ECUA Elects Board Officers
November 18, 2016
The ECUA Organizational Board Meeting for 2016-2017 was held Thursday. Officers were unanimously elected among the Board members to fill the positions of chairman and vice-chairman of the Board.
Lois Benson, District 2, was re-elected to serve as board chairman, and Dale Perkins, District 4, was re-elected to the vice-chairmanship.
Also unanimously re-elected to the following positions were:
- Vicki Campbell, District 1, to the chairmanship of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee and Larry N. Walker, District 5, to serve as the vice-chairman.
- Deborah Benn, Chuck Kimball, Catherine Booker, Josh Womack, Michael Steltenkamp, Randy Ponson, and Louise Ritz, were unanimously appointed to serve as members of the Citizens’ Advisory Committee.
Operation Christmas Child Collection Week At First Baptist Bratt
November 18, 2016
Volunteers have been busy this week at the First Baptist Church of Bratt during “National Collection Week” for Operation Christmas Child. For the 23rd year, the simple, gift-filled shoe boxes will bring Christmas joy and evangelistic materials to children in over 130 countries across the world.
National Collection Week for OCC is November 14-21. The First Baptist Church of Bratt is the official OCC Relay Center for the north end of Escambia County, FL.
Pastor Tim Hawsey, Relay Center coordinator, said the shoe boxes are distributed by trained local pastors and volunteers around the world…right where the children live. The children that receive the box are invited to participate in a twelve step bible study called The Greatest Journey translated into their native language and taught by local people the children know.
Collection hours at the First Baptist Church of Bratt will be:
- Friday, Nov. 18: 8 a.m. – noon, 4-6 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 19: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Nov. 20: 9 a.m. – noon, 4-7 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 21: 8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Operation Christmas Child boxes should be packed in a specific manner. For more information, call Hawsey at the First Baptist Church of Bratt at (850) 327-6529, visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ, or call (800) 353-5949. Resources are available for churches that wish to participate.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Scott Heads To NY, Meets With Trump
November 18, 2016
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who led a political committee that raised $20 million to help Republican Donald Trump’s campaign, traveled to New York City on Thursday to congratulate the president-elect on his victory last week and to offer help “to reinvent the federal government.”
Scott tweeted two pictures of himself and Trump, who were both smiling broadly, taken at Trump Tower.
“Great seeing my friend @realDonaldTrump today,” Scott tweeted. Later in an interview on Fox News, Scott reaffirmed that he wants to remain as Florida’s governor, although there has been speculation he could join the Trump administration, possibly as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“I’m not interested,” Scott told Fox News anchor Neil Cavuto. “I’m interested in doing whatever I can to help him rewrite Obamacare, redesign the government and help him work with the 33 Republican governors who have great ideas to help him be successful. If he’s successful, Florida will be successful.”
Asked to react to the possibility of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who had been a harsh critic of the president-elect, becoming Trump’s secretary of state, Scott said: “It’s the Trump administration. It’s always going to be the Trump administration. It’s going to be what his beliefs are. All this talk about different positions and things like that, it’s still the Trump administration.” Scott told Cavuto “that you should surround yourself with people who believe in what you’re doing and are going to do everything they can to support you.” But Scott recalled his election in 2010, when most of the Republican establishment did not support him, and said “I had to forget some of the things that people said” as he created his first administration as governor. Scott expressed confidence that Trump would be successful in establishing a leadership team. “Donald Trump is going to find the best people. He’s going to make sure they do their job. He’s going to hold everybody accountable.” Scott, who like Trump was a business executive before winning his first political office, said Trump “has specific goals to get things done.” In addition to repealing Obamacare, Scott said: “We have to get rid of a lot of parts of government that doesn’t work. So much of federal government, there is no return on investment and Donald Trump is going to focus on that.”
by The News Service of Florida
Fall Gulf Coast Small Farms Field Day Held
November 18, 2016
UF/IFAS Extension hosted the Fall Gulf Coast Small Farms Field Day on Thursday at the West Florida Research and Education Center in Jay.
Topics covered during the day included:
- Using Protected Agriculture and Hydroponics to Meet Demand for High Value Specialty Crops - Bob Hochmuth
- FDACS Best Management Practices for Vegetable Producer - David Cambron, FDACS
- BMPs: Nutrient Management, Water Protection & IPM
- High Tunnel Trials: Kale, Swiss Chard & Carrots
- Marketing to Niche Markets
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Work Underway On Nine Mile, Highway 29 Widening Projects
November 17, 2016
Work is in the beginning stages on Nine Mile Road and Highway 29 widening projects that will continue for the next several years.
The Florida Department of Transportation says most the work drivers can see taking place along Nine Mile Road between Pine Forest Road and Highway 29 is being performed by various utility companies as they relocate and make improvements to their facilities before road construction can begin. Trees and other vegetative debris that is being removed is being burned on-site.
What drivers on Highway 29 do not see are the drainage operations taking place in the four storm water retention ponds located off the main corridor. Truckloads of 66-inch drainage pipe that will be used at a drainage pond was recently delivered.
FDOT has awarded two construction contracts totaling $46 million to improve Nine Mile Road from Beulah Road to Highway 29. The project includes widening Nine Mile Road from two to four lanes.
FDOT has also awarded a $48.9 million construction contract to reconstruct Highway 29 from I-10 to just north of Nine Mile Road. Work includes widening the roadway from four to six lanes and replacing the Highway 29 bridge over Nine Mile Road.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blackwater State Forest Grows By 625 Acres
November 17, 2016
The Blackwater State Forest has grown by over 600 acres.
The Trust for Public Land announced Wednesday that 626 acres of Wolfe Creek Forest has been acquired and added to the Blackwater River State Forest. The acquired property includes frontage on Big Coldwater Creek, which is widely used for kayaking, tubing, and canoeing by community members. It also includes a spring-fed state paddling trail beloved by area paddlers and birdwatchers.
This acquisition will also protect naval air base operations, water sources, public recreational activities, bird migration, and habitat for endangered species and other wildlife. The Trust for Public Land purchased the property on October 18th from CF Florida, LLC. The purchase price was $1,526,038.85 and was sold to the State of Florida for the same price on November 4.
“Incorporating this section of Wolfe Creek Forest into the Blackwater River State Forest protects it from development, forever, protecting both the natural resources on the property as well as assuring continued naval air station operations. Our goal is to make sure this land remains a recreational hub and habitat center for generations to come while investing in the future of Whiting Field,” said Trust for Public Land Project Manager Doug Hattaway.
Funding for the acquisition came by leveraging both Florida Forever funds, with the US Navy contribution through its Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program. Protecting the property ensures that land adjacent to the base will not be incompatibly developed in ways that may limit flight operations and vital military training.
NAS Whiting Field is the busiest aviation complex in the world, accounting for nearly 15 million annual flight operations including primary flight training for over 1,200 students and is the host of 21 tenant activities. Additionally, approximately 600 new helicopter pilots are winged annually and 100 percent of all Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots are trained at NAS Whiting Field. The base supports over 14,000 local jobs and is a vital economic engine for the area with more than $1.1 billion in economic impact on the local economy.
The acquisition will also accelerate efforts to fill in a strategic landscape-level gap of long leaf pine forest. Land management will see to the replacement of existing commercial tree species with the native long leaf pine species. Longleaf Pine Forests once covered over 90 million acres in the Southeastern United States but prior logging practices reduced their range to only about 3 million acres.
Bringing back the native trees will provide the habitat upon which several endangered animal and plant species, such as the red cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake, black-bear, and gopher tortoise depend.
Molino Christmas Parade Set For December 3
November 17, 2016
The 14th Annual Molino Christmas Parade is set for Saturday, December 3 at 11 a.m.
The parade route starts at the west end of Crabtree Church Road and ends and the Molino Ballpark were Santa Will be waiting to visit with all the good little boys and girls.
To participate in the parade, preregister at Jimmy’s Grill or register the day of the parade. Registration fees are $30 for floats; $20 for vehicles, motorcycles, tractors or golf carts; and $10 each for horses. No 4-wheelers or go-carts. All proceeds go directly back to the community to help children in need.
For more information, contact René at (850) 255-3330 or Jimmy’s Grill at (850) 754-0041. Donations such as toys and non-perishable foot items can be dropped off at Jimmy’s Grill.
The rain date will be Sunday, December 4 at 2:30 p.m.
Pictured: The 2015 Molino Christmas Parade. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
FWC Law Enforcement Report
November 17, 2016
The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the weekly period ending November 10 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
While on patrol in Pensacola Bay, Officer Allgood found numerous fisheries-related violations including possession of red snapper during the closed season, undersized red snapper and undersized gag grouper. Four criminal summonses were issued for some of the fisheries violations as well as multiple warnings and infractions for boating safety and resource violations.
Officers Allgood and Clark conducted several resource inspections while on patrol in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and found violations involving possession red snapper during closed season. Six citations and associated warnings were issued for the violations.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
No report submitted this week.
This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.
Let The Miracle League Fry Your Thanksgiving Turkey
November 17, 2016
Volunteers from the Miracle League of Pensacola will fry your turkey for you on Wednesday, November 23, saving you the time and trouble while benefiting the charity. And there is still time to make an appointment.
Completely thaw your turkey, removing all of the inside packaging and giblets. Write down exactly how much your turkey weighs so it is fried perfectly and take it to the Miracle League Park at 555 East Nine Mile Road from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 23. For a monetary donation to Miracle League, the volunteers will fry your turkey to perfection. A minimum of $20 per turkey is necessary to help cover costs, and any additional donation will benefit the Miracle League of Pensacola.
Call (850) 426-6466 with questions or to schedule your time (leave a message if no answer). Reservations should be made early as the number of time slots is limited.
Council On Aging Needs Heaters, Blankets; Offers Cold Weather Tips
November 17, 2016
The Council on Aging of West Florida needs to your help to help local senior stay warm this winter.
The COA is accepting monetary contributions and donations of new heaters and blankets for the elderly. Drop off donations at the Council on Aging office located at 875 Royce Street in Pensacola between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., or call (850) 432-1475 for more information.
This winter season the elderly in particular may be vulnerable and at risk for developing hypothermia, a deadly condition caused by a drop in body temperature. The best way to prevent hypothermia is to stay warm.
Here are some winter safety tips:
- Keep your home comfortably heated.
- Wear several layers of loose clothing. Tight layers of clothing can keep your blood from flowing freely, which can lead to loss of body heat.
- Wear a windproof and waterproof coat or jacket if you plan to be outdoors.
- If your hands and feet are cold, put on a hat. This causes your body to send more warm blood to our hands and feet.
- Use a scarf to cover your neck.
- At night, use hot water bottles, heating pads and electric blankets to help keep you warm.