ECUA Finally Finalizes Trash And Recycling Program For Next Year
November 21, 2008
The final details have been worked out on the new trash and recycling program that will replace Allied Waste in North Escambia this January.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority approved the plan Thursday night, setting the price for one 90-gallon trash can pickup per week at $17.99 plus a fuel surcharge. An additional can that would picked up on the same day as the first will be $3 per month. A 90-gallon recycling can will available to customers that wish to recycle at no additional charge.
A customer’s residential waste, recyclables and yard debris will all be picked up on the same day.
Currently, Allied Waste has two 90-gallon trash can pickups per week for $19.62 plus a fuel surcharge. That’s the same rate that current ECUA customers pay in the southern half of the county.
Allied turns their residential franchise in all of North Escambia except for the Town of Century on January 1. In exchange, Allied will gain ECUA commerical dumpster customers, and Allied will allow ECUA to use its transfer stations to shorten trips on garbage trucks.
Residential waste customers in Century will continue to have their trash service provided by Allied Waste under a franchise agreement with the town. The ECUA recycling service will not be available to Century residents. Century residents that wish to recycle can take their recyclable materials to a collection container located in the parking lot of the Century Courthouse.
Thursday night was actually the fourth time ECUA had taken action on the recycling program. The board took action in April, October and earlier in November on the program, making changes each time.
Commissioner’s $2.5 Million Question To Planned Century Electric Car Company
November 21, 2008
Escambia County’s newest commissioner has a $2.5 million question for the backers of a proposed electric car plant for Century: What exactly is it that you want?
Last week, officials from LHS EV told the Escambia County Commission that they needed $2.5 million in capital incentives from the county to locate in Century. They even presented a written proposal asking for $2.5 million in “start-up capital”. That amount would be in addition to the standard tax incentives that have already been approved by the county.
““They want cash, but we need to figure out how we can do this with something like building or capital improvements. We don’t just hand out cash,” Larry Newsom, the county’s economic director told NorthEscambia.com after that meeting.
Thursday, Newsom told commissioners that Jay and Nash Patel, owners of LHS EV and several local hotels, did not want cash from the county. Rather, Newsom said, they want a $2.5 million grant from the state. Newsom said the Patels will put up $34 million of their own money.
At Thursday morning’s agenda review meeting, Commissioner Wilson Robertson questioned just what it was that the Patels wanted. He said he was irritated that they had not made it clear just what it is they want from the county. The item was not on the agenda, but was brought up by Robertson at the end of the meeting.
Previous incentives provided to LHS EV, if they should choose Escambia County, include total of $39,000 in rebates for local fees and taxes ranging from $2,250 to $9,750 per year through 2014 and support for state tax breaks. The Town of Century has approved selling or leasing 25 acres of land in the town’s industrial park to the company.
The company says their plant, which will assembly an electric car manufactured overseas, would provided about 250 jobs in the first year, 585 within three years and ultimately up to 1,100 jobs in five years.
Carver/Century Takes Two From Ernest Ward
November 21, 2008
The Carver/Century Middle School Blackcats swept to basketball games from Ernest Ward Middle School Thursday night in Walnut Hill.
The Blackcat girls were up 28-10 by the end of the third period. Carver/Century increased their lead in the fourth period to beat the Lady Eagles by a score of 40-15.
The Carver/Century boys had a two to one advantage by the end of the first half of play Thursday night against Ernest Ward. The Blackcats held a 30-15 lead by the end of the half. Both teams were about even on scoring in the third, ending the period 47-24.
The Blackcat boys went on to win 55-29 over the Eagles.
For a photo gallery from both boys and girls games, click here.
Pictured above: Carver/Century Middle versus Ernest Ward Middle action from Thursday night. Pictured below: The Lady Blackcats versus the Lady Eagles. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Poarch Creek Indians Perform In Century, Flomaton
November 21, 2008
The Poarch Creek Indians presented pow wow dances Thursday at the Century Branch Library, the Century Care Center and at Flomaton High School.
About 50 children enjoyed the performance at the libary. The children decorated pow wow drums and received necklaces before watching the 17 dancers perform traditional dances.
For a complete photo gallery from the library performance, click here.
Pictured above: A Poarch Creek Indian dancer performs at the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon. Pictured below: A packed house for the performance. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blog: Merry Christmas Shopping List For Local Officials
November 21, 2008
The Pensacola Independent News published a list this week of holiday gift ideas for local public officials and community leaders, and we thought it was worth sharing.
Here’s a little sample of their gift list:
David Morgan, Escambia County Sheriff-elect
Batman Utility Belt: From your predecessor, you will inherit a mobile command unit, two helicopters, a marine patrol boat and a half dozen really cool Segways. What’s missing is an even cooler utility belt filled with gadgets. We don’t think Ron McNesby will give you his.
Mike Whitehead, former Escambia County Commissioner
Wisconsin hunting license: We encourage you to bring along your buddies, George and Ronnie. They have extra time on their hands, too.
Jim Paul, former Escambia Superintendent of Schools
Winnebago: It’s time to hit road and enjoy life. Write often.
I think you get the idea. We thought we’d add our own for a few North Escambia folks that did not rank the Independent News Christmas list:
Kevin White
A truckload of hot asphalt. Paving dirt roads in North Escambia equal votes. It’s simple math. In the words of former District 5 Commissioner Wilson Robertson: “You have to go out for four years so they can forget some things, then come back and get re-elected,” Robertson joked, “cause you can’t pave every dirt road.”
Larry Walker
A really big tow truck. Allied Waste never could get a trash truck down some of North Escambia’s dirt roads. When ECUA takes over our trash service in January, Larry’s going to need AAA. Unless, of course, Santa is good to Kevin White with those truckloads of hot asphalt.
Bill Slayton
There are a couple of stadiums around here without names. Tate has already named their stadium after former school board member Pete Gindl. We doubt Santa’s going to bring the stadium this year, but we put it on the list anyway. Do a good job, and Northview’s stadium might just have your name on it one day. Mess up, and, well, the Chiefs do have a habit of scalping people.
Freddie McCall
A jumbo, Sam’s Club size bottle of Tylenol, a copy of Bing Crosby’s “Peace On Earth”. Why not? We’ll even recommend that you spring for the Bing Crosby duet of the song with David Bowie. There’s a good video of it (click here) on YouTube. Sometimes he needs the Tylenol, and a little “Peace On Earth” would make a good theme for town council meetings. Oh, let’s not forget five crisp new copies of Robert’s Rules Of Order for his friends.
Click here to read the complete “Naughty or Nice?” Christmas list from our friends at the Pensacola Independent News.
Photo Gallery: Northview Cross Country Runs
November 21, 2008
The Northview High School cross country teams recently participated in the Ross Memorial Run at Pensacola Naval Air Station and in the Dolphin Dash in Gulf Breeze.
Click here for a photo gallery from both runs.
The Ross Memorial Run is named for Major James G. Ross, 51, who was killed in a motorcycle accident in late August 2007 in north Santa Rosa County. He was Northview’s Naval sciences and ROTC instructor at Northview since 2002.
Pictured above: The start at the Dolphin Dash in Gulf Breeze. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Two Locals Appointed To County Council
November 21, 2008
Two North Escambia residents were among those re-appointed to the Escambia County Extension Council at Thursday night’s meeting of the county commission.
Escambia Commissioners re-appointed Brett Ward of Walnut Hill, Russel “Rusty” Hendrix of Molino, Tena Gindl of Cantonment, Eddie Jones of Pensacola and Elizabeth “Herbie” Moran of Pensacola. Larry Knight of Pensacola was appointed to his first term to the council.
Each will serve a two-year term from December 1, 2008, to November 30, 2010.
Walnut Hill Burn Creates Lots Of Smoke
November 20, 2008
A 100-acre control burn in the Walnut Hill area is creating a lot of smoke this evening.
The burn, being supervised by the Division of Forestry, is near Arthur Brown Road and Brushy Creek, west of Walnut Hill. It fire was started this morning.
At sunset Thursday, smoke could be seen drifting as far away as Century.
Told She Would Never Walk Again After Wreck, Tina Vickery Stands Tall
November 20, 2008
In seconds, Tina Vickery went from a transportation supervisor responsible for transporting hundreds of North Escambia students by bus everyday, to a world where doctors told her that she would probably never walk again.
It was the morning of February 26, 2008, at about 8:00. She had just left Ernest Ward Middle School, and was southbound in a school district car on Highway 97 near Dixie Feed in Molino.
“I remember it. I remember everything,” Tina said Wednesday morning at at a bus driver Thanksgiving lunch in Molino. “It happened so fast. It happened so fast. There was nothing I could do.”
Elisha J Tyler, 50, of Molino lost control of her van when she hit standing water in the roadway and spun into Tina’s lane. “My most vivid memory is seeing her head toward me. I just hit her. There was nothing I could do.”
It was a bad wreck. A very bad wreck. Elisha’s van lay on its side, nearly folded in half. Tina was in her crumpled school district car, watching everything around her as emergency vehicles arrived. She saw, and remembers everything until the ambulance workers wheeled her into the emergency room where she was given strong pain medication. The next thing she remembers is waking up as nurses were removing her breathing tube. The first thing she asked was if the other driver survived.
After weeks in the hospital, Tina transferred to in-patient rehab. It was three and a half months before she could place any weight on her legs. Even then, doctors told her that her chances of walking were very slim.
“They told me I would probably never walk again,” Tina said. “But here I am walking again. What a blessing!”
Wednesday morning, she stood before her employees, the 35 bus drivers that transport students to the Escambia County Schools from Molino to Century to Walnut Hill. It was a Thanksgiving lunch, and Tina was thankful to be standing there.
“This has probably been one of the worst years of my life,” she told her employees. “But you were there for me. I thank God for each one of you. I hope He blesses each one of you.”
It was a proud moment for Vickery to be able to stand before her drivers, her friends.
“I had such wonderful support from my coworkers, my family and my friends,” she said of the months after the accident. “It’s not like we are coworkers. We are like a family.”
The bus drivers visited Vickery often in rehab. They cooked for her family. They took care of her personal business and errands. “It’s like we are family,” she said. “When one had a problem, everyone steps in, during the good times and the bad.”
Back on May 15, the drivers pulled a little surprise on their boss. Barbara Hollingsworth, one of the drivers, arranged for the drivers to use a handicap equipped bus to sneak Tina out of rehab. Since Tina was in a wheelchair, they even put people in two other wheelchairs in the back of the bus so that she would not be alone. They took her to Barnhill’s for lunch. It was the first time since the day of the accident that Tina had walked on her feet on the ground.
” I thank God for letting her come back because she is such a blessing to all of us and a great superior,” Hollingsworth said.
Tina is back at work now as the north end route supervisor for the Escambia County Schools Transportation Department for three half days per week. She is still attending physical therapy each week.
She looks at life a bit differently now, nine months after the accident.
“I give thanks to God each day,” she said. “The little things are not as important anymore when you look at the big picture.”
Even in her lowest moment, she continued to thank God. “I realized during those months of rehab that there were people that were there that were so much worse off than me. I was so thankful for all that God has done for me.”
To see a photo gallery from the Thanksgiving lunch, the trip to Barnhills and more stages of Tina’s recovery, click here.
To see a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the accident scene in February, click here.
Pictured top: Tina Vickery’s accident on Highway 97 on February 26, 2008. Pictured above: Tina Vickery on Wednesday with bus driver Marie McPhillips. Pictured below: North Escambia bus drivers at a Thanksgiving lunch on Wednesday. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Plans Underway For 35 Acre Christian Retreat In Century
November 20, 2008
Plans are underway for a 35 acres Christian retreat in Century that could eventually include a worship and prayer center.
Paul Davidson of Cantonment has purchased 35 acres at the end of McCall Road for the retreat they plan to call Moorer Place in memory of Paul’s late grandfather.
“God put this on our hearts at the first of the year,” Paul Davidson said. “He has really put Century on our hearts through prayer.”
The property will be named Moorer Place in honor of Davidson’s grandfather, the late Paul Nelson Moorer of Forest Home, Alabama. Davidson purchased the property with inheritance money from Moorer. It was purchased from current owner Carolyn Thompson, but it is actually the homeplace that once belong to Century Mayor Freddie McCall’s grandfather. “It’s a generation to generation thing,” Davidson said.
The property currently has only a small house and a barn. Those will be ready after the first of the year as a “place where people can come and relax and enjoy Christian fellowship,” he said. The center is not planned as a church, but as an a place to “strengthen other churches”.
“We will see what God has in store for it,” Davidson said, adding that there is no set timetable for the construction of the worship and prayer center.
Pictured above: The outlined property above will become Moorer Place. Lake Stone is seen at the left.