Have Extra Fruit On Your Trees? Donate It To The Needy
November 19, 2012
Have a fruit tree on your property with way too much fruit for you? The volunteer group Yes We Can Pensacola wants your donations as the group prepares to begin its annual fruit picking.
For the past five years, the independent group has harvested nearly 36 thousand of pounds of fruit in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to be donated to area food banks and soup kitchens, including Manna Foods and Favor House in Pensacola.
“We craft our own tools, created by our very own volunteers and one of our founding members. We are just a bunch of folks having fun, but making a difference in our community,” said volunteer Kate Peabody.
The group has picked a wide variety of citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, grapefruits, limes and tangerines from local residents. Yes We Can Pensacola volunteers will continue to pick fruit into January.
If you are interested in donating fruit or volunteering, contact group coordinator Anna Houghton at (850) 748-0616 or email annabhoughton@gmail.com.
Pictured: Tangerines growing in Walnut Hill. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Featured Recipe: Quick And Easy Thanksgiving Cranberry Cake
November 19, 2012
As Thanksgiving approaches, we’ll feature several recipes on NorthEscambia.com this week. Today’s featured recipe, from columnist Janet Tharpe, is a Quick and Easy Cranberry cake that packs a punch while using a yellow cake mix.
Photos: NHS Band, Dance Team, Cheerleaders
November 18, 2012
For a photo gallery featuring the Northview High band and dance team during Friday night’s playoff win over Cottondale, click here.
For a game action summary, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Seniors Win: Northview Holds Manna Food Drive
November 17, 2012
Northview High School recently participated in the Escambia County School District’s Manna Food Drive.
A competition was held between the grade levels during the week leading up to the Chiefs versus West Florida High School Jaguars football game. Each grade level showed their support for Manna and the Chiefs football team by “Canning the Jags”.
The senior class won the competition by collecting the most cans and non-perishable food item for the drive.
Pictured above: The senior class at Northview High School collected the most items for a Manna Food Drive during a week-long competition. Pictured below: Some of the food collected for Manna. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Resident César González Becomes U.S. Citizen
November 15, 2012
Century resident César González is one of America’s newest citizens. He was one of 83 people to take the citizenship oath recently at the federal courthouse in Pensacola.
César is a native of Colombia, South America, and has been in the United States for nine years. He and his wife, Century Town Clerk Leslie Gonzalez, moved to Century in 2010.
His path to citizenship took seven years. César was already a permanent resident, so the only tangible benefit he received with his citizenship was the right to vote.
Pictured top: New American citizen César González (holding certificate) took the oath of citizenship recently at the federal courthouse in Pensacola. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Inside A Trial By Fire (With Photo Gallery)
November 13, 2012
Completing a 160-hour training course to become a certified volunteer firefighter is nothing like being in a classroom when the final exam becomes a flaming reality.
For a newbie volunteer, being told that you will sit on the floor of an abandoned home as a fire is lit and you will experience a “rollover” can be unnerving. In a rollover, hot gases at the ceiling level begin to ignite and “tongues” of flame begin to lick above your head. It’s a step that often precedes a “flashover” — one of the most feared phenomena among firefighters where hot gases explode into flames at or above 1,000 degrees. A flashover is often the deadly point of no return for anyone in a room — including firefighters.
Saturday morning in Atmore, dozens of firefighters gathered for a “live burn”, where an abandoned house was to be burned to the ground as part of a training exercise. For volunteers from Nokomis and Appleton, it was the final part of their 160-hour certification with the help of the Atmore and Poarch fire departments.
For a photo gallery from the firefighter training, click here.
For a photo gallery of the home burning, click here.
The day started with baseline medical checks of volunteers and last minute safety briefings. Then it was time to suit up and heat things up.
As firefighters put on their breathing apparatus, the fear in one firefighter’s eyes became apparent. Her eyes flashed nervously about the crowd. She had been fighting a bit of claustrophobia throughout the classroom portion of the training. There was no more hiding it from her fellow volunteers. Coupled with the embarrassment, it became even worse. Off the came the breathing mask, as other firefighters tried to assure her that it was all going to be OK.
She was devastated, concerned that perhaps her days in the fire department were over. She was reassured that firefighters do much more than race into burning buildings, and there would be a place for her in the department. Volunteers, she was told, are needed to drive trucks, run pumping equipment, help the injured at car accidents, run medical calls — the list just goes on and on for those willing to volunteer their time.
The volunteer firefighters were divided into three groups for their first live burn experience. Some laughed, joked and posed for pictures in their new, clean gear before going into their first house fire. Others stood quietly, shuffling on their feet and wringing their hands.
They moved inside, and sat shoulder to shoulder on the living room floor of the abandoned wood frame home. In the next room, through open French doors, instructors lit a fire.
Slowly, the fire began to smoke, flames dancing higher and higher in the corner of the room. The new volunteers watched with apprehension as the flames reached the ceiling. Outside the home, old single pane glass windows began to creak and pop from the heat. Smoke began to roll from under the eaves of the room. Even the spiders began evacuate, dropping on the ground around the house.
Thick smoke began to layer down toward the firefighters. Slowly, the rollover began. Tongues of fire began to appear in the smoke, licking along the ceiling above their heads as the fire was quickly brought under control to prevent a flashover.
Three groups took part in the experience. As the last group exited the burning house, the volunteer that had experienced the bout with claustrophobia exited and pulled off her face mask to the applause of her firefighter family. She had beaten the fear, and beaten the trial by fire.
For a photo gallery from the firefighter training, click here.
For a photo gallery of the home burning, click here.
Pictured top and bottom inset: Firefighter trainees inside a burning home in Atmore. Pictured top inset: The home on Carver Avenue was burnt to the ground as part of the exercise. Pictured below: Firefighters train on hose usage. NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Honoring Veterans With A Parade
November 13, 2012
Veterans Day obeisances were held across the area Monday, including a parade attended by thousands in Pensacola that ended at the Veterans Memorial Park and the Wall South.
For a photo gallery from the Pensacola Veterans Day Parade, click here.
Pictured top: The Tate High School Army JROTC marches in Pensacola’s Veterans Day Parade Monday morning. Pictured inset: The parade ended at the Wall South. Photos by Cheryl Casey Photography for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Local Art Students Recognized As Winners At The Fair
November 12, 2012
Numerous local high school and middle school students from the North Escambia area were recognized for their art entries in the School Art Exhibit at the recent 2012 Pensacola Interstate Fair.
The winners were as follows:
*** MIDDLE SCHOOL ***
Art Program Award of Excellence
Woodham — Winston Foster, Educator
Category – Drawing
First Place – Brandis Larock – Woodham
Second Place – Elizabeth Teets – Woodham
Third Place – Jordan Pollock – Ransom
Category – Mixed Media
First Place – Skylar Jones – Woodham
Second Place – Elise Felt – PATS Center
Third Place – Kaitlyn Negron – Woodham
Category – Painting
First Place – Alexandria Cummings – Bailey
Second Place – Alexis Waller – Bailey
Third Place – Kaitlyn Steeger – Woodham
Category – Printmaking
First Place – Mariah Bennett – Woodham
Second Place – Jacqueline Gibson – Woodham
Third Place – Toby Jamison – Woodham
Category – Sculpture
First Place – Emma Stark – PATS Center
Second Place – Ian Ruiz – Ransom
Third Place – Addison Geiger – Bailey
BEST-IN-SHOW
Dawn Looney – Painting — Woodham
Honorable Mention
Aimee Monk – Drawing – Ransom
Gabby Locke – Drawing – Ransom
Jared Clarke – Drawing – Ransom
Olivia Brown – Drawing– PATS
My Phan – Drawing – PATS
Sasha Irby – Drawing – PATS Center
Sydney Norris – Painting – Bailey
Cory Ward – Painting – Bailey
Addison Gage – Sculpture – Bailey
Ariyana Ramjust – Sculpture – Woodham
William Walker – Sculpture – Woodham
*** HIGH SCHOOL **
Category – Beginning Art
First Place – Stephanie Rosemore – Washington
Second Place – Michael Berryman – Washington
Third Place – Kristin Miller — Pace
Category – Ceramics
First Place – Matt Young – Washington
Second Place – Shane King – Washington
Third Place – Katelyn Varhalla – Tate
Category – Digital Arts
First Place – Faith Dorsey – Tate
Second Place – Derrion Epting, Cameron Houston. Wayne Lawley — Tate
Third Place – Chris Hinkle – Escambia
Category – Drawing
First Place – Anastasia Houser – Pace
Second Place – Sophia Chen – Pensacola
Third Place – Jessica Broussard – Washington
Category – Jewelry/Textiles
First Place – Trinity Dilliard – Pine Forest
Second Place – James Clements – Escambia
Category – Mixed Media
First Place – Kaylee Toyne – Pine Forest
Second Place – Stephanie Rosemore – Washington
Third Place – Allison Goodman McKnight – Escambia
Category – Painting
First Place – Mindy Cramlet – Escambia
Second Place – Summer Walker – Milton
Third Place – Ann Marie Buelow – Pensacola
Category – Photography
First Place – Caroline Shell – Pensacola
Second Place – Kaylee Toyne – Pine Forest
Third Place – Parris Ard, Morgan Bolen, Amanda Fair, Jiska Devries — Tate
Category – Printmaking
First Place – Savannah Way – Milton
Second Place – Taylor Moore – Jay
Third Place – Summer Weatherly – Milton
Category – Sculpture
First Place- – Makayla Kreakbaum – Pace
Second Place – Jordan Garcia – Escambia
Third Place – Sherron Thomas – Pace
BEST-IN-SHOW
Monique Lucas — Pine Forest
John Frenkel, Sr. Award
Alyssa Jones, Pine Forest
Honorable Mentions
Mary Sloan Britton — Beginning Art — Milton
Maria Boucher — Beginning Art — West Florida
Olivia O’Hern — Beginning Art — Pace
Ailene Goldsby — Beginning Art — Washington
Ben Watson — Beginning Art — Jay
Nathan Waters — Beginning Art — Northview
Kimberlee Richards — Ceramics — Tate
Anna Lambert — Ceramics — Pace
Mallory Gilmore — Ceramics — Pace
Class Project — Ceramics — Pace
Abby Harrison — Digital Arts — Jay
Dylan Nadsady — Digital Arts — Jay
Garrett Borden — Digital Arts — Pensacola
Taylor Tate — Drawing — Central
Jessica Taylor — Drawing — West Florida
McKenna Jobe — Mixed Media — Escambia
Alex Windau — Painting — Pace
Russell Barker, Jackson Taghon — Photography — Tate
Devin Patrick — Photography — Escambia
Hung Tran — Photography — Pensacola
Courtney Stein — Photography — Pensacola
Haley Wingard — Photography — Pine Forest
Alexis Huggins — Photography — Pensacola
Carly Vanostenbridge — Photography — Pensacola
Emily Curtis — Printmaking — Milton
Alex Windau — Printmaking — Pace
Jasmine Rhea — Printmaking — Milton
Chance Clark — Sculpture — Pace
Elena Brooks — Sculpture — Pace
Mallory Johnson — Sculpture — Escambia
Alexis Holmes — Sculpture — Pace
Photos: NHS Band, Dance Team, NJROTC; West Florida Band
November 12, 2012
For a photo gallery featuring the Northview High band, dance team and NJROTC, and the West Florida High band, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Century Correctional, Forest Service Hold Trail Ride For Special Olympics
November 12, 2012
Century Correctional Institute and the Florida’s Forestry Service partnered for a recent trail ride to benefit Florida Special Olympics.
Riders with about 65 horses and five wagons with teams turned out for the first annual trail ride, which was followed by an auction. The event raised a total of $2,350 for Special Olympics. Organizers said a bigger and better event is being planned for next year.
Donations for the event included: one free shoulder mount from Cooper Taxidermy in Pace, a rifle scope from Mike’s Gun Shop in Jay, gift certificates from Circle J Western Wear in Chumuckla and Penton’s Farm Supply, halters and harnesses from Cantonment Feed, and handheld radios from S&K Communications in Century.’
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
