Pensacola News Journal from Pensacola, Florida • 19

7D TBV PENSACOU IVdamKTC Money now I Journal frtfulf Coast! New branch of Gulf Coast Community Bank opens in Pace. Back page www.PensacoIaNewsJoumat.com FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2003 Section Local Residents give support to Santa Rosa ballpark Derek Pivnick PensacolaNewsJournal.com Several area residents on Thursday defended Santa Rosa County's construction of ball fields near Pace and the $3.7 million loan needed to finish the job. "We think what you're investing in is the best investment you can make, and that's (an investment in) the kids in our community," said Charles Baxley, president of the Pace Athletic Recreation Association. son, president of South Santa Rosa County's United Peninsula Homeowners Association. The county did much of the preparation work on the park but awarded a contract to do the more specialized work.

Costs were reduced as a result of donations that included design work, scoreboards and entrance signs. "We're not going to see the need for recreation lessen," said Commissioner Don Salter. During committee meetings Monday, commissioners heard one person criticize the loan. Milton resident Jerry Cooey said it wasn't financially prudent to spend the money when the county had a tough time balancing the budget. Commissioners supported the need for the park, which has been in the works for a couple of years.

"I don't object to the park," Cooey said. "I've got kids who play ball, too. My main con structed on Chumuckla Highway and opened in 1998. Pace Athletics has nearly 1,200 children participating in sports. "Twelve years ago, we were serving 300 kids," Baxley said.

"We need a new facility." Support for the park came from other county residents as well. "As we know, construction costs are going up a lot faster than the cost of the low-interest loan you guys were able to secure," said Joe McPher- cern is the budget and the overall health of the county." Districts 1 and 3 will share the cost of building the park. Commissioners at their regular meeting Thursday approved a budget amendment that put the loan into the county's budget. The county will repay the loan over nine years with money it collects from franchise fees paid by electricity customers every month on their power bills. Every other commission district has borrowed money ro price ffoir sclhxroD sito ftf ui mff PS.

to complete large park projects during the last several years. Each district gets about $250,000 a year for recreation from the franchise fees. Pace's 70-acre baseball and Softball park, being built between Pace and Chumuckla, will alleviate crowding at the current Pace ballpark on the south end of Woodbine Road. That park was built on an old landfill and still will have football games. Soccer is played at a field complex con- i Carmen Paige PensacolaNewsJournal.com It was quieter than a classroom during FCAT when Santa Rosa School Board members learned the cost of the best site offered for a proposed new elementary school in south Santa Rosa County.

The 25.39-acre tract behind Baptist Medical Park carries a price tag of $1.8 million. The figure is nonnegotiable. "That's just a lot of money," said Superintendent John W. Rogers. "That's a lot of money, a lot of money to be spending for land and still have to build a school." Board members on Thursday were presented with five sites for a new elementary school to serve the booming population in south Santa Rosa.

A new school would relieve overcrowding at West Navarre and Oriole Beach elementary schools as well as at Holley-Navarre primary and intermediate schools. The best site meets the board's criteria of having at least 20 extra acres to develop, access to utilities and to not be in a flood plain, said Steve Ratliff, assistant superintendent for administrative services. "The only exception is: It does not have two separate Cause of death due next week on doctor Officials in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming said Thursday the cause of death of Perdido Key Dr. Jim Jeffery will be released next week, once a pathology report is complete. Park Service Supervisory Special Agent Brian Smith said Jeffery's death has been ruled a suicide, and his body has been released to family members.

Smith said Jeffery was not a victim of a gunshot wound or a hanging. Smith said he could give no further details pending the pathology report. Park officials found Jeffery's body Oct. 16 in the northeast section of the park. A search was prompted when Jeffery's abandoned Chevrolet Blazer was spotted three days earlier in the Slough Creek parking lot.

Park officials said notes found in the Blazer indicated Jeffery was contemplating suicide, and his body was found two miles north of the parking area. Jeffery's empty fishing boat was found in the Intracoastal Waterway at Perdido Key in May. Jeffery surfaced late last month when he was stopped by a Bozeman, policeman for running a red light. Santa Rosa official returns excess funds Santa Rosa County Clerk of Courts Mary Johnson on Thursday returned more than $104,300 to the county's general fund. The refund is from fees collected in excess of what was needed for operations.

Fees can be charged to the public for making copies and filing public records. On Monday, Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser Greg Brown gave back nearly $400,000. Corrections James Carnley owns Circle Western Store. The name of the business was reported incorrectly in the News Journal's Thursday editions. i The number to call for information on International Paper Co.

land sales is 937-4825. The last four digits inadvertantly were omitted in Thursday's editions. Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola is the site of an Interventional Radiology conference on Saturday. An incorrect day was listed in Thursday's editions. The Escambia High School volleyball team defeated Gulf Breeze High on Wednesday.

A headline indicated otherwise in Thursday's editions. The News Journal strives for accuracy and fairness. We will correct errors or misunderstandings created by stories, headlines or photos. Please call 435-8511. For news questions and issues, call the Help Desk at 435-8549.

Lottery Here are the Program encourages students to The staff at the Santa Rosa Adult School is sponsoring a program with fourth-graders at West Navarre Elementary School to promote reading. The group has purchased books for each student. The program will encourage the children to read the book and leave it where someone else will find it and read it, with a note inside that says the donor PhotosbyKarenaCawthonPensacolaNewsJournal.com pass along the gift of literacy enjoyed the book and hopes whoever finds it will like it as well. The person is to then pass it along, paying forward the gift of literacy. ABOVE: Brooke Jennrich checks out her book just after she received it Thursday morning.

BELOW: Neal Lacey, left, and Jared Linares talk about their books after receiving them. 1 i --h CRASH If Finding new ground I Navarre fPfSa Purpose-driven book still big egress points," he said. "The other sites were in flood-prone areas or were too narrow or in the Navy's flight Rogers path. The price breaks down to nearly $71,000 an acre. Ratliff said considering the work that would be required to prepare the other proposed sites and the work that has been done in past years to prepare sites for other schools, it balances out.

"Navarre High School was $40,000 an acre, but we spent over $1 million putting utilities on," he said. "At Woodlawn Beach Middle School, we paid $10,000 to $17,000 an acre plus $36,000 for five acres from (Pensacola Junior College), but we spent $1.2 million on roads." Rogers said he's pleased that the district has some options, and he wants to hear from the committee that is expected to offer a recommendation at the November board meeting. The recommendation will be nonbinding. "I don't kn ow what to say to $1.8 million; $1.8 million makes me feel sort of empty," he said. News Journal graphic ing breakfast, he was worried about what he was going to do for lunch and dinner." Mr.

Peyroux loved Pensacola for its charming people and beauty, Watkins said. "I think he told me that when he moved here, he said, 1 got sand in my shoes, and I never "she said. There will be no funeral service, as Mr. Peyroux requested cremation and a private interment. The family prefers that donations be sent to Covenant Hospice.

Call 433-2155, or visit www.covenanthospice.org. Creen Tai, Low Miles. $29,900 Soft Toe. Local Trade. $36 900 store.

out of it each week," he said. popularity is supported by renewal campaign organized Saddleback Church in California, church founded by Warren. of local churches are participating the "40 Days of Purpose" campaign, focuses on the book's message incorporating God more closely life decisions. several churches are using as a study guide, individual are fueling sales, said Amy assistant store manager at Noble Booksellers on Airport in Pensacola. sales have been strong," she Kimberly Blair PensacolaNewsJournal.com Weeks after several local churches activated plans to revitalize their congregations with "A Purpose Driven Life," the book remains a hot seller.

Sales of the book, authored by The Rev. Rick Warren, have catapulted to top 8 million copies since its release one year ago. "The velocity continues," said Mark Rice, spokesman for the book's distributor, Zondervan of Grand Rapids, Mich. Local booksellers say it is tough to keep up with the public demand for the book. Yet another shipment arrived at Books-A-Million on Thursday.

Manager Bill Bohm said it is the most popular Five sites for a new elementary school in Santa Rosa County were presented to Santa Rosa School Board members Thursday night: ACRES ASKING PRICE OFFERED BY 19 $2 million Howard Head 30 Price not stated Scoggins III, Inc. 100 Price not stated Pat Lyons 19 $1-1 million KillSgsworth 25 jgg 1 imi" College, Gillmore said, local television station WSRE asked him to be host for a series of 13 cooking shows. "It lasted for 18 years, was picked up by PBS and shown coast to coast," Gillmore said. The author of seven cookbooks still gets fan letters, Gillmore said. His "down-to-earth" approach to cooking on the show was the secret to his popularity, said his producer, director and close friend, Liz Watkins.

"People liked that he cooked an entire meal, made a mess and didn't care. That he just book in the "We sell The book's a spiritual by the Dozens in which of into daily Although the book readers also Momberger, Barnes Boulevard "Our said. Gary McCrackenPensacolaNewsJournal.com Mike Smith of Books-A-Million restocks the shelves with a new shipment of "A Purpose Driven Life." earth' TV chef Peyroux dies after long illness States and abroad. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, and an under study to such peyroux as Julia Child and Paul Prud-homme, Mr. Peyroux dedicated his life to cooking, said longtime companion Jerry Gillmore, 72.

He studied in France, Italy, Spain and Japan as well. After teaching a cooking course at Pensacola Junior t4ee! seems so natural he came across as a regular person," Watkins said. "He never acted like a TV star." Mr. Peyroux had to give up the show about seven years ago, Gillmore said, because a medical condition affected his voice. He continued to be involved in the food industry, however, and had planned to start a series of cooking tips to be aired on WUWF in January.

"Even after all that time off the air, he loved to share his knowledge with people," Watkins said. 'Down to Valerie Lovett PensacolaNewsJournal.com Earl Peyroux, a well known Pensacola chef and nationally syndicated TV personality, died Thursday morning at Sacred Heart Hospital after a prolonged illness. He would have turned 79 today. Mr. Peyroux, a New Orleans native who moved to Pensacola four decades ago, was host of the long-running "Gourmet Cooking" TV show, which aired on the Public Broadcasting Service throughout the United End B.

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