TEMPORARY JOB OPENINGS

The Family of Apalachicola Mayor Van Johnson and Vivian Pollock-Olds of Marianna, Florida are seeking temporary help to provide hospitality service during the Olds Wedding Reception and the Mayor Van W. Johnson, Sr., Golden Rule International Award Celebration to be held in Apalachicola and on St. George Island over the 51st Annual Florida Seafood Festival weekend from Thursday, October 30, thru Sunday, November 2, 2014.

Position Title: Servers/Wait staff

Positions Hiring: Nine (9)  

Closing Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Hourly Wage: $15.00 per hour 

Contact Person: 
Mona L. Scott, Event Personnel Coordinator
Telephone: (678) 826-9671
Email: serenityhac3@gmail.com

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Applicants must be reliable, friendly, have a positive attitude and customer service skills in the hospitality industry. Previous experience preferred. Applicants must also have their own transportation and be able to work during the 51st Annual Florida Seafood Festival weekend from Thursday, October 30, thru Sunday, November 2, 2014. 

Job Duties: Greet and seat guest, assist with food serving, keep tables clean and cleared of unused dishes, flatware, glasses etc., replenish beverages for guest, assist Food Coordinator and Chef as required and assist with clean- up duty after the events. 

Minimum Qualifications: Must be 21 years of age or older and must possess the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to performed the work as advertised.

Attire: Black bottoms with white tops; black shoes and black socks. Hair must be pulled off face; no jewelry except wedding bands and no visible piercings, tattoos, nose rings or tongue rings. Other uniform attire will be provided.

Work Schedule:  

Thursday, October 30, 2014 - (1:00 pm - 11:00 pm)
Friday, October 31, 2014 - (1:00 pm - 11:00 pm)

Saturday, November 1, 2014 – (4:00 pm – 11:00 pm) 

Sunday, November 2, 2014 – (9:00 am – 3:30 pm)

Note: One (1) hour non-paid break each day

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Political Forum to be held Monday night in Apalachicola

Want more information about "Hiring vs. Electing" the Franklin County Public School Superintendent or the proposed 2% Bed Tax increase. Both issues are initiatives on the ballot for voter consideration during the General Election on November 4, and will be topics of discussion at a Political Forum scheduled for 6:30 pm Monday, October 13, 2014 at the Franklin Square Recreation Center located on 6th Street in Apalachicola. 

The event hosted by the Hillside Coalition Of Laborers for Apalachicola (H'COLA) will allow the voters of Franklin County the opportunity to pose questions and become aware of how the issue of "Hiring vs. Electing a School Superintendent will impact the future of education in Franklin County and what affect increasing or not increasing the Bed Tax will have on the local tourism industry.

Both candidates, Steve Southerland and Gwen Graham running for U.S. Representative for Florida's 2nd Congressional District were invited to attend the forum, but will be unable to do so because of previous scheduled campaign events in other parts of the state.

The format of the forum will be moderated, with written questions from the audience fielded by the moderator and presented to the representative of the appropriate issue.

For more information please contact Brenda Ash at (850) 323-0590 or send email to Brenda.Ash69@yahoo.com or Elinor Mount-Simmons at (850) 323-0544 or send email to elsumosi@gmail.com.

Apalachicola moves Halloween out of concern for children safety

At their regular October meeting held Tuesday night, members of the Apalachicola Board of City Commissioners agreed that the 2014 observance of Halloween in Apalachicola be moved to Thursday night, October 30, rather than Friday night, the actual date of Halloween.

This year the official date of Halloween will fall on the opening day of the Annual Florida Seafood Festival, where the influx of 20,000 - 30,000 visitors will converge on the city to attend the two day event.  The concern for the safety of trick-or-treaters during the opening day of the festival was raised by a group of young mothers led by Traci Moses of Apalachicola.

"As a parent, I am concerned for my children's safety.  As a teacher, I am concerned for the safety of my students. Overall, I am concerned for the safety of all of the children that will be out on our streets, carrying on a fun, family tradition", wrote Moses in a letter to the city commission.

"If we leave trick-or-treating on the Friday night of the festival, I feel that we are putting our children and citizens in a potentially harmful situation!  There will be a large crowd in town for the festival.  This means added traffic on our streets.  Most children walk with their families to trick-or-treat… with all of the added people in town, that could lead to dangerous situations", Moses wrote.

The commission agreed and on a motion made by City Commissioner Brenda Ash voted unanimously to move the observance of Halloween in Apalachicola to Thursday, October 30, 2014.

Miami Patient Tests Negative for Ebola in Preliminary Test

The arm of an actual patient with the Ebola virus 

Tallahassee, FL – Today, the Joint Information Center announced that the Miami patient who was tested for Ebola on Sunday tested negative in a preliminary test that was conducted by the Florida Department of Health’s (DOH) lab in Miami. In following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol, another sample from the patient was sent to the CDC’s Atlanta lab for confirmation of this negative result. The CDC’s results are expected on Wednesday.

Florida does not have any confirmed cases of Ebola. To enhance Florida’s readiness for Ebola, on Sunday, at the request of Governor Rick Scott, DOH requested 30 additional Ebola testing kits from the CDC and 100 units of additional high-level personal protective equipment.

The Florida Department of Health is working in consultation with CDC to determine on a case-by-case basis whether testing for Ebola is necessary. 

Ebola Virus Symptoms Pictures and Images

City of Apalachicola October 7, 2014 Regular Meeting Agenda

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REGULAR MEETING

CITY COMMISSION

CITY OF APALACHICOLA, FLORIDA

TUESDAY, OCTOBER, 2014 – 6:00 PM

COMMUNITY CENTER @ BATTERY PARK

#1 BAY AVENUE, APALACHICOLA, FLORIDA

AGENDA

I.     PRAYER AND PLEDGE

ll.    REGULAR MEETING
       1. Recognition of Visitors
           a. Anita Grove - National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Program
           b. Wendy Millette - Florida Council On Crime & Delinquency
           c. Fonda Davis, Jr. - 4th Annual Chunky Sunday
           d. Traci Lemiuex - Request Moving "Trick or Treat" to October 30th
       2. Approval of September Minutes
       3. Approval of August Bill List
       4. First Reading Ordinance No. 2014-04 - Price Increase Grave Openings
       5. Adoption Decision Resolution No. 2014-05 - Fees & Charges for City Facilities
       6. Planning & Zoning
           a. Confirm July Minutes
       7. City Administrator
       8. Attorney Floyd
       9. Other Visitors and Comments
     10. Mayor & Commissioner’s Comments    

Any person who desires to appeal any decision at this meeting will need a record of the proceeding and for this purpose, may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceeding is made which includes testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based. Persons with disabilities needing assistance to participate in any of these proceedings should contact the City Clerk’s Office 48 hours in advance of the meeting.

Apalachicola Police Officer Timothy Davis promoted to sergeant

Police Chief Bobby Varnes & Mayor Van Johnson pins Officer Timothy Davis 

Apalachicola Police Officer Timothy Davis received his sergeant bars, stripes, badge and name plate from Apalachicola Mayor Van Johnson and Police Chief Bobby Varnes in a pinning ceremony held yesterday inside the mayor's office.

Davis a 13 year veteran law enforcement officer began his career with the Apalachicola Police Department in 2001 after completing basic training at Chipola College Law Enforcement Academy.  He resigned his position in good standing with the city in 2003 to take a job as a road deputy with the Franklin County Sheriff Office where he served for 5 years before returning to the Apalachicola Police Force in 2008.

Mayor Johnson presents Officer Timothy Davis with his sergeant name plate.

It was Davis's outstanding performance in all aspects of his work as a police officer with the City of Apalachicola and his willingness to go above and beyond the call of duty that prompted his promotion to the rank of sergeant following the retirement of Capt. Steve James in June of this year. 

"You show extreme professionalism, dedication and tireless effort in your job performance", wrote Varnes in a letter to Davis. "The Apalachicola Police Department and the citizens of the City of Apalachicola are fortunate to have you working as a law enforcement officer protecting our interest and community", continued Varnes.

Police Chief Bobby Varnes presents Officer Davis with his sergeant badge 

Davis is noted for his work assisting the Franklin County Sheriff Office in capturing the armed robber of the Eastpoint convenience store in 2013 and the Apalachicola traffic stop that led to a drug arrest that same year.

Photos by Gail Johnson: View more

Work nearing completion on renovations to Scipio Creek Boat Basin

Work to improve the Scipio Creek Boat Basin also known as the Mill Pond for use as a viable facility to help sustain and generate seafood related jobs is nearing completion.  

The idea to renovate the basin came out of meetings held in late 2003 by the City of Apalachicola Waterfronts Committee.  Working diligently over a two-year period with a $50K grant obtained from the Waterfronts Florida Program the committee created a vision for the basin that included providing the necessary infrastructure to ensure the continued existence of the local seafood industry.

The city endorsed a feasibility study funded through a $50K allocation from the Franklin County Tourist Development Council to outline infrastructure options, priorities, and the financial feasibility of the project.  

After the study was completed the project failed to move forward for lack of local funding until early 2009.  In early 2009 Kevin Begos, former Executive Director for the Franklin County Oyster and Seafood Task Force alerted city officials of funding opportunities through the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration (EDA).  With the news city officials contracted with the Apalachee Regional Planning Council (ARPC) to apply to the EDA to fund the project.

In mid-2010 the EDA announced that the City of Apalachicola had been awarded a $1.86M grant to fund the project by the agency.  In addition to the EDA funding the city obtained $436K from a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), and tossed in themselves $215K from their revolving loan fund for a total of $2.5M towards the renovation.

In addition to the renovation work the city obtained $250K from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC), and another $100K from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DOACS) to construct a haul out facility to remove boats out of the basin for repairs and routine maintenance.

Once the project is completed it will include a boat maintenance yard with a 50-ton haul out lift, a large structural steel open air market pavilion including restrooms with a metal roof system, and a smaller open air pavilion along with upgraded electrical, underground utilities and drainage.  

The projects scheduled completion date in November 25th, once completed and operational the project is expected to create up to 44 new jobs.

Photos by Gail Johnson

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and learn about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second most common kind of cancer in women. About 1 in 8 women born today in the United States will get breast cancer at some point. The good news is that many women can survive breast cancer if it’s found and treated early. A mammogram – the screening test for breast cancer – can help find breast cancer early when it’s easier to treat.

The staff at the Florida Department of Health in Franklin County supports National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and encourages the Franklin County community, families and individuals to get involved. 

Staff at the Florida Department of Health in Franklin County from (L-R):

David Walker, Helen Cook, Rhonda Butler, Alma Pugh, Jinny Trammell

Deedee Crosby and Robert Overton.

Let's all do our part by spreading the word about mammograms and by encouraging women ages 40 to 49 to talk with their doctors about when to start getting a mammogram. In addition, let's help by encouraging women ages 50 to 74 to get a mammogram every 2 years. 

Also by encouraging all women to talk with their doctors or nurses if they notice any of the following changes: 

• A lump in the breast
• A change in size, shape, or feel of the breast
• Fluid (called discharge) coming out of a nipple

To view the risk factors click HERE or for more information about breast cancer, visit http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/.

National Teen Driver Safety Week

October 19-25, 2014 is National Teen Driver Safety Week!  It's a set aside opportunity to talk with our young drivers about safety topics and taking specific measures that could save their lives.  It's a chance to encourage them to use their seat belts and to be attentive to the road, to never text and drive.  We need to make them aware of the dangers of impaired driving, distracted driving and get them to focus on the road every trip!

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for 14-18 years of age in the U.S. In fact, almost half of the teen drivers involved in a crash die. Yet, a recent survey shows that only 25% of parents have had a serious talk with their kids about the key components of driving. You are the parent, they are your children, and they still have a lot to learn. You can teach them and you may just help save their lives.

Even if you think they don't hear you, they do and remember to share with them the five specific rules designed to help save their lives: "5 to Drive" – Set the Rules Before They Hit the Road.

• No cell phones while driving.
• No extra passengers.
• No speeding.
• No alcohol.
• No driving or riding without a seat belt.

For more information please visit the following websites:

• http://www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov/teens
• http://www.teendriversource.org/events/teen/detail/58
• http://injury.research.chop.edu/blog/posts/need-support-older-novice-drivers-national-teen-driver-safety-week

Let’s make every effort to keep them safe!

Apalachicola Research Reserve offers Fall Panhandle Habitat Courses

APALACHICOLA - The Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve will offer three day long classes from the popular Panhandle Habitat Series. The Estuaries class will be offered on Thursday, October 9, 2014, from 8:45am-4:30pm. This course explores the ecology, geology, and economic importance of the Apalachicola Bay Estuary.  Attendees will learn about habitats found in the bay, the fascinating plants and animals that inhabit the estuary, plus regulatory and conservation issues.  Be prepared to spend part of the day in the classroom and the afternoon on the ANERR boat the Tideline trawling, sampling bottom sediments, and exploring life in the oyster beds. 

The Barrier Islands Class, scheduled for Tuesday October 28, 2014, 8:45am-4:30pm, will explore various island habitats, common plants and animals found on barrier islands, waves and currents, hurricanes, human impacts, island and dune formation, erosion and regulatory issues. Dr. Christopher Williams with the Florida Geological Survey is scheduled to lead the geology segment of the course and Plant Taxonomist Dr. Loren Anderson, Professor Emeritus at FSU, will lead the ecological field study in the afternoon at the St. George Island State Park where we will seine in the Gulf, explore beach and the intertidal benthic habitats, and examine interesting species found on the island.

The Rivers & Floodplains class, held Thursday, November 13, 2014, from 8:45am-4:30pm,explores the ecology, geology, and natural history of the rivers and floodplains of the Florida Panhandle focused mainly on the Apalachicola River and Floodplain. Other types of river systems will also be discussed. Attendees will learn about the rich diversity of animals and plants found in the river and surrounding floodplain of the Apalachicola system and their connection to the bay. Be prepared to spend part of the day in the classroom and part in the field on our boat the Tideline exploring the river and walking in the floodplain. 

These professional level classes are intended for coastal decision makers such as elected officials, permitting staff, eco-tour operators, consultants, ecologists, park rangers, planners, developers, volunteer organizations and concerned citizens.  All classes will be held from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) beginning at the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Nature Center, 108 Island Drive in Eastpoint, Florida, 32328. Registration is required. You MUST register no later than five days before the class. Register ASAP as space is very limited.  Cost: $15.00 per person per class payable to Friends of the Reserve, mail to: 108 Island Drive, Eastpoint, FL 32328. 

To register or for more information contact Anita Grove at (850) 670-7708 or Margo Posten at (850) 670-7719 or via email Margaret.posten@dep.state.fl.us or Anita.Grove@dep.state.fl.us.