Resurfacing Begins Next Week On Highway 29 North Of Molino
May 1, 2010
Paving operations will begin next week on Highway 29 from Highway 97 to north of Pine Barren Road.
Motorists can expect intermittent lane closures for the next three weeks as crews pave the roadway, turn lanes and median opening. Drivers are reminded to use caution, obey the posted speed limit, and watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.
The 4.55 mile stretch of Highway 29 has a price tag of $3,986,342, funded with federal stimulus dollars. The entire project is due to be complete by August.
Census Workers Start Knocking On Doors In Local Area
May 1, 2010
About 635,000 2010 Census takers across the nation began going door to door Saturday to follow up with households that either didn’t mail back their form or didn’t receive one. An estimated 48 million addresses will be visited through July 10.
In Escambia County, 72 percent of residents returned their census forms by mail. In Santa Rosa County, 76 percent were returned, while in Escambia County (Ala.) 68 percent of forms were mailed back.
If a 2010 Census worker knocks on your door, here are some ways to verify that person is a legitimate census taker:
- The census taker must present an ID badge that contains a Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. The census taker may also be carrying a black canvass bag with a Census Bureau logo.
- The census taker will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the local census office phone number for verification, if asked.
- The census taker will only ask you the questions that appear on the 2010 Census form.
The 2010 Census taker will not ask for social security number, bank account number or credit card number and will never solicit for donations or contact you by e-mail.
In most cases, census workers will make up to six attempts at each housing unit address to count possible residents. This includes leaving notifications of the attempted visit at the house or apartment door, in addition to trying to reach the household by phone to conduct the interview or schedule an in-person interview.
“If a census taker knocks on your door, please help by providing the basic information required for the census,” Groves said. “Your answers are strictly confidential. There are just 10 questions on the form and it should only take about 10 minutes to complete.”
Census takers will go to great lengths to ensure that no one is missed in the census. After exhausting their efforts to do an in-person interview with a resident of an occupied housing unit, they will seek out proxy sources — a neighbor, a rental agent, a building manager or some other knowledgeable person familiar with the housing unit — to obtain as much basic information about the occupants as they can.
Some households will receive a visit even though they may have mailed back their form. If the form arrived too late to be processed before non-response follow-up packets were sent to one of the 494 local census offices, the household occupants must still be interviewed when the census taker arrives. The Census Bureau is urging cooperation and patience with the census takers, as this is the best way to ensure that everyone is counted properly.
Households that didn’t receive a form by mail, including those that pick up their mail from post office boxes, will be visited by census workers as part of the follow-up plan. The Census Bureau doesn’t mail forms to post office boxes because responses must be associated with a specific residence location, not the post office box location.
The Census Bureau has stringent systems in place to ensure that people can feel safe when they open their door to a census taker. All census takers undergo an FBI background check that includes both name and fingerprint checks. All have taken an oath for life to protect the information they collect and understand that they face stiff penalties, jail time or both for any disclosure of personally identifiable information.
Photos: North Pensacola Relay For Life At Tate High
May 1, 2010
The North Pensacola Relay for Life got underway Friday evening at Tate High School with over 1,000 people taking part in the event that benefits the American Cancer Society.
For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the event, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Park Celebrates The Arts
May 1, 2010
Molino Park Elementary School held its annual Arts Day on Friday, with the students spending the day immersed in a variety of arts.
The students enjoyed a wide range of arts, from pottery to painting. They had the opportunity to get “hands on” with many activities.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
The day ended with the “Molino Park Arts Day Roundup”, a live concert series in the school cafeteria. Artists appearing in the concert all had local ties to Molino Park, including Leah and Morgan Taylor, the Moye Family Band, Dusty Sandeson, Candy and Hannah McGahan, Crystal Holliday, Lynda Barnes, Sheila Allen & Co., Chris Dufour Karate, Kelton French and Florence Cutler.
Visual art demonstrations included the Pensacola Doll Study Club, painting from Joyce Benink and Ruth Gordon, watercolors by Patsy Pennington, pottery by Matt Brabham and wood turning with Ralph Thomas.
Performing artist demonstrations included the Northview High School Jazz Band, singer/songwriters Sheila Allen and Ginny Cruz, singer Crystal Holliday and The Gospel Keys.
In a hands on area, students had the opportunity to make or explore with sun visors, wire sculptures, paper hats, clay, spin art, sidewalk chalk art, beaded necklaces, yarn wraps, fish prints, and water tube bracelets.
Hall displays featured the Society for the Creative Anachronisms, the Molino Park Historical Society, Barrineau Park Historical Society, Pensacola Quilt Guild, various school doll displays, folk instruments and the Australian Trunk from the Pensacola Museum of Art.
Other displays and activities included oil painting by Debbie Andress and Yvonne Vick, photography by Candy McGahan and Michelle Daniel, candles from Dee Riley, crochet and needlework by Teresa Myrick, embroidery by Anita Barnett, Linda Till and Pat Johnson, motocross and dragsters from Allen Lowery, race cars with Jerry Venable and antique cars.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Mayfest Today In Atmore
May 1, 2010
The 37th annual Mayfest will take place today at Tom Byrne Park in Atmore with plenty of fun-filled family activities.
Mayfest will offer arts and crafts, plenty of good and live entertainment, children’s rides and games, clowns, pony rides, push lawnmower races, the Mayfest “Beautiful Baby Contest”, a Pooch Parade and more.
The schedule of events is as follows: `
- 9:00 a.m. – Opening Ceremonies
- 9:15 a.m. – Alabama‘s International Misses, Inaugural Pooch Parade Begins
- 9:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Beautiful Baby Contest (Sponsored by The Atmore Advance)
- 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Twirl Time
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. – Shane Harrell & The Major Moves Band
- 12:15 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. – New Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Choir
- 12:45 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. – The Santa Rosa and Escambia Twirlers
- 1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Shane Harrell & The Major Moves Band
- 2:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m. – Atmore Elite Allstars
- 2:15 p.m. – 2:35 p.m. – Willie Hawthorne (vocalist)
- 2:35 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. – Deep South
- 3:15 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. – Danielle Scott (vocalist)
- 3:45 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Deep South
NHS Prom: Generosity Provides Free Dresses
May 1, 2010
About a half dozen young ladies attended the Northview High School prom Saturday night in dresses they received compliments of a group of concerned students that worked to make sure that every girl could have that perfect dress for a magical evening.
The girls learned about the program from an April 9 article on NorthEscambia.com. Also after the article, over 30 dresses were donated.
Our original April 9 article is reprinted below.
Calling themselves the “SWANS”, the group of young ladies is collecting prom dresses that are being made available to any Northview girl headed to prom that needs a dress, no questions asked.
“Prom is big deal for girls,” said SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth. “They want to look pretty, and the perfect dress helps them look special. It can boost the self-esteem of a girl.”
Knowing that dresses are without a doubt expensive and that the expense could keep some girls from attending their junior or senior prom, the 20-something students in the SWANS decided to go to work to create a prom dress closet of sorts. So far, they have collected just over a dozen dresses, and they have been promised a donation of about 30 more soon from someone that is closing a bridal shop.
“A lot of girls have dresses left over from other events, and there are girls that need a dress but their family can’t afford one, so it’s a perfect match,” Bloodsworth said.
The girls recently bagged groceries at a Winn Dixie store to raise money — about $200 — so they could dry clean the donated dresses. The dresses are fashionable, modern styles that are free of flaws.
“Prom is just that special night that you get dressed up and feel like an adult,” said Natalie Nall, one of the SWANS teacher sponsors. “This is the big deal for many of the girls. For the girls that don’t go to college, senior prom night is the special time in their lives until their wedding.”
Extra effort is made to make sure that no girl is embarrassed by wearing a donated dress, according to Barbara Luker, another SWANS teacher sponsor. It is all done as quietly as possible to make sure no one knows a girl took part in the program. Even for our NorthEscambia.com photo, Luker worked to make sure the dresses were presented in such a way that no dress could be identified.
Northview girls that donate a dress to the program sign a promise to not let anyone know what dress they donated.
“I promise to not let it be known that this dress once belonged to me and will hold it secret in my heart because I know that my generosity means more than the compromise of someone’s self-esteem,” the prom dress donation promise states.
Girls that receive a SWANS prom dress have the option of keeping it, or returning to the program.
The SWANS — Sophisticated Warriors Advocating Northview Self-Discovery — are also working toward a clothes swap closet at the school for everyday clothing. And they are planning a Mother’s Day tea to allow girls and their moms to get a little closer and allow the girls to meet their friends’ moms.
“It’s all about self-esteem and being a woman,” Bloodsworth said.
SWANS is actively seeking prom dress donations. Anyone can drop a dress by the school office. Any Northview student in need of a dress can contact any SWANS member at the school, or any teacher sponsor.
Pictured above: Northview SWANS member Jessica Bloodsworth with some of the donated prom dresses. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Jay Pro Rodeo Continues Tonight
May 1, 2010
The 8th Annual Jay Pro Rodeo is scheduled to continue Saturday night, and NorthEscambia.com has free tickets for children 12 and under.Gates open at 6 p..m. and the rodeo begins at 8 p.m. There will be musical entertainment, plus free moon bounces and activities for the children. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 2-12 and children under 2 are free.
The Jay Pro Rodeo is sponsored by the Jay Quarterback Club, Jay High SGA, FRIENDS (a community service organization) and the Ted May Arena. All proceeds will benefit local youth and Relay for Life.
Click here and print the flier and receive one free admission for a child 12 and under with each paying adult, compliments of NorthEscambia.com.
It’s Old Fashion Day In Jay
May 1, 2010
Jay will turn back the clock on Saturday for Old Fashion Day.
The event at the Jay Historical Society Museum will feature quilting, candle making, butter churning, corn grinding, story telling, pottery making and a petting zoo. There will also be music and entertainment all day, and plenty of old fashioned games.
Members and participants will be dressed for “Early Pioneer Days” during the event.
The event takes place at 3946 Highway 4 in Jay from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Governor Declares State Of Emergency In Escambia, Santa Rosa
April 30, 2010
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has declared a state of emergency in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties due to mounting concerns about an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The order activates the Florida National Guard, imposes price gouging rules, starts the flow of emergency money and waives highway weight limits. The order also allows state and federal agencies to coordinate their response and allows Florida to join the efforts of other states in their emergency response.
The Gulf oil spill is several hundred square miles in area, and continues to grow. It is moving in a generally northerly direction, toward the northern Gulf Coast. Some of the oil has already started to come ashore in Louisiana.
“Efforts to contain the crude oil leaking from the well have been unsuccessful,” Crist said in the emergency declaration. “Oil continues to sill from the well as all efforts to stop the discharge have failed and may not succeed for an extended period of time.”
The governor’s order includes the coastal counties from Escambia to Gulf due to the Deepwater Horizon incident.
One Critically Injured In Early Morning Highway 29 Wreck
April 30, 2010
This story has been updated. Please click here.
One person was critically injured when they were ejected in an early Friday morning wreck on Highway 29 in the Gonzalez area.
Alfred G. Youtzy, 34, of Milton, was northbound on Highway 29 near Archer Road at 2:15 a.m. when he ran off the paved portion of the road and traveled 209 feet before driving back on the pavement, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. His 1995 Ford pickup rotated and overturned twice before entering the grassy median where it overturned again.
The truck came to rest on its wheels in the median, and Youtzy was ejected. He was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital by Escambia County EMS where he was listed in critical condition.
A passenger in the vehicle, Joseph Ross, 35, of Pensacola, was transported by private vehicle to Sacred Heart with minor injuries.
Careless driving charges are pending against Youtzy, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.