Yard Work Program Provides Jobs, Helps Low Income, Disabled Avoid Code Violations
August 9, 2012
The Community Action Program Committee has partnered with the International Paper Foundation and FaithWorks InterFaith Ministries this summer to perform yard services for low-income seniors or disabled customers who are in danger of receiving a code violation.
“This is an annual community service that we have offered each summer for the last three years.” said Renae Cotton, director of the community services department for CAPC. “Many of our seniors or disabled customers, because of financial strain, are facing county code enforcement violations due to the overgrown condition of their home’s yards. Our goal is to remove this one barrier from the difficult decisions seniors have to make based on their limited income.”
For the second straight year, CAPC received a $3,500.00 grant from International Paper to help fund the program.
In addition to providing a much needed service to one of the most vulnerable populations in Escambia County, the partnership will also address an unemployment issue as well.
“Along with students employed by our agency for the summer, FaithWorks will be using its regular YardWorks program workers to service an estimated 150 eligible customers in Escambia County,” said Doug Brown, CAPC executive director. “Most of the work crews are made up of formerly unemployed individuals.”
FaithWorks will train and supervise the crews on how to properly manicure a lawn, equipment usage and maintenance, and the value of hard work.
“Bringing an elderly or disabled, eligible person’s yard up to code while training young people from the CAPC Summer Youth Program in job safety, outdoor tool use and work ethics is an exciting addition to our current YardWorks Program.” said Rick Dye, chief volunteer for FaithWorks.
Persons in Escambia County interested in applying for this yard service program should call Community Action Program Committee office at (850) 438-4021.
Pictured top: By the time Abdul Smith (right) and Antwon Lyons are done, over 150 yards in Escambia County will be mowed to avoid code enforcement violation fineds. Pictured bottom: Javier Cobb has learned that an important task of the Weed Easter operator is to look for uncut grass in a customer’s yard that was missed by the mower operator. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Blue Angels Cancel Three Upcoming Practice Days
August 9, 2012
Three Blue Angels practice sessions at NAS Pensacola have been canceled.
Practices for Friday, August 10, Wednesday, August 15 and Wednesday August 22 have been canceled due to operational requirements, according to the Blues.
The Blue Angels will resume regularly scheduled practice demonstrations onboard NAS Pensacola Wednesday, September 5th.
For more information about the Blue Angels including air show and practice schedules, visit www.BlueAngels.navy.mil.
Pictured: A Blue Angels practice session at NAS Pensacola. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Bratt Soldier Returns Home After Tour Of Duty
August 8, 2012
A Bratt soldier was welcomed home Tuesday morning at the Pensacola International Airport after a year deployment to Iraq and Kuwait. SFC Chad Wiedel served the tour of duty with the Florida Army National Guard’s 1-111th Aviation Battalion of Jacksonville.
Wiedel was welcomed back from deployment by his wife Annie, daughters Joselynn and Rebecca, son Chris and other family members.
NorthEscambia.com exclusive photos, click to enlarge.
Escambia Parents Can Apply Online Now For Free, Reduced Lunch Benefits
August 7, 2012
School does not start in Escambia County until August 20, but parents and guardians can apply online now for free and reduced prices meals to speed up the approval process.
Online applications for the 2012-2013 school year can be completed at:
http://mealapp.escambia.k12.fl.us/
There are no charges or fees to use the online free and reduced meal application.
To view the income guidelines for the free and reduced price meal program, click here.
School Orientations Scheduled
August 6, 2012
Escambia County school students return to class in two weeks, on August 20. Students will have the opportunity to attend orientation sessions, pick up schedules and drop off supplies in advance.
(Looking for a school supply list? Click here.)
Orientations have been scheduled at schools across the North Escambia area:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS
- Bratt
- August 16, 9-10:30 a.m., Pre-K and K
- August 17, 9-10:30 a.m., Grades 1-5
- Jim Allen
- August 17, 9-10:30 a.m.,
- Molino Park
- August 16, 9-10:30 a.m., Pre-K and K
- August 17, 9-10 a.m., Grades 1-5
MIDDLE SCHOOLS
- Ernest Ward
- August 16, 2 p.m., 6th and new students
- Ransom
- August 16, 2 p.m., 6th and new students
HIGH SCHOOLS
- Northview
- August 15, 8:30 a.m., Seniors
- August 15, 10 a.m., Juniors
- August 15, 1:30 p.m., Sophomores
- August 16, 9 a.m., Freshmen
- Tate
- August 9, 8 a.m.-noon, Freshmen
- August 16, 1-2:30 p.m., Grades 10-12
- West Florida
- August 11, 9 a.m., Freshmen
- August 16, 10 a.m., Juniors
- August 16, 1 p.m., Sophomores
- August 16, 6 p.m., Seniors and parents
For schools in Escambia County not listed above, click here.
NASA Rover Lands On Mars; Beams Back First Photos
August 6, 2012
NASA’s newest Mars rover, Curiosity, landed on the Red Planet early Monday. The rover’s entry and descent was nerve-wracking for NASA engineers, compounded by a 14-minute delay as the rover’s signals travel to Earth from Mars. Curiosity became the seventh NASA spacecraft to land on the Red Planet.
Shortly after landing, Curiosity beamed two images back to earth — one showing a wheel on the Martian soil and the other showing the vehicle’s shadow on the surface (pictured top).
“No photo or it didn’t happen? Well lookee here, I’m casting a shadow on the ground in Mars’ Gale crater,” Curiosity posted on Twitter after the landing. “It once was one small step… now it’s six big wheels. Here’s a look at one of them on the soil of Mars.”
Curiosity is the centerpiece of the $2.5 billion Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft, launched in November aboard an Atlas V rocket. It’s traveled some 560 million kilometers toward its destination, the Red Planet.
Curiosity was traveling at about 20,000 kilometers per hour when it hits the Martian atmosphere. It had only seven minutes to reduce its speed for a soft landing but NASA engineers were not able to control or even witness the events in real time. They called this period “seven minutes of terror.”
Its descent-stage retrorockets fired, guiding it to the surface. Nylon cords lowered the rover to the ground in the “sky crane” maneuver. When the spacecraft sensed touchdown, the connecting cords were severed, and the descent stage flew out of the way.
Curiosity is a “Mars scientist’s dream machine,” said Deputy Project Scientist Ashwin Vasavada ahead of its launch. “This rover is not only the most technically capable rover ever sent to another planet, but it’s actually the most capable scientific explorer we’ve ever sent out,” he said.
Curiosity is the size of a small car and has 17 cameras. It’s much larger than previous rovers and can travel as far as 200 meters per day. It’s a nuclear-powered mobile laboratory.
The remote-controlled vehicle can gather samples of soil and rocks and analyze them using instruments onboard.
The goal is to see if the area ever had environmental conditions that could have supported microbial life, explains Vasavada. “This mission is really about looking for those habitable environments, and not detecting life itself,” he said.
A team of space agency scientists selected the landing site, the foot of a mountain within a deep, 150-kilometer-wide depression called Gale Crater. Each layer of rock contains clues about the planet’s evolution.
Curiosity will investigate Martian geology, weather and radiation levels during the mission, which is expected to last about two Earth years. . .the equivalent of one Martian year.
Pictured top: The first images back from Curiosity, showing a shadow of the rover on Mars (left) and a wheel on the dusty red planet (right). Pictured top inset: This artist concept features NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Pictured below: The Mars Science Laboratory team reacts early Monday morning after learning that the Curiosity rover had landed safely on Mars.. (NASA/JPL-Caltec)
Youth On A Mission
August 5, 2012
Youth from a Texas church teamed up with youth from a Molino church last week on a mission to make an impact across Escambia County.
Over 100 youth and their adult leaders from Highland Baptist Church in Molino and Friendship Baptist Church of Cleburne, TX, worked together and served in “Mission Molino” from Molino to Pensacola Beach.
For a photo gallery, click here.
On the first day of Mission Molino, the youth teamed up with Barefoot Ministries of Gulf Shores at Pensacola Beach. The youth passed out free water with Gospel tracts, gave away free Bibles and New Testaments, shared the Gospel with salvation bracelets, painted faces and even held a Bible story sand sculpting contest.
The second day of Mission Molino saw the youth working at Molino Park Elementary School. They help prepare the campus for the first day of school by moving items, cleaning, sweeping, washing windows, pulling weeds and many other tasks to prepare Molino Park for the return of students.
One the third day, the youth worked at the homes of widowed and elderly residents around Molino. The youth performed yard work, planted flowers, trimmed trees and shrubs and more.
Mission Molino concluded with the Highland members showing their Texas friends some of the local sites — Ft. Pickens and the Naval Aviation Museum, along with some beach fun — including a Beach baptism service.
Each evening of the week, the students enjoyed a meal prepared by Highland volunteers and a time of worship.
Pictured top: Mission Molino students work to beautify the campus at Molino Park Elementary School. Pictured inset: The students worked around the homes of elderly community members. Pictured below: Mission Molino students at Pensacola Beach. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Flomaton Lions Flip Pancakes For School Uniforms
August 5, 2012
The Flomaton Lions Club is turning pancakes into dollars to purchase school uniforms for needy Flomaton students. The club will present a check for uniforms following a pancake supper fund raiser. The supper was coordinated by the Flomaton Lions Club and new LEO Club at Flomaton High School. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Church Youth Fly High, Cruise Bratt (With Gallery)
August 2, 2012
Youth at the First Baptist Church of Bratt hit the road, and the skies, Wednesday evening.
The youth road motorcycles with church leaders, and flew model airplanes from the Travis M. Nelson park near the church. Afterwards, the group volunteered to paint a portion of the church parsonage.
Pictured top: A candid photo of a youth group at the First Baptist Church of Bratt after flying a model plane at a Bratt Park. Pictured inset: Church member Greg Wilson explains his model plane. Pictured below: Ashley Mooney and Interim Pastor Jerry Kaylor prepare for a spin Wednesday evening. Photos by Marcella Green Wilson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Operation Overboard: VBS At Aldersgate Molino (With Gallery)
August 2, 2012
Vacation Bible School is underway this week at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino.
The “Operation Overboard” VBS will continue with activities Thursday and Friday evenings from 5:30-8:30 for ages 3 to rising fifth graders. VBS will conclude with an ice cream social and closing ceremonies on Saturday, August 4 from 5-7 p.m.
For a photo gallery, click here.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
