Molino Library Progessing Toward Opening Date
December 23, 2012
Weeks after the grand opening of the new Molino Community Complex, the Molino Library is making some visual progress toward an opening date.
Furniture was delivered last week for the library.
“We are still waiting on the shelving to be completed, computers installed and books to be transported. Of course there are a lot of little things in order to prepare for opening,” Librarian Pat Rigel said. A specific opening date for the library has not yet been set.
Rigel is also looking for an artist to donate their time to paint a mural on the wall of the library’s children’s area. For more information, contact her at the Century Library, (850) 256-6217.
The Molino Community Complex project included the conversion of the old Molino School in to a library, community center and museum. There was also a new 7,000 square foot facility constructed for the tax collector and property appraiser. The project was funded by local option sales tax monies, with a ribbon cutting held back in October.
Pictured: Furniture was delivered last week for the new Molino Library. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Century’s Old Fashioned Christmas Light Display
December 23, 2012
Thousands of cars pass the Century Roadside park each evening, very few stopping to enjoy the old-fashioned Christmas lights.
The lights, which became Century’s after the City of Pensacola upgraded some number of years ago, include a large North Pole house, “The Jolly Trolley”, and Santa with his sleigh and reindeer.
Today, we take you inside the park at North Century Boulevard (Hwy 29) and Hecker Road for an up close and personal look at the lights.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: No. 1 North Pole Place, part of the Town of Century’s Christmas lights display. Pictured inset: A clown fires and “animated” cannon. Pictured below: The Jolly Trolley. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
North Escambia Trash Pickup Is Monday
December 23, 2012
ECUA residential sanitation collections scheduled for Tuesday will be made one day early, on Monday, December 24. The change includes garbage, recycling and yard trash collection across most of the North Escambia area.
Dumpster service collections for commercial customers will be made on Wednesday, December 26 instead of Tuesday, December 25.
For more information, click here.
How Much Do Those Christmas Lights Cost On Your Power Bill?
December 23, 2012
Have you ever wondered just how much it costs to light up your house and tree for the holidays? Probably less than you think, according to Gulf Power. The utility says it costs about $1.40 to run a string of 200 miniature holiday lights for about five hours a day for 30 days.
To save money, the company recommends the purchase of LED Christmas lights — the cost to power 200 LED bulbs five hours a day is only about 19 cents for a month. According to the Alliance to Save Energy, each LED bulb uses only about one-tenth of the energy used by traditional mini-lights. And, LED lights last a long time and don’t produce heat, which helps eliminate fire hazards.
Last Minute Christmas Gift Bargains: Try An Area Thrift Store
December 23, 2012
If you are looking for bargains on your last minute Christmas shopping, one of the thrift stores operated by an area non-profit might just have what you need. From the We Care Economy Shops in Atmore and Flomaton, to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Century, to the Molino Thrift Store, the deals await Christmas shoppers looking to save.
We Care Economy Shops, Atmore and Flomaton
The We Care Economy Shops in Flomaton and Atmore offer a wide variety of merchandise, from clothing for the entire family to housewares and furniture in their thrift shop.
The store also sells a variety of toys, furniture seasonal items and clothing. All of the items are inspected before being sold, and some items are new.
Proceeds from the store fund the We Care Program, a prison ministry program founded in 1970. The We Care Program spreads their message in prisons, including Holman and Fountain in Atmore and the Century Correctional Institute.
The We Care Economy Shop in Flomaton is located on Highway 31 about a half mile from Highway 113 in a former hardware store building. The We Care Economy Shop in Atmore is located downtown at the intersection of Highway 31 and Main Street.
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, Century
The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store also offers a variety of merchandise at bargain prices.
The store offers a vast array of items including glassware, toasters, lamps, couches, desks and office equipment, books, movies, shoes and the complete range of clothing in their new location on North Century Boulevard next to the Dollar General.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international organization with a mission to help the poor and homeless. Their thrift stores are a way of raising money to accomplish that mission.
Molino Thrift Store
The Molino Thrift Store offers a full selection of merchandise at discount prices.
The Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store is a little different that many other thrift stores. Not only are the prices lower than some thrift stores, the business has a mission of reaching out to those in need and returning their profits directly to the community.
According to Manager Jason Lee, a Baptist pastor, the store returns 10 percent to churches in the community.
The Molino Outreach Ministry Thrift Store is located on Highway 29 at Molino Road, in the former Grocery Advantage building.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Christmas Recipes: Apples, Sweet Potatoes And A Quick Breakfast Brunch
December 23, 2012
Today’s Christmas recipes feature an Apple Caramel Pudding and a Sweet Tater Cheesecake. We also have a Farmer’s Omelet Casserole that’s easy to cook and would provide a hearty Christmas morning breakfast or brunch for everyone.
To submit your recipes to share with our readers, email them to news@northescambia.com.
Farmer’s Omelet Casserole
by Terri Brown
- 3 cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes
- 1 cup chopped green pepper, divided
- 1/3 cup chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 18 large eggs, beaten
- 2 1/3 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 1/4 cups chopped tomato, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (coarse grind is best)
- 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Cook potato, 3/4 cup green pepper and onion in oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, stirring constantly, 8 min. or until tender. Cool potatoes if preparing the night before. Combine potato mixture, eggs, ham, 1 cup tomato, salt and black pepper in a large bowl; stir well. Pour mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake, uncovered at 325 for 40 minutes or until golden. Top with remaining 1/4 cup green pepper and 1/4 cup tomato. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake 5 more minutes until cheese melts.
Apple Caramel Pudding
by Janet Smith
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups chopped peeled apples
Combine first five ingredients; then add apples and milk. Blend thoroughly and pour into 8″ square pan.
Combine:
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 3/4 cup boiling water
Mix sugar, boiling water and butter and pour over the batter already in pan. Bake
at 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Seeve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Very simple but rich dessert. Serves 4 to 6
Sweet Tater Cheesecake
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 cup whipping cream (cool whip will work if no cream handy)
- 1 1/2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed (NOT CANNED)
Graham Cracker-Pecan Crust
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
- 1/2 cup melted butter
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 425°.
Crust:
Combine crust ingredients thoroughly; press into a 10-inch springform pan.
Beat cream cheese, sugar, and eggs until smooth; beat in flour, cinnamon, and ginger. Beat cream and well-mashed sweet potatoes in on medium speed of a hand held mixer just until well-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared crust. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; lower heat to 275° and bake 1 hour longer. Turn heat off and leave in the oven to cool for several hours, or cool on a wire rack. Serve with sweetened whipped cream or caramel sauce.
Early Morning House Fire Claims Two Lives
December 22, 2012
Fire claimed the lives of two people Saturday morning near Canoe, Alabama.
A small wood frame home on Sycamore Road at Jerkins Loop was fully involved and almost burned to the ground when the first firefighters arrived on scene just after 5 a.m.
The fire reportedly began when 58-year old Perry Buckhault was loading or lighting a wood-burning heater when he somehow set himself on fire. Buckhault and a second person in the house, identified as Leanna Redmond, perished in the blaze.
Buckhault’s wife, Ida Mae, reportedly tried to put the fire out but was forced to escape. She suffered minor burn injuries and was evaluated on scene by EMS.
Multiple departments from Atmore to Flomaton to Walnut Hill responded to the blaze. The Alabama State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing their investigation into the blaze.
Pictured: Firefighters found two victims inside this home which was almost burned to the ground when they arrived Saturday morning near Canoe, Alabama. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge
Florida Unemployment Rate Drops; Escambia And Santa Rosa Up
December 22, 2012
The latest job numbers released Friday showed the unemployment rate up just in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, while Florida saw improvement statewide.
Escambia County’s unemployment rate inched up from 8.1 percent in October to 8.2 percent in Nover. There were 106 more people reported unemployed during the period, for a total Escambia County unemployment of 11,242 people. One year ago, unemployment in Escambia County was 9.9 percent.
Santa Rosa County unemployment was also up slightly from 7.0 percent in October to 7.1 percent in November. Santa Rosa County had a total of 5,073 persons reported to be still unemployed. The year-ago unemployment rate in Santa Rosa County was 8.9 percent.
In Escambia County, Alabama, unemployment down from 9.6 percent in October to 8.2 percent in November. That represented 1,206 people unemployed in the county during the month. The year-ago rate was 9.0 percent.
The jobless numbers released by Florida and Alabama do not include persons that have given up on finding a job and are no longer reported as unemployed.
Florida’s jobless rate fell in November to 8.1 percent, its lowest rate since late 2008, sparking optimism from Gov. Rick Scott who outlined a list of economic bright spots Friday. The November rate was a 0.4 percentage point drop from October and 2 percentage points lower than November 2011, the Department of Economic Opportunity reported Friday.
Florida continued to close in on the national jobless rate, which fell 0.2 points to 7.7 percent in November.
Alabama’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, at 7.5 percent in November, was down from October’s rate of 8.1 percent and was below the year-ago rate of 8.3 percent.
Dept Of Ed Releases High School Grades
December 22, 2012
School grades for high schools were released Friday by the Florida Department of Education.
Every high school in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties maintained their school grades from last year, with the exception of three. In Escambia County, Northview slipped from a B to C, and in Santa Rosa, Jay and Pace improved to A status.
The school grades are a Department of Education representation of how schools are performing relative to state standards.
Tate and Pensacola High both received a B-rating despite earning enough points to be labeled as A schools. Both were penalized because the graduation rate was not increased by 5 percent or more among “at-risk” students – those that scored a poor 1 or 2 on the FCAT in reading or math in eighth grade.
FHSAA Announces New Football Districts – Big Changes For Tate, Catholic
December 22, 2012
Friday, Florida High School Athletic Association released tentative football classifications and districts for the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years.
The proposed classifications mean a big change for Tate, big miles for Catholic and the same big dreams of a state championship for Northview.
Four schools — Tate, Crestview, Navarre and Niceville — will form a new District 1-7A. The six other big schools in the area — Escambia, Milton, Pace, Pensacola, Pine Forest and Washington — will remain in 6A.
A growing Catholic High will have some serious road trips with a move to 1-3A, a district that includes only schools in the Jacksonville area. The Crusaders can appeal to move up to 4A with schools in Tallahassee, Marianna and DeFuniak Springs. Or Catholic can appeal to jump into 1-5A with West Florida, Gulf Breeze and three Panama City area schools.
Meanwhile, District 1-1A remains the same for the next couple of years, with the state champion Northview Chiefs, Jay, Baker and Freeport.
The district announcements won’t become final until after a January 18 appeals deadline passes.
District 1-7A
- Tate
- Crestview
- Navarre
- Niceville
District 1-6A
- Escambia
- Milton
- Pace
- Pensacola High
- Pine Forest
- Washington
District 1-5A
- West Florida
- Gulf Breeze
- Panama City Arnold
- Panama City Bay
- Panama City Rutherford
District 1-3A
- Catholic
- Jacksonville Bishop Snyder
- Jacksonville Episcopal
- Jacksonville Providence
- Jacksonville Trinity Christian
- St. Augustine St. Joseph
District 1-1A
- Northview
- Jay
- Baker
- Freeport