Smith Completes Parris Island Training
April 19, 2015
PFC Cody Dewayne Smith graduated recently after 13 weeks of Marine Corp training at Parris Island, SC. Smith served as a squad leader during his training. He was awarded as an expert in rifle markmanship and was promoted to private first class. Smith is the son of Rex and Theresa Smith of Jay.
Molino Park Presents ‘Alphabet Adventures of Sometimes Y’
April 17, 2015
The first grade classes at Molino Park Elementary School presented “The Alphabet Adventures of Sometimes Y” Thursday night at the school. NorthEscambia.com photos by Kristi Price, click to enlarge.
Tate Students Get Real World Voting Experience
April 16, 2015
Students at Tate High School got a little real world voting experience Wednesday. They voted for class officers and student council officers during lunch, using real ballots and real voting equipment provided by the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Students cast 501 ballots, the Elections Office was able register 21 students to vote in real elections.
Absentee ballots will be available Thursday for students that missed voting on Wednesday, and the winners be announced on Friday.
Tate Juniors also cast ballots for their prom court, king and queen.
Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Bigfoot Monster Truck Visits Local Company That Keeps It Running
April 14, 2015
Bigfoot monster truck “Trick Flow” made a stop by sponsor Alto Products in Atmore Monday afternoon. The truck achieves its superior power from Atmore-made Alto Red Eagle clutches. Alto has provided the transmission clutch plates for the Bigfoot vehicles for the past 15 years.
“The most fun is the kids. I can remember being a little kid and looking up to the truck drivers. When they come up to see the truck and they light up, that just makes my day,” Trick Flow driver Darron Schnell said. He has been a part of the Bigfoot team for seven years.
The truck is also sponsored by Trick Flow, a division of Summitt Racing.
Pictured: Bigfoot monster truck “Trick Flow” at Alto Products in Atmore, where the vehicle’s transmission clutch plates are manufactured. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
April 13, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has named students of the month for March. They are (L-R) Gabrielle Peebles, eighth grade; Destiny Bradley, sixth grade; and Melissa Sunday, seventh grade. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blackman Receives Royal Rangers’ Honor Gold Medal Of Achievement
April 12, 2015
Nicholas Blackman of Cantonment was recently awarded the Royal Rangers’ Honor Gold Medal of Achievement, the group’s highest award.
The Gold Medal of Achievement is awarded upon the completion of the entire Royal Rangers advancement system, representing a full 13 years of work. Recipients of this award must earn the highest award in each age group and meet other criteria.
Commander Ray Carnley presented Nicholas with his Gold Medal of Achievement at Pace Assembly Ministries where Blackman has been a member since birth. Blackman is also a member of Frontiersman Camping Fellowship.
The Royal Rangers program is an activity-based, small group church ministry for boys and young men in grades K-12. The group strives to empowerthe next generation of Christlike men and lifelong servant leaders.
Pictured with Nicholas Blackman are Ray Thompson, district commander; Don Fowler, assistant senior commander; Ray Carnley, advising and recruiting commander; and Terry Bracey, senior commander. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Jay, UWF Hold Relay For Life Events (With Photo Gallery)
April 12, 2015
Hundreds of people took part in Relay for Life events this weekend in Jay and and at the University of West Florida.
At the Jay Relay for Life, there were 13 teams and 80 participants registered to take part in the eight hour event. At last count, the event had raised $25,048 for cancer research, exceeding a $25,000 goal. Top teams going into Saturday’s event were Purple Power and Jay United Methodist Church. For a photo gallery from the Jay event, click here.
The UWF Relay For Life was moved inside the University Commons Great Hall. There were 41 teams and 408 participants registered for the event. The top teams as last count were Alpha Gamma Delta, Pi Kappa Alpha and Mako CrossFit.
A Luminaria ceremony was held at both events as participants remembered friends and loved ones that have lost the battle against cancer and honored those currently fighting cancer.
Other upcoming area Relay for Life events include the Relay for Life of Greater Escambia at Tate High School with 44 registered teams beginning at 11 a.m.. on April 18, and the Relay for Life of Escambia-Atmore at Hertiage Park. beginning at 6 p.m. on April 17, and the Relay for Life of Pensacola with 51 teams at Washington High School on May 8.
Pictured: Jay Relay for Life. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Remember Your Houseplants When Spring Cleaning
April 11, 2015
by UF/IFAS Santa Rosa Extension
Warmer weather signals that spring is here. After months of being cooped up indoors, it’s finally time for gardeners to go dig in the dirt. It’s also time for cooped up house plants to be revitalized.
Locate a shady area for this work. Even if houseplants are to be left out for a short period, after being shut up all winter, leaf damage can occur with only brief exposure to direct sunlight.
First, give the houseplants a bath. Use a soapy solution made of two teaspoons of mild liquid soap mixed with one gallon of water. Wash the leaves and stems, being certain to clean both upper and lower leaf surfaces. Allow the solution to remain on the plants for a few minutes, but rinse it off thoroughly before it is allowed to dry. This not only cleans plants, making them more attractive, but the soap helps to remove aphids, mealybugs and other insects.
Next, see if your plant needs re-potting. Although some plants require being pot-bound in order to flower eventually all plants outgrow their containers and become root- or pot-bound.
Why repot in the spring? Plant roots grow most actively in the spring, which means the plant will be able to quickly overcome the shock associated with re-potting.
When repotting, start with a clean, appropriately sized pot. If you want the plant to grow larger, then you will need to repot it in a larger pot. If you want it to maintain its present size, you’ll have to prune its roots.
In general, the pot size should be increased by only about two inches per re-potting. Therefore, a plant whose root ball is in a six inch pot is normally transplanted to a pot with an eight inch diameter. For some reason, drastic changes in pot size when re-potting seems to be detrimental to some plants.
Watering the plant several hours prior will help you remove the plant more easily. Invert the pot and gently remove the plant by grasping the main stem. Give it a slight tug, and it should slip out of the pot. If it doesn’t, use a butter knife or other flat-bladed tool to loosen the sides of the pot and try again.
Once the plant is free of the pot, take the time to inspect the root system. Look for large, old circular roots which can strangle the plant and prevent much-needed nourishment. Sever or remove these old roots to allow new feeder roots to establish.
To re-pot, first add enough new soil mixture to the bottom of the pot to return the plant to its original depth. After the plant is replaced, fill in the sides with new potting soil.
Use a quality potting mix when re-potting. Gardeners generally rely on commercially available potting soil mixes for growing most types of houseplants. A lot of brands are out there and not all of them are especially good. In particular, avoid heavy, black potting soils. If the bag feels dense and heavy for its size, put it back.
The best potting mixes include vermiculite, bark and perlite in proportions that create a fairly light, loose mix that water penetrates readily but drains rapidly.
If you don’t want to change pots, there is a way of dealing with a pot-bound plant and keeping it in the same size pot. First, remove the plant from the pot and trim off one-quarter to one-third of the lower part of the root ball. Put a layer of fresh potting mix in the bottom of the original container equal to the amount of the root ball removed. Place the plant back in the pot, adding a little more soil around the sides. Water well, and place the plant in a shady location to recover.
House plants would also benefit from fertilization at this time of year. There are many commercial materials available for fertilizing indoor plants. Most are effective and safe if used as directed.
Northview Music Dept. Presents Annual Spring Concert
April 11, 2015
The Northview High School Music Department presented their annual Spring Concert Friday night at the school, featuring the school’s Concert Band, Guitar Ensemble and Vocal Ensemble. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Radio Icon Marty White Retiring
April 9, 2015
Marty White is retiring after 42 years on the air, with 37 of those years on Pensacola radio. As a fixture on Pensacola morning radio, White woke up Pensacola area listeners on 102.7 WXBM’s “Hometown Morning Show” for over 20 years. Over the last year, he co-hosted WXBM’s afternoon drive show with Lindsey Marie, who will remain with the afternoon show.
His final day on the air will be June 26.
White is a native of Pensacola, a Tate High School graduate and a veteran of the United States Air Force. He has driven race cars at 5 Flags Speedway, flown with the Blue Angels, danced atop radio station vans as “Billy Bob” Ace Traffic Reporter and even donned a snakeskin dress with “Dolly Parton” wig and heels at the Beulah Sausage Fest. All in the name of furthering WXBM’s visibility in the market and all with the station’s call letters emblazoned across his signature ball cap.
White has been recognized by countless charitable organizations for his help in promoting various events and endeavors including the annual Kaps for Kids Event for the Ronald McDonald House, which he was a part of for 15 years. He was recognized by Northeast Pensacola Sertoma with the Service to Mankind Humanitarian Award in 2004-2005. He was recently recognized on the floor of Congress for his laudable 40 years on the air. The Honorable Jeff Miller spoke of White’s successes and achievements serving the people of the Pensacola and northwest Florida area.
White has performed diligently throughout his career; always believing the reason the radio station’s tower was erected was to serve the community. He has spent many hours away from his family during threatening storms to ensure the safety of lives and property, keeping listeners informed with his calm and confident style. He spent many more hours and days on the air after those storms ensuring the community would recover, and rendering factual and pertinent information.
Marty White has been the consummate professional– always ready to lend a hand and provide air time when needed. He is recognized as one of the most talented and loved air personalities to have worked in Pensacola radio. He was at times outspoken, always “telling it like it is”. He often said: ” I try to tell it like anyone listening would, given the opportunity to sit behind the mic.”
White said: “I grew up with a radio under my pillow so I guess it was in my blood early. To have worked most of my career in the town where I grew up is really unusual. I have always been grateful for that. I felt like it gave me an edge. Common sense, versatility, doing my homework and going on the air prepared have been the key to staying around as long as I have. You can’t take yourself too seriously. It’s just a radio show. The folks here have been really good to me and my family and for that I will always be extremely grateful. Now it’s time to enjoy life while I am still young enough to do that. I plan to do some fishing, hunting, play a little golf and get some things done around the house. Thanks for listening. I appreciate it.”
Pictured top and bottom: Longtime radio host Marty White on 102.7 WXBM. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
