Blountstown native
to mark her 100th
birthday next week
BLOUNTSTOWN, FL – Mrs. Dollie Guilford, a native of Blountstown, will be celebrating her 100th birthday on March 28. She is the last of five siblings born to Jeff and Alma Pope.
Mrs. Dollie’s face brightened up as she reminisced about the memories of her past. She has led a very fulfilling and eventful life. Living through decades and embracing change this small yet courageous woman has many stories to tell.
She remembers one of her favorite pastimes, listening to her two brothers playing the harmonica while she danced doing the Charleston. She expressed missing them dearly because they always took up for her.
Dollie loved going to school but had to quit to help her mother when her father passed away. Dollie continued to work, met her husband, and at the young age of 15 was married. Dollie’s husband Jimmy Guilford was in the United States Air Force and she began to travel abroad. She remembers visiting The Panama Canal, Puerto Rico, and Savanna, GA. She expressed her favorite place visiting was Puerto Rico because of the climate, the culture, and the food.
At the age of 24, Dollie became a mother and expressed loving motherhood. Years later Dollie later moved back to Florida and now resides at River Valley Rehabilitation Center. She is still very active and enjoys walking, dancing, social gatherings, Bible Study, and spending time with her family – especially her daughter-in-law Evelyn.
She will be celebrating her 100th birthday with a Roaring Twenties Great Gatsby Birthday Bash, with friends, family, and staff at River Valley.
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In Tallahassee and Panama City
United States
Military Service
Academy Day
set this Sunday
PANAMA CITY, FL – Congressman Neal Dunn, M.D. (Florida-02) announced he is hosting a United States Military Service Academy Day for students in Florida’s Second Congressional District. Informational sessions will be held in Leon and Bay counties on Saturday, March 22. High school and eighth grade students who are interested in attending a service academy are invited to come, along with their parents.
Dr. Dunn has invited representatives from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, as well as the Air Force, Coast Guard, Merchant Marine, and Naval Academies, to attend. Students will have the opportunity to meet with Cadets, Midshipmen, ROTC staff, and parents of current and past cadets. The academy nomination process will be explained. This is an excellent opportunity for high school students to explore these outstanding higher education choices.
No RSVP is required.
For more information, contact Craig Williams at FL02.Academy@mail.house.gov or call 850-785-0812.
Leon County
Date: Saturday, March 22
Time: 9 a.m .- 11 a.m. ET
Location: Tallahassee City Hall,
300 South Adams Drive, Tallahassee, FL
Bay County
Date: Saturday, March 22
Time: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. CT
Location: Gulf Coast State College Student Union,
5230 US-98, Panama City, FL 32401
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ABOVE: Bertha Sophia Menzler Peyton – Grand Canyon
Gadsden Arts celebrates
black women artists
through 5 exhibitions
by Samantha Lesser
QUINCY, FL – This March, we are recognizing women artists with five exhibits that showcase their skill, creativity, and passion. Visit and experience a broad range of works created by women from the late 19th century to today.
Black Women Artists from the Gadsden Arts Permanent Collection, on view through June 30, 2025, showcases the work of self-taught American women artists. These women developed unique and expressive styles, often using found materials to create works with undeniable character and vision. Featuring artists such as Mary L. Proctor and Bessie Harvey, their art offers a window into their lives.
Impressionism by American Women is on view through May 10, 2025. Experience the historical impressionist movement through the eyes of artists not often remembered. This groundbreaking exhibition, organized by the Huntsville Museum of Art Collection, highlights the work of these artists. From landscapes to portraits to domestic scenes, there is something for everyone to see!
Natalia Andreeva’s Impressions: a Journey through Light and Emotions follows her unique view of the world, shown through her artwork. On view through May 10, 2025, Andreeva’s practice often involves painting en plein air to capture vibrant and evocative landscapes. In all of her work, Andreeva is interested in the human condition.
Terry Hawkins, a resident of Gadsden county for decades, illustrates the everyday landscape with Reflections in Brushstrokes, on display through March 22. Her paintings capture the rustic character of the world around her, from barns and forests, to birds stalking through swamps, to cattle in fields.
The Long Term Effects of Magical Thinking, on view from March 29 to June 21, is a collaborative exhibition showcasing the works of Terrie Corbett and Barbara Balzer. Corbett works in encaustic, oil, cold wax, and layered graphite to create lively, vibrant images. Balzer uses clay to form evocative figural sculptures. Together, their works consider artistic expression and shared inspiration.
Impressionism by American Women is made possible by the generous support of donors to The Impact Fund and The Watson Arts Fund, presented by Capital City Bank and FSU College of Medicine, and sponsored in part by Black Fig, and Proof Brewing Company.
For more information, visit gadsdenarts.org. Exhibitions and the Fletcher Museum Shop are open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Conveniently located in Quincy, FL, just 25 minutes from Tallahassee.
CHIPOLA COLLEGE NEWS
Chipola’s Little Women
wins the Excellence
Award from FCSA
MARIANNA, FL —The Chipola College Theatre production of ‘Little Women’ received an Excellent rating from the Florida College System Activities Association.
The respondent who evaluated the show praised, “The director assembled an ensemble that brought both individual talent and compelling group chemistry to the production. Their interpretation of the text particularly stood out, making 19th-century dialogue feel remarkably contemporary. Themes of identity and womanhood resonated with modern urgency, and the actors delivered their lines with authentic conviction rather than historical distance.”
Six members of the cast were awarded special recognition pins for their performance: Aly Matthews (Joe), Johnya Waldrop (Meg), Bailee Steverson (Amy), Caroline Sims (Beth), Jonathan Waldrop (Laurie), and Danica Acebo (Hannah). Charlize Reyes was also awarded special recognition for stage management.
Chipola Theatre’s next production is “Junie B Jones,” slated for May 8 and 9 at 7 p.m. in the Center for the Arts, Theatre. Tickets are go on sale April 7 at www.chipola.edu/boxoffice or at the Center for the Arts Box Office. ACT Fund members may redeem their tickets now. Box Office hours are Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. The Box Office will be closed March 17-20 for Spring Break. For more information call the Box Office at 850-718-2420.
Chipola Theatre names
cast for upcoming
“Junie B. Jones:
Toothless Wonder”
MARIANNA, FL – Chipola Theatre proudly announces the cast of its upcoming production of “Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder,” which will be held at the Chipola Center for the Arts Theatre on May 8-9, 2025.
Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than 25 years.
The cast includes: Johnyah Waldrop as Junie B. Jones; Alayna Matthews as May; Caroline Sims as Mother; Alexis Skipper as Grace; Bailee Steverson as Miss Chris; Julia Shaffer as Grandma Miller; Caden Kearns as Mr. Scary; Weston Basford as Grandpa Miller; Lia Martin, Ella Cherry, and Jaden McGhee as the Tooth Witches; Logan Cook as William; Owen Basford as the Principal; Gavin Nehemiah Braddy as Jim; Johnathan Waldrop as Dad; Carson Neel as Paulie Allen Puffer; Abby Barfield as the Office Lady; and Connor Deal, Joel Ruiz, Joseph Hamm, and Alexander Hamm as Students.
ACT Fund members may redeem their tickets now. General tickets may be purchased at the CFA Box Office or online at www.chipola.edu/boxoffice beginning Apr. 7.
For more information visit, www.chipola.edu/boxoffice.
