Molino Park Presents ‘On The Radio’, Collects 2,900 Food Items For The Needy (With Gallery)
November 18, 2011
Students at Molino Park Elementary School collected over 2,900 food items during a drive to held the needy in the Molino area at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The school partnered with Aldersgate United Methodist Church for a “Help our Neighbor’ food drive. The items collected by Molino Park will distributed in the community along with turkeys and hams from Aldersgate.
Venetia Fountain’s class was first place in the food drive, donating over 800 items.
The students wrapped up the food drive with a fourth grade performance of “On the Radio” Thursday, under the direction of music teacher Twinette McDonald.
For a photo gallery from “On The Radio”, click here.
Pictured top: “On the Radio” Thursday night at Molino Park Elementary School. NorthEscambia.com photo by Sara Calhoun. Pictured below: Over 2,900 food items donated by MPES students and staff, submitted photo by Sandra Greenwell.
New Culinary Arts Academy Cooking Up Success At Ernest Ward
November 16, 2011
Ernest Ward Middle School added a new Culinary Arts Academy this school year, giving students an opportunity to explore a variety of academic and occupation goals in the hospitality and tourism industries.
Students are learning food preparation techniques, food safety, proper equipment use, menu development, food presentation, technology use in the culinary field and more.
Pictured top: Ernest Ward students (L-R) Savanna Roux, Courtney Weekly and Sarah Dutton enjoy lasagna and garlic bread Tuesday as part of a Culinary Arts Academy lesson. Pictured inset: Lasagna and garlic bread prepared by EWMS Culinary Academy students. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
College Fair Held
November 16, 2011
Northview High School held a College Fair Tuesday night for NHS seniors and their parents. Information was available from several schools, financial aid, scholarships and more.
Pictured: Northview senior Austin Albritton and his mother, Lisa Albritton, talk to a University of West Florida representative during a College Fair Tuesday night at Northview High School. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Doucette, Wright Receive High School Heroes Scholarships
November 15, 2011
Two Northview High School students were recently awarded $1,000 High School Heroes Scholarships from Fisher Brown Insurance and WEAR TV 3.
The Northview students, Josie Doucette and Elizabeth Wright, were among a dozen dozen scholarship winners from Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties. Each winner received a $1,000 scholarship to their choice of either University of West Florida, Pensacola State College or Northwest Florida State College.
Doucette and Wright will be showcased in upcoming 30 second commercials on WEAR TV 3.
Pictured above: Northview High School Heroes Scholarship winners Josie Doucette (left) and Elizabeth Wright with Escambia County Superintendent of Education Malcolm Thomas. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay Pageant Winners Named
November 15, 2011
Miss Jay High School and other winners have been announced in pageants sponsored by the Jay High School Cheerleaders and FCCLA.
Pictured top, left to right: Miss Jay High School Pageant — Third runner-up Carly Owens, second runner-up and physical fitness winner Tori Reid, first runner-up and talent winner Abby Raney, and Miss Jay High School Kathryn English.
Pictured left top: Junior Miss Jay Crystal Hope Miller. Pictured left bottom: Little Miss Jay Kinsley Cook.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Pecan Prices Rise; Good News For Local Producers
November 14, 2011
Money really does grow on trees — thanks to a drought and an increasing demand from China, pecan prices are soaring this year.
That’s good news for producers, from pecan farmers all the way down to local residents with a tree or two in their yards. Drive around North Escambia much on a sunny afternoon and you’ll see local folks out picking up pecans and looking to cash in on the high prices. Area pecan houses are paying about $1 per pound to locals selling their “seedling” pecans — whether from a grocery sack with a few pounds up to hundreds of pounds at a time. The more in-demand varieties of pecans are Stuarts or Elliots and are worth even more.
The higher prices are bad news for consumers, with the price of that Thanksgiving pecan pie very much on the rise. The average retail price of whole pecans halves is expected to reach as much as $11 per pound this year, according to analysts. That’s up about $4 in three years.
China typically buys about one-fifth of the U.S. pecan crop. The United States is expected to produce about 252 million pounds this year, down 14 percent, according to the USDA.
Pictured top: Pecans harvested Sunday in Walnut Hill. Pictured inset: A rolling pecan harvester — small plastic “fingers” pick up the nuts which are deposited into a basket. Pictured below: Typical seedling pecans. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
First Baptist Bratt Is Operation Christmas Child Central
November 14, 2011
Volunteers will be busy for the next week at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child. For the 17th year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 130 countries across the world.
The First Baptist Church of Bratt will be the official Operation Christmas Child Relay Center for North Escambia and will also accept boxes from Escambia County, Ala.
“This is not about the FBC of Bratt”, said student Pastor Tim Hawsey. “Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational non-profit organization that has mission’s opportunities all over the world. This is about being a blessing and bringing God’s love and hope to children in poverty around the world that would not receive it otherwise. We have gone through the intense process of being approved as a church to be a Relay Center to collect the boxes from individuals, families, and churches in our area, document and pack them into special cartons and take them to the next level for Samaritan’s Purse, and we are glad to do it!”
The Christmas boxes collected at FBC Bratt will be delivered to children in Panama, Ukraine, Macedonia, Bahamas, Uganda, Lebanon, Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Seychelles, Togo, Benin, Belize, Ecuador and Madagascar.
“It is so exciting,” Hawsey said.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949.
Operation Christmas Child drop-off hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt (4570 West Hwy. 4) are as follows:
- Monday,Nov 14 — 9 a.m-noon, 6 p.m.–8 p.m.
- Tuesday,Nov 15 — 9 a.m.-noon
- Wednesday,Nov 16 — 9 a.m.-noon, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Thursday,Nov 17 — 9 a.m.-noon
- Friday,Nov 18 — 9 a.m.-noon
- Saturday,Nov 19 — 9 a.m.-noon
- Sunday,Nov 20 — 8 a.m.-noon, 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
- Monday,Nov 21 — 9 a.m.-noon
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gilmore Named Byrneville Teacher Of The Year
November 14, 2011
Byrneville Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year Stephanie Gilmore. Gilmore, who was taught at Byrneville for four years, currently teaches fourth grade reading, language and writing. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blues Wow Hometown Crowd (With Photo Gallery)
November 13, 2011
Nearly 200,000 people attend the Blue Angels Homecoming Air Show Friday and Saturday.
Hometown spectators were wowed by the world famous Blue Angels F/A 18 Hornet performances with perfect flying weather at Sherman Field aboard Pensacola Naval Air Station. Before the Blues, their C-130 Hercules transport known as “Fat Albert” thrilled the crowd with its short field take-off and low level passes.
The show also included the F/A Super Hornet Tactical Demonstration Team from the “Gladiators” of VFA-106 and a demonstration by an Air Force A-10 Warthog. A replica of the first aircraft to take off from a ship, the Ely-Curtis Pusher took to the air, along with several other vintage aircraft.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured above and below: The Blue Angels perform during their weekend homecoming air show at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Pictured inset: A Super Hornet, Helldiver and Corsair during the airshow. NorthEscambia.com photos by Perry Doggrell, click to enlarge.
Satsumas Available From Davisville Man’s Orchard
November 13, 2011
A local man was selling the fruits of his labor last week— satsumas from his orchard. Jimmie Davis sold the fruit from nearly 67 satsuma trees on Highway 97 in Davisville.
They are better than an orange, and they peel like a tangerine,” according to his daughter Karen Jay.
By Sunday, all of Davis’ satsumas were sold out.
Pictured above: Jimmie Davis of Davisville with one of his satsuma trees. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.