CRESTVIEW — A local auto dealership and the Crestview Police Department are ensuring needy children will have a merry Christmas.

Through a voluntary payroll withholding plan, 48 Allen Turner Chevrolet employees collectively donated $6,500, including company matching contributions, to the CPD's Cops For Kids program.

“Our employees are very community minded,” Turner said during the check presentation Thursday at the dealership. “They’ve been so blessed being able to do this for an established program. The Cops For Kids program has been such a success.”

“It’s been a very important program for us,” Police Chief Tony Taylor said. “Mr. Turner wanted to get involved with something like this and it’s a great partnership.

"There’s no telling how many lives they’re going to touch with the check they presented.”

While this is the first year the auto dealer's employees have supported Cops For Kids, Turner said he expects contributions will grow in years to come. “As employees see it working out, we think they’ll give even more next year,” he said.

Community Policing Officer Sam Kimmons, who voluntarily manages Cops For Kids with fellow Officer Wanda Hulion, said the program began 15 years ago as then patrolman Billy Napier's idea. “He created this to help some of the kids in public housing who might not have a Christmas otherwise,” Kimmons said.

Napier began his law enforcement career patrolling the city’s public housing complexes. When he started Cops For Kids, “it was just for one or two families,” Kimmons said. “If they were really struggling, he’d help them out.”

Later, now-retired Lt. Eddie Lehneis and Sgt. Dave Bracewell started helping. “Each year it got bigger,” Kimmons said.

“I’ve heard nothing but good about Billy,” said Hulion, who joined the force as a dispatcher just weeks before Napier died. “It really lights up the kids’ faces when we show up with the toys.”

 For Turner's Crestview team, those smiles make the year of donating worthwhile. “It feels good for our employees to be able to participate in something good that happens right here in Crestview,” Turner said.

“It touches local lives right here in town.”

!——-HUB NOTE: PLEASE IGNORE BELOW

Cops2

Allen Turner describes his employees enthusiasm for supporting the Crestview Police Department’s Cops For Kids program to Police Chief Tony Taylor.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at brianh@crestviewbulletin.com, follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian or call 850-682-6524.                                                

BRIAN HUGHES / News Bulletin

Cops For Kids donors may drop off new, unused toys and children’s clothes at Dollar General stores, city hall and the Crestview Police Department. Monetary donations are also received, Community Policing Officer Wanda Hulion said.

Families wishing to receive toys and clothes can drop off an application at the police department by Dec. 16.

“We do vet the applications,” Community Policing Officer Sam Kimmons said. Applicants on other gift donations lists, such as Toys For Tots or church giveaways, are ineligible “so those toys can go to another family,” Kimmons said.

For more information, call Kimmons, 305-7831, or Hulion, 305-2905, or stop by the Crestview Police Department in the Whitehurst Municipal Building on Stillwell Avenue at Industrial Drive.

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Auto dealer joins Crestview Police Department effort to help needy children (VIDEO)

LAUREL HILL — More than 120 residents who attended the Laurel Hill Harvest Supper face the coming holidays filled not only with a bountiful meal but with God's spirit as well.

The annual event, at which congregations from many of Laurel Hill’s churches gather for fellowship and feasting, launches the holiday season in Okaloosa County’s most northern municipality.

On Nov. 18, Magnolia Baptist Church members hosted their friends and neighbors at the traditional First Baptist Church fellowship hall. Their pastor, the Rev. Bob Smith, shared the message after a community praise-song sing.

“One of the things we need to do is to go back to God’s word” during the holiday season, Smith said.

“The purpose behind Thanksgiving is to be thankful for what we have and remember those times of want,” he said. “Thanksgiving is a Christian holiday. It is a time to celebrate God’s blessings. ‘This day is holy with the Lord,’” Smith said, quoting the book of Nehemiah.

After community worship, homemade dishes filled the long center table, with desserts waiting nearby.

Owen Kerwin, 7, eyed all the selections, indicating those he wanted his mom, Lindsey, to scoop onto his plate.

“It was good!” he said afterward. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill welcomes the holidays with Harvest Supper (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — Before a pooch like Lucy goes home, her potential adopted family must pass Panhandle Animal Lovers owner Hanne Berg's scrutiny.

Not everyone is suitable to be a pet owner — "you have some crazy people who don’t take care of their dog,” Berg said. “It’s kind of an uphill struggle.”

Lucy, a floppy-eared beagle with expressive eyes, had been raised by PALS’ foster mom, Mindy Dwyer. Thursday, the Rodriguez family, with their dog, Puppy, came to Crestview from Pace to meet Lucy.

And to gain Berg’s approval.

When Lucy met Mark and Laura Rodriguez, and their boys, Christian, Ayden and Gavin, and family pooch Puppy, there was immediate chemistry.

“We were counting down the seconds until we could meet Lucy,” Christian said.

“We’re looking for a buddy for Puppy,” Mark Rodriguez, a sailor at NAS Whiting Field, said. “He’s got a big yard to himself. We said, ‘You need a friend now.’”

But Lucy didn’t leave with Puppy and his family that day.

“We always tell people to go home and think about it,” Berg said. “I always want to see the children, and other dogs in the family. I’ve met some terrible kids I wouldn’t want to give any dog to.”

Berg and her late husband, Bob, started volunteering with the now-defunct North Okaloosa Animal Haven, or NOAH, in 2000 as a pet foster family for the former Main Street shelter.

She said she loves that PALS is a no-kill shelter. That means the nonprofit organization — which gets some of its animals from the Panhandle Animal Welfare Society — does not euthanize animals in its care.  

“They are really such good people down there (at PAWS)," Berg said. "They call me when they have to get dogs out of there. They also call breed rescues, like the Great Dane or the boxer rescues.”

Being a shelter owner isn’t easy; you do it from the heart, not for profit, Berg said. In fact, if not for donations of money and pet food, PALS couldn’t exist, she said.

“People find out it’s not as easy as it looks,” Berg said.

Because people don’t understand, or don’t accept, the responsibilities that accompany pet ownership, places like PALS and PAWS are needed, Berg said.

As for Lucy, her story has a happy ending. Saturday, Dwyer took her to Pace to inspect the Rodriguez family’s home.

“It turned out to be a beautiful home with beautiful furniture and a beautiful pool,” Berg said. “Lucy went home. She’s in a good place. We’re just so happy when a dog gets into a good home.”

While each successful placement cheers Berg and her team of volunteers, there are always more pets like Lucy.

In fact, 20 dogs are waiting for loving homes at PALS.

Fortunately, they’re in good hands until their real family comes for them.

Dogs, after all, are like people, Berg said.

“They have a soul and they have a heart and they have a brain, and they cry like we do,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview no-kill shelter ensures every dog has its day

CRESTVIEW — Angela Meeks remembers the day she brought Elie Dipay home.

"When we brought my daughter, Elizabeth (Elie's half-sister), home, it was April the 29th of 2006," Meeks said. "The next day, we went and brought Elie home.

Elie and his other siblings, at their mother's request, went to live with Meeks' sister-in-law, Jennifer Oliver, and her husband Shane, in Laurel Hill.

Meeks and the Olivers — parents to Tyler, 19; and Hayden, 11 — were already close, but "We have a permanent bond because of those children," Meeks said.

But moving to a new home challenged Elie, she said.

"When I think about him, I just think about this scared little boy … He realized he was being sent home with a stranger that he'd never laid eyes on.

"That was what broke my heart," Meeks said. "He was so scared, he wanted me to ride in the back of the truck with him, so I did."

It wouldn't be her last heartbreak; Elie committed suicide on Dec. 18, 2014. The Shoal River Middle School student was 13.

SUICIDE PREVENTION

The Olivers and Meeks families formed Elie's Voice, a nonprofit organization, in March to help remove Okaloosa County children's risk of suicide and ensure kids feel loved.

"We are working towards bringing suicide prevention assemblies, programs and awareness to the Okaloosa County schools, students and staff," Jennifer Oliver said.

The group wants to see The Strength Team's assemblies on suicide and bullying prevention approved for Okaloosa schools. The team includes professional football players and body builders who give motivational speeches and perform demonstration of extraordinary physical strength.

In the meantime, the Oliver and Meeks families have scheduled training for themselves and volunteers, with the goal of learning how to address young people and get them immediate help.

"We have training programs and information we can share with school staff and students about warning signs and what to do when you suspect someone may be planning to commit suicide," Oliver said.

BACKPACK BUDDIES

Another goal is to fulfill children's needs by filling their bodies with nourishment.

"Children who have gone through as much as Elie, they tend to have a lot of issues that you have to deal with," Meeks said.

Coming from a lower-income household, for instance, could mean a shortage of food.

North Okaloosa residents' and business' donations help the group provide meals to 35 students through the Backpack Buddies program.

"The school counselors locate kids who may not eat over the weekend," Jennifer Oliver said. "We send them home on Fridays with disposable backpacks that have enough food in it to last them through the weekend, until they get back to school on Monday.

"We also did a school supplies drive and we were able to supply 47 kids with backpacks, lunch boxes and other school supplies for the 2015 school year. We handed them out at the beginning of the school year."

COMFORT BAGS

Stressing children's importance by giving them personal property is important for children in foster care, Oliver said.

She saw it firsthand with Elie.  

"When Elie was 4 and first came to live with us, we bought him a Superman bag and some toys and a bear he named Oliver that he kept with him," she said. "He would pack his bag up every time he left a room, even to go the restroom… 

"These were items of comfort for him when he was new to our home, and we want to offer other children the same comfort bags that helped Elie."

So the organization held its first Comfort Bags program outreach on Oct. 3, presenting about 35 bags filled with toys, a blanket and other comfort items to foster care children..

In addition to its core initiatives, the Elie's Voice plans to establish a scholarship program for the 2015-16 school year.

"We have not finalized all of the details yet for the application process, but we are putting together a scholarship committee that will help write the requirements and criteria, and also help us to decide on the scholarship recipient," Jennifer Oliver said.

DID YOU KNOW?

Andy Johnson, Okaloosa County School District Specialist for Health, Safety and Athletics, said, "We have a reference guide for teachers that administrators are aware of called 'Suicide Prevention and Intervention.'"

It has guidelines on warning signs, symptoms and things to look for, based on elementary and secondary school levels. The book is provided to Okaloosa principals, who review it with teachers at the beginning of the school year.

"Part of this folder deals with guidelines following a loss … the district is quick to give support to schools that have suffered a loss by providing them with additional counselors and other guidance," Johnson said. "We oftentimes follow up with the family that has suffered a loss.

"In dealing with losses like this, we're always attentive to the needs of our students."

Elie's Voice, an all-volunteer organization, has no employees, so all donations benefit programs for Okaloosa youths.

Contact Jennifer Oliver, 305-7019, or Angel Meeks, 603-0077, to contribute to the group's efforts.

See http://www.eliesvoice.org, or see Elie's Voice on Facebook

Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

WANT TO HELP?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Holt nonprofit honors teen's memory, assists Okaloosa children at risk of suicide

CRESTVIEW — Safe Connections Executive Director Sharon Rogers said circumstances similar to what led to Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Myers' death could be defused through the nonprofit organization's services.

“That was a domestic violence situation. The mother and father had an 8-month-old baby, which means it should have been referred to us,” Rogers said. “Sometimes, it comes in the injunction.”

The wife of Joel Smith, who shot Myers multiple times in the head and back, filed a Sept. 21 injunction against her husband when, she alleged, he physically assaulted her.

Rogers said in such situations, non-custodial parents often care about their children despite animosity toward the other parent. “They’ll say, ‘What about my child. When do I get to see them?’” she said. “This is what we deal with. It highlights the need for our visitation center and a safe place for visitation.”

The 18-year-old organization in April opened a permanent home on Seventh Avenue to provide supervised visits.  Here, non-custodial parents can spend quality time with their children in a home-like environment.

The home, with separate entrances for the non-custodial parent and the custodial parent and child, was purchased and renovated under a federal Safe Haven grant and a $128,000 gift from Impact 100 Northwest Florida.

The grant funds OCSO deputies’ presence during visits that might include non-custodial parents with a history or potential for violence, Rogers said. Almost 20 families now use the service, she said.

The non-profit seeks a similar facility in Shalimar, where Safe Connections operates from aging upstairs rooms in the Methodist church.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview organization safely unites non-custodial parents with children (FILE)

Libraries are still relevant — even with today’s household technology and phones with Internet access — as extensions of local schools

CRESTVIEW — When Crestview librarians heard a speaker say “Libraries = Education” at the Florida Library Association’s Sept. 11 conference in Panama City, they knew they were ahead of a national trend, particularly when it comes to educating local kids.

The Crestview Public Library is the go-to resource for more than adults seeking the latest bestseller. “Our programs actually promote lifelong learning for the kids,” library director Jean Lewis said. “Once they come into the library, we hope we’ve got them for life.”

This year, the Crestview City Council restored the library’s book acquisition budget, in addition to funding computer upgrades, which library staffers say serve patrons of all ages.

For instance:

•Toddlers learn their A-B-C’s with ABC Mouse, an online children’s literacy and math game

•Middle- and high-schoolers use the library’s computers for term paper research and online test-taking

•College students use them for proctored exams

•Adults use the computers for job and benefits searches, and self-directed research

EXPLAINING THE MODERN LIBRARY

Research librarian Sandra Dreaden, who attended Howard County (Maryland) Library System President Valerie Gross’s Panama City presentation, said formalizing what Crestview’s library has been doing for years is easy.

Part of the “libraries = education” shift is marketing; clearly explaining the services a modern library provides, Dreaden said.

The initiative helps the public realize the local library is part of their community’s educational resources. “This means we’ll never again hear, ‘I get everything I need off the Internet — Why do we need libraries?’” Gross wrote.

“Nobody says that ‘We don’t need K-12; everything’s on the Internet,’” Dreaden said.

The initiative includes helping local politicians understand the library's importance in public education when it comes to funding, especially when facing budget cuts in lean times.

PARTNERS IN EDUCATION

Area educators don’t need convincing that the public library is an extension of their efforts.

“Some students don’t have the resources to purchase additional books at home,” Walker Elementary School media specialist Sheri Cyrus said. “I stress to our students they can go to the public library and check out books for free, and that the library card is free."

Crestview High School media specialist Heather Ramsey said she routinely sends students to the Crestview Public Library when needed materials aren’t available at the school library. “I tell students to check over there if they can’t find it here,” Ramsey said. “Plus, they have computers and services they can use if we’re closed.”

But to get kids used to checking for information at the local library, “You just (have) to start them using it at a young age,” she said.

A LIFE-LONG LOVE

Crestview Public Library’s youth education programs and classes start early, youth services librarian Heather Nitzell said.

“We have babies in the womb at Lap-Sit that hear the rhythm of language, and we have children at Lap-Sit from when they’re first breathing,” Nitzell said.

Students benefit from library classes and programs throughout their school years, and can earn Bright Futures community service hours by volunteering at the library. “They learn how to shelve and shelf-read, and that librarians don’t just sit around and read all day,” Nitzell said. “We hear, ‘Wow, we didn’t know how much work this is’ all the time.”

And they can grow a life-long love for libraries.

“I used to skip recess to hang out in my (middle school) library,” Cheryl Ann Baker said. “The first time my mom brought me to our county library, I was amazed at such a big room just full of books. I checked out ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.’ I must’ve kept it a year. My parents probably had a huge fine to pay!

“That led to volunteering at the library."

‘DUH’ MOMENT

To make it easier for kids to find age-appropriate books, Nitzell said the library is revamping its children’s books color coding, which classifies titles by grade level.

To further encourage integration between the school and library, Lewis said the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative is considering issuing library cards to all county school teachers. “Then they can find and use and refer students to resources,” Lewis said.

The public library as a component of the community’s education system isn’t a new idea, especially to library staffers. What’s new is ensuring the public — and politicians — understand that.

“It’s one of those ‘duh’ moments,” Dreaden said. “Why didn’t we think of this before?”

CLASSES AND PROGRAMS

The Crestview Public Library offers these educational opportunities throughout the month:

Lap-Sit: 11:15 a.m. Tuesdays and 10:15 a.m. Wednesdays; for 0- to 2-year-olds, with parents

Storytime: 10:15 a.m. Mondays; for 3- to 5-year-olds, with parents

Teen Wii: 2-4 p.m. Fridays; for sixth- through 12th-graders

Family Library Time: Monthly; next session, featuring pumpkin painting, is 6:15 p.m. Oct. 27

Reading to Dozer: 10-11 a.m. Oct. 3; for elementary school age children

Family and adult classes and programs include the First Tuesday lecture series, monthly Poetry and Music Jams, weekly genealogy research, knitting and crocheting classes, monthly Ukelele Jams and senior health services assistance.

Call 682-4432, see www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php or visit the library, 1445 Commerce Drive, for more details.

THE LIBRARY’S THREE PILLARS

The Crestview Public Library provides educational services to all North Okaloosa County residents in three key areas:

• Self-directed education, using its diverse collection and, through the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative, other municipal libraries’ collections

• Research assistance and instruction, including classes, seminars and workshops for all ages, taught by library instructors and community partners

• Instructive and enlightening experiences, through cultural and community center concepts, events and partnerships.

Source: Public Libraries magazine

—

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to include Lapsit's new schedule. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CELEBRATE COMMUNITY: Crestview library ahead of national trend (FILE)

CRESTVIEW — Covenant Hospice supporters can step back to the Roaring Twenties and the "Great Gatsby" era Oct. 3 during the 9th Annual Blue Jean Ball.

Organizers of this year’s “party with a purpose” promise “a night full of 1920s glitz and glam, with an array of pleasures for all the senses including:

•An upscale sit-down dinner

•Live entertainment including the Northwest Florida State College Soundsations show choir

•Free casino games

•A silent auction

•A drawing for a half-carat diamond and white gold pendant from Lewis Diamond Gallery

•A dance competition organized by the Crestview Fred Astaire Dance Studio

Four members of the business, faith, health and performing arts communities (see sidebar) have volunteered to learn new dance steps with Fred Astaire professionals. Supporters buy votes for their favorite dancer.

Tickets are $60 per person and include a sit-down dinner and live entertainment.

Proceeds benefit Covenant Hospice, a nonprofit that provides end-of-live care and support for terminally ill residents' loved ones.

CRESTVIEW'S CELEBRITY DANCERS

Alison Broxson, Shoal Creek Rehabilitation director of admissions

Dancing with: “The dashing and brave” David Colón

Moves to watch for: "We will be doing (the) waltz. God help me! Watch for spins and lifts."

Previous dance experience: "None. I have to practice walking!"

Reason for performing: "I want to support Covenant Hospice and the awesome services they provide. They are wonderful. And I want to give back to the community."

Christie Cadenhead, Community Bank assistant vice president:

Dancing with: “The fabulous” David Colón

Moves to watch for: "The Salsa, so be looking for lots of spins and shakes"

Previous dance experience: "None. I have never danced before in my life. I’m nervous."

Reason for performing: "I have been a volunteer on this event with Covenant Hospice for four years. Their mission is just so important to me. Taking care of people in the last stages of their life is a blessing. If I need to dance and do some spins and shakes on stage to get people to donate to a cause like this, then I’ll do it."

Ryan Mabry, Pearl Mabry School of Music founder and instructor

Dancing with: “The sassy” Hannah Teal

Moves to watch for: "We’re doing the foxtrot. We’ll be sultry!"

Previous dance experience: "I took ballroom for a little while in college."

Reason for performing: "To raise money for one of the greatest organizations out there."

The Rev. Michael Precht, First United Methodist Church of Crestview senior pastor

Dancing with: “The patient and visionary” Hannah Teal

Moves to watch for: "The audience should really be holding their breath for the pass-through halfway through the song"

Previous dance experience: "Nothing nearly as formal as this. My wife, Jennifer, and I enjoy going to a reception at a wedding and getting out on the dance floor."

Reason for performing: "As a preacher, performing in public is not a big deal. That was not too daunting. I have seen firsthand the benefit of Covenant Hospice and blessings they have given people. If I have a chance to support their work and help people become aware of their work, I’ll gladly take it. I was very honored to be asked to do it."

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: 9th Annual Blue Jean Ball: “A Great Gatsby Soirée”

WHEN: 6 p.m. Oct. 3

WHERE: Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive

COST: $60 per person; proceeds benefit Covenant Hospice

NOTES: Annual fundraiser includes “upscale dining selections, libations, swanky entertainment and your favorite casino games," a media release states. Votes for celebrity dancers are $1 each.

Visit www.eventsatcovenant.org/BlueJeanBall or contact Rachel Mayew, 682-3628, to purchase tickets, vote for celebrity dancers or provide sponsorships.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 4 Crestview dancers to perform during Covenant Hospice benefit

CRESTVIEW — Three candidates ascended to the rank of black belt in taekwondo Friday night. It took hard work and discipline to at last participate in the solemn candlelight ceremony, but for one artist, the challenges were even greater.

Scott Williams, 38, achieved a lifelong dream when Master Nathan Carroll of Palmer ATA Taekwondo tied the coveted black belt around his waist as he, Ryan Bourke and Caleb Phillips reached the milestone.

Williams’ challenges didn’t just come from having a couple decades on the other guys. He’s also deaf and severely visually impaired.

“I asked the teacher how I’d communicate with me being deaf and everything, how would that work?” Williams said. “The teacher, Paul Carroll, said, ‘I will show you and you copy me.’

“That’s what I did. I found it easy to copy the moves. I was really excited that I could do it.”

NEW FAMILY

Williams, who was born deaf, said he has found a new family at Palmer ATA, not just among the instructors but with his fellow students, though most are young enough to be his children.

“It feels great being with Mr. Williams,” Mike Smith, 13, said. “I never experienced having a friend like him. I look up to him. He teaches me things.”

“It’s definitely really neat having Scott in our program,” Senior Master Darrin Palmer said. “He’s had the dedication to hang in there and train over the last couple years.

“For someone with a  disability, it’d be easy to give up. It’s hard enough to learn martial arts in addition to being deaf and legally blind. It’s fun to teach him.”

Williams isn’t letting his disabilities stand in the way of mastering an art that fascinated ever since he saw “The Karate Kid” as a child.

“As a child I thought being deaf would hold me back,” Williams said. “One of the lessons I learned (in ATA Taekwando) is I can do it!”

‘YOU CAN DO IT’

“I developed many good friends during my time I’ve been there,” Williams said. “They’re very supportive. They respect me and I respect them. They have never encountered a person like me.”

As for his masters, “They didn’t see a disability. They said, ‘you can do it.’ They are very good friends.”

Joseph Hust, a certified trainer, helped Williams through his black belt testing.

“Earning a black belt at any age is outstanding, but for him, it’s even more amazing because of his disabilities,” Hust said.

“The pain is temporary, but a black belt lives forever.”

“Scott is very determined and he works hard,” Palmer said. “He’s a neat person.”

“God made me, so I am who I am,” Williams said. “Being disabled doesn’t matter.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Deaf, nearly blind Crestview man achieves martial arts black belt