Century To Begin $371,000 Drainage Improvement Project
November 3, 2009
The Century Town Council voted Monday night to add $230,000 to a $141,000 grant for a project that will improve drainage in an area south of the old Century High School.
The complete $371,000 project was designed prior to Hurricane Ivan, and it sat “shovel ready” since that time. The project will improve stormwater drainage in an area bordered roughly by Hecker Road to the north, Mayo Street to the west, Baptist Church Road to the east and a concrete ditch between Mayo Lane and Church Street to the south.
Acting on an opinion from the town’s attorney, the council voted to use the $230,000 from a fund that contains $1.6 million from half cent sales tax and local option sales tax funds. The town requested the attorney’s opinion to make sure the money could legally be used for drainage projects.
Pictured above: This graphic shows the approximate area that will see drainage improvements from an upcoming project. NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.
Century Looks At Increase For Water, Sewer Customers
November 3, 2009
The Town of Century is continuing to explore options that will ultimately lead to increase in water and sewer rates for most, if not all, of the town’s residents.
The council was set to meet Monday night with William Secoy from the Florida Rural Water Association, authors of a rate study under consideration by the council. But Secoy was unable to attend the meeting due to a family emergency.
The town’s accountant, Robert Hudson, told council members that the town must increase rates in order to qualify for future loans and grants from the USDA Rural Development Agency.
Hudson offered his own simple plan for raising rates — an across the board increase for most customers of 10 to 15 percent. In contrast, the Florida Rural Water Association has proposed a more complicated rate increase that would greatly increase water rates for those that use the least amount of water and often pay a minimum bill. The min
“It’s the minimum I am really concerned about,” Council President Ann Brooks said Monday night. “I looked at the ones that had really high (water) usage, and their increase was not as much.”
Council Henry Hawkins suggested that any across the board increase be phased in over a couple of years to lessen the burden on the town’s water and sewer customers.
“That will be more fair to everybody,” Hawkins said.
Hudson said he would check with Rural Development to determine if a simple percentage water and sewer rate increase would meet their requirements.
The Town of Century has not increased water and sewer rates since 1995.
EWMS Collecting Old Cell Phones For Soldiers
November 3, 2009
The National Junior Honor Society at Ernest Ward Middle School is collecting cell phones for soldiers in a program that turns old cell phones into calling time for soldiers abroad.
The National Junior Honor Society with the help of Cell Phones for Soldiers are calling on all students, teachers, parents, and members of the community to support these brave men and women by donating old, used cell phones.
The cell phone drive will take place during the entire month of November. Anyone who would like to donate can drop their used cell phones off in a designated box located in the office at Ernest Ward Middle during school hours.
At the end of November all cell phones will be shipped to Cell Phones for Soldiers, which is a registered 501 non-profit organization, who will then in turn ship the phones to a company that pays for each phone that is recycled , providing an hour of talk time for soldiers abroad.
The EWMS National Junior Honor Society has set a goal of 1,000 cell phones which will provide 60,000 minutes of free talk time to soldiers overseas.
Cell Phones for Soldiers was created by brother and sister Brittany and Robbie Bergquist of Norwell, MA. After reading a story about a soldier who ran up a huge phone bill calling home from Iraq, the teens decided to find a way to help. They started by opening an account with $21 of their own money. For more information about Cell Phones for Soldiers visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com.
The Circus Is Coming
November 3, 2009
An old-fashioned big top circus is coming to the Atmore YMCA this weekend with jugglers, acrobats, clowns, tigers and more.
The circus show, to be performed by the Lewis & Clark Circus, will harken back to earlier days when such events came bustling into town for a day and then mysteriously disappeared overnight.
Lewis & Clark is a one-ring European style circus with continuous action going on in the center ring. Traditional circus acts such as hi-flying trapeze artists, amazing acrobats, zany clowns, and liberty animal acts that include horses and camel are featured.
The Circus attracts all types of people, from the young to the young at heart, which may be why it remains a popular form of family entertainment. The circus is one of about 10 traditional big top shows that operate in the United States. The circus troop presents about500 shows a year and will be in Atmore on Saturday, November 7 with performances at 4 and 7 p.m. and Sunday, November 8 at 3 p.m. You can relive childhood dreams while your children create their own dreams and memories from this fun filled event.
Tickets can be purchased at the Atmore Area YMCA, United Bank in Atmore and from any YMCA Board Member. Advance discount tickets are $10 per adult and children under 14 are free when accompanied by an adult. Non-discounted tickets will be available on circus day.
For more information, call the Atmore Area YMCA at (251) 368-9622.
Learn More About The Newest Cuts Of Beef
November 3, 2009
Beef..it’s what is new for dinner.
Producers and consumers alike can learn more about selecting, preparing and marketing the latest trends in beef cuts with Escambia Extension on Monday, November 16, at 6 p.m. at the Langley Bell 4-H Auditorium located at 4810 West Nine Mile Road .
“Mister Pete,” of Oakes Meat Processing, will discuss common cuts and some of the newer cuts being promoted. Extension Agent Dorothy Lee will demonstrate preparation methods for the new cuts developed to ensure flavorful and hearty beef dishes.
Cost is $5 and dinner is included. Pre-register by November 10. Contact the Escambia County Extension Office, 475-5230, or email Extension Agent Libbie Johnson, libbiej@ufl.edu.
Fog Early, Sunny By Afternoon
November 3, 2009
We can look forward to foggy start in parts of the North Escambia area for the next several days, but our afternoons will be sunny and mild.
Here is your office North Escambia weather forecast:
- Tuesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 73. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly clear, with a low around 49. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 75. North wind around 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 46. Calm wind.
- Thursday: Patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 72. North wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Thursday Night: Clear, with a low around 45. North wind around 5 mph.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 70. East wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 46. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 72.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 49.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 73.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51.
- Monday: A 20 percent chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76.
NorthEscambia.com Is Celebrating Our Second Birthday
November 3, 2009
NorthEscambia.com is celebrating our second birthday today. We want to offer you a big thanks, and offer a little insight into our little site.
We have been amazed at the response to NorthEscambia.com as it has grown into the area’s mostly widely read news source and one of the top most popular local web sites on the entire Gulf Coast.
Just a year ago, as we celebrated our first birthday, we were humbled that we stood at 2.2 million page view per month. But that has continued to grow by leaps and bounds — in October of this year, we had 6.8 million page views. That put NorthEscambia.com among the most popular websites on the Gulf Coast. And speaking of the Gulf Coast, readers of the Pensacola Independent News recently named NorthEscambia.com as the Best Blog on the Coast.
We quietly started NorthEscambia.com November 3, 2007, announcing it at the annual Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department Fish Fry. Over the next weeks, we expanded our coverage into Century and Molino, building a family of loyal readers like you.
It’s a diverse family.. From elementary age kids to senior adults, people across North Escambia and in surrounding areas like Atmore, Flomaton, Jay, Cantonment and Pensacola turn to NorthEscambia.com for local news.
Online news like NorthEscambia.com is the future of journalism. Television news ratings are down. Newspaper circulations are down. Online news readers are up.
Minutes after news event occurs, we can post the information you need to know. We have the technology in place to post live updates from the scene of the news.
Over the next year, we plan a few changes to improve our service to you. You’ll see more coverage from more stories. You’ll see more videos, maybe even a live video or two. An improved system of delivery for breaking news. More chances for reader participation.
Speaking of reader participation, we added the ability to comment on our stories just over a year ago. Since then, you have expressed your views with almost 20,000 comments. Thanks for joining in. If you have not yet, we encourage you to start leaving your comments on our stories by using the form at the bottom of each story.
A few more numbers we’d like to share…we’ve posted about 12,000 stories in the past two years, with several new stories posted each day. There are almost 20,000 photos in our photo galleries.
We’ve laughed with you, and we’ve cried with you over the past year. We’ve shared those happy moments with your children at their school or on their playing field. We’ve been there as communities suffered tragedies.
We’ve been at your church, your school, your club, your business and elsewhere in your community as things have happened in your lives. If it was important you, it was important to us.
Let us know how we can serve you; that’s what we are here for. Email news@northescambia.com or use our contact form.
Thank you for helping up reach our second birthday. We are humbled and feel blessed to be part of your family in this area we call North Escambia. Thank you for welcoming NorthEscambia.com into your family.
John R. Garrett, Jr
November 2, 2009
Mr. John R. Garrett, Jr., 80, passed away on Sunday, November 1, 2009, in Century, FL.
John was a native and former resident of Bluff Springs, FL, a resident of Century for the past 53 years, a loving friend, Brother, Father, Grandfather and Great-Grandfather and attended the Baptist Church. He was a cub scout leader for a number of years, a Mason with Pineland Lodge #286 in Palatka, FL, a Shriner and a U.S. Army Veteran. Preceded in death by his Wife, Alice Marie Garrett.
Survivors Include: his Son, John Thomas Garrett of Palatka, FL; his Daughter, Debbie Wyman of Palatka, FL; 2 Grandchildren; 2 Great-Grandchildren; a very special devoted and loving friend, Ms. Louise Trawick; three Sisters, Martha Sims of Century, FL, Louise Dockens of McDavid, FL, and Duffie Wells of Century, FL; a Sister-in-law, Margie Garrett of Century, FL; a special Nephew, Steve Garrett; 3 special Nieces, Susan Lowery, Ann Burkett, and Gail Chavers of Christian Home, FL; and a number of other Nieces and Nephews.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2009 at 3:00 P.M. at the Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church with the Rev. Ronald Broadhead officiating.
Burial will follow at Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, November 3, 2009 from 2:00 P.M. until funeral time at the Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church.
Pallbearers will be Thomas Fillingim, Leslie Barnes, Arnold Burkett, Lavon Little, D.C. Odom and Milt Lowrey.
Century To Discuss Increased Water, Sewer Rates, More Fees
November 2, 2009
The Town of Century will hold a workshop meeting at 6:00 tonight to further discuss a rate study that recommends water and sewer rate increases for most customers and new fees for future customers.
The council will meet with William Secoy from the Florida Rural Water Association, the authors of the rate study. The council previously met with Secoy back in August, and they were left with as many questions as they had answers.
Under the recommended rate structure, a small business could see their water and sewer bill more than double, and that’s something Council President Ann Brooks does not favor.
“I would not have a problem paying for usage, but that is not what is going on here,” Brooks said at the August meeting. She stated her small business, an accounting firm, uses between 600 and 900 gallons of water per month. Under the proposed rate structure, her minimum monthly bill would jump from $21 to $45.45. “I have a real problem raising our commercial rate over 100 percent for water and sewer.”
“We have a lot of poor people and a lot of people living on a fixed income,” Brooks said in August of the proposed residential increase and higher minimum bills. “Let people pay for what they use.”
At that August meeting, the council instructed Secoy to take a closer look at different usage levels among the town’s water and sewer customers, especially commercial, and return with a second recommendation. He is expected to present that second recommendation tonight.
The typical residential water bill for a customer using 3,000 gallons per month would increase from $12.45 to $15.95 if the town followed the recommendations in the study from the Florida Rural Water Association. The new $15.95 minimum charge would include 3,000 gallons; the current minimum water bill is $9 for 1,500 gallons.
Commercial customers would see their minimum jump from $9 for 1,500 gallons to $19.95 for 3,000 gallons.
Both commercial and residential customers would see an increase per 1,000 gallons over the 3,000 minimum to $2.78 to $3.16 per 1,000 gallons. The current additional charge per 1,000 gallons is $2.27. Institutions and churches would pay the residential rate.
Sewage rates would also increase if the water association proposal were to be approved by the town.
The current sewage rate is $13 for the first 6,000 gallons and $3.50 per additional $1,000 gallons for residential and commercial customers. For the first 3,000 gallons, the recommended rate is $12 for residential customers and $25.50 for commercial customers. Each additional 1,000 gallons of sewage would cost $3.
Under the rate proposal, a family using 8,000 gallons of water per month would see their water bill increase from $23.75 to $30.13, and they would see their sewage bill increase from $20 to $27. The total monthly increase for that family would be $13.38, or $160.56 per year.
A business using an average of 8,000 gallons per month would see their water bill jump from $23.75 to $34.13 and a sewage increase from $20 to $40.50. The total annual increase would be $370.56.
The Florida Rural Water Association proposal recommends that the town also charge a “capacity” fee for new hookups, in addition to the $125 water connection fee and $1,000 sewage impact fee currently charged. The study does not offer a specific recommendation on the amount of the new fee. Secoy said that a typical capacity fee is from a several hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Secoy said a connection fee should be in the neighborhood of $350 to $750 for a new meter. Customers that were establishing service at a location where a meter is already installed would not pay a connection fee. Capacity fees could not be waived, but connection fees could be waived as part of a financial incentive package for a new business, Secoy told the council.
The Town of Century has not increased water or sewage rates since 1995. The water association recommends that the town make yearly rate increases based upon the consumer price index.
The water and sewer rate special meeting will take place at 6:00 tonight at Century City Hall. A regular town council meeting will follow at 7:00 — a meeting at which the council could vote on any rates increases.
School Board Approves Personnel Changes At North Escambia Schools
November 2, 2009
The Escambia County School Board has approved numerous North Escambia teacher and staff transfers, resignations, and rehires.
Many of these personnel changes took place prior to the beginning of the current school year, but they were just approved by the board this month.
The following changes below were made this month:
- Appointments – Instructional/Professional
- Lynn M. Hodges, Tate High
- Ty A. Wise, Northview High
- Appointments – Support Personnel
- Karen Brown, promoted to Data Specialist I, Bratt Elem.
- Cherryl Dykes, Early Childhood Assist., Bratt Elem.
- Reappointments
- Douglas D. Kriner, Ransom Middle
- Gary K. Page, Tate High
- Kate O. Sapp, Molino Park Elementary
- Mary Jo Smith, Northview High
- Resignations/Retirements/Other
- Arthur Farish, teacher, Ransom Middle
- John R. Willey, Tate High
- Temporary Promotions
- Odessa Edwards, teacher assist. to Admin. Clerk II, Jim Allen Elem.
- Emily Tullis, teacher assist. to Admin. Clerk II, Bratt Elem.
- Leaves of Absence
- Tamara Godwin, food services, Bratt Elem.
- Gloria Miller, Jim Allen Elementary
- Barbara Morgan, food services, Northview High