Bratt First Baptist Church Holds Community Easter Egg Hunt
March 22, 2008
The Bratt First Baptist Church held a Community Easter Egg Hunt at the Oak Grove Park Saturday morning. Dozens of children listened to the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection before scrambling to find hundreds of eggs hidden across the park.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the egg hunt, click here.
Green Acres Farm In Davisville Has Easter Weekend Open House
March 22, 2008
There will be an open house this Easter weekend at the Green Acres Farm in Davisville.
“Fruit trees are flowering and baby animals have been born,” said Mark Casson. “We’d love to see you and share the farm with you.”
Casson and his wife Kimberly live on Green Acres Farm at 10810 Highway 97, about four tenths of a mile south of Meadows Road (about a mile south of the Alabama state line).
Activities include petting the kids (baby goats) and lambs for the children, a potluck lunch and an Easter egg hunt.
Petting times are Sunday afternoon at 2:00 and 4:00.
There will be an Easter service at 11:00 on Sunday with a potluck lunch to follow. There will be an Easter Egg hunt at 2:00 Sunday afternoon.
The Tortoise And The Hare: The Big Race At The Century Branch Library
March 21, 2008
The Atlantic Coast Theatre for Youth performed the Tortoise and the Hare at the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon for about 20 children
Aesop’s fable was given a fun updated twist in this new musical. Bunni Hare always wins every race and is pushing for her own brand of running shoes. But there’s no one running against her in the forest race. So Thomas Tortoise decides he will compete, even though he knows he’s bound to come in second. But during the race Bunni is so confident that she will win that she takes the time to answer a phone call. The famous sports reporter Howard Crow-sell was there to call the play by play in this fantastic fable as Bunni learns her lesson.
ACT For Youth is dedicated to bringing the art of theatre to children and families. Their mission is to create performances, workshops, and educational programs that inspire and encourage discussion. Bunni was played by Noel Holland, Atlantic’s education director. Howard Crow-sel was played by Don Gruel, the group’s artistic director.
The Zinghoppers will appear at the Century Branch Library on Friday, April 4 at 2:30. Entertaining children in an inspiring world where imagination will take them on amazing adventures, the Zinghoppers encourage kids to explore the world around them through music, movement and laughter – and they won’t even know they’re learning.
For a complete photo gallery from the Tortoise and the Hare, click here.
Commission Votes To Move Forward On Consolidating Fire Departments
March 21, 2008
The Escambia County Commission voted Thursday night to finalize steps toward creating a unified, countywide volunteer fire department and to solve the issue to stipend overpayments to volunteers.
Under the plan approved Thursday night, the county will waive $24,575 in volunteer stipend overpayments. As a restriction on the stipend forgiveness, volunteers that hold an exemption letter from the State Fire Marshal will be able to continue collecting their stipend at the level of Firefighter I until September 30. Beginning October 1, volunteer firefighters holding the exemption letter will be paid their stipend at the level of Firefighter Trainee.
The plan also requires County Fire Chief Ken Perkins and Robbie Whitfield, president of the volunteer’s association and chief of the Ferry Pass Volunteer Fire Department, to present a fire department unification plan by the April 2008 Committee of the Whole workshop on April 10. The county administrator would oversee this transition.
Commissioners Want To Cut Their Own Salaries, Disagree On Method
March 21, 2008
Escambia County Commissioners held a lengthy, and sometimes heated, discussion at their Thursday night meeting about cutting their salaries by 10 percent.
District 5 Commissioner Kevin White (pictured) made a motion that the county ask the Florida Legislature cut the salaries of all county commissioners in the state by 10 percent, and if not for all counties, that Escambia commission salaries be cut by 10 percent.
Commissioner Marie Young said she was unwilling to support taking the request to the state legislature directly. She made a motion that the request go to the Florida Association of Counties first and allow FAC to present the request to the legislature. Young serves on the FAC board of directors.
“I cannot support it as only for Escambia County,” Young said. “Only if it goes through the proper channels of going through the Florida Association of Counties.”
“I’ll agree to send it to both, but not just FAC,” White said.
Young’s motion failed with four commissioners voting against it; only Young voted in the affirmative.
White’s motion was amended to present the request to both the legislature and FAC.
Commission Chairman Mike Whitehead said that in order for the legislature to approve the request, it would need a 5-0 vote by the commission, or it would fail in Tallahassee.
“I do know and understand the process when you call for a special act,” Whitehead said. “If you want to do something that is meaningful, then do it through the appropriate channels and do it correctly. What you are asking for becomes nothing but posturing.”
White’s motion passed 4-1, with Young voting against it.
County Postpones Action On New Park For Bratt
March 21, 2008
A new community park is in the works for the Bratt community. The Escambia County Commission will vote on a land swap on April 3 that will make a 10 year dream a reality.
The commission was expected to approve the land swap Thursday night, but the vote was postponed until the next meeting due to a problem with the legal description of the property, District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said.
“We are not dropping it; we are just postponing it until the next meeting,” White said.
The county is set to trade 57 acres of mostly wetlands that county owns on Hanks Road for 13.19 acres at the corner of West Highway 4 and Bratt Road. The Highway 4 property is currently owened by Kale and Donna Schneider.
“I think this is a great thing,” District 5 Commissioner Kevin White told NorthEscambia.com. “A park in that area has been needed for a long time. This has been 10 years in the making.”
The land swap will end up costing the county only about $9,000. That will leave about $141,000 currently budgeted in White’s discretionary Local Option Sales Tax funds to develop that park. In the beginning, that money will pay for land improvements, playground equipment and a walking trail. Softball fields are part of the ultimate plan for the park, White said. The county’s current Admendment 1 budget crisis will not effect the funding for the park since funds will come from the local sales tax monies.
“It will be a great asset for the community, and we expect the private sector will get involved and help too,” White said. “It provides another park in the north part of the county that the other board members have supported since I have been here.”
The new park, if the land swap is approved by the commission next month, will be located along Highway 4 between Bratt First Baptist Church and Northview High School. The land is currently an open area with just a few very small trees (pictured below). The aerial photo above shows the placement of the property.
County Considers Millions In Funding Cuts, Lake Stone Funding Gone
March 21, 2008
Escambia Commissioners have identified about $10.5 million of a needed $12 million in budget cuts, including funding for Lake Stone near Century.
The county had funded Lake Stone (pictured above) to the tune of $23,472 last year, and they had ranked it at number 34 on a list of 78 county departments. But during a budget workshop Wednesday, the commission decided to cut the funding and allow it to become self-supporting.
Other items considered by the commission to cut costs:
- continue a hiring freeze on roughly 100 vacant positions
- pay for some capital outlay projects on credit to make more funds available in the current budget
- form a committee to decide if about a half million a year that goes to the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce and the Pensacola Escambia Development Commission for job development could actually be done cheaper by the county
- eliminate three positions from the county’s human resources department, outsourcing the work
- county parks and recreation events must make enough from their fees or they would be cut
- inmate labor will be used for park maintenance such as mowing
- suspend county employee tuition reimbursement
- cut an assistant county administrator position and its office aide, saving $210,823
- consider early retirement buyouts
- cut the $115,000 for the Human Relations Commission that hears fair housing complaints
- cut the county’s Merit System Protection Board from $126,225 to $35,000 per year. The board exists to provide civil service employees a way to air work grievances, but the board has never heard a case.
County Honors Agriculture
March 21, 2008
The Escambia County Commission approved a proclamation honoring agricultural related industries in the county at their Thurday night meeting.
“Florida farm families are stewards of the land, contributing to the health, beauty, productivity and quality of our state’s water, soil and forest resources for the benefit of all Floridians,” the proclamation read.
“Agriculture and natural resources industries are the core of our county’s health, recreation and economy,” it continued.
Agriculture related revenues in Escambia County exceed $25 million annually, with forestry and related manufacturing industries contributing another $350 million annually in the county.
The proclamation officially recognized March 20 as Agricultural Day in the county.
“Agriculture is vital to Escambia County,” Jimmy Cunningham of Molino told the commission on behalf of the Florida Farm Bureau and several other farm related groups in the county. “Remember, every time you eat, what you wear and even the leather chairs you are sitting in…agriculture has made this possible.”
“We provide the necessities of life,” he continued, “food, shelter and clothing.”
About 44,000 Florida farms occupy about one third of the state’s land area, or about 10.5 million acres.
Pictured above: District 5 Commissioner Kevin White presents the proclamation to Molino farmer and cattleman Jimmy Cunningham.
Another Candidate Qualifies For The District 5 Commission Race
March 21, 2008
Georgette Harris of Cantonment has joined the list of candidates seeking the Escambia County District 5 Commission seat. Harris prefiled as a Democrat.
Harris will face incumbent Republican Kevin White of Molino, Republicans Randall McCrackin of Cantonment, Packy Mitchell of Cantonment and Chris Washler of Cantonment; and Democrat John Hartman of Cantoment.
Easter Bunny In Century Thursday; Students Hunt Eggs
March 20, 2008
The Easter Bunny (music teacher, Mr. Morrrell) visited Pre-K. Ms.Stephens class this morning at Carver/Century K-8 School. The Easter Bunny was in Century a few days early celebrating the first day of Spring today.
The students at Carver/Century also had an Easter egg hunt today, pictured below. Scroll down to see all of the pictures.
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