Byrneville Elementary Team Wins In “Battle Of The Books”
May 23, 2012
The Escambia Reading Teachers’ Association sponsored their first Battle of the Books recently. There were over 250 elementary, middle and high school students competing in the Battle — including a winning team from Byrneville Elementary School.
Battle of the Books is a district-wide program designed to increase reading motivation and comprehension. The goals are to encourage reading for enjoyment, broaden reading interests, increase reading comprehension, and promote cooperative learning.
Battle of the Books began in August 2011 with teachers telling students about the event and introducing books to students. In September 2011, students began reading books and continued reading until February 2012. Team members were chosen in March 2012, with teams practicing in April for the May event.
From the North Escambia area, Byrneville Elementary School took second place among fourth graders. Byrneville fourth grade team members were Ian Gifford, Dadrian Washington, Nicky Trump, Alex Glidewell and Lainey Ward.
Pictured above: Byrneville Elementary School fourth grade Battle of the Books team members (top row, L-R) Ian Gifford, Dadrian Washington, Nicky Trump, (bottom, L-R) Alex Glidewell and Lainey Ward. Submitted photo for NortheEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Names May Students Of The Month
May 23, 2012
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for May. They are (pictured L-R) Fisher Spence, sixth grade; Harmoni Till, eighth grade; and Mitchell Singleton, seventh grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Man Juggles His Way Onto Good Morning America (With Video)
May 21, 2012
A local man juggled his way onto national TV over the weekend, appearing Saturday on ABC’s Good Morning America.
Joe Salter, 31, has made the national news for completing a recent triathlon — while juggling (video below). Salter juggled three balls while swimming a quarter mile, juggled two balls in one hand while biking 17 and ran another four miles still juggling. And he did it all in the respectable time of 1 hour and 57 minutes for a world record.
Salter, the son of Rita and Mickey Salter of Flomaton, started juggling at age eight. He trained about 10 months for “joggling” (jogging and juggling tossed together) through a complete triathlon.
He finished the entire running and biking portion of the triathlon without dropping a ball. Swimming was not so smooth, as he dropped the balls three times. But they float, so no time lost in the retrieval.
Salter’s world record attempt came during the recent Flora-Bama Mullet Man Triathlon to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida.
Pictured top: Joe Salter joggles his way toward the finish line of a triathlon and a world record. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Abundant Life Youth Place In Fine Arts Competition, Head To Nationals
May 20, 2012
Several youth from the Abundant Life Assembly of God in Century attended the Assemblies of God Fine Arts Competition in Marianna recently. After winning superior in their categories, they were invited to attend the National Fine Arts Competition in Louisville, KY.
The band “The Bridge” placed in the fine arts competition. Zach Ingram won Superior with an invitation to nationals for songwriting, and Victoria Creamer had a separate solo Superior win with an invitational to the national competition.
Pictured: The band “The Bride” from Abundant Life Assembly of God with (L-R) Caleb Ingram, percussion; Zach Ingram, guitar and songwriter; and Victoria Creamer, vocals. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Kinnard Celebrates 101st Birthday In Barrineau Park
May 20, 2012
Mary Lou White Kinnard recently celebrated her 101st birthday at the Barrineau Park Community Center. Mary Lou’s brother, Burley White, ran the White Grocery Store in Barrineau Park from the 1940’s through the 1980’s. The Barrineau Park Historical Society provided the cake for the celebration.
Pictured are Mary Lou White Kinnard, her niece Faye White Conett and Craig Exner, BPHS president. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
200 Year Old Shipwreck Discovered In Northern Gulf Of Mexico
May 20, 2012
During a recent northern Gulf of Mexico expedition, NOAA, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and partners discovered an historic wooden-hulled vessel which is believed to have sunk as long as 200 years ago. Scientists on board the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer used underwater robots with lights and high definition cameras to view remnants of the ship laden with anchors, navigational instruments, glass bottles, ceramic plates, cannons, and boxes of muskets.
The NOAA-funded 56-day expedition that ended April 29 was exploring poorly known regions of the Gulf, mapping and imaging unknown or little-known features and habitats, developing and testing a method to measure the rate that gas rises from naturally-occurring seeps on the seafloor, and investigating potential shipwreck sites.
The shipwreck site was originally identified as an unknown sonar contact during a 2011 oil and gas survey for Shell Oil Company. The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) requested this and other potential shipwreck sites be investigated during NOAA’s Gulf of Mexico expedition. Surveys and archaeological assessments are required by BOEM to aid in its decision-making prior to issuing permits for bottom-disturbing activities related to oil and gas exploration and development.
“Artifacts in and around the wreck and the hull’s copper sheathing may date the vessel to the early to mid-19th century,” said Jack Irion, Ph.D., a maritime archaeologist with BOEM. “Some of the more datable objects include what appears to be a type of ceramic plate that was popular between 1800 and 1830, and a wide variety of glass bottles. A rare ship’s stove on the site is one of only a handful of surviving examples in the world and the second one found on a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico.”
Significant historical events occurring in the regions around the Gulf of Mexico during this time include the War of 1812, events leading to the Texas Revolution, and the Mexican-American War, he said.
“Shipwrecks help to fill in some of the unwritten pages of history,” said Frank Cantelas, a maritime archaeologist with NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. “We explored four shipwrecks during this expedition and I believe this wreck was by far the most interesting and historic. The site is nearly 200 miles off the Gulf coast in over 4,000 feet of water in a relatively unexplored area.”
The expedition also discovered areas exhibiting rich biodiversity. At the base of the West Florida Escarpment, a steep undersea cliff, explorers found a “forest” of deep corals, several of which were new to scientists on the ship and ashore. For several days the expedition team also imaged deep-coral communities in the vicinity of the Macondo oil spill site. On another part of the expedition, team members designed and installed a device on the ship’s undersea robot system, or ROV (remotely-operated vehicle), to measure the rate that gas rises in the water column.
Pictured top: While most of the ship’s wood has long since disintegrated, copper that sheathed the hull beneath the waterline as a protection against marine-boring organisms remains, leaving a copper shell retaining the form of the ship. The copper has turned green. Pictured inset: An anemone lives on top of a musket that lies across a whole group of muskets at the site of the shipwreck. A variety of artifacts inside the ship’s hull relates either to daily life on board or to the ship’s cargo. Artifacts include ceramic plates, platters, and bowls; and glass liquor, wine, medicine, and food storage bottles of many shapes and colors (some with the contents still sealed inside). Photos courtesy NOAA/Okeanos Explorer program for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
2011 Northview Grad McCall Graduates From Basic Training
May 20, 2012
Air Force Airman Jessie D. McCall graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.
Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
McCall is the daughter of Steven McCall of Thomas McCall Lane, McDavid.
The airman is a 2011 graduate of Northview High School, Bratt.
Birth – Russell John LeMesurier
May 20, 2012
Desmond and Sarah LeMesurier of Byrneville are blessed to announce the birth of their son Russell John LeMesurier.
He was born March 22, 2012, at 2:12 p.m. at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. He weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces and measured 18 and three-quarters inches long. His proud grandparents are J.B. and Trudie Johnson of Byrneville and Desmond and Violet LeMesurier of Woodsboro, Texas.
“Russ” has one great grandmother, Laura Johnson of Century, and an uncle, Jeff Johnson of Flomaton, and one great uncle, Bill and Aunt Angie Weaver of Byrneville.
Weekend Gardening: Hit A Home Run With Knock Out Roses
May 19, 2012
I love roses, I always have. After many years of growing roses, I found myself becoming, dare I say it, a bit of a rose snob. If it wasn’t a hybrid tea, I didn’t want anything to do with it. But as many Southerners know, the hybrid teas do have to be pampered and constantly monitored and treated for fungal diseases.
A couple of years ago, I decided to add some Knock Out roses to my landscape. I was taking a hesitant turn away from the long stems of the hybrid teas to a common shrub rose. I am very glad that I did. This year, the shrub roses are covered with dozens of beautiful blooms. Massed together, they are breathtaking and grab the attention of neighbors.
Landscape shrub roses will not make you great cut flowers, but they will give your landscape an abundance of rose flowers for the majority of the year. They practically bloom non-stop during the growing season, from March to November in Northwest Florida. Also, they are much less prone to blackspot disease than the traditional hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora roses.
The Knock Out family of roses was started by rose breeder Bill Radler when he crossed seedlings of ‘Carefree Beauty’ with ‘Razzle Dazzle’ to create the original Knock Out rose. The family now includes varieties that range from blush to vibrant red and even yellow.
In general, Knock Out roses are drought tolerant, self cleaning, and resistant to black spot and powdery mildew. Since they require little maintenance, they are ideal for gardeners who enjoy roses but who aren’t interested in the upkeep required to grow hybrid tea roses. The only drawback of Knock Out roses is that they don’t have a strong fragrance. According to the Conrad Pyle website, the only true fragrant Knock Out is the yellow ‘Sunny’ cultivar.
Like all roses, Knock Out roses need to be planted where they will receive at least six to eight hours of sun each day. It also helps to have a site with good air movement and well-drained soil that falls between pH 6.0 and pH 6.5.
Knock Out roses generally grow three to five feet tall and equally as wide, but some sources say they can reach eight feet tall if not pruned, so be sure to space them appropriately.
After planting, water them regularly until they get established. Apply a three-inch layer of mulch to help retain moisture in the soil, pulling the mulch back from the stem of the plants. Be sure to avoid overhead watering which can increase the chance of fungal leaf spots. They prefer a deep watering every once in a while rather than frequent light waterings.
Knock Out roses are referred to as self-cleaning meaning that the spent blooms will fall off on their own. They will re-bloom every five to six weeks regardless of your deadheading practices. Deadheading is the removal of faded blooms. Most gardeners have found, however, that occasionally deadheading will create and maintain a tidier, more attractive plant.
For more information on rose pests and diseases, refer to the University of Florida/IFAS online publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep371 or contact your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Camp Fire’s Townson Is Apple Seed Award Winner
May 19, 2012
Pam Townson, director and VPK teacher for the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Leaning Center was recently presented the 2012 Apple Seed Award by the Early Learning Coalition of Escambia County.
The annual Apple Seed Banquet recognizes early learning education teachers. Camp Fire USA in Century received a 100 percent grade from the Florida Department of Education for 2010-2011 under Townson’s leadership.
“Pam not only encourages parents to be fully engaged as genuine partners in their children’s development, she advocates that early childhood structure can provide school stability and greater consistency in learning, which leads to better school achievements,” said La-vonne Haven, executive director of Camp Fire USA’s Gulf Wind Council.
Townson credits the curriculum of the Florida VPK Standards and Math Standards along with Creative Curriculum, National Camp Fire USA and the Galileo assessment tools with providing researched approaches to learning about the outdoors, nature, science, and creative arts as well as providing fine and gross motor development, early math skills, language and literacy.
Pictured: Pam Townson, director and VPK teacher for the Camp Fire USA Century Youth Leaning Center. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.