the road to the crown Part Two
January 16, 2008
Today we continue with part two of a five part series “the road to the crown”. We are following 25 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2008.
In today’s installment of “the road to the crown”, we’ll introduce you to a few of the girls, and take you behind the scenes at Tuesday afternoon’s pageant practice.
“Smile,” says Anna Barry, the pageant coordinator. “You’ve got to smile at the judges, and speak into the microphone. The judges don’t know you…you’ve got to make a good impression.” Anna is pictured in our little “the road to the crown graphic” on the left.
Anna has worked with the girls for weeks now, all in preparation for Saturday night’s show. “Keep your head up”, “smile”, “stand like you are proud of yourself”, she tells the girls over and over.
After all, Miss Northview High School is not a beauty pageant. It’s not all about looks. It’s about poise, athletic fitness, public speaking and self worth.
Alisha Holland, a freshman at Northview, agrees.
“I want to prove that you don’t have to be skinny and beautiful to be Miss Northview High School,” Alisha said when asked why she aspires to be Miss Northview High School. The other girls around her applauded her comments.
She said the hardest part of the pageant practices so far has been the physical fitness routines. “It is kind of scary if you don’t have rhythm. But I really enjoy working with the other girls.”
Samantha Merritt, a Northview junior, says she wants a chance at the crown because “Miss Northview sets a good example for the other girls; they look for a role model.”
“I’ve never taken part in anything like the pageant,” said junior Olivia Bryan. “The most frightening part was the first day of practice, being so nervous. But the whole thing has been great.”
Most of the girls will tell that one of the toughest parts of the pageant is picking out the dress. Not just any dress will do. It has to be the perfect dress.
For Olivia, shopping began online. But she ended up finding the perfect dress three states away at a friend’s shop in Louisiana.
But one girl has an even better story to tell about buying her dress. We at NorthEscambia.com think her dress buying story is unique enough that we are going save it for another day in our series “the road to the crown”. Check back. We’ll post her story either Thursday, Friday or Saturday morning as part of our series.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning until Saturday. Then, on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
To view yesterday’s installment of “the road to the crown”, click here.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 19 at 7:00 in the school auditorium. Admission is $5 per person. Advance tickets are on sale now in the school office. Tickets must be purchased in advance; they will not be available at the door.
All photos on this page are NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, and can be clicked to enlarge.
the road to the crown Part One
January 15, 2008
Join NorthEscambia.com today through Saturday for a five part series “the road to the crown”. We will follow 25 young ladies at Northview High School in their quest for the crown and the title of “Miss Northview High School” for 2008.
We’ll introduce you to each girl and go behind the scenes for a look at a Northview High School pageant like you have never seen before.
A new installment of “the road to the crown” will be posted each morning beginning today and continuing until Saturday. Then, on Sunday morning, we’ll introduce you to the new Miss Northview High School.
The annual Miss Northview High School Pageant will be held on Saturday, January 19 at 7:00 in the school auditorium.
“This year we have 25 talented and lovely young ladies competing for the title of Miss NHS 2008,” said pageant coordinator Anna Barry. The pageant is sponsored by the Northview High Varsity Cheerleaders.
Admission is $5 per person. Advance tickets are on sale now in the school office. Tickets must be purchased in advance; they will not be available at the door.
Today, we begin with a group photo of all the young ladies participating. Scroll down below the photo for their names. Click the photograph to enlarge.
Top Row L to R: Blaze Green, Tiffany Barrows, Kolbi Cobb, Summer Sanders, Amber Holland, Katie Mann, Heather Ward, and Caitlin Spence
Next Row L to R: Shakeria White, Alicia Holland, Ande Gideons, Olivia Bryan, Allison Spence, Haley Knapp, and Felicia Settle
Next Row L to R: Brooke Tullis, Ashley McGhee, Samantha Merritt, Chelsea Sims, Ashley Snow, and Ashleigh Rooks
Bottom Row L to R: Magen Weekley, Lauren Cloud, Kayla Hall, and Tori Chavers
In Front: Miss Northview High School 2007, Miss Dani Tyree
NorthEscambia.com photo.
County Honors Walnut Hill Man For 37 Years Service To FHP
January 11, 2008
The Escambia County Commission Thursday night passed a proclamation honoring Harold O. “Sonny” Blum of Walnut Hill for 37 years of service as an auxiliary trooper.
Sonny joined the Florida Highway Patrol Auxiliary on March 27, 1970. During his 37 years volunteering with the auxiliary, he logged over 30,000 hours of service. That would be almost three and a half years at 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
NorthEscambia.com sat down with Sonny Wednesday night at his Walnut Hill home. When we contacted him, he had no idea that the county was going to honor him with the proclamation the next evening. He was a bit surprised, he said, as be began to relate a tale 37 years in the making.
“I got into it because a buddy of mine got into it,” he said. “I enjoyed working with them, and I know that I am going to miss it.”
“We’ve had some good times. We’ve had some bad times,” he said.
During those 37 years with the FHP, Sonny became the first auxiliary trooper to ever be awarded Trooper of the Year. He was awarded Trooper of the Year a second time, and was also awarded the highway patrol’s Medal of Valor.
His first Trooper of Year award and the Medal of Valor were awarded after he and fellow trooper Johnny Freeman rescued two teenage boys from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sonny remembers that day in 1996 like it was yesterday.
“We happened to be down there talking to a ranger (near the Gulf) on Johnson Beach Road,” he said. “Then there was a call on the radio that kids were drowning in the Gulf behind the condo we happened to be at. They were being pulled out by the undertow.”
“We knew we had to do something,” he said. He had never been trained in water rescue. But off came the gun belt and other equipment, and into the waters of the Gulf he and Freeman went, pulling the boys to safety. “They were just so young, like 13 or 14.”
The two Mississippi boys were visiting with relatives in Pensacola.
Mississippi holds some of Sonny’s worst memories. Prior to joining the FHP Auxiliary, he volunteered for REACT — the Radio Emergency Associated Communication Team. REACT volunteer teams would volunteer to assist with various emergencies.
Sonny’s REACT team was sent to Biloxi after Hurricane Camille. Their job was going to be simple…assist victims in contacting their families across the country to let them know that they were okay using HAM radios.
“It was terrible.”
He sat quiet for a moment.
“It was terrible; it was a mess,” he said. “There were 20 something bodies floating. They had a hurricane party. None of them had survived.”
“There was this lady. There was this lady. Her trailer was gone, but the railing on her steps was still there. She was still holding onto the railing. She had drowned. She had drowned holding onto that railing. She was just there, still holding on.”
Not all of the memories are bad. Well, at least not bad in the same way as the Camille story.
It was 1994. The scene was an ordinary day, on patrol in an Escambia County neighborhood. A lady flagged them down on a residential street.
“My daughter is having a baby in the bathroom,” she told Sonny.
“I’d rather have worked an armed robbery,” he said.
Sonny delivered the baby in the bathroom of the home before the fire department and ambulance personnel arrived. The cord was tied off with a hair clip. The baby did not breathe at first. Mouth cleaned out. Nothing. Patted on the rear. Nothing. Held upside down and patted on the feet. Crying. “That was a good moment,” he said.
The baby girl was wrapped in Sonny’s FHP jacket. He met the firemen at the door, baby in hand. “You’re running a little late,” he told them.
There was almost another baby delivery in Sonny’s future. He and his partner had just left Sacred Heart Hospital. They found a van stopped in the street near the hospital, traffic blocked. A lady in labor did not think she was going to make the short distance to the hospital ER.
His partner called the ER and had them on standby.
“We ARE going to make this one,” he told his partner. “We drove her really fast to the ER, and they were standing out there waiting.”
It was a close call. But nothing like one he experienced at a pawn shop on Fairfield Drive.
He and his partner were the first on the scene of a break-in at the pawn shop.
“They were stealing guns. One came out with a shotgun. We told him to drop it. But he didn’t,” Sonny said.
“When you pull the trigger slowly on your gun, there’s like this little click when the hammer pulls back. I keep telling him to drop his weapon. I squeezed the trigger on my gun. I felt the click. At that point, you are so close to firing.”
“Then he dropped the shotgun. I caught the hammer of my weapon with my hand. It was so close. I thanked God that I did not have to shoot anybody.”
“I always wondered what would happen in a situation like that. I never got shook up until after it was over.”
Now that his 37 years of service is over, the 70 year-old looks back fondly on all those years in the auxiliary. He pauses for a moment when asked about the length of time, as if he realizes just how long 37 years is.
“I did a lot of things. A lot of things. It’s been a long time.”
He will turn 71 on Valentine’s Day. Thirty seven years of service to the FHP. That’s over half of his life dedicated to service the citizens of Escambia County in the trooper auxiliary.
But he’s not done with life. In fact, he gets up every weekday morning at about 4:00 and leaves for work in Pensacola before 5:00. That’s right…work.
He works weekdays from 6:00 until 2:30 at Pensacola Glass Company, mostly running deliveries.
And by the way…he’s not driving what’s typically thought of as an older person’s vehicle. No big car for Sonny. Weather permitting, he rides a motorcycle to and from work in Pensacola.
He plans a little cross country motorcycle trip to see a daughter in California later this year. He plans to work on his house, plans to add a bull to his pasture, and just plans to enjoy living in Walnut Hill.
“It so peaceful here,” he said. “I love it up here out of the hustle and bustle of Pensacola. Everybody is so nice here.”
“I may be retired, but if anybody in this community needs me, all they have to do is ask and I’ll be there to help them.”
Thirty seven years of community service. And still counting.
Snowflakes For Century Care Center
January 10, 2008
The residents of Century Care Center decorated snowflakes Wednesday for residents under hospice care.
Sally Cary with Covenant Hospice of Northwest Florida joined the Century Care residents in an arts and crafts program.
While working on the project, Care provided Mardi Gras beads, King Cake and punch for the residents.
Photos submitted by Mae Hildreth, Century Care Center.
Seniors Ring In the New Year Tuesday In Century
January 1, 2008
Seniors at the Century Care Center rang in the New Year in a grand fashion Tuesday. The residents enjoyed a little “bubbly”, finger foods, cake and ice cream. The party was complete with party favors and hats as the Century Care Center residents welcomed 2008.
Click any of the photos on this page to enlarge. Submitted Photos by Mae Hildreth. Scroll down for more pictures.
Locals Cut Their Own Christmas Tree At Davisville Tree Farm
December 26, 2007
Many area residents enjoyed Christmas tradition this year with a fresh, locally grown Christmas tree.. The Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm in the Davisville community was open everyday until Christmas.
“You come here for the old time experience,” said farm owner Andy Bogdan. “This is so much more than just a plastic tree.”
Visitors to the Christmas tree farm stroll around the trees, which are located in an “L” shape field around a scenic pond with a fountain and ducks. Once the perfect tree is found, visitors can cut their own tree with a supplied saw, or have Bogdan cut it down.
The tree is then shaken to remove any loose needles (and bugs), then it’s ready to head home or it can be bagged for easier transport.
During the “experience”, visitors can also enjoy free cookies, apple juice, candy canes for the kids and lots of Christmas music. “The kids can run and play, and have the time of their lives looking for just the right tree,” Bogdan said.
Tree varieties include Virginia Pines, Leylend Cypress and Carolina Sapphires. If you have allergies, he said the Leylend Cypress is the perfect tree. It will not drop needles and has virtually no smell. The Carolina Sapphire has an intriguing aroma that is a mix of lemon, lime and mint. The Virginia Pine has that classic pine Christmas tree smell.
True fresh cut trees cut on the farm will last from before Thanksgiving until well after Christmas, Bogdan said.
Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm is one of the few remaining Christmas tree farms in Northwest Florida or South Alabama, and is the only one in the immediate area. There were a few more prior to hurricane Ivan and Dennis, Bogdan said, but most did not survive.
“You had the direct damage from the wind,” he said. “Then you have the delayed die back from damage to the trees. Exotic bugs and fungus that were not here before were blown in, and trees around here had no resistance.”
“That stress really made the drought this summer even worse,” he added. But the trees have had good growth since the hurricane. An average seven or eight foot tall Christmas tree will grow from a seedling in about four years. “They grow much faster here in the South than they do up north,” he said.
With a little straightening and tender loving car, Bogdan’s trees post-hurricane are ready for a living room and a visit from Santa. Prices vary depending on the variety of tree and height.
Bogdan and his wife moved to the Davisville area from Miami after he retired from Eastern Airlines. He was looking for a little something to do in his retirement and settled on Christmas tree farmer about 10 years ago.
“I’d never farmed before, but ended up with a Christmas tree farm,” he said. “But it’s a nice business. It’s not like being a doctor or a lawyer where people you deal with are not happy. At a Christmas tree farm, everybody is happy when they come here.”
For more photos from the Christmas tree farm, click here.Pictured top: A few of the trees at the Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm in Davisville. Pictured middle: At the Christmas tree farm, you can use one of their saws to cut your own tree. Pictured below: The Country Pine Christmas Tree Farm stand with tree accessories plus goodies like free apple juice, cookies and candy canes for the kids. Click to enlarge. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Red Hat Ladies Meet At Fran’s In Molino
December 18, 2007
The ladies of the Red Hat Society held a luncheon Monday at Fran’s Diner in Molino, complete with dancing, laughter and more laughter.
The Red Hat Ladies are the ladies seen meeting together in red hats…there are often pink hats too. The red hats are for ladies over 50; the Pink Hatters are ladies that have not reached “the birthday” of 50. The purpose of the Red Hat Society, according to their web site, is to have fun.
“Little girls grow up, but they’re never too old to play dress-up and have tea parties,” the web site says.
From the “Dazzling Divas” to the “Fairhope Floozies”, everyone had their fair share of fun Monday at Frans. Ladies that ranged from 65 to 90 danced the “Electric Slide” and the “Cha-Cha Shuffle”.
Nan Johnson, a Fran’s regular, headed up Monday’s show. She, along with her group the “Dazzling Divas”, hosted the luncheon. It included skits, giveaways, singing from Nan’s daughter Jennifer and a lot of laughter.
The ladies had a variety of advice on how to have a long, happy life. Suggestions made Monday included to live, laugh, love often and eat at Fran’s diner where the food is great and the service is better.
Click here for a photo gallery from the Red Hat Ladies luncheon at Fran’s Diner in Molino.
Photos and story submitted by Tina Pendleton.
Santa Visits Century Library Reading of “Polar Express”
December 13, 2007
Santa paid a surprise visit to the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon to the delight of dozens of children on hand to hear a reading of The Polar Express.
In The Polar Express the main character, a young boy, is taken away on the Polar Express train to the North Pole on Christmas Eve. He receives a bell from a harness on one of Santa’s reindeer. The bell does not ring until he truly believes in Santa.
After reading the book, the children were shown a bell that did not ring. When they agreed that they truly believed in Santa, the bell rang. Then Santa appeared at the door.
Each child received a bell, a refreshment gift bag and a wrapped present. The presents turned out to be brand new books. The refreshment bags included hot cocoa mix…Thursday was National Cocoa Day.
The Century Branch Library will present the move The Polar Express at 1:00 Saturday afternoon at the library. The free event will include popcorn and drinks. For more information, contact the library at 256-6217 .
For a complete photo gallery from Santa’s visit to the Century Branch Library Thursday, click here.
Century Care Residents Treated To “Cunningbells” Performance
December 10, 2007
Residents of the Century Care Center were treated to a Christmas handbell performance by the local ensemble the “Cunningbells” Sunday afternoon.
“It was a first for many,” said Mae Hildreth, a member of the activies department at CCC. “We thank them for enriching the lives of our family.”
Many From North Escambia In Atmore Parade
December 8, 2007
Many North Escambia residents participated in the Atmore, AL, Twilight Christmas Parade Saturday evening, and hundreds more from North Escambia watched.
The Northview High School Tribal Beat band, the Northview cheerleaders, the Ernest Ward Middle School cheerleaders, the Ernest Ward FFA, the Bratt Assembly of God, the Walnut Hill Baptist Church and the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department all participated in the parade.
Bratt Assembly, Walnut Hill Baptist and the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department all had floats in the parade. The theme of this year’s parade was “Imagine a Fantasy of Lights”.
For a complete photo gallery featuring the participants from North Escambia, click here.
NorthEscambia.com also has complete coverage of Saturday’s Molino Christmas Parade here.
