Did You Know: You Can Recycle In North Escambia
April 22, 2008
Tuesday was Earth Day…a day to look at ways to help the earth’s environment. One such was is recycling.
In North Escambia, the opportunity to recycle may be bit closer than you think; there is a regional recycling drop-off container available at the Oak Grove Convenience Center at 745 Highway 99 North.
Items eligible for recycling are aluminum cans, steel cans, glass food and beverage containers, plastics #1-#7, cardboard, junk mail, paper, magazines, and newspapers.
There is no curbside recycling anywhere in Escambia County (except for a few very small private operations), but it may be on the way for everywhere in the county except North Escambia.
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authorities is expected to vote Thursday on the possibility of offering a curbside recycling program to over 62,000 customers in their service area. Instead of a twice-weekly trash pickup they currently receive, they would get a once a week pickup of waste and a once a week pickup of recyclable materials.
That plan would not include residents north of Ten Mile Road currently serviced by Allied Waste, nor would it include residents in Century.
Meanwhile, anyone in North Escambia is able to recycle on their own by using the drop-off container at the Oak Grove Convenience Center (also known as the Oak Grove dump).
Items accepted for recycling in Escambia County at drop-off containers like the one in Oak Grove:
- Aluminum, such as soda, beer and juice cans
- Cardboard, such as corrugated cardboard that is empty and dry (boxes should be flattened to save space)
- Mixed paper…any clean, dry paper. No way paper such as milk cartons. No paper with food or grease stains like pizza boxes. Examples of accepted items include white paper, colored paper, magazines, catalogs, brown paper bags, phone books, shredded paper, junk mail, folders, wrapping paper and single layer paperboard such as cereal or shoe boxes
- Newspapers that are clean and dry, including inserts (no string or twine)
- Steel (tin) cans, rinsed. Labels and lids are OK.
- Glass…empy glass jars or bottles, rinsed. Labels are OK.
- Plastics numbers #1-#7. No plastics that are not numbered (usually the number is found on the bottom). Labels OK. Also, plastic grocery bags.
For any questions contact Escambia County’s Recycling Coordinator at (850) 937-2159.
Escambia County is currently conducting a recycling survey. You can take the brief, 10 question survey by clicking here.
District Looks To Cut Jobs; Could Carver/Century Be Closed And Merged With Bratt And Ernest Ward?
April 22, 2008
Could Carver/Century K-8 School be closed and merged with Bratt Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School?
That is just one money saving idea tossed out by one Escambia County School Board member.
Jeff Bergosh, the District 1 member on the board, proposed closing Carver/Century before the upcoming school year and busing the students to Bratt. But district officials have said that no schools will be closed for the 2008-2009 school year.
School Closures
But for the 2009-2010 school year, school closures could be a reality. The school board is in the process of reforming the School Attendance Zone Advisory Committee (SAZAC) that led to the recommended closures of Byrneville, Pensacola Beach and Dixon elementary schools in 2001. (Byrneville and Pensacola both reopened as charter schools.) The original SAZAC committee’s recommendations, along with those of Superintendent Jim Paul, also led to the closure of Woodham High School.
The third phase that the original SAZAC proposal years ago was to take place by 2017. It included closing Ernest Ward and converting Molino Park Elementary into a K-8 school, consolidating the two into a mega school in Molino.
Budget, Personnel Cuts
Meanwhile, Monday night, School Superintendent Jim Paul said the district is now in “survival mode”.
The Escambia School Board discussed ways Monday to save nearly $15 million dollars. The plan on the table from Paul includes:
- not filling 35-40 district level jobs to save $1.7 million
- reassigning 40 administrative clerks in elementary schools to save $845,081
- not filling 16 exceptional student education (ESE) teacher’s jobs to save $705,392
- not filling the positions of two deans, five counselors and six librarians to save $381,410
Overall, the district is looking at eliminating about 115 teachers and 90 support personnel, mostly through attrition. There are no administrator level positions on the chopping block in Paul’s proposal.
The school board spent nearly four hours discussing the various possible budget cutting scenarios Monday, but they did not vote to make any changes at this point. They will reconvene in a special meeting on April 29.
“I’m almost amused when people come up here and talk about cutting the fat, ” Paul said. “We are down into the muscle now.”
“We’ve eliminated, eliminated and eliminated these past few years,” Paul said. “There’s no more fat.. I mean you can talk about fat all you want. There’s no more fat. It’s now into the muscle that’s what we’re cutting.
The budget shortfall is being blamed on high fuel and utility prices coupled with lower revenues from property and sales taxes.
NorthEscambia.com will continue to follow this story and keep you updated.
Comments? Email news@northescambia.com
Allied Waste Raises Century Garbage Rates Up To 40 Percent
April 22, 2008
Allied Waste has informed the Town of Century that garbage rates have been raised, but the mayor says he has the town’s attorney looking for a way to stop it.
Escambia County passed an ordinance in August 2007 that requires all waste generated in the county be taken to the county’s Perdido Landfill. Allied had been hauling Century’s garbage to the Allied managed Timberlands Landfill near Brewton, Alabama.
Mayor Freddie McCall told the council Monday night that since Allied is paying about $15 per ton more to dump at the Perdido Landfill, and they are passing that cost along as an increase for Century customers.
The town was to be billed $1.60 per customer more beginning April, while commercial customers will see a 40 percent increase in their bills. Town Clerk Dorothy Sims told the council that she had not yet received Allied’s April bill. Century bills residential customers for their waste service and in turn contracts with Allied Waste for the actual pickups. Commercial customers are billed directly.
“I don’t know where we are going to go on this,” McCall told the council. “But I’ve got the (town’s) lawyer on it.”
“If there’s a loophole in there,” McCall said, referring to the town’s franchise agreement with Allied, “we won’t be paying it.”
Allied filed suit against Escambia County in late March seeking to have the so called “flow control” ordinance overturned. The county, meanwhile, has a $1.1 million lawsuit pending in federal court against Allied, claiming that Allied underpaid tipping fees — the amount paid per ton to dump at the county’s landfill.
Mayor Calls for Change At Deadly Century Intersection
April 22, 2008
Century’s mayor is pushing for changes at the intersection that claimed three lives on April 11.
Three people died as a result of the two vehicle accident about 10:30 p.m. on April 11 at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Highway 4 when the driver of one vehicle ran a stop sign while headed north on Jefferson Avenue.
“I’ve ordered some ‘Caution Stop Ahead’ signs,” Mayor Freddie McCall told the Century Town Council Monday night. He said he is also working with a property owner at the intersection to cleanup the corner to make it easier to see oncoming traffic while stopped at the stop signs.
McCall said he had talked to the Florida Department of Transportation about a caution light at the intersection. In order to get that light, DOT asked that McCall write a letter outlining his request. He told the council that he was in the process of writing that letter with the help of Joe Thomas from the Tri-City Ledger. Thomas is aiding McCall in creating a list of accidents at the intersection over the last several years
For more information on the accident with photos, click here for our April 12 story.
For an update to that story from April 18, click here.
Pictured above: The stop sign that was ran in the April 11 crash that took three lives at the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and Highway 4 in Century. A memorial wreath can be seen in the background. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photo.
Several North Escambia Students Win Big At Annual 4-H Livestock Show
April 21, 2008
Amber Estes, a home-schooled 4-H member from McDavid, won the Grand Champion Market Steer award in this weekend’s GCA and NRA Spring Livestock Show. She was awarded the Northwest Florida Cattleman’s Association Trophy.
Awards went to several other North Escambia students as they joined students from across Escambia and Santa Rosa county areas at the annual livestock show at the Langley Bell 4-H Center this weekend.
Allie Vidak (pictured bottom of page) of Molino won Grand Champion and Senior Showmanship awards with her goats.
T.J. Gardner (pictured above) , a senior FFA member at Northview High School, won Best of Show with his chickens.
Kellie Gindl (pictured above), daughter of Bobby Gindl who teaches at Ernest Ward Middle School, won Grand Champion with her hog ‘Rocky’ in the market hog show. Her hog weighed in at 305 pounds and sold to Butler Auto Recyclers. Kellie is president of the Barrineau Park 4-H Club and attends Tate High School as a junior.
(article continues below photos, scroll down the entire page)
Pictured above: Ashley Cunningham, a student at Ernest Ward Middle School, and Donald Cunningham, a student at Pensacola Christian, placed in their respective divisions.
Tyler Hester (pictured above), Ernest Ward Middle School FFA member, placed second with his steer.
Another photo of Amber Estes (pictured above), who was awarded the Northwest Florida Cattleman’s Association Trophy.
Brook Schlobohm (pictured above) from Northview High School with her goat.
Maigan Brown (pictured above), Tate High School senior, was awarded blue ribbons as Overall Supreme Champion and for Senior Showmanship.
The show was sponsored by the Gulf Coast Agricultural and Natural Resources Association.
Pictured below: Allie Vidak of Molino won Grand Champion and Senior Showmanship awards with her goats.. Scroll down for more photos. Most photos on this page can be clicked to enlarge. Submitted photos by Rikki Vidak and Tess Estes.
Man With Molino Ties Competed For Title Of The Best Army Ranger
April 21, 2008
The son of a Molino couple was in the running for the title of Best Army Ranger this weekend at Ft. Benning, GA. But a grueling 18 mile road march eliminated his team early in the competition.
Army Lt. Jason Carracino took on some of the U.S. Armed Force’s very best this weekend. Carracino is the son of Tommy and Kathy Godwin of Molino, and the grandson of Marvin and Elaine Wiggins also of Molino. Both couples were at Ft. Benning over the weekend to cheer on Carracino.
The 18 mile road march trek lived up to its reputation for being the event’s ultimate eliminator. Twelve teams, including Carracino’s, dropped out or were encouraged to do so by instructors. The march is normally about 30 miles, but was shortened this year after competitors began dropping out due to heat-related cramps, fatigue and illness. All participants were dressed for the march in “full battle rattle”, including gear and60 pound backpacks.
Carracino said he was in the grueling competition “for the once in a life time experience and the chance to challenge myself by proving that I can accomplish any task I put my heart and soul into.”
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2002 for Operation Enduring Freedom and to Iraq in 2003 for Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned a bronze star for both deployments.
Besides the official Ranger handbook, there was one book Carracino said he wanted with him during the weekend competition…”the Bible, when the time comes and I need additional strength to carry on it would be great to read the Lord’s word to keep me focused and going strong.”
Carracino and his wife Tami have one son, Kyle, 3. He is stationed at Ft. Benning, GA. He has about 14 years in the U.S. Army.
Pictured top of page: Soldiers on the move during this weekend’s Best Army Ranger Competition at Ft. Benning, GA.
Free Pre-K Program Looking For Four Year Olds; Space Is Limited
April 21, 2008
If your child will be four years old by September 1, the pre-K program at Carver/Century might just be the thing you need.
Registration is underway now for next year’s program, which will run from August 18, 2008, until May 22, 2009. The program is free, but space is limited to the first 36 students to register.
“We do a lot to prepare the students for kindergarten, like learning letters and sounds,” said pre-K teacher Tegan Stephens (pictured above). “It is a great way to give them a head start.”
When NorthEscambia.com visited with Mrs. Stephens’ pre-K class Friday, we found them sitting around in a circle as she read them Jack and the Beanstalk.
“Fe-fi-fo-fum,” the students joined in on the classic tale.
Then they went to their “centers” time, where they were able to choose from such activities as working on the computers, coloring, painting and playing with some of the dozens of toys around the room. They also did a little science activity, planting butter beans seeds in little cups to see if they will eventually sprout like the magic beans in Jack and the Beanstalk.
“They really benefit from learning the social skills that they will need in kindergarten,” Stephens said. “The developmental benefits are endless.”
The Carver/Century program has two fully certified teachers — Stephens and Courtney Reeves. Both teachers have full time teacher’s aides in their classrooms…Sandra Holland and Judy Baker (pictured bottom of page). Between them, Baker and Holland have over 40 years of experience.
“They get a chance to learn everything they need for kindergarten like writing their name, shapes, colors,” Reeves said. “And they get used to having a daily routine and schedule.”
“I like playing with the computers,” pre-K student Donavon said. “And I like playing. And I like crayons. And I like dolls. And I like paper. And I like scissors. And I like everything.”
“I like playing house, and I like the computers,” pre-K student Katie said. “I like to learn my letters so I can write my name.”
Students in the pre-K program qualify for free transportation from the Century and Byrneville areas. Free and reduced price breakfast and lunch are provided, based upon income.
The students also have the benefit of physical education, music and speech teachers that visit the classrooms several times per week.
To registers students for the free pre-K program, or for more information, call Carver/Century at 256-6380. There are 36 spots available on a first come, first serve basis.
For more photos from the Carver/Century pre-K program, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
So What Were Those Military Jets Flying Over Sunday Afternoon?
April 20, 2008
Several military jets were spotted and heard over a portion of North Escambia early Sunday evening. From Bratt to Walnut Hill to Barrineau Park, NorthEscambia.com received emails about the planes.
Emails reported, and we witnessed, at least four low flying military jets. Some emails reported that the aircraft were “putting on an airshow” with circling and maneuvers…a very unusual occurrence in this area.
One email reported that the aircraft appeared to be U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt “Warthogs”. The aircraft we witnessed over our office did resemble the photographs we found of the Warthogs. A stock photo of four Warthogs is at bottom of the page.
Sunday evening, we spoke to the commanding duty officer at Eglin Air Force Base who was unable to provide any information about the planes. He referred all questions to the base’s public affairs office which was closed. A call to Pensacola Naval Air Station yielded the same results.
Have a comment about this story? Email news@northescambia.com
Editors note, in case you are wondering why we don’t have pictures of the planes over our office: Jets move fast. It’s hard to get inside a building, grab a camera, get the right lens and snap a picture of something that (assuming they were warthogs) moves at an average speed of 345 mph. The picture below is stock photo from the Air Force.
District 5 School Board Candidates Running Close On Dollars Raised
April 20, 2008
If you were to try to predict the outcome of the Escambia County School Board District 5 race based upon fund raising, you might have a hard time choosing a majority winner. The three candidates for the seat were running fairly close in their total campaign funds raised as of March 31.
Incumbent Peter R. Gindl, Sr. had raised $2,350 as of March 31. He had spent just $44.41 on printing, leaving him with the largest campaign war chest. He had a $2,305.99 balance on March 31.
Tom Harrell had raised the most money by March 31…$3,191.71. He had spent $2,327.80,. He spent just under $2,000 in the last quarter on signs.
Bill Slayton had received $2,236.87 in cash and in-kind contributions as of March 31. He had spent $1,702.70, with $1,567.55 going towards signs.
Click here to see Gindl’s last quarterly finance report.
Click here to see Harrell’s last quarterly finance report.
Click here to see Slayton’s last quarterly finacne report.
The primary election in Escambia County is August 26. The general election is November 4.
Ernest Ward Middle Holds Annual Sports Banquet
April 19, 2008
The Second Annual Ernest Ward Middle School Sports Banquet was held Friday night.
Students were honored for their participation in football, cheerleading, volleyball, track, basketball and swimming.
Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry recognized EWMS Sports Booster President Charles Williams for his dedication to the sports programs at Ernest Ward (pictured below).
Students recognized included:
Football: Shane Bonner, Offensive MVP; Jacob Gibson, Defensive MVP; Caleb Leonard, Coach’s Award; and Ty Randolph, Coach’s Award.
Boy’s Basketball: Austin Albritton, Offensive MVP; Jacob Gibson, Defensive MVP; and La’Derious Franklin, Coach’s Award.
Girl’s Basketball: Taylor Byrd, Offensive MVP; Shelly Reich, Defensive MVP; and Keisha Adams, Coach’s Award.
Girl’s Volleyball: Raylin Spence, MVP; Raven Weaver, Best All-Around; Madison Arrington, Team Spirit Award; Raven Weaver, Best Server Award; Raylin Spence, Leadership Award; Shaina Gibson, Most Improved Player; and Taylor Roberson, Dedication Award.
Cheerleaders: Lauren McCall, Captain; Alissa Fiellin, Co-Captain; Charleigh McPherson, Caroline Prater, Tiffany Chavers, Alexis Amerson, Autumn Slay, Aneicia McGee, Lindsey Holderfield, Ariel Holland, Ashley Mooney, Angel Mitchell, Cheyenne Godwin, Raven Weaver and Ali Martin.
Swim Team (some members pictured above): Justice Agerton, Mariah Albritton, Alexis Amerson, Devin Bell, Dale Brown, Katelynne Calloway, Wes Chancery, Madalyn Coon, Ashley Cunningham, Anna Donald, Christina Donald, Alex Edmondson, Anna Fischer, Charlie Hadley, Justin Halteman, Tyler Hester, Ariel Holland, Nikki Janes, Alanna Johnson, Sebastian Jones, Kelby Killiam, Chloe Leonard, Courtney Lewis, Shelby Lewis, Jessica Lowery, Lauren McCall, Charleigh McPherson, Shelby Neilson, Dustin Parker, Caroline Prater, Blake Presley, Rachel Presley, Justin Purvis, Kris Purvis, Layne Purvis, Tim Rackard, Taylor Roberson, Brian Sanders, Mason Solchenberger, Raylin Spence, Sam Spence, Danielle Steadham, Ben Thompson, Justin Thompson, Lily Townson, Daulton Tullis, Lauryn Walker, Jessica Warner.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Student names and sports were provided by the coaches. Some names from some EWMS sports teams were not immediately available.
