Unusual Meeting For Century Council
July 21, 2009
Mondays night’s regular meeting of the Century Town Council was very unusual. The entire meeting, gavel to gavel, took place in only about 10 minutes.
Council members approved the minutes of the their last meeting and their bill list in a matter of minutes. After a few quick discussions — including the possible placement of a “Caution Children At Play” sign on Front Street — the meeting was adjourned with no public speakers and no votes by the council.
Council member Sharon Scott requested the sign to deter speeders on Front Street. She said that persons speed down the street with no regard for children that may be out playing.
Four of five council members were present at the meeting. Council member Henry Hawkins was absent.
Bratt Elementary Renovation Cost Rises After Damage Is Found
July 21, 2009
The upgrades underway this summer at Bratt Elementary School will cost the school district a little more than expected after the contractor found damaged plaster.
It will cost $14,379.71 to drywall the exterior wall of classrooms 17-25 in the school’s north wing to cover damaged plaster that was concealed by transite panels. The plaster could not be patched, according to contractor Morette Company of Pensacola.
Morette’s contract is also being increased by $1,448 to remove and replace the acoustical ceiling in the stage area to allow access to mechanical equipment.
The total renovation cost for the front building at the school, which was constructed in 1980, stands at $992,234.73. The project is funded from capital construction monies from the half cent sales tax.
Renovations include:
- replace restroom fixtures in the west wing, $3,425
- replace lighting and ceilings in west wing, $36,500
- renovations in guidance and administration areas, $26,000
- replace air handling units in cafetorium, $82,600
- replace water meter and piping for increased water pressure, $27,382
Pictured above: Bratt Elementary School Monday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
New Law Restricts Turtle Harvest
July 21, 2009
Taking more than one freshwater turtle per day per person in Florida is now illegal. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission this summer voted on a new rule to ban their taking following reports of large harvests of turtles by people who were selling them into the Asian market, where turtle meat is prized.
“We determined there was the possibility the species could not withstand the pressure from unchecked harvest,” said Tim Breault, director of the FWC’s Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. “This new rule will conserve Florida’s diverse turtle population in perpetuity.”
Individuals will be allowed to take one freshwater turtle per day per person from the wild for noncommercial use. People cannot transport more than one turtle per day. The rule prohibits taking turtles from the wild that are listed on Florida’s imperiled species list. Individuals cannot take species that look similar to the imperiled species; these include common snapping turtles and cooters. In addition, the ban includes collecting freshwater turtle eggs.
The closed season for the take of softshell turtles, May 1 to July 31, will not change under the new rule. For more information on the new rule, go to MyFWC.com.
Stallworth Still Held In Alabama; Extradition Warrant To Be Sent To Alabama Governor
July 20, 2009
Donnie Wayne Stallworth will remain in an Alabama jail cell without bond while officials in Florida work to prepare a warrant to be sent to Alabama’s governor to return him to to face open counts of murder in connection with the deaths of Byrd and Melanie Billings.
Stallworth, 28, appeared before Escambia County (Ala.) Circuit Court Judge Bert Rice Monday afternoon in a probable cause hearing. Rice ruled that there is probable cause to continue to hold Stallworth without bond. Stallworth was in the Brewton courtroom Monday afternoon, but he did not speak on his behalf. About two dozen supporters, including his mother, were in the courtroom.
Terry Hardy, an Escambia County (Fla.) investigator, was in court, testifying that suspect Thomas Wayne Coldiron had identified Stallworth as one of the five inside the Billings home on July 9 when the couple was murdered. Coldiron told investigators that Stallworth did have a weapon. Investigators said that Stallworth is the man that carried safe out of the Billings home.
Escambia (Fla.) officials will now work to prepare an extradition warrant to be sent to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley to have Stallworth sent back to Florida. Florida officials will have up to 24 days to finish their paperwork.
Stallworth refused to waive extradition at his first court appearance last week. Monday afternoon’s probable cause hearing was to determine if the case documentation is complete, if Stallworth is charged in Florida, if he is the man charged in Florida and if he was in the state of Florida when the crime was committed before he fled to Alabama
At the time of the murders, Stallworth was assigned to the 1st Special Operations Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hurlburt Field. The 1999 T.R. Miller High School graduate is a Brewton native. His family still resides in the Brewton area.
Local Blogger: Billings Murder Was Contract Hit
July 20, 2009
One local newspaper publisher is reporting that the Billings murders might have been a contract hit organized by Patrick Gonzalez, Jr.
Ricks’ Blog, from Pensacola Independent News Publisher Rick Outzen, published the report Sunday night, citing unnamed sources. Gonzalez was to be paid between $20,000 and $50,000 for the killings, plus whatever could be removed from the Billings home. Outzen says in his report that the July 9 attack was not the first attempt by the suspects.
Outzen said his sources said the murders were connected to Byrd Billings’ financing of used car lots in the area.
Outzen often posts information from “sources” he in segments he usually calls “Buzz” on his blog, but he is known in the Pensacola community for very often being correct.
Amtrak Could Roll Through Our Area Again
July 20, 2009
Amtrak passenger rail service could return to the area, if Congress gives approval to a three-option plan presented late last week. If either plan is approved, Atmore’s iconic train station could be demolished.
Hurricane Katrina spelled an end to the coast to coast Sunset Limited service between Los Angeles and Florida, with 13 stops including Atmore and Pensacola. The railway between New Orleans and Mobile was left unusable by the massive storm.
Now Amtrak is proposing three options for restoring service between New Orleans and Orlando:
- Restoration of the tri-weekly Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and Orlando.
- Extend the daily City of New Orleans service east from New Orleans to Orlando. The train currently operates between Chicago, Illinois and New Orleans.
- Implement stand-alone overnight service between New Orleans and Orlando.
All three of the proposals have some common elements that would be noticeable in North Escambia, Atmore and surrounding areas. Any of the three trains would operate on the old Sunset Limited route in our area. From Mobile, the trains would head to Atmore, make a stop, and continue to Pensacola. Along the way from Atmore to Pensacola, the train would pass through Flomaton and North Escambia — the route currently taken by many freight trains each day.
Atmore’s iconic station — often used a symbol of the town — would be demolished under either of the three passenger rail plans presented to Congress. (Read more here.) The station is aging, in disrepair and does not meet current Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Rebuilding the station and platform would cost $740,147, according to Amtrak estimates.
In Pensacola – Escambia County, Florida’s only stop — it would take $431,242 to upgrade the rail station for signage and general repairs.
Restoring the Sunset Limited service would be the cheapest of the three options, according to the Amtrak report to Congress, at about $10.8 million in direct costs. The other two options top $20 million. The Sunset Limited would have the lowest operating costs as well. The Sunset Limited route, however, was ranked as one of the biggest money losers in the entire Amtrak system before its demise to Hurricane Katrina.
The report estimates it would take up to 20 months for station improvements to restore the Sunset Limited. Additional time would be needed, up to two years, just to take delivery on the new trains needed to extend the City of New Orleans route or create the new stand-along New Orleans to Orlando route.
The next step is for Congress to review the proposal, make recommendations and provide a funding source.
Atmore Train Station Would Be Demolished Under Amtrak Plan
July 20, 2009
It’s has been an iconic symbol of Atmore for years, but if Congress approves one of three Amtrak proposals, the train station in Atmore will be demolished and replaced.
Amtrak has presented three proposals to Congress for reestablishing passenger rail service from New Orleans to Orlando. (Read more here.) Passenger service on the route ended in August, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina slammed the Gulf Coast and stopped the Sunset Limited line. That left cities like Mobile, Atmore and Pensacola without rail service.
The Atmore train station has appeared in promotion materials for the city and the town’s chamber of commerce, appeared on t-shirts and been the background for many a photograph. It’s a quaint little building, with a single room, a covered area with two benches and a long passenger ramp. To a passerby on Highway 31, it still appears as it did in in the day when the sounds of “All Aboard” echoed above the sounds of the diesel engines of the Sunset Limited and the Gulf Breeze.
The building was constructed for the Gulf Breeze, a daily Mobile to Birmingham passenger rail route that begin in 1989 and ran until April 1, 1995.
But a closer look reveals the stresses of time on the building. The door to the single small room is missing. It’s nothing more than an empty room holding empty brochure racks. Outside, on the covered area, the two benches sit empty most of the time, or sometimes play host to a dad that stops by to show his children the passing freight trains as they rumble past. The passenger ramp shows great age, with many boards cracked or turned upwards on their ends. Walking the ramp’s edge without tripping can prove a challenge.
The building’s age, and the fact it does not meet current Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements, is why Amtrak is recommending that Congress agree that the building be demolished and replaced at a cost of $740,147, if the proposal to return rail service between New Orleans and Orlando is approved.
The total cost for the Atmore station would include $238,881 to build the actual station, $165,000 for an electronic sign board to provide real time train status updates, $84,346 in “flagging precautions” to protect rail workers, and $110,000 for an electronic ticket system. ADA improvement would cost another $10,571 at the station, $56,791 for pathway construction and $74,528 for platform construction improvements.
The total ongoing cost to run the stations would be an estimated $2,959 per year.
Documents obtained by NorthEscambia.com show that very few people — less than an average of three per week — ever boarded the Sunset Limited in Atmore. In 2003, there were 223 that boarded the passenger rail service in Atmore; 292 in 2004; and 255 prior to the service’s end in August 2005.
If Congress approves one of Amtrak’s New Orleans to Orlando plans, it would take up to 20 months to complete the repairs or reconstruction of the 13 stations along the route, including Atmore.
Pictured top: The train station in Atmore has not seen a passenger train since August, 2005. Pictured inset: The boards along the ramp are rotten and bowing upwards. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Dozens of Personnel Appointments At North Escambia Schools
July 20, 2009
The Escambia County School Board is set to approve numerous North Escambia teacher and staff transfers and rehires at their meeting Tuesday night.
The following will be reappointed:
- Lisa Albritton, Bratt Elementary
- Brian Ball, Tate High
- Raquel Bohatka, Tate High
- William Britt, Northview High
- Megan Carroll, Northview High
- Robert Cassevah, Ernest Ward Middle
- Laura Chavers, Ernest Ward Middle
- Patricia Clements, Jim Allen Elementary
- Charlie Code, Northview High
- Alison Collier, Molino Park Elementary
- Linda Doyle, Molino Park Elementary
- Megan Driver, Molino Park Elementary
- Patricia Forehand, Northview High
- Melissa Gilbert, Tate High
- Rhoda Greenwell, Jim Allen Elementary
- Keith Griffin, Ernest Ward Middle
- Frances Gindl, Ernest Ward Middle
- Cheryl Golson, Bratt Elmentary
- Gay Hassebrock, Bratt Elementary
- Robyn Hoffman, Jim Allen Elementary
- Clay Ingram, Tate High
- Sharon Kite, Bratt Elementary
- Lois Laseter, Tate High
- Larry McCord, Northview High
- Perri McKinnon, Ranson Middle
- Danielle Otto, Jim Allen Elementary
- Mike Philley, Tate High
- Cynthia Reeves, Tate High
- Stephani (Perritt) Reynolds, Bratt Elementary
- Erin Ruckman, Tate High
- Stephen Ruckman, Tate High
- Mary Jo Smith, Northview High
- Mary Ann Spence, Ernest Ward Middle
- Rachel Venable, Molino Park Elementary
- Katie Ward, Ernest Ward Middle
- Rachel Webb, Ransom Middle
- Billy Welch, Northview High
- Cynthia (Marlow) Wendt, Bratt Elementary
- Brandy White, Ernest Ward Middle
- Mary Thorpe, Bratt Elementary
- Caroline McDanial, Tate High
- Elerene Walters, Tate High
The following professional positions in North Escambia are slated to be approved by the school board:
- Stephanie Abbott, Bratt Elementary
- Genia Bayshore, Bratt Elementary
- Bethany Blackburn, Northview High
- David Bonucchi, Tate High
- Some Bridges, Ernest Ward Middle
- Joseph Chastain, Northview High
- Kelli Holly, Ransom Middle
- April Hunter, Jim Allen Elementary
- Rebecca Kirchharr, Tate High
- Janet Lowry, Bratt Elementary
- Rachel Madril, Molino Park Elementary
- Martha Martin, Ernest Ward Middle
- Cheryl Massey, Jim Allen Elementary
- Heather Maxell, Tate High
- Felicia McCants, Ransom Middle
- Kenneth Meadows, Jim Allen Elementary
- Ester Robinson, Molino Park
- Ashley Salter, Ernest Ward Middle
- Michele Steiling, Tate High
The school board is also expected to approved the out of field appointment of Jennifer Castor at Northview High and the reappointment of Scott Slay, also at Northview.
The board will also approve the following retirements and resignations:
- Michael Drewett, Tate High, retirement
- Stepanie Elowsky, Northview High
- Bonnie Seales, Jim Allen Elementary
- Robert Waldrop, Ransom Middle, retirement
- Anna Cavnar, Tate High
A leave of absence without pay will be approved for Julie Kent, a teacher at Molino Park Elementary.
Carolyn Thortis, Bratt Elementary, will be rehired as a child care site director.
The board is expected to approved the resignation of Vivian Sanders, a custodial worker at Carver/Century K-8 School.
The board will approved a correction of Annette Williams as retiring from Ransom Middle School, not Bratt Elementary as on the board’s last regular agenda.
Editor’s note: The preceding personnel changes to be considered Tuesday night by the Escambia County School Board do not include changes made at prior board meetings or that might be made in August. The list only includes personnel changes to be made at the July board meeting.
Former Ernest Ward Teacher Now Selling Her Book Online
July 20, 2009
Jean Webb, a former teacher and administrator at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill, is busy these days promoting her book, and now she has a web site where her book is available.
Set in Richmond, VA, and Mobile during the 1880’s, “Feet of Clay” is a family saga, a historical romance, a murder mystery, a courtroom drama and a study of human behavior all rolled into one.
“There are no perfect heroes here, only men with feet of clay,” she said of her book. “They have been wronged: They have done wrong, but are honorable men with all too many human flaws.”
Webb, who spent 35 years as an English teacher and administrator at Ernest Ward High School, is currently a member of the Wetumpka Fine Arts Club and the Episcopal Church. Her interests include reading, writing, and following sports — especially football and basketball. She has four children: Letha, Rick, Jean, and Pellar. She now resides near Wetumpka, Alabama. She was recently been nominated to be inducted into the Alabama Senior Hall of Fame.
Webb’s new web site is jjwebb.com. Feet of Clay is also available at amazon.com.
Pictured top: Former Ernest Ward Middle School teacher J.J. Webb autographs her book at a signing event last year the First National Bank & Trust in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Kelley To Seek Valentino’s Seat On Escambia Commission
July 20, 2009
Gene Valentino will have at least two challengers for his seat on the Escambia County Commission in 2010.
Escambia County native Robert Kelley has filed to run for the seat.
Kelley announced his candidacy late last week for the District 2 seat. When asked why he wants to run for office, Kelley responded, “As a citizen I want a representative that is open, honest, and obeys the law. I want someone who follows through with their promises. That is what I want to be for the citizens of Escambia County.”
Republican Kelley, 28, helped found the angel investment fund Whitesands Investments, which actively makes investments in Northwest Florida to spur economic growth.
“Moving into the public sector is a 180 degree change for me,” Kelley, a 2005 graduate of the University of West Florida said. “I feel it is the best way that I can help a place that I plan to call home for a very long time. I look forward to hearing from and working with the citizens of Escambia County.”
Independent candidate Scott Gauvin filed to run for the seat back in August.