Senior Play ‘Our Town’ Presented At NHS
May 4, 2008
The Northview High School senior class took to the stage Friday and Saturday nights to present “Our Town”.
There were 22 cast members in Northview’s production of Thorton Wilder’s “Our Town”. Set in the small New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners, Our Town is one of the most widely produced American stage plays.
Click here for a photo gallery from the NHS production of “Our Town”.
The Stage Manager, who serves as the play’s narrator and often delivers long monologues, introduces the audience to Grover’s Corners in 1901. In the early morning, only a few folks are about. The paperboy delivers papers. The milkman passes by. Dr. Gibbs has just delivered twins.
Then it’s just an ordinary day in Grover’s Corners. Throughout the morning and the rest of the day, the townspeople of Grover’s Corner eat breakfast, work in town, do household chores, garden, gossip, go to school, attend choir practice, and admire the moonlight. An attraction develops between young residents Emily Webb and George Gibbs, as they share algebra homework help from their respective windows.
Over the next two acts, the characters further interact to show small town life in Grover’s Corners. A lot happens in act two, but we don’t want to spoil it for you.
The final act takes place in a cemetery in 1913. It is set upon a hill overlooking Grover’s Corner. About a dozen people sit in several rows of chairs. They have patient and somber faces. The Stage Manager tells us that these are the dead citizens of the town.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church Holds Mother-Daughter Banquet
May 4, 2008
Rays Chapel Baptist Church held a mother-daughter banquet over the weekend.
Ladies from the church brought their favorite dinner ware to decorate the tables. Themes consisted of frogs, teapots, butterflies, patriotic themes and more.
Ladies who attended the banquet were asked to vote on their favorite table, and the winner was awarded a prize.
There were also prizes awarded to the mothers who had the oldest and the youngest daughters with them.
The speaker, Jeanna Lankford, talked about how precious a thing to make good memories with our families. A video of favorite family pictures set to music was presented by Lisa Weaver of Memories-N-Motion. Mary Enfinger entertained everyone with song. The overall theme of this years event was Making Memories. Some of the men from church were on hand to help serve fried chicken and the fixins. A wonderful time was had by all.
The event was planned and organized by Teresa and Adrea Watford.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the Ray’s Chapel Mother-Daughter Lunch.
Story and photos submitted by Ramona Preston for NorthEscambia.com. Click to enlarge.
North Pensacola Relay For Life Beats Goal
May 3, 2008
The North Pensacola Relay for Life was held this weekend at Tate High School. The goal for the annual relay event was $97,000, but it actually brought in $111,000.
There are about three dozen teams in the event, including several from the NorthEscambia.com coverage area.
Molino Park Elementary School and Aldersgate Methodist Church from Molino participated in the American Cancer Society fund raiser.
The North Pensacola Relay goal for this year was $97,000. About $85,000 of that had been raised before the relay kicked off. This year’s three dozen teams was about a dozen more than last year.
The theme for this year’s relay was “Cure Cancer…Live Happily Every After”.
Late Friday night, there was a Mz. Relay Contest — a woman-less beauty and talent competition.
At 9:00 Friday night, the Tate High stadium lights were cut and the stadium was lit with the glow of Luminaria bags, representing cancer survivors and victims alike.
For a complete photo gallery from Friday night at the North Pensacola Relay for Life at Tate High School, click here.
Pictured above and below: Members of the Molino Park Elementary School Relay for Life team, with their “Kick Cancer” theme. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Observes National Day of Prayer With Community Service
May 1, 2008
Dozens of people representing numerous churches gathered Thursday morning in Molino to pray on the National Day of Prayer.
“We pray for a special sense of You here in Molino, Lord,” Pastor Bryan Calhoun of Highland Baptist Church prayed. “We pray for revival here in Molino, and we pray that it would spread to Pensacola and around the world.”
About 125 people stood around the flagpole at Molino Park Elementary School at 6:50 Thursday morning to join in the non-denominational service. Those attending included pastors, moms and dads, teachers and others from the community. Children led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and in prayer.
“Dear Lord, we thank You for this day. Help the teachers get through the day,” one student prayed, bringing smiles to the faces of those in attendance.
“Thank you for letting us come here and pray at our school,” another student prayed.
About a dozen different churches were represented at the service. Baptists, Methodists, Catholics and more stood together and prayed.
“We pray for our churches. You told Peter that ‘upon this rock You will build Your church’,” Pastor Rob Hines from CrossFaith Church prayed. “Prayer affects the nation. Prayer is about to change something in this nation.”
A second Molino community-wide National Day of Prayer service will be held at 6:30 this evening at CrossFaith Church on Molino Road.
In the Bratt community, the sanctuary at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be open for prayer until 7:00 tonight.
Pictured above: A student leads the group gathered at Molino Park Elementary School in prayer. Pictured below: The sun rises as people pray; people gathered to pray; and students lead the Pledge of Allegiance. (Scroll down to see all photos.) NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Heather Leonard Retiring After Teaching Dance 14 Years In North Escambia
April 24, 2008
When the music fades after a dance recital in Flomaton Friday night, Heather Leonard will take off her slippers for the very last time as a dance teacher. She’ll head off for the traditional post-recital pizza with the girls, knowing that she’s not only taught dance, but has taught grace and self-respect to hundreds of girls across North Escambia.
After 14 years teaching dance in North Escambia, Heather Leonard is retiring, and she is closing her Heather Leonard’s Danceworks. She will end her career with her students’ final recital at Flomaton High School.
She has taught not just dance to girls from Jay to Century to McDavid to Byrneville to Walnut Hill. She has taught them self-respect, self-worth and a little bit about her Lord.
She began teaching dance as her business 14 years ago after moving to Byrneville. Her first classes were taught at the Byrneville Community Center, a location she would continue to use until just after Hurricane Ivan.
“When I came here it was the biggest blessing that no one had ever really danced,” she said. “I came in and had a fresh slate. Fresh kids with no experience. They got to be mine.”
She was happy that she got to teach the girls of North Escambia that they could respect themselves and still dance.
“I am a Christian, and my values do not line up with a lot of the dance community. I’ve tried to teach the girls that they are how God made them. They are precious, innocent. They are not trashy.”
“I look at the way the dance community is as a whole…cut throat, self-centered, eating disorders to be too thin, smoking, drugs. I can’t stand those things.” Those are the things that Heather crusaded against during her 14 years.
“Once I was saved, I looked to God who showed me that those things were not what He liked,” she said. “He brought me out of the darkness into His light. I became very focused on ballet and finding a way to teach the girls to love themselves the way He made them. I’ve always been very careful to lead them in the right way.”
“We love Miss Heather,” Chelsea Sims, a senior at Northview High School said. She is 17, and she has danced 14 of those years with Heather. “She’s so much more than a teacher. She’s our friend.”
“She helps us with our lives,” Sarah Killam, a freshman at Northview said. She is 15, and she has danced with Heather for 10 of those years. “She’s like a mom to us. Sometimes we will stay after class and talk to her about what is going on in our lives.” The photo to the left shows Sarah with Heather at one of Sarah’s first recitals.
“And she’s always worked to help us be better Christians,” Chelsea said.
“We can have Sunday School sometimes after dance,” Darbi Langhorne said. She’s now in nursing school at Pensacola Junior College. She has danced with Heather for 14 years.
The theme song for Friday night’s recital will be “Sharecropper’s Seed” by Christian artist Nicole C. Mullen. “So I’m praising the Lord of the harvest…God still cares for the least of these,” the song says.
“The Lord cares about everyone. He cares about you, about me. One of my relatives was having a hard time, addicted to drugs. It could have been me. It’s impresses me so much how much God cares,” Heather said. “This dance is dedicated to him.”
Every performance for Heather Leonard’s Danceworks always starts the same. “Before every performance we circle up and pray,” she said. “It has always been that way.”
For the past few years, her dance studio has been in the back of the Country Bumpkin building in Century. It’s nice studio…a mirrored wall, a proper wood dance floor and metal ballet bars.
“That’s not how we started,” Darbi said. “We started with a mirror on a wood frame we rolled out at the community center. The (ballet) bars were PVC pipe and duct tape. But we just danced anyway.”
Hurricane Ivan proved to be a test for Heather and her students. It heavily damaged the Byrneville Community Center where her classes were held. There was no ceiling, no heat and water puddled on the floor when it rained.
“But we were determined,” she said, “that Ivan was not going to beat us. It was a lesson in perseverance. We felt like we had to continue to show that we had not been beat by Ivan.”
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Heather and the three girls gathered around on the floor looking through a box of pictures (pictured above). They would laugh as they looked at 14 years of memories. Sometimes Heather would pause, a fond memory on her mind.
“It’s been a great time,” she said.
“I love it a lot. I’ve been dancing since I was three years old. There has never been a year since then that I did not dance.”
So why is she retiring from dance?
“The Lord put it on my heart to set dance aside,” Heather said. “He wanted to make sure I love Him more than I do dancing. He changed my life. He made me; He saved me. He wants me to show others how much He cares.”
She expressed her thanks to the North Escambia community for supporting her during her 14 years. And she expressed special gratitude to her husband Stephen.
“My husband has been so supportive over the years,” she said. “He was the brains behind the business. He helped me go into business without doing into debt, and to be a good steward. I appreciate him so much.”
The final Heather Leonard’s Danceworks recital will be at Flomaton High School this Friday night at 7:00. Admission is free.
For more photos from Heather Leonard’s Danceworks, click here.
Pictured top of page (L-R): Heather Leonard, Darbi Langhorne, Sarah Killam and Chelsea Sims practice their “Sharecropper’s Dream” dance. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Miss Century Sawmill Crowned
April 13, 2008
Jillian Hegyi (pictured above) was crowned the Overall 2008 Century Sawmill Queen in the 17th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant Saturday afternoon. The pageant was sponsored by the Century Lions Club.
For a complete photo gallery of all of the winners, click here.
Zinghoppers Delight Children At Century Branch Library
April 5, 2008
The Zinghoppers performed to the delight of children at the Century Branch Library Friday afternoon.
Click here for a complete photo gallery from the Zinghoppers at the Century Branch Library.
The Zinghoppers blend upbeat music, dynamic and playful lyrics, slapstick comedy and humor, along with important “edutainment” elements designed for the audience’s age group, the Zinghoppers are high energy fun!.
This upbeat show features a band of “animal friends”: Penelope The Possum (lead singer, bass), Coconuts The Kangaroo (drums) and Olo The Donkey (guitar). They are accompanied by their friend Conductor Jack (ukulele) who drives the Happy Train and joins the band on stage.
Entertaining children in an inspiring world where imagination will take them on amazing adventures, the Zinghoppers encourage kids to explore the world around them through music, movement and laughter – and they won’t even know they’re learning.
The characters in the Zinghoppers are like any group of young friends learning to develop positive relationships with each other. The show also reflects the importance of family and friends to preschoolers. While the animals in the band aren’t necessarily related, they act very much like siblings and they love and care for each other. Expressive movement is both vital to and loved by preschoolers whether it be through dancing or role-playing. The Zinghoppers include these elements. Also, children love to laugh at funny visual situations. Our characters reflect this: they too love to laugh and there is a significant amount of humor in the show.
Pictured above: Children and parents alike enjoy the Zinghoppers at the Century Branch Library Friday afternoon. Pictured below: The Zinghoppers. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos.
Century Celebrates 108 Years Of History
March 30, 2008
The Alger-Sullivan Historical Society celebrated the 108th birthday of Century Saturday with a day of activities.
The day began at 9:00 with the raising of the colors. There was a “War Between the States skirmish” reenacted, as well as an authentic Civil War canon firing. Visitors had the opportunity to visit a civil war campsite, enjoy food and live music, and visit the museums. A Mayberry sheriff’s car and Barney Fife look-a-like (pictured left, click to enlarge) were also on hand.
The events took place in the area of the Alger-Sullivan Historical District at Fourth and and Jefferson streets in Century.
For a complete photo gallery from Century’s 108th birthday celebration, click here.
Pictured above: A Civil War era cannon was fired for the 108th birthday of Century Saturday. Notice the fire shooting out of the front of the cannon at the exact moment it fired. Pictured below: A Civil War camp was setup in the Alger-Sullivan Historical District in Century. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Opera Visits Ernest Ward and Carver/Century With Paintball And ‘Chuck Norris’
March 29, 2008
It was like DIY, build it yourself, fill in the blank opera Friday at Ernest Ward Middle School and Carver/Century K-8 School when the Pensacola Opera presented “(Your) Opera in a Trunk”.
The traveling opera minstrels hit the stage with little more than a backdrop, a small wardrobe and a trunk full of assorted props. After a musical introduction to each voice style — the soprano, mezzo, tenor and bass — the Joker begins the one of a kind show. The Joker, who is a cross between a storyteller and a game show host, leads the audience in choosing the star of the show, the character names and the plot for the improvised opera.
“Incorporating audience suggestions, spontaneity and chance, improvisational performance truly explores the unknown. No two performances are the same as no two audiences are alike. Improvisation is cutting edge art where not even the performers know quite what is around the next corner or how the show will end,” said David Charles, creator, writer and director of the opera.
“It was real exciting; it was not like I thought it was going to be,” Ernest Ward seventh grader Kaitlyn Gunn (pictured left) said. “I really liked it. I thought it was going to be boring, but it wasn’t.”
Students at Ernest Ward first decided where their opera would be set. They had a choice of a paintball field, a busy New York street or a deserted island. They picked the paintball field… the Chuck Norris Paintball Field to be exact. Singers then chose the names of two students in the audience as their character’s names…Isaac and Rachel.
They chose for Rachel to be paintball ninja over being Chuck Norris’ number one fan or an itchy gymnast. Isaac was cast as the Paintball Ninja of Chuck Norris Paintball Field.
Then students were given the opportunity to name their “(Your) Opera in a Trunk”, and the winning name was “Splat!”. The mezzo singer was cast as Nancy the Ninja, which was picked by the students over Petunia the Paintball Referee and “Chuck Norris as a lady”. The soprano was cast as Rachel the paintball cheerleader, who later saw a pickpocketing monkey. “No one knows…the monkey is my secret,” she sang.
In the end, good of course triumphs over evil. Along the way, the action stops for the Joker to explain various opera terms to the audience, terms like aria, libretto and cadenza. They learn to say “brava” to applaud a female performer and “bravo” for a male performer.
Because the opera is improvised, this was “the very first and the very last time ever in the world this opera will be presented,” the Joker Timothy Kennedy said. The Ernest Ward performance was also the last time this group of performers will hit the stage together. All of the them except the maestro (the pianist) are from out of town, places like New York City and Chicago. They have been performing together since January at schools across the region.
“The Pensacola Opera holds auditions in Des Moines, Iowa, and New York City for these performances,” Kennedy said. “Most of them end up here from the New York auditions.”
In the production at both Ernest Ward and Carver, the performers were : Anna Steenerson, soprano; Dawn Pierce, mezzo; Todd von Felker, bass; Zechariah Baker, tenor; and Melissa Gilbert, the maestro.
Baker told the students he began singing opera just four years ago. He was serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq when someone sent him a Three Tenors CD, and he found that he was able to sing in a similar fashion. His commanding officers encouraged him to sing more, and “I decided then to become an opera singer,” he said.
One EWMS students asked if an opera star could break a glass. Kennedy explained that it was possible, but very few singers were able to product the pitch necessary to do so.
Friday’s performances were sponsored by a variety of private businesses and groups like the National Endowment for the Arts, the Arts Council of Northwest Florida and the University of West Florida.
Pictured above: The performers in “(Your) Opera in a Trunk”. Pictured below: Students at Carver/Century K-8 enjoy the Pensacola Opera. Ernest Ward photos are NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge. Carver/Century photos were submitted by the school.
Century Branch Library Celebrates Its First Year
March 26, 2008
The Century Branch Library celebrated a successful first year with an open house Tuesday afternoon.
Local dignitaries were on hand as Pensacola’s Impact 100 was honored for its $113,335 contribution that funded a children’s reading room and literacy center. The group, which is comprised of women that have donated at least $1,000 each, choose the Friends of the Pensacola Library as a grant recipient last year to fund the children’s programs at the new Century library.
A plaque to be placed at the library (pictured left, click to enlarge) honors Impact 100 for “outstanding vision and dedication in committing to the future of our community”.
“This is a wonderful thing,” Escambia County District 5 Commissioner Kevin White told those in attendance. “This is a good example of governments working together, with Escambia County and the Town of Century coming together on this.”
The library has issued about 900 new library cards since opening in Century, a town with a population of just 1,800, according to Bette Hooton, a board member for the West Florida Library. The Century library is a branch of the West Florida Library system and is located in the town’s former jail.
During the Century library’s first year, over 15,000 books and other materials have been checked out, and there have been over 5,000 adult uses of the public computers in the library. Hooton said 2008 kicked off with 2,008 people using the library in January of this year.
“This library I deem a success,” Hooton said.
Pictured top of page: West Florida Library Board Member Bette Hooton and Century Branch Library Director Patricia Rigel at Monday afternoon’s one year anniversary celebration at the library. Pictured below, top (scroll down to see all three pictures): Impact 100 Board Members Marny Needle (left) and Kathy Anthony (right) with the plaque honoring Impact 100 and Gene Fisher, director of the West Florida Library.
Pictured below, middle: (L-R) Gary Riley, Century council member; Sharon Scott, Century council member; Henry Hawkins, Century council member; Benny Barnes, director of the Century Chamber of Commerce; and (standing) Ann Brooks, Century council member, enjoy refreshments. Council member Nadine McCaw, who works at the library, was also present.
Pictured below, bottom: District 5 Commission Aide Susan Hendrix, Century Mayor Freddie McCall and District 5 Commissioner Kevin White at the library anniversary event. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
