Downtown Pensacola Goes Blue For Child Abuse Prevention Month
April 1, 2014
Blue bows are up along Palafox Street in downtown to raise awareness for Child Abuse Prevention month.
“The ‘From Blue to Better’ campaign takes place every April to raise awareness about child abuse prevention and to promote the fact that we all have a role to play in protecting children,” said Stacey Kostevicki, executive director of Gulf Coast Kid’s House. “Our hope is that these bows serve as a daily reminder of our obligation to children in our community.”
“From Blue to Better” is a month-long series of events for Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. Launched by local child and family service agencies, the campaign uses the color to highlight child abuse awareness and prevention during the month of April.
The campaign also emphasizes that it is everyone’s job to keep children safe.
Local residents and visitors will see blue events popping up around town throughout April, including the painting of the 17th Avenue “Graffiti Bridge”.
NHS Cadet Wright Award Air Force Four Year ROTC Scholarship
March 31, 2014
Northview High School NJROTC Cadet Victoria Wright has been awarded the Air Force’s four-year Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) college scholarship. Wright has been a member and leader in the NJROTC unit at Northview for four years. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Prayer And WD-40: Hattie Schneider Celebrates 105th Birthday
March 31, 2014
Hattie Schneider of Molino is celebrated her 105th birthday Monday.
She gives credit for her long life to “prayer and WD-40″. Hattie says she is not sure why she has lived so long or what God’s purpose is for her, but she has trust in the Lord.
She has one son, Carlton Abbott, two grandchildren, and many great and great-great grandchildren. Her family and friends said they thank God everyday for blessing them with her, and she is a true inspiration to everyone.
Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Vietnam Veterans Get Long Overdue ‘Welcome Home’ (With Gallery)
March 30, 2014
It was a tearful welcome home Saturday for a small group of Vietnam veterans….a welcome home 40, 50 or even more years overdue.
“When I came home to California, I kissed the ground. And I looked around,” said Alabama VFW State Commander Val Obergon, pausing for a moment. “And I looked around. Nothing. There were no parades; no welcome home. Nothing.”
National Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day is observed on March 29, the 41st anniversary of the last U.S. troops leaving Vietnam — except for the prisoners of war. Saturday, a few dozen people gathered for a ceremony sponsored by the Atmore Memorial Ladies Auxiliary to VFW Post 7016.
“I am thankful to God for this day we can be welcomed home. I have a family sitting here today. Some of the other guys represented by this flag,” Vietnam veteran Harold Askew said, standing before the POW/MIA flag, “they didn’t get that chance.”
Yellow ribbons were tied to trees around Atmore’s Heritage Park for the event which included the patriotic music, food and fanfare of a welcome home ceremony most of the Vietnam veterans in attendance had never received.
“It was a special thank you and tribute to those that came back,” Vietnam veteran Mike Hanks said. “It’s something that was long overdue.”
“Those that served in the Vietnam War are deserving of our country’s praise,” Alabama Rep. Alan Baker said in an address to the group. “They are our unsung heroes.”
Baker ended his speech in the crowd, with a personal “thank you” and a hug for each veteran. “No sir,” the state representative said to an elderly veteran who struggled in an unsuccessful attempt to rise from his chair. “I’ll come down there to you.”
The ceremony concluded with VFW Ladies Auxiliary members giving each Vietnam Veteran a gift and a hug — and sometimes a quick kiss on the cheek — to thank them for their service. It was a scene reminiscent of a welcome home ceremony that has played itself out over and over for other American wars.
And tears that were decades overdue fell from the eyes of several veterans as they were finally welcomed home.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Pictured top: Veterans are welcomed home during national Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day Saturday in Atmore. Pictured top inset: Vietnam Veteran Harold Askew remembers the prisoners of war that never returned from Vietnam. Pictured bottom inset: Alabama Rep. Alan Baker leans down to hug a veteran that struggled unsuccessfully to rise from his chair. Pictured below: A yellow ribbon tied around an oak tree welcomed the Vietnam veterans home. Pictured bottom: Several of the Vietnam veterans in attendance at Saturday’s event. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Extension Celebrates 100 Years Of Service
March 29, 2014
The 100th birthday of UF/IFAS Extension was celebrated Friday afternoon at the Barrineau Park Community Center.
The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Cooperative Extension Service, allowing the public to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of land-grant universities. Extension has helped millions of Floridians by tapping the latest information from the research engines of the University of Florida and Florida A&M, creating practical knowledge that can be used every day.
From making healthier food choices, saving money, growing better crops to conserving water and energy — many Floridians have learned from Florida Extension. 4-H youth development camps and program, and Master Gardeners are also popular outreach programs.
Pictured top: Escambia County Extension Agent Carrie Stevenson and 4-H caretaker Ellis Miller blow out the candles on 100th birthday cake for Escambia Extension. Pictured below: Extension employees sing “Happy Birthday” during the celebration Friday afternoon at the Barrineau Park Community Center. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Choosing Heirloom Or Hybrid Tomatoes
March 29, 2014
by the Florida Extension Service
Tomatoes are a favorite of backyard gardeners. Fresh-grown tomatoes are packed with flavor and nutrition. Due to their popularity, many different types of tomatoes have been developed and selected over time. Choosing the best type for your individual growing situation will increase your chance of enjoying a mouth-watering tomato sandwich on a hot summer day.
Heirloom vegetables are back in vogue. A tomato must meet three criteria to be considered an heirloom variety. The variety must grow “true to type” from seed saved from each fruit, the seed must have been available for more than 50 years and the variety must have a history or folklore of its own. Heirloom vegetables are also called open-pollinated or non-hybrid.
Heirloom tomatoes are known for their full flavor and excellent taste. Gardeners who start their plants from seeds have always had many choices available to them. This year, I was surprised to see some heirloom seedlings in stores including ‘Cherokee Purple.’ This is an heirloom from Tennessee rumored to have come from Cherokee gardeners. Its rich flavor is said to be similar to the much-celebrated Brandywine.
While heirlooms offer better flavor, they do have a downside. Their biggest weakness is that they are not generally disease resistant and therefore more susceptible to devastating and sometimes fatal diseases. Heirloom varieties also experience more fruit defects such as cracking and catfacing.
To overcome the potential disease pitfall of heirloom varieties, many gardeners are now grafting their tomato seedlings. In the case of heirloom tomatoes, grafting involves connecting the shoot of the heirloom variety to the roots of a disease-resistant rootstock. The cut pieces are held together by a grafting clip until the tissues grow together (pictured left).
To learn more about heirloom tomatoes and grafting, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled, “Growing Heirloom Tomato Varieties in Southwest Florida.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs174 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Hybrid tomatoes are those that have been breed and selected for their disease resistance and productivity. They are the first-generation cross between two “pure” parental lines.
The simplest way to define an F-1 hybrid is to take an example. Let’s say a plant breeder observes a particularly good growth-habit in a plant, but with poor flower color, and in another plant of the same type they see good color but poor habit. The best plant of each type is taken and self-pollinated (in isolation) each year and, each year, the seed is re-sown. Eventually, every time the seed is sown the same identical plants will appear. This is known as a ‘pure line.’
If the breeder then takes the pure line of each of the two plants they originally selected and cross pollinates the two by hand the result is known as an F-1 hybrid. Plants are grown from seed produced and the result of this cross pollination should have a good habit and good color.
The vigor of hybridization can increase yields, improve pest resistance and impart other desirable characteristics. Some have credited crop hybridization as a prime reason for our country’s ability to feed larger populations with fewer farmers.
A down side of hybridization is that if you collect and save the seed from a hybrid variety, its offspring will show a loss of that hybrid vigor – it will start to revert back to its inbred parents. If you want the vigorous capacity that comes with hybrid varieties; don’t save the seed for replanting. You will have to buy new seed each year.
To learn about tomato varieties recommended for Florida gardens, read the UF/IFAS publication entitled “Tomatoes in the Florida Garden.” It’s available online at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh028 or by calling your local Extension Office.
Mira Awards Honor Escambia’s Most Creative High School Seniors
March 28, 2014
Seventy of Escambia County’s most creative high school seniors were honored Thursday night during the 2014 Mira Creative Arts Awards Banquet at New World Landing.
Mira Creative Arts Awards recipients were nominated for the award by their high school teachers and will receive commemorative engraved medallions as well as Certificates of Special Congressional Recognition from Congressman Jeff Miller.
Northview High School
- Kasie Braun, Graphic Arts
- Taylor Brook, Instrumental Music
- Hunter Dettling, Instrumental Music
- Morgan Digmon, Dance
- Anna Donald, Theatre
- Anna Fischer, Dance/Journalism
- Cory Hester, Instrumental Music
- Justin King, Journalism
- Chloe Leonard, Dance
- Victoria Wright, Graphic Arts
Tate High School
- Eion Blanchard, Vocal Music
- Jacob Charles, Instrumental Music
- Raylee Cowart, Journalism
- Adrianna Cutaio, Drama
- Arielle Foster, Creative Arts
- Graham Gardner, Instrumental Music
- Jack Gonzalez, Graphic Arts
- Noah Heintz, Instrumental Music
- Justin Ritchie, Visual Arts
- Chance Taylor Sturup, Debate
West Florida High School
- Garrett Brooks, Theatre
- Jasmine Keiarra Clark, Theatre
- Dominic Jacob Estares, Instrumental Music
- Teal Garth, Mulitmedia
- Lindsey Briana Granger, Visual Arts
- Miller Hawkins, Journalism
- Tabbitha Bree Kirby Manzanet, Visual Arts
- Scooter Nix, Journalism
- Shelby Spiegelhalter, Multimedia
- Krista Leigh Weaver, Instrumental Music
Escambia High School
- Danica Rose AlinsodApin, Journalism
- Cody Edward Blum, Digital Media
- Zachary Callahan, Instrumental Music
- Christopher Epps, Culinary Arts
- Emily Hausner, Theatre
- Katie Winters, Visual Arts
- Shelby Leclaire, Vocal Music
- Ryan Murphy, Instrumental Music
- Taylor Renae Walden, Visual Arts
- Ashton Williams, Instrumental Music
Pensacola High School
- Mary Catherine Bond, Visual Arts
- Freda Britton, Color Guard
- Keegan Jo Heye, Drama
- Pauline Lara, Drama
- Kathryn Maher, Photography
- Clara Noelle Ortega, Visual Arts
- Victoria Patton, Drama
- Cyrus Barron Player, Instrumental Music
- Anne Marie Tamburro, Instrumental Music
- Krista Woods, Instrumental Music
Pine Forest High School
- Diamond Brundidge, Vocal Music
- Megan Krist, Digital Production
- Katelyn Newsom, Journalism
- Rachael Nipple, Theatre
- Brittani Osborn, Yearbook
- Leonardo Reeves-Casas, Industrial Technology
- Rosa Reeves-Casas, Visual Arts
- Desjuan Waiters, Culinary Arts
- Asia Walker, Fashion Design
- Savannah Wright, Instrumental Music
Washington High School
- Savannah Rae Caton, Visual Arts
- Sarah Emily Crawford, Instrumental Music
- Marcus Gillard, Instrumental Music
- Mark Hibyan, Instrumental Music
- Alyx Levesque, Drama
- Colleen Mason, Visual Arts
- Meagan McNease, Instrumental/Vocal Music
- James Safko, Visual Arts
- Kayla Simoné Townsend, Vocal Music
- Carla Villafane, Vocal Music
In 1987, a group of teachers at J. M. Tate High School created the Mira Awards to recognize talented and creative students in the arts and sciences. The following year, the committee approached the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation to bring the awards under its umbrella and to initiate county-wide student participation each year in the areas of writing, performing and visual arts, and other creative disciplines. The term “Mira” is Latin for the name of the brightest star in the constellation Cetus.
Pictured top: Northview High School Mira winners (L-R) Morgan Digmon, Anna Donald, Victoria Wright, Taylor Brook, Chloe Leonard, Anna Fischer, Justin King, Hunter Dettling and Cory Hester. Submitted photo by Connie Brook for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Watch Their Video, Help Escambia Westgate Win National Contest
March 27, 2014
Escambia Westgate School is in the running to win a school recording package in a national contest.
The Concert for Music In Our Schools Month contest from the National Association for Music Education contest ends March 31, with the prize package awarded to the school with the most online views of their video.
View the Escambia Westgate video below, or click here.
Escambia Sheriff’s K-9’s Compete To Be Top Dog
March 24, 2014
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Pensacola Police Department played host to 49 K-9 units from throughout the south last week during the USPCA Region 1 K9 Trials.
Members of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and their awards are as follows:
- Kelly Hall (Drago)
- John Zabelle (Ivan)
- Kevin Biggs (Argo)
- Chris Collier (Baro)
- Jason Land (Edo, 18th overall)
- Patrick Crossley (Dasty, Top Dual Dog, Top Over-All Narcotics, 3rd in 4 Man Team)
- Mike Carr (Iwan, 3rd in 4 Man Team)
- Mark Smith (Jeck, 17th overall, 3rd in 4 Man Team)
- Wayne Gulsby (Caleb, 1st in Overall Search)
- Mike Milstead (Mink, 3rd in 4 Man Team)
- Jason Potts (Askon, 4th Overall Search, 14th overall)
Pictured top: K-9 Edo. Pictured below. Deputy Wayne Gulsby (left) and K-9 Caleb, and Deputy Jason Land with Edo. Pictured bottom: Escambia County K-9 officers. Reader submitted and courtesy photos by Kim Carr, Dellaina Jordan and Jason Bondurant for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Preschoolers Celebrate 104 Years Of Camp Fire USA
March 24, 2014
The preschoolers at the Camp Fire USA Child Development Center in Century recently held a celebration of the 104th birthday of the Camp Fire program. They formed the number “104″ (pictured below) and celebrated with birthday cupcakes). They also learned to count all the way to 100. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge
