Lawrence Cooper Of Bratt’s Cooper’s Grocery Passes Away
April 11, 2011
Longtime Bratt resident and businessman Lawrence Cooper passed away on Sunday. He was 84.
Lawrence Cooper and his wife Doris operated Cooper’s Grocery in Bratt for well over 50 years before announcing that it would close last October.
Funeral services for Lawrence Cooper were held Tuesday. at the First Baptist Church of Bratt with Rev. Gary Wieborg officiating. Burial followed at Godwin Cemetery in Bratt.
Lawrence and Doris Cooper were named 2010 North Escambia Persons of the Year. Reprinted below is an October story in which the Cooper’s announced the store’s closure.
A long chapter in the lives of many North Escambia residents is closing soon — Cooper’s Grocery at the Bratt Crossroads will soon be no more.
“I don’t know for sure when we will close it, but it won’t be long. Probably by the end of October,” Doris Cooper, 77, said Tuesday. She and her husband Lawrence Cooper, 84, have owned the country store at the heart of the Bratt community for 54 years.
Besides church, Cooper’s is, without a doubt, the center of the Bratt community. Mornings are a hustle and bustle of activity at “Coop’s”, with moms and children buying those last minute snacks for the school day at Bratt Elementary. Northview High students grab sugary snacks and caffeine to fuel their day.
The wooden front door creaks and moans as it opens and rings the bell to signal another customer. Wooden shelves are stocked with most everything imaginable. Cokes are sold in various sizes of plastic bottles like any other store. But there’s the sound of pure American nostalgia each time the top is popped on a glass bottle of Coca-Cola using the bottle opener located at the front counter. Glass bottles of Coke have been sold at Cooper’s since it first opened at the end of World War II.
The Coopers have offered credit to members of the community for decades. Customers were, and are still, able to add their purchase to their “ticket” for later payment. No credit checks needed, basically just residency in the community.
Some of the charge tickets are old and yellowed, waiting decades for payment. Tuesday morning, Mr. Lawrence located one from 1957. “3 doz. eggs $1.65. Gas $1.55. Groceries $21.35.” They know they will never be paid for the purchases 53 years ago. The gentleman that made the charges is long since deceased.
“But sometimes they will come back in here and make a payment,” Mr. Lawrence said. “I had a guy come in here and make a payment on an old one that I could not find right away. It wasn’t much, but he knew how much it was down to the penny that he owed.”
“I hope and pray that we’ve helped a lot of people,” Mrs. Doris said. “Sometimes that just what it is about.”
Anyone that has grown up around Bratt will happily tell you their memories about the candy counter. Well-stocked with all-time favorite candies, its the stuff dreams — and memories — are made of for little ones.
“Momma would give me 15 cents. We may have been poor, but I was spoiled with my 15 cents in here,” Donnie Bass, longtime Cooper’s Store customer said. “I would get a big candy bar, they were much bigger back then; a Coke and a honey bun.”
Bass, 64, has never really stopped going to Coopers. These days, it’s not uncommon to find Bass at the end of the counter, sharing his lighthearted outlook on most any subject that’s fit for discussion.
Known as the defacto mayor of Bratt, Bass and his buddies gather most mornings at the store to discuss the latest “news” of the day. They talk about the world’s problems, America’s problems and the local problems. And they always have a solution in mind.
“The world’s problems have been solved right here in this store,” Bass said, as he contemplated where he and his buddies will meet after the store’s closure. “I hate it when traditions are broken, don’t you? We might meet at my house, but I don’t know if that’s going to fly.”
It’s no secret that the solutions proposed by the men of Cooper’s Store have not solved America’s problems — the problems that have led to the demise of the store.
“It’s the economy really,” Mrs. Doris said as to why the store will close by the end of the month. And she said the couple hopes to do a little traveling. Then she started naming the trips taken through the years, all funded by the their little country store.
“We were blessed,” she said. “We able to do a lot with our children. We were probably one of the first families from Bratt to be able to go to Disney World.” Then there was the trip to California during which Mrs. Doris refused to get out of the car in Nevada because of legalized gambling.
“It was a Sunday and I wasn’t going to set foot on the ground in that state,” she said. As his wife continued to recount found memories of road trips with their children, Mr. Lawrence interrupted.
“We went to Wawbeek one day,” he said, bringing a chuckle from those around the counter. Even at 84, his humor is quick-witted.
Cooper’s Store adapted over the years to changing times. They once stocked a full line of groceries including fresh meats, hardware, clothes, shoes and animal feed. The store sold gasoline until just recently, and they also added a pizza/deli counter. “We would sell so much back then,” he said, from suppliers like J.U. Blacksher, Flomaton Wholesale and Lewis Bear.
The meat and cheese scale is still at the front counter — mostly used to weigh babies, she said.
Mrs. Doris’ own children are no strangers to the store, with all having worked behind the counter at one time or another.
“It’s been our family for all these years,” she said. “I’m going to miss seeing all the people in the community. They are like our family.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Storms Possible Tonight
April 11, 2011
Showers are likely tonight, with a few storms possible severe late. Here is your official North Escambia forecast:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy. Showers and thunderstorms likely in the evening, then chance of showers and thunderstorms after midnight. Some thunderstorms may be severe with damaging winds after midnight. Lows in the lower 60s. West winds 10 to 15 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
- Tuesday: Sunny. Highs in the lower 80s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Cooler…clear. Lows in the upper 40s. North winds 5 to 10 mph becoming northeast after midnight.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 82. North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south.
- Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming south between 10 and 15 mph.
- Thursday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind between 5 and 10 mph.
- Friday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 80. South wind between 5 and 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
- Friday Night: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55.
- Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny and breezy, with a high near 75.
- Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
- Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72.
Quintette Road Resurfacing Begins
April 11, 2011
Santa Rosa County has begun construction of a 5.8 mile resurfacing project on Quintette Road, also known as County Road 184, between Chumuckla Highway (C.R. 197) and the Escambia River Bridge. No road closures are anticipated but some delays should be expected. The project is anticipated to be complete by mid-June unless there are significant weather delays.
The placement of asphalt leveling courses with a motor grader to fill depressions and wheel ruts will begin on Monday, April 11. For safety purposes, a temporary centerline stripe is painted as needed each day. Motorist may mistake one of the leveling courses as the final pavement surface. However, the roadway leveling is an intermediate phase of the project and the final pavement surface will be placed by a paving machine, resulting in a much smoother surface.
The project cost is expected to be $1.2 million with 75 percent funded by the Florida Department of Transportation through a Small County Outreach Program grant. The county will be responsible for the remaining 25 percent, much of which will be met with in-kind services such as labor, equipment and materials for drainage and shoulder work performed by the Santa Rosa County Road and Bridge Department.
Quintette Road runs from Highway 29 in Escambia County to Chumuckla Highway in Santa Rosa County. It is the only roadway across the Escambia River between Highway 4 in Century and Highway 90 in Pensacola.
FCAT Warning For Students, Parents: No Cell Phones, No Cameras
April 11, 2011
It’s FCAT 2.0 week in Florida. There are several important things for students and parents to remember prior to the FCAT test, according to Gayle Hanks, guidance counselor at Ernest Ward Middle School, including the importance of a good night’s sleep tonight.
Also, students must not have a cell phone or any other electronic device “within arm’s reach” even if the device is not visible, according to Hanks. Students should not have cell phones in their pockets, clipped to their belts, at their desks, or anywhere they can be easily accessed during testing. If they do, their entire FCAT test will be invalidated.
Students can leave their cell phones or other electronic devices in the office at their school or with their teacher prior to the test, Northview Principal Gayle Weaver said.
Some other important FCAT points on this day before the big writing test, according to Hanks:
- If a student starts a test and leaves without finishing (for an appointment, illness, etc.), he/she will NOT be allowed to complete the test. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made once the student leaves the school’s campus.
- If a student arrives at school after the test begins, he/she will not be admitted to the testing site. The student will be required to sit in the office until testing is finished for the day.
Business, Community Leaders Discuss Growth Strategies For Century
April 11, 2011
Business and community leaders recently gathered at a Century Chamber of Commerce meeting to discuss economic development growth strategies in the North Escambia town.
“How can the town market itself?” asked Debbie Nickles, the town’s consultant. “There’s so much potential here, but there’s no direction without a plan.” Nickles said the town needs an aggressive survey of existing businesses and facilities to build an economic development plan.
“We can partner together,” Jennifer Ford, director of business development for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce told the group. She said the Pensacola Chamber was looking at the region — including Century — in their economic development efforts. “We are taking a fresh look at ourselves,” she said of the chamber’s future plans.
“We are so small up here that we don’t have any political clout,” Benny Barnes of the Century Chamber of Commerce said. “The person that represents us is never seen here,” he said, presumably referring to District 5 Escambia County Commissioner Kevin White. “We need better representation.”
Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant said the expansion of Highway 113 — a joint Alabama and Florida project — is improving the economic outlook in his town, which, in turn, will help Century. He said that his town is preparing for the opening of a new 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant at Highway 113 and Highway 31 — a businesses that will likely employee Century residents among the 60 people to be hired prior to an April opening.
Margie McCall noted that the first night of races at Flomaton Speedway recently had 1,049 people in attendance. “Some of them certainly stopped at Whataburger in Century or bought gas in Century.”
Century was left with no school in the town limits after the closure of Carver/Century K-8. But Melanie Killam, board chair at Byrneville Elementary, encouraged the chamber to think differently when it comes to educational resources.
“I want to encourage the chamber of commerce to tell people there is a school for Century,” Killam said about Byrneville, a public charter school located less than three miles from the town limits.
“We are working at moving forward,” Century Mayor Freddie McCall said. “We are getting there.”
Pictured top: Jennifer Ford, director of business development for the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce addresses a Century Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Pictured bottom: Benny Barnes of the Century Chamber of Commerce. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Church Observes Earth Care Month
April 11, 2011
The congregation of St. Monica’s Episcopal Church in Cantonment is observing April as Earth Care Month. As part of the church’s commitment to become more aware and better stewards of the earth’s ecosystems, the church invited the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida for a presentation on Sunday.
Pictured top: An owl cools off in the fountain at St. Monica’s Episcopal Church Sunday morning. Pictured inset and below: The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida visited the church Sunday as part of their Earth Care Month. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Miller Newsletter: Budget, Near Government Shutdown
April 11, 2011
In his latest newsletter, U.S. Rep Jeff Miller discusses the budget.
The following was submitted by Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Chumuckla for NorthEscambia.com:
This week was supposed to be all about the long-term budget for the United States. Tuesday, House Republicans proposed a fiscal year 2012 budget resolution that would cut federal spending by more than $6 trillion over ten years. It includes necessary entitlement reform and returned non-security discretionary spending to 2006 levels. It simplifies the tax code by lowering rates and reducing tax credits. In short, the Republican budget would put America back on the path to prosperity.
Instead, because Senate Democrats refused to pass last year’s funding bill, the government narrowly averted a shutdown. Instead of looking at long-term solutions, Senate Democrats refused to cut spending this year. Instead of funding our military for the rest of the year, Senate Democrats refused to pay our troops.
But in the end, while the process was ugly, we were successful. We were successful in cutting federal spending by $38.5 billion this year. We were successful in averting a painful government shutdown that would have damaged a fragile economy and forced troops to work without pay. And most importantly, in the face of tremendous opposition, we made a significant down payment on the spending cuts we promised you.
Partisanship aside, House Republicans offered plan after plan to avoid the shutdown. In February, we passed a year-long continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the entire government for the rest of the year. It made significant spending cuts at time when they are not only wanted, but required. When the Senate refused to pass their own bill, we passed an extension to give them more time to consider a compromise. Then we passed a second extension. Five weeks passed, and Senate Majority Leader Reid did not bring a single bill to the Senate floor that would fund the government.
So Thursday, 24 hours before the shutdown, House Republicans passed a one-week extension that would give more time for negotiations and would pay our military for the rest of the year. But before the bill was even passed by the House, the President said he would veto it, and the Senate said it was dead on arrival. We have members of the military across the world who stand in harm’s way, but would not have been paid for their service.
This was absolutely, unequivocally unacceptable.
It is unacceptable that Senate Democrats would have rather haggled over a few billion dollars than pay our military. It is unacceptable that the President would show up at the last minute in the negotiations and not take a leadership role on spending cuts. And it is unacceptable that Senate Democrats would ask our U.S. Armed Services to fight in three wars without pay.
On Friday night, after we continued to press for funding cuts and for our conservative values, we achieved success. Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to cut $38.5 billion in government spending, $79 billion less than the President wanted in his budget. There will not be taxpayer funding for abortion in D.C., and we will have an up or down vote on Obamacare and Planned Parenthood in the Senate.
This was pure and simple a fight over the federal budget. And, at the end of the day, we achieved our goal to dramatically cut government spending.
Make no mistake, this is only the beginning of the debate over the future of our country. This is only the first step in our long-term goal to reform the size of the government. House Republicans made our position known, and we will continue to draw a line in the sand for a smaller, more responsible federal government.
As we continue to move forward on the FY2011 and FY2012 budget, which tackles America’s long-term financial future, I will continue to uphold the values and freedom you elected me to defend. We must take a stand on the future of our country, and the time to make that stand is now.
Santa Rosa Man Held For Attempted Murder
April 11, 2011
A Santa Rosa County man is behind bars, charged with attempted murder.
When deputies responded to a 43-year old female shot in the chest over the weekend on Childers Street in Milton, two subjects said she was shot accidentally with a a firearm purchased earlier in the day.
Monte Jae Denne, 55, told officers that he was outside the residence at the time of the shooting, but he said an argument was ongoing inside the home at the time.
Once the victim was out of surgery at Sacred Heart Hospital, she told investigators that the shooting was not an accident. She told them that Denne shot her in the chest after an argument.
Denne was arrested by Sheriff’s Office investigators and charged with attempted felony murder. He remains in the Santa Rosa County Jail without bond.
Man Faces 60 Years For Robbery At BK
April 11, 2011
Devin Dejuan Middleton was found guilty by an Escambia County jury of two counts of robbery without a weapon while wearing a mask.
The conviction stems from a robbery occurring June 29, 2010, at the Burger King on Brent Lane. Middleton waited in the parking lot for the manager to come to her car with the bank deposit. When she did, he jumped from his car wearing a black ski mask, snatched her car door open, punched her repeatedly in the face and took over $2,000 from her. He got back into the vehicle, then immediately jumped back out and returned to beat her again while demanding she give him her car keys.
Judge Michael Allen scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2011. Middleton faces a maximum of 60 years state prison.
Be Prepared, Get Some Sleep: It’s FCAT Week
April 11, 2011
FCAT 2.0 testing started Monday morning in schools across North Escambia.
“Students should get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night and eat breakfast at home or at school,” said Gayle Hanks, guidance counselor at Ernest Ward Middle School. “Please encourage your child to do his/her very best.”
In a newsletter sent home to parents, Bratt Elementary offered several tips for parents and students for the all important FCAT test:
- Get a good night’s sleep before the test. Staying up late at night increases anxiety, which interferes with clear thinking
- Eat for Success. A hearty breakfast with seven to ten grams of fiber will keep your child from getting jittery from a sugar high, or later bottoming out when the insulin goes up.
- Relax. If your child is too nervous he/she may forget what he/she knows. Stretching and/or breathing deeply helps to focus the mind.
- Wear comfortable clothes. If your child is comfortable, he/she will be less distracted and better able to focus on the tasks given.
- Drink plenty of water. Drinking plenty of water will help keep the body hydrated and alert.
- Don’t forget to give your child a big hug on test days. This will increase his/her sense of well-being and energy.
Students are not permitted to have any electronic device on their person or within reach during the test that reproduces, transmits, calculates or records. Prohibited items include cellphones. Any student who violates this policy will have his/her FCAT test invalidated.
If a student starts a test and leaves without finishing (for an appointment, illness, etc.), he/she will NOT be allowed to complete the test. NO EXCEPTIONS will be made once the student leaves the school’s campus.
If a student arrives at school after the test begins, he/she will not be admitted to the testing site. The student will be required to sit in the office until testing is finished for the day.