- Keyth Grice—second place in Cyber Security
- Autumn Ates—fourth place in Economics
- Casey Godwin—first place in Health Care Administration
- Holly Cofield—third place in Health Care Administration
- Shelena Dukes—fourth place in Health Care Administration
- Victoria Wright—first place in Impromptu Speaking
- Logan Lambeth—first place in Introduction to Business
- Savanna Roux—third place in Introduction to Business Communication
- Jamilia Smiley-Knight—fourth place in Introduction to Business Communication
Victoria Wright (Northview’s FBLA President and the District I President) received the Gloria Cooper Memorial Award Plaque to be displayed at Northview High School during the next school year and a cash gift of $50.
Victoria Wright and Kasie Braun (Northview FBLA Vice President and the District I Vice President) also received the District 1 FBLA Who’s Who Award for outstanding service to their club, school and community.
Mrs. Donna Smith is the Northview FBLA sponsor and the instructor for the Graphic Arts Academy.