Cold weather shelters open Two cold weather shelters for the homeless or heatless will open as needed in Santa Rosa County: – Ferris Hill Baptist Church, 6848 Chaffin St., Milton – Community Christ Church, 2111 Presidio St., Navarre Those who would like to stay at the shelter must arrive between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. No one will be admitted after 8:30 p.m. unless brought in by law enforcement. The shelter will close at 7 a.m. the next morning.
New Year’s office closures The following offices and departments will close Tuesday, Jan. 1, in observance of New Year’s with operations resuming on Wednesday, Jan. 2. – Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners, including the library system, animal services, and the Central Landfill – Santa Rosa County Clerk of the Court – Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser – Santa Rosa County Supervisor of Elections – Santa Rosa County Tax Collector Garbage pickup for south end franchise areas only (generally the unincorporated areas of the 32562 and 32566 ZIP codes): – Waste Pro Customers: Household garbage, yard waste and recycling collection service regularly scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 1 will be collected on Wednesday, Jan. 2. – Waste Management Customers: Household garbage collections normally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 1 will be collected on the next regularly scheduled pickup day. Recycling and yard waste collections normally scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 1 will be collected on Saturday, Jan. 5. Santa Rosa County Legislative Delegation sets public hearing MILTON — Members of Santa Rosa County’s state legislative delegation will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Complex, 6495 Caroline Street, Milton. Public comments will be heard on proposals for the 2013 Regular Session of the Florida Legislature. To request an appearance form to be placed on the agenda or submit handouts, individuals should contact Senator Greg Evers’ office in Pensacola 850-595-0213 or send an e-mail to evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov by 5 p.m., Thursday, January 3rd. The Santa Rosa County Legislative Delegation consist of Senator Greg Evers, Representative Doug Broxson and Representative Clay Ford.
Sacred Heart to offer free tobacco-cessation classes Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola will offer a free, six-week tobacco-cessation program beginning Jan. 15 and Jan. 17 for persons who want to stop smoking or using tobacco. Quit Smoking Now (QSN) provides structured classes in a supportive, stress- free environment. Step by step, tobacco-users will learn how to replace their nicotine habit with healthy alternatives. The two-hour classes will be offered on Tuesday nights beginning Jan. 15 from 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday mornings beginning Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to noon. Classes will be held in the Carmel Heights Building on the Sacred Heart Hospital campus. The Carmel Heights Building is located on Carmel Heights Drive near the Pediatric Care Center. A new series of classes will begin every seven weeks. To register for tobacco-cessation classes, or for more information, please call 416-7764.
The Stewart Collection of African Art to open Jan. 4 PENSACOLA — Opening Jan. 4, The Pensacola Museum of Art will host The Stewart Collection of African Art, on display for the first time at a museum in this region. Eighteenth and nineteenth century tribal pieces from the Ivory Coast and Central Africa comprise the majority of the collection, though it also includes two clay pieces from antiquity. There are carved wooden statues and masks, bronze figures, lost-wax castings, stools, clay urns and various pieces from Nigeria, Congo, Ghana, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, among others. The collection was assembled by Dr. George L. and Mrs. Breckinridge Stewart. The invited guests and members-only opening reception will be held on Jan. 12 from 5:30-7:30pm. The exhibition ends March 2. Museum hours are Tuesday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students and active duty military. Children younger than 5 enter free. Tuesdays, admission is free to the public. For more information about the Museum, call 850-432-6247, visit the website at pensacolamuseumofart.org or log on to Facebook at facebook.com/pensacolamuseumofart.
59th annual Youth Art Focus Exhibition PENSACOLA – In recognition of National Youth Art Month and in partnership with the Escambia County School System, the PMA presents the 57th annual Youth Art Focus exhibition. It highlights the best work from art students and educators in Escambia County schools. This exhibition of work from more than 500 students, grades pre-K through 12, recognizes their strong artistic achievements and our area teachers’ dedication to art education. There will be three receptions for the exhibition: – Teachers’ reception will be Tuesday, Jan. 15, 5-7 p.m. – Middle and high school reception will be Thursday, Jan. 17, 5-7 p.m. – Elementary reception will be Friday, Jan. 18, 5-7 p.m. Cash awards to the middle school and high school winners will be given at the student receptions, which are underwritten annually by the PMA Guild. Youth Art Focus creates an opportunity to expose students to the fine art world in a professional museum environment, while giving the public a chance to experience and appreciate the accomplishments of Escambia County’s Art Education programs. The exhibition draws many school groups to the museum, along with families and friends excited to see the children’s work on display. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The Museum is closed Sundays and Mondays. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students and active duty military. Children under 5 enter free. Tuesdays, admission is free. For more information about the museum, call 850-432-6247, visit the website at pensacolamuseumofart.org or log on to Facebook at facebook.com/pensacolamuseumofart.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: News Briefs