Stop Crape Murder: Don’t Cut Back Your Myrtles
January 15, 2011
Proper pruning is one of the most misunderstood of all gardening practices, yet it is one of the most important procedures in a landscape. A common victim of bad, improper pruning is the crape myrtle. Crape myrtles will occasionally need pruning to obtain the desired landscape effect, but many times these plants are butchered for no good reason.
According to Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist, an unfortunate trend in crape myrtle pruning is to lop off their tops, which results in a tree reduced to large branches ending in stubs. The lush growth that occurs at these cut sites appears vigorous but is actually structurally weak and more susceptible to fungus diseases such as powdery mildew. And when pruning is conducted improperly over several years, unsightly large, swollen knobs form at the point where pruning is done each year.
Flowers are not the only virtue of this tree. Many varieties have beautiful bark and growth habits that can be enjoyed all year if trees are not heavily pruned.
Crape murder
This unsightly, ugly pruning known as crape murder is not recommended. Once it’s done, it ruins the tree’s graceful natural shape for the rest of its life.
Often gardeners think they are supposed to prune their crape myrtles that way, and nothing could be farther from the truth. Many think that crape myrtles need to be cut way back to bloom well. This is not accurate. The flower clusters may be larger on lopped trees, but the added weight on the ends of long branches causes them to bend over awkwardly, especially after it rains. And since the tree is smaller, it actually produces fewer flower clusters.
Many people say they need to cut a crape myrtle back because of its size. If the height of the crape myrtle is not causing a problem with a nearby structure or power lines, there is little reason to reduce the tree’s height. To cut a crape myrtle back for the vague reason of “it just seems too large” ignores the fact that these plants are trees. They are supposed to be large.
To prune a crape myrtle properly, first decide if it needs to be pruned. As with any pruning project, you must have a specific, valid purpose in mind before you begin. In other words, if you can’t come up with a good reason to prune your tree – leave it alone. If you do see something that calls for pruning, study the tree carefully and determine what needs to be pruned to accomplish the specific purpose identified.
There are a few valid reasons for pruning a crape myrtle. One reason is to eliminate crossed and rubbing branches because rubbing branches can lead to open wounds.
Over time, branches that are too low on the trunk will need to be pruned to raise the canopy. We often need to remove weak, thin branches from the inner part of the tree to produce a cleaner-looking tree. Selected branches may need to be pruned back to a side branch or the trunk to create a shapelier tree. Of course, you need to prune to keep suckers removed from the base of the trunk.
Generally, avoid cutting back or shortening branches much larger than your finger, although cutting larger branches back to a side branch or to the trunk when needed is fine.
Visitors to our area often marvel over our crape myrtles. During summer, their colorful flowers, attractive bark and beautiful shape make them among our most valuable landscape plants. Please appreciate this – and stop the unfortunate trend of hacking them back.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Pictured top: Crape myrtle trees do not need pruning for new growth. Pictured below: These Crape myrtles were ruined with unnecessary topping. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Sheriff’s Dept. Investigates After Bone Found Under School’s Auburn Sign
January 14, 2011
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office crime scene unit was called to Ernest Ward Middle School Friday afternoon after a bone was discovered under the schools’ “Auburn Tigers #1 War Eagle” sign.
The sign was created earlier in the week using cups on the chain link fence in front of the school’s campus in Walnut Hill to celebrate Auburn’s national championship win over the Oregon Ducks. On Friday, school employees found the large bone under the sign.
Following protocol, the bone was given to the school’s resource officer, who in turn turned to the bone over to a crime scene investigator from the Sheriff’s Office. The large bone was not believed to be human.
Sources tell NorthEscambia.com that preliminary information did not rule out the bone being from a duck from Oregon.
Pictured: A large bone was found Friday afternoon under an “Auburn Tigers #1 War Eagle” sign at Ernest Ward Middle. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Man Claims He Was Shot During Robbery Outside 9 Mile Road Store
January 14, 2011
Deputies are investigating the shooting of a Pensacola man who was an alleged victim of robbery at a Nine Mile Road grocery store.
Kenneth Wayne Dorton, 34, told deputies that he was walking to the Winn Dixie, 312 East Nine Mile Rd., at about 5 p.m. Thursday when he was approached by a young white male wearing a mask.
He said the man drove up in a white, older model Ford Ranger before stopping and getting out with a shotgun. According to Dorton, the man demanded money and when Dorton refused to cooperate, a scuffle ensued. During this altercation Dorton suffered a gunshot wound to his left knee.
Dorton claims that he was able to wrestle the shotgun away from his assailant and threw it towards dumpsters sitting along the roadway, according to a release from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. After being unarmed, Dorton said the suspect ran back to his truck and left the area. Deputies were unable to locate the shotgun at the scene.
Deputies were also unable to obtain a better description of the suspect from Dorton.
Dorton was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital where he was treated for his injury.
Anyone with any information concerning this case should call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620 or Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP.
Woman Robbed At Gunpoint In Atmore Park
January 14, 2011
Atmore Police are investigating after a female reported she was robbed at gunpoint at a town park.
The unidentified female told police that she was sitting in her car at Tom Byne Park just before 10 p.m. Thursday when three black males approached her. She said she attempted to drive away, but when one of the males brandished a firearm, she stopped her car.
“They demanded money, so the victim stated that she gave them her purse but told them she did not have any money in it, they then told her to exit her vehicle,” according to Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean.
Upon exiting the vehicle, the suspects demanded the victim’s cell phone and then fled the scene.
The victim drove to a nearby restaurant to call police. The incident is still under investigation by the Atmore Police Department.
Cold Weather Delays Hwy 99 Bridge Reopening For Another Week
January 14, 2011
Our cold weather has delayed the reopening of a bridge on North Highway 99 by at least a week.
Today was the target reopening date for the bridge over North Pine Barren Creek, just north of the Oak Grove Park. But now contractors are hoping to be able to open the bridge by next Friday, January 21.
The project was delayed because it has been too cold for the contractor to pour concrete and too cold to apply the necessary joint sealants to the 55-year old bridge, according to Sonya Daniel, spokesperson for Escambia County. Next Friday’s reopening is dependent upon a forecast for warmer weather holding true.
The wood and concrete bridge was closed to traffic December 9 after a routine inspection revealed a deterioration of concrete at the southern end of the bridge. That end of the bridge is being totally reconstructed.
The repairs are being done by DKE Marine under an emergency Escambia County purchase order not to exceed $100,000.
The roadway is heavily traveled and is a primary route for school traffic to and from Bratt Elementary, Ernest Ward Middle and Northview High schools. Escambia County’s recommended north/south detour for the bridge is Gobbler Road and Still Road.
Pictured above: Looking under the North Highway 99 bridge over Pine Barren Creek. Pictured below: The bridge was closed December 9. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Sheriff Announces Plan To Reduce Escambia Gun Related Crimes
January 14, 2011
Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan has announced the development of a strategic plan in hopes of reducing the number of gun related crimes within the county.
Morgan plans to employ methods geared toward the reduction of gun crimes, armed robberies, drive-by-shootings and homicides. A combination of tactics will be used from public service announcements to conducting directed law enforcement operations in an effort to reduce gun related violence.
Morgan named four major areas that will guide the sheriff’s office in combating this issue:
- Public awareness and community outreach
- Community policing
- Law enforcement operations
- Prosecution and incarceration
Morgan detailed specific steps in his strategic plan that the Sheriff’s Office will take to accomplish his goals.
The department plans “to produce public service announcements informing citizens about the growing trend in gun related violence; stress the need for citizen involvement and the importance of community outreach programs; and positively impact and inspire the community’s youth and wants to partner with the community to create innovative and proactive crime-prevention initiatives,” according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.
The sheriff has also implemented a philosophy of intelligence-led policing; wants to assure the exchange of information with other law-enforcement agencies and the community and effectively use investigative resources to identify and prosecute offenders.
“The credit for this initiative goes to Chief Deputy Larry Aiken. It’s a great plan of which we expect measurable results,” Morgan said.
Phase one of the plan was put into place with a manpower increase in the problem oriented police (POP) and tactical anti-crime (TAC) units. Morgan also reassigned some investigators to work nights to improve their response times to violent crimes.
“Historically our investigators work day shifts and are called out after hours,” said Sheriff’s spokesperson Chris Welborn. “Having some investigators assigned to night shifts will drastically cut the response time.”
Sheriff Morgan also initiated a pilot program entitled “Desk to Road” where sworn officers with desk jobs and administrative duties will be required to patrol one day a week. “The ‘Desk to Road’ program is a 60 day pilot program which will allow me, and others assigned to the office, to go out and work with our TAC Unit and patrol deputies,” said Welborn.
Pictured top: Deputy John Moore shakes hands with Nikki Kight in the Lakeview Avenue area of Cantonment. Moore serves as a community oriented policing program office for the Cantonment area. Northescambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Prisoner Sex Abuse Charges Dropped Against Former School Board Member
January 14, 2011
Sex charges have been dropped against a former Escambia County (Ala.) School Board member and employee of the Escambia County (Ala.) Sheriff’s Department.
Richard Hawthorne of Flomaton was facing seven charges in connection with allegations that he fondled female inmates at the Escambia County (Ala.) Detention Center where he formerly worked as a corrections officer. He was charged with two counts of custodial sexual misconduct, two counts of prostitution, two ethics violations counts, and one count of second degree promotion of prison contraband.
The two women that made the allegations have refused to testify against Hawthorne, forcing prosecutors to drop the charges. The women did settle a federal lawsuit against Hawthorne for an undisclosed amount of money.
The two female county jail inmates alleged that they were sexually abused while transported by Hawthorne while he was a corrections officer –one to state prison on March 4 and one being transported to a mental health facility on April 27.
Hawthorne resigned his position with the sheriff’s department after an Alabama Bureau of Investigation probe into the allegations. At the time of his arrest, he had served on the Escambia County (Ala.) School Board since 2001, representing the Flomaton area.
Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office Seeks Absconded Fugitive
January 14, 2011
Santa Rosa Sheriff’s investigators are searching for fugitive that absconded from a court ordered GPS monitoring program.
Donald Ray Boone, Jr., cut his ankle monitor off at his Milton residence. Deputies received the alarm and responded to his home within a few minutes to find Boone gone and the ankle monitor inside the residence with the strap cut.
On January 4, Boone was ordered to wear the GPS monitor for a 60 day house arrest for a probation violation related to a narcotics charge. He currently has active warrants for criminal mischief for harming the equipment, and a conditional release violation for his absconding from the program.
Anyone with information concerning the whereabouts of Donald Ray Boone, Jr. is asked to contact the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 983-1190, or Crime Stoppers at (850) 437-STOP.
Local Art Students Honored During Mask Exhibit
January 14, 2011
Several North Escambia students were month those honored during the fourth annual mask exhibit by Escambia county School students.
The exhibit is January 11-21 at the Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place in the first floor of the old Escambia County Courthouse.
Northview students Kiani Okahashi, Charles Rolin and Katelyn Garrison where awarded first through third places, while Tate student Mercedez Rocheblav’s ceramic piece “Dragon” was named Best of Show.
The names of North Escambia area winners and participants are listed below, along with their award, title of their piece, medium and school.
High School
- Mercedez Rocheblave, Best of Show, “Dragon”, Ceramics, Tate
- Kiani Okahashi, First Place HS, “L’homme Ridicule”, Mixed, Northview
- Charles Rolin, Second Place HS, Itcho Tastanagi (Deer Warrior), Mixed, Northview
- Katelyn Garrison, Third Place HS, “Octavius”, Mixed, Northview
- Hailey Garrison, “Foreign Body”, Mixed, Northview
- Elizabeth Wright, “Recycle, Reuse, Renew”, Mixed, Northview
- Katelyn Varhalla, Steel Magnolia, Ceramics, Tate
- Shane Sahli, “Big Al”, Ceramics, Tate
- Saber Gipson, “Tribal Love”, Ceramics, Tate
Elementary:
- Lauren Mills, “The Crazed Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Alexanderia Harrison, Honorable Mention, “Coco Crazy”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Brooklyn Jensen, “The Crazy Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Corey Ryland, “The Crazy Mask”, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
- Paige Owen, “The Mystery Mask, Paper and yarn, Jim Allen
Pictured top: Katelyn Garrison and her mask. For other students and their masks, scroll down this page.
Kiani Okahashi (above).
Hailey Garrison (above).
Elizabeth Wright (above).
Charles Rolin (above).
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
One Injured In Molino Crash
January 13, 2011
At least one person was injured in a Thursday afternoon wreck in Molino.
The two vehicle accident happened on Highway 29 at Highway 97 about 4:45 p.m. One person was transported from the scene by ambulance and transferred to LifeFlight in Cantonment for transport to a Pensacola hospital.
The accident slowed traffic in the southbound lanes of Highway 29 for nearly an hour.
Further details were not immediately available from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Pictured above and below: At least one person was injured in this two vehicle crash Thursday afternoon at Highway 97 and Highway 29 in Molino. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Smith, click to enlarge.
