An “A-maize-ing” Adventure Awaits With Bratt Cornfield Maze
June 13, 2008
Perhaps the most “a-maize-ing” entertainment in the North Escambia area is in Bratt, and it is a challenge that few can meet. It’s just plain “cornfusing”.
“Bratt’s A-maize-ing” cornfield maze is once again open on Highway 4 near Bratt. It is an elaborate maze cut into a six acre cornfield.
So far this season, no one has successfully found their way through the maze, said maze owner Colvin Davis. He and his wife Lavelle have operated the maze for each of the past seven years.
“Some people get really determined to make it through,” Colvin said. “But sometimes I have to go in and get them.”
“I had one lady that came three nights in a row that was really determined to get all the way through without cheating,” he said. “But I had to go in and get her.”
Colvin said he can navigate the maze in about 30 minutes. The fastest folks that have managed to find their way out in years past take about an hour.
The idea for the corn maze became a reality seven years ago when Colvin finally decided “there must be some way to make some money rather than selling corn for $2 a bushel.”
The a-maize-ing idea came from an article Colvin had read in the early 1990’s in Progressive Farmer magazine.
“My son laughed himself nearly to death when I told him what I had decided to do,” Colvin said.
The maze begins with a sketch on graph paper. The corn is planted, and the maze is cut with a small tractor and by hand with a hoe. The letters A, B, C and D mark the correct path’s progression through the maze, but many never find their way past A, he said.
“It’s real rewarding. It’s something for me to do, have a good time and make a little profit,” he said.
Many of the maze visitors are from church groups. The largest church group so far to tour the maze at one time was 132.
In addition to the maze, Colvin offers a free hayride to maze visitors. And he sells other corn goodies like corn dogs, corn chips, popcorn, moonpies and cold drinks.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Bratt’s A-maize-ing Cornfield is located at in Bratt. That’s about a mile and a half east of Highway 97. It is open from 5:00 until 10:00 p.m. (bring your own flashlight!) Thursday, Friday and Saturday. It is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights for groups by appointment. Admission is $5 for adults. Children under five are free with an adult admission. For more information, call 327-6372.
And if you are looking at the aerial picture on this page thinking you could use one to find your way through the maze…”good luck” says Colvin. He’s had people use the pictures and even GPS units to try to find their way through. But so far, that’s not helped anyone conquer Bratt’s A-maize-ing Cornfield.
Pictured above: An aerial photos of the cornfield maze. Pictured middle: The had to find “exit” to the maze. Pictured below: Colvin Davis at the entrance to Bratt’s “A-maize-ing” Cornfield. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Get About $70 Of Groceries, Including Steaks, For $30: No Strings Attached
June 13, 2008
As the cost of food continues to rise, there is a program available at a local church that can save more than half off the cost of groceries. And, perhaps best of all, everyone qualifies, no strings attached.
It’s called Angel Food Ministries, a program that provides food relief to more than a half million families a month across the nation.
It’s a simple concept…pay $30 for a box of food worth about $70. There are no applications; everyone qualifies. The process is simple too…just stop by the Allen Memorial United Methodist Church in Cantonment, pay the $30 and return on the designated pickup day to receive the box of food. They even accept food stamps.
Allen Memorial United Methodist Church has been the local host for the Angel Food Ministries program since October of 2006, according to their program director Katrina Williamson.
“It’s a great program,” Williamson said. “It can really help people out.”
Orders for June must be placed Monday from 10 until noon at the church at 206 Pace Parkway in Cantonment for a food delivery on June 28. The church accepts cash or food stamps.
The $30 June box of food includes 1.5 pounds of rib eye steaks, 1.5 pounds of hamburger patties, two pounds of pork riblets, four pounds of chicken leg quarters, two pounds of breaded chicken tenders, a 20 ounce supreme pizza, one pound of mild Italian sausage, two pounds of French fries, one pound of sliced carrots, one pound of mixed vegetables, a 32 ounce container of two percent shelf-stable milk, six ounce pancake mix, 15 ounce pork and beans, 14 ounce ketchup, 7.5 ounce macaroni and cheese, a dozen eggs and a dessert item.
Specials are also available each month with the purchase of a regular box of food. For instance, this month, one special is 24 ounce t-bone steaks, two pounds of meaty baby back ribs, two pounds of thick cut pork chops and one pound of sausage for $20.
“Our food is “restaurant grade” meats, frozen vegetables, fruits, dairy products, etc. which we acquire through our involvement with only the best producers/vendors of high quality, “name brand” foods. Never “seconds” or “day old” type products are involved,” according to the Angel Food Ministries web site.
For more information about the program, call Allen Memorial United Methodist Church at 968-6213 or visit www.angelfoodministries.com. To visit the church and place an order…take Highway 20 south into Cantonment. Turn right at the red light onto Muskogee Road. Take the second right onto Pace Parkway.
Other churches in the North Escambia area that might be interested in hosting the Angel Food Ministries program can visit www.angelfoodministries.com for more information.
NorthEscambia.com has ordered a box of food. We will run a follow-up story in July to remind you about the program and let you know what we thought of the food.
Escambia Looks At Vehicle And Transportation Cost Saving Measures
June 13, 2008
The Escambia County Commission Committee of the Whole took a look at the county’s vehicle inventory and ways to possible save money on transportation costs at their Thursday meeting
With thousands of dollars in increased fuel costs per month, the commission discussed ways to decrease fuel usage.
“There are things like electric cars, hybrids,” County Administrator Bob McLaughlin said, “Use of biodiesel or other types of biofuels. We are going to take a look at the infrastructure and the use of liquefied natural gas. So the technology is there; it’s a matter just of taking a look at how we are going to do that and how we can be more efficient and reduce our fuel consumption.”
Commissioner Mike Whitehead suggested looking at some the county’s low mileage vehicles as a way to save money. He said it makes little sense to pay the insurance on a vehicle that is only driven a few hundred miles per year. Mileage that low, he said, is a likely indicator that the vehicle is not really needed by a department.
“The ones that are not being utilized,” Whitehead asked. “why do we have them at all?”
Each county department will be required to submit justification for each vehicle in that department to the commission.
Commissioners To Look At County Employees Taking Vehicles Home
June 12, 2008
Escambia County has 417 vehicles on the road, ranging from pickup trucks, SUVs vans and fire trucks. And the county is expected to review the necessity of each one.
The county commission will look at each vehicle in a committee workshop Thursday, looking for ways to shave dollars and cents. Commissioners will also look at the authorized use of 24/7 vehicles…vehicles that employees are authorized to take home with them each day.
There are currently 60 county owned vehicles that are authorized for 24/7 or take-home use. Of those, 39 are used by volunteer fire departments. The other 21 are used by county staffers that are allowed to take the vehicles home.
Those 21 non-fire department vehicles are expected to be the target of discussion as will the 350 other vehicles used by county departments. Some of those vehicles get low gas mileage, like a Chevrolet Extended Cab used by the Department of Solid Waste Management that averaged just 4.6 miles per gallon last year.
The 21 non-fire department vehicles driven home by county employees or designated for 24/7 use, according to information obtained by NorthEscambia.com, are below. Listed for each is the vehicle, the employee, the city of their home address, their position and their department.
- 1995 Chevy 4×4, John Sanders, Pensacola, Lead Equipment Mechanic, Public Works
- 2001 Ford Explorer, Stanley Gray, Milton, Administration, Solid Waste
- 2003 Ford F550 Service Truck, Dennis Rigby, Walnut Hill, Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Solid Waste
- 2000 Ford F150, John Gilly, Pensacola, Field Supervisor, Solid Waste
- 2001 Chevy Truck, Cleo Millender, Pensacola, Pensacola, Operations Supervisor, Solid Waste
- 2005 Ford F150, Albert Hargis III, Pensacola, Building Code Inspector, Building Inspections
- 2005 Ford F150, Harry Thomas Gibson, Navarre, Building Code Inspector, Building Inspections
- 2002 Ford F150, Raymond Sunday, Pace, Building Code Inspector, Building Inspections
- 2005 F150, R. Michael Willet, Gulf Breeze, Building Code Inspector, Building Inspections
- 2006 Chevy Impala, Anna Rebecca Miller, Gulf Breeze, Unlicensed/Unpermitted Enforcement, Building Inspections
- 2000 Ford Explorer XLT, Jeff Bohannon, Pace, Division Manager, Road Prison
- 1999 Ford Explorer 4×4, Wayne McGlothren, Pensacola, Adminstrative Sgt., Road Prison
- 2001 Ford F250 Super Duty, Pensacola, Firefighter Trainer, Fire Services
- 2000 Crown Victoria, Ken Perkins, Gulf Breeze, Fire Chief, Fire Services
- 2006 Ford Explorer, Stephen Renaldi, Pensacola, Fire Marshal, Fire Services
- 2005 Ford F250 Super Duty, Jim Sanders, Pensacola, Battalion Chief, Fire Services
- 1995 Ford Bronco, Steven Barnes, Pensacola, Fleet Maintenance Supervisor, Emergency Medical Services
- 2006 Ford Expedition, Mike Weaver, Pensacola, Division Manager, Emergency Medical Services
- 2000 Dodge Durango, Michael Hardin, Pensacola, Bureau Chief, Public Safety
- 2001 Ford Crown Victoria, Frank Clements, Gulf Breeze, Emergency Operations Officer, Emergency Management
- 2000 Chevy Blazer, John Dosh, Pensacola, Division Manager, Emergency Management
Some of the 39 fire department vehicles on the 24/7 take-home list are assigned to volunteer fire departments in North Escambia.
According to John Sims, Fire Services Manger, the take-home fire department vehicles are assigned to fire chiefs, deputy chiefs and assistant chiefs.
“These personnel take these vehicles home and are on call 24/7,” Sims said in a county memo. “They are expected to respond from their homes or wherever they happen to be when their pager alerts them. These vehicles are emergency vehicles with lights and sirens. They allow the individual to proceed directly to the scene of an emergency for scene evaluation and size up before the larger apparatus arrive.”
There are three such vehicles assigned to the Century Volunteer Fire Department, three to the McDavid Volunteer Fire Department, two to the Molino Volunteer Fire Department, and one to the Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department.
Pictured above: Vehicles similar to this white pickup are assigned to volunteer fire department chiefs and assistant chiefs to allow quick response to emergencies such as this fire Wednesday afternoon in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo.
Lightning Sparks Water Works Electrical Fire
June 12, 2008
An apparent lighting strike sparked an electrical fire Wednesday afternoon at a well house belonging to the Walnut Hill Water Works. The fire, in the 8000 block of Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road, was reported just after 3:00 by a passerby.
The fire was confined to the power meter and electrical box on the outside of the building. The outside of the concrete block structure was blackened by the fire, but was otherwise undamaged.
The water system’s 699 customers are also served by a well at a water tower at Highway 97 and Arthur Brown Road, and by a well at a water tower in Enon. The temporary loss of the well at Highway 97 near Wiggins Lake Road is not expected to adversely affect the water system.
The Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department was able to quickly extinguish the small fire in the meter box using a fire extinguisher.
Pictured above: A small fire burns in the meter box at a Walnut Hill Water Works well house on Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road following an apparent lightning strike. Pictured below, top: A fireman uses a fire extinguisher to put out the small fire. Pictured below, middle: The outside of the building as the meter burns. Pictured bottom: The charred remains of the wiring inside the meter box. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Have Something To Buy, Sell Or Trade? Try Our Free Classifieds
June 12, 2008
Don’t forget…NorthEscambia.com has added a classified ad page, and, best of all, personal ads are FREE!
Ads for individuals are free, up to 60 words. They must include a phone number or email address. Items for sale, items to give away, items wanted, pets, cars, trucks, real estate, you name it…you can list it for free on our classifieds page. Ads will run for 10 days, at which time they can be renewed…for FREE!
And for limited time, business ads on our classifieds page are also FREE! Business ads are free until June 16 and will run for one week. Limit two ads per business under the free offer. All ads are subject to approval. After June 16, business ads will be available on the NorthEscambia.com Classifieds for a small charge.
To visit the NorthEscambia.com Classifieds, click here.
Molino 16u Girls Lose To Myrtle Grove; NEP Wins Tournament
June 12, 2008
NEP swept the 16u Northwest Florida Girls Softball Alliance All Star Tournament by downing Myrtle Grove Wednesday night in Molino.
The Molino 16u girls played Wednesday night’s first game against Myrtle Grove, but fell short of the win. That put Myrtle Grove in the final game against NEP.
Molino beat Perdido Tuesday night to advance to Wednesday night’s game.Molino downed Bellview Monday night. They 16u girls beat Navarre 8-1 Sunday afternoon in the double elimination tournament. Their one loss was to NEP Saturday morning.
About 1,500 people were expected to attend the tournament that began Saturday at Don Sutton Park. More games are scheduled beginningat 6:00 Thursday evening, but all of the North Escambia teams are out.
Sunday was not as good for the Molino 12u and 10u teams. The 12u girls lost to Bellview Sunday afternoon, eliminating them from tournament play. They lost to Pace Saturday morning.
The Molino 10u girls lost to NEP Blue Sunday afternoon, also knocking them out of the tournament. The lost to Tiger Point Saturday afternoon.
For more on the tournament, including photo galleries from Saturday games, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Lightning Sparks Water Works Fire
June 11, 2008
An apparent lighting strike sparked an electrical fire Wednesday afternoon at a well house belonging to the Walnut Hill Water Works. The fire, in the 8000 block of Highway 97 just north of Wiggins Lake Road, was reported just after 3:00 by a passerby.
The fire was confined to the power meter and electrical boxes on the outside of the building.
NorthEscambia.com will have a complete story and more pictures posted on Thursday morning.
Latest FCAT Scores Released For North Escambia Schools
June 11, 2008
The latest round of FCAT scores were released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Education.
NorthEscambia.com has a complete look at the results from each school. Scroll down for charts with the results, and click the links below for a detailed look at each school.
- Bratt Elementary School
- Byrneville Elementary School
- Carver/Century Elementary
- Carver/Century Middle
- Ernest Ward Middle School
- Molino Park Elementary
- Northview High School
Community Rallies Behind Carver/Century In Effort To Keep School Open
June 11, 2008
About 70 Century residents rallied behind Carver/Century K-8 School at a public forum Tuesday night.
Escambia School Superintendent Jim Paul has discussed the possibility of closing the school to shave about $680,000 from the district’s budget, perhaps as early as this next school year.
But those that stood together in support of keeping their school open Tuesday night are hoping for at least one more year to continue to improve the failing school.
“We are going to go over the mountaintop with this thing,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said of the community coming together to support the school. “All we need is another year from Mr. Paul.”
“No one in the history of the school district has ever written a position paper as to why their school should not be closed,” Rev. Irvin Stallworth, a member of the town’s blue ribbon committee to save the school, said. “But that is what we are going to do.”
He said that ideas collected by the committee at Tuesday night’s meeting will be considered when the blue ribbon committee meets over the weekend to draft a position paper in support of the school. That position paper is expected to be backed by the town council at their Monday night meeting, and then it will be presented to Paul.
“We are going to keep the school open, but we are going to make some changes,” Stallworth said. Those changes, he said, will include more community involvement in the school.
That was a common sentiment among those that spoke during the meeting in the Carver/Century cafeteria.
“I love this school,” former principal Mary Watson (pictured left) said. “This school has put out some really outstanding students.”
“Some of our problem is that the parents are not as involved as they should be,” she said. She said that when she was principal at the school, she tried providing rides, door prizes and refreshments to lure parents to meetings, but most would not attend.
“The problem here is directly related to race. There is a division there,” Watson said. “It’s not just here (at Carver/Century), it’s all over the United States.”
But the biggest problem at Carver/Century, Watson said, has been the mass exodus of student leaving the F-rated Carver/Century for higher rated schools. If all those students returned, she said the school would be “busting at the seams”.
“I see the community as angry; they are not happy,” Jessie McCants (pictured left) said. She said she hears a “loud cry” in the community about its discipline problems and cultural differences.
“You are part of the solution to this problem, and I ask you today to take a stand,” McCants told the crowd.
Sharon Scott, a town council member and member of the blue ribbon committee, asked current principal Jeff Garthwaite if the school had a PTA. He replied that it does not.
“That’s the first thing we need to hop on,” Scott said. “We need a PTA.” She also said the school needs some type of incentive for parents to bring their students back to Carver/Century from other schools in the area such as Bratt and Molino Park elementaries.
Annie Savage agreed that a PTA is needed at the school. She said she has served as PTA or PTO president at least eight times during the school’s history, and she would be willing to serve again even though she no longer has children in the school. “Once a parent, always a parent,” she said.
“This came about because somebody could not balance their budget. Closing a school to balance a budget is ludicrous. The picked us because they thing we are uneducated, poor and most are black,” resident Terri Sanders said.
“Until we can put aside prejudice, as long as we are divided,” she said, “they can conquer us.”
“I will stand with Century to keep the school open,” Myra Simmons, a candidate for school superintendent said. “I believe children should stay in their neighborhood, close to their families.”
“We have to have something in Century to make people want to live here,” said John Hartman, a candidate for the District 5 seat on the Escambia County Commission. “One of the core things you’ve got to have for economic development is a school.”
“Go home and talk to your neighbors and get them involved,” McCall said.
“For me it is irrelevant why they want to close it,” Stallworth said. “We are going to work to keep it open.”
Pictured above: The community gathered at Carver/Century K-8 School Tueday night to support keeping the school open. Pictured below: Carver/Century Principal Jeff Garthwaite addresses the crowd. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
