1,000 Take Part In Northview FFA Food For America Program (With Photo Gallery)
March 21, 2009
About 800 elementary school students from nine schools attended the annual “Food for America” program Friday at Northview High School , with about 1,000 people total either attending or working with the program.
The program, sponsored the National FFA Organization and conducted by the Northview FFA, gave the students a chance to learn about agriculture firsthand as they got up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more. The students even had the opportunity to make their own butter and enjoy it on crackers.
The Northview FFA has participated in the program for 14 years, placing second in the state two years ago. Northview has placed in the top five in the state for the last ten years.
Click here for a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery with dozens of pictures from the event.
About 120 FFA students from Northview and Ernest Ward Middle School conducted the program, with about 1,200 people total either attending or working with the program.
Schools scheduled to attend the Food for America program Friday at Northview were Bratt Elementary, Byrneville Elementary, Jim Allen Elementary, Atmore Christian Academy, Jay Elementary, Molino Park Elementary, Century Carver Elementary, Pollard-McCall Elementary, Pensacola Beach Elementary and area home schooled children.
Participants in the FFA’s program included: the Northview FFA, Ernest Ward FFA, North Escambia Beekeepers Association, Escambia River Electrical Cooperative, Young Farmers and Ranchers, Pine Ridge Farms, Florida Division of Forestry, University of Florida-Milton, University of Florida/IFAS Extension, Walnut Hill Volunteer Fire Department, Century Fire Department, Northview 4-H, National Resource Conservation Service, Humane Society, Hendrix Tractor Company, Escambia County Farm Bureau and Stewart’s Grist Mill.
Pictured top: Hundreds of elementary students had the chance to get up close to livestock Friday morning at Northview High School’s annual Food For America program. Pictured middle: Children had the chance to sample fresh strawberries. Pictured below: Students learned about making fresh corn meal. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
A Gator, A Snake And A Turtle Equal Library Fun
March 20, 2009
Flomaton’s Turtle Point Science Center amazed children Thursday afternoon at the Century Branch Library with a collection of small critters. Children had the opportunity to see and touch a snake, turtle and a baby alligator. Next month, the library’s monthly program will feature a much more cuddly creature — the Easter Bunny.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Highland Baptist Kids Klub & Undie Sunday Results
March 19, 2009
The Highland Baptist Church Kids Klub presented the results of their Undies Sunday to the Escambia County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.
Wednesday night, the children presented new underwear, socks and diapers to the women’s committee. The items will presented to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House. The drive at Highland Baptist was organized by Children’s Coordinator Sara Calhoun.
There will also be a donation box at the Molino Farm Bureau office in Molino and Molino Park Elementary School through Monday afternoon.
The Gulf Coast Kid’s House is a center where abused and neglected children receive services from a number of agencies. While the Kid’s House is located in Pensacola and serves all of Escambia County, a fair number of the children served are from our area. Abuse is an issue found in every community, both urban and rural.
For more information, contact Rikki Vidak at 587-4246 or call the Farm Bureau office at 587-2135.
Pictured above: Members of the Kids Klub at Highland Baptist Church presented their Undies Sunday donations for the Gulf Coast Kid’s House during the church’s Wednesday night service. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hundreds Gather To Pray For Local Schools
March 15, 2009
Hundreds of people gathered at Jay High School Saturday afternoon to pray for schools across the area.
The prayer service came about two months after a federal judge issued an order against any prayer or promotion of religion in Santa Rosa County Schools. Saturday’s gathering was not impacted by the judge’s order since it was not a school sanctioned event.
“We are not here for any political reasons,” Pastor William Rushing from Jay First Baptist Church told the crowd. “We are here to pray for our schools.”
After a brief assembly to begin, the faithful gathered in different locations around the school to pray. In the middle of the football field, at doorways into buildings, under walkways — they stood together and raised area schools and students in prayer as a light rain periodically fell.
Two shofars — the Hebrew word for horns — were blown sevens time during the event to change the prayer focus. On the first trumpet blast, people prayed for wisdom for the school board that they might make the right decisions. The second trumpet blast signified a time to pray for teachers, administrators, counselors and support staff.
The third trumpet blast called for prayer for the parents and their service as volunteers to the teachers and activities at school such as PTO, PTA and Parent’s Support Groups. The fourth trumpet began a time of prayer for protection and safety for students. The next trumpet sounding was for prayer for a spirit of excellence in the classroom and athletic events.
The sixth trumpet played for a time of prayer for students to willingly and boldly share the truth of Jesus Christ with their classmates. The final trumpet blast called for conclusion to the event. The hundreds gathered around the school shouted praises and thanksgiving to recognize God’s work in the past and expectations for the future.
The event was dubbed “Sounding the Trumpet, A Call To Prayer” based upon Biblical scripture from Joel 2:1-18 where the prophet Joel uses the sounding of a shofar as a call to the people of Jerusalem to pray.
Over dozen area churches sponsored the event, including Berrydale Baptist, Brownsdale Baptist, Cobbtown Christian, Cobbtown Holiness, Jay First Baptist, Jay Pentacostal, Jay United Methodist, Mt. Carmel United Methodist, Pine Level Baptist and Poplar Dell Baptist Church.
For a complete photo gallery from the service, click here.
This article is part of our new “Hometown People” series, spotlighting people and places from North Escambia, Atmore, Flomaton, Jay and surrounding areas. If you know someone that you would like to see featured on our “Hometown People” series, email news@northescambia.com
Pictured above: Scenes from the prayer service at Jay High School. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Adam’s Story: One Of The Few Deaf Firefighters In US
March 10, 2009
North Santa Rosa County firefighter Adam Bondurant has never really heard a call for help. Deaf and a young man of few words, Adam has spoken volumes about being a volunteer firefighter and community service.
“Grandpa, I’m going to be a firefighter like you when I grow up,” a young Adam would sign to his grandfather when the two would drive by the Munson VFD. Adam was born deaf, so his firefighter dream seemed a bit unlikely. He spent much of his young life in and out of hospitals due to a rare medical condition.
Adam’s family knew that his dream would never become a reality; his family was unsure if he would live into his teen years.
But nobody told Adam. He wanted to be like his grandpa.
Back in 1972, a fire destroyed Munson’s school. That’s when the community knew it was time for their own volunteer fire department.
Albert “Sonny” VonAxelson Jr., who would serve 15 years working his way up to chief of the department, was Adam’s grandpa. VonAxelson and Tommy Grice were the two community leaders behind the formation of the Munson Volunteer Fire Department.
“He has always talked about being a firefighter, and even though we have always pushed and encouraged him, I still keep a reality check on what Adam can actually do. I do not want Adam to ever be a burden or hindrance to anyone or any situation,” Adam’s mother Becky Bondurant said.
At the age of 11, Adam was taken to New Orleans for a surgical procedure where he received a cochlear implant to possibly give him a small chance of hearing some sounds. As a teenager, his speech and vocabulary were limited. He spent all his younger years in private schools, as well as school speech therapy. He also spent many years in physical therapy.
But all along, he still dreamed the dream of being a firefighter.
“If we would have only known that the best therapy Adam could ever receive was one mile from home, life sure would have been easier for all of us,” said mom Becky.
That therapy came from the fulfillment of a dream as Adam became a volunteer with the fire department.
Adam Bondurant, 20, is one of only about 50 deaf certified firefighters in the United States. He recently obtained State of Florida Firefighter One Competency Certification, and he is currently enrolled in the EMT program at Pensacola Junior College.
The lifelong resident of the north Santa Rosa County community of Munson has volunteered with the Munson VFD for about two years.
“I knew that he was very task orientated and organized, so I thought that when he joined the department at the age of 18, he would surely only mow grass or wash the trucks,” mom Becky Bondurant said. “Adam’s whole life was high school and helping with the athletic department. Adam had never had many friendships, and had never been invited to other friend’s homes. Even at church, he was left out.”
But at the fire department, Adam is family.
“He truly has a life of his own within the fire department. His speech and vocabulary has developed so much since he joined. It’s so amazing,” his mom said.
In order to pass the firefighter certification, Adam had to participate in a live burn. He did not tell his mom when he was going so that she would not worry.
“I did not know how hard many of the members were working to see if Adam could physically go into the burn, or if his cochlear implant would melt under the heat. I feel bad that so many people had to do so much leg work to get Adam ready for the live burn,” she said. “I have always taken responsibility for Adam, but he has found friends that he trusts in the fire department. He said he didn’t tell me so that I wouldn’t worry, he knows me well.”
Volunteer firemen are dispatched by pagers that provide information about emergency calls. Adam is unable to hear his pagers. He is able to feel them vibration when he is wearing them. At night, he sleeps with his pagers in the bed with him so he can feel the vibrations and answer calls.
It’s hard to stop Adam.
He hopes to one day work his way up to the assistant chief’s job once held by his grandfather. He hopes to obtain his Firefighter II and EMT certifications, allowing him to get a job as a paid firefighter. He is thinking about getting his paramedic degree.
Adam truly has the heart of a volunteer fireman. On Valentine’s Day he heard a sound he had never heard before — the human heart.
He had purchased a new set of stethoscopes designed for the hearing impaired. His heartbeat was the first that he had ever heard.
“Every day that we spend with Adam is a learning experience. We as a department, are truly blessed to have him on our team,” Trish Baggett, a captain with the Munson VFD, said.
“I have always dreamed of becoming a firefighter since I was a little boy, but people told me that I couldn’t be a firefighter due to my deafness. I hope that I have proven myself. It has been a challenge, but I hope I have earned the respect of others,” Adam said.
“After that statement, I realized that it was us, not Adam, who was handicapped,” Baggett said.
Trish Baggett contributed to this story.
Pictured above and below: Firefighter Adam Bondurant, one of the few deaf certified firefighters in America. Submitted photos by Trish Baggett exclusively for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Educators Name February Students Of the Month
March 9, 2009
Students of the Month have been named in Escambia County for February.
The awards presented to two students from each participating school by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education to spotlight outstanding students.
Students of the month at North Escambia area schools are:
Jim Allen Elementary: Jonas A. Johnson, kindergarten; Kiauna A. Watson, kindergarten;
Molino Park Elementary: Joshua M. Coonrod, kindergarten; Tayler L. Bridges, kindergarten.
Ernest Ward Middle: Anna E. Fischer, seventh grade; Hannah E. Ziglar, eighth grade.Ransom Middle: Naiya R. Valdes, eighth grade; Audrey L. Freeman, eighth grade.
Northview High: Olivia M. Nolen, 11th grade; Patrick R. Garrison, 11th grade.Pictured above: Northview’s Students of the Month for February Patrick R. Garrison and Olivia Nolen. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
Ernest Ward Holds Penny War To Send Two Local Veterans On Honor Flight
March 9, 2009
The students at Ernest Ward Middle School fought a “Penny War” to raise over $2,200 to send two local veterans on an upcoming Emerald Coast Honor Flight.
The Honor Flights take veterans on a one day trip to Washington, D.C. to see the war memorials that stand in their honor.
“We had a lot of fun doing this,” said Ernest Ward teacher Janna Dickey. “And it was for a really good cause. We were honored to be able to raise money to honor two of our local veterans in this way.”
The 10-day “Penny War” was a competition between the 26 EWMS homerooms to collect the most pennies, but their penny count could be “bombed” with dollars and silver coins. The silver coins essential canceled out the pennies. In other words, a $1 bill dropped in a container with 100 pennies would cancel out the pennies for the class total.
“They had a lot of fun doing this. The collection jars were in the cafeteria, and the teachers would make a really big deal out of bombing the penny jar from another class,” Dickey said. “It really added to the competition.”
Mr. Wark’s homeroom raised the most money at $583.22 and was rewarded with a pizza party. The second highest total was Mrs. Spence’s homeroom with $269.03. The most pennies that counted were collected by Mrs. Dickey’s homeroom. Second was Mr. Gindl’s homeroom.
The next Emerald Coast Honor Flight is April 1. The Ernest Ward Middle sponsored veterans from our local area will be on a future flight to be announced at a later date.
If you are a veteran and would like to take an honor flight to Washington, visit www.emeraldcoasthonorflight.com for an application.
Emerald Coast Honor Flight is a non-profit organization honoring America’s veterans for their sacrifices. The program flies our heroes and their guardians from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes counties to Washington, DC, to reflect at their memorials for a one day free visit. Top priority is given to the senior veterans – WW II survivors along with those other veterans that may be terminally ill.
The trip for the veterans is free; it is all paid for by sponsors and supporters.
The “Penny War” to support the Emerald Coast Honor Flight was a project of the Ernest Ward Middle School chapter of the National Junior Honor Society.
Pictured above: Bombs away! Ernest Ward Middle School Principal Nancy Gindl-Perry bombs a class during the school’s Penny Wars to raise money for Emerald Coast Honor Flight. Pictured below: Penny War containers were placed in the cafeteria for 26 homerooms. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photo Gallery: Jay Crowns Miss Cotton Bowl 2009
March 8, 2009
The Miss Cotton 2009 pageant was held Saturday night in Jay.
The annual womanless beauty pageant is sponsored by the Jay Medical Center Relay for Life team. Proceeds from the pageant go to the American Cancer Society.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
Pictured above: Don Ripley, Century Care Center director, as nurse “Anita Cocktail Smith”. Pictured below: Miss Cotton Boll 2009 is crowned. Submitted photos by Mae Hildreth for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Meeting Malcolm: Thomas Pays Surprise Visit To Northview High School
March 7, 2009
For a few minutes Friday morning, Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas was not focused on the 40,000 students in the district, but on Northview High School senior Timeka Marshall and an assigned paper.
“You’ve got to persuade people with what you write,” Thomas told Marshall in the school’s media center. She was working to prove in her paper that television is harmful to people.
“How can you prove that? How can we find information to prove it?” the superintendent asked.
“I’m looking up a lot of facts,” she said. “I’ve got a lot so far.”
Thomas, sitting at a Northview media center table and reading over Marshall’s notes, asked what she planned to do after high school.
“Probation officer,” she responded. “I’ve been accepted to Faulkner State, and I plan to apply to others.”
“Good plan,” Thomas said. “This girl has got it together. I’d be proud to call her my daughter.”
That’s the way Thomas spends many of his mornings…visiting one of the district’s schools or centers. He’s not talking to just the administrators, but to the teachers, staff and the students. Northview made 53 schools he has visited since taking office.
In the school office, he met senior Ashley Snow (pictured left) who works for the school under a cooperative education program. She also works at the Movie Gallery and is looking at a job at the Atmore YMCA.
“Work her hard so she’ll know what the real world is like,” Thomas said.
In the media center, Thomas also met senior Shaquaina Lewis. She was also working on a paper. The subject? Helping mentally ill patients recover without pills.
“They should be able to,” she told the superintendent. “And if they can’t, I’m going to be the one to figure out how to make them recover one day.”
The smile on Thomas’ face was apparent. Later, outside the media center, he said it was students like Lewis that inspired him.
“She has a goal,” he said. “She’s going to do her paper, and if she finds out that it can’t be done, her goal is figure out how to get it done. She has a real future.”
That is Thomas’ goal…to get it done. But in order to meet that goal, he believes his school visits will help understand the way to accomplish his goal of building the best school district that he can.
At each of the schools he visits, he asks at least two teachers or staff members three questions: “How’s your family?” “Do you have the tools you need to get your job done?” and “Give me the name of somebody that has helped you do your job better or has improved the school.”
When he gets home at night, he hand writes those helpful people a thank-you letter and mails it to their homes. He even buys the stamp.
In these days of budget cutbacks, school closures and money, money, money — Thomas is not about to make the district pay for his early morning trips to the schools in the district.
In fact, he won’t let the district pay for any of this travel, whether it be to Northview or Gainesville.
“That’s what you do when you lead,” he said. “In these hard times, you have to lead the way.”
Thomas said the school visits are one of the best parts of his job.
“Everything we do is about the people in the schools,” he said. “I enjoy meeting them face to face.
Pictured top and bottom: Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas helps Northview Senior Timeka Marshall with an assignment. Pictured middle: Thomas meets NHS senior Ashley Snow. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Carver/Century Students Pocket Hundreds Of Dollars In FCAT Cash
March 7, 2009
Carver/Century K-8 held their FCAT Cash Grab Thursday and Friday. Students were awarded dollar coins and $2 bill for their gains on the FCAT practice test.
“Remember the FCAT is next week, and we are going to work to do our best,” Principal Jeff Garthwaite told the students Friday morning. “What level do we want?”
“Three!”
“Four!”
“Five!”
The students around the cafeteria yelled the score they thought they would make on the FCAT.
“Are we going to do our very best next week?” the principal asked.
“Yeah!” the students yelled.
The school handed out almost $400 in their FCAT Cash Grab.
The money for the school’s cash grab was from the Foundation for Excellence in Education, a non-profit corporation committed to enhancing the quality of public education in Escambia County by encouraging innovation and excellence in the classroom.
During Friday morning’s FCAT Cash Grab, third grader Zynaisha Davis, fifth grader Joshua Tyus, third grader Nyk Gransision and fourth grader Markayla Bradley were the randomly chosen students that got to grab as much cash as they could with one hand from a bowl filled with coins.
Click here for more photos from the Carver/Century FCAT Cash Grab.
Pictured above: Fifth grader Joshua Tyus grabs all the money he can during the Carver/Century FCAT Cash Grab Friday morning at the school. NorthEscambia.com photo.