the road to the crown: Meet The Girls (With Photos)
January 25, 2012
Today, it’s part two of our multi-part series “the road to the crown” as we follow 24 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2012.
Today we introduce you to the first few contestants. Their biographies, as submitted by the girls, are below along with their photos. You can click any photo below to enlarge.
Our series “the road to the crown” will continue tomorrow with biographies and photos of the second set of contestants. The pageant is Saturday night at 7:00, and NorthEscambia.com will have the new Miss Northview High School and all the photos here Sunday morning.
Miss Lauren Ashley McCall
Lauren is the 17-year old daughter of Joey and Robin McCall. As a freshman, she was on the junior varsity cheerleading team. She has been a varsity cheerleader for three years and is currently co-captain of the team. She has been a member of the softball team for four years, the golf team for one year, the Future Farmers of America for one year, and a member of the Interact Club for one year. She was voted sophomore class president and was chosen to represent her peers on the Homecoming Court her freshman and sophomore years.
This year, Lauren was crowned Homecoming Queen for 2011. She was selected by the Suburban West Rotary Club as the grand prize winner in the Rotary International Four Way Test essay contest. Lauren has received the “Miss Physical Fitness” award two years in a row and was one of the Top 10 contestants in Miss NHS for two years. In her community Lauren is an active member of Bratt First Baptist Church, where she participates in the youth group. She is also a member of Team David, which is a youth leadership group within her church, and the Random Acts of Kindness team. She volunteered with the Century Relay for Life team and has helped with “Operation Christmas Child”.
Her hobbies include dancing, swimming, going to the beach, watching Auburn football, and spending time with family and friends.
Her future plans are to attend the University of West Florida for two years and then transfer to Auburn University to obtain her degree in sports medicine.
Miss Charleigh Victoria McPherson
Charleigh is the 18-year old daughter of Larry and Mary McPherson. As a freshman, she was on the junior varsity cheerleading team and was the recipient of the 2008-2009 Spirit Award. She has been a member of the varsity cheerleading team for three years and was co-captain her junior year. This year, Charleigh holds the title of captain. She has been a member of the junior varsity softball team for one year, a member of the golf team for one year, a member of the Art Club for one year, and a member of the Interact Club for one year. Charleigh has been a member of Rho Kappa for one year and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for one year. As a sophomore, she was selected by her peers to represent them on the Homecoming Court. I
n the 2009 Miss NHS pageant, Charleigh was hand selected by the judges as the recipient of the Miss Hospitality award. She was also one of the top ten contestants in the 2010 and 2011 Miss NHS pageants. In her community, Charleigh has played on the Northwest Escambia softball team for six years and has played on the Molino softball team for one year. She is an active member of St. Robert’s Catholic Church where she sings in the choir. Last year, Charleigh was chosen to participate in the Youth Leadership Program in Atmore and this year she serves as a Chamber Ambassador of Atmore.
Her hobbies include cheerleading, baking, listening to music and spending time with loved ones.
Her future plans are to attend a junior college and then transfer to a University to obtain her bachelor’s degree. She then wants to be accepted into law school.
Miss Ariel Kaye Holland
Ariel is the 17-year old daughter of Wayne and Amy Holland. As a freshman, she was a member of the junior varsity cheerleading team. She has been a member of the varsity cheerleading team for two years, where she was the recipient of the prestigious 2011-2012 Spirit Award. She has been a member of the weightlifting team for one year, the golf team for one year, and the track team for three years. She has been a member of the softball team for three years, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for one year, and was voted junior class treasurer. As a freshman, Ariel was selected by her peers to represent them on the Homecoming Court and was voted Freshman Class Maid.
In both the 2010 and 2011 Miss NHS pageant, Ariel was among the top ten contestants. In her community, she is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Bratt and participates in the Team David program. She also volunteers her time with the Northwest Escambia Cheerleaders.
Her hobbies include cheerleading, softball, spending time with friends, and having “girl” days with her mom.
Her future plans are to receive a cheerleading scholarship and pursue a degree in pediatric nursing.
Miss Kendal Brooke Cobb
Kendal is the 14-year old daughter of Jamie and Becky Cobb. As an eighth grader, she was on the cheerleading team, as well as, the competition squad. She was first runner up in the 2010 Miss EWMS Pageant and was Miss Bambino 2009. At Northview, she is a member of the junior varsity cheerleading team, the Student Government Association, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Kendal was selected by her peers as freshman class vice-president and was also selected to represent them on the Homecoming Court. In her community, she has played softball for the Northwest Escambia softball team for four years and was on the Northwest Escambia All-Star team for three years. She is an active member of Faith Bible Baptist Church.
Her hobbies include cheering, playing softball, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.
Her future plans are to attend a major university and pursue a degree in nursing.
Miss Katelynne Nicole Calloway
Katelynne is the 15-year old daughter of Tommy and Tammy Calloway. At Northview, Katelynne was a junior varsity cheerleader for one year and held the title of co-captain. This year, Katelynne is on the varsity cheerleading team.
She has been a member of the Spanish Club for one year and was selected by her peers to represent them on the Homecoming Court. In her community, Katelynne is a member of the First Baptist Church of Bratt.
Her hobbies include cheerleading, fishing with her Dad, dancing, shopping, and spending time with loved ones.
Her future plans are to attend the University of Alabama and obtain her degree. She hopes to become a pediatric nurse.
Miss Courtney Alexandra Weaver
Courtney is the 16-year old daughter of Michael and Deana Weaver. She has been a member of the junior varsity cheerleading team for one year and was the recipient of the 2011-2012 Most Improved award. Courtney has been on the Northview softball team for two years, a member of the Interact Club for one year, and was voted by her peers as historian of the sophomore class.
She has played softball for the Northwest Escambia league for seven years and has received the “Top Gun” award for the past three years. In her community, she is an active member of St. Robert’s Catholic Church and sings in the choir.
Her hobbies include reading, going to the beach, cooking, and spending time with loved ones — especially her baby brother.
Her future plans are to attend college and pursue a degree to become a pharmacist.
Miss Anna Elizabeth Fischer
Anna is the 15-year old daughter of Jerry and Ramona Fischer. She has been a junior varsity cheerleader for one year, where she served as co-captain, a member of the dance team for one year, and a member of the yearbook staff for one year. She has been a varsity cheerleader for one year and was the recipient of the 2011-2012 Squad Strength award. Anna was also a 2010-2011 Atmore Rotary Club Academic All-star. She is a member of the All-Girls Club and was selected by her peers to represent them on the Homecoming Court as freshman class maid. In her community, Anna has taken dance with Heather Leonard’s Danceworks for 12 years. She is an active member of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church and participates in the youth choir. She also volunteers with the church nursery and at vacation bible school. Anna has volunteered her time as a “Coastal Clean-up” participant.
Her hobbies include drawing, dancing, scrapbooking, shopping, and spending time with family and friends.
Her future plans are to attend the University of Florida and study fashion design.
Miss Hilery Danielle Scott
Danielle is the 15-year old daughter of Christopher and Cathy Scott. At Northview, she is a member of the dance team. She has been a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for one year, the Science Club for one year, and the Spanish Club for two years. As a freshman, Danielle was selected to represent her class on the Homecoming Court. This year, she was voted sophomore class secretary.
In her community, Danielle is an active member of Walnut Hill Assembly of God Church where she is a part of the youth ministry. She holds the title of secretary and sings every Sunday morning and Sunday night for praise and worship. She also spends time singing for different events such as Red Cross, Relay for Life, Mayfest in Atmore, and church revivals. This past summer, Danielle received a one year contract with American Mall Model Search and participated in several shows at Pensacola’s Cordova Mall. She has been taking voice lessons for one year, dance with Heather Leonard’s Danceworks for one year, and piano for six years.
Her hobbies include singing, playing piano, dancing, volunteering, making her own music videos, having special shopping days with her mom, and spending time with loved ones.
Her future plans are to attend college and pursue a degree in music.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
NHS Plants Live Oak For Arbor Day
January 25, 2012
A live oak tree was recently planted at Northview High School’s FFA as part of an Arbor Day celebration.
Escambia County, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) Extension, and Florida Forestry Service also took part in the event.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Road To The Crown: Miss Northview High 2012 Contestants
January 24, 2012
Join NorthEscambia.com this week for our annual multi-part series “the road to the crown”.
We will follow 24 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2012. We’ll introduce you to each girl and go behind the scenes with exclusive photos for a look at the annual Northview High School pageant.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning this week. Then on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 28 at 7:00 in the school auditorium. The pageant is sponsored by the Northview High Varsity Cheerleaders.
Today, we begin with a group photo of all the young ladies participating. Their names are listed below.
Pictured top: Participants in this year’s Miss Northview High School 2012 are: (front, L-R) Charleigh McPherson, Danielle Scott, Courtney Weaver, Lauren McCall, Katelynne Calloway, Logan Wainwright, Melissa Moretz, (middle row) Cheyanne Garnett, Morgan Digmon, Ashley Mooney, Ariel Holland, Ashley Cunningham, Erica Wiggins, Brittany Thompson, Tiffani Pritchett, (back row) Misty Doran, Ali Martin, Hannah Gibson, Rebekah Sepulveda, Anna Fischer, Abby Odom, Kendal Cobb, Ashlynn McCall, Morgan Ward. Front: Miss NHS 2011 Haley Simpson. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Cantonment Trumpet Player One Of Nation’s Best
January 22, 2012
A trumpet player from Cantonment has been selected as one of the best high school players in the nation.
Chris Snyder has been selected as a semifinalist in the National Trumpet Competition held in Washington, DC. Each year, candidates from across the nation submit a video audition of themselves performing a difficult classical composition. He is one of 30 high school students selected out of hundreds of applicants who audition for the opportunity.
As a semifinalist, Snyder will be able to attend Master Classes led by artists the likes of Doc Severinsen, longtime band leader for the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and various other trumpet professional players from top symphonies across the United States.
Snyder, the son of Mark and Sonya Snyder, is a member of the Celebration Orchestra at Olive Baptist Church. For the past six years, he has studied trumpet privately from Darryl Evans and Tom Savage, both faculty members at Olive’s School of Performing Arts.
The OBC School of Performing Arts offers a variety of vocal and instrumental music lessons for all ages. For more information on the school, call (850) 475-1932 or visit www.olivebaptist.org.
Pictured: Chris Snyder practices at the Olive Baptist Church School of the Performing Arts. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Bride-To-Be Misses Dream War Eagle Wedding
January 21, 2012
A North Escambia area woman won’t get the free complete wedding package of her dreams this spring on Samford Lawn on the campus of Auburn University.
Jennifer Coleman, a Flomaton High School graduate, and her groom-to-be, Wes Sinor, fell short of first place in the War Eagle Wedding contest.
“Not the perfect ending, but still a very successful run at the War Eagle Wedding,” Coleman said. “Thanks everyone for your votes and support. Although we did not win, Auburn University has generously gotten us this much closer to our dream wedding.”
The couple of Katie Oliver and Slade Ponder were announced as winners on Friday of the May 26 wedding of their dreams including the dress, tuxedos, flowers, photos, cakes, limousine, entertainment, reception — a complete wedding package worth thousands. Oliver and Ponder received 9,992 votes for the win. The other two couples received 7,181 votes and 3,352 votes, but contest officials did not name which couple was second and which was third.
For an earlier story about Jennifer and Wes, click here.
Pictured: Wes Sinor and Jennifer Coleman of Flomaton, pictured here at the 2011 Auburn-Mississippi State game, are huge Auburn football fans. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
White House To Honor Man For Leading Century, Escambia County Disaster Prep
January 18, 2012
The executive director of the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) will be recognized at the White House on Thursday for his efforts in Escambia County and Century.
Greg Strader, founder of BRACE, will be one of the 17 local leaders who will be honored at the White House as Champions of Change who help prepare their communities for disaster and build a more resilient nation.
“These men and women have demonstrated significant innovation and creativity in working to get their communities ready for the unexpected and embraced the approach of involving all members of their communities in emergency preparedness and response, reaching out to faith-based, tribal, non-profit, private sector and community-based organizations, as well as individual citizens,” according to the White House.
The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different issue is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to better their communities.
BRACE works to prepare educate and train local communities in disaster preparedness, response and recovery.
According to Kermit Housh, chairman of the board for BRACE, Strader will meet with administration officials to discus how the public private partnership model used by BRACE to prepare local for disaster can be a model for other communities.
“This past year we’ve been reminded that disasters can strike at any time and that preparedness is critical,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. “We commend the innovative practices and achievements that these individuals bring to the field of emergency management in order to make our communities safer, stronger, and better prepared.”
Through Strader and BRACE, Century recently held CERT — the Community Emergency Response Team — training, including mock disaster drill, for over two dozen local citizens.
Pictured top: Century town council member Sandra McMurray Jackson (left) and another CERT volunteer held a disaster “victim” during a CERT disaster drill. Pictured inset and below: CERT volunteers search for tornado victims during a drill. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Bratt Elementary Holds Math Madness Night (With Gallery)
January 17, 2012
Bratt Elementary School recently held their 2012 Math Madness Night. About 200 students, parents and teachers took part in an evening on math activities and games. The evening ended with refreshments and door prizes.
“We would like to thank all of the teachers and parent volunteers who helped make this night a success,” teacher Linda Jackson said.
Pictured: Bratt Elementary’s 2012 Math Madness Night. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weather Photos: A Colorful Barrineau Park Sunset
January 17, 2012
Low clouds made for an interesting sunset Monday in Barrineau Park, as seen in this weather photo submitted by Lawson Berry.
If you have a photo you would like to share, email it to news@northescambia.com.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Elliotts, Green Cedars Farm, Named Escambia County Farm Family Of The Year
January 15, 2012
Roger and Pam Elliott of Green Cedars Farm in Molino have been named the Escambia County Farm Family of the year.
Green Cedars Farm is an agricultural tourism farm dedicated to educating people about the origins of their food. The farm also provides a farm experience for events such as birthdays, parties, and even weddings.
Green Cedars Farm produces pastured poultry products, including chicken and Thanksgiving turkeys. Eggs from the pasture management system are marketed as tastier and more nutritious than conventionally produced eggs. Eggs are sold at the farm or at the Palafox Farmers Market on the weekends in Pensacola. The farm also produces lamb and pork for the freezer. Their meat products are designed to fit local niche markets and are promoted as locally and humanely grown.
The farm also has a small apple orchard incorporating the Green Shell Apple that was common in the Brewton area over 100 years ago. After some of the old trees were discovered, a grafting program was initiated to recover the almost lost genetics of the Green Shell Apple. This old heritage variety of apple will become a staple of the farm’s tours as a “you pick” apple.
To support the apple orchard, the Elliotts have a small honey bee yard. The honey bees provide the necessary pollination for the apple orchard as well as the garden and even many of the grasses in the pastures.
The Elliotts utilize the chicken and turkey droppings as fertilizer for their pastures, orchard and gardens. The sheep flock grazes behind the chickens to harvest the rich grasses produced. This management system also encourages a richer and more diverse population of soil microorganisms.
Roger retired from the U. S. Navy in 1993 after a 21 year career as a helicopter pilot. He was then employed by the University of Florida Extension as a Livestock/Small Farms/ 4-H Agent. Roger and Pam moved to their present farm on Gibson Road Molino in 2001.
Motivated by visits to other Agricultural Tourism farms and pastured poultry farms around the country, they began planning for a third career. After deciding that he would rather be a farmer than teach farmers, Roger retired from Extension in 2007 and began farming full time.
Dr. Pam Elliott is employed by the Escambia County Schools as a music teacher at N. B. Cook Elementary School of the Arts. On the farm, she is active as host for those visitors participating in the farm’s trail rides as well as day to day chores and upkeep of facilities. Pam loves canning local foods from the farm’s garden and presenting meals that are almost totally local grown. She has canned over 300 jars of produce and freezes other fresh foods for the family’s freezer.
The Elliott’s daughter, Dr. Laurel Elliott Newman, and her husband Michael Newman bring another set of skills to the farm. As a veterinarian, Laurel is involved in the health and welfare of the farm’s livestock and the livestock guardian dogs used in predator control.
Michael is responsible for the farm’s website — www.greencedarsfarm.com. As a professional photographer, Michael visually records farm events. Michael is also involved with the poultry breeding program in which the farm is involved in breeding Welsummer, Cuckoo Marans, and Delaware chickens — one of the “threatened” breeds of poultry. Michael is also responsible for the farm’s bee hives.
For more information about Green Cedars Farm, visit www.greencedarsfarm.com.
Pictured top: Jimmy Cunningham (left) of the Escambia County Farm Bureau presents the Farm Family of the Year award to Roger and Pam Elliott of Green Cedars Farm in Molino. Also pictured: Scenes from the farm. Photos courtesy Michael Newman for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Park, Jim Allen Students Dream Up One Of A Kind Inventions
January 13, 2012
Flying cars, traffic evaders, automatic bed makers and more were on display Thursday at Molino Park and Jim Allen elementary schools. Some of the brightest students at both schools presented their one of a kind inventions during an Invention Convention held at each school.
Students in each school’s Gifted Enrichment Classes displayed their projects they completed as part of their 15 week study of inventions and inventors. Each project included a prototype of the invention, information on how it works or how it would be used and the estimated cost.
“There were some really creative ideas,” Molino Park Elementary Principal Alice Woodward said. “They worked really hard.”
For a photo gallery of the Molino Park Gifted Enrichment Class inventions, click here.
Some of the items presented included:
- Tired of traffic on your morning commute? The Traffic Evader by Bryce Korinachk has the ability to fly over traffic using an air propulsion system. Simply refill the air cylinder with any air compressor and you are environmentally friendly when flying over traffic. The Traffic Evader’s sticker price is $75,000 to $80,000.
- The Splashula, at just $9.95 is a bargain for the grill or kitchen. Simply fill the spray bottle attached to your spatula with oil spray, and you’ll be a lean, mean pancake cooking machine — just spray the pan and flip the pancakes. Or, for the grill, load the squirt bottle with water. Flip the burgers and douse the flames in one easy step.
- The “Bathroom Reading Buddy” holds your books, magazines or perhaps even your iPad while in the bathroom for just $24.99. “It attaches to the side of the cabinet and extends out to hold your reading material,” according to inventor Connor Crisco. “When you are finished, just push it back up against the cabinet and it’s out of the way.” $24.99, magazines not included.
- The Auto Bed Maker is sure to please both moms and kids. “This device makes your bed faster than a strike of lightning,” according to inventor Clayton Smith. And, if you act now, it’s half price at just $40.
- The Flying Car (pictured) is a reality in another inventor’s project, but it’s going to hurt the bank account just a bit with a $100,000,00.90 sticker price. It’s easy to use, press the red button to fly; press it again to stop flying. But don’t forget where you parked it — the prototype model is camouflage.
- Girl Guardian is a GPS tracking device disguised as an attractive girl’s bracelet. It’s not recognized as a GPS device, so the bad guy’s won’t touch it. It can be constantly monitored for easy tracking, and includes a panic button for emergencies. And it’s good for the environment — it uses GPS chips from discarded cell phones.
- The 911 AED takes the automated external defibrillator a step further — open the lid and it automatically places a cellular 911 call with GPS coordinates for the dispatcher.
- Passing the sunflower seeds around the dugout at the neighborhood little league games is easier than ever with the Sandlot Seed Server. Simply place a cup under the server then “Open the Core and Let’em Pour” for only $49.99.
- Watered down soft drinks are a thing of the past with the Flavor Ice from Micah Calhoun. For just $50.69 it provides ice made out of the same drink that you are dispensing. “When this ice melts, it only makes your soda taste even better,” Calhoun said.
- The Sponge Shoe is just $9.99. It’s a shoe, it ’s a sponge — no it’s a sponge on shoe. Walk around, and all those little messes are cleaned right up. “It also saves my mom time because she does not have to mop the floor if it’s small mess that I can clean,” inventor Brayden Mickel said.
- The Bristle Bullet is an “easy, fun, cool way to clean your gun”, in Jenna’s project. A brush, like that used to clean baby bottles, is mounted on the tip of a bullet. Simply fire the bullet at your target and your gun is cleaned at the same time. A dozen would sell for $36.99.
- The Glow In The Dark Cork is perfect for night fishing. The glow in the dark paint glows like the moon. No more worrying about battery operated corks that fail when they crack.
- The $45 Dog Collar 3000 hold dog treats on Fido’s collar — no more running back inside for treats on those long winter walks.
- No more ropes with the sure to be American made Flag Raiser by Dalton Brown. For just $19.99, easy electronic controls automatically raise the flag.
- Travel Trays are manufactured of industrial grade stainless steel and collapse for easy storage. From an iPod to a Nintendo DS to McDonald’s fries or a pint of Ben & Jerry’s — the Travel Trays hold most everything with no spill.
- Ever had a fight in the kitchen with the roll of plastic wrap? Fight no more with the Wrap Trap at the introductory price of $7.50. It’s all about the control — the Wrap Trap holds the box of Saran or other wrap nice and steady on the counter while the included blade makes the cut.
Pictured top: The Bathroom Reading Buddy. Pictured inset: The Flying Car for just $100,000,00.90. Pictured below: A portion of the Flavor Ice machine. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
