Century rebuild celebrated

This past Saturday, Sept. 29, beginning at noon, the Century United Methodist Church hosted the Front Street Block Party, a celebration for Century residents who got new houses following damage by the February 2016 tornado.

Century resident Mary Hudson provided BBQ sandwiches and chips in brown paper bags, decorated with ribbons and Jane Reynolds provided homemade cupcakes to guests.

"It was to celebrate tornado recovery for all of the tornado victims," said Century Town Planner Debbie Nickles. "The Escambia County (Fla.) Neighborhood Housing Division sent out invitations. We wanted to embrace the people that have been helped by the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (B.R.A.C.E.) and the Escambia County Supplemental Housing Initiative Program (SHIP)."

Members of the Century United Methodist Church, wearing light blue T-shirt with an artist's rendering of the original church on the back, came to celebrate the rebuilding of their church and support others who lost their homes.

Wesley Memorial Chapel Church member Marilyn Robinson came to the celebration. The Wesley Memorial Chapel Church was dislocated from its foundation during the tornado and unfortunately burned in October 2016, although there are plans to rebuild in the future.

Century Mayor Henry Hawkins made the opening remarks and invocation, before the Rev. Janet Lee thanked all the organizations that provided assistance in the recovery efforts over the last two years and in assisting with the block party celebration before everyone ate lunch.

"Everybody seemed to really enjoy it," said Nickles. "We had a good time. B.R.A.C.E. sent a team that had a kids activities-dressed them up with wounds. The kids had a ball."

Some of the people who were affected by the tornado or involved in recovery efforts and wanted to support the event include Margaret Collier, Lynn Dobry, representing the Alabama/Florida United Methodist Conference, Felic Fusner, Brenda Mullins, Jessica Campbell, Sylvia and Carl Godwin, Paul Godwin, Jr. and his wife, Marialena Godwin, Charles Therrell and his daughter Traci, J.R. and Betty Jones, Doris Johnson, Fannie Davis, Artheta Spencer, Helen Mincey, Edna Earl Barnes, Freddie McCall and others. United Way of Escambia County provided and lot of financial assistance through different programs, Nickles said.

Those who helped with the celebration are Tony Nolin, Century town employees Kevin Merchant, Larry Hammonds and Joe Brown.

"We received donations from Gulf Power and Penn Air Credit Union for the food," said Nickles. "Bondurant's provided fans, Rob Zimmerman provided commercial grade electrical power extension cords, Boyette Portable Toilets provided portable toilets. Also assisting throughout was the Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriffs Department and EMS, Esc. County Neighborhood Enterprise Division's Meredith Reeves and Randy and Debbie Wilkerson from Escambia County Housing Finance Authority. We want to thank them all for their support of Century and it's recovery."