Featured Recipe: Irish Nachos
January 9, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is “Irish Nachos”, a satisfying take on traditional nachos that will fill up even the hungriest sports fan. Control the heat by adding or adjusting the jalapenos.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Yes, You Can Grow Potatoes In North Escambia
January 8, 2011
These cold winter days make gardeners yearn for the warmth of April to be able to get their vegetable garden started, but they needn’t wait so long. Late January through February are ideal times for establishing some potatoes in the garden. When you are eating YOUR home-grown, fresh potatoes in May, you won’t even think of those the day you braved a cold, brisk wind and drizzly skies to get your potatoes planted.
For those not familiar with growing potatoes, you don’t plant the typical seed to get more of the wonderful vegetable. What growers call “seed” is actually a portion cut from a potato tuber that has an active growing point called the “eye”. Many gardeners plant seed potatoes that they cut themselves from potatoes purchased at grocery stores, but it is better to purchase seed potatoes that have been certified. Certification insures that the seed tubers are free of disease. You can usually purchase seed at farm and garden supply stores in our area, and you can usually order seed. If you are unsure of where you can buy the seed, call the Extension office.
Before you plant any new crop, a soil test should be taken to determine soil fertility. Based on University of Florida fertilizer recommendations about 0.75 lbs of nitrogen(N) and about 0.5 lbs of potassium(K) are required per 100 ft of row at planting. This is roughly equivalent to 7.5 lb of a 10-0-10 complete fertilizer at each application. The remaining nitrogen and potassium fertilizer (0.75 lb N and 0.5 lbs K per 100 ft of row) should be placed in a band about four to six inches to either side of the plant approximately three to four weeks after planting. The fertilizer should be buried about two inches deep.
Mark the day you plant your seeds on the calendar. You will need to keep track of the age of your young potatoes. Plants should be spaced at about 6-8” within the row with at least 36” between rows. Seed pieces should be planted 4” below the soil surface. Seed pieces should be planted with the cut side down and eyes (or sprouts) facing up. Hilling is the act of adding soil to the top of the potato row. Since the seed piece was only planted 4” below the soil surface, there is the possibility that new potatoes will push up above the soil surface. Add about two or three inches of additional soil on the potato row when the sprout emerges from the soil (the sprout generally emerges around ten days to two weeks after planting). Soil can be moved from the furrows between rows and used for hilling.
Once you have your potatoes up and growing, you should see gradual growth of the vines. If we continue to have very cold temperatures, you might have to provide frost/freeze protection for the plants. Plants that are smaller than four to six inches can be covered with more soil if freezing temperatures are forecast. You can also cover them with fabric. Some people loosely mound hay over young plants and move the hay to the furrow when temperatures improve.
Should you start to see distortions in the leaves (from an insect, animal, or disease), don’t hesitate to contact your Escambia Co. Extension office. We can help you determine the cause of the problems and often provide a solution.
Potatoes that grow well here usually mature and ready for harvest 80-115 days after planting. Home gardeners who will be consuming their potatoes within a month or two can dig up their potatoes when they are ready, being careful to limit damage to the tuber when using tools. Most people don’t grow enough potatoes to be concerned with storing them for long periods of time, but if you do, please contact the Escambia Co. Extension office to learn more about how to keep potato tubers.
For more information about growing potatoes in the Home Garden, please visit http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/HS/HS18300.pdf As always, you can contact the Escambia Co. Extension office at (850) 475-5230.
2010 Persons Of The Year
January 2, 2011
NorthEscambia.com is naming several Persons of the Year for 2010. The recipients are being named daily during the first week of January. Those named so far include:
(Additional recipients will be named each day this week.)
Featured Recipe: Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken
January 2, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is a “Pineapple Sweet and Sour Chicken”, a simple dish with exotic flavors that will appeal to most any palette.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Make A Resolution To Be More Wildlife Friendly
January 1, 2011
The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions dates back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was said to have two faces which allowed him to look back on past events and forward to the future.
The beginning of a new year is a great time to reflect on the issues of the past and resolve to do better in the upcoming year. The 2010 Gulf oil spill had a devastating impact on local wildlife. Florida is a state renowned for its diverse and unique ecosystems. But rapid development and environmental disasters, particularly in coastal areas, is continuing to destroy wildlife habitat. Resolve to be more wildlife-friendly in 2011 by following these easy tips from the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program.
Provide food
Select plants with seeds, fruit, foliage, or flowers that butterflies, birds, and other wildlife like to eat. Berries, fleshy fruits, nuts, and acorns are all treats for many animals.
Supply water
Any water you provide will attract wildlife. You could have running water in the form of a natural feature, such as a pond, creek, or other body of fresh water, but a fountain or birdbath will also beckon wildlife. Empty and clean your birdbath every few days. Do not clean it with soap or bleach—just physically scrub all surfaces with a brush or scouring-type sponge. Change the water regularly to prevent mosquito breeding and bacterial contamination.
Leave snags
Leave snags, which are the trunks of dead trees, in place if they do not create a hazard. Many birds use snags for perching, nesting, and feeding. Snags are often removed from yards or land mistakenly thought of as no longer having value. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A tree’s full life cycle at this point, is far from over.
Manage pets
If you permit pets to harass or kill wildlife, you will only hinder any efforts you make toward attracting wildlife. This is especially true for cats allowed outdoors.
Reduce insecticide use
Each time you apply an insecticide to your landscape, you reduce insect populations, which form an important food source for birds. Some chemicals can also poison birds and other animals that feed on affected insects.
Reduce the amount of mowed lawn area
Unmowed areas can contain more plant species than mowed areas, providing more potential food sources and habitat for wildlife. Reduce the mowed area around your house, especially in low-traffic areas, such as corners of the yard.
Increase vertical layering
Plant a variety of plants in different sizes and heights to provide more cover and feeding opportunities for diverse species of wildlife.
By following the simple tips in this chapter, your Florida-Friendly lawn and garden can become a sanctuary for wildlife, as well as part of a migratory passage between one wild space and another. Animals need to move from place to place, just like people. They have trouble traveling in heavily urban and suburban landscapes, but you can help them by joining your Florida-Friendly yard with others in the neighborhood to create a “natural corridor”—a safe, traversable route between woodlands, wetlands, or other wild areas.
For more specific information, visit the University of Florida/IFAS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_landscaping_for_wildlife or call your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Century Care Center Residents Ring In The New Year
January 1, 2011
The residents at Century Care Center rang in 2011 just a few hours early with a Friday afternoon celebration. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
2010’s Best Photos: October
December 31, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from October.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
(For July and August, click here.)
(For September, click here.)
This was our favorite photo from the football season as this Baker Gator (#80) has a hard time figuring out which way was up as the Gators were defeated by the Chiefs.
Republican candidate Rick Scott campaigns in Molino just days before being elected Florida governor.
Escambia County Deputy Bobby Cook helps maintain a perimeter in the search for a suspect on York Road after shots were reportedly fired at a deputy.
The Tate High School Showband of the South marches past an “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” home in Pensacola.
Escambia County School Board member Gerald Boone uses his cell phone to photograph sparks from a Telsa coil on display during the grand opening of the Ernest Ward Middle School Electrical Academy.
The Century Town Council takes part in the “Purple Glove Dance” to support the American Cancer Society.
A Northview defender plows down a Jay Royal during Friday night football action.
First responders worked for about half an hour to free a man trapped in this Highway 97 crash in October.
Northview High School Dean Gary Mattes kisses a goat during a homecoming pep rally.
A Baker Gator goes down in a JV game against Northview.
Doris and Lawrence Cooper announced in October that they were closing their Cooper’s Grocery in Bratt.
Newly elected Century Town Council member Sandra McMurray Jackson gets a congratulatory hug from Mayor Freddie McCall.
Authorities believe this fire in an abandoned Molino home was arson.
Broccoli and cabbage — fifth grade students at Molino Park Elementary teamed up with the Pensacola Little Theatre to learn about healthy veggies.
2010’s Best Photos: September
December 30, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from September.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
(For July and August, click here.)
These “wedding bales” greeted drivers along Highway 97 in Walnut Hill in September The bride and groom hay bales welcomed guests to a wedding reception at Cook’s Barn.
Above and below: An unoccupied wood home in Atmore during a controlled burn giving area fire departments a training opportunity.
Joseph Daniel Flowers, 56, was charged in connection with the robbery of Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino.
Dy’shun White (#14) gains yardage for the Northview Chiefs in September behind the blocking of Kevin Vaughan (#12).
Jaran Miles heads for an Ernest Ward Middle School touchdown.
Close parking: Firefighters watch as LifeFlight prepares to take off a few yards away.
Year In Review North Escambia’s Biggest Stories Of 2010: September
December 30, 2010
NorthEscambia.com is looking back at 2010 with our “Year in Review” series. Each day this week, we will review the biggest stories of 2010. Today, we take a look at the biggest stories of September.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
(For July and August, click here.)
SEPTEMBER
The Florida High School Athletic Association’s new Rural School Division moved a step closer to reality in September, with the group’s board of directors voting to continue the classification process.
Thieves hit the Century Branch Library, taking outdoor items and even digging up rose bushes.
Former local radio personality Walter John Bowen, 68, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a child under 12.
Breast cancer awareness was the real winner in Bratt as the Northview Chiefs hosted the Flomaton Hurricanes in Dig Pink high school volleyball.
Jarrett Parker of Molino won another kart racing Alabama Maxxis Series State Title in Talladega.
Bratt, Molino Park and Jim Allen elementary schools were among 16 in Escambia County that received the Five Star School Award from the Florida Department of Education.
The Northview Chiefs destroyed the Bozeman Bucks 48-14 in Bratt Friday night to finish September at 3-0.
Several lawmakers are raised a stink over a new law that requires septic tank inspections every five years in Florida.
ECUA voted to raise water and sewer rates eight percent each of the next three years, while residential garbage customers were hit with two percent rate increase each year during the period.
Hundreds of students gathered to pray at their schools in North Escambia during the annual See You at the Pole event.
A new Chinese restaurant for Century was announced.
The Town of Century approved a $3,337,231 for the 2010-2011 fiscal year.
An State Attorney’s Office opinion said a Florida Highway Patrol officer was justified in the shooting death of a Cottage Hill man, Clifton Austin Salter, during a traffic stop in July.
David Johnson of Century was honored for 35 years of service to Escambia County EMS by the Escambia County Commission.
Charles “Randy” Oliver was approved as the new Escambia County administrator.
Joseph Daniel Flowers, 56, was charged in connection with the robbery of Scott’s Pharmacy in Molino. He allegedly wore underwear on his head during the robbery.
Someone was stealing gas from the Town of Century’s shop and then leaving it in a 55-gallon drum at the city park, apparently for anyone in the know to fill up for free. According to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the free gas plot was discovered by Century Mayor Freddie McCall, who was hiding on nearby railroad tracks in an attempt to catch the thief red-handed.
A 39-year old Century woman, Jennifer Leigh Black, was arrested for allegedly throwing an open house party with about two dozen underage teens.
A decade of water woes ended for residents of Backwoods Road in Century as water flowed through a $1.58 million project to improve the Town of Century’s water system in the Backwoods Road, State Line Road and Highway 4A area.
The Town of Century approved the $137,386 purchase of nearly 1,000 new automated water meters to eliminate billing problems and lost revenue.
A grand opening was held in September for the new Dollar General store in Molino.
Ellis Jarel McArthur, now 19, of Bay Minette, Ala., will serve a minimum of 25 years of the 50 year sentence in state prison under the sentenced handed down by Judge Nickolas Geeker.
Dustin Ryan Burkett, a Century volunteer fireman was arrested and charged with sexually abusing an underage girl and with abandoning dogs rescued by the department. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Plans were announced for a group of new industries that could eventually bring up to 500 jobs to the old Alger-Sullivan Lumber complex in Century.
2010’s Best Photos: July, August
December 29, 2010
All this week, we are looking back at some of our favorite and most interesting photos of 2010. Today, we are featuring photos from July and August.
(For January and February, click here.)
(For March and April, click here.)
(For May and June, click here.)
Lightning strikes as thunderstorm rolls toward Molino on an August Sunday afternoon.
A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper looks at a wrecked motorcycle n Bratt as LifeFlight lifts off with the driver.
Michael Aaron Killam of McDavid is given a field sobriety test on a July Sunday morning along Highway 97 in Molino. Charges against Killam are still pending in the case.
A pickup truck crashed into a Highway 29 Tom Thumb, leaving the truck resting on the store’s case of propane tanks.
Summer band practice for the Northview Tribal Beat.
Coach Sid Wheatley looks on during the first day of practice for his Northview Chiefs in what would end as the best season in the history of the school.
An Escambia County Habitat for Humanity home was constructed in Nokomis was constructed by a host of volunteers.
Jimmy Buffet performs during a free concert in Gulf Shores to demonstrate support after the Gulf Oil Spill.
Four people died in, or as a result of their injuries from, a traffic crash at Highway 113 and Highway 31 in Flomaton.
LifeFlight lifts off from Highway 31 in Flomaton. One of the injured persons in the wreck passed away about two weeks later from her injuries.
There were no serious injuries in this crash on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
There were no
Mallory Ryan pitches for the Northwest Escambia All-Stars.