A W A R D ● W I N N I N G jmillers.com 934-6200 Gulf Breeze ● Pensacola ● Destin 50 ¢ May 1, 2008 Tennis state champs! Kasler, Pfeifler bring crowns to Gulf Breeze Local principals support 3-tier plan last week. The main reason for according to Santa Rosa School any way to help with the budget PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News 2008 school times the three-tier scheduling is to District administrators. crunch.” [email protected] School Start Fin. save money on school buses. “Our starting time next year Oriole Beach Elementary Staggered start and finish times will only be 30 minutes earlier also is making a 35-minute page GB Middle 7:15 1:45 Woodlawn Middle 7:15 1:45 require fewer buses. than this year,” Gulf Breeze change in next year’s schedule. 1C Gulf Breeze Middle School GB Elementary 8:15 2:45 With more time between Elementary School principal “I have not heard one single 1C students will hear their first Oriole Beach Elem 8:15 2:45 school starting times, many Karen Murray said. negative comment from any staff school bell ring each day at 7:15 GB High 9:15 3:45 buses can be used for as many “We have been staggering member or parent about the a.m. beginning next August, as three routes each morning start times in Gulf Breeze any- schedule change next year,” while Gulf Breeze Elementary classes until 9:15 each day. and again each afternoon, way, with the schools here and Oriole Beach principal Dawn Alt PAG E 1D students will start their school The new starting times are resulting in a need for about 50 the buses trying to service each said. “We feel like it is a good day at 8:15. part of the three-tier scheduling fewer buses. school. So I don’t see a big move, so cuts might not have to ■ Gulf Breeze High students plan approved by the Santa That adds up to a potential problem for us. We are willing be made in the classroom.” Deputies won’t be expected to arrive for Rosa County School District savings of more than $1 million, to work with the school board in See 3TIER PLAN, Page 2A6 disperse melee ■ Bubba’s Culpepper Beach new editor WEEKEND of GB News Weather THURSDAY 5/1 Mississippi native has Sunny lived in area for 4 years high 78O low 68O STAFF REPORTS Gulf Breeze News [email protected] FRIDAY 5/2 Scatt. T-Storms Veteran journalist Joe Culpepper has high 78O joined Gulf Breeze News as editor. low 68O Culpepper, 49, brings nearly 30 years of newspaper experience to the News. Culpepper formerly served as editor of SATURDAY 5/3 Navarre Press. Prior to Scatt.T-Storms that, Culpepper was sports editor of the high 77O O Pensacola News Journal. low 67 Culpepper and his family have lived in SUNDAY 5/4 Midway for four years. “We are delighted to Mostly Sunny have Joe lead our team,” O high 81 News co-publisher Lisa Culpepper low 64O Newell said. “His reputa- tion for being a professional journalist with a depth of experience will serve our com- munity well.” Culpepper spent many years reporting INSIDE sports before moving into newsroom man- agement. While he was at Navarre Press, Classifieds 3D the paper was a general excellence finalist Community 3-5A See EDITOR, Page 2A6 Photos by David Standridge; Graphic illustration by Nick Stamenkovich Crossword 3B Editorial 6A The fifth annual Gulf Breeze American Cancer Society memory of those no longer with us. Joanie and Denny Relay For Life brought hundreds of people together to Ristow (middle left) share a kiss in celebration of having Entertainment 2B raise money and awareness. The Mighty Monkeys team beaten cancer. Dolphin Stadium became a tent city Science Olympiad Home & Garden 2D (top) raised more than $2,000 at the Charity Auction. during the overnight hours, and survivors (below) Island News 1D Jackie Pergande (top right) released a butterfly in kicked things off with a procession around the track. teams will get Lifestyles 1B Obituaries 7A supplement from Schools 6&7C school district Seniors 7A Relay celebrates life Sports 1-8C PAM BRANNON Talk of the Town 5A JOE CULPEPPER the retired Gulf Breeze couple prepared As specialists diagnosed that serious Gulf Breeze News “Mailing Statement is Gulf Breeze News to stroll around the track to the sound of problem, a regularly scheduled mammo- [email protected] a bagpipe Friday evening to begin the gram revealed that Ristow had breast on Editorial Page” [email protected] Gulf Breeze Science Olympiad teams 2008 fundraiser. cancer. Within a week, Ristow under- from the high school and middle school will FOUR SECTIONS Joanie and Denny Ristow sat proudly “I remember the first time I walked went dual surgery at Sacred Heart get some financial help from the county VOL. 7, NO. 18 underneath the Survivors’ tent prior to around this track (in 2004),” Joanie said. Hospital to repair a faulty heart valve school board toward attending the national MAY 1, 2008 the start of the fifth annual American “I started crying. It was incredible . a and remove a tumor from her breast. competition May 30-31 at George Cancer Society Relay For Life at very powerful moment.” “I knew I had a heart problem,” Washington University in Washington, D.C. Dolphin Stadium. It was 2001 when Joanie Ristow vis- The two schools will split $15,000 this year, Memories swelled in Joanie’s head as ited her doctor about a heart problem. See RELAY, Page 2A6 with about $10,000 of that going to the high school team because it is the largest. Santa Rosa School District Ferguson’s mother pre- Superintendent John Rogers recommended home! Humble Ferguson sented him with an iron- the school board give the teams 75 percent clad New Testament, one of what the board gave them last year when of the few items of mem- the Science Olympiad teams attended your takes Honor Flight orabilia that survived the Nationals. Last year the teams received $18, total destruction of his 260 to split, and in 2006 they received home in Hurricane Ivan. Flight along with other veterans $20,242. VICI PAPAJOHN He proudly wears from Northwest Florida. Rogers started the regular board agenda Gulf Breeze News his “World War II last Thursday saying, “Before we get [email protected] It is hard to imagine the Veterans” hat his humble man as one of the involved in any of this other important busi- son gave him ness, I feel this is one of the most important. “I’ve been to Washington renowned fighting personnel for his 84th Call 932-8986 today Call 932-8986 today I know we have a cutback on all school- before, but I’ve never seen the attached to the famous 474th birthday. World War II Memorial,” says Air Fighter Group, as he is based budgets and funding for all groups and travel since we got notice earlier this about Enjoy your community paper community your Enjoy WWII veteran Jack Ferguson. quiet and unassuming. This mailed directly to mailed directly “I can only imagine how it will member of the Greatest the state cutbacks, but I am recommending affect me; even the monument Generation wears the mantle that we give the Science Olympiad teams 75 on Bayfront (Parkway in of excellence and sacrifice percent of what we gave them last year when Pensacola) impresses me.” lightly. they went to National competition.” If all goes according to plans, “I don’t want to be played up The board unanimously agreed. Jack Ferguson will have visited as some kind of a hero,” Rogers said in January the district was the memorial in D.C. on Ferguson says. “I just did the job informed by the state that all school districts Wednesday, April 30, on the my country asked me to do.” had to send back monies to the state by June first Emerald Coast Honor See FLIGHT, Page 2A6 See OLYMPIAD, Page 2A6 GULF BREEZE NEWS (850) 932-8986 www.gulfbreezenews.com 2A May 1, 2008 GULF BREEZE NEWS FLIGHT: Ferguson touched by attention Continued from page 1A group was awarded the The retired pharmacist, 84, United States’ Drive, Gulf Breeze Distinguished Unit Thursday, May 1 began his military service in Santa Rosa County 1942 in the Army Air Corps Citation for action, as Zoning Board of Tuesday, May 6 (later to become the Air Force) well as receiving Adjustments, 5:30 p.m., Santa Rosa when he was sworn in at the age the Belgian County Administrative Center, County Marine of 18. By 1944, he was overseas Fourragere. Commissioner's Board Room, Advisory, 5 p.m. Over 1,400 6495 Caroline Street, Milton in England with the 474th. He Gulf Breeze remembers that the unit was personnel, Development Review bombed the very first night he both officers Friday, May 2 Board, May 6, 6:30 arrived. He spent his war years and enlisted p.m., Gulf Breeze City serving in England, France, men, served in the Hall, Council 474th, and many gave Chambers, 1070 Belgium and Germany with the Saturday, May 3 Shoreline Drive, Gulf 474th in support of their bomb- their lives for their country. Vici Papajohn/Gulf Breeze News Jack Ferguson’s wife, Margaret, credits this iron-clad Bible Breeze ing missions in successful “I seem to remember the for keeping her husband of 55 years safe during his service. Sunday, May 4 Lockheed P38 “Lightning.” parts I’d rather forget, and I Wednesday, The 474th compiled a record can’t remember most of what May 7 of 822 combat missions flying I’d really like to about the war hand and said ‘thank you for what his mother presented him before Monday, May 5 experience,” Ferguson said.