Flomaton Man Joins The Hendersons Southern Gospel Group
June 17, 2010
Brad Adkinson of Flomaton has joined the popular Southern Gospel group The Hendersons as their new baritone singer. He has several years of experience in gospel music in quartets, trios and ensembles. Adkinson lives in Flomaton with his wife, Mindy, and two daugthers Sydni and Rylies. They attend the First Baptist Church of Flomaton.
Pictured: The Hendersons — Lydia Henderson, Sonny Henderson and new member Brad Adkinson (right) of Flomaton. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Don’t Wash Clothes In Toilet: Century Resident Continues Spain Hike
June 17, 2010
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We are continuing to follow the journals of Century resident Terri Sanders as she hikes 500 miles across Spain this summer.
As Terri hikes from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, she will file dispatches from her journal and send pictures when possible for NorthEscambia.com as she hikes the Camino de Santiago — the Way of St. James — to the Atlantic Ocean.
Today, we begin catching up, with details of Terri’s journeys June 3-6. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page to read all four entries.
For her previous entries, click here, click here, click here, and click here.
June 3, 2010
Start; Larrasoana
Destination: Cizur Menor
It was another hot day today but the rich scenery somewhat makes up for the heat. Lou and I got separated again. It seems we lose each other at least once a day. Today the trail passed into a court yard of a small cathedral. I just knew he was inside but I was wrong. Even in its smallness the statutes inside were magnificent. There were no more than 8 rows of wooden pews. The air was cool and the room was totally quiet. I sat for a few minutes just embracing the scenes and the smells. When I got up with Lou he said he had seen plenty of cathedrals.
We got to the hotel just behind two guys we had hiked off and on all day with. There were only two beds left and they told us to take them. We had jokingly said to them earlier in the day to save us a bed. We tried to tell them we could go to the next hostel but they said a deal was a deal. Again a hot shower felt wonderful.
There was a note in the bathroom to please do not wash clothes in the toilet which I thought was a bit strange. Who would wash their clothes in the toilet anyway? But there are some strange ways over here.
I stepped into the shower fully clothed and vowed never to get out. I washed and rewashed and washed again. Feeling guilty in case there was someone else waiting to take a shower I got out, put my sleep shirt and long pants on and went to check out the refrigerator. We were free to eat anything in there that did not have someone’s name on it. There were several partial bags of spaghetti, a couple ripe tomatoes and some tomato sauce. I had us a plate of spaghetti ready in a few minutes.
I laid on the bunk resting until later when there was going to be a medieval concert at the chapel across the parking lot. A medieval musical concert, that was intriguing to say the least. At the appointed time we walked across to the chapel and got a seat. They were 45 minutes late starting.
There were three women at the head table and each gave a long dissertation which we could not understand the first word. It would have been nice to have put it on paper for the English speaking guest in the crowd. I think one lady spoke Spanish, one spoke French and the other one I guessed to be Portuguese.
There was a Powerpoint with pictures of different musical instruments from medieval times. I sure would have enjoyed it better had I been able to understand what was being said. There were three young women who were the singers. It did not matter that they sang in Spanish. The vocals were so great and blended so well it was a pleasure just to listen to them sing. It made for a long night and short sleep though.
Miles 13
June 4 2010
Start: Cizur Menor
Destination: Puente la Reina
I could not believe that all of the hiker leaving this morning did not wake me up. Ryan, a young American guy we met a few days ago came over and shook my foot telling me it was time to get up. I couldn’t figure out why Lou didn’t come wake me up unless he was afraid I would throw something at him. As we were leaving Lou went through the hiker box and found me a hat almost exactly like the one I left at home. The trail today was hot and dusty with almost no shade. We climb a few small hills then hike along the ridge past a long line of wind turbines. As we ascend there are splendid views of Pamplona behind us. As we crest the summit the view to the west over the Arga Valley gives us glimpses of the villages below
Miles 11.8
June 5 2010
Start: Puente la Reino
Destination: Irache
Today was another peaceful walk along gently rolling hills through more vineyards and farmland. There was a steep climb first thing in the morning, but we took it slow and easy .The heat today was ferocious and it was difficult to stay hydrated. The saving grace was that in a few of these small villages there were running fountains in the park. I would wash my face then take my hat fill it with water and put it on my head. The initial shock would take my breath away, but it cooled me off for a couple hours.
The small villages with row upon row of tall shuttered houses continue to grab my attention. The roads are barely wide enough for two cars to pass and we have to be watchful as we walk. We have walked over medieval bridges today hundreds of years old and I marvel at the workmanship. We came to a small bar where we stamped our own passports and continued down the trail.
We are now seeing some familiar faces as we leapfrog each other during the days. We are also remembering names of some of them. The trail today has taken us through valleys up to cemeteries and crisscrossed the main highway here.
The heat is still relentless and even though I have been diligent to put sun screen on my lips they are still badly blistered.
The hotel was full by the time we got there but they did have an apartment with two beds for 75 Euros. It was a suite to us with a bedroom a sitting room, a full kitchen and a wonderful tub to soak in.
We went down to the supper buffet and made pigs of ourselves. We asked Fred to join us. He speaks fairly decent English and is from South Africa, so he and Lou have plenty to talk about. I just listen and eat. Back in our room I confess to Lou that I had never seen a bidet much less knew what they were for. He got a kick out of telling me they were basically useless. I went in and at least turned the faucet on to see how it worked. I agree with Lou, it seemed to be a totally useless bathroom item! There was wi-fi here so we had a chance to check our email and see what was going on in the rest of the world.
Miles 16.2 miles
June 6, 2010
Start; Irache
Destination; Torres del Rio
Lou didn’t wake up until after 7 and he woke me up just before 8:00 .The skies outside were overcast and as we went down to breakfast a thunderstorm moved in.
We took our time eating the breakfast bar .It was the closest to an American breakfast we have had so far. By the time we left the storm was over but the skies were still overcast. The temperature had dropped considerably which made for a great hiking day. I think Lou had Wheaties for breakfast because soon he was out of sight. The path today was natural and wound in and out of vineyards and well tended gardens.
At lunch I passed Frenchie who was taking a long lunch break. He told me Lou was about an hour ahead. There was no reason to try and catch up with him. I couldn’t hike that fast anyway. I took my pack off and joined Frenchie (Emile) for lunch. It felt great to take my shoes off and lean back and rest.
I met two ladies along the trail today with plastic bags and hiking sticks. They showed me the inside of the bags which were filled with huge snails. I have seen lots of snails the past few days, really big snails. Evidently the rain brings them out ripe for the picking. They would pull the brush back with the hiking sticks looking underneath the brush for these delicacies!
I am not sure I could bring myself to eat a snail, but we will see.
Because we are a few days short of being able to finish the Camino we have decided to up our daily mileage in an effort to finish on time. I caught up with Lou mid afternoon and we stopped for snacks and water.
We pressed on to the town of Torres Del Rio where we got bunks in the albueque. I could get used to a nice hot shower and a bed every night. In Spain they are very conservative of electricity and water. There are sensors in the bathroom that turns the light on when you come in, but then the light goes off before you are finished. Sometime the switch is within reach while sitting on the toilet, sometime it is not. Tonight the water in the shower is on a timer and goes off after a few minutes. The light switch is on the outside of the shower room and after a few minutes, out goes the lights. You have no choice but to finish showering then drying off and dressing in the dark!
The next few days are supposed to be cooler and overcast. We still have significant climbs but are getting stronger every day. We are staying at a hostel tonight. It is very nice with only six bunk beds in each room. The price 9 Euros includes a breakfast in the morning. It is really getting chilly and I am glad there are blankets here for us to use. Again we have wi-fi and are checking our emails.
Miles 15
Walnut Hill Man Arrested For Beating Son With Stick
June 17, 2010
A Walnut Hill man was jailed on child abuse charges for allegedly beating his son with a stick.
Andrew Kelly Freeman, 41, is facing child abuse, aggravated battery and battery charges. He was released on $11,000 bond.
According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Freeman’s 14 and 17 year old sons, who live in Georgia with their mother, have been visiting Freeman at his home in the 7000 block of Occie Phillips Road.
The victim told deputies that he and his brother had grown tired of watching Freeman, their father, “verbally arguing and constantly staying drunk”, according to the Sheriff’s Office arrest report. The two boys decided to walk to a nearby house to call their mother to pick them up.
On the road to the neighbor’s house, Freeman reportedly pulled up in his pickup truck behind the boys and told them to put their bags in the truck and return to his residence. When the 14-year old victim refused, Freeman reportedly struck him multiple times on the back with a stick, breaking the stick. Freeman also grabbed the boy and punched him in the face with closed fist, the report states.
Deputies reported finding multiple abrasions on the victim’s back and a bruised and swollen area on the side of his face.
The boys returned to Georgia with their mother, according to the report.
Freeman is due to be in court July 8 for an arraignment hearing.
Jay Varsity, JV Cheerleaders Win Top Honors At Auburn Camp
June 17, 2010
The Jay High School cheerleaders recently won top honors at a Universal Cheerleaders Association camp at Auburn University.
Both the varsity and junior varsity squads received superior scores for their cheer and dance routines. On the final day of camp, a “Camp Champs Competition” was held with about 30 squads.
The Jay junior varsity squad won first place in the JV Division for “Best Cheer”. The Royal varsity squad won second place in “Overall Best Cheer” and second in “Overall Best Dance” in the Large Varsity Division.
Tessa Hendricks, a member of the Jay varsity team, was named to the All-American Cheerleading Squad and received a pin for her leadership skills at camp.
Members of the Jay varsity cheerleading squad are: Katie Borders, Crystal Brown, Bethany Diamond, Camille Driver, Kyrah Dunsford, Ashton Edwards, Katheryn English, Tessa Hendricks, Sha Kinder, Morgan Lewis, Sierra Mills, Carly Owens, Meredith Owens, Jody Paramore, Abby Raney, Hannah Roberts and Summer Simmons.
Members of the Jay junior varsity cheerleading squad are: Kaitlyn Aguirre, Brittani Ashworth, Makenzie Bray, Launa Burkhead, Savannah Dubose, Kayla Flowers, Danielle Harrington, Summer Joyner, Leslie Kinder, Samantha Pearson, Alisha Roberts, Alaina Smith, Paige Smith, Brittany Tegenkamp, Brooke Tegenkamp, Jessica Thornton, Kendra Wells and Emily Wright.
Mid-Qualifying Week: List Of Escambia Candidates
June 17, 2010
It’s qualifying week for candidates in Escambia County, except for those that will seek office in the Town of Century.
Candidates that had prefiled must still file their qualifying paperwork by noon on Friday for county offices. Qualifying for Town of Century offices will take place July 26-30.
The following candidates had qualified by the close of business Wednesday:
County Commissioner, District 2
Dave Murzin (Qualified 6/16/10)
Gene M. Valentino (Qualified 6/15/10)
County Commissioner, District 4
Dennis Green (Qualified 6/14/10)
Danny Lewis (Qualified 6/14/10)
School Board, District 1
Jeff Bergosh (Qualified 6/14/10)
Luke Keller (Qualified 6/16/10)
D. Hosea Pittman (Qualified 6/14/10)
School Board, District 2
Gerald W. Boone (Qualified 6/14/10)
Virginia R. White (Qualified 6/16/10)
School Board, District 3
Linda F. Moultrie (Qualified 6/14/10)
Charlie Nichols (Qualified 6/14/10)
ECUA, District 2
Lois Benson (Qualified 6/16/10)
Stephen Burand (Qualified 6/14/10)
ECUA, District 4
Dale Perkins (Qualified 6/16/10)
Ronald Ward (Qualified 6/14/10)
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District, Group 2
(none to date)
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District, Group 4
Lynn L. Laird (Qualified 6/14/10)
Escambia Soil & Water Conservation District, Group 5
(none to date)
Santa Rosa Island Authority
Thomas Campanella (Qualified 6/14/10)
City of Pensacola
Mayor
Ashton Hayward (Qualified 6/14/10)
Diane Mack (Qualified 6/14/10)
Mike Wiggins (Qualified 6/14/10)
City Council At-Large A
Megan Benson Pratt (Qualified 6/16/10)
City Council At-Large B
Sam Hall (Qualified 6/16/10)
City Council, District 1
Steve Fulford (Qualified 6/16/10)
P.C. Wu (Qualified 6/14/10)
City Council, District 2
Sherri Myers (Qualified 6/14/10)
Courtney B. Peterson (Qualified 6/14/10)
City Council, District 3
Maren Laycock DeWeese (Qualified 6/15/10)
City Council, District 4
Larry B. Johnson (Qualified 6/16/10)
City Council, District 5
(none to date)
City Council, District 6
Jewel Cannada-Wynn (Qualified 6/15/10)
City Council, District 7
(none to date)
Northview Announces Summer Hours
June 17, 2010
Northview High School has announced hours of operation for the summer.
Northview employees are working a condensed scheduled from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m., Monday – Thursday. The school is closed on Friday of each week, except for Friday, July 9, from 7 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.
Regular hours will resume on August 2.
George And Mary Nell Gibbs To Celebrate 50th Anniversary
June 17, 2010
George and Mary Nell Gibbs will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Friday, June 18, 2010.
Their sons, Eddie, Jake and John and their families, invite friends and family to their anniversary celebration. Festivities will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 18 at the Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church in Jay.
George and Nell were married June 18, 1960 and were blessed with three boys. They moved to Dixonville, in 1967. George was employed with the Civil Service at Whiting Field for 36 years, ad Nell was a devoted stay-at-home mom to her boys. The couple has seven grandchildren.
The couple is looking forward to celebrating this occasion with their family and friends. For directions, call John at (850) 675-1104.
BP To Put $20 Billion In Escrow For Oil Spill Payments
June 17, 2010
Facing increasing pressure to back up its public statements of support with real money, BP on Wednesday agreed to put $20 billion into escrow to pay for oil spill damage as the company-owned well continues to spew up to 60,000 barrels a day into the Gulf.
Less than a day after President Barack Obama addressed the nation on the environmental and economic catastrophe that is unfolding offshore, BP executives met with the president behind closed doors before announcing creation of the fund to aid businesses, individuals and governments affected by the biggest oil spill in US. history.
Meanwhile, Florida emergency response officials continued efforts Wednesday to prepare for significant coastal impacts that so far have not befallen the state despite major oil plumes looming ominously near Florida’s Panhandle coast.
State responders say they will increase deployment of Florida National Guard personnel as the state tries to assert itself more aggressively into the combined response effort that has taken heat for being too bureaucratic, disorganized and slow to act.
“We’re looking at recon assets, some air assets and some command and control assets out in the field,” David Halstead, director of the Division of Emergency Management, said of the Guard’s anticipated role.
Skimmers remain a priority of local, state and federal responders. Gov. Charlie Crist on Tuesday urged Obama to do all he could to make it easier to use foreign-flagged ships and foreign crews to assist in efforts to scoop up oil before it reaches shore.
Favorable winds and currents have been credited for keeping most of the oil off the coastline.
The federal government, Florida and BP are looking for more skimmers to keep the battle off shore, but it is highly unlikely that such efforts are going to keep state beaches oil-free, officials concede.
“We need to have reasonable expectations,” Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Michael Sole cautioned responders Wednesday. “There is going to be an ongoing discharge probably through August or the middle of August that we’ll be fighting. So we are going to have impacts.”
Washington attorney Kenneth Feinberg has been charged with overseeing the BP escrow account. He is well-schooled in such matters, having overseen payments to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and families of victims of the mass shooting that killed 32 at Virginia Tech in April 2007.
Florida officials have begun setting up procedures to gather the documentation needed to send BP a bill for lost local and state revenue. Halstead said a statewide claims representative will soon be housed at the state Emergency Operations Center to provide more information to local governments scrambling to get reimbursed for recovery efforts already undertaken.
“That should help us assist (local governments) in setting up claims and smoothing the waters a bit,” Halstead said.
So far, BP has paid 13,978 Florida claims, a 34 percent increase from a week ago. Payments for Florida claims now total $11.2 million, up 40 percent from a week ago.
The oil-spill focus Wednesday also went beyond the gulf coast. Rep. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, pushed Crist to approve a request for $5.25 million in emergency aid to the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau to help with marketing and advertising to offset an expanding slump in tourists.
“At a time when Florida’s economy is still reeling from the effects of the national economic downturn, it is imperative that we support efforts to spread the word to tourists that Miami-Dade County beaches are open for business,” Lopez-Cantera said.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service Of Florida
A Brighter Century: ‘It’s The Little Things Sometimes’
June 16, 2010
Sometimes it’s the little things that can brighten a town.
“The town is shining bright,” Century council member Gary Riley announced at the most recent Century Town Council meeting.
For months, Riley has, arguably in a very friendly fashion, repeatedly questioned Mayor Freddie McCall about why streets lights around the town were out. The town pays Gulf Power each month for each light, Riley has pointed out, so he said he thought the town should have working street lights.
Riley, McCall and perhaps other council members have driven around town, on the hunt for dark lights and attempted to find the pole numbers required by Gulf Power to report the non-working lights.
For the first time in about a year, Riley expressed real satisfaction about the lights.
“It is our obligation to do whatever we can to keep the city safe,” he said.
That prompted a reaction from council member Sharon Scott. “Let’s stop having that tunnel vision and see the big picture,” she said. Scott said she hates the sometimes the never-ending battles at the council table. “We can work together and do good things.”
Scott has been a champion for Marie McMurray Park at recent meetings, expressing her pride to see ballgames keeping kids off the streets. She often speaks up for the little things needed for the park — bathrooms unlocked, additional trashcans for waste, or more frequent grass cuttings.
On the subject of little things, council member Nadine McCaw thanked McCall for taking care of aging flags and for cleaning the sidewalks in front of the town hall and library just in time for the children attending the Century Branch Library’s summer reading programs.
“It’s the little things sometimes,” Riley said.
FHSAA Creates Small School Rural Division: Jay In, Northview May Be Out
June 16, 2010
The Florida High School Athletic Association has approved a new rural school classification for schools like Jay High, but Northview may not be included.
Schools in the rural division would compete within their own division and have their own playoff series for boys and girls basketball, baseball, football, softball and girls volleyball, and boys and girls soccer.
“I’m very ecstatic,” said Jay Athletic Director Elijah Bell. “We’ve been working on this a long time in the pursuit of equality for small, rural schools.” Bell served on the FHSAA Urban/Rural Committee that drafted the proposal approved Tuesday.
An invitation to participate in the new rural classification will be extended to the 32 smallest schools that would be eligible — which would include Jay at number 13 but not Northview at number 39 by enrollment.
The FHSAA will next meet with the 32 small schools to determine which might choose to join the new “Division II” league. If any choose not to join, the next-smallest schools will be offered a slot to ensure the league has 32 teams as required for a state series. There are six school in line ahead of Northview that would have the option of joining the rural division.
“I hope we get in,” Northview Athletic Director Sammy Day said after learning the proposal passed the FHSAA board. If Northview does not make the division, it will create great hardship for the school, Day said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that Northview is rural,” Bell said, “as are other schools like Bozeman, Chipley and Perry. But we had to draw the line somewhere on the district, and that was the 32 (needed for a playoff series).”
Most of Northview’s past district opponents will be offered membership in the division — Jay, Sneads, Baker, Vernon, Holmes and Freeport. If they all become rural division schools and Northview does not, it will mean a lot of travel time for the Chiefs to play district teams.
“We may have a tough time unless we play much bigger schools,” Day said, adding the Chiefs would likely end up with schools like Catholic, Walton and Chipley on the schedule.
But Day is not giving up hope that Northview will make the 32-team rural Division II. Most of the schools on the list are in the Panhandle, while some are located much further south in Florida. Due to the travel time for those schools past Tallahassee, Day said he does not believe they will join the rural district. And some of those schools — like Peniel Baptist Academy just 44 total students — may not join the district.
“We will just have to wait and see,” he said.
Bell agreed that some of the schools on the small-32 list might not join the district. He cited Marathon High in Key West as an example. “It would be 200 miles on way for them to play a district game,” he said. “But we are still going to invite them to join.”
The FHSAA Division II for rural schools will be a pilot program for the 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 seasons. The final list of 32 eligible schools will be based upon fall 2010 enrollment, Bell said.
Those numbers could make a difference for Northview. According to Day, Northview had an enrollment of 560 in the fall of last year, but that number was down to 525 by the end of hte year.
“We had to draw a line somewhere,” Bell said the list of 32 small schools. He said he had hoped to see a small and larger division in the rural district, but that was not possible this year.
“I certainly hope we can do the small and large in the near future, he said.”It’s not over; we still have work to do.”
For now, Bell said he is happy to see the Rural Division become a reality; he’s been advocating such a plan since about 1990.
Pictured top: Brandon Sheets tries to avoid Jay defender Chris Carrigan during last year’s meeting of two rural schools. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.