National Guard Visits Library
May 16, 2008
The Atmore unit of the Alabama National Guard visited the Century Branch Library Thursday afternoon.
Children at the library had the opportunity to learn about the National Guard’s duties and some of the ways they protect American freedom. They also had the chance to climb inside an Humvee.
For a complete photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, and submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Storm Destroys McDavid Homes, No Serious Injuries
May 16, 2008
Valerie Lollie stood in the living room of her McDavid home about noon Thursday, her five year old daughter in a nearby bedroom. The rain had started, and the wind had picked up outside just a bit. Moments later, her daughter was screaming for help as the home’s roof began to lift away and windows exploded.
“It was bad,” Lollie told NorthEscambia from her heavily damaged living room. Her home was one of two in McDavid heavily damaged in severe weather, damaged to the point that the county says they are not livable.
“I heard this noise; it sounded like a tornado freight train coming,” she said. “Then the pictures fell off the walls, and glass shattered everywhere.”
“‘Mommy, mommy help me,’ is what I heard next,” she said. It was her frightened daughter Brianna screaming from the bedroom.
Neither Valerie or Brianna were severely injured as their home was damaged around them, other than Valerie suffered some cuts and scrapes from broken glass.
Ten people are homeless following Thursday afternoon’s McDavid storm. In all, the storm damaged seven houses, and lifted the roof off part of Watson’s Convenience Store. The damaged homes are all located near Watson’s, just across North Century Boulevard from the McDavid Volunteer Fire Department.
The American Red Cross is assisting those displaced by the storm with a place to stay for a few days.
“I don’t know what we are going to do next,” Lollie said. “We did not have any insurance.”
There were no serious injuries, McDavid Fire Chief Eric Gilmore said.
The National Weather Service is expected to visit the area on Friday to determine if the damage was caused by a minor tornado or straight line winds.
About 200 McDavid area homes lost power in the storm, but all were restored Thursday afternoon except for the heavily damaged homes.
For a photo gallery of the storm’s aftermath, click here.
Pictured above: Valerie Lollie in what remains of her living room at her McDavid home. Picture below: A view of the outside of the home as Escambia River Electric Cooperative workers work to restore power to the neighborhood. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos.
Carver/Century Closure: We Invite Your Comments
May 16, 2008
With the possible closure of Carver/Century K-8 School before the Escambia County School Board, we invite your comments.
Whether you support or oppose the closure, we want to hear what you have to say. If you are an Ernest Ward, Molino Park or Bratt Elementary friend or foe, we also want to know what you think, as those schools may be impacted by the Carver/Century closure as well.
This is your chance to be heard (don’t forget that the school board and many in the school board’s Central Office read NorthEscambia.com). Email your comments to news@northescambia.com or use our contact form.
We reserve the right to edit comments for length. Keep your comments clean, with nothing vulgar and no racism. No harassment or personal attacks, although you may express reasonable, non-slanderous personal opinions about public officials. Comments will be posted in the next few days at the sole discretion of NorthEscambia.com. You must include a valid return email with your comments. That email address will NOT be published.
Storms Damage McDavid Homes, Store
May 15, 2008
Several McDavid homes were damaged in Thursday storms, and the storm ripped part of the roof from Watson’s Convenience Store. Two of the homes were seriously damaged and are not livable.
There were no injuries in the storms, which struck just after noon, according to McDavid Volunteer Fire Department Chief Eric Gilmore.
The area was under a tornado watch at the time, but it has not been determined to be a tornado. The National Weather Service will visit the area on Friday to make an official determination.
NorthEscambia.com will have a complete story posted Friday morning, with a complete photo gallery and an interview with the resident who was inside one of the seriously damaged homes.
Fire Departments Respond To Call At Century Woods Apartments
May 15, 2008
Several North Escambia fire departments responded to the report of a fire at Century Woods Apartments early Thursday morning.
The first fire units arriving on scene at about 6:50 reported light smoke showing, but the fire turned out to be a pan on the stove that had been extinguished.
The Century Volunteer Fire Department, McDavid Volunteer Fire Department, Molino Volunteer Fire Department and the Flomaton Fire Department were called to the fire, but all of the departments except Century were quickly canceled.
School Board To Discuss Closing Carver/Century K-8
May 15, 2008
The Escambia County School board is expected to discuss the closure and consolidation of Carver/Century K-8 School at a budget workshop scheduled today.
Superintendent Jim Paul is expected to present his proposal to close Carver/Century as part of his budget reduction plan, according to Associate Superintendent Ronnie Arnold.
“The superintendent was asked by the board to bring back scenarios to achieve consolidation for the 2008-2009 school year,” Arnold told NorthEscambia.com. “We are simply starting a discussion, looking at the logistics, the pro and cons, we are not voting to close the school at this meeting.”
Arnold said any vote to close and consolidate Carver/Century would be a “two meeting process to take any action.” He said that the closure would have to be discussed at two advertised meetings — most likely the June and July regular school board meetings — before a vote could be taken.
“Really, this meeting is just a starting point in the discussions; there is no master plan. This is just a workshop,” he said. “I want to let people know that there will be plenty of opportunities to be heard at meetings and public hearings.”
The meeting is taking place at 11:30 in Room 160 of the J.E. Hall Center at 30 East Texar Drive in Pensacola.
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to break the Carver/Century closure proposal story Wednesday afternoon, and we will have complete coverage today. Click any story title below to read more of today’s coverage:
- Carver/Century Closure: Students Would Likely Move To Bratt, Ernest Ward; Possibly Even Molino Park
- Carver/Century Closure: School Board Members React
- Carver/Century Closure: School Reaction
- Carver/Century Closure: You Can Attend The School Board Meetings
Woodward Named PE Association Principal Of The Year
May 15, 2008
Molino Park Elementary School principal Alice Woodward was honored as the “Principal of the Year” last night by the Escambia Physical Education Association.
Woodward received her award at the EPEA’s 13th annual awards banquet last night at the University of West Florida. The event was held to show appreciation to all physical education teachers, worksite wellness coordinators, school nurses and other school personnel in Escambia county for their efforts in promoting physically active and healthy lifestyles during the 2007-2008 school year.
Carver/Century Closure: School Board Members React
May 15, 2008
Escambia County School Board members were notified by email Wednesday that Superintendent Jim Paul would present a closure and consolidation plan for Carver/Century K-8 School on Thursday. That proposal is expected to recommend closing the school before the 2008-2009 school year begins in August.
District 3 School Board Member Claudia Brown-Curry said the email did not contain any specifics of Paul’s proposal; those details, she said, were to be presented to board members sometime Thursday morning prior to the 11:30 board workshop meeting.
“It’s really not fair for us to get that information in the morning when the meeting is at 11:30,” Brown-Curry said. “Why would they bring the proposal so fast? There has not even been a town hall meeting or anything. It’s awful; I’m so upset about it.”
Associate Superintendent Ronnie Arnold said that no vote would be taken Thursday; the earliest the proposal could be voted on would likely be at the board’s July meeting.
“Closing and consolidation is not always a good idea,” Brown-Curry told NorthEscambia.com in an exclusive interview. “It can be a detriment to the students and to the community. It’s more than just saving a few dollars.”
“Before I support a closure and consolidation, I want to know that we have done all else we can do,” she said.
“It doesn’t look good,” District 5 School Board Member Pete Gindl told NorthEscambia.com from his home Wednesday night. “We’ve got to make a decision on which way to save money without hurting the children.”
“It comes a time sometimes when you have to do what you have to do,” he continued, “like when we voted to close Woodham High School a few years ago. But I’m not saying anyone’s mind is already made up about Century. We just have to look at how we are going to save money to meet the state requirements.”
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to break the Carver/Century closure proposal story Wednesday afternoon, and we will have complete coverage today. Click any story title below to read more of today’s coverage:
- Carver/Century Closure: Students Would Likely Move To Bratt, Ernest Ward; Possibly Even Molino Park
- School Board To Discuss Closing Carver/Century K-8
- Carver/Century Closure: School Reaction
- Carver/Century Closure: You Can Attend The School Board Meetings
Carver/Century Closure: Students Would Likely Move To Bratt, Ernest Ward; Possibly Even Molino Park
May 15, 2008
If the Escambia School Board eventually votes to close Carver/Century K-8 School, the students could be split between three other North Escambia schools.
Superintendent Jim Paul is expected to present his plan for Carver/Century’s closure and consolidation Thursday.
Currently, Carver/Century has about 150 students in Pre-K to fifth grade, and about 80 students in middle school.
If the school is closed before the next school year, where will the students go?
“In all likelihood, they would go to Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School,” Associate Superintendent Ronnie Arnold told NorthEscambia.com in an exclusive interview. “There has been some discussion that the students from the bottom part of the Century district might go to Molino Park; that is an option as well.”
“We don’t have the room for them right now today,” Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry said. “We would have to move portables in, but that could be done quickly. We have 90 acres.”
Ernest Ward currently has about 480 students. But if the 80 Carver/Century middle school students should get moved to Ernest Ward, Gindl-Perry said, the school would be ready to receive them.
“All kids have the same opportunity to learn at Ernest Ward, no matter what the school board decides,” she said.
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to break the Carver/Century closure proposal story Wednesday afternoon, and we will have complete coverage this today. Click any story title below to read more of today’s coverage:
- School Board To Discuss Closing Carver/Century K-8
- Carver/Century Closure: School Board Members React
- Carver/Century Closure: School Reaction
- Carver/Century Closure: You Can Attend The School Board Meetings
Carver/Century Closure: School Reaction
May 15, 2008
Wednesday was a tough day for Carver/Century K-8 Principal Jeff Garthwaite. He went through his day with a terrible secret…his school would be facing closure…but he was unable to share that secret until after school Wednesday.
“I received the word about the possible closure yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon,” Garthwaite told NorthEscambia.com Wednesday afternoon shortly after he met with his faculty and staff. “This afternoon was the first opportunity I had to bring the entire faculty together to discuss the issue.”
“My immediate boss, Wayne Odom, offered to come up as we addressed the faculty before it became public,” he said.”I told him I would like to be the one to reveal to the faculty that the superintendent would be bringing the proposal.”
Garthwaite said that when he made the announcement, there was a wide range of emotions, including disbelief and many tears. After the announcement, questions were asked.
“They wanted to know what would happen to the students, and what would happen to them,” he said. “I assured them that no one would lose their job, but they would be displaced and possibly assigned to a different job.”
Many faculty members have resolved to fight the closure, and that fight needs to be based on facts, not emotions, he said.
“From downtown’s standpoint, this is a very objective process. Closing a school in a rural area like this has much more impact, a greater impact, than closing one in an area like Pensacola. Emotions can run high, but we must remain very rational.”
“It is gloom and doom,” Garthwaite said. “but it is not yet the end.”
“I continue to celebrate this school and my faculty; we are making progress,” he said of the school, currently rated as an “F” school by the state. “I am still looking forward to another year here and a positive chance to continue to improve.”
Closing the school prior to the start of the next school year would be a daunting task.
“The response time to deal with the logistics involved with closing a school and moving the students by next school year would be a pretty awesome task,” he said.
While Garthwaite does not want to see his school close, he knows the battle to keep it open will be a tough one. Not only is the school rated as an “F” school, enrollment is down and the school’s recently release fourth and eight grade FCAT writing scores were dismal, ranking as the county’s worst.
“I feel like the writing scores were the straw thrown on the camel’s back,” he said, referring to the adage about the “straw that broke the camel’s back” being the final action that leads to an event.
“But we are going to do as we have to do,” Garthwaite said. “This school is a vital part of this community. And there are a lot of people that invested their lives in this school and in Century.
NorthEscambia.com was the first media to break the Carver/Century closure proposal story Wednesday afternoon, and we will have complete coverage today. Click any story title below to read more of today’s coverage: