Hospital Employee Named A ‘Legend’ For Helping Others
March 3, 2010
Baptist Health Care has recognized employees who go above and beyond to improve the quality of life for people in the communities served by the organization, including an employee at Atmore Community Hospital.
The health care company recently honored the employees as part of the their “Legends” program.
Rosa Davis is a dietary aid and cook in the food services department at Atmore Community Hospital.
Davis is a woman of small stature, but has a big heart and strong commitment to helping many people in her community through some challenging situations.
When one neighbor’s home was destroyed by fire, Davis immediately offered her home as a source of shelter. She gathered clothes, food and necessary household items to help comfort and support the family. A few weeks later, one of the family members suddenly became ill. The family did not have the resources to get a much-needed prescription filled, so Davis went to the drug store, purchased the medication and delivered it to the family.
When Davis got news that another neighbor was unable to pay her electric bill, Rosa paid the bill and the power was returned to her neighbor’s home.
Lastly, Davis’ brother had to leave his home when it became flooded with more than a foot of water. Again, Davis was on the scene with food for the family. She arrived with cleaning supplies, too, and went to work putting the house back to order. Davis also serves the community-at-large through local churches.
“Rosa Davis has helped many people in her community through some challenging situations,” said Donna Rogers, director of food services. “Rosa…stands out as a Legend to all of the staff at Atmore Community Hospital.”
Other area Baptist employees nominated for “Legends” status included Stephanie Bain, a nurse manager in the operating room at Jay Hospital and Darren Flott, director of cardiopulmonary services at Atmore Community Hospital.
Pictured: Rosa Davis of Atmore Community Hospital, a Baptist Health Care “Legend”. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Making History: Molino Park Students Recognized At County History Fair
March 3, 2010
Several Molino Park Elementary School students were recognized during the recent Escambia County History Fair.
“We were so proud of our students,” said Ester Robinson, fourth grade teacher. “All of our 4th grade students participating in the History Fair worked hard on their projects.”
The following Molino Park Elementary School students were recognized:
Elementary Individual Exhibits
- 2nd Place Kyle Lovell (Garrett Morgan Project)
- Honorable Mention: Hunter Rogers (Jackie Robinson Project)
African American Heritage Awards, Individual Elementary
- 1st Place: Kyle Lovell
- 2nd Place: Carson Lowery
- 3rd Place: Hunter Rogers
African American Heritage Awards, Group Elementary
- Sabra Stewart & Devin Abrams (African American Women: Seeds of Greatness Project)
The Holly Benson Women’s History Award
- Elementary: Carson Lowery (Harriet Tubman Project)
Historical Exhibit Awards: Elementary
- 2nd Place: Kyle Lovell
Escambia County Council of PTA/PTSA Awards
- Sabra Stewart
- Devin Abrams
T. T. Wentworth Museum Best in Show Awards
- Kyle Lovell
- Hunter Rogers
Pictured: Molino Park Students participating in the recent Escambia County History Fair were: (front L-R) Devin Abrams and Sabra Stewart; (back L-R) Kyle Lovell, Carson Lowery, Hunter Rogers, and Ali Carter. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Of The Month Named
March 2, 2010
Escambia County Students of the Month for February have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two students from participating schools.
The following students were named from North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt: Kendrell B. Lowery, third grade; Jaylee S. Redmond, kindergarten.
- Jim Allen: Hunter L. Myrick, kindergarten; Kendall E. Newton, kindergarten.
- Molino Park: Reagan G. Daniels, kindergarten; Jaden I. Lewis, kindergarten.
- Ernest Ward: Kelton J. Wooten, seventh grade; Kyle A. Wood, eighth grade.
- Ransom: Britton S. Dunn, eighth grade; Anna M. Del Gallo, eighth grade.
- Northview: Jessica N. Bloodsworth, senior; Seth M. Leonard, senior.
- Tate: Amy E. Sapp, freshman; Tyler D. Emmons, senior.
Pictured top: Seth Leonard and Jessica Bloodsworth, Northview High School’s Students of the Month for February. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Students Awarded At History Fair
March 1, 2010
Several Ernest Ward Middle School students received awards Saturday for their National History Day projects in a district competition in Pensacola. Victoria Wright’s “Barcode” project won a NSDAR Excellence in History Award, and she received Honorable Mention in the county competition. She also received a T.T. Wentworth Museum Best in Show Award given by West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc.
Courtney Solari’s “Cotton Gin” project won third place in the African American Heritage Awards given by the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
Samantha Barrow and Tamara Green’s “Women’s Suffrage” project won a Holly Benson Women’s History Award and they also received $50 each for their win.
“I was very proud of all of our students,” said Ernest Ward geography teacher Laura Chavers.
The top seven projects from a Ernest Ward History Fair headed to the district competition. EWMS students were required to do research into a topic on the theme Innovation in History: Impact and Change. The research was presented in exhibit form, much like the typical science fair. Students complete projects either individually or in teams of two.
Pictured top: Tamara Green (left) and Samantha Barrow – Womens Suffrage. Pictured below: Courtney Solari – The Cotton Gin: Increasing Cotton Production and Slavery. Pictured bottom: Victoria Wright — Barcodes. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers Reach Out To Grocery Shoppers
March 1, 2010
The EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers recently worked over the weekend to educate Pensacola residents about the economic value, diversity, and importance of agriculture in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
The group set up an informational display outside of Apple Market Grocery on Scenic Highway in Pensacola. Store owner David Apple, known for his support of local products, generously allowed the group to continue to spread the message about agriculture.
Over a six hour period, the EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers introduced more than 100 people to our counties’ rich agricultural heritage and focusing on the positives of agriculture. Dorothy Lee, Escambia County Family and Consumer Science agent, developed a “Grocery Shopping List and Tips” to help people stretch their food dollar, while other members of the group tempted passersby with peanuts, “Test your Ag Knowledge game”, “I met a Farmer” stickers, and hosts of other goodies.
EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers display was in partnership with UF IFAS Escambia County Extension and Escambia County Natural Resource Conservation Division, and it was made possible by the generous donations of the Escambia County Farm Bureau and Farm Credit of Northwest Florida.
Pictured top: (L-R) Jacob Gilmore, Young Farmers and Ranchers member from Gizmo Angus Farm; Debbie Williams, Escambia County Natural Resource and Conservation Division; Abbie Rolph Young Farmers and Ranchers chairwoman; and Dorothy Lee, UF IFAS Escambia County Family and Consumer Science agent. Pictured below: Tab Jernigan, Andrea Byars, and an agricultural enthusiast pose for the camera. Pictured bottom: Abbie Rolph, Debbie Williams, Cheyenne Gibbs, and Jacob Gilmore smile for the camera during a brief lull from visitors. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Turning Brown: How To Help Your Palm Recover From The Cold
February 28, 2010
Many varieties of palms across the North Escambia area are brown and sometimes even dead in appearance following our extremely cold weather. Drs. Monica Elliott and Tim Broschat from the University of Florida provide the following tips on how to cope with damaged palms.
Patience is essential with cold-damaged palms! If the palm leaf has any green tissue remaining, the leaf should not be removed until later in the year. Leaving damaged leaves on the palm during the remainder of the winter may actually help the palm survive future cold events. Once the palm has produced substantial new growth (2 to 3 new leaves), damaged leaf tissue can then be removed.
All new leaves of a palm develop from the apical meristem or bud located in the crown of the plant. It is the bud that really needs to be protected. Leaf bases naturally provide insulating protection to the bud. This natural protection is one reason not to over trim palms at any time of the year.
As warmer weather returns, primary or secondary plant pathogens often attack stressed plants through the cold damaged tissue. Copper fungicides are recommended as an attempt (not a guarantee) to protect the bud and developing leaves from diseases that may attack damaged leaf tissue. There is no research to confirm if this is effective or not. The recommendation is based on what has been observed regarding cold damage to palms and knowledge of fungicides. In most situations, it is the base of the spear leaf not yet emerged from the whorl of leaf bases that is damaged first, leading to a spear rot, which may then lead to a bud rot. Thus, the goal of a copper fungicide is to prevent this spear rot from developing into a bud rot that kills the bud, and thus the palm.
Copper fungicides are recommended over all other group of fungicides because they have broad activity against both bacteria and fungi. No other fungicides have this broad spectrum of activity. You must have complete coverage of the target tissue to be effective – in this case, the base of the spear leaf and the bud. This is more difficult to accomplish in some palm species than others, particularly those with crown shafts, because the leaf bases tightly surround the emerging spear leaf, preventing movement of a fungicide into the bud region.
If the spear leaf does rot and can be easily pulled from the bud, it should be removed immediately, followed by a copper fungicide spray or drench of the bud region, which is now exposed.
The normal recommendation is to apply the copper fungicides no more than twice because of the possibility of copper phytotoxicity. If it is believed that more chemical protection of the bud is needed after the copper fungicides have been applied, a broad-spectrum contact fungicide may be beneficial.
You will not know if the palm has survived the cold until new growth emerges, which may be 4 to 7 months later. Hence, the need for patience! The new growth may be severely malformed or damaged, but the emergence of any living leaf tissue is a sign the palm is alive. Subsequence leaves will gradually improve in quality, but it may take as long as a year before normal leaves emerge.
Escambia Farm Bureau Marks Annual Food Check-Out Week
February 27, 2010
The Escambia County Farm Bureau recently celebrated Food Check-Out Week, the week into the new year where the average household will have earned enough to pay for its food for a year.
The average cost of food in America remains affordable overall. According to the most recent information from the Agriculture Department’s (USDA’s) Economic Research Service, American families and individuals spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their disposable personal income for food.
With the continuing economic squeeze, many Americans are concerned that the cost of a healthy diet is out of reach. However, according to an Agriculture Department study, the cost of eating healthy has not changed as much as less-healthy alternatives. But eating healthy food within a budget does require smart shopping.
Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week is devoted to helping teach Americans how to stretch their grocery dollars with healthy, nutritious food. America’s farmers and ranchers are committed to producing safe, healthy and abundant food. And they share a common concern with consumers when it comes to putting nutritious meals on a table while sticking to a tight budget. U.S. consumers still spent under 10 per cent of their disposable income on food according to the latest USDA data. Consumers in other countries spend much more: France- 14 percent; Japan-15 percent; China-35 percent; Philippines-37 percent and Indonesia- 46 percent.
A recent USDA report favorably supports the economics of healthier eating. Recent food price data show that prices for unprepared, readily available fresh fruit and vegetables have remained stable relative to dessert and snack foods, such as chips, ice cream and cola. Therefore, as defined by foods in the study, the price of a “healthier” diet has not changed compared to an “unhealthy” diet.
Farm Bureau’s Food Check-Out Week is aimed at helping American consumers learn how to shop effectively to put nutritious meals on the table with fewer dollars.
“Learning to use your grocery dollars wisely ensures that nutrition isn’t neglected,” according Dorothy Cunningham of Escambia Farm Bureau Women’s Committee. “Fruits and vegetables – along with whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, beans, eggs and nuts – are an important part of a healthy diet. Buying fresh produce when it is in season and costs less, while buying frozen fruits and vegetables when they are not in season, is a smart way to stretch that dollar.”
Here are some tips that consumers can follow to help stretch their food dollars :
Plan ahead before going to the grocery store. Make a list of the foods you want to serve during the next week. Check your newspaper for grocery store ads and coupons. Stick to your list. Do not go to the cookie or snack aisle if you don’t “ need” to. Shop the perimeter of the store. Produce, dairy products and meat are generally found on those outside walls. A tip for keeping produce fresh longer is to store it in a perforated plastic bag. This stops condensation and shriveling. Make holes in a plastic bag with a paper punch, knife or another sharp object about six inches apart all over the bag. When you get home, immediately store any fresh or frozen products especially meat.
For more specific information on nutrition , meal planning and food preparation, contact a registered dietitian.
‘Golden Cow Dung Award’ Presented To Ernest Ward Teacher
February 27, 2010
Ernest Ward Middle School Family & Consumer Science teacher Kathy Ellis received the second annual “Golden Cow Dung Award” by members of the Ernest Ward FFA. The award featured a large piece of cow dung, painted a golden color.
(Cow dung, in case you did not know, is what you are probably thinking it is. It’s that natural byproduct that cows drop in the field.)
Ellis received the award from the school’s FFA members as a “thank you” for supporting FFA.
Friday wrapped up National FFA Week at Ernest Ward. “Lead Out Loud” was the theme of National FFA Week this year as more than half a million members around the nation participated in National FFA Week activities at the local and state levels.
EWMS FFA sponsor Cynthia Wilson said the group wanted to thank Ellis for her continued support of the organization. She also said she wanted to thank the area farmers and other member of the agricultural community that support the FFA.
Pictured above: (L-R) Anna Donald, FFA vice-president; Jerah Parker, sentinal; Kathy Ellis, winner of the “Golden Cow Dung Award”; Courtney Solari, president; Courtney Jones, secretary; Layne Purvis, chaplain; Jeremy Stacey, reporter; Cindy Wilson, advisor. Pictured below: Ellis with her golden award. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Who Has Northview’s Dirtiest Truck?
February 26, 2010
There’s dirty, and then there’s really dirty. And really dirty barely begins to describe several of the pickup trucks at Northview High School Thursday.
As part of FFA week activities at the school, the group held a school-wide “Dirty Truck Contest”. The Dirtiest Truck Award went to Gavin Hinote.
An entry fee was charged, with all proceeds going toward the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life.
For more dirty truck photos, click here.
Pictured top: A dirty truck. Pictured below: (L-R) Allie Vidak, Dirty Truck winner Gavin Hinote, Brandon Chambless and Ryan Busbee. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Pharmacist Continues $2 Bill Stimulus Program Handing Cash To Seniors
February 25, 2010
Area pharmacist Danny Cottrell is at it again, working to teach a valuable lesson and stimulate the local economy with $2 bills.
Tuesday, Cottrell handed out envelopes containing $30 in $2 bills to the seniors at T.R. Miller and W.S. Neal High Schools in Brewton. The money came with strings attached — spend the money locally, spend or give a portion — $6 of the bounty — to charity, and for each student to explain to their parents where the money came from and why.
It’s not the first time that Cottrell has handed out the $2 bills in his own stimulus program. He was in good company for his good deeds after being nominated for one of Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring People of the Year.
Cottrell, owner of pharmacies in Atmore and Brewton, was on a list that includes actor Michael J. Fox and Capt. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot that successfully landed his plan in the Hudson River after an engine failure. Cottrell did not win the Beliefnet contest.
Last year, Cottrell gave each pharmacy employee a bonus — $700 for full-time and $350 for part-timers — with a catch. Each employee was required to give 15 percent to a charity or someone in need. The rest of the money, about $16,000, had to be spent one $2 bill at a time at local businesses.
Cottrell’s economic stimulus plan made the news across the country, including the NBC Nightly News (see video below). Since the $2 bills begin to circulate in March, other businesses across the country have followed with similar plans of their own. In fact, www.peoplesstimulus.org, a web site inspired by Cottrell’s $2 bill plan, has tracked over $202,000 in people’s stimulus dollars inspired by a man with plans to help his local communities.
To read Cottrell’s story and his Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring People of the Year nomination, click here.
Pictured above: Pharmacist Danny Cottrell was nominated as one of Beliefnet’s Most Inspiring People of the Year. Courtesy Beliefnet.com for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Below, Cottrell’s story on the NBC Nightly News.