Skip began writing the book when his oldest daughter, Destiney, became pregnant with Skip and Teresa’s first grandchild. Skip recounts, “There are so many things Teresa and I learned over the years while raising our 6 children. Many of the things we learned by child number four or five, I wish we knew back when we had child number one and two. I wanted to give my daughter, and any parent who reads this book, a head start on figuring out this whole parenting thing.”

Skip and Teresa raised all their kids right here in Navarre. All ventured away from home right out of high school, each taking a different path. The youngest left the house in 2019 when he joined the military. Today, they are all successfully pursuing their chosen fields and Skip and Teresa enjoy a close bond with each one of them, which Skip says is the ultimate goal in parenting. “Everything we do as parents, from the time our children are infants, should be done with the intention of empowering them to grow up to be self-sufficient, to reach their full potential, and then enjoy a peer-to-peer relationship with them as adults.”

Each chapter in Letters to Destiney is a personal letter from Skip to his daughter giving a specific bit of advice on being a parent.

For example, in chapter 5 one of the parenting concepts Skip talks about in his book is called the parenting in the funnel. The idea is that the control you exercise over your children should be tight in their younger years and then gradually broaden as they get older, like a funnel. Skip says the natural tendency is for parents to do just the opposite, they allow their toddlers a lot of freedom but place tight restrictions on their teens. “Teen years are when your kids need to start developing decision making skills. And the only way to do that, is to allow them the freedom to make decisions on their own. Some will be good. Some will be bad. However, the bad decisions will also create opportunities to coach them on how to overcome setbacks and solve problems.” Skip says the goal in parenting is not to prevent your kids from ever making a mistake, but to equip them with the skills and attitude to recover from mistakes when they are made.

Another thing the book emphasizes is prioritizing the relational bond you have with your child. Relationship is what enables parents to have influence in their children’s lives when they grow into the teen years and beyond. As children mature into their teen years, a parent’s role transitions from telling their child on what they can and cannot do, to coaching and influencing their child on making right decisions for themselves. If the relational bond between parent and child becomes damaged, the parent’s ability to guide and influence their child as they get older is greatly diminished. The book talks about how to keep that relational bond strong.

Other topics covered in the book include how to get your child to obey you the first time you ask them to do something, the technique Teresa used to keep all the kids under control while taking them to the grocery store, how to pass on your faith and values to your kids and much more.

If you would like a free copy of Letters To Destiney, A Father’s Advice for Successful Parenting, you can drop by Father and Son Pest And Lawn Solutions at 8373 East Bay Blvd in Navarre Monday through Thursday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Fridays between 8 a.m. and noon and ask for a copy. If you live outside Navarre, you can call 850-939-9868 and request a copy and Skip will be happy to send you one. Skip doesn’t charge anything for his books. He says writing books and giving them away is his way of giving back.

The other four books Skip has written include:
• Letters To Judah, A Father’s Advice For Successful Living
• If I Could Talk To You About Human Trafficking This Is What I Would Say
• The Ultimate Guide To Building A Million Dollar Pest And Lawn Service Business
• What Every Homeowner On The Emerald Coast Needs To Know About Lawn Care

All of Skip’s book are available free of charge by stopping by his office or calling and requesting one.

Lori’s H2O Skills, a new swim school coming to Crestview this summer, is here to help teach these life skills to all ages.

Opening June 2 at 577 Brookmeade Drive in Crestview, Lori’s H2O Skills is a professional learn to swim program for children ages 3 months through adults.

By day, the highly maintained pool is used by Crestview Physical Therapy, and from 4 to 8 p.m. weekdays, this two-lane pool will be used for private one-on-one lessons with the Lori’s H2O Skills team. Swim lessons will also be offered from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday and 12 to 3 p.m. on Friday.

The experienced team shares a passion and love for teaching and safety. Grace Rosenbaum will be the operating manager of the new location in Crestview and will do most of the teaching. Amy Conover is the general manager and will split her time between Crestview and Ohio. Lori Weber and Kyle Weber are co-owners of Lori’s H2O Skills and founded the swimming curriculum they use, which came from Lori’s time spent with the YMCA, American Red Cross and Aquatic Achievers in Australia.

“I brought back knowledge from all of those programs and turned it into Lori’s H2O Skills,” Lori shared. “We started in Milford, Ohio. “It was always a dream of mine to have a swim school to save children in and around the water.”

Lori fell in love with swimming as a little girl in Milford, OH. She swam competitively growing up and went on to swim for the University of Kentucky. She continued to swim as an adult and in 2015, she started Lori’s H2O Skills to spread her love for safe swimming.

Now celebrating 10 years of business and service, Lori’s H2O Skills is opening their second location in Crestview, FL.

“My mother and sister live down here and my sister is purchasing Crestview Physical Therapy,” Kyle said. “They don’t use the pool during the evening hours, so when the opportunity arose, we were excited to expand our swim school and serve the Crestview community.”

Swim lessons range as young as 3 months and as old as senior adults. They also teach individuals with special abilities and ensure everyone is comfortable in the water.

“We only teach one-on-one swim lessons so our students can learn how to swim in the most efficient and effective way,” Lori said. “Our program is based on children learning to flip and float and get themselves to safety and learning proper swimming skills.”

Classes are set up once per week for 15 minutes.

“I did a study for children and researched the best way for them to listen and learn with their short attention span,” Lori said.

The conclusion was that children stay engaged for about five to seven minutes. Based on these findings, lessons are capped at 15 minutes to optimize efficiency and retention.

Lori has always been passionate about swim.

“I just love it,” she said. “I think about swimming and the water all the time.”

The slogan of Lori’s H2O Skills is “Saving Lives One Child at a Time.”

“My passion is teaching people how to swim so it can save their lives,” Lori said. “We want a child to flip and float and stay above water and have enough seconds for a person or friend to help save them. Just seconds can save lives.”

Obviously, swimming in a pool is very different than swimming in the Gulf, but the staff understands the different techniques needed in saltwater and around the ocean to combat big waves and rip tides.

The indoor 40-foot by 12-foot pool takes weather out of the occasion and allows Lori’s H2O Skills to offer swim lessons year-round. The pool is no deeper than 5 feet.

For more information about one-on-one lessons and pricing, check out their website: www.h2oskillsflorida.com.

“We just want to keep people safe around pools and the ocean,” Lori said. “We are the place to come for anything water related – that is our love and passion. Safety, safety, safety – that is what we care about.”

Lori’s H2O Skills
577 Brookmeade Drive Crestview, FL
www.h2oskillsflorida.com
850-333-7014

Located in Holt between Crestview and Milton, this fully equipped facility can accommodate individuals and groups that range from the everyday shooter to military, law enforcement and government agencies. Element Training Complex is here to serve the shooting community regardless of your experience or background.

A $35 per person Day Pass includes:

• Access to the 25-yard pistol bay
• Access to the 25-yard rifle bay
• Access to the three 25-yard shoot and move bays
• Access to the 100-yard range
• Access to the 300-yard range
• Includes 1 cardboard target and 1 set of target sticks

Element Training Complex is open to the public for day-pass use, but if you love shooting, they recommend their cost-effective Annual Memberships of $500 a year. Members get access to the entirety of their 205-acre shooting facility. They also get select discounts on items in their pro shop, advanced notice and registration for classes, training and much more. There is a reduced application fee of $50 dollars for all military, law enforcement and veterans. For all civilians there is a $100 app fee.

You can purchase a Sporting Clays Only membership for just $150 per year and a Six Month Membership for $300.

Dion Walker is the operations manager of the facility, while his wife Valerie manages the pro shop.

“My husband has always been into firearms,” Valerie said. “The opportunity presented itself to work at a range and shoot instead of just selling firearms.”

Valerie was a stay-at-home mom with their four children and decided to come work with him at Element Training Complex.

“We were out here all the time anyways shooting, and now we get to work here and bring our four kids, who also love shooting. We love it,” she said.

If your whole family loves to shoot, make sure you ask about the Element Training Complex family membership. There are no age restrictions at the range. It is up to the parent to decide if their child is ready. The range just asks that parents stay within arm’s reach of the child at all times. To encourage learning to shoot responsibly at a young age, children under the age of 16 shoot for free!

Owners Lauren and Robert Boothe opened the training complex in 2017 under the name Southern Tactical and rebranded to Element Training Complex in 2020 to offer even more than before.

Element’s Pro Shop is a small gun store that carries a range of products including ammo, firearms, accessories, suppressers, targets, shooting bags, apparel, shirts, hoodies and hats.

The Oaks Sporting Clays is open to the public. The course sits on 50 acres featuring 5-Stand and 20 stations.

A day at the range makes for the perfect group activity. Whether it’s a corporate team building event, birthday party, retirement party, bachelorette/bachelor party, gender reveal, or just a fun day with some friends, Element Training Complex is the place to go for your next outing.

The range is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with cease fire at 4:45. On Monday, the range is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with cease fire at 3:45.

Starting in September for half of the year, there is a night match on the first Saturday of each month and the range remains open until 10 p.m.

The third Saturday of each month is Training Night, and the range stays open until 10 p.m. This night shoot is open to the public, and people are encouraged to bring their night vision goggles, white lights and thermals.

“We host a lot of matches at Element Training Complex,” Valerie said. “There is something happening every weekend here.”

On the first Saturday of the month, USPSA holds a shooting match. The second Saturday of the month is a Steel Challenge and on the third Saturday, PCSL holds a shooting competition.

Other matches that happen at Element Training Complex throughout the year include Tactical Games, Quantified Performance, and Cowboy Action, where people dress up as cowboys and shoot their revolvers and black powder rifles.

“We have hundreds of competitors attend some of these events, and people come from all over the world to shoot,” Valerie said.

Element Training Complex offers a variety of shooting classes year-round. Valerie says shooting all the classes and training is her favorite part of the job.

The complex is a SIG Sauer Academy outpost, so we host a lot of their classes here such as Rifle Instructor, Concealed Carry, Pistol 101 through 104 and Rifle 101 through 104.

Many different instructors put on these classes including JBS Training Group and Barrell and Hatchet, who teaches night vision classes and Distance Carbine classes. War HOGG Tactical hosts law enforcement firearm training and pistol classes. Frank Proctor holds pistol and rifle classes at the complex. Whatever firearm instruction or education you are looking for, Element Training Complex probably offers it.

People leave these classes feeling equipped with the knowledge and training they were seeking, feeling safe behind a gun.

Element Training Complex
4418 Cooper Lane
Holt, FL 32564
elementrange.com
850-537-4576

YOUR LAWN HAS LOST A LOT OF WEIGHT OVER THE WINTER

Skip says the first thing to realize is the condition of your lawn in the early spring is not the same as it was last fall when it went dormant. “Over the winter the lawn sheds up to 50 percent of its root mass along with about as much grass blades and runners. A lot of people begin to panic when they start to see their lawn come out of dormancy in the spring and realize it’s not as dense and lush as it was last year.”

Skip encourages home owners not to be anxious at the state of their lawn in early spring but to give it time to regain the root structure and top growth that it lost over the winter. He also states how temperature plays a significant part in how fast the grass starts growing. “Grass really does not start growing until the temperatures get into the mid 80s. Some years this happens sooner than others. This year we have had an exceptionally cool spring which has retarded the growth of the grass.”

THE TWO MOST COMMON FERTILIZER MISTAKES

According to Skip, the two most common mistakes people make when fertilizing their lawns in the spring are applying fertilizer too early and applying the wrong kind of fertilizer. “In order for the grass to get the maximum benefit from fertilizer, temperatures need to be in the mid to high 80s, otherwise most of the applied nutrients get washed down past the root zone before the grass ever has a chance to absorb them. Fertilizing in early spring while temperatures are still cool is like dumping more than half the bag of fertilizer down the drain because the grass is just unable to take it up.”

According to Skip, not only do you end up wasting money by applying fertilizer too early but there are a number of other disadvantages: Unabsorbed fertilizer runs off into nearby bodies of water and ground water causing pollution and fertilizing too early can also promote disease activity or chlorosis in the lawn making it turn yellow.

The type of fertilizer you apply to your lawn is also very important. “So many of the fertilizers sold in retail stores are not formulated for the type of soil we have in this area.” Skip cautions. “One unique characteristic of our soil here along the Emerald Coast, is that it is very low on phosphorus and potassium. Most fertilizers advertised and sold for spring have little to none of these nutrients in them! Applying these products leaves a big gap in the nutritional needs of your lawn!”

Skip recommends that a soil test be done to verify what nutrients are lacking from the soil and purchase a fertilizer that has those ingredients.

HOW TO PROPERLY APPLY FERTILIZER

Even though you may wait until the right time and purchase the right type of fertilizer for your lawn, it is still important that you apply it correctly. “Every spring you can drive around and see lawns that look striped dark green, light green, dark green from improper fertilizer applications.”

According to Skip, the best way to avoid striping your lawn with fertilizer is to apply granular fertilizer with a “broadcast spreader” which throws the fertilizer out the sides in a random pattern as opposed to a “drop spreader” which drops the granules straight down in a line and is much harder to get proper overlap. His other suggestion is to go back and forth over the lawn one time with the spreader and then back and forth again, changing directions 90 degrees to create a tic tac toe pattern.

In summary, to get the most benefit from feeding your lawn in the spring, wait until temperatures are well into the 80s before applying fertilizer, apply a balanced formula fertilizer and use a broadcast spreader, going back and forth over the lawn at 90 degree angles.

Are you having problems keeping your lawn healthy? For FREE LAWN CONSULTATION from Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions phone or text 850-240-7935. Or go to Fatherandsonlandscape.com

Skip has been working in the lawn care industry right here along the Emerald Coast for over 30 years and is an expert on how to manage lawns and keep them healthy. He explains “Grass does not grow naturally in this region, so once a building lot is cleared of everything Mother Nature intended to grow there and sod is put down, you have to be very pro-active at keeping the grass healthy, otherwise Mother Nature will begin to turn that ground back into what she intended for it to grow and you will see your grass decline.

Skip also says that there is a lot of misinformation out there about how to properly care for your lawn. “Certain brand name fertilizer companies have promoted application schedules that are totally incorrect for the environment and type of grass we have in this area. I frequently speak with home owners whose lawns have severely declined after they religiously followed the advice of those fertilizer companies for three or four years in a row.”

In his workshop, Skip will talk about the proper type of fertilizer to use on your lawn as well as the proper time to apply it. He emphasizes that most people who apply fertilizer to their lawn in the spring, apply it way too early. “When you apply fertilizer too early in the spring it’s like throwing most of your money away because the grass is not ready to absorb the fertilizer yet and the fertilizer is just going to get washed away before the grass uses it. Waiting until later in the spring to apply, allows all of the fertilizer to be absorbed by the grass and wastes none of it.”

Other topics Skip will cover in the workshops include, how to recognize and control lawn pests, how to keep from replacing your lawn every seven to ten years, the single most effective way to rejuvenate a declining lawn, The best way to control weeds in your lawn and the best way to water your lawn. He will also be available for individual questions.

The cost to attend a workshop is $10 and every person who attends will receive a free copy of Skip’s book What Every Home Owner Along The Emerald Coast Needs To Know About Lawn Care. “The reason I am doing these workshops and giving away my book is to give something back to the community. My business has been extremely blessed by the people of this community and I wanted to do something for the community in return. Keeping grass healthy is my passion and if I can educate others by sharing the knowledge and experience I have acquired by working with lawns here along the Emerald Coast over the past 30 plus years, well…that makes me feel really good.”

Hundreds of people have attended the lawn workshops Skip held in the past and they all came away with loads of information on how to care for their lawns.
The workshop will be held at Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions 8373 East Bay Blvd. in Navarre on Saturday March 1st from 10:00-12:00. Seating is limited to 25. Scan the QR code to register for the workshop.

If you are having a problem keeping your lawn healthy, Skip also offers free lawn consultations and can be reached by phone or text at 850-240-7935.

This isn’t just a ticket; it’s a tribute to their courage, dedication, and inspiration. Limited slots are available! Everyone is invited. You do not have to be a veteran or first responder. Just come support them, honor them and thank them.

The “Heroes on the Homefront” Winter Ball will be a night to remember at The Loft on Main Jan. 24. Doors open at 5 p.m. for VIPs and 6 p.m. for general admission. There will be live entertainment all night, including a DJ and a guitarist.

On top of honoring veterans and first responders, the evening will highlight Angel Force Protection and Foundation and how they are committed to the safety of children in this community. Local hometown heroes will also be shouted out throughout the evening.

“This ball gives veterans and first responders an opportunity to not only dust off old uniform if that’s what they choose to do, but come and represent what they did prior, or get a taste of a military-style ball that some of them are probably longing to have,” Angel Force founder Joshua Yirkovsky said.

A deluxe grazing charcuterie board from Board Boxes by Heather and delicious hot finger foods such as glazed meatballs will fill up the buffet line all night long. There will also be bartenders and all kinds of drinks to quench your thirst. The food and drinks will be continuous.

Get your picture made by Ashes’ Flashes Photography in front of the elegant photo backdrop.

Angel Force would like to say a huge thank you to the sponsors and donations such as photography and the DJ services that will make this ball a night to remember.

Tickets are $20 per person or $30 per couple, and VIP tickets are already sold out. This is an exclusive event and tickets will sell out sooner rather than later, so purchase your tickets today at https://angelforcefoundation.betterworld.org/events/heroes-homefront-winter-ball or by scanning the QR code below.

All proceeds go back to Angel Force Foundation to pay for protection of children in local schools, whether it’s education, services, or equipment such as security cameras.

This Winter Ball is much more than a party and an opportunity to get dressed up.

“It’s giving the due credit where its deserved and that’s what this ball means to me; to be able to reciprocate and give that back and show that people care about first responders even though they’re underappreciated or overworked,” Joshua said. “And same with veterans. Just because they got out, doesn’t mean anything. They still served. And this gives them an opportunity to come back and get a feel of that again.”

Angel Force Protection (AFP), a veteran- owned-and-operated school protection service, is committed to ensuring the safety of the children in this community.

Through proactive measures and rapid response strategies, their angel guards, who are all dedicated veterans, are committed to creating an environment where every child can thrive without fear.

“We want to show the community that we can create a safe environment and let our kids play until the streetlights come out, like they used to,” founder Joshua Yirkovsky said.

Angel Force Protection’s sister organization, Angel Force Foundation (AFF) is always looking for partners who believe in the safety of children. If you are interested in donating, please visit angelforcefoundation.org.

“If there’s a private school that can’t afford security services, Angel Force Foundation will step in and pay for their first year,” Yirkovsky said.

The foundation can also advise schools on how they can apply for grants to help protect their children.

Angel Force takes safety seriously and does things differently. Two angel guards are assigned to each school that partners with Angel Force Protection. Their job is to protect the school and ultimately allow children to learn in a safe and free environment.

“We are a proactive organization in a society that has been reactive regarding safety in our school system,” Yirkovsky said.

Angel Force Protection
www.angelforcefoundation.org
850-797-5288

How the father and son team got started

Skip and Buddy Orth started working as a team in 2003 when they first started offering lawn service together. Skip explains that at the time, Buddy was just 13 when he and his wife, Teresa, were homeschooling their 5 children. “My son Buddy was a quick learner and very bright, however he couldn’t tolerate doing seat work. Buddy and Teresa were in constant conflict over his lack of completing assignments so I thought it would be a good idea to change the classroom and take more of a hands-on approach to teaching him. That’s when I presented Buddy with the idea of doing a business together.”

Skip says that having a “real world” classroom worked quite well. “We used the newspaper to talk about current events, we listened to audio books while we drove from job to job for history and literature and incorporated math and science into tasks related to running the business.”

Skip and Buddy worked together for about five years before Buddy decided to join the Army. “At the time, I wasn’t interested in working in the business anymore. I wanted to see what other opportunities were available to me in life, so I joined the Army. But in the 6 and a half years I spent serving in the Army, hardly a day went by when I didn’t use something my dad had taught me during the time I had spent with him in the business. Most of what I learned from him had to do with people skills he taught me from dealing with customers and problem-solving skills I learned when things didn’t happen the way we expected them to.”

After a deployment to Afghanistan and several years away, Buddy decided to return home and pick up where he left off, working with Skip. “When Buddy left, I couldn’t very well change the name of the company” Skip says with a grin. “So, while Buddy was gone, I would dub the young men working for me ‘substitute sons’. But now I’ve got the ‘original son’ back and even though Buddy was gone over six years, we mesh right together just like we did before.”

Help for your troubled lawn

Skip and Buddy specialize in solving lawn problems. “It’s kind of the niche we carved out for ourselves.” Skip explains. “I’ve been working in the turf industry here along the Emerald Coast for about 30 years and have developed a passion for figuring out ways to improve and sustain lawn health. In this area, it is extremely hard to keep lawns healthy because there are so many factors working against you. Mother Nature never intended for turf grass to grow here along the Emerald Coast, so if you tear out what she has growing and plant sod, you better know how to keep it alive because she is going to do everything she can to transform your pretty sod back into her idea of what should be growing there”.

Free book available

Skip has taken much of his knowledge about lawns and put it into a book “What Every Home Owner Along The Emerald Coast Needs To Know About Lawn Care”. The book is loaded with practical tips on how to keep your lawn healthy and maintain your landscape. Hundreds of homeowners in our area have benefited from the information Skip provides in his book. If you are interested in obtaining free a copy you can request one by going to fatherandsonlandscape.com.

If you are having trouble keeping your lawn healthy, you can also request a free lawn consultation. Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions will assess your lawn and offer advice on what you need to do to make your lawn healthy. For a free lawn consultation call 850-939-9868 or go to fatherandsonlandscape.com.