County Set To Cut Back North Escambia’s Only ECAT Bus Route
May 16, 2010
The only Escambia County Area Transit route that serves North Escambia will be cut back if proposed changes in the county’s public transportation routes are made following a Thursday public hearing.
The Saturday transit bus that serves Century, Molino and Cantonment would be eliminated due to low ridership if the plan presented to the Escambia County by ECAT is approved. The route would also no longer service the “Park-n-Ride” lot at the old Winn Dixie in Cantonment.
The Escambia County Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the proposed changes at 5:32 Thursday afternoon and then vote on the proposal.
The “Route 60″ bus makes three weekday trips with stops between Century and the ECAT transfer center where it allows riders to connect to the rest of the ECAT network. It currently makes the run twice on Saturdays.
Most of the proposed changes across the county are simple route changes or service additions, with just a few routes seeking service cuts. For information on all route changes, click here.
According to an ECAT memo from General Manager Kenneth Gordon, the route changes in the county are designed to improve safety, improve on-time performance, improve connectivity between routes, provide service to under-served areas, reduce complaints and improve operating efficiencies.
ECAT is required to present proposed route changes to the Board of County Commissioners for discussion and public input. After the board discusses the plans on March 11, a 30 day period for public comment will be allowed and then then plan will go back to the commission.
The North Escambia to Pensacola Route 60 bus in the most expensive bus per hour in the entire public transportation system in the county.
The bus costs $11.15 per passenger to operate, according to ECAT numbers from the last fiscal year — a decrease from $16.27 the previous year. That’s the most expensive cost per passenger by far over any other bus in the system, with every other route falling below $8 per person (except for a free tourist route). The next most expensive route per person is a crosstown/airport route that costs ECAT $7.82 per person. The Century and Molino to Pensacola bus is also the most expensive per hour to operate in the ECAT system, at $60.67, down from $78.29 per hour the previous year.
A total of 9 ,430 riders took the Route 60 bus over a one year period, up from 7,819 the previous year. That compares to 162,403 on a Davis Highway area bus.
Pictured above: The current “Route 60″ Century and Molino to Pensacola ECAT route map. Pictured below: A current timetable for the bus. Click to enlarge.
Oil Spill: Newsletter From U.S. Rep Jeff Miller
May 16, 2010
Last week, Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the Coast Guard, came to our district and met with local officials to hear and address their concerns and discuss actions the Coast Guard is taking. I also joined Admiral Allen on an overflight of the oil spill and spoke with him about my concerns and those of my constituents. The response is a joint effort of several federal agencies, and the Coast Guard is carrying a significant share of the workload toward cleaning up our waters and helping to find a way to stop the oil leak.
I have continued to push BP to set up an escrow account for all the Gulf states to draw from as they incur not only capital costs from prevention and cleanup but also economic losses from the oil spill. While BP issued block grants of $25 million to each state, we cannot lose sight of the fact of the sheer amount of coastline that Florida has compared to some other states. Preparing our massive coastline for the oil spill will go through that $25 million much faster than some other states. That block grant still does not fully address economic losses already being incurred by small businesses, fishermen, and other individuals along the Gulf Coast. The escrow account I have proposed would not only offset that impact but would also reaffirm BP’s commitment to covering the total cost of this oil spill’s cleanup.
One improvement constituents of the 1st Congressional District saw this week was the opening of a claims office in both Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties that are open seven days a week. Claims offices are set to open in Okaloosa and Walton Counties as well. Previously, claims from our area had to be called in, but now residents have the option of visiting the office in person. Counties have their emergency operations centers running, and the state of Florida also has its emergency personnel working with them. Contact information, in addition to updated information and facts about the oil spill, can be found in the Deepwater Horizon Information Hub on my website at http://jeffmiller.house.gov/Deepwater/.
Hundreds of vessels have been deployed, over 1.5 million feet of boom have been deployed, and nearly four million gallons of oil-water mix have been recovered. While these prevention and recovery efforts are showing signs of success, it does not change the fact that the primary goal continues to be stopping the oil leak at its source. Remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs) continue to work at the sea floor, and a second containment dome is set to be moved this weekend to cap off the leak. The effort still faces the challenge of the depth of the leak at 5,000 feet.
In the meantime, the EPA must speed up its approval of applying chemical dispersant at the source of the leak. The agency’s slow testing of this process is frustrating the efforts of thousands of volunteers, as well as BP and the federal agencies involved, to mitigate the spill’s impacts. Applying the dispersant at the source has shown tremendous effectiveness, and the fact that it has not been done before should not hinder its usefulness.
I recently contacted Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to ask that the snapper season be opened as soon as federal waters in our area are deemed safe to fish. Having faced a prohibitively short season just last year, local fishermen stand to lose their livelihood if a restrictive fishing season is combined with the oil spill moving toward our coastlines. It is imperative that those in Washington making rules and regulations understand the challenges unique to our area.
Please visit my website at www.house.gov/jeffmiller for updates and contact information on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, including how to volunteer or make a claim. Real-time updates and video of the cleanup, recovery, and containment efforts are also available to those following me on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.
Photo Gallery: Combined Armed Forces, Memorial Day Parade
May 16, 2010
A combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade was held Saturday in Atmore. The parade honored those that have served, or are serving, in the armed forces.
The parade featured floats with area veterans; bands from Northview High, Escambia County High, Flomaton High and Ernest Ward Middle schools; ROTC units from Escambia County High and Northview High; motorcyle riders, the Ernest Ward Middle School Drama Team and more.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the parade, click here.
Pictured above: The Ernest Ward Middle School Drama Team reenact the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima. Pictured inset: Merrilene Garret, chaplain of VFW Post 7016 smiles as she rides a float. Pictured below: A group of veterans ride in Atmore’s combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade Saturday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Northview FFA Competes In Horse, Livestock Judging At State Fair
May 16, 2010
The Northview High School FFA horse and livestock judging teams competed at the Florida State Fair in Tampa. The members of the Horse Judging team were Heather Kite, Stephanie Solari, Brittany Thompson, and Dillian Crutchfield. Members of the Livestock Judging Team were Micah Byars, Lydia Weaver, Allie Vidak, and Brandon Chambless.
Pictured above: (L-R) Heather Kite, Stephaine Solari, Dillion Crutchfield, Alli Vidak, Brandon Chambless, Courtney Solari, Micah Byars, Brittany Thompson, and Lydia Weaver. In back: FFA Sponsor Perry Byars. Pictured below: Students judge. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Checkmate: Ransom Chess Team Competes In Festival
May 16, 2010
Seventeen students from Ransom Middle School’s Chess Club, the Ransom Knights, recently competed in the 17th Space Coast Open Chess Festival at the Crowne Plaza, Melbourne Oceanfront Resort in Indialantic, Florida.
The students competed in a five round tournament over three days and competed against chess players whose ages ranged from five to 85. Eight of the students placed in the top 25 slots out of 51 players. One student, Peter Bennington, placed seventh in the top 10 players.
All of the participants were ranked at 1200 or below by the United States Chess Federation. The students who participated in the tournament received national rankings as the tournament was sanctioned by the USCF. As a result, if students improve their ranking above 1500 they may be eligible for college scholarships.
At the Chess festival, the Grandmaster and Woman’s world champion, Alexandra Kosteniuk, played a 50 board Simultaneous Chess Exhibition match. One Ransom Middle student, Dave Nolen, was able to last against the champion for an astounding 28 moves. Overall, the Ransom Knights, some of whom participated in a chess tournament for the first time, won a total of 23 matches.
SBA Disaster Loans Available
May 15, 2010
Small businesses in the North Escambia area suffering financial losses following the Deepwater BP Spill in the Gulf of Mexico are eligible for low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.
SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans are available immediately in Escambia County, Fla., Escambia County, Ala., and Santa Rosa County to help meet the financial needs of qualifying small businesses following the oil spill.
“SBA is committed to taking every step we can to help small businesses deal with the financial challenges they are facing as a result of the Deepwater BP oil spill,” Administrator Karen Mills said. “These businesses are the foundation of local economies in communities along the Gulf Coast, including those fishermen down the coast who rely on the waters further out for their livelihood, and we know SBA’s economic injury loans can provide the working capital they need to drive economic growth and provide good-paying jobs.”
With the EIDL program, SBA is offering working capital loans up to $2 million at an interest rate of 4 percent with terms up to 30 years. Businesses in designated counties must demonstrate economic injury as part of their loan application. The loans may be used by small businesses that are unable to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. These loans can provide vital economic assistance to fishing and fishing-dependent businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. SBA encourages businesses to also file claims with BP. Borrowers may be required to use any claim payments to help repay these SBA loans.
Eligible small businesses include those engaged in shrimping, crabbing and oyster fishing in the waters affected by the closure (employees or crew members are not small businesses and are not eligible); small businesses dependent on the catching or sale of shrimp, crabs and oysters, suppliers of fishing gear and fuel; docks, boatyards, processors, wholesalers, shippers, retailers and other small businesses dependent on revenue from fishing, recreational and sports fishing small businesses, and coastal small businesses.
Understanding the financial challenges many of these business owners currently face, the SBA is also strongly encouraging its participating 7(a) lenders and Certified Development Companies (CDCs) to consider on a case-by-case basis deferment relief for borrowers with SBA-guaranteed 7(a) loans and 504 loans. Small businesses should call their lenders for information on possible loan deferments.
Small businesses in the area who are repaying SBA disaster loans may also be eligible for a deferment, on a case-by-case basis. For information on seeking a disaster loan deferment, call the SBA’s Disaster Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955.
The SBA will announce the location of several Business Recovery Centers in the affected communities within the next few days. SBA customer service representatives will be available at each center to meet with business owners to answer questions about the disaster loan program, issue applications and help them complete the forms.
Loan information and application forms can also be obtained by either calling SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 (800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired), e-mailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or visiting SBA’s Web site at www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance.
The declaration covers the primary Florida counties of Bay, Citrus, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gulf, Hernando, Hillsborough, Jefferson, Levy, Manatee, Okaloosa, Pasco, Pinellas, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Taylor and Walton. The neighboring counties of Alachua, Calhoun, Charlotte, Desoto, Gilchrist, Hardee, Holmes, Jackson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Marion, Polk, Sumter, Wakulla and Washington in the state of Florida; the Alabama counties of Baldwin, Covington, Escambia and Geneva, and the adjacent Georgia counties of Brooks and Thomas are also included in this declaration.
McDavid Man Facing Drug Charges After Pensacola Traffic Stop
May 15, 2010
A McDavid man is facing a felony drug charge after a traffic stop in Pensacola.
Kyle Steven Hassen, 22, of Cotton Creek Road McDavid, was charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, a third degree felony; and possession of marijuana, a first degree misdemeanor. He was released from the Escambia County Jail on $3,000 bond.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 1998 Pontiac on Pine Forest Road just south of I-10 shortly before midnight Thursday. The driver, Brandon McKendrick of Pensacola, gave deputies permission to search the vehicle. A plastic bag with marijuana and a Xanax pill were found under the passenger seat occupied by Hassen, according to the arrest report. Two more Xanax were located in the center console.
Hassen was charged with possessing the drugs because they were under his seat and based upon a statement from McKendrick that the drugs did not belong to him, the report states. The items will be processed for fingerprints to determine possession, according to the report.
McKendrick was charged with driving with a suspended license.
Unattended Generator Sparks Mobile Home Fire
May 15, 2010
An unattended generator caused a minor mobile home fire Friday afternoon on North Canoe Road, just off North Century Boulevard.
A small fire was reported about 2:10 p.m. in the outside wall of a double wide mobile home that was being installed. The fire was quickly extinguished when the first firefighters arrived on scene.
Authorities said a man working on the home was using a generator very near an outside wall. The man reportedly left the generator running while he went to a nearby store. The exhaust from the generator melted the home’s vinyl siding and started the minor fire.
There were no injuries and no major damage to the unoccupied home.
The Century, McDavid, Molino and Walnut Hill stations of Escambia Fire Rescue and the Flomaton Fire Department were dispatched to the incident.
Unusual And Entertaining Sights Found In Local Oak Trees
May 15, 2010
Local oak trees are putting on a show this year. Loaded with thousands of flower tassels or catkins, some say that the pollen is as bad as they have seen. Look closely however, and you’ll see more than just a pollen-laden tree.
Green acrobatic caterpillars
If you’ve been walking or raking under local oaks, then you’ve probably noticed the small green caterpillars performing acrobatic moves on thin whips of silken thread. If you haven’t noticed them, then probably someone has had to pick a caterpillar off your shirt or out of your hair.
Hundreds of these little caterpillars are hanging from panhandle oaks. What are they? While many will call them inchworms after their characteristic looping gait, they are technically called oak leafrollers.
Oak leafrollers are the larval forms of an earthy-colored moth. The moth lays masses of 40 to 50 eggs at the base of large branches and rough bark patches on both tree trunks and limbs. These eggs begin hatching in early spring and the caterpillars begin eating the leaves.
While they can eat an abundance of oak leaves, don’t worry. A little defoliation will not seriously harm a large oak tree.
Galls galore
Abnormally large round growths can be seen on many leaves of local oaks. These swellings are known as galls. While a variety of living organisms, including insects, mites, bacteria, and fungi are capable of causing galls, oak galls are typically caused by insects called gall wasps.
The tiny gall wasp begins the gall making process in early spring by piercing a selected tree part with its egg laying device and depositing an egg inside the plant tissue. Fluids deposited with the egg cause the plant cell multiplication process to begin. The larva that hatches from the egg produces additional substances that maintain and control cell division. The larva develops within a cavity inside the gall, feeding on material produced in the cavity lining. At maturity, the larva transforms into a pupa, and later becomes an adult that chews its way out of the gall. By causing the tree to form a gall, the gall wasp has provided food and shelter for its offspring.
Most galls are not harmful to oak trees. A healthy tree can support numerous galls without being seriously harmed.
Blisters erupt
If the caterpillars and gall wasps aren’t enough, a disease is also causing some unattractive leaves on local oaks.
Oak leaf blister is caused by a fungus. Early in the spring as leaves begin to expand, the fungus causes small, rough (concave, convex) spots. Gradually, the spots thicken and become pale green in color. Older spots are generally brown to greenish brown. Several blisters may merge, forcing the leaf to curl and can cause premature defoliation.
Because the oak leaf blister does not seriously affect the overall health of the tree, chemical control measures are usually not recommended. Collecting and disposing of the leaves as they drop may be of some benefit in reducing the inoculum for the following spring.
Local oaks are offering several interesting sights. All of the above issues will typically only cause leaves to look strange or unattractive. The trees themselves are not usually harmed by these strange and entertaining sights.
For more information, contact Theresa Friday at 850-623-3868 or email tlfriday@ufl.edu. Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Courtesy photos by Theresa Friday for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NorthEscambia.com Photos: The Final Launch Of Space Shuttle Atlantis
May 15, 2010
Space shuttle Atlantis launched Friday afternoon on its final planned mission.
The STS-132 launch put Atlantis in pursuit of its target, the International Space Station. Atlantis lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center right on time at 2:20 p.m. EDT, rising into a picture-perfect Florida sky and capping a relatively problem-free countdown.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Melissa Aiken Rawson of Cantonment who took the photos on this page for NorthEscambia.com. “It was great to be a part of that history.”
“Launch was just phenomenal,” said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier during a postlaunch news conference. He cited the launch and processing teams’ hard work in preparing Atlantis for liftoff, even with a tighter timeframe after the vehicle’s rollout to Launch Pad 39A was delayed in late April due to weather.
“The teams stayed focused, they kept moving forward and they just did a great job,” Gerstenmaier added. “The vehicle looks like it’s in really good shape. We’re ready to go do the very challenging mission in front of us.”
Atlantis’ on-time liftoff followed a countdown remarkably free of problems. A small stress fracture spotted on an umbilical strut during the vehicle’s final inspection is not unusual, according to Mike Moses, chair of the prelaunch Mission Management Team. Moses also mentioned an issue that was brought up during the countdown’s final hold, concerning a ball bearing found days earlier in the shuttle’s payload bay. The bearing was determined to likely be a part of a camera system, and was ultimately ruled out as a concern.
And although weather is a frequent prelaunch topic at the Florida launch site, the day started out with a 70 percent “go” forecast, which improved to 90 percent “go” by launch time.
“It was a great launch today,” said Launch Director Mike Leinbach. “I’m very, very proud of the team. It’s the start of a good mission.
During the 12-day flight, Atlantis and six astronauts will fly to the International Space Station, leaving behind a Russian Mini Research Module, a set of batteries for the station’s truss and dish antenna, along with other replacement parts. Atlantis’ 32nd flight is scheduled to last 12 days and include three spacewalks and extensive robotics work.
Saturday, the six astronauts will survey the shuttle’s heat shield, checkout the spacesuits for the upcoming spacewalks and prepare for docking to the International Space Station on Sunday.
NASA astronaut Ken Ham commands an all-veteran flight crew: Pilot Tony Antonelli, and Mission Specialists Michael Good, Garrett Reisman, Piers Sellers and Steve Bowen.
Pictured top and inset: The final flight of space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Kennedy Space Center Friday afternoon. Pictured below: The crew of STS-132 as they head toward the launch pad. NorthEscambia.com photos by Melissa Aiken Rawson, click to enlarge.
