Weekend Gardening: Daffodils Signal Spring
March 19, 2016
Few plants seem to signify the freshness of spring quite as well as daffodils. The name “daffodils” is derived from “addodell” a variant of Asphodel (a plant of the Asphodelus genus.) In historical documents and the common language of 16th century Europe, the term “daffodil” referred specifically to the wild daffodil, Narcissus pseudonarcissus.
The derivation of the Latin narcissus is unknown. It is frequently linked to the Greek myth of Narcissus, who was rumored to be so obsessed with his own reflection that he died while gazing at himself in a pool of water. From the location of his death sprang the narcissus plant. Another Greek myth finds Persephone, daughter of the goddess Demeter, lured to her doom by the God Hades while picking a narcissus. Therefore the plant is perceived as a symbol of vanity in some Western culture.
Others attribute the plants’ name to its narcotic properties. One translation of the Greek name is “I grow numb!” All narcissus species contain the alkaloid poison lycorine, mostly in the bulb but also in the leaves. Members of the Amaryllidaceae family contain unique types of alkaloids. They are responsible for the poisonous properties of a number of the species. Of the 200 different chemical compounds found in this plant family, at least 79 of them can be found in narcissus.
Daffodils are a popular potted plant for cut flowers, but also make attractive naturalized ground covers in gardens and around trees, providing color from the end of winter through late spring. If the narcissus blooms on Chinese New Year, it is said to bring wealth and good fortune throughout the year. The flower color varies from white through pinks and yellows to deep reddish-orange with multiple petal forms. Hundreds of cultivars are available.
Planting dates vary according to geographical location, but bulbs are usually planted in the fall when the soil is cool. Daffodils grow well in full sun or light shade, with the blooms lasting longer when protected from the noon day sun. When selecting a location for planting, it should be noted that the individual flowers will face the sun.
Pre-chilled bulbs should be planted in 6-8” deep holes with a tablespoon of slow release fertilizer added to the soil directly under the bulb and with 4-5” of soil covering the bulb. Watering throughout the winter will be necessary if rains are infrequent. After flowering, the daffodils need to be fertilized and watering should continue. The foliage will naturally turn yellow and die as stored food is restored to the bulb.
Division, transplanting and collection for forcing potted plants can be done after all the foliage has declined. To force Daffodils to bloom at varied times in a container the dried bulbs will need to be stored at a 45° F temperature for 4-6 weeks prior to being placed in the sun to grow.
The bright, cheery Daffodil flowers are beginning to bloom now and will continue as Easter approaches, reminding us that spring really is coming.
Email Sheila Dunning at sdunning@ufl.edu.
NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Middle School Report Cards Delayed
March 19, 2016
Middle school report cards were due to be sent home Friday in Escambia County, but distribution has been delayed until the Monday after spring break.
Meanwhile, parents can see the report cards online in the Focus Parent Portal.
Showers Possible This Afternoon Turning Colder For Spring Break
March 19, 2016
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 7pm. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 44. North wind around 10 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 61. North wind 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Light northwest wind becoming north 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 51. South wind around 5 mph.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 73. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Thursday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.
Thursday Night: Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. Chance of precipitation is 60%.
Friday: A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71.
Friday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 49.
Saturday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Federal Protection Sought For Black Bears
March 19, 2016
Conservation and animal-protection groups want a federal endangered-species protection designation for Florida black bears before another hunt may be held in the state. T
he Center for Biological Diversity and the Animal Legal Defense Fund, along with more than a dozen groups, filed a petition Thursday with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that seeks to place the black bear under the federal Endangered Species Act. Jaclyn Lopez, Florida director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the proposal is intended to “make sure the bear has a place in Florida’s future.”
The groups note the bear population has been able to grow from between 300 to 500 in the 1970s to around 3,500 due in part to being listed as threatened by the state.
However, that designation was lifted in 2012 when a new management plan was approved.
In October, the state held what resulted in a two-day hunt in four parts of the state, with 304 bears killed — 16 short of the so-called “harvest objective.”
The Center for Biological Diversity estimates at least 590 bears were killed in Florida last year, when factoring in the hunt, habitat loss and road kill. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hasn’t made any decision about a future hunt. Florida lawmakers included $500,000 to reduce human-bear conflicts in the state’s new $82 billion budget, which Gov. Rick Scott signed late Thursday
The money is to match local dollars in purchasing bear-resistant garbage containers. The budget specifies that at least 60 percent of the money has to go to local governments that have “an ordinance in place focused on resolving issues associated with bear attractants and garbage.”
by The News Service of Florida
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Florida Gov’t Weekly Roundup: No Rest For The Weary
March 19, 2016
The week after the legislative session is usually a quiet one. Lawmakers, lobbyists and reporters take some time to catch up on sleep, reacquaint themselves with life outside the Capitol, and generally begin the recuperation after a 60-day sprint.
This year, there was no time for rest. On Monday, presidential candidates and surrogates — some of them lawmakers — crisscrossed the state to try and get voters motivated ahead of the Tuesday primaries. And if voting for the leader of the free world wasn’t enough news on Tuesday itself, Gov. Rick Scott also announced his intentions on the state budget in an unusual move.
By midweek, things had started to slow down a bit and return to the normal post-session lull. The quiet probably won’t last for long. Primaries for state offices will start soon enough — all 160 legislative seats will be up for grabs — and the presidential campaign seems to once again be a race to see who can win Ohio and Florida. Catch your breath while you can.
RUBIO FOLDS HIS HAND
When the Republican Party of Florida decided to award all 99 of its Republican National Convention delegates to the winner of the state’s March 15 presidential primary, it seemed to be an attempt to boost former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush or current U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio. Party leaders repeatedly denied that helping out the state’s favorite sons was the objective, but few believed them.
But Bush’s campaign never made it to Florida, and Rubio ended his White House bid Tuesday after real-estate mogul Donald Trump walloped him by nearly 20 points. Trump carried almost 46 percent of the vote, to 27 percent for Rubio, according to unofficial returns. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Ohio Gov. John Kasich came in a distant third and a more-distant fourth.
Things were even more lopsided on the Democratic side, where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton routed U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Clinton had more than 64 percent of the vote, to 33 percent for Sanders.
Bowing out of the race, Rubio still questioned Trump’s bona fides as the best leader for the Republican Party. But he stayed away from the kind of jokes about Trump’s manhood that for a time knocked Rubio off his message in the weeks leading up to Florida.
“America needs a vibrant conservative movement, but one that’s built on principles and on ideas, not on fear, not on anger, not on preying on people’s frustrations,” Rubio said. ” … But after tonight it is clear that while we are on the right side, this year, we will not be on the winning side.”
Trump, for his part, greeted Rubio’s departure with remarks that could be called gracious — something not normally associated with the bombastic billionaire.
“He’s tough, he’s smart, and he’s got a great future,” Trump said.
Rubio’s Democratic critics weren’t so kind.
“Florida Democrats knew that once Americans got to know Marco, they would see what those of us in the Sunshine State have known all along: Rubio is nothing more than a self-centered career-politician heavy on ambition and light on substance,” party Chairwoman Allison Tant said in a statement issued after the result became clear.
But other politicos agreed with the sentiment Trump voiced about Rubio’s future in the Republican Party, even if they disagree with Trump on almost everything else.
“If you know Marco, you know this is a guy who is young and still wants to be a meaningful force and positive force in American political life,” said Rick Wilson, a Republican political consultant who worked for independent efforts backing Rubio.
How that will manifest itself, though, was unclear. By the end of Thursday, Rubio had already ruled out running for vice president, governor or senator — something that seemed to leave open only the possibility of another presidential bid in 2020 should this year’s GOP nominee falter.
FALSE ALARM
In the closing days of the legislative session, predictions about a messy end to the budget showdown between Scott and lawmakers were rampant — and dire. Scott would use his line-item veto to devastate House and Senate priorities; Senate Appropriations Chairman Tom Lee, R-Brandon, told reporters that the governor might hack $500 million from a spending plan that totaled $82.3 billion when passed.
That wasn’t even the wildest idea. Scott might veto the entire budget, something almost never done. And whether he nixed the entire budget or just a hefty portion of it, the relationship between the governor and the Legislature had deteriorated to the point that there was open talk of veto overrides — another unusual step.
Scott’s office offered few clear answers, and the governor almost always plays his cards close to the vest when asked about whether he will sign or veto legislation. Then, out of the blue, Scott announced Tuesday that he would sign the budget while trimming just $256 million from the spending plan — a modest amount for a governor known for using his veto pen like a Ginsu when it suits him.
By releasing his budget announcement on the same day when many political journalists would be focused on the presidential primaries, Scott seemed to be aiming for minimal coverage. While he has worked to portray the spending plan as a victory, the governor got very little of what he wanted from the Legislature.
“Before I came into office, Florida was raising taxes and fees and there is no doubt that I will always want more tax cuts and more jobs,” Scott said in a statement released by his office Tuesday. “I look forward to continuing to work with the Legislature to find more ways next year to return money back to families all across Florida.”
The budget bumps up per-student spending on public schools by 1 percent, moving it to a record amount. It spends more than $713.5 million on education construction projects and funds $151 million for restoration of the Everglades and an area lawmakers are calling the Northern Everglades.
House and Senate leaders indicated that the veto list was reasonable enough to distance themselves from any talk of overrides or open confrontation. House Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island, said Scott “has used his veto in a prudent and fair manner.”
It helped that few of the lines struck from the budget were big-ticket items. The biggest cut was nearly $15 million for construction of the Center of Innovation Technology Education at Eastern Florida State College.
The only other vetoes of $10 million or more were the elimination of $11 million to build a performing arts center at Pasco-Hernando State College, and the removal of $10 million for “quiet zone” improvements near railway lines.
Scott also left in place some of the things most important to legislative leaders, like $20 million to pay for the state share of a downtown Orlando campus for the University of Central Florida, a top priority of outgoing Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando.
The happy talk was a relief for those involved in the political process for another reason: Barring a court decision or other unforeseen issue, there will be no special session in 2016, a break from last year’s three additional gatherings in Tallahassee.
On Thursday, the Legislature finally sent the budget to Scott. He signed it and vetoed the projects he said he would.
LEGISLATIVE FALLOUT
Even with the budget out of the way, some officials were feeling the effects of what lawmakers did or didn’t do in the session that ended in March — and even what happened further in the past.
Barry Gilway, the president and CEO of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, said inaction by lawmakers to address a spike in water-damage claims could reverse years of work to shrink the company.
Gilway warned the company’s board that policyholders can expect to see annual rate hikes that approach 10 percent in South Florida, where water-damage claims have been the most prevalent.
Gilway told the board that the company will need to do a better job making lawmakers aware of the potential damage to the insurance industry in Florida unless restrictions are placed on a controversial insurance practice known as “assignment of benefits.”
“I just don’t believe that we got the story across that this is a crisis, this is going to reverse all the improvement we’re seeing in the overall marketplace over the last two to three years,” Gilway said.
Assignments of benefits often arise when homeowners need repairs for problems such as water damage. Homeowners sign over benefits to contractors, who ultimately pursue payments from insurance companies.
Meanwhile, the Florida Board of Governors — which oversees the state’s university system — was facing up to the news that Florida Polytechnic University wouldn’t meet accreditation by its original deadline. Under a 2012 bill establishing Florida Poly, it was supposed to get the OK from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by December.
The university is hoping to get a final decision on its “candidacy” — the first step in accreditation — this June, following a visit by SACS officials last week. Florida Poly then wanted the association to visit again in the fall, in hopes of completing the process at the end of the year.
But SACS informed the university that it couldn’t do both site visits in the same calendar year, President Randy Avent said. Board of Governors members were not pleased.
“I just have to tell you we all sat up here fat and happy thinking that this was going just the way we should, and I for one am disappointed to hear it this way. … Maybe you ought to go back and look at the people you have working on this to make sure that you’re being fully informed and that we’re being fully informed,” board member Norman Tripp said.
A bill Scott signed along with the budget, though, extends the deadline for accreditation until December 2017.
STORY OF THE WEEK: U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio suspends his presidential campaign, ending the hopes of the only remaining full-time Floridian in the race and giving another boost to businessman Donald Trump.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “The Senate president, exercising his privilege as a caucus of one, decided to shut things down. That is the unequivocal truth.”—Marc Dunbar, a partner with the Jones Walker law firm and a lobbyist who represents the owner of Gulfstream Park Racing in Broward County, on the failure of a major gambling bill in the 2016 session. Gardiner denies that he blocked the measure from reaching the floor.
by Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida
Communications Services Restored To Most County Offices
March 18, 2016
Email, internet and phone services have now been restored to all Escambia County offices except the Marcus Pointe Tax Collector’s Office.
The Marcus Pointe office is closed for the remainder of today. Agents are able to assist customers at the downtown, Warrington and Molino offices.
The outage was caused by a damaged fiber optic line on Olive Road.
Escambia County Purchases AED’s For Community Centers, Ballparks
March 18, 2016
Between football games last September, a youth league coach fell onto the field at Northview High School in full cardiac arrest.
In the moments that followed, the pieces of a lifesaving puzzle quickly fell into place. Husband and wife medics, a doctor and other football fans trained in CPR rushed to the field, literally taking turns performing chest compression on the beloved coach. An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was retrieved from a nearby building, an ambulance arrived, and prayers were said.
The coach was revived and has since made a full recovery.
The incident led to a vote Thursday night by the Escambia County Commission to place 32 AED’s at ballparks and community centers with athletic programs throughout the county. The purchase includes 32 fully automatic AED’s with voice prompts, wall cabinets, adapter kits to make each AED usable on children and four years of service and onside preventative maintenance. The LifePak CR PLus AED’s are the same model used on Escambia County EMS ambulances.
The $54,681.29 bid was awarded to CPR Savers and First Aid Supply, LLC. Low bidder was Second Chance Medical Products, but the company’s bid did not include on-site preventive maintenance nor did they have a service representative within a 50-mile radius as requested in the invitation to bid.
“This was a case where EMS could take a relatively small amount of a money and invest it in making the community safer,” Escambia County Public Safety Director Mike Weaver said. He said that community and sports group members will be provided AED training, and CPR training will be made available for the public.
The county will also allow churches and non-profit groups to purchase the same model AED’s at the county’s contract price, with advance payment.
For last September’s story about the coach, click here.
NorthEscambia.com file photo.
Showers, Heavy Rain Today; Cooler Next Week
March 18, 2016
Here is your official NorthEscambia area forecast:
Friday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 75. East wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.
Friday Night: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. Cloudy, with a low around 59. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Southwest wind 5 to 15 mph becoming north in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Saturday Night: Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly clear, with a low around 41. North wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 37. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 62. Northwest wind around 5 mph.
Monday Night: Clear, with a low around 39. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.
Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60.
Thursday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 77.
Tate Wins The Aggie Classic
March 18, 2016
Tate 5, Milton 0
The Tate Aggies won their own Aggie Classic Thursday night with a 5-0 shutout of Milton.
The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a three-run homer over the right-field wall from Cole Halfacre.
Tate hitters — Mason Land 1-3, run; Branden Fryman 3-4, RBI, run; Cole Halfacre 1-3, 3 RBIs, run, HR; Hunter NeSmith 1-3; Jake Davis 2-3, RBI, HR; Hunter McLean 1-2; Josh Kea 1-2, run.
WP – Logan McGuffey (6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 8 K, 1 BB)
For more photos, click to enlarge.
(Other Thursday scores are below photos, scroll down.)
Pictured: A night of celebrations for the Tate Aggies. Pictured top: Celebrating the Aggie Classic championship. Pictured inset: Cole Halfacres pops a three run home over the fence. Pictured below: Three run homer from Halfacre and a homer from Jake Davis. NorthEscambia.com photos by Jennifer Repine, click to enlarge.
Other scores:
Chiles 19, Edmond North 5
Second Baptist 11, Washington 1
Jenks 7, Next Level 2
Stillwater 5, Gulf Breeze 1
Christ Presby. vs. Union (rainout)
Escambia vs. Shawnee (rainout)
Reno 7, Coweta 5
West Florida 4, Piedmont 3
Leon 5, Pryor 0
Emery 8, Morris 4
Help Manna Feed ‘SomeBunny” At Food Drive Today
March 18, 2016
A “Let’s Feed Somebunny” food drive will be held from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. today.
People are invited to fill the Easter float with non-perishable food items for Manna Food Pantries at the Baptist Medical Park at the corner of 9 Mile Road and University Parkway. The annual event is sponsored by Harvester’s Federal Credit Union.