Jay, Northview Students Create Sawmill Pageant Posters
March 3, 2011
Students from Northview and Jay high schools were recently awarded for taking part in a poster contest to promote the 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club.
Winners from the Northview High School Business Technology Education Department were Rebecca Barnhill, first place; A.J. Lambert, second place; and Ashley Digmon, third place. Barnhill received a $25 prize.
Winners from the Jay High School Commercial Graphic Arts classes were Haley Odom, first place; Damian Rogers, runner-up. Odom received a $25 prize.
The 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant sponsored by the Century Lions Club will be held Saturday, March 26 at 10 a.m. at the former Carver/Century School. Registration will be held Saturday, March 5 and March 12 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Southern Treasures Gift Shop at 8341 North Century Boulevard (across from Whataburger). For an entry form and more registration details, click here.
Pictured: 20th Annual Century Sawmill Pageant poster contest winners. Top: From Northview High — Rebecca Barnhill, first place; A.J. Lambert, second place; and Ashley Digmon, third place. Barnhill received a $25 prize. Bottom: From Jay High — Century Lions Club member Bill Gandy, Haley Odom, first place; Damian Rogers, runner-up. Pictured inset: Northview’s winner Rebecca Barnhill receives her $25 prize from Century Lions Club member Edsol Smith. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Louisiana College Students Use Spring Break To Help Molino Church
March 2, 2011
A group of Louisiana college students used their spring break to help a Molino church.
About 40 college ministry members of Temple Baptist Church in Ruston, Louisiana, actually paid $100 each for the opportunity to travel to Molino and work around the campus of Highland Baptist Church. From painting, to replacing a rotten bathroom subfloor under a toilet, to creating a classroom for a new Sunday School group, to landscaping and a lot of energy efficient lighting upgrades, the students performed numerous tasks for the church.
“We feel like our spring break is better spent if we help others instead of if we just sit around and do nothing,” Louisiana Tech student David Hinds said. “It’s better to serve others.”
For the past eight years, the 1,000-member Louisiana church has sent spring breakers to places like Miami, Seattle and San Diego to serve. The Molino visit became a reality because of a friendship between Highland Baptist Pastor Brian Calhoun and a minister at Temple Baptist.
A project list was created and supplies were purchased prior to the students’ arrival. They worked Friday, Saturday and Monday at Highland. And yes, they did manage a brief two hour trip to the beach between Sunday church services — but they were hard at work ministering while they were there.
“We try to use our spring break to help others to further the Kingdom in whatever we do,” Hinds said.
“It was just a labor of love. We didn’t deserve this; it was selfless sacrifice,” Calhoun said. “It reminds me of the selfless sacrifice of Jesus.”
Tuesday, the students that worked at Highland joined about 20 other Temple Baptist members at the University of West Florida to cook lunch for about 350 UWF students before heading back to Louisiana for class.
Photo Gallery: Relay For Life Mardi Gras Masquerade
March 2, 2011
A Mardi Gras King and Queen were named in Century last Saturday night as over $900 was raised in a silent auction to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.
Cesar Gonzalez and Lauryn Walker were crowned Century’s King and Queen of Mardi Gras in recognition of raising the most money during the Relay Mardi Gras Masquerade. The event also included entertainment from the Will Inspire band (complete with a conga line), gumbo, red beans and rice and the quintessential Mardi Gras dessert –moon pies.
For more photos from the event, click here.
Pictured: Century’s Mardi Gras Masquerade King Cesar Gonzalez and Queen Lauryn Walker. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Sea Of Purple: What’s That Purple Flower That’s Everywhere Called?
March 2, 2011
Ever wonder what the name of that that purple flower is that is blooming everywhere in North Escambia, often turning entire fields (or the corner of a neighborhood yard) into a sea of purple?
We posed the question to UF IFAS Escambia County Extension Agent Libbie Johnson and found out it’s called henbit (or more scientifically, Lamium amplexicaule):
Henbit is a cool season, annual broadleaf weed that germinates in the fall and continues to grow throughout the winter and spring. In some of Escambia County’s agricultural fields, it is currently one of the dominant species present.
Henbit is a member of the mint family. If you take a good look at it, you can see that it has square, slender stems. The stems can root at the lower nodes. Leaves are opposite, nearly circular, deeply veined, hairy and petioled. This isn’t a deeply rooted plant—roots are shallow and fibrous. The tubular flowers are generally purple to pink in color.
“Like most plants, the best control is achieved before the plants start to flower. Herbicides work better if you can spray when the plants are small and immature, but with the cold winter, scouting planted pasture for weeds may not have been on the top of the list of activities. For many, no control of henbit is necessary. Contact your local Extension agent to determine which herbicide would work best for your particular cropping system,” Johnson said.
Pictured: A sea of purple is formed by henbit in a field along Highway 97 at Tungoil Road in Walnut Hill.
Escambia Students Of The Month Named
March 1, 2011
Escambia County Students of the Month for February have been named by the Escambia Association for Administrators in Education. The awards are presented monthly to two students from participating schools.
The following students were named from participating North Escambia area schools:
- Bratt Elementary — Hunter E. Carter, fifth grade; Jonathan T. Gibbs, first grade
- Jim Allen Elementary — Anthony R. Leger, kindergarten; Kornesha S. Purifoy, kindergarten
- McArthur Elementary — Jesse C. Kintz, kindergarten; Alejandra E. Martinez, kindergarten
- Molino Park Elementary — Ariel S. Ward, second grade; Kenley E. Brown, second grade
- Ransom Middle — Cortez M. Jackson, seventh grade; Angel J. Chu, seventh grade
- Northview High — Elizabeth A. Wright, 11th grade; Joshua M. King, 12th grade
Pictured top: Northview High School Students of the Month for February Joshua M. King and Elizabeth A. Wright. Submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
NJROTC Places In Multi-State Drill Meet
February 28, 2011
Northview High School’s NJROTC recently participated in a drill meet at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The unit competed in multiple events which included a personnel inspection, academic test, basic and exhibition drill and physical fitness. Out of 16 schools from Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana that competed in the meet, Northview finished fifth overall. The unit was third in the personnel inspection, fifth in the armed exhibition drill and sit-ups and sixth in unarmed and armed basic drill.
“Performance by the unit was excellent and was the culmination of a lot of hard work over the past several weeks by each cadet that competed. They represented Northview and the community in an outstanding fashion,” said Capt. Charlie Code, instructor.
Pictured: The Northview High School NJROTC participated in a drill meet at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino Homemakers Make Yo-Yo Creations
February 27, 2011
The Molino Homemakers met on February the 2nd. A program was given by Ruth Miller on making Yo-yo’s. Pressed material was cut into circles by Becky Dorch on her cutting machine.
Circles were then hand sewn around the outside edge and the thread pulled tightly to make the yo-yo come together in the middle. After several yo-yo’s are made they can be stitched together to make many projects.
Some of those projects include quilts, wreaths, appliqués, pillows, bunnies and clowns. The possibilities are endless.
The Molino Homemakers share ideas and skills passed down to them to assure its continuation into the next generation of Homemakers. We never forget the knowledge and wisdom that sits amongst us each meeting.
The next club meeting will be on Wednesday March 2, 2011 at Aldersgate United Methodist Church at 10 a.m. Dues are $5 per year. Visitors are welcome.
Submitted photos by Terri Brown for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Featured Wee Recipe: Southwestern Chicken Tortilla Soup
February 27, 2011
This weekend’s featured recipe from Janet Tharpe is a Chicken Tortilla Soup. Thick and hearty, this soup is packed with Southwestern flavor.
To print today’s “Just a Pinch” recipe column, you can click the image below to load a printable pdf with a recipe card.
Hazel Bolen Celebrates 90th
February 27, 2011
Byrneville resident Hazel Bolen celebrated her 90th birthday last week.
The Women’s Ministry at Byrneville United Methodist Church gathered friends and family for a celebration last Sunday, with a big surprise. She was able to hold her great-great granddaughter Taylor for the first time as great-grandson Josh Mixon was able to attend the party from out of town — make five generations at the event.
Hazel has two sons, Wilbur and Wayne Levins, as well as many grandchildren.
Pictured top: Family and friends gather to celebrate Hazel Bolen’s 90th birthday at Byrneville United Methodist Church. Pictured inset: Hazel is able to hold Taylor Mixon, a fifth generation family member, for the first time. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Early Flowering Trees Usher In Spring
February 26, 2011
Warmer temperatures have raised the spirits of gardeners in Northwest Florida. Although we know from experience that we still have a good chance of another cold snap or two, nicer weather is always a welcomed foray into spring.
Warmer weather also means that some trees and shrubs burst into bloom producing flowers that brighten otherwise drab winter landscapes. Several members of the rose family are currently in bloom in Northwest Florida and sure to grab your attention.
Flowering Quince
During Colonial times a quince tree was a rarity in the gardens of wealthy Americans, but was found in nearly every middle class garden. The fruit—always cooked—was an important source of pectin for food preservation, and a fragrant addition to jams, juices, pies, and candies. However, by the early twentieth century quince production declined as the value of apples and pears increased. Its popularity has plummeted and it is now a rarity in contemporary landscapes.
Quince has been cultivated in the Middle East for centuries, and may have even been the fruit of temptation in the story of the Garden of Eden. The ancient Biblical name for quince translates as “Golden Apple.” In ancient Mesopotamia, now Iraq, cultivation of quince predates the cultivation of apples.
This small, thorny, deciduous tree is one of the first to bloom in late winter. It is a member of the rose family and explodes with typical rose-type flowers in February each year. The single, white flowers are 1½ to 2 inches across and grow on current season growth.
The fruit is a fragrant, many-seeded pome about three inches in diameter. The fruit’s shape ranges from round to pear-like and the flesh is yellow. Several references refer to it as “hard and rather unpalatable.”
If you would rather not deal with the fruit, non-fruiting cultivars exist. Since most quince cultivars are not well-adapted to Florida because of their high chilling requirement, choose your cultivar carefully.
Apples
Another pome-type fruit that embellishes our landscapes in late winter is the apple tree. Along with the quince, it too is a member of the rose family. It is older in cultivation than the rose and is sometimes referred to as the prince of the rose family.
Relatively few cultivars of apples (Malus domestica L.) can be grown successfully in Florida.
Most apples have a high chilling requirement. Chilling requirement is defined as the number of hours less than or equal to 45 degrees F during the winter. Apple cultivars suitable for North Florida have a chilling requirement of less than 600 hours.
Only a few cultivars meet Florida’s low-chill requirement. Recommended cultivars include ‘Anna’, ‘Dorsett Golden’ and ‘TropicSweet’. ‘Anna’ and ‘Dorsett Golden’ originated in Israel and the Bahamas, respectively. ‘TropicSweet’ is a patented cultivar from the University of Florida. These cultivars each have a chilling requirement of 250 to 300 hours.
For more information on low-chill apples, review the University of Florida/IFAS online publication at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg368.
Flowering Cherry
While we may not be able to produce beautiful, delicious cherries in Northwest Florida, we can enjoy a few ornamental, flowering cherry trees.
One species that does well in Northwest Florida is Prunus campanulata or the Taiwan cherry. The Taiwan cherry grows to 20 to 25 feet and spreads nearly as wide as it matures. Single, drooping rose-type flowers appear in late winter and will last for about ten days.
For other recommendations on flowering trees to add to your landscape, contact your local Extension Office.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.