Main Library To Close Temporarily
March 13, 2012
The West Florida Public Library’s Main Branch at 200 West Gregory Street will close Sunday, March 18 for about two weeks as part of the ongoing construction of a new library building on the site.
West Florida Public Library’s five other branches will remain open during the closure, including the Century Branch Library.
During the closure, library staff will move books, computers, and other items from the existing building to the new addition, which is expected to be completed this week. After the main branch reopens in the new addition, a complete renovation of the existing library building will begin.
“With completion of the new addition, we’ve reached a major milestone in this project,” said Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. “By reusing the existing building, we’re getting the most out of every dollar, and with the new building’s energy efficiency upgrades, we’ll save on energy costs while greening our City.”
When construction is completed this fall, a 40,000 square foot Main Library will anchor the West Florida Public Library system. The new building will become the first City facility to gain LEED certification.
“The new facility will provide a quantum leap in library service to Pensacola area residents,” said Library Director Gene Fischer. “The new building is a positive indication of how Pensacola is progressing.”
The finished building will feature an expanded children’s area, new books section, 50 computers for public use, a bookstore, two community meeting rooms, a coffee shop, and an atrium.
The project is funded through $6 million in local sales tax, a $606,500 U.S. Department of Energy grant, and $1 million left over from WFPL’s Tryon Branch on Langley Avenue, construction of which came in under budget. Friends of the Pensacola Library have also contributed $100,000.
Pictured top: A rendering of the new Main Branch of the West Florida Library. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
18 Certified As Level Two Search And Rescue Techs
March 12, 2012
Eighteen area residents have received their certification as Level Two Search and Rescue Technicians (SARTECH II).
The certification included a written exam along with extensive field examinations in land navigation, man tracking, search techniques and rescue ropes/knots.
The 18 are members of various search and rescue groups in the Northwest Florida area, including Escambia Search and Rescue, Gulf Coast Search and Rescue and Klass Kids. This marks the highest number of SARTECH II certifications in the history of search and rescue in the area.
The new SARTECH II certificated individuals are:
- Barbara Blades
- Tina Blake
- Reginald Bruster
- Michelle Caputo
- Jakob Connor
- Glenn Cox
- Adrienne Dahlberg
- Don Esty
- Stacy Hayden
- David Hill
- Michael Lady
- Zachary Litgen
- Donna Mason-Smith
- Alexandra McLaughlin
- Thomas Provo
- Elesebeth Rodgers
- Jarred Snyder
- Kevin Winingar
NorthEscambia file photo, click to enlarge.
Solon Lee Gandy Memorial Scholarship Applications Accepted
March 12, 2012
Applications are being accepted now for the Solon Lee Gandy Memorial Scholarship to be presented to a Flomaton or Jay high school senior.
The student must have played at last two years of high school football, baseball, softball or track/field and have at least a 2.5 overall GPA. Or, the student must be willing to pursue advanced studies in the forestry field after high school. Students from Jay must have a parent who is a current member of the Santa Rosa Professional Educators association.
Applications are due by April 15 and can be obtained from the guidance departments at Jay and Flomaton high schools.
Bratt Students Help Set National Accelerated Reading Record
March 11, 2012
Students at Bratt Elementary School took part in the recent “Read the Most from Coast to Coast” event and helped set a new national record for the number of Accelerated Reader quizzes taken in one day.
Students across the country, from coast to coast, set a new one day record of 3,581,992 AR tests, breaking the old record of 2,177,586.
At Bratt Elementary, students took 210 AR quizzes with 178 passed during the event. Toatl AR points earned by Bratt students were 140.9.
On The Hill: Molino Teen Serves As House Page
March 11, 2012
A young man from Molino recently spent a week serving as a page in the Florida House of Representatives.
Mitchell Singleton, a seventh grader at Ernest Ward Middle School, served as a page for Rep. Doug Broxson.
Pages and messengers are students who work one week at the Capitol during the 60-day Regular Session. Each of Florida’s 120 representatives may sponsor one page (ages 12-14) and one messenger (ages 15-18).
Being selected to serve is considered an honor and privilege. Pages and messengers assist the representatives and their staff during the Capitol’s busiest time of year while observing state government in action.
The page and messenger program is a long-standing tradition in the Florida House, with journals making mention of them as far back as 1865.
Singleton and each page and messenger will have their name appear in the official Journal of the House as an official record of their time spent serving in state government.
Pictured top: Mitchell Singleton (foreground) of Molino recently served as a page in the Florida House. Pictured inset: Mitchell in the House Chambers. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Century Names Park After Late Council Member Nadine McCaw
March 10, 2012
The Town of Century dedicated the former “Roadside Park” as the Nadine McCaw Park on Friday in honor of the late town council member and lifelong resident.
“Momma put so much of her time, money and heart into Century and trying to make it a place that people would be proud to call home,” McCaw’s daughter Felicia Jones of Arab, Ala., said. “Momma lived her life to make a difference in the lives of other people.”
The sign marking the park is adorned with purple ribbons — McCaw dedicated a large amount of time to Relay for Life and its mission of finding a cure for cancer. That cure did not come soon enough for McCaw; she passed away from cancer on July 7, 2011.
“The family greatly appreciates the dedication of the park in Nadine McCaw’s honor,” her sister Willene Bryan of Byrneville said.
The Nadine McCaw Park is located at the corner of North Century Boulevard and Hecker Road in Century.
Pictured: Members of Nadine McCaw’s family were on hand Friday morning for the dedication of the former Roadside Park in her memory. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Students Go Orange And Blue For Tommy Weaver
March 10, 2012
Students and faculty at Northview High School dressed in Auburn clothing Friday in memory of coach and teacher Tommy Weaver who passed away Wednesday. Weaver was a huge Auburn Tiger fan.
Funeral services for Tommy Weaver, 61, were held Saturday.
Northview High School will be setting up a scholarship fund in memory of Tommy Weaver. In lieu of flowers, donations can be mailed to the attention of Mr. Perry Byars at:
Northview High School
4100 W. Hwy 4
Bratt, FL 32535
Picture above and below (scroll down for multiple photos): Students and staff at Northview High School wore Auburn clothing in honor the late Tommy Weaver on Friday. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
All Those Weeds In Your Yard Now Mean Many More Next Year
March 10, 2012
The spring equinox signals the transition from winter to spring. Temperatures along the Gulf Coast this time of year are also transitioning. We will experience increasing periods of warm weather, but we are still likely to have at least one more cold snap.
Landscapes are also in a transitional period. Lawns are slowly coming out of dormancy. Bulbs are poking their heads out of the ground to enjoy the sun. Even the insects are beginning to move about. Gardeners who are finding their way outdoors are shocked to see more weeds than they imagined.
Most of the weeds you see now are what we term winter annuals. They grow annually from seed during the fall through early spring. Many of these weeds (henbit, annual bluegrass, chickweed, etc.) will eventually die when the temperatures finally warm up for the season.
Winter weeds are now flowering heavily which is why you see the bright purples, yellows, and whites in the landscape. Since they are flowering and are in a reproductive stage, they will soon be completing their life cycles and dying. Spraying them at this time with a weed killer (herbicide) to try to control them is of little value.
However, if something is not done to remove the weed seeds being produced by these winter annuals, expect a bigger weed patch next year. Remember the old saying, “One year’s weed–seven years’ seed.”
One guaranteed way of getting rid of the weed seeds is hand removal. When you have a small number of weeds, physical removal is your best option. Just remember not to shake the plant to remove the dirt; you’ll likely be shaking off some weed seeds also.
Mowing the lawn and collecting your clippings will also remove some of the seedhead canopy. If you can do this prior to the seeds maturing, it will help reduce next fall’s seed source.
Vow to use a pre-emergent herbicide to help prevent winter weeds. For pre-emergent control of winter annual weeds, apply a herbicide when nighttime temperatures drop to 55° to 60°F for several consecutive days. So mark your calendars now to apply a pre-emergent herbicide in early October in North Florida.
Next, vow to apply postemergent herbicides earlier in the winter when these young weeds are small and actively growing. Don’t wait until March to try to control winter weeds, it’s just too late.
As winter weeds begin to die off, they will create some additional problems. Their death will leave bare patches in the lawn. Unfortunately, a barren spot means that the summer weeds, such as crabgrass, spurge, and chamberbitter will probably start filling in the area. It’s best to try to repair these areas as soon as possible with sod, plugs or sprigs.
In additional to winter annual weeds, we have to contend with perennial weeds. Perennial weeds live for multiple seasons and flower more than once. Perennial structures, such as rhizomes, stolons, nutlets, or roots, survive from year to year. Perennial weeds are not effectively controlled with pre-emergent products.
There are a few perennial winter weeds that you may want to control now such as wild garlic, dandelions, clover, and plantains. Several postemergent herbicides can be used to spot treat these perennials. Contact your local Extension Service for more specific recommendations.
As always, be sure to thoroughly read and follow label directions when applying any chemical in the landscape.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Bratt Elementary Dedicates Meagan Wilburn Rose Garden (With Gallery)
March 9, 2012
Fourth graders at Bratt Elementary listened quietly Thursday afternoon as a small rose garden in memory of one of their own was dedicated.
The rose garden, located just outside the fourth grade wing of the school, was dedicated in honor of Meagan Wilburn, a nine-year old Bratt Elementary fourth grader who died after an ATV accident last October in Walnut Hill.
“We are going to remember Meagan forever with this rose garden,” Bratt Principal Jeanene Hall told the students.
“Respectful. Kind. Gentle. Oh, and bubbly…that’s one I just thought of just now,” were the carefully chosen words of Guidance Counselor Sheila Bryan as she described her memories of Meagan to the students.
Following the dedication, the students walked single file past the rose garden — which for now contains a small plaque and just two rose bushes that were purchased with change collected by Meagan’s classmates. Some of the students were visibly touched, breaking down in tears and hugging friends.
“Meagan will always be in our hearts and minds,” Hall said.
For more photos from the dedication, click here.
Pictured: A rose garden was dedicated Thursday afternoon in honor of Meagan Wilburn, a 9-year old Bratt Elementary student killed in an ATV accident last year. Pictured below: Meagan’s sister Cailee Wilburn looks at the garden. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Coast Guard Crew Remembered
March 9, 2012
Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard bid farewell to four of its own.
In a memorial service held at Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, the service paid tribute to the crew of Coast Guard helicopter 6535 – Lt. Cmdr. Dale Taylor, Lt. Thomas Cameron, Chief Petty Officer Fernando Jorge and Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Knight.
“Dale, Tom, Nando and Drew answered the call,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. “They stepped forward and dedicated their lives to helping others – the only thing stronger than their desire to fly, was their desire to serve. And, they did serve – they served all of us.”
On February 28, a Coast Guard helicopter went down in Mobile Bay during a training flight. The bodies of Taylor, Cameron and Jorge were recovered from the crash site shortly after the crash. Knight’s body was recovered Thursday.
Pictured: A memorial service honoring the Coast Crew that died last week in a Mobile Bay crash was held Thursday in Mobile. Photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Patrick Kelley for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
