Helicopter Technologies Building Up For Sale For $1.75 Million; Century Council Member Upset
May 22, 2008
The building occupied by Helicopter Technologies in the Century Industrial Park has been listed for sale for $1.75 million, and that has one Century councilman upset.
“He’s trying to sell the property out from under our noses,” Councilman Henry Hawkins said of Georges Van Nevel and Helicopter Technologies.
Helicopter Technologies was raided by federal agents back in January, and then fell behind on is payments to the town for the building. Van Nevel then agreed to a new payment plan proposed by the town, according to Mayor Freddie McCall, and he has stuck to that plan, making payments as agreed.
The real estate listings for the “immaculate office/warehouse building” were placed on February 5 of this year according to data in the PensacolaMLS, the official site of the Pensacola Association of Realtors. It is listed with NAI Halford Commercial Estate with agent Theresa Ritchie. It is also listed on commercial real estate website loopnet.com.
Click here to see the Loopnet.com listing for the building (pdf).
“It was brought up last year why we sell, not lease,” Hawkins said. “We should never sell property in the industrial park. We should hire a real estate agent to straighten this mess out.”
According to documents obtained by NorthEscambia.com, the property was sold by the Town of Century on January 19, 2001, for the sum of $10 “and other good and valuable consideration” to Helicopter Technologies, Inc. It was signed by then-mayor Benny Barnes.
Click here to read the $10 sale document (pdf).
On January 23, 2001, a mortgage agreement was entered into by the Town of Century and Helicopter Technologies for $420,000 according to additional documents obtained by NorthEscambia.com. That mortgage is why Helicopter Technologies is currently making payments to the town each month.
“We need to pull the contract,” Hawkins said. “He has already defaulted. We need to lease the property while we have the chance.”
“We have entered into another agreement, have we not?” council member Anne Brooks asked McCall.
“Yes,” McCall answered.
“As long as he is living up to it, I don’t think we should turn our backs on that agreement,” Brooks said.
Searching records at the Escambia County Clerks office where mortgages and other real estate documents are normally officially filed, NorthEscambia.com was unable to locate any recent formal legal agreement between the Town of Century and Helicopter Technologies.
“I’m sticking to my guns,” Hawkins said. “We need to do something now. We need to lease not sell property.”
Attempts to reach Helicopter Technologies for comment were unsuccessful.
Pictured above: The ad listing the Helicopter Technologies building for sale for $1.75 million. Pictured below: The interior on the Helicopter Technologies building in the Century Industrial Park. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
Traffic Count Underway Around Hwy 4, Jefferson After Fatal Wreck
May 22, 2008
The Florida Department of Transportation is conducting a traffic count survey around the site of a traffic crash that claimed three lives in Century April 11.
The DOT is conducting the count around the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Highway 4 as part of study to determine if a flashing caution light is needed at the intersection.
Brush has been cleared away from the intersection and “Caution Stop Ahead” signs have been ordered, according to Century Mayor Freddie McCall.
Pictured above: A truck passes over traffic counting system installed on Highway 4 in Century between Highway 29 and Jefferson Avenue.
Century High School Class of ‘61 Donates To Library
May 22, 2008
The Century High School Class of 1961 decided to do a little something to give back to the community, and that decision led to a $700 donation to the Century Branch Library Wednesday morning.
Librarian Patricia Rigel said the money would likely be used toward children’s programs and items at the library.
NorthEscambia.com photos.
Carver/Century Celebrates Huge FCAT Gains
May 22, 2008
The school day at Carver/Century K-8 School was interrupted Wednesday by “Mission Impossible” playing over the speaker system and an announcement by the principal that had cheers and screams of excitement resounding across the school.
The cause for the excitement? The third grade reading and math FCAT scores were released Wednesday, and Carver/Century Principal Jeff Garthwaite was pleased. Beyond pleased.
The Escambia County school that had the largest percent of students improving on the reading FCAT? Carver/Century K-8. The Escambia County school with almost the largest number of students improving on the math FCAT? Carver/Century K-8.
“We celebrated,” a happy Garthwaite told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday afternoon. “When we announced to the school that we had the highest percent increases in the county, you could hear the cheers throughout the school. We are very happy today.”
The school was hit with a double blow earlier in the month with poor results on the writing FCAT and an announcement that School Superintendent Jim Paul had targeted the school for closure before the next school year. Just last week at a school board workshop, Paul said one reason he targeted the school was due to its continued poor performance.
“It certainly is cause to revisit and rethink closing Carver/Century,” Garthwaite said of the FCAT scores released Wednesday. “This is certainly a reason not to give up on this school.”
“This is an indicator that the school is doing what we need to be doing,” he said.
As for the song “Mission Impossible”, it has become a theme song of sorts for the school with a twist on the words to “Mission Possible”.
Pictured above: Students at Carver/Century about to take the FCAT.
Carver/Century 3rd Grade FCAT Results Skyrocket
May 22, 2008
Carver/Century Elementary school third graders improved the school’s scores on recent FCAT math test, with 58 percent of them scoring at grade level or above, while the school’s third grade jumped to 63 percent at or above grade level.
A score of 3.0 on both the reading and math FCAT is considered to be grade level.
Last year, 24 percent of the Carver/Century third grade students scored a 3.0 or more in math, and 38 percent were at 3.0 or more in reading.
There were
Of the 19 third grade students taking the math FCAT at Carver/Century, no student scored a 5 or higher. Twenty-one percent scored between 4 and 5, and 37 percent scored between 3 and 4. Thirty-seven percent of the students scored 2-3, and five percent scored a 1. Carver/Century scored equal to or greater than five other elementary schools on the math FCAT.
Of the 19 third grade students taking the reading FCAT at Carver/Century, five percent scored a 5 or higher. Eleven percent scored between 4 and 5, and 47 percent scored between 3 and 4. Sixteen percent of the students scored 2-3, and 21 percent scored a 1. Carver/Century scored a higher passing percentage than eight other schools in the county.
Distict 5 School Board Candidate Drops Out
May 22, 2008
Rick Lambert of Deerfoot Lane in Cantonment has dropped out of the race for Escambia County School Board District 5 seat held by Peter R. Gindl, Sr.Others in the District 5 school board race for incumbent Gindl’s seat are Tom Harrell, Bill Slayton and Robert Tegenkamp.
School board races are nonpartisan.
NWE Braves Beat River Cats; Panhandle Cafe Cooks Century
May 21, 2008
In recent NWE action, the Braves downed the River Cats 27-23.
Meanwhile, the NWE Major Boys “Panhandle Cafe” beat Century 10-1. Daulton Tullis pitch a great game with eight strikeouts. Justice Agerton was bought in as the relief pitcher in the 6th inning to seal the deal for Daulton and struck out the last two batters. Wade Jerigan hit two homeruns during the game with runners on bag each time. Brannon Freeman hit the fence twice and was 3-4 with a walk. Justice Agerton hit the fence once and was 3-4 with a walk. Murphy Bryan was 2-4.
For more photos from the Braves vs. River Cats, click here.
Ramona Preston photos Braves vs. Rivercats photos (above and below) for NorthEscambia.com. Click to enlarge. Panhandle Cafe story submitted by Kris Agerton.
North Escambia Residents Meet With County’s Top Officials To Discuss Budget
May 21, 2008
North Escambia residents had the chance to learn about county services and upcoming budget cuts and a public District 5 budget meeting held Tuesday night at Highland Baptist Church in Molino.
“We are here to find out what you think we should do with your tax dollars,” County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told those in attendance.
One by one, county department heads explained the services provided by their departments, and took questions.
Janice Kilgore, retiring public safety director, explained that her department is the “department that never sleeps”. Questions for Kilgore during the meeting turned to the upcoming hurricane season.
“How many hurricanes do you think there will be this year that we will have to worry about?”, ” a citizen asked.
“It only takes one,” Kilgore said. “If it comes here, that’s the one. Being prepared now is everyone’s job.”
McLaughlin said the county already has emergency contracts in place for post-hurricane needs like food and debris cleanup, and he said the county is prepared.
Joy Blackburn, county engineer, explained her department’s services. Roads, dirt roads in particular, were the big concern from the public. Dirt road paving is underway on a multi-year plan, she said, with the county getting a little more bang for its buck recently.
“Our prices and our bids are coming in nice,” she said. “We are getting more bang for our buck with the best prices we have had since before Ivan.”
Community Corrections Director Gordon Pike praised the savings his department provides for Escambia County, about $10 million a year.
The county currently spends about $75 a day to house inmates in the county jail, plus provides all of the medical care while they are there. But those that are in the county’s work release programs like the road prison, pay for their own housing and medical care.
One audience member suggesting putting prisoners in tents in a parking lot to save money, but Pike said that would be a legal liability and would likely lead to higher inmate medical bills.”
“You just can’t do that,” Pike said. “Have you ever heard of cruel and unusual punishment?”
As for the recent inmate escapes from the county’s road prison, Pike said “that person should not have been at the Road Prison. Somebody dropped the ball on that one.” He said the screening process for inmates headed to the road prison is the responsibility of the sheriff’s department, not community corrections.
“We know that there is a smarter way to work than what we are doing, and we are going to find it,” McLaughlin said of the county’s cost-cutting efforts.
Some potential ideas the administrator mentioned at the Molino meeting were a switch to cheaper software such as Linux rather than Windows, decreasing the number of county vehicles, outsourcing services such as human resources and more “practical business decisions”. In fact, he said, the county is considering sending 58 county vehicles to the auction block.
One major change McLaughlin said he sees in the next five years in the consolidation of the City of Pensacola and Escambia County goverments into one entity to save funds. The county and city are currently holding joint meetings every two months to discuss that possiblity.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White was on hand for the meeting, often praising the job done by the department heads in an effort to spend the county’s money wisely.
Pictured above: County Administrator Bob McLaughlin at a county budget meeting Tuesday night in Molino at Highland Baptist Church. The easel boards show the various county departments. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge. Editor’s note: The “kids” in the background is on a sign for the church’s “kids klub” and was not part of the county’s presentation.
There’s Still A Plan To Turn Old Molino School Into Community Hub
May 21, 2008
A top priority of Escambia County is the acquisition of the old Molino Elementary School from the county’ school board, but the plan has run into a few snags.
Plans call for the school to become a community hub, possibly including a 5,000 square foot library, a museum highlighting Molino history, a small health clinic, a business incubator, renovation of the gym and one additional building for community events and private party rental along with other uses.
County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told a crowd at a budget meeting in Molino Tuesday night that funding was an issue.
“Right now, that is a number one priority for Commissioner (Kevin) White,” McLaughlin said. “But there are a few issues that have come up.”
County and school board appraisals of the property have varied by about $200,000. An in-depth inspection reveal termite damage, dry rot and structural damage that was not previously known. The damage appears to be old and not from the Molino tornado earlier this year, McLaughlin said.
“It will take $4 million to bring it up to code,” the county administrator said. That is in addition to the school board’s $400,000 asking price for the property.
A plan had been floated where the school would transfer ownership from the Escambia County School District to the Board of County Commissioners and allow the school district to use the Pensacola Civic Center ( a county facility) rent-free for 10 years for high school graduations. The school district currently pays $40,000 a year for use of the civic center. But McLaughlin said that plan was not accepted by the school district.
To make matters worse, the county has lost a grant that would have been used to turn a portion of the building into a library.
But the county is still pursing the property, he said, looking for possible private and foundation funding sources.
The school closed in 2003 when the new Molino Park Elementary School consolidated Molino Elementary and Barrineau Park Elementary.
The school, which sits on nine acres along County Road 95A, first opened in 1939.
Pictured below: A 2006 aerial view of the old Molino Elementary School.
Century Turns Out At School Board Meeting To Support Carver/Century
May 21, 2008
Many Century residents, parents and teachers packed into the Tuesday night meeting of the Escambia County School Board to show their support for keeping Carver/Century K-8 School open.
“Help us to live,” Council Member Gary Riley told the school board. “Keep the plug in so we can revitalize ourselves.”
Superintendent Jim Paul’s budget cutting plans include closing the school, possibly as early as the next school year to save the district $680,000 of $16 million in needed savings. Paul has also said several times that he is concerned that the school continues to be ranked an “F” school by the Florida Department of Education.
But those Carver/Century supporters that made the drive from Century to the Pensacola school board meeting begged the board to keep the school’s doors open for both the children and the community.
“As you see, you have strong representation here tonight in favor of keeping Carver Century open,” Riley said. “We may be on a respirator now, but it seems like now you want to pull the plug on the respirator. Century is trying to live; Century is trying to grow. Anytime you pull the plug on the respirator it means that you have given up. Century has not given up on Century.”
“If you close that school, not only the community but an entire city would be in danger,” Riley said. “All of those surround communities would be affected by the closing of that school.”
Rev. Irvin Stallworth told the school board that a blue ribbon committee had been formed to look at ways to reform the school. That committee was named at Monday night’s Century Town Council meeting. (Read that story by clicking here.)
“Closing any school in the community is not the answer,” Julie Booth Moran, owner of Century Pharmacy said. “Helping that school revitalize itself, as our community is trying to do, is the answer.”
“The foundation starts in the community of which these children live,” she said.
“Give us the time,” Moran said. “Help us to keep our school open. I think the community support today shows we are involved.”
Paul has not yet made an official recommendation to close Carver/Century, but that recommendation could come as early as the June 17 board meeting. That closure would most likely see Carver/Century students bused to Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School.
One of the school’s 205 students, fifth grader Olivia Richmond, had a sign at the meeting that said “Be fair to our school. Don’t close our school.”