Greater Love Hath No Man: New Monument Honors Those That Served
May 30, 2011
A new monument was dedicated on Memorial Day Monday that honors veterans from across the area.
The new Veterans Memorial in Atmore stands proudly on the lawn of the Atmore City Hall to pay tribute to those have served from around Atmore and North Escambia. Names of the fallen are on the spire, while commemorative bricks around the base of the spire name those that have served in the military past and present.
Those honored on the bricks date back to the Revolutionary War with a brick with the name of Benjamin Sasser, 1755-1840. His relative, Federick Sasser, 1794-1846, is also honored for his service in the War of 1812.
For more photos of the monument, including photos that show each name inscribed, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Northview Class Of 2011 Holds Baccalaureate Services
May 30, 2011
The Northview High School Class of 2011 held thei Baccalaureate service Sunday afternoon at the First Baptist Church of Bratt.
“Stay on track during this time of transition,” Nathan Brown, pastor of Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church, told the seniors. “No matter where you go, where you find yourself, remember the promises of God.”
About 300 people attended the service.
For more photos from the Baccalaureate service, click here.
Graduation for the Northview High School Class of 2011 will be at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 4 at the school.
Picture top: Jansen Bodiford, right, plays the guitar as the Northview Senior Ensemble sings “Our God” during a Sunday afternoon Baccalaureate service. Pictured inset: Senior Kara Hardin reads scripture during the service. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Discarded Gulf Power Concrete Becoming Gulf Reef
May 30, 2011
Almost 300 tons of concrete and aluminum donated by Gulf Power could soon be teeming with sea life.
The electric utility is providing the retired materials to help make an artificial reef about 2 miles south of Pensacola Beach in 60 feet of water near the Three Barges site. The Escambia County Marine Recreational Committee will sink the materials sometime next year.
The 66 concrete sections — covers for underground electrical equipment — weigh about 9,000 pounds each and will serve as a foundation for the public reef, which will include concrete culverts from the county.
“Concrete, steel and aluminum are great for reef-building — and this material would have otherwise been discarded,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson. “The fish and sea life love this stuff — it will be a boon to fishing and diving.”
The covers, made of 13-inch thick concrete with aluminum hatches, are being replaced with newer lids that will provide better access for Gulf Power technicians working on the underground electric equipment.
Artificial reefs provide crucial habitat for fish and create fishing and diving sites. The goals of the Artificial Reef program include enhancing the sandy seafloor to create habitat and increase marine life.
Gulf Power helped create another artificial reef in 1992 when it donated 35 tons of metal discarded from substations. The “Gulf Power Towers” are still a popular dive and fishing location today.
Pictured: Alan Steele, special projects supervisor with Gulf Power, stands with a portion of the concrete and aluminum lids the company is donating to Escambia County Marine Recreational Committee to be used as foundation for an artificial reef. Concrete culverts will cover the lids once deployed on the sea floor. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Math Teachers Of The Year Named
May 30, 2011
The Escambia County Council of Teacher of Mathematics have named their Mathematics Educators of the Year for 2010-2011. These teachers were honored at their schools.
Mathematics Educators of the Year include:
Yvonne Hurd
Brentwood Elementary School
Elementary School Division
Deborah Robertson
Ransom Middle School
Middle School Division
Marjorie Stradley
West Florida High School of Advanced Technology
High School Division
Food Safety Begins At The Market And Ends At Home
May 30, 2011
A refrigerator can be full of surprises. Wilted lettuce, dried out cheese, apples which have lost their crispness, and other similar surprises inhabit the very best refrigerators. All are victims of improper food storage, and they represent thousands of dollars which consumers unwittingly throw away each year.
Cash in on proper food storage by giving groceries a little extra care with you bring them home from the supermarket. You’ll save money and the food you buy will stay fresh longer, retain more nutritional value, and remain safe to eat.
Proper food storage begins at the supermarket. The way we shop can affect food quality. Many shoppers remember to put fragile fruits and vegetables on top of sturdier items in the grocery cart, but then let the ice cream melt while they wait in line at the deli or bakers. A better solution would be to put frozen and refrigerated foods into the cart last, particularly if you have a lot of shopping to do. You can also ask the person bagging your groceries to put refrigerated and frozen foods in the same bag. These items will keep each other colder on the trip home, plus putting the groceries away becomes less of a chore if everything that belongs in the refrigerator or freezer is in the same bag.
The trip between the checkout counter and your kitchen needs to be as short as possible. When perishable food items sit in the car for any length of time, they lose quality and begin to spoil. It’s a good idea to stop at the dry cleaners and post office before doing the grocery shopping.
At home “think cold”. Under the right conditions bacteria can grow rapidly. The refrigerator temperature won’t kill bacteria, but the cold will slow the growth of most bacteria. Frozen and refrigerated foods require the most care and should be put away first. Dairy products, poultry, meat, fish, eggs, and most fresh vegetables and fruit, plus custards and whipped-cream-filled pastries are a few of the grocery items that need to be refrigerated promptly.
Some food items require special handling. Taking care of these foods before you store them in the refrigerator will save time as well as money. Iceberg lettuce, for example, keeps better if you remove the core and store the head in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Fresh meat, poultry, and fish which are not pre-packaged need to be rewrapped and stored in the coldest part of the refrigerator or freezer. Meats should always be stored in the meat keeper drawer or on lower shelves to prevent cross-contamination of foods.
Storage times still vary even when groceries are carefully wrapped and refrigerated promptly. Berries and other fragile fruits, for example, have the best flavor and texture when eaten within a few days of purchase. Apples and citrus fruits can be stored for up to several weeks or more in the refrigerator. Most fresh meats will keep several days. Fish, poultry, and ground meats, however, should be cooked or frozen within one to two days.
Storing refrigerated foods properly and for the recommended times may not be enough, especially if your refrigerator gets too warm. It is a good idea to keep a refrigerator thermometer on a shelf in the fridge. The thermometer should always register 40ºF or less. In the summer it is a good idea to keep the refrigerator colder than usual because this is the time of the year when family members make frequent trips in and out of the refrigerator.
Often we remember to protect foods when we picnic away from home, but tend to forget that refrigerated foods still require special care when carried only as far away as the backyard. A few simple precautions will ensure these foods are as safe to eat as they are delicious: For backyard barbeques, leave meat, poultry, and fish in the refrigerator until the grill is ready, then grill just what you think you will need and serve promptly. Wait to bring out salads and other cold accompaniments until you are ready to begin serving.
For more information regarding food safety and other related topics, go to the University of Florida’s Solutions for Your Life website: http://www.solutionsforyourlife.com.
Submitted by, Dorothy C. Lee, CFCSm Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Escambia County, dclee@ufl.edu
Molino Park Students Take Part In Bookstore Memorial Day Program
May 30, 2011
Singers from Molino Park Elementary took part in a Memorial Day program this weekend at Barnes and Noble in Pensacola.
The Molino Park students, along with local singers/songwriters Sheila Allen and Ginny Cruz performed “America the Beautiful” and “Stand Up America” during the program.
For more photos of the Molino Park performers, click here.
Molino Park Elementary students participating in the event were Ashley Allen, Joshua Coonrod, Mallory Latham, Madelyn Latham, Trista Lorenzana, Hannah McGahan, Robin Nahkala, Chase O’Connor, Cameron Parker, Seth Parker, Ronnie Plenkers, Christian Taylor, Morgan Taylor and Evan Till.
In conjunction with Pensacola’s celebration of 100 years of Naval Aviation, Barnes & Noble and Reading is Fundamental (RIF) hosted the Memorial Day celebration to honor past, present and future armed service members.
Hill Goodspeed, a historian from the National Naval Aviation Museum, was the featured speaker and signed his books, “One Hundred Years of U.S. Navy Air Power” and “U.S. Naval Aviation.” Other featured speakers were Escambia County School District Superintendent Malcolm Thomas; retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Gary Cooper; Phyllis Pia of the USO and Joan Platz, USNA Class 81 & the co-president of the US Naval Academy Parents Club. T
Pictured above: Students from Molino Park Elementary performed this weekend during a special Memorial Day program at Barnes and Noble bookstore in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Heavy Fog A Factor In Highway 29 Crash
May 29, 2011
Heavy fog was believed to have been a factor in a wreck that injured three people on Highway 29 Sunday morning.
The two vehicle accident was reported about 6 a.m. on Highway 29 near Canoe Creek between Roach Road and Crary Road. Three people were transported by ambulance to Jay Hospital with non-life threatening injuries in the crash.
First responders arriving on scene reported visibility to be about 10 yards shortly after the time of the wreck.
The accident is still under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The Century Station of Escambia Fire Rescue, Escambia County EMS and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the crash.
Trial Delayed For McDavid Postmaster
May 29, 2011
A new trial date has been set for the McDavid postmaster arrested last month on attempted sexual battery and false imprisonment charges.
James Bruce Lee, 51, was set for trial next week, but his date in court has been postponed until August on the joint request of his attorney and prosecutors. Lee has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
According to Postal Inspector Michael Mulder, the charges stemmed from a January 15 incident that allegedly took place inside the McDavid Post Office. A female mail carrier alleged that Lee attempted to sexually assault her inside the Main Street building.
According to the arrest warrant, the woman alleged Lee approached her from behind while she was sorting mail and began touching her all over her body. She told him to stop, at which time he complied. Later in the day, after the other carriers had left the building, Lee once again approached the carrier holding her by her hands while pulling his pants down, the carrier told investigators, before stopping when he heard a vehicle in the post office parking lot.
Lee provided a sworn written statement and interview to postal investigators; however, his statements were not released by the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Lee, who served as McDavid postmaster since January, 2005, was placed on administrative leave, according to Joseph Breckenridge, a postal service spokesman based in Atlanta.
Pensacola Fair Awards Scholarships To Local Students
May 29, 2011
The Pensacola Interstate Fair, celebrating its 77th year, has awarded $1,000 scholarships to 25 students from Escambia and Santa Rosa high schools.
The John E. Frenkel Sr. Educational Grants program scholarship winners were chosen by the Fair Grant Committee. The program has awarded more than $930,000 in scholarships since 1983.
Recipients, including several from the North Escambia area, were:
Amber E. Estes, Pensacola State College/home school; Heather L. Kite, Pensacola State Collegiate High School; Jaymee L. Dils, Escambia High School; Antonio D. Grace II, Judy Andrews Center; Stephanie L. Solari and Allison A. Vidak, Northview High School; Michael D. Brusoski, Kyra A. Murrell, Haris A. Peteranecz and William K. Searcy, Pensacola High School; Emily G. Higdon, Tate High School; Payton K. Anderson and Jennifer L. Taylor, West Florida High School; Vickie E. Guy and Ian C. Stephens, Central High School; Robin N. Blackman, Mary K. Borders, Courtney P. Penton, Julia D. Skaggs, Kevin W. Stanton, Trenton E. Sweeny and Brandon W. Urnick, Jay High School; Chris J. Stapleton, Navarre High School; Andrew W. McGowin and Deanna M. Manning, Pace High School.
Florida Weekly Government Roundup: Budget And Polls Focus On Jobs
May 29, 2011
If the focus of the 2011 budget was supposed to be jobs, the week that included the signing of the spending plan did seem to include a lot of talk about whether certain people would or could keep their positions.
As Gov. Rick Scott signed a budget that will prompt payroll reductions across state government, but he promised would create private-sector employment opportunities, polls assessed the obstacles the governor faces in convincing Floridians to rehire him in a few years. Meanwhile, President Barack Obama seemed more likely to avoid getting a pink slip, at least from Florida’s voters.
At the same time, the Public Service Commission said goodbye to an involuntarily resigning executive director in the latest shake-up to hit the beleaguered agencies that regulates utilities.
SCOTT SIGNS BUDGET, SLASHES AWAY
Perhaps aware that the Legislature’s budget was even more unpopular than he was — it’s approval rating was only at 24 percent, which made Scott’s 29 percent figure look healthy by comparison — Scott signed the spending plan at the Villages but hacked deeply into the blueprint, slicing everything from suspect college construction projects to $12 million in funding for the National Veteran’s Homeless Support Group.
But first, Scott’s administration set off a kerfluffle about who was allowed to witness him wield the budget ax. Familiar with Scott’s rules about who can and can’t be somewhere, reporters on the scene say the governor’s bodyguards asked deputies to remove audience members with anti-Scott signs from the crowd. Howard Simon, executive director of the ACLU, promptly put out a statement blasting the move.
“While it may be legal to conduct public business at a private, partisan event, it is inconsistent with the spirit of open and transparent government that Floridians deserve,” Simon said.
Scott’s press secretary later denied to a political website that the governor’s men were involved in having the protestors removed, but a reporter from the St. Petersburg Times stood by his account in a blog post.
Once the crowd was organized to Scott’s — or the sheriff’s office’s — liking, the governor proceeded to compliment lawmakers on their hard work putting the budget together before blasting some of their decisions as examples of “short-sided, frivolous, wasteful spending programs” and using his veto pen to rip a record amount of it to shreds.
Scott called for the money to go to schools instead — a message he repeated Friday on his weekly radio address.
“I am confident that all of us can agree that school funding is far more important than spending those dollars on alligator marketing, or boat racing, or anything else that the Tallahassee insiders seem to think is so important,” Scott said.
Lawmakers, who had spent some of their time taking shots at Scott’s education program before trying to shovel some more money into schools, were shocked.
“The Governor communicated numerous priorities during session, and we did our best to accommodate him,” sniped House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park. “It would have been helpful if the Governor had shared this new found emphasis with us before the budget was finalized.”
Meanwhile, state agencies started to outline job cuts as a result of the budget. The Department of Juvenile Justice sliced 1,200 jobs from its payroll — 500 of which are vacant — and the Department of Children and Families said it will shed 500 workers in addition to closing out 280 empty positions.
PSC DIRECTOR OUT
The Public Service Commission will also shave 27 jobs from its workforce, but the most surprising personnel change came at the top, when Executive Director Tim Devlin resigned under pressure for reasons that are known to a few, including PSC Chairman Art Graham, who asked Devlin to step down.
“Out of respect for the executive director, I think that’s a private matter,” Graham said.
Graham did deny an article in The Miami Herald that said Graham had ousted Devlin after talking with Florida Power & Light attorney Ken Hoffman.
Further complicating the issue was Graham’s suggestion that the PSC name General Counsel Curt Kiser as interim executive director, an idea that other commissioners rejected.
They instead decided to divvy up some of the duties previously held by Devlin, a 35-year veteran of the agency who became executive director in January 2010 in the wake of a series of scandals that rocked the commission, between Kiser and Deputy Executive Director Charles Hill.
POLLS: OBAMA UP, SCOTT DOWN, NELSON SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN
The bad news for Rick Scott was that his disapproval rating kept climbing to 57 percent and his approval rating slipped down to 29 percent. The good news is that voters who think they disapprove of him for a given reason might be wrong.
A new poll from Quinnipiac University showed the wrong direction in Scott’s poll numbers, but also showed that only 42 percent of voters were aware that Scott had honored his pledge to not raise taxes in this year’s budget. Still, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute: “There’s no way to spin these numbers that they’re good for the governor.”
President Barack Obama, whose re-election hopes could hinge on winning Florida, got better news: His approval rating is up seven points, at 51 percent. Fellow Democrat and U. S. Senate Bill Nelson holds a lead of at least 20 points over each of his three main Republican rivals in polling for 2012 — but two-third of voters say they don’t know who they’ll vote for.
The poll of 1,196 registered voters had a 2.8 percentage point margin of error.
STORY OF THE WEEK: Gov. Rick Scott signs a 2011-12 budget plan that now weighs in at around $69 billion at The Villages, slicing $615 million from the spending plan using his line-item veto authority.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Where I’m from, rainwater can be caught with a $2 bucket.” — Gov. Rick Scott on his decision to veto a $250,000 line item funding a plan to collect rainwater at state prisons
By Brandon Larrabee
The News Service of Florida