Photo Gallery: Jay Crowns Miss Cotton Bowl 2009
March 8, 2009
The Miss Cotton 2009 pageant was held Saturday night in Jay.
The annual womanless beauty pageant is sponsored by the Jay Medical Center Relay for Life team. Proceeds from the pageant go to the American Cancer Society.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured above: Don Ripley, Century Care Center director, as nurse “Anita Cocktail Smith”. Pictured below: Miss Cotton Boll 2009 is crowned. Submitted photos by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Meeting Malcolm: Thomas Pays Surprise Visit To Northview High School
March 7, 2009
For a few minutes Friday morning, Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas was not focused on the 40,000 students in the district, but on Northview High School senior Timeka Marshall and an assigned paper.
“You’ve got to persuade people with what you write,” Thomas told Marshall in the school’s media center. She was working to prove in her paper that television is harmful to people.
“How can you prove that? How can we find information to prove it?” the superintendent asked.
“I’m looking up a lot of facts,” she said. “I’ve got a lot so far.”
Thomas, sitting at a Northview media center table and reading over Marshall’s notes, asked what she planned to do after high school.
“Probation officer,” she responded. “I’ve been accepted to Faulkner State, and I plan to apply to others.”
“Good plan,” Thomas said. “This girl has got it together. I’d be proud to call her my daughter.”
That’s the way Thomas spends many of his mornings…visiting one of the district’s schools or centers. He’s not talking to just the administrators, but to the teachers, staff and the students. Northview made 53 schools he has visited since taking office.
In the school office, he met senior Ashley Snow (pictured left) who works for the school under a cooperative education program. She also works at the Movie Gallery and is looking at a job at the Atmore YMCA.
“Work her hard so she’ll know what the real world is like,” Thomas said.
In the media center, Thomas also met senior Shaquaina Lewis. She was also working on a paper. The subject? Helping mentally ill patients recover without pills.
“They should be able to,” she told the superintendent. “And if they can’t, I’m going to be the one to figure out how to make them recover one day.”
The smile on Thomas’ face was apparent. Later, outside the media center, he said it was students like Lewis that inspired him.
“She has a goal,” he said. “She’s going to do her paper, and if she finds out that it can’t be done, her goal is figure out how to get it done. She has a real future.”
That is Thomas’ goal…to get it done. But in order to meet that goal, he believes his school visits will help understand the way to accomplish his goal of building the best school district that he can.
At each of the schools he visits, he asks at least two teachers or staff members three questions: “How’s your family?” “Do you have the tools you need to get your job done?” and “Give me the name of somebody that has helped you do your job better or has improved the school.”
When he gets home at night, he hand writes those helpful people a thank-you letter and mails it to their homes. He even buys the stamp.
In these days of budget cutbacks, school closures and money, money, money — Thomas is not about to make the district pay for his early morning trips to the schools in the district.
In fact, he won’t let the district pay for any of this travel, whether it be to Northview or Gainesville.
“That’s what you do when you lead,” he said. “In these hard times, you have to lead the way.”
Thomas said the school visits are one of the best parts of his job.
“Everything we do is about the people in the schools,” he said. “I enjoy meeting them face to face.
Pictured top and bottom: Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas helps Northview Senior Timeka Marshall with an assignment. Pictured middle: Thomas meets NHS senior Ashley Snow. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Carver/Century Students Pocket Hundreds Of Dollars In FCAT Cash
March 7, 2009
Carver/Century K-8 held their FCAT Cash Grab Thursday and Friday. Students were awarded dollar coins and $2 bill for their gains on the FCAT practice test.
“Remember the FCAT is next week, and we are going to work to do our best,” Principal Jeff Garthwaite told the students Friday morning. “What level do we want?”
“Three!”
“Four!”
“Five!”
The students around the cafeteria yelled the score they thought they would make on the FCAT.
“Are we going to do our very best next week?” the principal asked.
“Yeah!” the students yelled.
The school handed out almost $400 in their FCAT Cash Grab.
The money for the school’s cash grab was from the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit corporation committed to enhancing the quality of public education in Escambia County by encouraging innovation and excellence in the classroom.
During Friday morning’s FCAT Cash Grab, third grader Zynaisha Davis, fifth grader Joshua Tyus, third grader Nyk Gransision and fourth grader Markayla Bradley were the randomly chosen students that got to grab as much cash as they could with one hand from a bowl filled with coins.
Click here for more photos from the Carver/Century FCAT Cash Grab.
Pictured above: Fifth grader Joshua Tyus grabs all the money he can during the Carver/Century FCAT Cash Grab Friday morning at the school. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Green Eggs And Ham…Bratt Celebrates Dr. Seuss Birthday
March 6, 2009
Students at Bratt Elementary School took part in the Read Across America and celebrated the 105th birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss this week.
In the first grade, students wore Cat In The Hat style hats. They also made edible hats, read stories and took part in other activities to celebrate the birthday of Theodore Geise, better known as Dr. Seuss.
On the morning announcements, first grade teacher Mrs. Trice, talked about Dr. Seuss and read passages from a variety of Dr. Seuss books. Librarian Mrs. Jeter introduced a biography about Dr. Seuss and a Cat In The Hat video that played over the school’s closed circuit television system.
Other classes wore Cat In The Hat paper hats and participated in a variety of activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and promote reading.
For more photos from Mrs. Trice’s class, Mrs. Gilmore’s class and Mrs. Perritt’s class, click here.
Pictured above: Mrs. Trice’s first grade class at Bratt Elementary School celebrates Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Cancer Stinks; City Hall Gets Skunked
March 6, 2009
Cancer stinks, and something stinky is going on around Century. And you could be next.
The Century Town Hall and its staff were “skunked” Thursday afternoon. On the Town Hall lawn, a sign proclaimed “You Have Been Skunked”.
It’s all for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life. The Century Branch Library’s team will place the skunked sign and skunks at the location of your choice for $5.
Once you’ve been skunked, the sign stays until you donate $5 to relay for life. If you never want to be skunked again, that takes a $10 donation to Relay for Life.
To have someone skunked, call the library at at 256-6217.
Pictured above: The Century Town Hall was “skunked” Thursday afternoon as part of a Relay for Life fund raiser. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
ACLU Lawsuit, Judge’s Order Prompts Prayer Rally At High School
March 5, 2009
An ACLU lawsuit and a federal court judge’s order against any prayer or promotion of religion has prompted over a dozen Santa Rosa County churches to organize a prayer service at Jay High School.
“We are going to come as Christians, not any denomination, and offer prayer that our students will serve the Lord,” said Pastor Mitch Herring of Poplar Dell Baptist Church. His church is located in North Escambia, but he is taking part in the service because he lives in Jay.
“We want the children to know we are for them, even though they took Baccalaureate away from them,” the pastor said.
U.S. District Court Judge Casey Rodgers issued an injunction banning prayer and religion in Santa Rosa County Schools following an ACLU lawsuit against Santa Rosa County. That injunction prevents the school district from promoting or sponsoring prayers during school-sponsored events, including graduation; planning or financing religious Baccalaureate services; holding school-sponsored events at religious venues when alternative locations are reasonably available; and prohibits school officials from promoting their personal religious beliefs in class or during school-sponsored events and activities.
That order has also prompted many Escambia County high schools, including Northview, to eliminate a school sponsored Baccalaureate this year.
Several Jay churches are currently working together with the Jay Royals senior class to organize a Baccalaureate service.
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at least 14 churches will come together on the baseball field at Jay High School to pray for the students in the Jay area. Herring said the gathering will not be impacted by the judge’s order because the event is not school sponsored, and the churches are paying to rent the facility under district guidelines.
“We want to encourage these kids to stand in their faith,” the pastor said, “and let them know that they have people praying for them. We want the Lord to raise up leaders at our schools.”
Under the judge’s order, Herring said, teachers are not even allowed to pray for students if the student asks for prayer.
Want to go? The prayer service will be held at Jay High School, Saturday, March 14 at 4 p.m. It is open to the public, not just to people connected to Jay High School or Santa Rosa County.
Honors For Bus Drivers From Bratt, Carver/Century And Molino Park
March 5, 2009
Three North Escambia bus drivers have been named as School Bus Operator of the Month at their elementary school.
Drivers of the month are Mikie Johnson from Molino Park Elementary, Vicki Godwin from Carver/Century School, and Vicki Eubanks from Bratt Elementary.
Tina Vickery, route supervisor for the north sector of the Escambia County School district, says the three were chosen by their peers for professionalism, team support and overall good work.
“These drivers work so hard to safely transport students everyday to school and back home,” Vickery said. “I am very proud of each of these ladies.”
At a recent awards ceremony at the Panhandle Restaurant in Century, the drivers were given their award and a gift bag.
Pictured above: North sector School bus Operators of the Month are (L-R) Vicki Godwin from Carver/Century, Mikie Johnson from Molino Park Elementary, and Vicki Eubanks from Bratt Elementary. Submitted photos for North Escambia.com.
Local Woman A Calendar Girl At 102 Years Old
March 4, 2009
Elmira Gandy Crapps, age 102, of Gandyville is the March “calendar girl” for the National Centenarian Awareness Project.
Her photograph and a brief biography are featured on the March calendar page of the NCAP (pictured left), a non-profit groups that celebrates active centenarians as role models for the future of aging. Each month the group presents remarkable centenarians and feature one on their inspirational calendar.
To read a NorthEscambia.com story about her 102nd birthday party, click here.
To learn more and download the March calendar page, click here.
The following is the story of Elmira Gandy Crapps, as submitted by Vicki Gandy Bagget:
“Another year, another president.” Those are the sentiments voiced by Gandyville’s oldest resident, Elmira Gandy Crapps, who celebrated her 102 birthday on Jan. 25 . Family and friends gathered at Poplar Dell Baptist (where she has been a member for over 75 years) on Saturday for the birthday celebration. “It’s a family event that we all really look forward to,” says nephew Bill Gandy. “We did the exact same thing with her father, John O. Gandy, who lived to be 108 and the reason for the naming of our community, Gandyville.”
Aunt Myra (as she is affectionately known throughout the community) is the third Gandy descendant to live over 100. In addition to her father, Aunt Myra’s great uncle lived to be 108. Two of her brothers lived to be 90 or older too. Aunt Myra traveled to this area with her parents, John and Victoria, four brothers (Colonel, Erastus, James and J.L.) and one sister (Eunice). She eventually met and married W.H. (Haynes) Crapps, and together they created a successful trucking business called Gulf & Southern Transportation, which operated for 45 years in Century and provided hauling services for timber, lumber and equipment. Although the couple had no children, they enjoyed 65 years together before his death. “I learned a lot about money,” Aunt Myra claims, “by being in business with my husband all those years.” She says she can sum it all up with this: “Don’t spend what you don’t have.”
It’s this kind of advice that Aunt Myra leaves to present and future generations, and her advice is being well-received as it is currently expected for inclusion in the National Centenarian Publication, a worldwide organization that honors citizens who are 100 years old or older. In answering the questionnaire for the Centenarian, Aunt Myra had to reflect on finances. She said that bonds, savings accounts and CD’s are the best and safest places to invest money, and a person should invest at least 20% of their annual income with an additional 10% going to charity and tithing. “Avoid debts. Do without if possible,” she advises. “This is something that a lot of younger people (ages 20 to 60) don’t seem to understand. I don’t think they manage their money well. Too many of them want handouts.”
In addition to her husband, Aunt Myra credits her parents for teaching her about finances. “We never went hungry because we raised our own beef and grew our own vegetables, but no matter how much we had, we were taught to share it with others. Papa said that God always notices those who serve others.”
Of the things invented during Aunt Myra’s lifetime, the two that have affected her the most are central heat and refrigeration. “We used to be so cold, especially at night, so when central heat came along, I just couldn’t get over it. And when we first got a refrigerator, I knew I could really stock up on all those sweets that I love!” she claims.
Having enjoyed excellent health all of her life, Aunt Myra credits good habits and good sense for this. She still tries to walk every day, and she has never smoked or drank. “I’m so thankful I can still get around,” she says. Coincidentally, she renewed her driver’s license two years ago and is still able to drive to church, the beauty shop and the grocery store.
When asked about some of her favorites, she listed “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire,” and “Andy Griffith” at the top. Christian Evangelist Billy Graham is one of her favorites as well, but she says that Roosevelt was by far her favorite president because he helped put people to work. “I liked his work vision for the United States,” she adds.
Will Aunt Myra make it to the 108-year mark like her father and great-uncle? “I never thought I would make it to 100! I just want people to remember me as being an honest, Christian person who always wanted to do the right thing. I want people to remember me as a lady who tried to live for the Lord, not necessarily one who lived to be 100+.”
Last year the Town of Century proclaimed Jan. 25 as the Elmira Gandy Crapps Day, and although most people would enjoy the publicity of this, Aunt Myra remains humbled. “I don’t know. I just had my very first fortune cookie, and the message inside was this: ‘The way to enjoy the future is to invent it.’ I’ll just keep on inventing my future as long as God allows.”
Pictured above: 102-year old Elmira Gandy Crapps receives a proclamation in honor of her 102nd birthday from Century Mayor Freddie McCall at Poplar Dell Baptist Church. Pictured inset middle: The calendar page featuring “Aunt Myra”. Pictured inset bottom: North Escambia resident Elmira Gandy Crapps at 102. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Students Make Wacky Photos Of Teacher
March 3, 2009
Northview High School celebrated National FBLA week with several contests, including a typing contest and a wacky photo contest.
In the fastest typing contest, Joshua King won a $20 gift card to Walmart for being the FBLA’s best. He typed 84 net words a minute for three minutes.
The students also took part in the wacky photo contest. They were given a photo of business technology teacher Donna Smith (left) and told to make it “wacky”.
Eric Ickeringill’s rendition of Mrs. Smith as a PBS star Bob Ross from the “Joy of Painting” won. He also received a $20 gift card.
In the wacky photo contest, students were told use “Photoshop, Paint, or whatever software program you wise, enhance Mrs. Smith’s photo. For example, you can give her a halo, horns, mustache, etc. Be creative!”.
To see other entries in the wacky photo contest, click here..
Pictured top: Eric Ickeringill’s wacky photo of Northview business technology teacher Donna Smith. Pictured middle: The original photo. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ Presented To Ernest Ward Principal
February 28, 2009
Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry received what was, without a doubt, the most unique award of her entire educational career Friday afternoon.
She was presented with the “Golden Cow Dung Award” by members of the Ernest Ward FFA. The award featured a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color.
(Cow dung, in case you did not know, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field.)
Perry received the award from the school’s FFA members as a “thank you” for supporting FFA.
Friday wrapped up National FFA Week at Ernest Ward. “Step Up, Stand Out” was the theme of National FFA Week this year as more than half a million members around the nation participated in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels.
EWMS FFA sponsor Cynthia Wilson said the group wanted to thank Perry for her continued support of the organization. She also said she wanted to thank the area farmers and other member of the agricultural community that support the FFA.
Pictured top are(L-R) Clarissa Ross, Shelby Lewis, Codie Calloway, Dustin Parker, Devin Bell, Nancy Gindl-Perry, Cynthia Wilson, Lauryn Walker, Sandy Rainwater and Harley Caraway. All were dressed for “Farm Day” at EWMS. Pictured left: Ernest Ward Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry and her Golden Cow Dung Award. Pictured below: The Golden Cow Dung Award. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
