New Beginning: Church Purchases Chumuckla Farmer’s Opry
November 19, 2012
A church has purchased the Chumuckla’s Farmer’s Opry and Campground just weeks after the country music landmark closed due to the owner’s retirement.
The Living Truth Church purchased the facility for a permanent home after meeting in various temporary school locations in Santa Rosa County for the past 12 years.
“We will use the Opry location in keeping with the vision of a come-as-you-are to hear God’s word-church. Our church family is truly a family,” said Pastor Norman Sullivan. “This is just a building and campground and we want to use it for God’s glory. It’s going to be exciting to see what God has planned for us here at our new location. Our congregation is made up of folks from East Milton, Pensacola, Cantonment as well as Milton and Pace proper. We look forward to meeting new folks from the nearby Chumuckla community who would like to come check us out.”
In additional to regular services, the church plans to host concerts and various events to stay in touch with the community, such as the “Punches Family” gospel group that performed Saturday night in Opry tradition.
Sullivan said Living Truth Church was excited to purchase the 10.5 acre facility to have plenty of space for future growth.
“We’re excited to see how God continues to use this ministry to love on this community,” said Sullivan. “When the opportunity came to buy the Farmer’s Opry, it was more of a God-thing than anything else. It was just the right time for both us and the Wyatt family. We were looking to build and, they were ready to slow down.”
“The main thrust of Living Truth is to follow Jesus’ mandate to be disciples-making disciples. We connect folks to Christ and His church, help them grow spiritually, get them to love on the community by serving, and then multiply who they are in Christ. And we do a lot of this through small groups that meet throughout the local area during the week, said Living Truth Disciple Pastor Andy DeGuire. “Our modern worship style differs from other churches, but that’s just because we’re trying extra hard to reach the next generation. The cool thing is that the older folks enjoy this worship style (or some of them put up with it because they know we’re trying to reach their kids and grandkids).
Services are held at 10:30 each Sunday at the Living Truth Church at the former Farmer’s Opry location at 8897 Byrom Campbell Road, about five miles north of the Pace soccer fields. For more information about the church, visit www.LivingTruthChurch.com or call (850) 994-7698.
Pictured: The Living Truth Church has purchased the former Chumuckla’s Farmer’s Opry. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Turkey Time: Extension Service Offers Thawing Tips
November 19, 2012
It’s Thanksgiving, time for family and friends to gather and give thanks. And time for cooks to ponder the correct way to prepare their turkey.
Today, we are taking a look how to make sure your turkey is properly thawed with tips from Dorthy Lee, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the Escambia County Extension Office.
Following four simple food-handling practices—clean, separate, cook, chill—will ensure a delicious and safe meal.
Frozen turkeys should be thawed—at a safe temperature— prior to cooking. There are three safe ways to thaw a turkey — in the refrigerator at 40°F or less; in cold water; and in the microwave.
Frozen Turkeys
Allow 1 pound of turkey per person.
Keep frozen until you’re ready to thaw it.
Turkeys kept frozen in the freezer should be cooked within one year for best quality.
Thawing Your Turkey
In the Refrigerator (40°F or below)
Keep the turkey in its original wrapper. Place it on a tray or in a pan to catch any juices that may leak. A thawed turkey can remain in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. If necessary, a turkey that has been properly thawed in the refrigerator may be refrozen. When thawing in the refrigerator, allow 24 hours thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey.
4 to 12 pounds = 1 to 3 days
12 to 16 pounds = 3 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds = 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds = 5 to 6 days
In Cold Water
When thawing in cold water, allow 30 minutes per pound and change the water every 30 minutes until the turkey is thawed. Wrap your turkey securely, making sure the water is not able to leak through the wrapping. Submerge your wrapped turkey in cold tap water. Change the water every 30 minutes. Cook the turkey immediately after it is thawed. Do not refreeze. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound.
4 to 12 pounds = 2 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds = 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds = 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds = 10 to 12 hours
In the Microwave
When thawing in the microwave, follow the manufacturer’s instructions, and plan to cook the turkey immediately after thawing because some areas of the turkey may become warm and begin to cook during microwave thawing.
For more information, call the Escambia County Extension office, (850) 475-5230.
Have Extra Fruit On Your Trees? Donate It To The Needy
November 19, 2012
Have a fruit tree on your property with way too much fruit for you? The volunteer group Yes We Can Pensacola wants your donations as the group prepares to begin its annual fruit picking.
For the past five years, the independent group has harvested nearly 36 thousand of pounds of fruit in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to be donated to area food banks and soup kitchens, including Manna Foods and Favor House in Pensacola.
“We craft our own tools, created by our very own volunteers and one of our founding members. We are just a bunch of folks having fun, but making a difference in our community,” said volunteer Kate Peabody.
The group has picked a wide variety of citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes and tangerines from local residents. Yes We Can Pensacola volunteers will continue to pick fruit into January.
If you are interested in donating fruit or volunteering, contact group coordinator Anna Houghton at (850) 748-0616 or email annabhoughton@gmail.com.
Pictured: Tangerines growing in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Featured Recipe: Quick And Easy Thanksgiving Cranberry Cake
November 19, 2012
As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ll feature several recipes on NorthEscambia.com this week. Today’s featured recipe, from columnist Janet Tharpe, is a Quick and Easy Cranberry cake that packs a punch while using a yellow cake mix.
Photos: NHS Band, Dance Team, Cheerleaders
November 18, 2012
For a photo gallery featuring the Northview High band and dance team during Friday night’s playoff win over Cottondale, click here.
For a game action summary, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Seniors Win: Northview Holds Manna Food Drive
November 17, 2012
Northview High School recently participated in the Escambia County School District’s Manna Food Drive.
A competition was held between the grade levels during the week leading up to the Chiefs versus West Florida High School Jaguars football game. Each grade level showed their support for Manna and the Chiefs football team by “Canning the Jags”.
The senior class won the competition by collecting the most cans and non-perishable food item for the drive.
Pictured above: The senior class at Northview High School collected the most items for a Manna Food Drive during a week-long competition. Pictured below: Some of the food collected for Manna. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Resident César González Becomes U.S. Citizen
November 15, 2012
Century resident César González is one of America’s newest citizens. He was one of 83 people to take the citizenship oath recently at the federal courthouse in Pensacola.
César is a native of Colombia, South America, and has been in the United States for nine years. He and his wife, Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez, moved to Century in 2010.
His path to citizenship took seven years. César was already a permanent resident, so the only tangible benefit he received with his citizenship was the right to vote.
Pictured top: New American citizen César González (holding certificate) took the oath of citizenship recently at the federal courthouse in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Inside A Trial By Fire (With Photo Gallery)
November 13, 2012
Completing a 160-hour training course to become a certified volunteer firefighter is nothing like being in a classroom when the final exam becomes a flaming reality.
For a newbie volunteer, being told that you will sit on the floor of an abandoned home as a fire is lit and you will experience a “rollover” can be unnerving. In a rollover, hot gases at the ceiling level begin to ignite and “tongues” of flame begin to lick above your head. It’s a step that often precedes a “flashover” — one of the most feared phenomena among firefighters where hot gases explode into flames at or above 1,000 degrees. A flashover is often the deadly point of no return for anyone in a room — including firefighters.
Saturday morning in Atmore, dozens of firefighters gathered for a “live burn”, where an abandoned house was to be burned to the ground as part of a training exercise. For volunteers from Nokomis and Appleton, it was the final part of their 160-hour certification with the help of the Atmore and Poarch fire departments.
For a photo gallery from the firefighter training, click here.
For a photo gallery of the home burning, click here.
The day started with baseline medical checks of volunteers and last minute safety briefings. Then it was time to suit up and heat things up.
As firefighters put on their breathing apparatus, the fear in one firefighter’s eyes became apparent. Her eyes flashed nervously about the crowd. She had been fighting a bit of claustrophobia throughout the classroom portion of the training. There was no more hiding it from her fellow volunteers. Coupled with the embarrassment, it became even worse. Off the came the breathing mask, as other firefighters tried to assure her that it was all going to be OK.
She was devastated, concerned that perhaps her days in the fire department were over. She was reassured that firefighters do much more than race into burning buildings, and there would be a place for her in the department. Volunteers, she was told, are needed to drive trucks, run pumping equipment, help the injured at car accidents, run medical calls — the list just goes on and on for those willing to volunteer their time.
The volunteer firefighters were divided into three groups for their first live burn experience. Some laughed, joked and posed for pictures in their new, clean gear before going into their first house fire. Others stood quietly, shuffling on their feet and wringing their hands.
They moved inside, and sat shoulder to shoulder on the living room floor of the abandoned wood frame home. In the next room, through open French doors, instructors lit a fire.
Slowly, the fire began to smoke, flames dancing higher and higher in the corner of the room. The new volunteers watched with apprehension as the flames reached the ceiling. Outside the home, old single pane glass windows began to creak and pop from the heat. Smoke began to roll from under the eaves of the room. Even the spiders began evacuate, dropping on the ground around the house.
Thick smoke began to layer down toward the firefighters. Slowly, the rollover began. Tongues of fire began to appear in the smoke, licking along the ceiling above their heads as the fire was quickly brought under control to prevent a flashover.
Three groups took part in the experience. As the last group exited the burning house, the volunteer that had experienced the bout with claustrophobia exited and pulled off her face mask to the applause of her firefighter family. She had beaten the fear, and beaten the trial by fire.
For a photo gallery from the firefighter training, click here.
For a photo gallery of the home burning, click here.
Pictured top and bottom inset: Firefighter trainees inside a burning home in Atmore. Pictured top inset: The home on Carver Avenue was burnt to the ground as part of the exercise. Pictured below: Firefighters train on hose usage. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Honoring Veterans With A Parade
November 13, 2012
Veterans Day obeisances were held across the area Monday, including a parade attended by thousands in Pensacola that ended at the Veterans Memorial Park and the Wall South.
For a photo gallery from the Pensacola Veterans Day Parade, click here.
Pictured top: The Tate High School Army JROTC marches in Pensacola’s Veterans Day Parade Monday morning. Pictured inset: The parade ended at the Wall South. Photos by Cheryl Casey Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: NHS Band, Dance Team, NJROTC; West Florida Band
November 12, 2012
For a photo gallery featuring the Northview High band, dance team and NJROTC, and the West Florida High band, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
