Looking Good: Century Names First ‘Community Pride Award’ Recepient
October 23, 2012
The Century Chamber of Commerce has created a new program to highlight things taking place in the community. Monthly “Town of Century Community Pride Award” recipients can be any organization, group, business or resident.
The first Town of Century Community Pride Award winner is Ben and Cheryl Boutwell at 1 Hecker Road for the beautification of their property.
“We just want to recognize those in the community that have shown their pride and done good things in our community to make Century an even better place to work and live,” said chamber President Benny Barnes.
Northview Tribal Beat Performs At Troy State Band Day
October 22, 2012
The Northview Tribal Beat Band joined 2,300 high school band members representing 32 schools from three states performing with Troy University’s Sound of the South marching band during halftime on Saturday as the University celebrated its annual Band Day.
The annual event, which began in 1998, provides high school band students the opportunity to experience performing at the collegiate level.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“Band Day provides high school band members a chance to come to TROY to be a part of a Division I football game and perform at halftime with the Sound of the South,” said Dr. Mark Walker, Troy’s associate director of bands. “It is a great recruiting tool for the band and the entire University.”
Northview’ s Tribal Beat and the other bands took part in a rehearsal Saturday morning with the Sound of the South. The bands then took part in the Trojan Victory Parade and the team’s Trojan Walk.
Pictured: The Northview High School Tribal Beat band took part in Troy University’s Band Day Saturday. NorthEscambia.com photos by Chad Wiedel, click to enlarge.
Season Ends For Popular Market, One Of 10 Best In USA
October 21, 2012
Saturday was the final day of the season at the Market at St. Monica’s in Cantonment. Recently named the number 10 small market in the country by the group American Farmland Trust, The Market at Saint Monica’s featured a variety of produce, handcrafted items and much more during the season. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Hot Commodity: Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere
October 21, 2012
Pumpkins have been a hot commodity around the North Escambia area the past couple of weeks.
For Jill Kelley and her boyfriend Jeffery Steadham, a little pumpkin patch experiment in the 500 block of Highway 164 in McDavid produced big results. Priced at 75-cent to $12, their locally grown pumpkins — all 5,000 of them — were gone in just days.
“We will definitely be going bigger next year,” Kelley said.
When the Ernest Ward Middle School FFA chapter decided to sell pumpkins, students were lining up to buy them. Hundreds of pumpkins were gone in just days, long before they were offered for sale to the public.
Hundreds upon hundreds of pumpkins have been sold this year under a tent a Highway 29 and Neal Road in Cantonment at the Allen Memorial United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch. The first order of over 1,500 pumpkins was gone in a short time. But another semi load of pumpkins was delivered Friday, just in time for weekend shoppers.
Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes are still available at the Allen Memorial Pumpkin Patch on Highway 29 just north of the paper mill. Some of the pumpkins are priced as low as $1.
Pictured top: Allen Memorial United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch on Highway 29 at Neal Road. Pictured inset and below: A few of the 5,000 pumpkins grown at a local patch this year on Highway 164 in McDavid. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Robotics Competition Teaches Students Teamwork
October 21, 2012
Robots raced against time as students from Northwest Florida competed Saturday at the sixth annual Emerald Coast BEST Robotics competition at the University of West Florida Field House.
Middle and high school students competed at the competition sponsored by Gulf Power Company. The event pits teams from area Northwest Florida schools in a head-to-head competition to teach teamwork, problem solving, project management and pride in task completion.
BEST Robotics Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering-based robotics competition.
“Gulf Power believes the competition teaches students practical engineering, science and math skills, which are critical for their future,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power spokesperson. “But the event also teaches the students to work together as a team, to organize projects, to market their work and to creatively solve problems.”
It takes several volunteers to organize the event. Jennifer Grove, Workforce Development coordinator for Gulf Power, has served on the steering committee since the program started in 2006.
“Competitions like this are critical to engage students in project-based learning that will excite them about and inspire them to pursue studies in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Grove. “Students have so much fun designing, building and troubleshooting the robot that they often aren’t aware of the critical STEM skills they’re practicing through this program.”
Each student team has six weeks to design and build a remote-controlled robot to solve a problem or perform a specific function. This year’s theme, WARP XX, was based on the goal of building robots capable of transporting cargo and equipment onto a Space Elevator tower during three-minute matches.
“The competition is exciting and it makes school fun,” said Nathan Sams from Newpoint High School.
Each team was judged on its robot performance, marketing presentation, team exhibit, technical notebook and spirit and sportsmanship. The 22 schools from across Northwest Florida participated in the University of West Florida Emerald Coast BEST hub and the top schools will advance to the regional competition Dec. 1 and 2 at Auburn University.
Area schools have been competing in BEST since 2004, when Gulf Power sponsored eight local teams to compete in the BEST hub in Mobile, Ala. The funding of hub operations depends entirely on corporate and individual sponsorships. Materials kits to build the robots are provided to the teams by the hub. No fees are paid by students or schools participating in BEST robotics.
2012 Winners
Robotics Award: Awarded to the teams whose machines finish first, second, and third in the tournament bracket.
- Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
- Woodham Middle School
- Pensacola High School
Best Robotics Finalist: Awarded to the team whose machine finished 4th.
- Newpoint Pensacola High School
Founders Award for Creative Design: Newpoint Pensacola High School
Most Robust Machine: Pensacola High School
Most Photogenic Machine: Woodlawn Beach Middle School
Gulf Power Blood, Sweat and Duct Tape Award: Baker School
Best Tee-shirt Design
- Sims Middle School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
- Newpoint Pensacola High School
Best Spirit and Sportsmanship:
- Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
- Woodham Middle School
Best Team Exhibit and Interview:
- Seaside Neighborhood School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
- Woodham Middle School
Best Project Notebook:
- Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
- Newpoint Pensacola High School
- Bethlehem K-12
Best Marketing Presentation
- Seaside Neighborhood School
- Woodham Middle School
- Bruner Middle School
Web Page Design Award: Newpoint Pensacola High School
BEST Award: The BEST Award is presented to the team that best embodies the attributes associated with “Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology” in its development which include teamwork, diversity of participation, sportsmanship, creativity, ethics, positive attitude/enthusiasm, school/community involvement and exposure to and use of the engineering process:
- Seaside Neighborhood Middle School
- Woodham Middle School
- Newpoint Pensacola High School
2012 Teams:
- Arnold High School
- Avalon Middle School
- Bailey Middle School
- Baker School K-12
- Bethlehem
- Bruner Middle School
- Deane Bozeman K-12
- Everitt Middle School
- Freeport High School
- Milton High School
- Newport Pensacola High School
- Pace High School
- Pensacola High School
- Pine Forest High School
- Ransom Middle School
- Seaside Neighborhood
- Sims Middle School
- Tate High School
- West Florida High School
- Woodham Middle School
- Woodlawn Beach Middle School
- Workman Middle School
Pictured top: Students race to lift cargo up to the Space Elevator with the robots at the 2012 BEST Robotics competition. Pictured inset: Seaside Neighborhood Middle School won the BEST award and will advance to the regional competition at Auburn University in December. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
CANstructions, Including One From Tate High, Benefit Manna Food Pantries
October 20, 2012
Digital Now hosted a Student Art Gallery Friday night during Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola, including a CANstruction exhibit from the Tate High School Art Club. Numerous CANstructions — creations made from non-perishable food cans — were on display throughout downtown during the event. All of the food was donated to Manna Food Pantries.
Pictured top: Tate High School’s Canstruction exhibit Friday night during Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Strawberries
October 20, 2012
In many parts of the country, strawberries are a summer crop, but here in Florida they grow best during the cooler months of the year. Plant yours between October 15 and November 15 to enjoy tasty berries in the spring.
Temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees F and less than 14 hours of daylight are required for the development of flowers and fruit on most strawberry varieties. This combination of day length and temperature exists for much of the fall, winter and spring in Northwest Florida.
Strawberry plants are perennial; they can live for several years. However, because of their susceptibility to diseases, we normally grow them as annuals here in Florida. To be successful with strawberries, it’s important to plant the right variety, protect the flowers from freezing weather and manage pests.
The first step in successful strawberry production is choosing adapted varieties. Currently, the University of Florida suggests three varieties for the Florida home garden: ‘Camarosa’, ‘Sweet Charlie’, and ‘Festival’. All three varieties produce attractive, flavorful berries suitable for eating fresh or for freezing.
‘Camarosa’ has been the most productive variety in North Florida. It produces a blocky, dark red berry.
‘Festival’ is the number one variety in Florida. It has good red color and is a firm, conical shape berry with medium sweetness. It is an excellent choice for eating.
‘Sweet Charlie’ is a University of Florida variety. Although it is an older variety, consumers still like it. Its soft sweet fruit is an orange red color.
Strawberries grow best in a location receiving at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. If a full sun location is not available, try to choose a spot that is sunny during the morning and early afternoon. The soil should be well drained and slightly acidic with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
Strawberries can also be planted in growing boxes, strawberry pots, barrels and other containers. For best results, fill your container with a high-quality potting media—do not use garden soil.
Strawberry flowers and fruit can be injured by air temperatures below 32 degrees F. However, if properly planted, the plant itself will not be damaged unless the temperature falls to the low 20’s. If a frost or freeze is predicted, cover the plants with a lightweight blanket. This will help prevent the flowers or fruits from getting damaged.
The key to successful pest management is to begin with healthy, disease-free transplants. If problems do arise, be sure to contact your local Extension Agent for advice and recommendations. Additional advice is available in an online publication located at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs403.
The first berries should be ready to pick roughly 90 to 110 days after planting. The harvest season usually stretches through May with fruit yield peaking around March.
Pick berries when at least three-fourths of their surface has turned red. The fruit quickly deteriorate once it becomes totally red. So, it is best to harvest regularly—every two to four days.
Once picked, the berries will not sweeten any further. Freshly picked strawberries generally keep for only a few days, so be sure to eat them soon after harvest. If you have a surplus of berries, you may freeze them.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Photos: Bratt Elementary Holds Fall Festival
October 19, 2012
The annual Fall Festival was held Thursday afternoon at Bratt Elementary School, featuring games, food and fun for the children.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
41st Year: Tate Showband Earns Bandmasters Superior Ratings
October 17, 2012
The tradition of excellence continued for the Tate High School Showband of the South last weekend at the Florida Bandmasters Association Music Performance Assessment at Ft. Walton Beach High School.
The band was adjudicated by a panel of expert judges in the areas of music, general effect, marching and maneuvering, and color guard. Under the leadership of Director Mike Philley and Associate Director Blake Garcia, the Tate Showband of the South received straight Superior ratings in all categories for the 41st consecutive year.
Camp Fire Kids Hold Trike-A-Thon For Children’s Hospital
October 16, 2012
The children at Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center recently held their fourth annual Trike-A-Thon in support of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The children not only raised money; they also learned about trike safety and the importance of helping others.
Submitted photos by Pam Townson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.