Longtime EREC Employee Brenda McCall Retires
July 1, 2011
A longtime Escambia River Electric Cooperative employee retired Thursday. Brenda McCall, who worked in customer service/benefits, was employed at EREC for 20 years.
Pictured: A retirement party for 20-year Escambia River Electric Cooperative employee Brenda McCall was held Thursday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Kids Soak Up Learning At Water Camp
June 30, 2011
About two dozen children took part in a “Water Camp” Wednesday at Lake Stone in Century.
Water Camp featured fun, hands-on activities designed to get kids excited about water resources and healthy lifestyles. There was also plenty of a watermelon, water balloons, water guns, a water slip-n-slide and other water-related activities.
The event was sponsored by Escambia County Extension.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Pictured top: Getting hit by a water balloon a Water Camp Wednesday morning at Lake Stone. Pictured inset: Learning about water flow and erosion. Pictured below: Water Camp participants learn about the necessity of water in life. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Summer Reading Fun At The Library (Plus List Of Other Reading Events)
June 29, 2011
Children enjoyed witty stories Tuesday from storyteller Pat Nease at the Century Branch Library as part of the library’s summer reading program.
For a gallery of submitted photos, click here.
There are two other summer reading program this week in the North Escambia area.
The Molino Park Elementary School Library will be open Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon for students and their parents. Students are encouraged to dress in red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July a few days early. There will be guest readers along with activities related to the stories that are read. Parents and students can check out books, and students can take Accelerated Reader tests. Parents are required to stay with their children.
The summer reading program begins Thursday at the Flomaton Public Library. Programs will be held each Thursday through August 4 from 10-11 am.
Pictured above and below: Children enjoy storyteller Pat Nease at the Century Branch Library Tuesday afternoon. Submitted photos by Amanda Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power, West Florida High Honored
June 29, 2011
STEMflorida has recognized Gulf Power and West Florida High School’s Gulf Power Academy as a recipient of the 2011 Best Practices Award.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. It was created in 2009 by Workforce Florida and Enterprise Florida to create a business-led statewide council to focus on strengthening the STEM skills of Florida’s students to address the increasing demand for jobs requiring strong foundations in these areas.
“We are honored to be recognized by STEMflorida,” said Jennifer Grove, Gulf Power’s Workforce Development coordinator. “The Gulf Power Academy has long been recognized nationally as one of the first to help develop future workers in the energy industry.”
The Gulf Power Academy, approaching 10 years in existence, provides students with a curriculum to learn the fundamentals of electricity, the energy industry, and about various careers in the energy industry.
The best practice award that Gulf Power and West Florida received was the Excellence Integrating Emerging Needs of a STEM-enabled Industry into Engaging Academy Education award. The honorees were recognized June 24 at the ThinkSTEM meeting in Orlando.
Reader Submitted Weather Photos: Storms, Clouds, Dust And A Rainbow
June 28, 2011
NorthEscambia.com readers captured several photos of a line of storms moving through the area Tuesday afternoon. Scroll down to see all of the photos.
Remember, when you see news or have a photo to share, email news@northescambia.com.
Above: Clouds and a dust storm along Florida Highway near in Alabama just north of Bratt. Photo by Tina Segers for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: The storm along Florida Highway near in Alabama just north of Bratt. Photo by Tina Segers for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Storm clouds along Highway 99 in Barrineau Park. Photo by Mason Cook for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Storm clouds at Ernest Ward Middle School in Walnut Hill. Photo by Connie for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill. Photo by Kim Edmonson for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Clouds roll into the Cantonment area. Photo by Jennifer Qualls for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Clouds swirl above the Cantonment area. Photo by Jennifer Qualls for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: The Escambia County Sheriff’s Department in Brewton. Photo by Julie Adams for NorthEscambia.com.
Ominous clouds seen looking south on Main Street in Atmore. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: Clouds move south in Davisville at the state line. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: North of Brewton. Photo by Julie Adams for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: A look at the storm clouds from Mobile. Photo by Randon Watson for NorthEscambia.com.
Above: A rainbow over Walnut Hill. Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Summer Reading Programs Continue In Century, Molino, Flomaton
June 28, 2011
There are two summer reading program this week in the North Escambia area.
The Molino Park Elementary School Library will be open Wednesday from 9 a.m. until noon for students and their parents. Students are encouraged to dress in red, white and blue to celebrate the Fourth of July a few days early. There will be guest readers along with activities related to the stories that are read. Parents and students can check out books, and students can take Accelerated Reader tests. Parents are required to stay with their children.
The summer reading program begins Thursday at the Flomaton Public Library. Programs will be held each Thursday through August 4 from 10-11 am.
Pictured: Students and parents enjoyed story time on June 15 at the Molino Park Elementary School Library. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Read To Rosie: Parrot To Encourage Literacy
June 27, 2011
Rosie the Parrot is coming to the Century Branch Library next month, and he just loves to hear children read to him.
Modeled after the “read to dogs” programs used successfully by some libraries, children will have an opportunity to read a story to Rosie on July 14. He is an African Grey Parrot that belongs to Pat Rigel, Century’s librarian.
“They have found that when kids read to animals they do not have unnecessary anxiety about their reading skills and don’t worry about stumbling over words,” Rigel said “I hope that learning that African Grey’s are as intelligent as a 2-year old child and can have an enormous vocabulary, they will want to try to teach him new words or phrases.”
Safety will be priority for all involved — parents will need to sit with children six and under and a staff member will always be in the room. Rosie will be in an acrylic travel cage for his safety too.
Reservations are being accepted now for 15-minute sessions to be held on July 14. To reserve a time slot, or for more information, call the Century Branch Library at (850) 256-6217.
Unique Finds At Mission Archaeological Dig In Molino
June 26, 2011
Work is continuing at the University of West Florida archaeological field school at Mission San Joseph de Escambe near the Escambia River in Molino. The Mission was inhabited by Apalachee Indians and Spanish friars and soldiers from 1741 to 1761.
The Mission San Joseph de Escambe was the northernmost extent of Spanish influence in Pensacola, administered by Apalachee chief Juan Marcos Fant. A Franciscan missionary was stationed at the Molino Mission, along with 16 members of a Spanish cavalry unit that arrived in 1760. The Mission was burned during a Creek raid on April 9, 1761, with the survivors relocating to Pensacola.
For a Friday NorthEscambia.com story with more historical details on the Mission and photographs, click here.
Signs of the buildings such as the 1760 troop barracks within the Mission have been located, but researchers are still hoping to find remains of the Mission church.
Finds include a sherd of Mexican-made majolica, probably Abó Polychrome, with a colorful surface glaze (pictured top) and physical features such as the post hole pictured to the left (indicated by the darker remains extending downward). A necklace bead was located that dated between 1700 and 1800 that was possible made in Amsterdam – a common item on period Spanish colonial sites. Common items such as lead shot and a straight razor have also been uncovered.
Several prehistoric items from thousands of years ago have been located, including pottery.
The Mission site is located in a wooded area on private property not far from the Molino Boat Launch on Fairgrounds Road. The site is not open to the general public.
(Scroll down for additional photos.)
An unusual glass necklace bead found in Molino, believe to possibly be an 18th-century “melon bead” with a translucent cobalt blue color.
A large Native American piece with a foot-ring base, a relatively rare piece to be found on mission site, that was designed to be used on a flat table. The sherd is what archeologists term colono ware — Native-American ceramics that are crafted in European forms.
A master’s thesis by former UWF grad student Jennifer Melcher suggests that vessels such as this were probably made by Indians for the Spanish and sold on the local market.
A prehistoric piece of pottery associated with the Santa Rosa-Swift Creek culture from about 2,000 years ago.
A well preserved large wrought iron nail or spike (pictured left) and ( right) a lead musketball that is about 59 caliber.
NorthEscambia.com and UWF courtesy photos, click to enlarge.
Flomaton High Students Compete At SkillsUSA Nationals
June 26, 2011
Six Flomaton High School students were in Kansas City, MO, last week to compete in the 47th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Championship Conference.
Students who participated in the Quiz bowl competition were Katie Arrant, Tiffany Chavers, Victoria Creamer, Dylan Green and AJ Odom. Nicole Simpson served as an
alternate to the team. Accompanying the students were, SkillsUSA Advisor Jerry Aaron, Stacey Aaron, Bobby Simpson and Kay Lasala.
Formerly known as VICA (Vocational Industrial Clubs of America), SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled work force. SkillsUSA helps each student excel. More than 5,500 students from across the United States competed in 94 contest areas.
The Flomaton Students competed in Quiz Bowl. The Quiz Bowl tests a team of five competitors’ ability to quickly respond to questions covering the areas of academic knowledge, professional development and current events. The participants respond to a question by activating a buzzer system. The teams receive one point for a correct answer and lose a point for each incorrect answer. The active rounds (preliminary and finals) are 100 questions each. Students competed in April at the state level to earn the right to represent Alabama at the national level.
This year out of 36 teams, Flomaton High’s team finished 17th.
“I am very proud of our team, they worked hard to earn the money to get here, and they worked hard to represent Flomaton High School and the state of Alabama well” said Aaron. “I would like to thank the Curtis Finlay Foundation, for their generous donation which helped us get to Kansas City and helped these students have an experience they will never forget.”
Pictured top: Flomaton High School’s SkillsUSA students at the closing ceremony of a conference in Kansas City. From the left, AJ Odom, Tiffany Chavers, Nicole Simpson, Victoria Creamer, Katie Arrant, and Dylan Green. Pictured below: The group attended a Kansas City Royals game (front, L-R) Victoria Creamer and Nicole Simpson, (back, L-R) Dylan Green, Advisor Jerry Aaron, Tiffany Chavers, Katie Arrant and AJ Odom. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Attend Rural Electric Tour In Washington
June 26, 2011
Three North Escambia area students represented Escambia River Electric Cooperative during the annual Washington Rural Electric Youth Tour.
Taylor Byrd from Northview High School, and Caristyn Golden and Meredith Owens of Jay High School were among 1,500 youth leaders representing electrical cooperatives from 41 states during the week-long tour. Byrd and Gold were winners of the EREC Youth Tour contest held annually for juniors in the EREC service area, and Owens was the Florida Electric Cooperative Association Youth Tour winner for children of cooperative employees.
During the trip, the trio met with Congressman Jeff Miller and visited the U.S. Capitol where they learned more about how government works. During the Rural Electric Youth Day Program, they had an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the history of electric cooperatives and their importance to the communities they serve.
Bryd, Golden and Owens also visited the World War II, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean and FDR memorials; and Arlington National Cemetery. They had the opportunity to relax on the Potomac River during an evening boat cruise and visit many other places of interest. Youth Tour delegates also attended the opening night premier of “Wicked” at the Kennedy Center.
Pictured above: (L-R) Meredith Owens, Taylor Byrd and Caristyn Golden at the World War II Memorial during the Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.