Want To Raise Chickens? Have Fresh Eggs? This Program Is For You
January 9, 2010
Are you interested in having fresh eggs on your table and raising chickens on your property? Then classes scheduled in Cantonment and Davisville might be for you.
Escambia Extension will host “Small Scale Poultry and Egg Production” — a course designed to help everyone from novices to professionals in raising chickens. Guest speakers include Dr. Gary Butcher, University of Florida veterinarian and Dr. Richard Miles, University of Florida poultry scientist. They will offer research based information to educate attendees on health and diseases of chicken flocks, nutrition and management of flocks, poultry breeds, and keys to successful egg production.
Escambia Extension will host the program via interactive video on Monday, January 25, at 6 p.m. at Escambia Extension, 3740 Stefani Road in Cantonment. The course will be offered again at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 26 at the Davisville Community Center, 10200 Highway 97. The speakers will also be present at the Davisville program.
A $5 fee will be charged to cover materials and refreshments. To pre-register, call (850) 475-5230. For additional information, email Libbie Johnson at libbiej@ufl.edu.
Delayed Christmas Play Tonight
January 9, 2010
A school Christmas play that delayed by flooding in mid-December will be held tonight.
The Byrneville Elementary School’s Grade 3-5 Christmas Program that was to be held December 15 will be held at 5:00 this evening at Northview High School’s theatre.
Four Injured In School Bus Wreck In Cantonment
January 8, 2010
Five children received minor injuries in school bus accident this afternoon in Cantonment
The accident happened about 4:20 Friday afternoon on Kingsfield Road near Ziglar Road, just east of Highway 29. The Florida Highway Patrol says Josepk Erickson, 30, pulled out of a private driveway into the path of a 2010 model Escambia County School bus driven by Wanda H. Bright, 50, of Pensacola. Erickson and a passenger in his 2002 Kia minivan, Pamelia G. Erickson, 55, received minor injuries. Bright, the bus driver, also received minor injuries. None of the adults were transported to the hospital.
There were 10 students on the bus from a Sid Nelson Learning Center program ranging in age from 1 to 17. Five of them — ages 1, 6 and three 17-year olds — were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital with minor injures.
Josepk Erickson, the driver of the minivan, was charged with violation of right of way by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Everyone involved in the crash was wearing a seat belt, according to the FHP.
Pensacola May Withdraw Consolidation Plan Support
January 8, 2010
The City of Pensacola might be next to pull support for the plan being drafted by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission.
Councilwoman Diane Mack intends to introduce a motion on Monday that Pensacola withdraw support for 2010 consolidation referendum and postpone any such vote until 2012 at the earliest.
The motion Mack intends to make states:
“That the council notify the delegation, by letter from the mayor, that it does not support the current proposal for consolidated government and that the council does not want the proposal to go to referendum in 2010. The letter should suggest that the issue of consolidation needs more detailed study by the study commission and the issue should not go to referendum any earlier than November 2012.”
Thursday night, the Escambia County Commission voted to withdraw its support for the plan for a 2010 vote and request that any consolidation vote be delayed until 2012 at the earliest. [Read more...]
The Town of Century withdrew support for the consolidation plan last January, just weeks after voting to approve a consolidation study. [Read more...]
The proposal being developed by the Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission would combine the governments of Pensacola, Escambia County and the Town of Century into a single, consolidated government.
Schools Cancel All Outdoor Activities
January 8, 2010
The Escambia County (Fla.) School District canceled all outdoor events planned for Friday and Saturday due to the extremely cold temperatures.
District officials will continue to monitor weather conditions next week regarding outdoor events to determine if further cancellations are warranted, according to Linda English, district spokesperson.
ECUA Offers Helpful Hints To Prevent Frozen Pipes
January 8, 2010
The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority is offering helpful tips to prevent the expense of frozen pipes — especially external, exposed pipes that are naturally the most vulnerable to freezing.
The Backflow Preventer: Residents and business owners who have backflow preventers on their properties for water lines, fire lines, irrigation systems, and swimming pools need to protect their backflow preventers from freeze as well. Extended freezes can burst the body of the backflow assembly, rendering it useless. Wrap these pipes with insulation materials, made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers. If the device and the water lines are not in use at this time (i.e., irrigation system or swimming pool lines), shut off the water supply line and drain the backflow device.
Insulate Pipes or Faucets in Unheated Areas: Pipes located in unheated areas of your house, such as a garage or crawl space under the house or in the attic, are subject to freezing. If you have time to do this before freezing temperatures arrive, wrap these pipes with insulation materials made especially for this purpose. These materials can be found in most hardware stores or home improvement centers.
Disconnect And Drain Outdoor Hoses: Detach all hoses from faucets and allow them to drain. This will prevent the water in the hose or pipe from freezing and bursting the faucet or pipe to which it is connected.
Run a Trickle of Water: When forecasts call for sustained and / or severe freezing temperatures, run thin trickles of water from the faucet furthest from the water line coming to your house. Usually this is in a room at the back of the house or outside, in the yard. Allowing the water to circulate through your home’s plumbing helps to keep it from freezing. Some consider this a waste of water, but the cost of the water used is extremely slight compared to that of repairing broken pipes and the resulting water damage.
For more information visit the ECUA web site @ www.ecua.org, or call Customer Service at (850) 476-0480.
Government Consolidation Plan Hits Roadblock: Escambia Withdraws Support For 2010 Vote
January 8, 2010
On a split vote, the Escambia County Commission has pulled support for a 2010 vote on a government consolidation plan, delaying any possible consolidation referendum until 2012 at the earliest. Escambia became the second of three entities to withdraw support; Century pulled their support in January of last year.
A motion by Commissioner Wilson Robertson to ask the Escambia County legislative delegation to delay any consolidation vote until no earlier than November 2012 passed 3-2. Commissioners Robertson, Kevin White and Gene Valentino voted for the delay, while Commissioners Marie Young and Grover Robinson voted against.
The Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission’s proposal to unify the three governments is due by January 15, but it is still not complete. The group has three meetings remaining, including one on January 14, in which it planned to hammer out a final proposal.
That schedule, Robertson said, was simply not acceptable to allow for full review of the plan.
“There is no rush, and there is plenty of time to do this,” Attorney Kenneth Bell told the commision. Bell, who chairs the consolidation committee, said that the actual bill in legislature does not have to be filed until February 15. “I was given my task under the bill agreed to by this commission, the City of Pensacola, the Town of Century and other folks…And the deadline we were given was January 15, and we are on task to reach that deadline.”
Bell said he was disappointed that there “would be an attempt to the pull the rug out of this process”.
“Many things that Mr. Robertson has put in his letter are simply not true,” he said. He encourage the commission to wait until the final consolidation commission meeting on January 14, or “at the latest” January 21 for final proposal that he said the commission had worked thousands of hours to draft. “I think it is incredibly disrespectful.”
“I didn’t think you could make it,” Robertson said. “I was very concerned about seeing this document so we could decide if we wanted to continue to support it.”
“I don’t want to have a document that has been approved by the delegation,” he said, “that all I am going to be able to debate for the next 10 months before it goes to election is whether I am for it or against it. I want a document that has been worked out, that has been hammered out, refined, that’s went out to the community, that’s been discussed.”
“I am not trying to kills this. Get it on the 2012 ballot. Why does it have to be 2010?” Robertson said.
“I do support some form of consolidation. I’ve referred to it as ice cream that comes in 20 flavors — which one are you talking about?” Commissioner Gene Valentino said. “There is no judgement being passed here — directly or indirectly — on consolidation.”
The Town of Century also pulled their support for the plan altogether. In December 2008, the Century Town Council voted to support a consolidation study, but a few weeks later, Century withdrew their support with council members saying they were misled by the group Escambia All For One.
If the 25-member Escambia County Consolidation Study Commission finishes their proposal by January 15, it will still go to the Northwest Florida Legislative Delegation. The delegation will usually not send an item to the full legislature if it does to have the full support of the local governments involved.
Pictured top inset: Commissioner Wilson Robertson at Thursday night’s BOCC meeting. Pictured bottom inset: Kenneth Bell.
Molino Man Seeks County’s Help To Put Mobile Home On His Land
January 8, 2010
A Molino man is seeking the Escambia Commission’s help to place a mobile home for his son on property he says has been owned by his family for 60 years.
Bennie Hassebrock told commissioners that he has tried for four years to get approval for a mobile home on property, located on Highway 97 just south of Highway 29. The property’s zoning does not allow a mobile home.
“Everywhere I go, they tell me I can’t do this,” Hassebrock said Thursday night. “I’m against trailers myself, but I’m trying to live within our means, and our means can’t build him a house right now.”
“He got caught up when the zoning map was thrown down,” District 5 Commissioner Kevin White said. “It’s one of those where you’ve got a trailer across the street and its OK, but his zone does not allow it.” White said the county’s rezoning fees would be hardship for Hassebrock.
At White’s request, Lloyd Kerr, directory of planning and zoning, will return to the commission on February 4 with a recommendation to rezone the property and waive the rezoning fees based upon hardship.
Pictured: Bennie Hassebrock addresses the Escambia County Commission Thursday night.
Alabama Football Wins National Championship, Beating Texas, 37-21
January 8, 2010
The No. 1 ranked Alabama football team beat No. 2 Texas in the BCS National Championship game, played in the Rose Bowl Thursday, 37-21, winning the 13th national title in school history and first since 1992. With the win, head coach Nick Saban becomes the fifth coach to bring a national championship to the Capstone.
“Our message to the team at halftime was that it’s a 60-minute game,” Saban said. “I’m proud of the way we hung in there and bounced back at the end of the game.”
The Crimson Tide defense ended any hopes of a Longhorns comeback when Eryk Anders forced a fumble out of the hands of Texas quarterback Garret Gilbert with 3:08 remaining in the game.
Alabama would force two more turnovers and score two touchdowns to seal the 2009 national championship.
After Texas jumped out to a 6-0 lead on a pair of field goals in the first quarter, the Crimson Tide took the lead when sophomore Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram scored on a two-yard rush, putting Alabama up 7-6 with 14:18 remaining in the second quarter.
Freshman Trent Richardson (pictured), a graduate of Escambia High School in Pensacola, joined in on the ground attack when he busted a 49-yard touchdown run at the 7:59 mark in the second quarter. The long touchdown run stretched Alabama’s lead to 14-7.
Senior Leigh Tiffin would extend the Tide’s lead further connecting on a 26-yard attempt. Two plays later Marcell Dareus intercepted Gilbert’s shovel pass and returned it 28 yards for an Alabama touchdown. The 10-point swing gave the Crimson Tide a 24-6 lead heading into the half.
With Texas’ offense scoring 11 unanswered points in the second half and pulling within 24-21, Anders swung into action, forcing a fumble at the three-yard line with Courntey Upshaw recovering for the Tide.
Ingram (pictured) capitlized on the turnover, scoring on a one-yard touchdown run three plays later, putting Alabama up 31-21.
Senior Javier Arenas came up with his second interception of the night with 1:55 remaining in the game. Richardson turned the turnover into points once again, scoring a touchdown on a two-yard run. Tiffin missed the extra point attempt, making the score 37-21.
With the win Alabama head coach Nick Saban becomes the first head coach in major college football history to win a national championship at two different schools, also winning the BCS national championship in 2003 at LSU.
Saban also becomes the second head coach to win two BCS national championships, joining Urban Meyer of Florida.
The victory in Pasadena comes 84 years after Alabama won its first national championship in the 1926 Rose Bowl game and makes this the fifth Alabama team to end their national championship campaign at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
Alabama officials are tentatively planning a national championship celebration for Saturday, Jan. 16. More details will be available on RollTide.com in the coming days.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Area Schools Are Open Today
January 8, 2010
Schools are open across the North Escambia area this morning.
The Escambia County (Fla.) School District released the following statement concerning schools for Friday:
“The Escambia County (Florida) School District is expected to conduct normal business hours , Friday, January 8, 2010. Students who attend schools in Escambia County (Florida) should report to school tomorrow, Friday, January 8, 2010, and follow the normal schedule/routine.”Schoo