Pensacola Sports Association Wins State Award
November 1, 2015
Ray Palmer and the Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) are committed to enhancing the Pensacola sports scene, promoting health, fitness and sportsmanship and growing sports tourism in the Pensacola area. Their efforts were recognized recently by the Florida Sports Foundation as they were awarded the 2015 Florida Sports Leadership Award.
Florida Sports Foundation President John Webb made a special trip to Pensacola to attend the PSA’s monthly board meeting, during which he made a brief announcement and informed the board and Ray Palmer, PSA Executive Director, of the recognition. The Florida Sports Foundation, a Division of Enterprise Florida, supports 27 sports commissions in the state, awards this recognition once a year to a director and commission based on its ongoing success in the sports tourism industry.
“Just as Florida with the leadership of Visit Florida leads the nation in the tourism industry, the Florida Sports Foundation sets the bar nationally as the model in the sports tourism segment, said Ray Palmer on his recognition. “Florida is where the world comes to play and sports and recreation spending is responsible for $44.4 billion in economic output. The 27 sports commission’s directors and staffs are some of the most highly respected names in the entire industry. For the Pensacola Sports Association to be recognized with this award by the Governor of Florida and the Florida Sports Foundation is truly an honor second to none.”
“The Pensacola Sports Association has a long heritage of hosting a variety of amateur, leisure and collegiate sports in the Panhandle of Florida,” said FSF President John Webb. “Over the years, their sports tourism events have brought in a significant number of out-of-state visitors from the Gulf Coast region of the United States and the Southeast to enhance the quality of life of those living in Northwest Florida. Because of the professional efforts of Ray and the PSA the area will continue to experience sports tourism growth.”
“This honor is certainly well deserved,” said Steve Hayes, President of Visit Pensacola. “With each event that PSA brings to the Pensacola Bay Area, a new group of people are introduced to our beautiful destination. When they plan their vacations, we hope they remember the great time they had here in Pensacola.”
The PSA is one of the oldest sports associations/commissions in the United States, beginning in 1954. Today the PSA manages or assists in numerous events a year throughout the Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa county areas. Events include a high school all-star series, flag football, 5K-15K runs, marathons, triathlons, bicycle races, collegiate national championships, and annual awards and scholarships banquets.
File photo.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: Family Feuds
November 1, 2015
“Ain’t nothing but a family thing,” the fictional White House chief of staff Leo McGarry once said in an episode of “The West Wing.” And while he was talking about his battle with alcoholism, he might as well have been discussing the past week in Tallahassee.
The state Senate redistricting battle descended into a personal and political quagmire that involved no fewer than three of the Legislature’s almost dynastic families. The fight has also ripped apart the Republican caucus in the upper chamber, which has started to resemble a dysfunctional family.
Meanwhile, the tight-knit community centered on Florida A&M University’s campus continued to be buffeted by a heated clash between President Elmira Mangum and the school’s board of trustees, prompting one member to resign.
And family values always come into play when Florida talks about expanded gambling.
Alas, unlike the great television shows of the past, there is not a matriarch or father figure in Tallahassee to straighten things out, come up with a compromise and make sure everyone moves forward together. For now, the family things will just have to play themselves out.
‘YOU HIT BACK AND NEVER GIVE IN’
It’s not like the battle over how to redraw the state Senate’s 40 districts wasn’t contentious enough before former Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, stood up Wednesday and laced into Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican who would like to be among Gaetz’s successors in the chamber’s top job.
Already, the issue of how to ensure that Hispanic voters in South Florida have adequate representation in the Senate had led to heated debate about a redistricting plan (SJR 2-C). On Tuesday, the Senate approved a proposal increasing the Hispanic share of three seats over objections from Democrats who argued the move was an attempt to prevent incumbents from running against each other.
Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, a Miami Republican who sponsored the amendment, said the revised plan would ensure that Miami-Dade County will still have three districts in which Latinos can elect candidates of their choice.
“The (original) plan would basically disenfranchise Hispanics in Miami-Dade County by creating two Hispanic seats, Hispanic-performing seats instead of the three that we’ve had, as I mentioned, for about 30 years,” Diaz de la Portilla told reporters after the Senate vote.
Diaz de la Portilla’s proposal drew questions about whether it might violate the ban on favoring incumbents included in the “Fair Districts” redistricting standards approved by voters in 2010. The amendment removed Diaz de la Portilla’s residence from a proposed district that also would include the homes of Sens. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, and Anitere Flores, R-Miami.
It would also move Diaz de la Portilla’s brother, Alex, into the same seat that Miguel Diaz de la Portilla now holds. Alex Diaz de la Portilla is a former state senator who has been angling to run for the chamber again when his brother’s tenure is up.
“We’ve just now made this map unconstitutional,” said Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, during a debate over the amendment. “We’ve just now said that the court is going to reject this map.”
Unconstitutional or not, the Senate eventually voted 22-18 to approve the final version of the proposal, with four Republicans joining all 14 Democrats in opposing the plan. But it was what happened next that threatened to rip apart whatever fragile peace had been reached in a battle for the Senate presidency between Latvala and Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart.
Latvala has publicly suggested that Gaetz, who chaired the Senate Reapportionment Committee in 2012, should apologize for the problems that now are forcing lawmakers to redraw the Senate map. That provoked a 17-minute rebuke from Gaetz on the floor Wednesday. Latvala, who was preparing for an event elsewhere in the state, had left the chamber before Gaetz’s remarks began.
By the end of the week, Latvala supporters and some others were calling for the delay of a scheduled Dec. 2 vote to designate the GOP’s next Senate president, likely Negron. The winner would take over the caucus after the 2016 elections.
Sen. Tom Lee, who has not endorsed either leadership candidate, told The News Service of Florida on Thursday that he has asked “people who are interested in pursuing the caucus” to reconsider.
“If you really care about the institution of the Senate, if you really care about your colleagues, it is not the appropriate time to twist the knife,” said Lee, a Brandon Republican who is a former Senate president.
But Senate President Andy Gardiner did not appear willing to delay the vote.
SEE YOU IN COURT. NOW, LET’S TALK
Lawsuits are generally not a sign that negotiations are going well. But as the Seminole Tribe of Florida filed a lawsuit against the state over the tribe’s exclusive rights to offer “banked” card games like blackjack at most of its casinos, it also said the Seminoles have made “significant progress” in negotiations with state officials toward a deal that could allow the tribe to add craps and roulette.
The exclusive rights to the banked card games expired July 31, and a 90-day grace period ended Thursday. The lawsuit accuses the state of acting in “bad faith” — a legal “term of art,” according to the tribe’s lawyer, Barry Richard — and asks a federal judge to allow the Seminoles to keep offering the games. The Seminoles are also asking for mediation to try to work out another deal.
Tribal leaders have been meeting with Scott’s general counsel, Tim Cerio, and Republican House and Senate leaders for weeks, hoping to expand on a 20-year agreement signed in 2010, called a “compact,” that authorized the tribe’s slot-machine and table-game operations. A provision of the deal gave the Seminoles exclusive rights to operate banked card games for five years in exchange for a minimum payment of $1 billion
Under the current talks, the Seminoles could pay the state at least $3 billion over seven years in exchange for exclusive rights to roulette and craps, according to sources close to the negotiations. A Palm Beach County dog track could have slot machines, a new gambling operation in Miami-Dade County could start up with slot machines, and dog tracks could stop racing greyhounds while retaining lucrative card rooms.
Meanwhile, amid the negotiations and lawsuit, an anti-gambling group wants to give voters the ability to decide whether Florida should have non-tribal casinos. But the preliminary fate of the proposed constitutional amendment rests in a Supreme Court decision about slot machines at a Gadsden County horse track.
A newly-formed political committee called “Voters in Charge” announced Tuesday it has started a petition-gathering process, with an eye on getting a proposal on the 2018 ballot. If approved, the “Voter Control of Gambling” constitutional amendment would require future statewide votes to authorize casino-style games including blackjack, craps and roulette.
The amendment would take away the Legislature’s ability to approve casinos in Florida but would not affect tribal operations, which are regulated by federal law.
Whether or not Voters in Charge intends to pursue a ballot initiative ultimately rests with the Supreme Court’s decision in a case over whether a horse track in the Gadsden County community of Gretna, which originally received its pari-mutuel license for rodeo-style barrel racing, can have slot machines.
Committee chairman John Sowinski said his group wants “to have a ready weapon” with the ballot proposal in case the Supreme Court decides that no constitutional action is necessary for pari-mutuels outside of Miami-Dade and Broward counties to add slots.
But it could upset the talks over the new pact with the Seminoles, because the provision that would permit the Palm Beach County greyhound track to add slots would be banned without statewide approval under the proposal floated by Voters in Charge.
FIGHT AT FAMU
The week also brought a reminder of the problems at Florida A&M, the state’s only public historically black university. When Mangum tried to hold a feel-good press event on Thursday, she kicked up a Tallahassee dust storm when she left without answering questions about the university’s governance woes.
Last week, the president barely survived two motions to fire her — one with cause and one without — by the university’s board of trustees. Within hours, FAMU students marched to the governor’s office to support her. The next day, trustees Chairman Rufus Montgomery, seen as Mangum’s chief opponent, stepped down from his leadership post, although he remains on the board.
And late Wednesday, longtime trustee Spurgeon McWilliams resigned, effective immediately. The retired physician was the lone vote on the current board against hiring Mangum in January 2014 and supported both motions last week to ax her for unproven “financial improprieties.”
But after her remarks at the Thursday press conference about eliminating questions on academic admissions forms asking if applicants have ever been convicted of crimes, Mangum said she’d have to depart.
“Unfortunately, I’m going to have to step away for some other meetings,” she said — and left by a back door that reporters couldn’t easily reach.
Trustees spokeswoman Lisa Brock — the trustees and the president have separate press operations — said McWilliams had “indicated that the commitment to serve on the board was far greater than he has experienced in the past. And this is obviously a concern, because we need to be able to attract the caliber of leader that Dr. McWilliams is.”
STORY OF THE WEEK: The Senate narrowly approved its version of districts for the chamber’s 40 seats, but not before sparking a bruising fight over Hispanic voting strength and GOP caucus politics.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I take no satisfaction from this exchange. I did not seek it. But when a bully throws a sucker punch, you hit back and never give in.”— Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, during a 17-minute speech attacking Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, over critical remarks about the 2012 redistricting process.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Lillie Mae Gay
November 1, 2015
Lillie Mae Gay, age 84, of Jay’s Dixonville community passed away October 30, 2015. She was born January 2, 1931, in Dozier, Alabama to Eurie and Allie Berry. She was a member of Whitefield Assembly of God Church and a loving mother,grandmother, great-grandmother, and sister.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Cleve”Bud” Gay; brothers, James Berry, Junior Berry, Jimmy Berry and two infant brothers; sisters, Doris Cook, Sybil Dorough,and Ellafier Springer and daughter-in-law, Sandra Pritt.
She is survived by sons, Cleve E. and Pamela Gay, William Gay, and Steve M. and Frances Gay; daughter, Teresa and Judson Carden; grandchildren, Lynette Davis, Stacey Carter, Michael D. Gay, Cheyanne Gay, Christopher Moon and Sonya Moon; great-grandchildren, Charles Lavern, Ashtain Davis, Mahgell Davis, Mia Davis, Wesley Carter, Johnathan Carter, Meagan Carter, Alexis Moon, Christopher Moon, Jr., Brock Elliot, Brandon Elliot, Brylon Elliot, and Steve Gay; brother, Jesse Berry; sisters, Peggy Lewandowski and Glenda and Judd Granger.
Funeral services will be a held Wednesday, November 4, 2015, at 11 a.m. at Whitefield Assembly of God Church.
Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
A visitation will be held Tuesday, November 2, 2015, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Jay Funeral Home.
Two Charged With Cantonment Drive By Shooting
October 31, 2015
Two Escambia County are behind bars charged with a drive-by shooting in Cantonment.
The drive-by shooting occurred during the early morning hours of October 29. Shots were fired into a home in the 2400 block of Stacey Road. No one was injured during in the incident, but one home did receive minor damage when struck by gunfire.
Thomas Devontae Jackson, age 23 of Pensacola, and Christopher Bernard Staten, age 21 of Cantonment, were both booked into the Escambia County Jail Friday. Both are charged with felony firing a weapon into an occupied dwelling and with criminal mischief with property damage. They are being held on $600,000 bond each.
Further details, including a motive for the shooting, have not yet been released.
The Escambia County Sherriff’s Office said both are also wanted for questioning in a separate drive-by shooting.
Anyone with information on the crimes is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (850) 433-STOP or the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Halloween Events
October 31, 2015
Here are events happening today, October 31, in the North Escambia area:
Community-Wide Fall Festival
A community-wide fall festival will be held Saturday, October 31, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Victory Assembly of God Church on Highway 29 in Molino. Everyone is welcome to join the churches of the community for an evening of food, games, candy and lots of fun.
St. Monica’s Episcopal Church Trunk or Treat
Saint Monica’s Episcopal Church will host Trunk or Treat in the south parking lot of the church on Saturday, October 31, beginning at 6 p.m. There will be a hayride, music and lots of candy. The event is free and open to everyone. The church is located at 699 South Highway 95-A in Cantonment.
Halloween at Turtle Point
Turtle Point in Flomaton will hold Halloween activities on Saturday, October 31, from 4 p.m. until 9 p.m. There will be games, face painting, and a bounce house for the kids. Guided tours down the haunted boardwalk will begin at dark. The boardwalk activity is not suited for children. The Flomaton Band Boosters will be on-site grilling and selling food and snacks. The event is free and open to the public.
Tate High School Fall Carnival
Tate High School will hold a Fall Carnival and Haunted House on Saturday, October 31 from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the school. Games, snacks and fun. Haunted house admission is $5. Games and snacks on a ticket basis.
Aggie Harvest Festival
The Tate High School student council will host their 1st Annual Aggie Harvest Festival on Saturday, October 31 from 5 p.m until 8 p.m. Food, games and more. The event also includes Tate Fright School: A Haunted Cafeteria. Admission is $2 and not recommended for children under 10.
Bratt Assembly of God Fall Festival
Bratt Assembly of God will hold their Fall Festival on Saturday, October 31, 3 p.m. until. Games, inflatables, candy, free hotdogs and fellowship. Everyone is invited. The church is located at located at 5150 W Hwy 4 in Bratt.
Pedestrian Killed On Airport Boulevard
October 31, 2015
A pedestrian was killed on Airport Boulevard Friday night in Escambia County.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 36-year old Phillip Harper of Pensacola westbound on Airport Boulevard approaching Rawson Lane in a 2010 Mazda CX-7. The FHP said pedestrian Roy Julian, age 57 of Pensacola, walked directly into Harper’s path about 7:38 p.m.
Julian was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital were he died a short time later.
No charges were filed in the crash, according to the FHP.
Molino Park Students Create Pumpkin Project Book Reports
October 31, 2015
First graders at Molino Park Elementary School recently completed pumpkin book report projects.
The students read a great book, wrote a book report and decorated a pumpkin (with mom and dad’s help) as a book character.
For more photos, click to enlarge.
Photos by Sara Calhoun for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Halloween Trick Or Treating Safety Tips
October 31, 2015
by Dorothy Lee, UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County
Halloween may be a fun holiday for kids, but for parents, trick‐or‐treat time can be a little tricky. Concerns about children’s safety whether they are out in the neighborhood or back home with bags of loot could darken the festivities. But not
to worry. To make Halloween a treat for all, follow these safety tips.
Costume Safety
- Make sure children dress up safely. Keep costumes short to prevent trips, falls and other bumps in the night.
- Try makeup instead of a mask. Masks can be hot and uncomfortable, and can obstruct a child’s vision.
- If the children will be in costumes, keep these tips from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in mind:
- Costumes should be made of flame retardant materials.
- Decorate or trim costumes and goodie bags with reflective tape or decals so that children are visible at night to motorists.
- Reflective tape is available at most costume shops, sporting goods stores, and hardware stores.
Trick or Treat Safety
- Make sure older children trick or treat with friends.
- Children should stop only at familiar homes where outside lights are on.
- Make sure someone in the group has a flashlight and choose only well‐lighted streets.
Check the Treats
- Adults should check all treats. Parents should emphasize that no treats should be eaten until they get home and the treats have been checked. Parents should allow only unopened candies and other treats that are in original wrappers. Don’t forget to inspect fruit and homemade goodies for anything suspicious.
- When in doubt, throw it out!
Treats for Parents to Give
- Try some of these not‐so‐sweet treats—roasted nuts, pretzels, popcorn, pumpkin seeds.
- Consider giving inexpensive non‐edible treats. Some non‐food items to consider are stickers, snack coupons to a fast‐food restaurant, novelty items such as magic tricks, finger puppets, yoyos, little bottles of bubbles, and small games. Party stores and discount stores are great sources for non‐food items.
- Whether you opt for putting on a party, trunk trick‐or‐treating, participating in the local mall festivities, or door‐to‐door trick‐or‐treating, Halloween can be a lot of fun for parents and children. Just remember the tricks and treats of playing it safe.
Law Enforcement To Monitor Sex Offenders For Halloween
October 31, 2015
State probation officers and local police will take steps to try to prevent sex offenders from taking part in Halloween-related activities involving children, the Florida Department of Corrections said. The steps will target sex offenders who are on felony probation.
The department said in a news release that probation officers will contact sex offenders and conduct surveillance during hours when trick-or-treating occurs.
It also said the effort will include probation officers making surprise visits and driving by residences.
The department said sex offenders under supervision have been told, in part, to not give out treats, to turn off porch lights, to not answer doors for trick-or-treaters and to not attend Halloween parties that include children.
Tornado Watch Tonight; Heavy Rain Possible
October 31, 2015
There is a tornado watch in effect tonight. Heavy rain is possible. Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7pm and 1am, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 71. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 76. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.
Sunday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 1am, then a chance of showers. Low around 64. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Monday: A 30 percent chance of showers before 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 77. West wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 57. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. North wind around 5 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 60. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83. East wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 63.
Thursday: Partly sunny, with a high near 83.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Friday: A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly sunny, with a high near 81.
Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 64.
Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 78.