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.
Atmore Man, Flomaton Couple Among Those Indicted For Child Abuse
November 20, 2008
Four Escambia County (Ala.) residents, including two from Flomaton and one from Atmore, have been indicted on child abuse charges.
Escambia County (Ala.) authorities say Buddy Jackson and Rhonda Jackson of Highway 31 Flomaton were indicted by an Escambia County Grand Jury in late October and arrested last week for torture or willful abuse of a child in a case involving a 16 year old child. Their bond was set at $50,000 each.
Timothy Odom of 6th Avenue, Atmore, was arrested for rape, first degree in a case involving a 13 year old child. His bond was set at $100,000.
Corey Beasley of Ridge Road, Brewton, was arrested for fondling a child less than 12 years old. His bond was set at $100,000.
Pictured above: Buddy Jackson (L) and Rhonda Jackson (R)
Pictured above: Timothy Odom (L) and Corey Beasley (R)
Ernest Ward Boys, Girls Beat Pollard
November 20, 2008
Both the girl’s and boy’s basketball teams at Ernest Ward Middle School beat Pollard-McCall Tuesday night.
The boy’s team won by a score of 41-29. Leading the scoring for the Eagles was DaMichael Fountain with 14 points. Ladareus Franklin score hald dozen, and LaMichael Banks and Kevin Vaughan score five each.
The girl’s team beat Pollard-McCall 16-12.
Dazarae Turner and Danielle Steaham scored four each. Morgan Payne and Jazzlyn Franklin had three points each, and Kaitlyn Gunn scored two points for the Eagles.
Ernest Ward will take on Carver/Century Thursday at Ernest Ward. The girls tip off at 5:00, and the boys play at 6:00.
Molino Park PTA Fund Raiser
November 20, 2008
The annual PTA fund raising drive at Molino Park Elementary School is a little bit different this year. Basically, it’s a no fund raiser, fund raiser.
Rather than asking the children and their parents to sell something like in past years, Principal Alice Woodward says the school’s has simply asked parents, grandparents, guardians and their friends and families to make a contribution to the school.
The math is simple, Woodward said. With over 400 children, if each gathers about $20 in donations each, the school will quickly reach its goal of $8,000.
Donations should be sent to school with Molino Park students by early next week, or donations can be made in the school office.
Some of the recent projects funded by the PTA include SuccessMaker software, supplies and materials for each of the school’s teachers, grandparent’s day, field day and more.
As of Wednesday, donations were at $700 of the $8,000 goal.