Another Victory In Local Man’s Crusade To Prevent More Deaths
December 15, 2008
A local man took on the Florida Department of Transportation and won…caution lights are up and the speed limit as lowered at Highway 29 and Byrneville Road. And now, Escambia County has done their part to improved safety at the intersection with the addition of a caution light on Byrneville Road.
Leroy White (left) lost his granddaughter on Thanksgiving day 2005 at the intersection of Byrneville Road/Bluff Springs Road and Highway 29. It’s a tragedy that he says could have been prevented with a traffic signal, and he went on a mission to have the Florida Department of Transportation make some changes.
He was first told “no” by the Florida DOT, and they even denied his public records request for accident data on the intersection.
His crusade include a petition with 450 signatures requesting improvements at the intersection and an August 15 article on NorthEscambia.com.
Tommie Speights, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, said that petition and the news coverage on NorthEscambia.com led the DOT to study the intersection.
Flashing yellow lights have been installed on “intersection ahead” signs both north and southbound as Highway 29 approaches the intersection (pictured left). The Highway 29 speed limit near the intersection was lowered from 65 to 55 mph, Speights said.
And recently, Escambia County installed a flashing caution light warning of the upcoming intersection on Byrneville Road. Brush along the county right of way was also trimmed to make the stop sign more visible.
“Everything we asked for is pretty much done,” White said. “They’ve done pretty much everything we asked for. We just want to thank everybody that had a part in this.”
“Hopefully it will do some good,” White told NorthEscambia.com. “There’s been too many wrecks there. I’m glad they are finally doing something about it.”
Callista LeEtta White died November 27, 2003, at the intersection. She was returning to Pensacola after spending time on Thanksgiving with her family. It was raining, and she approached Highway 29 too fast, apparently not realizing that she was near the intersection. She missed the stop sign and hydroplaned into the path of of a tractor trailer truck on Highway 29 about 7:35 p.m. The 2003 Northview High School graduate died a short time later at West Florida Hospital.
The most recent fatality at the intersection was on June 23 when Carolyn Hightower, 60, of Pensacola died as a result of injuries she sustained in a two vehicle accident there. Her husband, Richard Hightower, 63, was seriously injured in the crash. The Florida Highway Patrol said that Floyd D. Calloway, 65, pulled into the intersection from Bluff Springs into the path of the Hightower’s SUV.
“I just didn’t want to see it happen to another family,” White said.
Pictured top: Escambia County recently installed this flashing light and sign on Byrneville Road to warn drivers that they are approaching the Highway 29 intersection. Pictured middle: The new caution light on Highway 29 looking south toward Byrneville Road.. Pictured below: The accident at the intersection that claimed the life of a Pensacola woman on June 23. NorthEscambia.com photos.
Molino Christmas Parade Celebrates The Season
December 14, 2008
The 6th Annual Molino Christmas Parade was held Saturday afternoon, with a host of local floats and personal Santa Claus visits in the ballpark.
The parade ended the Don Sutton Park, where Alabama Wing House Barbecue was available while children visited with Santa Claus.
All funds raised from parade entry fees, the bake sale and the barbecue meals will benefit needy children in the Molino community, according to Sonja Luker, one of the parade organizers. The guidance counselor at Molino Park Elementary School will assist in choosing Molino area children in need of Christmas gifts.
Donations such as toys and non-perishable foods can be dropped off at Fran’s Diner.
For a complete NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the parade and the ballpark events, click here.
Pictured above: A couple of young “Snowflakes” sing Jingle Bells during the 6th Annual Molino Christmas Parade Saturday afternoon. Pictured inset: Santa hears Christmas wishes. Pictured below: The Highland Baptist Church Kids Klub float. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Blog And Photo Gallery: Winterfest Is Just Plain Cool And Our Local North Escambia “Hero Girl” Was Too
December 13, 2008
Pensacola Winterfest is just plan cool; there’s probably not a better way to put it.
The NorthEscambia.com family loaded up and headed to downtown Pensacola Friday night, eager to take in the sights and sounds of Winterfest and Ernest Ward Middle School’s Angel Mitchell in her “starring” role as the girl in The Polar Express.
For a complete photo gallery from Friday night’s Pensacola Winterfest performance, click here.
There are several Winterfest tour options available. We took the “Performance Tour”. On an old fashioned trolley, we rode the decked out streets of downtown Pensacola to take in 15 performances and scenes that brought back lots of childhood memories and lots of warm fuzzy feelings.
The tour begins at the T.T. Wentworth museum, complete with snow blowing off the building and a round of “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer” with Rudolph himself on the trolley, complete with blinking nose. Then it’s aboard the trolley and around the corner to the Pensacola Historical Museum for some old fashioned carolers. Then there’s a bit of a history lesson about early Christmas in Pensacola and a stop at Pensacola’s very own orange tree.
A block or two away, it was snowing on the street corner as Frosty the Snowman boarded the trolley much to the delight of the young and young at heart on the trip.
The next stop was the highlight of the trip, both in our opinion and of those that visted Winterfest last year. The trolley stops at a railroad crossing as The Polar Express steams its way along, complete with the “hero girl” and “hero boy”. They board the trolley for a song along with the conducter, and, in a scene straight from that wonderful holiday movie, the boy hands out Santa’s bells to everyone.
The “here girl” is portrayed by Angel Mitchell, a student at Ernest Ward Middle School. She sings a delightful song and does North Escambia proud.
The next stop is Seville Quarter, where Elvis boards the bus to sing “Blue Christmas”. (Even though it is in Seville Quarter, everything is family friendly.) The Cat In The Hat boards the trolley for some furry fun, followed by that green Dr. Sueus character The Grinch as the tour stops by Whoville.
Angels board the trolley next for a few moving verses of “Silent Night” as you sit before a living nativity scene. Kudos to Winterfest for including the nativity scene. Then, in front of the Escambia County Courthouse, a snowy scene from the movie “White Christmas” is acted out as the movie cameras roll. The tour ends with the big red guy himself, Santa Claus, in Plaza Ferdinand.
Our overall impression? Wow! It was like being in the middle of an NBC holiday special. The actors, the scenery and props, the entire production was top notch. It was magical time for both the very young and the very old at heart. It was one of the best Christmas fun things we’ve ever done with our kids; we made some good memories that we’ll be talking about for a long time. The kids were excited to text their friends that they had seen Rudolph, Santa, Frosty and Elvis.
There are several Winterfest tour options, ranging from the performance tour like we described above, to a walking tour. Whatever you choose, it would be well worth a little time out of your busy Christmas schedule to check out the magic of Pensacola Winterfest.
NorthEscambia.com has been giving way tickets to Winterfest all week, and have more to give away. Click here for more information and to register to win.
For more information on Winterfest, visit www.pensacolawinterfest.org.
Pictured above: Ernest Ward Middle School student Angel Mitchell portrays the “hero girl” from the movie The Polar Express at Pensacola Winterfest Friday night. Pictured below: The Grinch hops on board the trolley at a stop in “Whoville”. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Northview’s Halteman Named To County All-Star Band
December 11, 2008
A Northview High School band standout has been named to the county’s honor band.
Briana Halteman was named as a flute player for the Escambia County School District’s All-County High School Honor Band for 2008-2009. She was the only Northview Tribal Breat member named to the band.
“I am excited that I made All-County Band since it is my senior year, and am really looking forward to this experience,” Halteman said.
Halteman current serves as the Northview Tribal Beat’s Drum Major (pictured left, click to enlarge).
Students were selected based upon auditions conducted by all District high school band directors earlier this week at Escambia High School.
The Escambia All-County Band will perform January 27 at 7 p.m. at the Pensacola High School Auditorium.
The complete list of band players and their instruments is below.
Northview High School
Briana Halteman, flute.
Tate High School
Rachael Cotton, flute; Leslie Ann Godwin, flute; Caitlin Boutwell, flute; Brianna Latourelle, flute; Samantha Bell, flute; Stephanie Bruce, oboe; Courtney Bonucchi, clarinet; Jill Wilson, clarinet; Alyssa Jackson, clarinet; Denise Rivers, clarinet; Avery Cobb, clarinet; Sarah Barlow, clarinet; Leigh Wisdom, clarinet; Miranda Crider, bass clarinet; Ashley Phillips, bassoon; Randi Silcox, bassoon; Steven Triplett, alto saxophone; Matthew Cassady, alto saxophone; Daeshen Smith, alto saxophone; Chris Hester, trumpet; Ben Carmichael, trumpet; Chris Snyder, trumpet; Kellie Gindl, trumpet; Michael Dobbs, trumpet; Michael Hall, trumpet; Jacob Dearrington, trumpet; Joey Hicks, trumpet; Andrew Fairbanks, French horn; Emily Creahan, French horn; Amanda Heathcoe, French horn; Jackson Willis, trombone; Matt Warren, trombone; Blane Pinney, trombone; Samantha Bruce, baritone; Jakob Wisdom, baritone; Ben Pement, baritone; Jordan Gutierrez, baritone; John Hassell, tuba; Eli Cawthon, tuba.
Pine Forest High School
Jessica Courtney, flute; Danielle Upman, clarinet; Hanna Moulder, clarinet; Joseph Wright, tuba.
Washington High School
Sasha Tittel, flute; LaKrista Battle, flute; Jeremy Watson, clarinet; Monique Starke, clarinet; Christina Ferguson, clarinet; Miriam Bellamy, clarinet; Jessica Harris, clarinet; Wilson Virgilio, bassoon; Raymond Spencer, tenor saxophone; Scotty Poyner, baritone saxophone; James Westmark, trumpet; Daniel Campbell, trumpet; Colin Mitchell, trumpet; Kalee Burns, trombone; Lindsey Harris, tuba; Brandon Spencer, tuba; Eric Kyles, tuba; Tevin Purifoy, tuba.
Pensacola High School
Dosom Bae, flute; Eileen Morse, baritone saxophone.
Escambia High School
Janae Baptiste, flute; Ralf Romero, flute; Hannah Bergstrom, flute; Katelin Greene, flute; Jovy Carambas, flute; Mary Murphy, oboe; Alehna Crowe, clarinet; Megan Beebe, clarinet; Chierstie Braas, clarinet; Allison Kane, clarinet; Lauren Burns, clarinet; Ashley Vanstraten, clarinet; Angelita Moore, clarinet; Nicole Samuels, clarinet and bass clarinet; Erica Thornton, bass clarinet; Ellie Margedant, contra clarinet; Bryson Viquelia, contra clarinet; Brandon Ramsey, alto saxophone; Mitchell Green, alto saxophone; Zack Blessing, alto saxophone; Larry Hughes, tenor saxophone; Richard Shasteen, tenor saxophone; Drew Pritchard, trumpet; Chris Polk, trumpet; Joel Everette, trumpet; Taylor Vanstraten, trumpet; Colin Slavin, trumpet; Kevin Unruh, French horn; Dontye’ Johnson, French horn, Jessica Dennis, French horn; Stephen French, trombone; Brendan Landrum, trombone; Steven Saul, trombone; Westin Giles, baritone; Ryan Ludvik, tuba; Dalton Dennis, tuba; Alex Berg, mallets; Jeff Cutaio, mallets; Dimitri Baptiste, mallets; Randall Massey, mallets; DeJarvea Bryant, percussion; Nicholas Berg, percussion.
Home-school
Kyle Hansen, French horn.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
December 11, 2008
Ernest Ward Middle School recently named their students of the month for November. They are (L-R) Ashlynn Clemmons, Lily Townson, Harold Harrison and Austin Cunningham. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com.
North Escambia Area Now Appears On Google Maps Street View
December 10, 2008
Google has expanded their Street View service to provide 360 degree ground level photos on their Google Maps service.
What exactly is Street View? It is exactly that, a street level panorama view from a large number of public roads in North Escambia, along with all of the surrounding communities. With Google Maps, you can view a map of your house and a satellite view of it from space. Now, with Street View, you can view an actual photo of your house and turn around 360 degrees in your front yard.
The inclusion of North Escambia was part of a major addition of cities, towns and rural areas to Street View on Tuesday.
“With just 22 days left in the year, I can’t help but think back to where Street View was at the beginning of 2008. At that time, we had imagery for 23 cities in the United States, and we had just released embeddable panoramas. Although Street View was still in its infancy, we were excited about the user feedback we had gotten and the creative uses we were seeing,” Google Product Manager Stephen Chau wrote in the official Google Blog.
“So we started 2008 with a clear, simple goal: bring Street View to more people in more places. Every time we add imagery for a new city or town, we’re not just benefiting its citizens, who now can preview their driving route or check for parking meters outside their dentist’s office, but anyone traveling to that place or teaching about it or simply curious to see more of the world,” Chau wrote.
It appears that the Google Street View photos in an around North Escambia were taken in the last half of February or the first half of March 2008. We based that conclusion on a few clues:
- There were no leaves on the trees.
- There were no Christmas decorations is Atmore, Flomaton or Century.
- The movie being show at the theater in Atmore was not released until February 14, 2008.
- The gas pumps at the Tom Thumb in Molino are missing; they were replaced in the last half of February 2008.
We did find a several roads in North Escambia that were not photographed by Google, but some of the most remote locations in the area were included.
To try Google Street View for yourself, visit maps.google.com
If you find something interesting in Google Street View around the area, let us know about it in the comments section below. You can click the “link” button in street view and paste a link to your interesting find below.
Pictured above: The Google Street View of the library and town hall in Century. Pictured below: In this Google Street View photo looking toward the Highway 29 and Highway 97 intersection in Molino, you can see a shadow of the vehicle used to take the photos. Note the pole with camera on top. You can also see to people out for a morning walk that were captured by the Street View cameras.
Escambia County Bank Makes Christmas Contribution To Century Care Center
December 10, 2008
Pictured above: The Escambia County Bank in Flomaton recently made a donation to the Century Care Center to help fund the center’s annual Christmas party. Pictured above: J.R. Jones (left), president of the Escambia County Bank, presents the check to Don Ripley, Century Care Center administrator. Pictured below: Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant visits with Santa Clausduring the bank’s annual Customer Appreciation Day. Pictured bottom: More pictures from the Escambia County Bank Customer Appreciation Day. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com.
Cunningbells Perform At Century Care Center
December 8, 2008
Pictured above and below:: Accomplished handbell group the Cunningbells performed Christmas favorites at the Century Care Center Sunday afternoon. The group performed such songs as “Go Tell It On The Mountain”, “Jingle Bells” and more to the delight of Century Care residents. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
The Moorer Place, A 35 Acre Retreat, Is Dedicated
December 8, 2008
A 35 acre Christian retreat in Century that could eventually include a worship and prayer center was dedicated Sunday afternoon.
Paul Davidson of Cantonment has purchased 35 acres at the end of McCall Road for the retreat they plan to call The Moorer Place in memory of Paul’s late grandfather. Davidson’s grandfather, the late Paul Nelson Moorer of Forest Home, Ala., was born December 8, 1908.
“100 years later,” Davidson said, “he imparted his love of the land into my life.”
“I felt the land needed to be not only preserved,” he said, ” but preserved for God.”
The 35 acres adjoins the Lake Stone property and offers a scenic view of the lake and dam.
“God put this on our hearts at the first of the year,” Paul Davidson said. “He has really put Century on our hearts through prayer.”
The property was purchased from current owner Carolyn Thompson, but it is actually the home place that once belong to Century Mayor Freddie McCall’s grandfather. “It’s a generation to generation thing,” Davidson said.
“I’m glad to see the property being used for good now,” McCall said. He offered memories of moving to the property in elementary school and even logging the land as a teen with a mule cart.
In recent years, McCall said, a meth lab was found in a barn on the property.
“I think God they got this place to turn it around,” McCall told just over 50 people at the ceremony.
The property currently has only a small house and a barn. Those will be ready after the first of the year as a “place where people can come and relax and enjoy Christian fellowship,” Davidson said. The center is not planned as a church, but as an a place to “strengthen other churches”.
“We will see what God has in store for it,” Davidson said, adding that there is no set timetable for the construction of the worship and prayer center.
For a photo gallery from the dedication, click here.
Pictured above: People look toward Stone Lake from The Moorer Place as the sun begins to set Sunday afternoon. Pictured inset: Ken Malone of Forerunner Ministries offers a prayer over the facility. Pictured below: Century Mayor Freddie McCall (lef) offers memories of growing up on the property while new owner Paul Davidson looks on. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Youth Leader A Winner In Radio Station’s Toby Mac Contest
December 7, 2008
A youth leader from Victory Assembly of God in Molino was one of a dozen winners of tickets and “meet and greet” passes for a Toby Mac concert in Mobile Sunday night.
Youth Pastor Jenny Miller and her husband Sean Miller won two tickets and the “meet and greet” passes from Power 88 radio in Mobile. They were nominated by Victory youth member Kayla Miles.
Sunday night’s concert featured contemporary Christian artists Toby Mac, Relient K and Family Force 5 at the Mobile Civic Center.
A portion of the email that Kayla wrote to Power 88 nominating Jenny Miller for the tickets is below.
Hi my name is Kayla Miles and I would like to nominate my Youth Pastor for
the contest.Her name is Jenny Miller and her husband Sean Miller they have been married
for a year and to me they are like another set of parents. I can tell them
anything and they will listen, not turn their backs.They came about a year and a half ago around my birthday I was very excited
when we got new youth pastors because some awkward things had been going on
in our church.We attend Victory Assembly of God in Molino, Florida. The youth group name
is Impact Student Ministries.
Pictured above: Sean (L) and Jenny Miller from Victory Assembly of God in Molino.