Every Child A Readers Honors Many, Including Century Group
June 25, 2009
Outstanding child care center teachers and community supporters were honored Wednesday by the Every Child a Reader in Escambia (ECARE) program, including a Century foundation.
The honors were presented at the first Appleseeds Awards and Recognition Ceremony.
The Teaspoon Foundation of Century, represented by Jack Moran, was honored at the program for their support and contributions as a community partner of ECARE. The Teaspoon Foundation was responsible for bringing the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Escambia County with plans to provide a free book every month for every child under five years old.
The goal of Appleseeds is to acknowledge the excellence of the childcare providers who are teaching our children at the most critical points of their lives: ages newborn – five years old. The goal of ECARE is that all children entering Kindergarten in the Escambia County School District in 2011 will be ready for Kindergarten as measured by then current standards. In turn, the students will test proficient on the reading portion of the FCAT in 2014.
It is proven that strong parenting and high-quality preschool programs lay a solid literacy foundation that helps children learn to read when they get to Kindergarten. This critical skill serves children far beyond elementary school. It also predicts high school graduation based upon a student’s early reading ability, according to ECARE Executive Director Clairen Reese.
Appleseeds is similar to the county school system’s K-12 Teacher of the Year Program. Every Child a Reader’s goal is to shine a light on the “best of the best” child care teachers which will, in turn, reinforce to these teachers how extremely important their work is; will help to recruit other potential child care teachers to the profession; and will share their fine work with the community, Reese said.
The Escambia County Child Care Teacher of the Year was Pamela Broughton of Malena’s Mini School I. Other finalists were Donna Hendrix of O.J. Semmes Elementary Head 
Start, Sharon Law of Jamison Street Preschool, Shannon Nolan of Malena’s Mini School II, Shirley McCants of McCants’ Family Home of Learning, Karen Radford of Blue Angel Early Learning Center, Michelle Smith of WEE Children’s Center – West Pensacola Baptist Church, Terri Odom of Cokesbury Children’s Center and Tammy Warren of Escambia County Head Start.
Other community partners honored at the program were The Studer Group, Barnes and Noble, Leadership Pensacola Class of 2007, Wal-Mart of Navy Boulevard, Wal-Mart of Creighton Road, Wal-Mart of Mobile Highway, Downtown Rotary, The Escambia – Santa Rosa Bar Association, Medline Industries, Bonefish Grill, Margaret Stopp, Diane Hutcherson and Bruce Caton.
Teaspoon Foundation
The Teaspoon Foundation invests in young people. The Teaspoon Foundation is involved in the investigation, locating, authenticating and preserving the artifacts, history, and heritage of Teaspoon as a Pre-Revolutionary period; facilitating and promoting cultural and heritage education in North Escambia County; and improving the quality of life in North Escambia County, especially the Century area.
The Teaspoon Foundation is involved with the Early Learning Coalition of Florida to put free books into the hands of children between the ages of zero and five through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. They found a way to completely sponsor every single child in Century to have these free books delivered right to their doorstep until they start kindergarten.
The group is involved in the Teaspoon Heritage Society where Children’s Heritage Parties are held where the experiences of the elderly are told to children in a “pizza party setting” and video taped during the process. They also host The Imagination Library Reading Party – a monthly reading party where the children bring their favorite Imagination Library books to a party and volunteers read to them, while their parents watch and learn how to read to and engage children in the learning to read process.
Pictured top: Jack Moran (in the mult-colored shirt) stands in the background as guests sign in for ECARE’s official community kickoff in June 2008 at Heritage Hall in Pensacola. Photo courtesy ECARE. Picturd middle inset: The Teaspoon Foundation brought Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Escambia County. Pictured bottom inset: Some of the books that were offered by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Make A Little Magic: Summer Fun At The Library
June 24, 2009
It was a magical Summer Reading Program Tuesday at the Century Branch Library with magician Beau Broomall.
Broomall delighted and amazed with magic tricks galore, and he even shared a few magical secrets.
For a photo gallery from the program, click here.
On Tuesday, July 7 at noon, kids of all ages can meet Tuffy the American Quarter Horse at the Century Branch Library as he teaches teamwork and respect for others.
The free program for children of all ages will be at the Century Branch Library, 7991 North Century Boulevard. For more information, call the library at 256-6217.
Pictured above and below: Magician Beau Broomall performs at the Century Branch Library Tuesday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Making Rainbows: Dry Weather Irrigation Creates Colorful Masterpieces
June 23, 2009
Dry weather has forced area farmers to turn to center pivot irrigation systems to save their crops. The overhead sprinkler systems can create rainbows that can sometimes been seen for hours . The wheeled towers with the sprinklers are advanced slowly in a circular pattern around a center pivot. A nearby well provides the water supply for each irrigation system.
For more photos of the irrigation rainbows, click here.
Pictured above : A rainbow formed beneath an irrigation system in a Walnut Hill field. Pictured below: The water paints a rainbow. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Elton Gilmore Retires After 32 Years With Forestry
June 21, 2009
After 32 years of service in the Florida Division of Forestry, Elton Gilmore of McDavid is retiring.
Gilmore was honored at a dinner in Pensacola Saturday night. Ben Wolcott, operations administrator for the Blackwater District for the Florida Division of Forestry, provided a little insight into “Gray Bear’s” service.
In June of 1977, Gilmore was hired as a forest ranger at the Molino Tower at the same rate of pay he had made as the assistant manager of an IGA grocery store — $5.50 an hour. He was promoted to Senior Forest Ranger in January 1986 and was promoted to Forest Area Supervisor in February 1997. He spent a total of 32 years in Forestry fire control.
Wolcott said Gilmore’s personnel file is about two and a half inches thick, “full of letters of thanks, appreciation and commendations for things he’s done, from assigning the resources to helping clear an elderly lady’s driveway after Hurricane Ivan, to leading fire crews from Virginia to Texas to Oregon, to helping organize the McDavid Volunteer Fire Department and serving as captain, assistant chief, and chief.”
“It’s a file that reveals the career of a man who’s been dedicated to his family, to the profession he chose, to the community where he raised his family and very much to his fellow workers,” Wolcott said.
Working as the District Training Officer, Gilmore helped many other firefighters in a three-county area grow in their careers, Wolcott said. Gilmore worked with Beulah Fire Chief Bobby Nigh to start the first Division of Forestry district-level Wildland Fire Training Conference, a concept that has been repeated and will continue to grow, he said.
“Elton, just like an old Colorado grizzly bear, you’ve made your mark on the tree, and it won’t be easy for anyone to reach higher than you have,” Wolcott said. “I’m proud and mean it when I say that you deserve to have great days ahead, and I’m thankful to have played with you on the Blackwater team.”
Gilmore’s official last day with the Division of Forestry is June 30.
Pictured top: Ben Wolcott (right), operations administrator for the Blackwater District for the Florida Division of Forestry, presents a plaque to Elton Gilmore Saturday night honoring him for his 32 years of service. Pictured below: Gilmore and his retirement gift — a new gas grill. Submitted photos by Bill Eubanks for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Atmore Businessman Helps Little Girl That Needs Kidney
June 20, 2009
An Atmore businessman is stepping forward to help 11-month Hadyn Allyssa Brake of Flomaton get the kidney she needs.
Harold Allen, owner an Atmore mobile home business, has written a $1,000 check to help with the $20,000 the family needs for Hadyn’s kidney transplant.
Hadyn was born with congenital nephrotic syndrome, a chronic kidney disease. In February, doctors were forced to remove both of her kidneys, and now she needs a kidney transplant by her first birthday on July 28.
Allen knows the pain of waiting for a kidney transplant; he underwent the procedure nine years ago, receiving a kidney from his son.
It’s estimated that the family needs $20,000 for Hadyn’s kidney transplant. For now, she is on dialysis 12 hours a day every day.
Last weekend, Atmore Dialysis Center held “Hadyn Brake Day” to help the little girl and her family.
Donations can be made to the “Hadyn Kidney Fund” at the Bank Trust in Brewton, Ala, or call Sonya Higdon at the Atmore Dialysis Center at (251) 368-5593 for information.
Pictured above: Hayden Allyssa Brake of Flomaton at a benefit last Saturday in Atmore to help her family afford her kidney transplant. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Yummy Library Lesson: Tasty And Healthy Snack Choices
June 17, 2009
Snacking can be tasty and healthy — that was the message during a summer reading program “Kids Can Cook!” at the Century Branch Library Tuesday afternoon.
Angela Hinkle from the Escambia County Extension Office presented tips for making smart food choices at a school and home. Children of all ages had fun creating and decorating a lunch box and filling it with healthy snacks.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Next week, the library’s summer fun continues next Tuesday at noon with a free magic show with West Florida’s favorite local magician Beau Broomall.
For more information, contact the Century Branch Library, 7991 North Century Boulevard, at 256-6217.
Pictured above and below: Decisions, decisions — participants in the summer reading program Tuesday afternoon at the Century Branch Library were given the opportunity to choose four free healthy snacks. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Diverse Family: Bratt Mockingbird Is Raising Baby Blue Jay
June 15, 2009
A Bratt family has an interesting family of birds in their yard — a mockingbird is raising an orphaned blue jay along with her own young.
Here is the story, as related by Kim Godwin of Bratt:
My three daughters (Hannah, Shelby and Maegan) and I were driving down our driveway when I noticed a small ball of something just sitting on the ground. All four of us got out to check this little ball out. It just happened to be a tiny baby blue jay that had been orphaned.
We looked for the nest that it had apparently fallen out of but we couldn’t find it. Of course, we all wanted to pick it up immediately because it was so cute and tiny. I’ve always heard not to touch a baby bird with your bare hands because the mother would smell the human scent on it and leave it abandoned.
So, I grabbed a t-shirt and swaddled the tiny bird up in it. The next question for us was, “What do we do with this cute little bird?”. It just so happened that we have been watching a nest of mockingbird eggs hatch. The little mockingbirds could have only been a week or so old. I decided that we would see what happened if we stuck the blue jay in with the mockingbirds.
I didn’t really think that the mockingbird parents would just adopt the blue jay but I thought that is was worth a try. Well, then we had another obstacle — the nest was too small for the three tiny mockingbirds and the blue jay that is three times as big as the mockingbirds.
My nine-year old daughter Hanna looked up on the internet on how to create a make-shift nest. So, we found an old basket and filled it with pine straw. My husband tied it up in the tree where the old nest used to be. It wasn’t but just a few minutes and the mama mockingbird was checking out her new home which held her three babies plus one.
The mockingbird parents have fully adopted the bluejay and the whole family is doing well.
Pictured above: A hungry blue jay (the larger bird to the left) and two mockingbirds wait for mom to feed them. Pictured below: (L-R) Hannah Godwin, Maegan Godwin, friend Jadlyn Agerton, Shelby Godwin . Pictured bottom: More photos of the orphaned baby blue jay that is being raised by a mockingbird with her own young. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Over 5,000 Attend First Blueberry Jamboree (With Photo Gallery)
June 14, 2009
Over 5,000 people attended the first annual Escambia County Blueberry Jamboree Saturday at the Barrineau Park Community Center. The Blueberry Jamboree was a nostalgic throwback to the old fashioned festivals of years past with old fashioned music, food and about 60 vendors on hand with arts and crafts — and, of course, lots of blueberries.
For a complete photo gallery from the Blueberry Jamboree, click here.
For results from the 5K Race for the Blueberries, click here, and for results from the Blueberry Bake-Off, click here.
The event is sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com, Farm Bureau Insurance, Wind Creek Casino, Casa Heating and Cooling, Navy Federal Credit Union, Scott’s Pharmacy, United Bank, DeLuna Lanes Bowling Center, Escambia Grain Corporation, Faith Chapel Funeral Homes, Greenhut Construction Company, Jus Because of Atmore, Janice Kilgore, The Silver Screen Theatre, Southern Dental Associates, A & N Blueberries, Adventures Unlimited, Cantonment Building Materials, Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Sam’s Fun City, the Escambia County Neighborhoods & Community Services, and UF/IFAS Extension.
Pictured above: Several bluegrass groups performed at the Blueberry Jamboree Saturday in Barrineau Park. Pictured below: About 60 vendors participated in the first annual event. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mmmm…First Annual Blueberry Bake-Off Winners Named
June 14, 2009
It was a blueberry lover’s dream Saturday at the first annual Blueberry Jamboree Bake-Off at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
Dozens of cooks entered their tasty pies, cobblers, cakes and other blueberry goodies in hopes of winning cash prizes in the contest sponsored by the Escambia County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. There was one basic rule — the homemade dessert must have included blueberries as an ingredient.
After the tempting treats were judged and the winners were announced, the public had the opportunity to sample the entries.
The winners of the first annual Blueberry Jamboree Bake-Off were:
Pies and Cobblers
First place: Blueberry Crunch Cobbler from Thelma Hickey. Second place: Blueberry Dream Pie (pictured above) from Marti Penland Koemmerer. Third place: Cream Cheese Blueberry Pie from Melissa Collie.
Cakes
First place: Groovy Blueberry Gooey Cake from Klyn Wilson. Second place: Blueberry Pineapple Crunch from Dorothy Cunningham. Third place: Just Blueberry Cheesecake from Cindy Criswell.
Other Desserts
First Place: Blueberry Delight from Cathy Vanderpol. Second place: Blueberry Muffin from, Laura Kerby. Third place: Blueberry Muffin from Nancy Fillingim.
Pictured above: The second place winner in the “Pies and Cobbler” division was Blueberry Dream Pie from Marti Penland Koemmerer. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sherrill Receives Music Awards At Faulkner State
June 13, 2009
Kate Elizabeth Sherrill of Walnut Hill was recently honored for her musical accomplishments at Faulkner State Community College.
Sherrill was awarded the Faulkner State Freshman Music Major of the Year Award and the Faulkner Singers Award.
The awards were presented at the Department of Fine Arts annual banquet held at the Bienville Club in Mobile.
In addition to being a member of the Faulkner Singers, Sherrill is also part of Faulkner’s Sun Chief Sound.
Sherrill, who attends Faulkner on a music scholarship, is a member of Phi Theta Kappa where she will serve as communications Officer this year. She recently attended the Phi Theta Kappa International Convention in Dallas.
She is the daughter of Kent and Anne Sherrill and the granddaughter of Sam and Dean Graham and the late Hunk and Senie Sherrill.