Free Stargazing Events on Pensacola Beach

The Escambia Amateur Astronomers' Association is continuing their free stargazing events at 8 PM on September 17th and 18th and October 15th and 16th at the Gulfside Pavilion. Volunteers will set up nearly 20 telescopes ranging in strength and size from duplicates of Galileo's original telescope to today’s incredible large-scope devices for the public to take a peek at wonders such as Jupiter, the Milky Way and other galaxies.

For a closer look, video cameras will also be used with some of the telescopes to display images on monitors up to 100 times more clearly than viewing through the telescope with your eye alone. For individuals who would like to continue stargazing on their own, free star charts and sky calendars will be available. If you haven't attended one of this year's stargazing events, come out and see what you've been missing!  More

The Downtown Pensacola Parking Management District has recently launched a new website to help residents and visitors to downtown Pensacola find the best low-cost and free parking options for their destinations. Using the new interactive parking map, visitors may enter a destination to find the nearest parking options and then get driving directions to their chosen facility. A mobile-friendly map shows all of Downtown’s parking facilities, all of which may be clicked for more information and directions.

One section of the website is dedicated to special events in order to distribute notices about parking options, shuttles, road closures and other parking-related news regarding the over 250 special events that happen within the Downtown Parking Management District each year. Another section is a resource for information about parking signs and general, unsigned parking regulations.

“This website will make the parking experience easier and more efficient by helping people quickly find what they need, whether it’s a place to park or an answer to a question,” said Richard Puckett, Manager of the DPMD. “We hope that it proves to be a valuable resource for people who drive downtown.”

The Downtown Pensacola Parking Management District strives to treat parking as a beneficial resource in Downtown Pensacola that is consistent in its access and easily recognizable. There are currently 8,526 parking spaces managed by the Downtown Parking Management District. Of those, 1654 are free parking locations. For more information visit pensacolaparking.com

Green-Up Crepe Myrtle
Clearance Sale

Green-Up Santa Rosa, the popular Milton non-profit nursery, is having a clearance sale on all of it's crepe myrtles thru the end of summer. There are a variety of colors and sizes available at discounted prices. 7 gallon plants, about 7 or 8 feet high, which were originally $19.99 are on sale for $15.99. 3 gallon plants, which are about 5 to 6 feet high, were originally $9.99 and are on sale for $7.99, and newly arrived one gallon plants for just $5.99. Additionally, many other plants in the nursery are discounted.

Green-Up is located at 6758 Park Avenue in Milton. For more information on the sale call 623-1930. For more information on the Clean Community System visit our website at srclean.org

Gulf Winds Supports Local Wildlife Recovery Efforts with Relief Fund

Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union has committed $50,000 in a matching donation fund to assist the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida. According to Gulf Winds President & CEO, Chris Rutledge, "We wanted to create an opportunity for the community to double the amount they give to the Wildlife Sanctuary. When they give through our website, we will match the gift dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $50,000."

"In short," says Rutledge, "we want to turn our $50,000 into a $100,000 donation with help from the Gulf Coast residents." Rutledge says that the Wildlife Sanctuary will be doing rehabilitation during and after the oil spill cleanup, and Gulf Winds wants to help them with the funds they need for the work ahead.

Rutledge and several Gulf Winds staff members took a tour of the Wildlife Sanctuary recently. "We were very impressed with the facility and the work they are doing,” says Rutledge. "The Wildlife Sanctuary has been a part of this community for over 28 years and will be here long after the BP cleanup operation has left the area." Rutledge says that Gulf Winds has a strong history of supporting our community and they cannot sit idly by and wait for others to solve this crisis. "We know that the Wildlife Sanctuary will be assisting and doing all they can do to protect, restore and rehabilitate wildlife that will be affected by this disaster," says Rutledge. "Our wildlife cannot wait while lawsuits are settled. They will need our help now and long term."

Although reports indicate that BP has committed to covering the costs associated with the oil spill incident, including the wildlife cleanup, the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is preparing for a potentially overwhelming amount of work. Dorothy Kaufmann, Wildlife Sanctuary Director, says her staff and volunteers are working closely with many collaborating organizations in these recovery efforts.

Kaufmann says that the Wildlife Sanctuary is already involved and has received injured birds from Tri-State Rescue and Research (the organization contracted by BP to rehabilitate wildlife in this incident). "The birds and other animals can't be released to the wild immediately," says Kaufmann. "The oil is still out there. We will be ready to nurse the animals back to health and if needed, hold them until it is safe to release them."

The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is a non-profit organization that has been serving Northwest Florida since 1982. They do not charge for their services, so they rely on contributions to stay open. The money is used to build facilities, grounds upkeep, medical supplies and food...lots of food. During a normal year they take in 3,000 to 4,000 injured or sick animals. Of course they expect to see a big increase of animals this year.

If you would like to support the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, you can make a donation at GoGulfWinds.com. By using the Gulf Winds website, your donation will be doubled and 100% of the donation will go directly to the local sanctuary.

About the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida
The Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida is a non-profit organization working to provide appropriate care to injured and orphaned indigenous wildlife. The organization provides medical care and fostering during wildlife recovery, rehabilitation and release, cooperative efforts with local, state and federal wildlife agencies and educational outreach to the Northwest Florida community. For more information visit pensacolawildlife.com or call (850) 433-9453.

About Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union
Gulf Winds is a community financial institution serving members who live, work, worship and attend school in Escambia or Santa Rosa Counties, Florida, and Escambia County, Alabama. Gulf Winds serves more than 45,000 members and has 10 branch locations in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Atmore, and Brewton. For more information visit GoGulfWinds.com

United Way needs your votes to bring the valuable resource of 211 to Northwest Florida. It's a three digit phone number available 24/7 for residents in need of health and human services. United Way First Call for Help is a contestant for a $50,000 grant through the Pepsi Refresh Everything program. Each person can vote once a day every day at refresheverything.com/211nwflorida

ARC Gateway provides job opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. Your donated Mardi Gras beads are sorted and packaged by adults in the ARC Gateway program to be sold to area krewes for future parades. You can drop off your extra beads at the WXBM studios in Pace during business hours. Donated beads may also be dropped off at ARC Gateway on 12th Avenue or for a location near you call 434-2638.  MORE

Based on recent statistics we are losing WW II veterans at the rate of 1200 per day. Emerald Coast Honor Flight honors our local veterans by flying them to Washington, DC to reflect at their memorials. Top priority is given to the senior veterans along with other veterans that may be terminally ill. Donations and volunteers are also needed. MORE

The Northwest Florida Blood Center is now offering Online Appointment Scheduling for donors to help raise the blood supply for our area. Blood donors may click on the blood center’s website at www.nfbcblood.org and schedule an appointment online for whole blood, double red cells, platelets and plasma donations. Appointments can be made for the following locations: 1999 East Nine Mile Road, 2209 North Ninth Avenue in Pensacola, 4490 East Highway 90 center in Pace and the Racetrack Road center in Ft. Walton Beach.

Fun things to do, vacation rentals, local coupons, plus a complete schedule of local events you don't want to miss. Here's what's happening along the Emerald Coast from Pensacola.com! More