Save The Children Benefit: 13,000 Mile Canoe Trip Begins In North Escambia
April 23, 2011
An Oklahoma couple began a 13,000 mile canoe trip called “Paddle-to-the-Sea” in North Escambia Saturday to support the non-profit group Save The Children.
Jim Neal, 67, started his journey at Becks Fish Camp in Cantonment and will continue for about three years as his wife Jean. 69, follows as closely as possible in a support vehicle.
She will carry extra gear, provide re-provisioning of food and supplies, and be available to help with any emergency situations. Jim will carry a SPOT satellite beacon to provide on going track of his position. The boat being used is a decked solo canoe called a Superior Expedition, built by Scott Smith, of Lyons, Michigan. At first look, it has some similarity with a kayak, but has more internal volume, a larger cockpit, and is noted for its seaworthiness. The boat’s name is Ibi (pron. EYE-be), the Timuquan Indian word for water.
Jim and Jean may seem to be an unlikely expedition team, being in their latter 60’s, but Jim hopes if he can put out the effort to drive the canoe through challenging waters, currents, tides, adverse weather, and to some pretty wild camping areas, perhaps he can inspire others to get involved and cheer him on through support for Save The Children.
Save The Children was founded in Appalachia 75 years ago in response to the Great Depression to address children’s needs for food, medical care, education, and other effects of poverty and disaster. Their efforts expanded onto the national stage to advocate for the creation of the School Lunch Program and fight illiteracy.
“Jean and I have been involved in children’s programs often over the years, and I thought my fundraising days were over, but then the Japan disaster came along. When the four-month-old baby girl was pulled from the wreckage after being buried alive for four days after the tsunami, I began to think about the likelihood that she was now alone in the world without any parents or other family,” Jim said. “When I checked to see what organizations were active in dealing with the catastrophe, Save The Children seemed to be the logical answer for the children suffering after the disaster, and a natural fit for us.”
Paddle-to-the-Sea will serve as a vehicle to raise donor funds to support Save The Children’s ongoing programs. Paddle-to-the-Sea first came about from a 1941 children’s book of that name, written by H. C. Holling. It was about a young native boy from Lake Nipigon who carved a wooden Native American in a canoe with the intent that he could float it through each of the Great Lakes and down the St. Lawrence Seaway to the sea.
Paddle-to-the-Sea was expanded by Verlen Kruger of Michigan as a 13,000 mile canoe expedition. He passed away from cancer before being able to accomplish this daunting feat of circumnavigating the Eastern United States via the Mississippi River, Gulf Coast, East Coast, the Hudson River, St. Lawrence Seaway, Canadian Maritimes, and circumnavigating each of the five Great Lakes.
Jim and Jean Neal then decided to pick up the journey themselves to benefit Save The Children. The entire 13,000 mile journey is expected to end sometime in 2014 back at Beck’s Fish Camp on the Escambia River.
Follow the adventure on Jim’s blog: logofibi.blogspot.com.
Pictured top: Jim Neal, 67, plans to paddle 13,000 miles in this canoe named Ibi. Pictured inset: Ibi arrives at Becks Lake in Cantonment. Pictured below: The journey begins here at Becks Fish Camp. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Century Easter Egg Hunt At Abundant Life Assembly
April 23, 2011
Abundant Life Assembly of God hosted an Easter Egg Hunt Friday morning at the church in Century. The event featured an egg hunt, plenty of games and lunch for dozens of children.
Do you have photos of an event at your church? Email them news@northescambia.com
Pictured: Children enjoyed an Easter Egg Hunt Friday morning at Abundant Life Assembly of God in Century. Submitted photos by Cassie Cufr for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Florida Weekly Government Roundup
April 23, 2011
With their Senate colleagues taking the week off to observe Passover and Easter, House members this week did some heavy lifting as the Republican-led chamber pushed through controversial measures on growth management and elections over a cacophony of dissent from Democrats who could do little but pound their chests.
Championing it as an anti-fraud measure, House leadership placed tighter restrictions on get-out-the vote groups and made it tougher for voters who have moved to cast ballots that count. Democrats said the elections bill was a thinly veiled attempt to say “No You Can’t” to the re-election of President Barack Obama.
While clamping down on the elections process, the chamber also voted along party lines to ease growth restrictions on local governments by allowing city and county officials more flexibility in determining what their communities will look and rolling back state oversight that has come under fire.
But despite their considerable clout, legislative leaders have been unable to come to agreement on the dimensions of the budget playing field, a disconnect that has stalled negotiations again and prompted even the most optimistic leader to warn lawmakers not to make too many plans for the month of May.
Gov. Rick Scott, Florida’s marketer in chief, brought his message of hope to the Panhandle this week, dining on seafood, slathering on sunscreen and strolling on sugar sand beaches all the while urging tourists to return a year after a fire, explosion and 87-day spill from the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig shut down the region at a cost of more than $1 billion in tourism related revenue alone.
ELECTIONS
The 157-page election bill (HB 1355) cleared the House on a 79-37 vote after hours of questions and spirited debate over two days. It still needs Senate approval.
Republican backers say the measure is a continuation of efforts dating back a decade to improve the state’s election process and guarantee registered voters- and only registered voters – can cast their ballots and have them count.
“Don’t you understand the damage you’ve done to everybody’s vote when you don’t guard the system?” asked Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, who sponsored the measure.
But Democrats continued to slam the bill as little more than an attempt to undermine Obama’s re-election effort in 2012 by making it more difficult for the demographic that elected him – particularly young people in college – to cast their ballots in what is expected to again be a crucial swing state.
“It is my sincere hope that my former colleagues in the Senate reject this assault on Florida’s democratic process and defeat this effort to suppress the voting rights of all Floridians,” Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith said.
GROWTH MANAGEMENT
The House passed a bill Thursday on a largely party-line vote that overhauls the state’s 25-year-old growth management laws. Republicans have complained for several years that that has slowed growth in the state. A similar growth bill passed in 2009 but has been tied up in court.
Under the bill (HB 7129), which still needs Senate approval, growth issues are largely left up to counties and cities, including whether to require developers to pay for roads, schools, parks and other infrastructure improvements. Backers say the current state oversight is “unnecessary and burdensome” at a time when the state’s economy is sputtering.
The bill also eliminates a state-mandated review of all changes to comprehensive plans. The Senate version (SB 1122) which makes similar changes, is now awaiting action in the Senate Budget Committee.
Many House Democrats fear the bill will spawn congestion and postpone needed public services by reducing state oversight of growth planning decisions. They argue that growth hasn’t been slowed by the state, but by the economy.
“We’ve never had a lot of complaints until the last couple of years when, because of the economy, all of the developments stopped,” said Rep. Ron Saunders, D-Key West. “Here we are, overreacting to the economy by trying to wipe out state oversight for growth management.”
BUDGET TALKS STALL
The House may have made short work of some controversial issues this week but not all sledding was good. House and Senate negotiators still have no agreement on funding allocations for specific parts of the budget.
The House has made an offer to the Senate on how much each part of the budget – education, health and human services and so on – should get. But so far, they’re not in agreement on those broad category amounts, with two weeks and two weekends to go before the scheduled end of the session.
“Today, I think we’re still where we were yesterday, which is we’re making some progress, but progress is sort of in the eye of the beholder,” a usually optimistic House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, told reporters on Thursday. “I still am confident that we’ll get done on time, but I’m not guaranteeing that we’ll get done on time.”
Among the biggest bones of contention between the two spending plans is how deeply to cut Medicaid spending. The Senate has taken deeper cuts and proposes changes to Medically Needy, an optional program, by cutting hospital and pharmaceutical benefits. The Senate is also proposing deeper cuts to hospital rates.
Waiting in the wings is Gov. Rick Scott, who said repeatedly this week that he still expects some type of corporate income tax cut to emerge from budget talks. Legislative leaders have said such cuts may not be in the cards, but this week an amendment emerged that would cut the corporate tax rate. The proposal, part of a tax bill (SB 1236) slated to be heard in two committees this week, could provide the governor the tax break he wants.
In other action, the Florida House overwhelmingly approved a plan Thursday to curb prescription-drug abuse, after offering a glimpse of how the “epidemic” is hitting their communities and families.
Reps. Rich Glorioso, R-Plant City, and Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, told House colleagues they have family members who have abused prescription drugs.
“I will tell you it’s devastating on everyone who comes in contact with it,” said Glorioso.
The House voted 116-1 to approve HB 7095, with only Rep. John Tobia, R-Melbourne, opposing it. The full Senate is ready to take up a bill (SB 818) that includes significant differences, and both chambers will have to agree on a final version.
UNIONS PUSHES BACK ON BARGAINING VOTE
Stung by a series of bills on employee pensions and the collection of union dues, a coalition of unions representing 20,000 employees pushed back this week. Union leaders representing workings in Orange, Volusia and Seminole Counties said they will withdraw union funds from banks that have aligned themselves with the Florida Chamber of Commerce in the fight to limit or prevent unions from being able to automatically deduct dues from public employee paychecks.
The Chamber aired television ads this week calling for passage of the measures (SB 830 and HB 1021.) The unions have targeted Bank of America, PNC Bank, Regions Bank, SunTrust and Wachovia, whose executives sit on the Chamber’s board of directors. They have urged their members to do the same with their personal accounts.
“We are all under attack and will respond by choosing to take our business elsewhere,” said Chris Sherburne, president of the Orange County firefighters union.
The Florida Chamber shrugged off the threat.
“While the latest union stunt may grab headlines, it fundamentally demonstrates the union leadership’s lack of understanding of how the economy works and how private sector jobs are created,” said Mark Williams, president and CEO of the Florida Chamber.
“THE FISH TASTE GOOD”
Putting on his barker hat, Gov. Rick Scott spent two days in the Florida Panhandle this week, marking the first anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster by eating seafood and walking along Florida’s Panhandle beaches in the hopes of luring visitors back to the region that relies on tourists and lost more than $1 billion in tourism business alone following the disaster.
Signs of life are returning to the region, which should benefit from an infusion of an additional $30 million in marketing money released by BP last week to bring new visitors and coax back the faithful who last summer went somewhere else and liked what they saw.
“The positive is, if you talked to people, bookings are up and our beaches are spotless. The fishing is good and the seafood tastes great,” Scott said Wednesday during a stop in Destin. “We were on a trajectory last year before the oil spill. We want to get back to that point.”
State officials also announced an additional $1 billion BP-backed effort to restore beaches, wetlands and other coastal ecosystems in all five Gulf states damaged or destroyed by the spill. Florida will get $100 million up front and be eligible for millions more under the agreement reached between the company and environmental officials from the states and the federal government.
But not all is rosy along the sun-backed coastline. Businesses and individuals are still awaiting payment from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, which was set up to pay benefits to folks who lost businesses and their livelihoods due to the spill. Claims administrator Ken Feinberg has paid out nearly $4 billion in claims from the $20 billion fund, but many business owners say they’ve yet to see a check.
By Michael Peltier
The News Service of Florida
Sunday Easter Services
April 23, 2011
Many events are planned across the North Escambia area for Easter.
If you have an item to add to our list, email news@northescambia.com
EASTER SUNDAY
Molino Community Easter Sunrise Service
Molino area churches will join together for a Community Easter Sunrise Service, 6:30 a.m., Sunday, April 24 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Highway 29 just south of Highway 97, Molino.
Atmore Sunrise Service
Presley Street Baptist Church in Atmore will have an Easter Sunrise Service on Sunday, April 24 at 7 a.m.
Atmore Sunrise Service
The First Baptist Church of Atmore will hold an Easter Sunrise Service in Patterson Chapel on Sunday, April 24 at 7 a.m. The public is welcome.
Atmore Sunrise Service
The First Presbyterian Church of Atmore will hold a Sunrise Service on Sunday, April 24 at 6 a.m. in front of the church.
Gonzalez Sunrise Service
Sunrise service, 6 a.m. at Gonzalez United Methodist Church, 2026 Pauline Street, Cantonment.
Beulah Sunrise Service
Sunrise service, 8 a.m. Sunday at Beulah Baptist Church at 5805 Beulah Church Road. Doughnuts and coffee to follow.
Moyeville Easter Service
Moyeville Baptist Church will hold a Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. Sunday with Pastor Brett Chancery. Worship service at 11 a.m. Upper Creek Road, Flomaton.
First Baptist Bratt Easter
The First Baptist Church of Bratt Celebration Choir will present “East to West — From One Nail Scarred Hand To The Other” on Sunday, April 24 at 10:15 in the Family Life Center under the direction on Minister of Music Tim Hawsey. Everyone is welcome.
Ray’s Chapel Easter
Ray’s Chapel Baptist Church will hold an Easter Celebration with an early service at 8:30 a.m. and a regular morning service at 11 a.m. on Easter Sunday.
Highland Baptist Easter
Highland Baptist Church in Molino will hold an Easter Egg hunt at 9:30 Easter morning. Easter morning worship will be at 10:45 a.m.
Easter Sunday Service- Victory Assembly
At 9:30 at Victory Assembly of God, everyone is welcome for a Human Video by the Impact Student Ministries, music from the children and adult choirs and an Easter message from Pastor Jeff McKee.
Easter Sunday Service – Molino
Easter Sunday Service, Victory Assembly of God Molino, 10:30 a.m., April 24. Easter Choir, Youth drama, Children’s choir. Everyone welcome.
Easter Sunday Services — Dogwood Park
The Dogwood Park Baptist Church will celebrate Easter with a light breakfast at fellowship at 9 a.m., Bible study at 9:30 and worship at 10:30. Everyone is invited.
Living Lord’s Supper
The Atmore First Assembly of God Adult Drama Team will present the Living Lord’s Supper on Sunday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at 1120 South Main Street.
The Resurrection – Atmore
The First Baptist Church of Atmore Sanctuary Choir and Handbell Choir will present The Resurrection on Sunday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Warm Weekend Weather
April 23, 2011
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday Night: Areas of dense fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 88. South wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Sunday Night: Areas of dense fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 10 and 15 mph.
- Monday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 67. South wind between 10 and 15 mph.
- Tuesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Breezy, with a south wind between 10 and 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind around 15 mph.
- Wednesday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy and windy, with a high near 85.
- Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 53.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 81.
Barrineau Park Ready To Clean Up
April 23, 2011
The sixth annual Barrineau Park Community Cleanup Day will be next Saturday, April 30.
Residents on the west side of Hwy 29 along Molino Road, Barrineau Park Road, Crabtree Church, Chestnut, Schifko, Sunshine Hill, Highway 99 (south of Luth Rd), Barrineau Lane and adjacent areas are invited to meet at 8:30 at the Barrineau Park Community Center, 6055 Barrineau Park School Road to pick up trash bags, safety gear and area assignments close to your residence.
The residents will then fan out across the community, trash bags in hand, to clean up the roadsides around Barrineau Park.
Volunteers will return to the community center at to drop off their trash and join in a free lunch. Residents in the area that are unable to attend are invited to just pick up litter in front of their property and leave it in a plastic bag. Volunteers in the area will pick up the plastics bags
Escambia Animal Shelter: Chocolate Bunnies A Better Gift Than Live Ones
April 23, 2011
The bunny in the Easter season movie Hop may grab your kid’s heart, but a live bunny as a house pet may not be a good idea. Animal caregivers say people seem to have gotten the message that baby chicks are not good house pets, but some still want to give kids a cuddly little bunny at Easter.
Dusty Clements, who manages the Escambia County Animal Shelter, urges restraint.
“These people bring these cute little bunnies home – they grow up, they are very powerful. They can, with their claws, cause deep punctures and lacerations,” Clements said.
And when the cuddly little critter reaches puberty, it can get really cranky. Adam Goldfarb, who directs the Humane Society’s “Pets at Risk” program, says most families are unprepared for the changes.
“They might have a very ‘cute’ Easter – but unfortunately, the novelty of having a rabbit and the reality of caring for them long-term, kind-of wears off.”
Rabbits live as long as ten or 12 years, so it may still be hopping around the house when the kids go off to college. Unless your family is ready for that kind of responsibility, the best kind of bunny to give at Easter may be a chocolate one.
Make Basil A Mainstay Of Your Kitchen Garden This Year
April 23, 2011
Basil is one of the most popular herbs grown today. It’s an easy-to-grow annual that can be planted in the ground or in a container and is widely used in cooking.
Basil, known botanically as Ocimum basilicum, originated in Asia, India and Africa. The Greeks called it the “Kingly Herb.” The name basilicum is derived from a Greek word that means kingly or royal.
Tradition has it that basil was found growing around Christ’s tomb after the Resurrection, and consequently, some Greek Orthodox churches use it to prepare holy water and pots of basil are set below church altars. By the Middle Ages, basil was well known throughout Europe, where it was used mainly for medicinal purposes. Ancient Romans believed the most potent basil needed to be sown while the farmer was ranting and swearing. In French, semer le baslic (sowing basil) means to rant and rave.
Basil can be divided into four main groups – sweet green, dwarf green, purple-leaved, and scented leaf.
The sweet green basils have large two to three inch leaves and white flowers. Common types in this group are called lettuce-leaf or Genovese basil. Also included in this classification is the Thai basil cultivar ‘Siam Queen’.
The dwarf green basils look very different with compact growth and small leaves of about one-half inch. ‘Spicy Globe’ is a commonly available dwarf cultivar with a 10-12 inch round, globe-like growth. Dwarf cultivars are especially nice to use in small gardens or in containers.
Purple-leaved basils are both edible and very ornamental. This type of basil also has leaf texture that can be ruffled or serrated. Pink to purple flowers top this pungent herb. Selections such as ‘Dark Opal’ or ‘Purple Ruffles’ make attractive additions to the garden or landscape. When used in herb infused vinegars, it turns the concoction an interesting pink color.
A final group of basils include types that have unique and recognizable flavors and scents. Lemon basil tastes and smells like lemon. ‘Sweet Dani’ is a good lemon cultivar. There are also cinnamon and anise flavored varieties.
Basil is easy to grow from seed. Seeds will germinate in as little as four to seven days under the right conditions. When the basil seedlings are about two to three inches tall, thin to individual plants. The plants you remove can be your first harvest. Large growing types can be made more compact by regular pinching.
Basil, like most herbs, needs five to eight hours of sun and very good drainage. Raised beds or containers are a good choice for basil. Transplants and seeds can be started March to August.
While the flowers are ornamental, consider pinching them (removing) to force the plant’s energy into making leaves.
Leaves have the best flavor just as the flower buds begin to form. Regular harvesting will keep the plants producing new shoots. At some point in time, basil plants will wear out and need to be replanted. Consider growing a regular succession of transplants that will take the place of old plants and continue your basil harvest without too much interruption.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Northview Lady Chiefs Win District Championship 10-3 Over Jay’s Lady Royals
April 22, 2011
The Northview Lady Chiefs claimed the District 1-2A softball championship Thursday night with a 10-3 win over rival Jay High School.
For the Lady Chiefs, it was a stellar performance all around, according to Head Coach Sammy Day.
For a gallery from the game with 100 photos, click here.
“We came out and just hit the ball; we hit the ball well,” Day said. “”We played good defense, and our outfield did an excellent job.”
Sophomore Misty Doran (9-7) pitched seven for the Chiefs, striking out five and walking three. At the plate, Doran had a home run. Other Northview hitters were Miranda Burkett, 2-3; Sarah Killam, 2-5 with a triple; Emily Vickery 2-3; and Shawna Montgomery 2-3 with a triple.
For the Lady Royals, Ashlynn Geck was 2-3 with a RBI and Tessa Hendricks was 2-4 with a RBI.
Thursday’s win was the second consecutive district title for Northview, a feat that early in the season Day was not so sure his team would be able to pull off. “At one time this year we were 2-5. But they have really come around the last few ballgames and set their goals high. I’m proud of them.”
Northview (15-9) will open the Regional TournamentWednesday. The Lady Chiefs will face a yet to be determined team at 7 p.m. Jay (14-8) will travel to Bratt to play at 4:00 Wednesday.
Pictured top: Senior Miranda Burkett hits for the Northview Lady Chiefs in their District 1-2A softball championship win Thursday night against Jay. Pictured inset: Sophomore Misty Doran on the mound for Northview. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Easter Weekend/Spring Break Forecast
April 22, 2011
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast for Easter weekend and into Spring Break next week:
- Friday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Saturday Night: Patchy fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 63. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Sunday Night: Patchy dense fog after 1am. Otherwise, partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Monday: Partly sunny, with a high near 86. South wind between 5 and 15 mph.
- Monday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. South wind between 10 and 15 mph.
- Tuesday: Partly sunny and breezy, with a high near 85.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66.
- Wednesday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 85.
- Wednesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64.
- Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.