2019 Annual Youth Art Exhibit Winners Announced
February 4, 2019
For the 65th year, the Escambia County School District has partnered with the Pensacola Museum of Art to present the Annual Youth Art Focus, an annual exhibition showcasing the talents of Escambia County art students and educators.
From now until Feb. 17, visitors can view the amazing works from over 500 art students and educators and take in their strong artistic achievements. The exhibition creates an opportunity for ECSD art students to experience the fine art world and enjoy the feeling that comes with having their work on display, celebrates ECSD art instructors for their talent, and invites the community to to take a glimpse at the thriving art world inside ECSD schools.
The 65th Annual Youth Art Focus exhibit is available for viewing now until Feb. 17, 2019. The 2019 student and instructor winners were honored at receptions for the artists and their families and friends last week. Stop by and enjoy all of their artwork! Museum hours and admission information is provided below.
The 2019 winners are:
Art Educators:
3rd – Denise Quirk Vowell, Love Bird, Hellen Caro Elementary School
2nd – Sarah Stubbs, Sweet, Northview High School
1st – Sarah Ingram, Restoration, West Florida High School
Best in Show – Katherine Discepolo, Tronco, Global Learning Academy
Student Artist Best in Show:
David Barthod-Perez, West Florida High, Forestful Rest
High School Student Artists:
Painting:
3rd – Katie Munoz, Washington, Moroccan Blues
2nd – Ben Crossin, Washington, Peacock
1st – Benjamin Darby, Pensacola High School, Look What You Have Done
Drawing:
3rd – Loc Pham, Washington, Yokai
2nd – Jolie Kennedy, Tate High, Metallic Slithering
1st – Scarlett Coffey, Washington, Self Portrait
Photography/Digital Arts:
3rd – Maggie Smartt, Escambia High, Shattered Fragments
3rd – Madalyn McGurk, Pensacola High School, Meadow
2nd – Raegan Tainter, Tate, Ladder to the Sky
1st – Ian Larrieu, Pensacola High, Reach
3-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Michelle Luther, Tate High, Autumnal Bowl
2nd – Chensen Nguyen, Escambia High, Vans Shoe
1st – Isabel Cauley, West Florida, Abraham
2-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Elijah Edmonds, West Florida High, We Took An “L”
2nd – Ian Young, West Florida High, Lakeside Village
1st – Savannah Creel, Washington High, X-Ray
Middle School Student Artists:
Painting:
3rd – Jasmine Felks, Bailey Middle, Wolf
2nd – Morgan Arreglado, Bellview Middle, Untitled
1st – Aiden Wilson, Bellview Middle, Untitled
Drawing:
3rd – Laynee Hubbell, Ransom Middle, Hybrid
2nd – Connor Hignite, Beulah Middle, Harmonious
1st – Monee´ Stokes, Beulah Middle, Emotional Singularity
Photography/Digital Arts:
2nd – Alyssa Allen, Beulah Middle, Reflection
1st – Adrienne Kimball, Beulah Middle, Friendship
3-Dimensional Works:
3rd – David Hathaway, Bellview Middle, Untitled
2nd – Gavin Pesta, Bailey Middle, Smoosh Face
1st – Jobey Conrad, Ransom Middle, Thoughts in Relief
2-Dimensional Works:
3rd – Patrick Rolin, Ernest Ward Middle, Untitled
2nd – James Harper, Beulah Middle, Man of Steel
1st – Nicole Lobo, Bellview Middle, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Cameron Keefer, Westgate, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Taylor Causey, Westgate, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Tyrese Thomas, Bellview, Untitled
Outstanding Artistic Achievement: Mya Dalton, Pine Forest High, Whos Kingdom
The museum is open Tuesdays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m. They are closed on Mondays. Admission costs are: adults $7 ($6 for military, seniors, AAA members, UWF Historic Trust Members and UWF Alumni Association Members) and students (3 – 14) $4 (younger than 3 are Free). EBT cardholders, with a photo I.D., can obtain four free admissions. UWF students and museum members also receive free admission.
FDOT: This Week’s Road Work Delays
February 4, 2019
Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on the following state roads in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties as crews perform construction and maintenance activities.
- Hanks Road Bridge Replacement over Breastworks Creek - Construction activities are scheduled to begin the week of Feb. 4. The roadway will be temporarily closed during construction. Drivers on Hanks Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to County Road (C.R.) 99 and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will utilize Pine Barren Road.
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 through Sunday, Feb. 10:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- U.S. 29 Widening from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 90A (Nine Mile Road) – The following traffic impacts will occur from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 through Saturday, Feb. 9.
- Nine Mile Road at the U.S. 29 Overpass: Alternating traffic shifts will direct all traffic onto the westbound or eastbound lanes as crews continue construction of the new northbound bridge deck. Nine Mile Road lane restrictions are Sunday through Friday.
- U.S. 29 between I-10 and 9 1/2 Mile Road: Drainage and paving operations continue. Drivers can expect alternating lane closures Monday through Saturday.
- · U.S. 98 (Chase Street) Resurfacing from North Palafox Street to State Road (S.R.) 196 (Bayfront Parkway)- Weather permitting paving operations from I-110 to Bayfront Parkway will resume the week of Sunday, Feb. 3. Lane closures will be in effect from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday.
- U.S. 98 (Lillian Highway) Resurfacing from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road– Drivers may encounter lane restrictions from the Perdido Bay Bridge to Dog Track Road as crews perform miscellaneous operations to complete the project. Lane closures will be in effect from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. Monday, Feb. 4 through Sunday, Feb. 10.
- Ninth Avenue Manhole Repairs - The northbound outside lane on Ninth Avenue will be closed at Jackson Street from 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6 as crews perform manhole repairs.
- U.S. 98 (Garden Street) Asphalt Repairs- The westbound outside lane will be closed from C Street to D Street from 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 to 5 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 6 as crews perform asphalt repairs.
- Crary Road Bridge Replacement over Pritchett Mill Creek- Crary Road is closed between Tedder Road and Byrneville Road as crews construct a bridge culvert. Motorists will be detoured via C.R. 4 and Byrneville Road. The project is anticipated to be complete spring 2019.
- Bratt Road Bridge Replacement over Canoe Creek - Bratt Road will continue to be closed near Canoe Creek. Drivers on Bratt Road, west of the bridge, will be detoured to Pine Barren Road and C.R. 4. Drivers east of the bridge will be detoured east on Bratt Road. The project is anticipated to be complete summer 2019.
Santa Rosa County:
- U.S. 98 Pensacola Bay Bridge Replacement – Lane closures will take place from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 through Sunday, Feb. 10:
- U.S. 98 east and westbound from North 14th Avenue in Pensacola to just east of the Pensacola Bay Bridge in Gulf Breeze.
- North 17th Avenue in Pensacola, between U.S. 98 and the CSX Railroad overpass (Graffiti Bridge).
- S.R. 4 Routine Bridge Maintenance over Cold Water Creek – Drivers will encounter alternating east and westbound lane restrictions over Cold Water Creek, about three miles east of S.R. 89, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 and Monday, Feb. 4 as crews perform routine bridge maintenance.
- I-10 Widening from Escambia Bay Bridge to Avalon Boulevard (S.R. 281/Exit 22) – The following construction related traffic impacts are planned for Interstate 10 and Avalon Boulevard the week of Sunday, Feb. 3:
- Work on the on-and-off ramps at the Interstate 10/Avalon Boulevard (State Road 281/Exit 22) interchange will require overnight closures Sunday, Feb. 3 through Tuesday, Feb. 5. Crews will be milling and resurfacing the following ramps between 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
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- Sunday, Feb. 3, I-10 westbound off-ramp.
- Monday, Feb. 4, I-10 eastbound off-ramp.
- Tuesday, Feb. 5, I-10 eastbound on-ramp.
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- Alternating lane closures on Avalon Boulevard, near the I-10 interchange, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday as crews perform construction activities.
- Alternating lane closures on I-10, from the Escambia Bay Bridge to east of S.R. 281, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 3 through Friday, Feb. 8 as crews work to widen the roadway.
- Drivers will encounter new traffic pattern(s) on I-10 east and westbound as crews reconstruct the inside and outside shoulders. This work will continue through spring 2019.
- U.S. 98 Safety Improvements at Constitution Drive and Navarre School Road- There will be eastbound lane closures near Thresher Drive Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. as crews construct aright turn lane.
- Drainage work is underway at Newport Street and Thresher Drive.
- Construction activities continue from Sunrise Drive to east of Cotton Bay Lane. Lane Closures will be in effect Sunday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. as crews perform concrete operations in the median.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling through a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Escambia BOCC Weekly Meeting Schedule
February 4, 2019
Here is a schedule of this week’s Escambia County public meetings:
Monday, Feb. 4
Northwest District 1 Advisory Committee – 6 p.m., Beulah Middle School, 6001 W. Nine Mile Road
Tuesday, Feb. 5
Planning Board-Rezoning – 8:30 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Planning Board-Regular – 8:35 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Environmental Enforcement Special Magistrate – 1:30 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Wednesday, Feb. 6
Contractor Competency Board – 9 a.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Development Review Committee – 1 p.m., Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 West Park Place
Thursday, Feb. 7
Community Redevelopment Agency – 9 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
Board of County Commissioners Agenda Review – 9:15 a.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Public Forum – 4:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
BCC Regular Meeting – 5:30 p.m., Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, Board Chambers, 221 Palafox Place
Saturday, Feb. 9
Escambia County Regional Roundup – 8 a.m. to noon, Escambia High School, 1310 N. 65th Ave.
Cantonment Man Facing Drug Charges After Bicycle Traffic Stop
February 3, 2019
A bicyclist from Cantonment is facing multiple felony charges after a traffic stop in Pensacola.
Billy Early Grantham, 37, was charged with cocaine possession, marijuana possession, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting. He remained in the Escambia County Jail Sunday with bond set at $13,000.
The Pensacola Police Department stopped Grantham as he rode his bicycle about 3:40 a.m. Monday on Pace Boulevard near Cervantes Street for not having a required light on his bicycle.
During the search, officers located a metal pipe with marijuana residue and over three dozen pills of various types of controlled substances including Tramadol inside a backpack, according to arrest report.
After providing consent to search, Grantham attempted to bolt away, and he was “assisted” to the ground by the police officer, the report states. At the jail, a corrections officer located a cocaine rock.
One Injured In Highway 29 Molino Rollover Crash
February 3, 2019
One person was injured in a rollover crash Saturday afternoon in Molino.
The wreck happened about 3:15 p.m. on Highway 29 at Highway 196. The injured person was transported by Escambia County EMS to West Florida Hospital.
The crash is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol.
The Molino and Cantonment stations of Escambia Fire Rescue responded.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bug Smarts! Escambia 4-H Team Wins State Insect Competition
February 3, 2019
The Escambia County 4-H Insect ID and Skillathon team placed first in the state, and the Junior 4-H team placed third in the Florida 4-H Insectathon contest recently at the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida. Several individuals also placed.
The contest consisted of insect identification, insect damage identification, a special topic quiz about the Asian citrus psyllid and insect collection judging.
The Escambia County 4-H Bug Club develops life skills in youth through activities related insects and entomology. 4-H members in the club learned life skills such as effective decision-making, critical thinking, goal setting, and teamwork.
Parking Lot Improvements At Molino’s Don Sutton Ballpark
February 3, 2019
Parking lot improvements are underway at the Don Sutton Ballpark.
Parking areas and an interior road have been paved, and a few parking spaces have been added. Pavement markings will improve traffic flow and parking availability, according to Mike Rhodes, Escambia County recreation director.
The work will be complete by opening day, he said.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
FHSAA Announces Volleyball Classifications For 2019, 2020 Seasons
February 3, 2019
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) announced Friday the classifications for the 2019 and 2020 girls volleyball seasons. As requested by membership, the classifications were determined solely based on each member school’s enrollment size.
Tate, Milton, Pace, Niceville, Crestview and Navarre are in 6A.
Class 5A includes Pine Forest, Washington, Escambia, Gulf Breeze, Fort Walton Beach and Choctawhatchee.
In Class 4A, West Florida and Pensacola High are with Walton, South Walton, North Bay Haven, Rutherford and Bay.
In Class 3A, Pensacola Catholic will compete with P.K. Younge and Oak Hall from Gainesville and Florida High and Barclay from Tallahassee.
Northview, Jay, Central, Baker Laurel Hill remain in 1A Rural.
The FHSAA will not be accepting any appeals of the newly announced classifications.
Pictured: Last season’s Tate High School volleyball seniors. File photo.
Public Input Meeting Planned For New District 1 Library
February 3, 2019
The public is invited to attend a meeting on Monday, February 25 at 6 p.m. to provide input and ask questions about the first public library in District 1. It is expected to be constructed starting in 2020.
The meeting will take place at Bellview Elementary School, 4425 Bellview Avenue District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, the Library Board of Governance and library staff will be in attendance.
West Florida Public Libraries will design the new library this summer, which will be the first public library in District 1. The future site is at the former Wells Fargo Bank at 6425 Mobile Highway, across the street from Bellview Elementary and Middle schools. The location also serves as a transfer point for high school students being transported to specialty career path schools.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Spread The (Budget) Love
February 3, 2019
Showing no signs of taming a ferocious debut as Florida’s chief of state, Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked off February with a $91.3 billion spending plan padded with a little something for everyone.
The governor’s budget proposal — the largest in state history — boosts funding for public schools, pumps money into water projects and trims taxes.
For those whose eyes glaze over when they encounter the words “budget,” DeSantis provided plenty of other fodder this week.
He quickly replaced former Secretary of State Mike Ertel, who got the boot last week after a racially charged photo emerged. DeSantis tapped Laurel Lee, a Hillsborough County circuit judge who is married to Republican state Sen. Tom Lee, to oversee Florida elections during the critical 2020 presidential election.
DeSantis also appealed to Common Core critics by directing the education department to revamp school standards.
As a member of the State Board of Administration, DeSantis endeared himself to Jewish Floridians by shaming Airbnb over the company’s decision against listing properties in the West Bank. The board took a step Tuesday toward imposing economic sanctions on the popular home-sharing platform over rentals in the West Bank, which is a major flashpoint in Israeli-Palestinian relations.
And DeSantis took the high road after the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that his 2018 election foe, Democrat Andrew Gillum, broke state ethics laws with trips to Costa Rica and New York and a pricey ticket to the Broadway hit musical, “Hamilton.”
Gillum, a former Tallahassee mayor who joined CNN as a political analyst this week, had been dogged throughout last year’s campaign by an FBI investigation into his city’s government.
When asked if he felt vindicated by the ethics commission’s findings, DeSantis said he’s “moved on.”
Gillum’s behavior was bound to create a problem, DeSantis, a former Navy prosecutor, said.
“But I’m not, like, rooting for him to fail. Look, the process will work, but I mean, I don’t have any ill will. I think he’s a talented guy. What I said in the campaign I think was accurate. But I’ve moved on,” he said.
BIG BUDGET DROP
DeSantis’ state spending proposal is a starting point for lawmakers, who will negotiate a 2019-2020 budget during the legislative session that starts March 5. The Legislature typically makes significant changes to spending proposals offered by governors.
Speaking to reporters in the governor’s large conference room Friday morning, DeSantis touted issues such as cutting taxes, with a move to hold down property taxes that otherwise would go to schools and providing popular sales-tax “holidays.”
“I said throughout the campaign, Florida being a low tax state, I think, has been integral to our success and our growth,” DeSantis said. “We want people who are working hard here to be able to live without being taxed excessively, and then we want to send a signal to the rest of the country that Florida is a good place to invest and move to because you’re going to be treated fairly.”
Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, issued a statement Friday saying he appreciated DeSantis’ recommendations, which he indicated “reflect many of our shared priorities.”
Galvano noted that senators are looking forward to a new estimate of general-revenue taxes. That revised estimate, expected later this month, could affect the amount of money lawmakers will have available when they negotiate the budget.
“Developing a comprehensive budget recommendation within the limited time following the election was certainly not an easy task, and I commend the governor and his staff for completing this critical component of our state budget process,” Galvano said.
CALLING IT QUITS ON COMMON CORE — AGAIN
Five years after then-Gov. Rick Scott took aim at Common Core, DeSantis said he’s going to wipe out the “vestiges” of the standards developed by officials in 48 states.
The State Board of Education in 2014 adopted what are known as the Florida Standards, a move that involved making changes to Common Core, which had become a target of Republican voters.
But during a news conference Thursday in Lee County, DeSantis said parents continued to express frustration about Common Core and issues such as standardized testing while he campaigned last year. The governor, who took office Jan. 8, said he was directing Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to undertake a process that will lead to new standards.
“I’m here to say when you complained about Common Core, I hear you, I told you I’d do something about it, and today we are acting to bring those promises into a reality,” DeSantis said.
Though Scott touted moving away from Common Core, Corcoran on Thursday said Florida has been “stuck” with Common Core and alluded to the Florida Standards as a rebranding.
“It’s all the same, it all needs to be looked at, it all needs to be scrutinized,” said Corcoran, who was a state House appropriations chairman in 2014 and later became House speaker. “And we need to sit down with the experts, the stakeholders, the great superintendents, the great leaders in the community and figure out how do we write the best, No. 1 standards in the United States of America.”
The announcement drew praise from the Florida Education Association, a statewide teachers union that has frequently clashed with Republican leaders over issues such as standardized testing.
Kurt Browning, superintendent of schools in Pasco County, said he supports “streamlining standardized testing” and other initiatives proposed by DeSantis. But the Republican schools chief expressed caution about moving away from the current standards.
Browning asked DeSantis and Corcoran “to consider the amount of time, funding, and effort teachers, administrators, and school districts have invested in professional learning, curriculum, materials and resources that align with our current standards.”
“My concern is that we not lose ground in the progress we have made toward ensuring our students are prepared for the demands of college and the workforce,” he said.
‘OBVIOUS ATTEMPT’ OR ‘COMPLETE COMPLIANCE’
In a 41-page report, lawyer Elizabeth A. Miller, the state ethics commission’s advocate, rebuked Gillum for allegedly accepting gifts from Tallahassee entrepreneur Adam Corey and from undercover FBI agents posing as developers. Corey had been a close friend of Gillum and lobbied the city commission.
Failing to report the gifts “is an obvious attempt to either conceal the gifts from the public or hide the fact that he accepted gifts from a lobbyist and principals of a lobbyist — both prohibited donors,” Miller said in the report released Wednesday.
In a closed-door meeting last week, the commission found probable cause that Gillum “accepted things of value based on an understanding his official action would be influenced and when he knew or should have known they were given to influence action in which he was expected to participate,” according to a news release that also was distributed Wednesday.
The panel found probable cause to believe the former mayor “misused his position to accept things of value for himself and others in return for access and influence.” And the commission found probable cause to believe Gillum accepted gifts with a value of more than $100 from a lobbyist or vendor of the city and failed to report the gifts. No probable cause, however, was found that Gillum solicited gifts.
Gillum, who will request a hearing in the case, has steadfastly maintained that he hasn’t broken laws or committed wrongdoing.
“I am confident that as we move through this and as a judge looks at the facts, they will determine that I have acted in complete compliance with the law,” Gillum told CNN host Chris Cuomo Tuesday night.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Ron DeSantis released his first budget proposal, a $91.3 billion spending plan that would be the largest in the state’s history if adopted by the Legislature.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “There’s no evidence he ever did anything for anybody in return for a gift. … This is all, frankly, trivial stuff.” — Lawyer Barry Richard, referring to the Florida Commission on Ethics finding of probable cause that his client, former Tallahassee Mayor and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum, broke state ethics laws.
by Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida