Carver/Century Students Discover Dance With Ballet Pensacola
January 17, 2009
Ballet Pensacola presented their outreach program “Discover Dance” Friday morning at Carver/Century K-8 School. From “choreography” to “point shoes”, students learned words and phrases while getting a taste of modern and traditional ballet. Friday’s Ballet Pensacola presentation at Carver/Century was made possible through the support of Escambia County Bank, Jay Hospital and Century Pharmacy. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Every Child A Reader In Escambia Receives 700 Books
January 17, 2009
Every Child a Reader in Escambia recieved over 700 books donated by Barnes and Noble customers.
The presentation was made Friday to ECARE’s new program “Illiteracy is an Injustice”. ECARE’s new mascot, the wacky, fun-loving, reading dolphin Readmore Books was on hand to help celebrate this wonderful donation.
“Illiteracy is an Injustice” is the brainchild of local attorney Margaret Stopp, who is also an active member of ECARE. Stopp and local legal community participants all sport beautiful new backpacks with the program name embroidered in brightly colored child-like letters. Attorneys, courthouse personnel and others may be seen sporting the backpacks, which contain a variety of new hardback books geared toward children between the ages of zero and five.
“As members of the legal profession who frequent court proceedings where we see children five and under accompanying their parents or guardians, we have a unique opportunity to offer these children’s books,” explained Stopp. “As we all can agree, readiness for kindergarten is fostered by exposure to books and all they have to offer.”
Stopp stated that by providing these books, legal professionals are addressing, in one small way, the issue of illiteracy in the community. Although not all of the children who are brought to court are from functionally illiterate families, many are. It is the program’s goal that each child receiving a book from will benefit. It will also be a positive experience for the child who visits the courthouse.
Participants are asked to wear the backpack as often as possible at the courthouse because it is a manifestation of the legal community’s commitment to supporting efforts to impact the county’s literacy problem.
Forestry Officials: Don’t Burn Today
January 17, 2009
Officials with the Florida Division of Forestry’s Blackwater Forestry Center are advising the public that outdoor burning Saturday should be conducted with extra care or postponed, if possible, due to low humidity and winds.
“At this time of year and for the next several months, even after recent rain, it only takes a couple windy days with low humidity to dry out accumulated dead leaves, grass, pine straw, and other fine fuels. This makes it easy for a fire to escape and spread rapidly. It’s better to wait until humidity rises and the wind dies down,” according to Ben Wolcott, operations administrator for the Division of Forestry,
“If you must burn, it’s your responsibility to have the necessary manpower and equipment to control the fire, and remember, if the fire escapes, you may be responsible for the cost of putting the fire out and for damage to the property of other persons,” Wolcott added.
In 2008, 171 wildfires in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties consumed just over 1,736 acres.
For more information about outdoor burning rules, contact the Florida Division of Forestry at 850-957-6145 or visit www.fl-dof.com.
NorthEscambia.com Will Have Barack Obama Inauguration Coverage And Photos From Washington, D.C.
January 16, 2009
Join NorthEscambia.com next week for coverage from Barack Obama’s Inauguration from Washington, D.C.
A reporter and producer will be in Washington providing the coverage for NorthEscambia.com. We’ll have more details posted next week.
If you are from anywhere in the local area and are attending the Inauguration next week, please email us ASAP at news@northescambia.com and let us know.
Carver/Century Not The Only Escambia School To Close
January 16, 2009
Carver/Century K-8 is not the only elementary school in Escambia County that Superintendent Malcolm Thomas wants to close to save money.
Thomas released a list of four West Pensacola area elementary schools on Thursday, one of which he says he intends to close. NorthEscambia.com was the first media to report the impending closure of one West Pensacola schools last week after an exclusive interview with Thomas.
Edgewater, Navy Point, Warrington and West Pensacola elementaries are on Thomas’ short list. He has not yet announced which school will be the one closed.
The West Pensacola area school closure will put the district’s total savings at at least $1.1 million.
The state legislature has cut another $5.4 million in addition to $16.1 million that was cut prior to the first day of school.
Thomas told NorthEscambia.com last week that he would begin a serious of cost-cutting measures that might eventually include teacher layoffs.
He announced a hiring freeze earlier this week, and implemented a travel restriction for employees. That restriction does not extend to student field trips.
Thomas has personally cut his travel; he’s funding mandatory trips out of his own pocket rather than district funds.
Legislative Delegation To Once Again Consider Unified Goverment Plan
January 16, 2009
Another meeting of the Escambia County legislative delegation has been scheduled to discuss the plan by the group Escambia All For One to consolidate Escambia County government.
The meeting will held on Friday, January 23 at 6 p.m. at the Amos Performing Arts Studio at Pensacola Junior College. A spokesman for Rep. Greg Evers’ office says that final language for a legislative bill calling for a consolidation commission should be ready before the meeting.
Evers, Rep. Dave Murzin, Sen. Durell Peaden, Sen. Don Gaetz and Rep. Clay Ford are the local legislative members invited to the meeting.
Murzin spoke out somewhat in favor of exploring the the unified government plan at a legislative delegation meeting in early December. His spokesperson says that he is in favor of exploring the issue to determine potential benefits. Evers, and Peadin did not support the Escambia All For One proposal, saying that they still had questions about it. Gaetz did not attend the meeting because he was still in Tallahassee. Ford missed the meeting because he was ill.
Escambia County, the City of Pensacola and the Town of Century all passed resolutions in favor of the consolidation. But the Town of Century later backed out and rescinded their support, with town officials saying that they were misled by All For One.
Commissioners Name ‘Hot Topics’ In Each District
January 16, 2009
Escambia Commissioners detailed their “hot topics” at a Thursday morning meeting, with commissioners laying out the issues they believe are the most important in their districts.
The following is the “hot topic” list from commissioners:
Kevin White, District 5 (including all of North Escambia)
- Budget reduction and economic development
- Countywide transportation roads, including paving and resurfacing
- Land Development Code (LDC) re-write. “It’s the poorest document I’ve ever seen.”
- Code enforcement attitude.
“These people need to become more proactive instead of reactive. When they go to see a citizen, instead of dropping the hammer…give them a chance to do something,” White said about the county’s current code enforcement. “I get just as many complaints about code enforcement and the way people are treated as I do ‘I need my road graded or a pothole patched’.”
White said he had discussed the code enforcement issue with County Administrator Bob McLaughlin.
Wilson Robertson, District 1
“I’m just going to zero in on one because like a lot of this issues are like my number one is really going to countywide,” he said, mentioning items like the LDC and economic development. But issue number one for Robertson was:
- Cleanup, leveling and repair of the old Saufley Landfill. He called it a “health hazard” where area residents must wear masks when going outside.
Commissioners White, Valentino and Robinson committed funds from their own LOST monies for the cleanup. But county attorney Allison Rogers said the county could not cleanup the site at the present time because it is still privately owned.
Gene Valentino, District 2
- Economic development is priority number one, the commissioner said.
- Expansion of Escambia Fire-Rescue Station 19 with Local Option Sales Tax dollars and some grant funding, including a helicopter pad on the building rooftop. The project is currently in the design phase.
- Sidewalk project on old Gulf Beach Highway with LOST money.
- Regional transportation planning.
- A proposal of a Waterfront Development Authority, similar to the Santa Rosa Island Authority to manage development along the entire coast of the county, plus inland bays and rivers.
Grover Robinson, District 4
- Budget reductions including addressing ECAT funding.
- Solid waste consolidation and integration.
- Pensacola Beach issues, including drainage and core development
- Olive Road improvements
- Land Development Code (LDC) re-write
- Selective District 4 code enforcement issues
“These people need to become more proactive instead of reactive. When they go to see a citizen, instead of dropping the hammer…give them a chance to do something,” White said about the county’s current code enforcement. “I get just as many complaints about code enforcement and the way people are treated as I do ‘I need my road graded or a pothole patched’.”White said he had discussed the code enforcement issue with County Administrator Bob McLaughlin.
The county’s Internet video streaming of Thursday morning’s meeting failed before District 3 Commissioner Marie Young was able to relate her “hot topics”.
One Man Shot In The Back In Century Home, Another Person In Home Beat Up
January 16, 2009
A man was shot in the back on Barnwell Lane in in Century Thursday afternoon and transported by LifeFlight to a Pensacola hospital.
The man was shot inside the home at 460 Barnwell Street about 3:13 this afternoon. Sgt. Steve Smith with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department says the incident began when three men knocked on the door. The victim apparently let the men into the house. The man was then shot at least once his in his back, and another victim was apparently struck in the face by the weapon itself.
The man was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by LifeFlight. Emergency officials declared a “trauma alert” on the victim, but his injuries were not believed to be immediately life-threatening, His identity and that of the other victim were not available.
Deputies say that the incident was not a home invasion since the suspects were apparently willingly let into the house. Rather, they say it appears that robbery may have been the motive for the shooting.
The incident is still under investigation by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.
Pictured above: A deputy enters a house at 460 Barnwell Lane in Century where a man was shot Thursday afternoon. Pictured below: The victim is loaded into LifeFlight before being transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Drip The Pipes: Hard Freeze Warning Tonight, Low Down To 17
January 16, 2009
After a cold, cold start to Friday in North Escambia, it’s going to remain cold today and be even colder tonight. There is hard freeze warning in effect for tonight, and that could mean frozen pipes without proper precautions.
Friday will be sunny, windy and cold with a high of just 42 degrees. Another cold one with a low of 17 degrees is forecast for Friday night.
Saturday will be sunny, with a high of 55. Saturday night will be warmer and 32. There’s a slight chance of rain, with a high of 60 on Sunday.
The National Weather Service in Mobile has issued a hard freeze warning from late Thursday night through Friday morning, and a hard freeze watch for Friday night.
A hard freeze warning means that the low temperature is forecast to fall below 26 degrees for 5 or more hours. These conditions could kill crops and other sensitive outdoor vegetation. Action should be taken to ensure adequate warmth for outdoor pets. Additional insulation should be considered for exposed pipes. Check on the elderly to ensure they have proper warmth. Those who have gas heat should make sure Carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order. Relief agencies should prepare additional space for those seeking shelter from the cold.
County Wants To Take Over Trash Business In Entire County, Century
January 16, 2009
There are currently four government bodies in Escambia County involved in solid waste management, but the county commission would like to see that become just one — the county itself.
Currently, solid waste disposal is handled by the Town of Century, the City of Pensacola, the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) and Escambia County. The county wants to see the four operationally combined for the collection, transportation and disposal of waste.
A plan presented to commissioners Thursday morning by Sandy Jennings (pictured left), the county’s director of the Department of Solid Waste Management, calls for the “consolidation of countywide waste management activities to assure effective provision of services to all county citizens”. The plan would lead to the elimination of “wasteful duplication of services”, and a “consistent sold waste service for every citizen”. In addition, just one entity would responsible for cost-effective and environmentally responsible solid waste management.
” I propose that we do all that we can to support staff in creating a consolidated, integrated solid waste system,” Commissioner Grover Robinson, who was not present at Thursday’s commission meeting, wrote in a memo to his fellow commissioners. Such as system will truly elevate the overall value to the citizens and protect their interests, not the interests of any single entity which may be part of the process
“I personally think Escambia County needs to take a lead because we have the biggest piece of this, and that’s the landfill,” Commissioner Wilson Robertson. “The county needs to be the prime player in this.”
“I couldn’t agree more. That way when I get the phone calls complaining about the ECUA, I’ll actually be able to do something about it,” Commissioner Kevin White said.
“If we are going to get all of the calls and complaints, we should be running maybe the collection along with the landfill,” Robertson said.
The commission directed county staff to form a task force to begin finalizing a countywide solid waste plan to be considered by the board at a future date. The task force is to include members from Pensacola, Century, ECUA, the private sector, citizens at large and the county.The study is expected to be completed within six months.
Under the plan, the county’s Perdido Landfill would serve as the cornerstone of the solid waste system, utilizing permitted infrastructure, ensuring continuing revenue for the landfill, and securing long-term capacity for the county’s solid waste needs.
In addition, the county’s recycling facility would save valuable space in the landfill, and provide “all county citizens the opportunity to do the right thing for the environment”. A curbside recycling program exists for ECUA customers and in a very small portion of the City of Pensacola. Most Pensacola and Century residents do not have the opportunity to use curbside recycling.
The plan would position Escambia County as the final authority in terms of enacting and enforcing public policy related to solid waste planning.
Pictured top: The Perdido Landfill.