Do You Know Anything About These Beads? Hint: They Are Very Old
August 10, 2008
The Teaspoon Foundation in Century seeks your help if you know anything about the local use of beads like those pictured below.
The following was submitted by Jack Moran from the Teaspoon Foundation:
Back in the 1700’s the French, English, and Spanish traders would bring glass beads like these chevron trade beads that were made in Venice, Italy, to be traded with the Native Americans, African slaves, African Freedmen, Rivermen, trappers and Buckskinners. The French, English and Spanish would trade the beads, cloth, knives, axes, traps, and salt for pine pitch, dried corn, deer skins, potatoes, and jerked-dried meat that would be shipped back to Cuba, Spain and Europe via Pensacola or Mobile.
Trade companies like the Leslie-Paton Company in Pensacola paid with beads and wampum (shell) and with Spanish silver as well as with the beads and trade goods. There is a lot of history on these types of trade beads. These beads were cherished by women, especially for hair decoration. If you have or remember having seen any VERY OLD beads of this or other types, The Teaspoon Foundation is interested in hearing from you. We are collecting historical items related to Teaspoon.
If you know stories about the Rivermen who worked on the Escambia or Mobile Rivers a very long time ago, we want to hear them. If you remember stories about coming to Teaspoon to trade stuff, or if you know stories about making pine-pitch, or if you know stories about the old freedmen pine-wood villages or old home-places or cemeteries known to have been located in the woods of North Escambia, Florida, and South Escambia, Alabama, we want to hear those stories too. We will respect your private information.
Please email me at jack@teaspoonfoundation.com
Molino Churches To Hold Blood Drive
August 10, 2008
Two Molino churches will hold a blood drive Sunday.
Aldersgate United Methodist Church and Highland Baptist Church will be having a Community Blood Drive on Sunday. The Northwest Florida Bloodmobile will be at Aldersgate, 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. and at Highland from noon until 2 p.m. Everyone is invited to come and give the “Gift of Life”.
Aldersgate UMC is located on Highway 29 just south of Highway 97. Highland Baptist is located a on Highway 95A just south of Molino Road.
Summer Jam ‘08 Is Tonight
August 9, 2008
Summer Jam ‘08 will be held Saturday evening at Flomaton High School, and it will feature a popular Christian rock band from North Escambia.
XII Gates, from the First Baptist Church of Bratt, will be one of three bands appearing at the family friendly contemporary Christian concert sponsored by the Escambia (AL) Baptist Association.
Anna King of the Escambia Baptist Association said the concert is for all denominations, not just Baptists.
The concert will be headlined by Seraph from Mobile, Alabama. Seraph recently released their second CD “Shout It Out”. Soul Society from Brewton, Alabama, will also perform.
The guest speaker will be Bro. Jeff Howard, pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Cantonment.
Admission to Summer Jam ‘08 is just $2. There will be door prizes, and concessions will be available.
You can hear music from Seraph by visiting their Myspace page by click here. You can hear Soul Society on their Myspace page by clicking here.
To learn more about XII Gates, read a NorthEscambia.com story about the band by clicking here.
Pictured above: XII Gates performs at “Rock the Block” on May 17. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
NHS Chiefs Release Football Schedule; Will Travel Many Miles
August 9, 2008
The Northview Chiefs have finalized their 2008 football schedule, and NHS fans that attend all of the games will rack up over 1,200 miles during the season.
The season will kickoff September 5 on the road at Pensacola Catholic. The first home game won’t be until September 19 against Walton County, and the first district game won’t be until September 26. The complete schedule is below.
The longest road trip will be to Blountstown, a 344 mile round trip from Bratt. Three other games — Chipley, Holmes County and Marianna — are over 200 miles round trip. The total round trip miles from Bratt to all of the away games will be about 1,260.
NorthEscambia.com is looking for a reporter/photographer to help us cover Northview High School football this fall, along with some other sporting events. If you are interested, or know someone that might be, email news@northescambia.com with your information.
Are You Missing A Small Black Dog?
August 9, 2008
Pensacola veterinarian is hoping to find the owner of a small black dog hit by a car on Highway 29 north of Cantonment and return the dog back to North Escambia.
“I witnessed a small black dog get hit by a man in a black truck. I stayed with the dog until the animal control officer arrived. The dog was taken to Safe Harbor Animal Hospital for treatment,” Karen Ensley emailed NorthEscambia.com. The dog’s unfortunate accident happened on Highway 29 just south of the produce stand between Molino and Cantonment Wednesday.
Ensley has gone to great lengths to find the owner of the dog. From putting up flyers at Grocery Advantage, to calling other veterinarians and groomers in the area, to calling local radio stations asking for announcements. But, as of Friday evening, the dog has not been reunited with its family.
It was taken to Safe Harbor Animal Hospital on Creighton Road in Pensacola. Veterinarian Gina Forgey said the dog is recovering well.
“It’s a wonderful little dog, the sweetest dog ever,” Forgey said. While the dog was injured with a possible broken pelvis, Forgey said it is expected to make a complete recovery. “It will be completely back to normal in no time,” she added.
Forgey said Safe Harbor hopes to locate to dog’s owner and reunite them. If the owner is not found in five days, the dog will be put up for adoption. It will not be euthanized, she said; it will be kept until a suitable home is found.
If you believe this is your dog, or if you might know the owner of this dog, call Safe Harbor Animal Hospital at 476-5571.
Jean Webb, Former Ernest Ward Staffer, Held Book Signing
August 9, 2008
Jean Webb, a former teacher and administrator at Ernest Ward High School in Walnut Hill, held a book signing Friday. In the end, the books were all sold and many friends were together sharing stories of their days as Golden Eagles.
Webb signed copies of her new book “Feet of Clay” at the main branch of the First National Bank of Atmore Friday afternoon.
Set in Richmond, VA, and Mobile during the 1880’s, “Feet of Clay” is a family saga, a historical romance, a murder mystery, a courtroom drama and a study of human behavior all rolled into one.
“There are no perfect heroes here, only men with feet of clay,” she said of her book. “They have been wronged: They have done wrong, but are honorable men with all too many human flaws.”
Webb, who spent 35 years as an English teacher and administrator at Ernest Ward High School, is currently a member of the Wetumpka Fine Arts Club and the Episcopal Church. Her interests include reading, writing, and following sports…especially football and basketball. She has four children: Letha, Rick, Jean, and Pellar. She now resides near Wetumpka, Alabama.
Click here to order “Feet of Clay” online.
Record LOW Temps Tonight?
August 8, 2008
It won’t exactly feel like fall in the morning, but if the weather forecasters are correct, it’s still going to be pretty refreshing.
Tonight’s overnight low in North Escambia is forecast to be 61 with a light northerly breeze. Cooler, drier air will be moving into the area this afternoon. So dry, in fact, that the National Weather Service has issued a Fire Weather Watch due to the low humidity and high fire potential.
The high Saturday will be around 90, but with low humidity it will feel much nicer. Saturday night’s low will be 65.
Superintendent Hopeful Thomas Speaks Out On Carver, Ernest Ward
August 8, 2008
Malcolm Thomas, candidate for Escambia School superintendent, brought his campaign message to Walnut Hill Thursday night, saying that Escambia County deserves better in its school system.
“I am running to make this school system better,” Thomas told the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club. He is a former Escambia County teacher of the year and a finalist for Florida teacher of the year; he now serves the district as director of evaluation services.
Thomas said he never set out to enter the education field. But in school he was the poor kid “without the designer alligators” on his shirt. A teacher took interest in him, he said, and became his encourager.
“I could never forget what that teacher did for me,” he said. “I became a teacher of learning disabled students because I wanted to make a difference.”
“At Bratt Elementary, they are getting it done,” he said, referring to Bratt’s school grade from the Florida Department of Education being the top score of any school in the county.
When asked about the expected recommendation by current Superintendent Jim Paul to close Carver/Century K-8 School, Thomas said “My biggest concern with Carver/Century is the fact that is has a little over 30 students in sixth through eighth grade.”
“You can’t build a program with so few students,” he said, pointing out that over the 400 elementary and middle school age students in the Carver/Century district, over half choose to attend schools like Bratt Elementary, Byrneville Elementary and Ernest Ward Middle School.
“If the people in their own community won’t attend their own school, how can we as a district support it?” he asked.
On rumors that Ernest Ward Middle School might be slated for closure in the future, Thomas said he sees a different need at Ernest Ward.
“I think we’ve got some facility problems there,” he said. “It’s getting older, and it is about full. I think we are looking at some type of construction project there in the future.”
Thomas said the district needs a long range plan that addresses which schools might be closed or consolidated and which schools might need construction and expansion.
Thomas is the only Republican candidate remaining the race for Escambia’s superintendent; the other Republicans have dropped out of the race. In November, he will face the winner of a three way race between Claudia Brown-Curry, Myra Simmons and Cary Stidham for the Democratic nomination.
NorthEscambia.com photo.
Morgan Wants Change In Escambia Sheriff’s Department
August 8, 2008
Republican David Morgan wants change in the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department, and he wants to be the man to make those changes.
“Crime is growing in the rural areas,” Morgan told the Walnut Hill Ruritan Club Thursday night. “We need more deputies on the roads.”
He said that under the current administration, 55 percent of the sheriff’s department works in administration, not as deputies on jail personnel.
“You’ve got a bloated administration,” Morgan, who has spent 35 years in public and private law enforcement, said. “You need to disperse some of those people out into the rural areas were response times are bad.”
“When you call for a deputy, there’s no one to respond,” Morgan said. “We have surrendered some districts in this county to the criminals.”
He also wants to increase starting salaries for deputies in the county from $30,500 per year to $35,000.
On the subject of the department’s helicopters, which have taken great criticism from other candidates, Morgan said, “I’m still not convinced we need a helicopter in Escambia County.” He said as study was needed to determine the need for the helicopters operated by the ECSO.
Morgan said that an agreement with the Civil Air Patrol might provide air support needed by the sheriff’s department.
Morgan will face Republican incumbent Ron McNesby in the August 26 primary. The Republican primary winner will face either Samuel Lucas or Larry Scapecchi in November.
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Pastor Says New Life Has Never Paid Utility Bill Since Moving Into Old High School
August 8, 2008
New Life Baptist Church has never paid a utility bill since it moved into the old Century High School in August of 2004. That’s what Pastor Irvin Stallworth acknowledged during an exclusive interview with NorthEscambia.com early Thursday evening, shortly after he returned from a trip to Washington, D.C.
NorthEscambia.com was first to report early Thursday morning that utility bills on the building were being paid by the school board. New Life leases the old school from the Escambia County School Board for $1 a year.
“It was an oversight,” Stallworth said in his first interview on the issue. “We’ve never had a bill, so the trustees have never had anything to pay.”
The Town of Century said that the school board had paid the water, sewer and gas charges at the building. School district spokesman Ronnie Arnold said Thursday afternoon that the school district was still trying to determine if they had paid electric bills at the location.
But Stallworth acknowledged in his conversation with NorthEscambia.com that his church had never paid a power, water, sewer or gas bill since moving into the old high school at 700 East Hecker Road.
“The taxpayers have a right to know where their money is going,” he said. “We are willing to do what we need to do to make restitution for what we owe.”
He blamed the confusion on the fact that his church was moving into the building at the same time the school district was moving out of the building…the same time Hurricane Ivan hit the Gulf Coast. He said his church immediately went into a reaction mode after Ivan, working to provide aid and relief for the community. As that relief effort was beginning to wind down, Hurricane Dennis then hit the area, sending the church back into a reactionary mode.
“With all the things that were going on post-Dennis,” Stallworth said, “we did not realize that we were not receiving any bills.”
He said he realized that the church was to be paying the utility bills per the lease, which had signed, but the trustee responsible for paying the bills did not know that fact.
After Dennis, several other agencies used the building and facilities, he said, further complicating the situation. He said the Head Start program, GED programs and even the Relay For Life had used the facilities.
Stallworth said New Life has a good relationship with the school district, and he indicated that New Life intends to pay what they owe for utility bills after the school district determines what that number fairly is, taking into account the other uses of the building
“I trust in the Lord and will follow the Lord,” Stallworth said. “God sent me there to Century. God is my guide.”
File photo.