Still Wait And See On Century Lumber Industry, Jobs
July 10, 2011
Things have been pretty quiet around the old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company property in Century since a ribbon cutting back in October 2010 for a group of new businesses including Century Lumber and Land. According to the town’s mayor, financing delays stalled a real opening date.
But there’s still a glimmer of hope that Century Lumber and Land will bring new jobs to the Century area, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, who said he met with the company’s leaders last week.
“It all sounded very encouraging,” McCall said, “but it was nothing I can take to the bank at this time. It’s still wait and see.”
Century Lumber and Land unofficially announced a venture with several other companies at a September 2, 2010, meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce. Century Lumber and Land Manager Jim Craft said at that meeting that the operations would eventually employee 300 to 500 people within a 36 to 42 month period.
A ribbon was cut for the companies in October — before the company actually owned the Alger-Sullivan property.
In early April 2011, Craft told a meeting of the Century Chamber of Commerce that “we now own the property”. But as of this week, records indicate that the property was last sold in 2006 to DMT Holdings, Inc. of Navarre and still belongs to that investment group.
As of April, over 3,000 people had already applied for one of just a few hundred jobs expected to be available initially at Century Lumber and Land, according to Catharine Jeter of Workforce Escarosa.
Pictured top: A group hoping to apply for a job gathered during the ribbon cutting for Century Lumber and Land last October. Pictured below: The old Alger Sullivan Lumber Company, and the planned future home of Century Lumber and Land, sits idle. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Forestry Officials: There’s Still A Drought And Burn Ban
July 10, 2011
Officials with Florida Forest Service’s Blackwater Forestry Center are reminding residents of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties that the area still is in the depths of an extreme drought and that both counties are still are under county-issued burn bans.
Even though parts of the district have seen moderate rainfall, 75 percent of the area is between 600 and 700 on a scale of 0-800 the standard drought index scale. Fire danger index ratings for the region have dropped to the “Moderate to High” levels.
“Despite improving conditions, Forest Service crews are maintaining a high level of fire readiness and have been busy recently,” according to Joe Zwierzchowski, information officer for the Blackwater Forestry Center.
Escambia County crews recently responded to a late night wildfire near Sorrento Road and Nighthawk Lane near Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park. The 15-acre fire was sparked by lightning and did not threaten any structures.
In Santa Rosa County, Wildland Firefighters responded to a wildfire in Holley by the Sea subdivision. Three homes were threatened by the three-acre blaze and one outbuilding and a privacy fence were damaged. The fire was started by two young adults, 18 and 19 years old, shooting fireworks in a backyard.
Learn To Preserve Fresh Fruits And Vegetables At Workshop
July 10, 2011
Escambia County Extension and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will present a “Preserving the Essence of Summer Food Preservation Workshop.”
The workshop is Tuesday, July 26th, from 10:00 a.m. until noon, at the Langley Bell 4-H Center, 4810 W. Nine Mile Road.
Organizers say it is easy to preserve your juicy, ripe, fresh fruits and vegetables, and home canning is a wonderful way to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables from your garden or the local farmers’ market.
The workshop will teach the simple ways to save the season’s bountiful harvest and capture the fresh flavors of summer. The cost is only $5, but you must pre-register to
ensure adequate supplies.
To register or get more information, please contact Colethia Lewis, Escambia Extension, at (850) 475-5230 or colethia@ufl.edu.
Escambia Committee Meeting Agendas Now Available Online
July 10, 2011
Agendas for several Escambia County committees are now available online.
The committee agenda page of the county’s website (click here) currently includes meeting agendas for the following:
- ID Inspections Fund Advisory Board
- Board of Adjustment
- Community Redevelopment Agency
- County Investment Advisory Board
- Development Review Committee
- Extension Council
- Marine Advisory Committee
- Planning Board
- Public Safety Coordinating Council
- Contractor Competency Board
Seven more committees will post their agendas online prior to their next meeting. They are:
- T Governance Council (no date set)
- Environmental Enforcement (no date set)
- Tourist Development Council (no date set)
- Animal Services Committee July 19
- Board of Electrical Examiners July 21
- Mass Transit Advisory Committee July 13
All Santa Rosa Libraries Have A New Phone Number
July 10, 2011
Each Santa Rosa County library now has a new phone number.
The new number (850) 981-READ (7323) is the only number residents will need to reach any of the five Santa Rosa County libraries or library administration office. The phone system allows residents to request renewals, account information, and library service information by dialing one number. The new system not only provides enhanced customer service for library customers, but also provides a savings of almost 40 percent per year, according to Santa Rosa County.
Consolidating the six separate systems into one allows staff to transfer calls throughout the system and simplifies the process of changing recorded service messages like holiday closures and special announcements. To help in the transition, the current phone numbers will have a recorded message of the phone number change as well as announcements posted in each library and provided on bookmarks to take home.
Citizens Insurance Builds Reserve For Hurricane Claims
July 10, 2011
Citizens Property Insurance Corp. has lined up another $900 million to help pay claims if a major hurricane hits Florida.
The Citizens board recently heard a presentation about the sale of bonds, scheduled to close July 14, that will give the state-backed insurer about $6 billion to cover claims in coastal areas.
The insurer also will have about $3.1 billion that has accumulated to pay claims in other areas of the state, spokeswoman Christine Ashburn said.
Citizens is the largest property insurer in Florida, with 1.358 million policies as of May 31.
Featured Recipe: Pork Blade Steak Piccata
July 10, 2011
Pork Blade Steak Piccata, from Food Network star Guy Fieri’s new book “Guy Fieri Food” is an off-the-hook take on a classic, and it’s sure to light your creative fires.
Pork Blade Steak Piccata
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
4 1-pound pork blade steaks
1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Marinade:
1⁄4 cup garlic cloves, smashed (about 12 cloves)
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1⁄2 cup white wine
1 1⁄2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly cracked
1 1⁄2 tablespoons lemon zest, grated
3 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
In medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and stir until fully incorporated. Add blade steaks, cover and marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 3 hours) at room temperature.
Preheat grill to high.
Remove steaks from marinade, brushing off any large pieces. Bring marinade to a boil in a saucepan for 3 to 4 minutes, and set aside to baste while you grill.
Grill steaks while basting with reserved marinade. Remove from grill when well marked on both sides, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest 5 minutes.
To serve, slice and season with the salt, pepper, lemon juice, capers and parsley.
Governor, Congressman, Others Remember And Honor Nadine McCaw
July 9, 2011
Local, state and national political figures paused Friday to remember Century Councilwoman Nadine McCaw who passed away Thursday night at age 57.
For more on her passing, click here.
NorthEscambia.com asked several people for their thoughts on Nadine McCaw. Here’s what they told us:
“Town Council Member Nadine McCaw will be remembered for her dedicated service to her community. My condolences go to Nadine’s family and the town of Century, Florida.” — Gov. Rick Scott
“Her day job was her work with the Century Branch Library, but Nadine’s passion was service to others. She worked to better the lives of those in her community. My wife Vicki and I offer our prayers for her husband, Eddie, her children, and her entire extended family. She will be missed by all of us.” — Congressman Jeff Miller
“Nadine was a person who truly loved her town.” Century Mayor Freddie McCall
“Nadine was was a very fine, caring and compassionate person. She was a credit to her community.” — Escambia County Commission Chairman Kevin White
“Nadine’s death was a great loss to us all; but I am grateful that she is no longer suffering. I am also thankful I had the opportunity to know her and work with her on the Town Council. Even during the last months of her life, while suffering, she unselfishly gave as much of her energy to the Town as she could possibly manage. Nadine made Century a better place to live, and proved, with her hard work and commitment, that we all have the ability to make our community a better place.” — Century Town Council President Ann Brooks
“As a fellow councilwoman, the example Nadine set on the City Council is one I will always treasure and remember. She didn’t care about all the “politics” surrounding things. She only wanted to do what was best for Century and its citizens. I tell my students all the time to “live a legacy, not just leave a legacy.” Nadine certainly LIVED a legacy! I, for one, count myself blessed to not only say I knew Nadine McCaw, but I was friends with her. I know she is no longer in pain, but boy am I going to miss that great smile and contagious laugh! But, my memories are engraved deeply in my heart, and I find comfort in knowing I will see her again.” — Century Councilwoman Jacke Johnston
“There was a spark about her that cannot be replaced. There will never be another like her.” — Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez
“The family should be extremely proud of what she has accomplished in her life, and the town should honor her for all she did not only for keeping the town going but for all of the individuals she personally helped when they had no where else to go to. Nadine did not need to know why you needed help, she just did it.” — Librarian Pat Rigel, Century Branch Library
Pictured: The flag was lowered to half-staff and a black bow was placed on the door at the Century Town Hall Friday in honor of the late Councilwoman Nadine McCaw. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Gulf Power Files For Rate Increase
July 9, 2011
Citing rising costs and the need to strengthen Northwest Florida’s power system, Gulf Power Company has asked the Florida Public Service Commission to increase rates as early as September.
The request is the company’s first base rate request in 10 years and would increase the total bill for a residential customer buying 1,000 kilowatt-hours by $12.15 per month — from $122.67 to $134.82. Gulf Power has asked the PSC to implement a portion of the increase ($4.49) in September, pending a final decision on the request in early 2012.
“Even though we have had increases to cover rising fuel and required environmental costs, we have not had an increase to cover the day-to-day cost of doing business for almost a decade,” Gulf Power spokesperson Sandy Sims said. “Since then costs have increased significantly as we’ve built new power lines and substations. At the same time we’ve taken steps to strengthen and upgrade our electrical system that has been shaken by major hurricanes.”
Sims said Gulf Power has invested significantly in new infrastructure since the last such request in 2001, building more than 850 miles of new power lines and nine new substations and serving an additional 50,000 customers.
“The costs of maintaining our local customer service offices, our line crew centers, our fleet of bucket trucks and other day-to-day operations have also all increased since 2001,” Sims said. “Material and equipment costs have gone up significantly.”
Sims said that since the last base rate increase request several items commonly used in the business have seen significant cost increases. For example, the cost of copper wire has increased more than 250 percent, transformers 90 percent and the cost of diesel fuel for bucket trucks has jumped more than 300 percent.
“We wouldn’t be asking for a price adjustment unless it was absolutely necessary,” said Sims. “Maintaining reliable service is at the core of our business. Over the past 10 years we have had to upgrade our grid with stronger poles, new computerized monitoring and control technology, smart meters and new switching equipment to meet the growth in demand and to avoid outages. Like any other business, at some point our prices have to be adjusted as the cost of doing business increases. ”
Shuttle Blasts Into History, Taking Florida Economic Engine With It
July 9, 2011
The Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off Friday from the Kennedy Space Center taking with it a piece of history, not to mention an economic engine that will be hard to replace.
After three decades, the program is folding up, leaving thousands of highly paid, highly educated workers wondering where they go from here.
The shuttle program will soon be talked about in past tense. Atlantis’ 12-day mission, the last to be flown over a 30-year span, will mark the end of the longest running manned space effort.
The program, which put the Hubble telescope up and linked Earth to the International Space Station, also brought the country and manned space flight to its knees with two of the most watched tragedies since man ventured into space more than four decades ago with the disasters that destroyed the Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003.
But aside from its role in the nation’s history and scientific endeavors, the shuttle program was a large employer and a key economic driver in the Space Coast. Its end leaves the area wondering what’s to come, how the roughly 9,000 jobs lost will be replaced and those thousands of engineers and others trying to decide whether to seek similar work elsewhere or wait for a new job in Brevard County.
“Today really sucked. For the first time after the launch, after that initial wave of patriotism, came a wave of absolute sadness,” said Florida Rep. Ritch Workman, R-Melbourne, who represents the Space Coast.
Gov. Rick Scott tempered sadness with optimism for a rebound that’s becoming a trademark.
“This is a historic time, and it’s sad to see the program end,” Scott said in his weekly radio address. “However, I am optimistic that we can attract high-tech aviation and aerospace jobs to the Space Coast because of our highly skilled workforce.”
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Pictured top: Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off the launch pad for the final space shuttle mission. Courtesy NASA for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.