Photos: USMC Battle Color Detachment, Silent Drill Team
March 20, 2015
The United States Marine Corps Battle Color Detachment performed Thursday at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The detachment The USMC BCD is comprised of the official Color Guard of the Marine Corps, the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps (“The Commandant’s Own”) and the Silent Drill Platoon.
Photos courtesy NAS Pensacola Public Affairs for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Angels Back Home (With Photo Gallery)
March 19, 2015
The Blue Angels were back home Wednesday at the National Museum of Naval Aviation where an estimated 10,000 fans were on hand.
If you missed the practice, don’t worry. There are about four dozen more, usually on Tuesday and Wednesday morning through November. Check the schedule for exact dates and times.
The 2015 Pensacola Beach Air Show is July 11, and the Blue’s Homecoming Show at NAS Pensacola is November 6-7.
Pictured: The Blue Angels first practice of the year Wednesday at NAS Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com photos by Ditto Gorme, click to enlarge.
Jay, Northview Students Chosen For Washington Youth Tour
March 18, 2015
Olivia Britt of Jay High School and Morgan Wiggins of Northview High School have been name winners of the Escambia River Electric Cooperative 2015 Youth Tour to Washington contest.
Judges from PowerSouth Energy Cooperative in Andalusia, AL, and Southern Pine Electric Cooperative in Brewton, AL, scored contestants in their interviews based on their knowledge of Escambia River Electric Cooperative and the history of rural electrification. Personal attributes of each candidate such as character, academic ability, personality and leadership skills were also considered.
Britt and Wiggins will represent EREC on the Washington Youth Tour in June. They will also have the chance to see the sites, learn about the nation’s capital, rural electrification and more.
The Blues Are Back
March 17, 2015
The boys are back in town….the Blue Angels are back home in Pensacola after being gone for three months. The Blue Angels 2015 Pensacola Beach Air Show is set for July 11. Pictured above: Captain Tom Frosch calls “Smoke on” as the Blues fly over Pensacola Beach. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Students Represent Czech Republic At Model UN Conference
March 17, 2015
Four Northview High School students recently took part in the 36th annual Florida High Schools Model United Nations conference in Orlando.
The high school conference was modeled after real debate and United Nations actions and programs.
Northview students Madison Weber, Hadley Woodfin, Carly Ward, and Moriah McGahan , under the leadership of teacher Anna Barry, represented the assigned country of the Czech Republic. They learned about the government, history, current problems and other important subjects within the Czech Republic.
Students were provided with topics to debate with representatives of other countries to formulate a resolution paper to solve the problem in a way beneficial to their represented country. There were a total of 21 countries represented by 242 delegates at the conference.
Northview’s Model UN team participated in several committees — NATO, United Nations Environment Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Te team was recognized as an honorable delegation.
Last year, Northview became the first Escambia County public school to participate in a Florida High Schools Model United Nations conference.
Pictured top: Northview Model UN participants (L-R) Madison Weber, Hadley Woodfin, Carly Ward, and Moriah McGahan. Pictured below: The team is recognized as an honorable delegation in Orlando. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Names Students Of The Month
March 16, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School has named their Students of the Month for February. They are (L-R) Arianna Rudd, Austin Smith and Sarah Brooks. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Branden Penegar Memorial Car Show Held (With Gallery)
March 15, 2015
The second annual Branden Penegar Memorial Car Show was held Saturday at the Gonzalez United Methodist Church on Pauline Street in Cantonment. Penegar, the “Gentle Giant” was a 2011 graduate of Tate High School, an assistant coach for the freshman Aggies’ football program and varsity tennis team, and a member of the Tate High School Student Hall of Fame. He passed away in March 2013 at the age of 20.
Penegar was a active member of the Gonzalez United Methodist Church and youth program.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Viewpoint: The Day That Alice Cooper Came To Church
March 15, 2015
Written by Barry Howard, senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.
On President’s Day weekend, one of those long weekends when “School’s Out,” Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Damon Furnier, better known as Alice Cooper and his wife Sheryl, joined us for worship at First Baptist Pensacola, unannounced. In fact, there was a pretty big crowd that day and I didn’t even notice that they were in the congregation.
An extraordinarily large number of middle school and high school students were seated together, front and center, in colored “Wise Up!” tee shirts as our worship time served as a grand conclusion to Disciple Now Weekend, a huge event devoted to equipping and instructing teens to make “wise” life choices. The atmosphere in the service was charged with energy and encouragement. And one of the most popular rock musicians in history was in the crowd, somewhat anonymously.
A few hours after the service I happened to notice a few social media posts from members who “wished they could have met Mr. and Mrs. Alice Cooper at church today.” At first I assumed that they had seen someone in our service who resembled Alice Cooper. However, I became a little more curious when one of our ministers reported, “Alice Cooper and his wife came out my door and shook my hand.” And on Monday I confirmed that Alice Cooper was indeed in Pensacola, had dined at one of our excellent seafood restaurants, had played golf at our top notch Country Club, and had joined our church family for worship.
Why was Alice Cooper in our worship service? And how should a church react when such a well-known celebrity comes to church? Although I wasn’t ever a huge Alice Cooper fan, I recalled reading a story or two about Alice Cooper’s Christian faith, testimonials similar to those of Bono and Ringo Starr. After discovering that the Coopers had joined us for worship, I revisited a few of those stories and even watched a video of his testimony on YouTube. I learned that Cooper teaches Sunday School on occasion at his local church, and that he frequently attends worship services and Bible study gatherings while he is on the road.
Both Cooper and his wife were raised in Christian families. In one interview, Cooper said, “I grew up in a Christian house. My dad was a pastor, he was an evangelist for 25 years, and I used to go up and do missionary work with him with the Apaches in Arizona. My grandfather was a pastor for 75 years. I grew up in a Christian home. And my wife’s father is a Baptist pastor. So, I was like, we were PK’s – preacher’s kids – so we married each other.”
After some prodigal years early in his career, Cooper said he stopped drinking and started going back to church with his wife. “I finally realized, I had to go one side or the other,” said Cooper. “The Lord really convicted me, saying, look, it’s time to make a decision here.”
It was rather inspiring to learn that Alice Cooper prioritizes a time for worship during his busy travel schedule. And as a pastor, I am actually glad that very few people in our congregation noticed that Cooper and his wife were present in our worship service, and those who did, allowed them to be worshippers on that particular Sunday, and not celebrities. As far as I know there were no autographs, no photos, and certainly no “selfies” with Cooper in the background.
When a celebrity comes to church, they usually prefer anonymity. At our church we preach that “everyone stands on level ground at the foot of the cross.” Every individual is “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). On any given Sunday in our congregation you may spot local and national media personalities, prominent businesspersons, esteemed congressmen, respected judges, and renowned athletes, well-known individuals in the community who join the rest of us as we gather to worship God and embrace our primary identity, which is “child of God.”
On the Sunday that Alice Cooper came to church, quietly and without notoriety, he heard an A+ sermon from our Student Pastor and he joined his voice with others in singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. He was not there as a notorious entertainer. He was there as a fellow worshipper alongside spiritual family members who share a common confession, yet who travel a lot of different roads through life. As it is on most Sundays, it was an encouraging day of worship for our church family. Alice and Sheryl, I trust it was a good day for you as well. You are welcome here anytime.
Pictured top: Alice Cooper performs last month at the Majestic Theatre in San Antonio. Photo by Ralk Arverson. Pictured inset: Alice Cooper on a film set. Photo by Thomas Brodbeck. Creative Commons photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Students Learn About Ag During Fresh From Florida Event
March 14, 2015
Over 1,000 students from across the area took part in the annual Northview High School FFA “Fresh From Florida” program Friday morning at the school in Bratt.
Formerly known as the “Food For America program”, the event gave students the chance to learn about agriculture first hand up close and personal with farm animals, farm equipment and more to learn how food gets from the farm to their tables. Students were even able to make and enjoy eating their own fresh butter.
And at this year’s event, students were also able to learn about the importance of rain in Florida agriculture, with showers pushing most of this year’s activities indoors.
The Northview High School FFA “Fresh From Florida” program has been honored as the best in Florida for three consecutive years, and the chapter was recently name one of the best in the United States by the National FFA Organization for a second year.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Ernest Ward Holds Annual Dance (With Photo Gallery)
March 14, 2015
Ernest Ward Middle School held their annual Sweetheart Dance Friday night, naming a queen and her court based upon student votes. Pictured are sixth grade maiden and knight Libby Pugh and Johnathan Windham; eighth grade queen and king Hannah Ellis and Brandon Santos; and seventh grade knight and maiden Colby Burkett and Teriana Redmond.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.