Christmas Parades: Jay Saturday, Many More To Come
November 25, 2011
The Jay Christmas Parade on Saturday will kick off about a dozen parades in the North Escambia area this Christmas season. Here is a complete look at area parades:
Nov. 26 – Jay Christmas Parade
The annual Jay Christmas parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, November 26. Lineup is at Bray-Hendricks Park at 9 a.m. Parade will travel from the park, along Highway 4 and through the business district.
Dec. 3 — Flomaton Christmas Parade
The Flomaton Christmas Parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 3.
Dec. 3 — Milton Christmas Parade
The Milton Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 3 at 6 p.m.
Dec. 3 — Pace Christmas Parade
The Pace Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 3 at 1 p.m.
Dec. 9 — Poarch Creek Parade
The Poarch Creek Indian Christmas Parade will be at 5:30 p.m. Friday, December 9 on the reservation north of Atmore. Departs from the gym and ends at the health department.
Dec. 10 — Molino Christmas Parade
The annual Molino Christmas Parade on Crabtree Church Road will be Saturday, December 10 at 1 p.m. Ends with Santa Claus at the Molino Ballpark. To enter the parade, stop by Fran’s Diner on Highway 29 for information and to sign up.
Dec. 10 — Pensacola Christmas Parade
The Pensacola Christmas Parade will be held at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday, December 10 in downtown Pensacola. Featuring local bands and the Blue Angels.
Dec. 10 — Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade
This year’s Atmore Twilight Christmas Parade, with the theme “A Christmas Gift”, will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 10.
Dec. 10 — Chumuckla Redneck Parade
The Chumuckla Redneck Parade through “downtown” Chumuckla will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 10. Bonfire Jam concert to follow.
Dec. 10 — Brewton Christmas Parade
The Brewton Christmas Parade will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 10.
Dec. 10 — Milton Riverwalk Boat Parade
The Milton Riverwalk Boat Parade will be Saturday, December 10 at 7 p.m. at the Riverwalk.
FDOT, ALDOT Road Construction Projects Suspended Until Monday
November 25, 2011
Both the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) have directed construction contractors working on state roads to cease operations through the weekend according to both departments.
There will be no work on state roads requiring lane restrictions in Alabama or Florida through Sunday. All major roads in Northwest Florida and South Alabama will be open to normal traffic.
Riding With A Mission: Help Kids With Cerebral Palsy
November 25, 2011
Skeet Davis and his big Paint horse, Boomer, are on a mission — thanks in part to a North Escambia area veterinarian and farrier. Although they are a competitive National Barrel Horse Association team, their hearts are devoted to helping kids with cerebral palsy. And now, they are working to raise funds for another saddle for kids with cerebral palsy.
Since 2004, Davis has been organizing benefit barrel races for United Cerebral Palsy, and every summer finds Skeet and Boomer at “Camp Smile” in Mobile, Alabama. There they brighten children’s lives by giving every child a ride on gentle Boomer. Equipped with a special custom-made saddle that provides increased support and security, these children — even those in wheelchairs — are able to experience the thrill of riding Boomer.
With the help of Camp Smile counselors, each child is gently secured into the saddle. Then Skeet leads Boomer around the campground, the horse stepping softly to provide smooth rides for his precious cargo. For Skeet, the father of three, this work has special significance; his youngest daughter has cerebral palsy.
Two freak accidents nearly destroyed the Davis and Boomer goodwill efforts. In October 2008, Skeet came home one day to find that Boomer wasn’t waiting for him at his usual spot. Something was wrong. Skeet found Boomer standing in the lane to the barn, and there was blood everywhere. Boomer had been playing with deer outside his fence line and caught his foot in the one strand of barbed wire that Skeet kept strung along the bottom of the fence to keep the coyotes from catching ducks in his pond. Boomer’s hoof was almost completely severed. Skeet immediately hauled his horse to Boomer’s vet in Grand Bay. Dr. McCoy x-rayed the foot, cleaned it and surgically removed two barbs that had become imbedded deep in the foot.
Boomer’s accident destroyed Skeet’s hopes to ride him in the 2008 National Barrel Horse Association World Championships in Augusta, Georgia. However, through the generosity of a friend, Skeet was able to compete on a borrowed horse. But, Skeet’s problems had only begun. On his second run in the show, a miscue between horse and rider sent Skeet crashing into the ground. He had sustained what is called an “open-book” hip fracture, one that kills more than 50% of it’s victims. Fortunately, the horse show was only minutes from a major teaching hospital with a world-renowned specialist in pelvic fractures. Skeet was in the right place at the right time. Working quickly, the medical team was able to save Skeet’s life and repair his hip. But, the severity of the injury was going to keep Skeet off horses for quite a while.
When Skeet was released from the hospital, he was determined to make sure that both he and Boomer were rehabilitated successfully. By January of 2009, Boomer was still very lame from his injury and Skeet was beginning to fear that he’d never be able to ride his horse again, much less continue their commitments to helping children with cerebral palsy.
But, fellow barrel racers urged Skeet to take Boomer to the Lee Veterinary and Podiatry Clinic in Atmore, Alabama. There, Dr. Hank Lee and certified journeyman farrier Jim LaClaire of Beulah have joined forces to diagnose and treat lame horses, combining astute diagnosis and surgical interventions with innovative horse podiatry. Every Friday, the clinic parking lot is full of stock and horse trailers who travel to see the vet-farrier team from as far away as Tallahassee and upper Alabama. Skeet hoped that something could be done for Boomer.
After examining the horse, the Lee Clinic team had an answer. They constructed a therapeutic shoe for Boomer, filling in the lost hoof wall with epoxy. They had essentially created a partially artificial foot to evenly support Boomer’s weight while his natural hoof wall recovered and regrew. With his new foot and shoe, Boomer was ready to get back into action. It took Skeet a little longer to heal, but now they are both back to barrel racing. Best of all, they have returned to their mission of giving children with cerebral palsy a chance to ride.
Boomer’s recovery from his disastrous injury is testimony to the love of his owner and the cutting-edge experience of the Lee Veterinary and Podiatry Clinic. As for Skeet, he’s doing what he’s always done; he makes plans and continues his mission. Currently, he is working to raise $2,100 to buy another custom saddle, so that more these special needs children can enjoy the thrill of riding a horse. Donations would be welcome; contact Skeet Davis at (251) 401-7978. He and Boomer can be found at 14775 Burnham Road in Grand Bay, Alabama, 36541.
Story and photographs by Janice M. LeCocq, freelance writer and photographer, Century.
NHS Asking Football Fans To Follow Safety Rules Tonight
November 25, 2011
Northview High School is asking students and guests at tonight’s football game against Freeport to follow simple rules that are in effect at each home football game.
To read the fan rules, as submitted by NHS Principal Gayle Weaver, click here (pdf).
Timothy “Tim” Fontaine Currie
November 25, 2011
Timothy “Tim” Fontaine Currie of McCullough, AL, age 73, died Wednesday, November 23, at the Mobile Infirmary following an illness of several months. He was born April 26, 1938, in Atmore, the son of Frank Payne Currie and Mary Caine Currie.
A precocious and inquisitive child, he was allowed to enter the first grade at the age of five. He received all of his secondary education in the public schools of Atmore, graduating from Escambia County High School in 1955.
Tim then entered Auburn University where he earned a B. S. in Business Administration. While at the University, he participated in the ROTC program and upon graduation he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U. S. Army. He spent his military life in West Germany where he met and married Lieselotte Stamminger in 1961.
Having decided not to pursue a military career, Tim returned to south Alabama and entered the family business in McCullough. Under his innovative leadership, the Frank Currie Gin Company grew from a small town gin into the leading ginning operation in the Southeastern United States with annual production reaching as high as 65,000 bales in one year. Tim received many awards in recognition of his achievements, including being named “Ginner of the Year” by the Southeastern Cotton Ginners’ Association. He also served on the boards of several statewide organizations involved with the cotton industry.
In the Atmore community, Tim was on the board of directors at the First National Bank, and served as chairman of the board for a number of years. He also was a long time member of the Atmore Area Chamber of Commerce. In McCullough, Tim took a particular interest in the McCullough Cemetery which will be his final resting place. He was a faithful and generous member of Baptist churches in the Atmore area. Tim was most recently a member and a deacon of First Baptist Church. He not only was generous to the local churches but supported missions in many countries.
Tim was a member of the Richard Montgomery Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. At home, he was an avid crossword puzzler, reader and domino player. He loved learning new things and stretching his mind. He brought his own special brand of enthusiasm to his many and varied interests.
Tim was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Frances “Bebe” Payne Currie Kobos, and his wife of 45 years, “Lilo” Stamminger Currie. He is survived by his present wife Dianne Lyons Currie; and daughters Marianne Currie Garr and her husband Joe along with their four children, all of St. Louis, Heidi J. Currie of Mobile; brother Randolph N. Currie of Sylvania, OH; stepchildren Jared Leachman and Tammy Chlebowski and their children. Other survivors include brother-in-law Robert Kobos; sisters-in-law, Bobby Sue Brewer, Margaret Currie, Heidi Stamminger and Inge Stamminger of Germany; many nieces and nephews; and Crawford R. Caine and Ann Caine Clack, maternal uncle and aunt.
Funeral services will be at the First Baptist Church in Atmore, Saturday, November 26, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.. Visitation will precede the service beginning at 9:00 a.m. Interment will be at the McCullough Cemetery following the funeral.
Those honored to be pallbearers are “Tim’s Boys” : Mark Mack, Ron Bailey, Robert Moye, Quint Wilson, Randall Whately, Ricky Ward and Darren Carnely.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Atmore, AL. is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Seney Shivers Weyant
November 25, 2011
Mrs. Seney Shivers Weyant, 78, passed away on Wednesday, November 23, 2011, at a Baldwin County hospital.
Mrs. Weyant was a native and former resident of Flomaton, and a resident of Foley for the past year. She was a member of SAIL in Flomaton and attended the Little Escambia Baptist Church. Preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Tommy Shivers, and a daughter, Laurie Shivers Matlock.
She is survived by her husband, Don Weyant of Foley; her faughter, Brenda Salter of Foley; five grandchildren, William J. Salter, III, Matthew A. Salter, Michael Depew, Tommy Depew, and David Matlock; pne-great-grandchild, Angel Depew; and two brothers, Leon Johnson and Winford Johnson, both of Flomaton.
Funeral services will be Sunday, November 27, 2011, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Doug Hogg officiating.
Burial will follow at Poplar Dell Cemetery.
Visitation will be Saturday, November 26, 2011, from 5:30 until 9 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home in Atmore.
Animal Shelter To Remain Open On Today’s County Holiday
November 25, 2011
The Escambia County Animal Shelter will be open on two county holidays, allowing residents to visit the facility to adopt a pet.
The shelter at 200 West Fairfield Drive will be from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, November 25 and Friday, December 23 in addition to the normal operating hours of Tuesday through Saturday from noon until 6 p.m.
For more information, call (850) 595-3075.
BBB Black Friday Tips
November 24, 2011
Black Friday has traditionally been the biggest retail shopping day of the year, though last year, Cyber Monday – the Monday after Thanksgiving – officially replaced Black Friday as the most popular shopping day.
Whether in the store or online, the Better Business Bureau serving Northwest Florida offers advice to help you with your holiday shopping:
- Budget your shopping money and stick to it. Avoid impulse buys.
- Look for the details on every sale and understand the specifics.
- Advertising can be tricky; don’t get stuck paying more for an item than you expected.
- Credit card offers from a store will offer a discount on your purchase but may also carry high interest rates.
- Keep all receipts and warranty information for each item purchased.
- Fraudulent charges are easier to fix if you pay with a credit card than a debit card.
- Return policies differ with every store. Make sure you know the conditions for returns and exchanges, including whether restocking fees are charged.
- If you purchase a gift card, look for hidden terms that can decrease its value.
- Don’t leave your wallet, credit card or purse on a counter or in an unattended shopping cart.
- Ask for a store manager if any advertised offer does not match the price listed on an item.
- Yelling at store employees and other customers won’t make the lines shorter. Anticipate crowds and take a friend along to enjoy the day.
- Credit cards provide the most protection if someone steals the credit card number or if you don’t receive an ordered item.
- You, the customer, are responsible for knowing and understanding each online retailer’s return/exchange policy.
- Beware of deals that sound too good to be true, especially extremely low priced on hard-to-get items.
- Ensure you have the most recent updates for spam filters, anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewalls installed.
- Read the site’s privacy policy and understand what personal information is being requested and how it will be used.
- Make a file to keep copies of all purchase confirmation web pages and e-mails for future reference and as a record of the purchase.
- Only shop on trustworthy sites; look for the BBB seal and other widely-recognized “trustmarks.”
- Never wire money to pay for a transaction and when on sites like Craigslist, only shop locally.
- Delete phishing emails such as those claiming a problem with an order or account in an attempt to lure the “buyer” into revealing financial information.
- Actively keep an eye on your credit card statements to detect suspicious or fraudulent activity on your accounts.
- You are your best protection! Make sure your online purchase is secure by looking for the “s” (https://) in the URL and the “lock” symbol in the lower-right corner before paying.
One Dies In Escambia Apartment Fire
November 24, 2011
An Escambia County man died in Thanksgiving morning apartment fire.
The man was taken to Baptist Hospital after fire in the 200 block of Holmes Drive in the Navy Point area of Gulf Beach Highway. There were two other units in the apartment building that were not damaged by the 7:30 a.m. blaze.
Further details a have not yet been released; the fire is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal.
Good Reading: Ernest Ward Eighth Graders Pen Turkey Poems
November 24, 2011
Have you ever thought about Thanksgiving from a turkey’s point of view?
Each year, eighth grade Language Arts students in Somer Bridge’s class at Ernest Ward Middle School are required to write a turkey poem from a turkey’s point of view.
Below are some of the turkey poems from this year.
Viva De La Revolution
By: Brayden Hubbard
Thanksgiving, oh, what a horrendous time.
Turkeys being eaten left and right.
The worst day for the turkey kind,
With no end in sight
As I watch each year in fear.
As they watch their fathers and brothers
Without shedding a tear,
To be cooked and buttered like the others.
But, no more I dare say,
When it is over there will be a jolt.
We have watched too long at bay,
This is the year the turkeys will revolt.
Untitled
By Tamara Barrows
Yo, Yo, my little chick,
The name’s Big Daddy.
Don’t you dare and take a pic,
Cause I’m feeling kinda crabby.
Don’t know what’s gonna happen sooner,
I’m getting sliced up.
Next thing you know I’m dinner,
Look at this tasty lump.
Now I know why,
I’m roasted and cooked.
Any you really can’t lie,
Thanksgiving is always booked!
Proud Turkey
By Zach Glenn
I’m a turkey in a pen.
It’s Thanksgiving time again.
Every year the farmer chooses,
The one who struts is the one that loses!
Still I walk around with pride,
When I should go off and hide.
I’m so big and I’m so fat,
I spread my tail and gobble…what’s that!
I was a turkey in a pen.
I’ll never see Thanksgiving again.
The farmer told me it’s too late…
Now I’m sitting on his plate!
Turkey Day Draws Near
By Bethany Reynolds
The wind is blowing cold
And the leaves are turning brown
I think I am being sold
For about one dollar per pound
I have heard about that dreadful day
With cranberries, stuffing, and pumpkin pie
But I cannot think this way
Because I really don’t want to die!
To live another day, oh my, oh my
I must be brave and face my fear,
I will hold my breath and hope they pass me by
So I can live to see another year!