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SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Kathy Combest is a Hall of Fame Coach

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, Sports.

Crestview High School volleyball and girls basketball Coach Kathy Combest added another honor to her already impressive resume last week, when she was inducted into the All Sports Association Hall of Fame.

I’ve covered Kathy for the better part of 14 years. I’ve come to know her pretty well in that time, and there is no doubt the lady can flat out coach.

Sure, coaches coach and players play. But when a player has a coach with a proven track record calling the shots, they execute the play with a little more confidence.

Kathy Combest is such a coach. Combest would be a Hall of Fame coach even if she only coached volleyball or basketball, instead of both. She has a winning percentage of more than .760 in both sports.

One way to think about that is this: If her team is scheduled to play 25 games, it will probably win 19 of them.

Great coaches have a fire about them that often wills their team to win. Former Baker head football coach and athletic director Jeff Webb said it best when describing Combest’s desire to win as almost being sinful.

One of the hardest things about being a sports writer is dealing with a coach after a tough loss. Coaches sometimes take a while to get over a loss — and it isn’t conducive to a writer’s deadline.

One such incident involving Combest happened during the 2012 volleyball season. Crestview lost at Choctaw, and the Bulldogs were in the locker room more than 30 minutes as I waited for a comment from the coach.

After about 30 minutes, one of Choctaw's players, seeing I was with the press, asked why I didn’t just knock on the door to see how much longer they were going to be.

I told her I wasn’t that brave.

I understand that when a player or coach pours everything they have into a game, they might not have anything to say after a loss.

I know how bad  losing can hurt, especially when there are no more games to play that year.

Now, I have always had a good relationship with Kathy Combest. She is one of my favorite coaches whom I’ve dealt with in my 20 years as a sports writer.

That said, I know there will be nights when I wait that she may not come out for an interview.

Kathy Combest is a poor loser — and I mean that in the best sort of way.

It is her hate for losing, and that almost sinful desire to win, that makes her a Hall of Fame coach.

Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Kathy Combest is a Hall of Fame Coach

From the Pulpit: Here's how to fight unclean spirits

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, Opinion, your-voice.

Once, a man confronted Jesus with an unclean spirit.

He shouted, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”

Jesus said two things:

•He told the unclean spirit to be silent.

•He told the unclean spirit to come out of the man.

The voice and interruption from the unclean spirit first had to be silenced for several reasons. Its voice was loud and disruptive, it kept the people from being able to hear the teachings of Jesus, and because its intention was to distract the people in order to plant seeds of doubt regarding who Jesus was.

Jesus knew the plot of the unclean spirit and silenced it first off.

After Jesus silenced the unclean spirit, he commanded the spirit come out of the man. It was not something the spirit wanted to do. The spirit liked to use the man as a means to spew its wickedness. Give that up? Not easily. But the power of Jesus won, and the spirit left.

The modern mind typically balks at hearing about unclean or evil spirits. But they do exist, even today.

They mostly reveal themselves through hatred, jealousy, revenge, self-pity, timidity, arrogance, greed — the list continues.

Every person has an unclean spirit — or more than one — within them. Most just don’t like to acknowledge it.

Such an acknowledgement feels too ugly. It’s too uncomfortable.

It’s too embarrassing.

It’s too real.

So most people do nothing about it.

As a result, people get distracted from hearing Jesus Christ's voice, which encourages them to hear how much God loves them and how they can live for him.

Jesus wants the disruptive, destructive and distracting thoughts and behaviors to stop. He wants the unclean spirits within us to hear his command, “Stop talking. Come out of that person.”

When this is acknowledged, our Lord will help you heal.

Because of that healing, you will be able to hear and claim the deeper message he gives: “You are my beloved child. You are precious to me.”

Allow Jesus to mend you — heart, mind and soul. Hear his voice over the din of society, over the distractions of worries, over the messages that seek to destroy your faith.

He does this as an act of love, a love that is unmatched; a love that shines not only on Valentine’s Day, but every day of your life.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview's pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: From the Pulpit: Here's how to fight unclean spirits

HAPPENINGS: California driving and Crestview band uniforms

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, lifestyle.

Having been born and raised in Southern California, with family still living there, it is a lovely place to visit in the winter. 

So, for a winter vacation, I did just that. 

CALIFORNIA AND CRESTVIEW

The Los Angeles area is warmer than our climate at this time of year, and quite beautiful.

The hills and mountains are still green, and there is snow on Mount Baldy; according to the ski reports, there is enough to ski.

There is so much to do in Southern California, whether you're visiting Disneyland (my favorite), Knott’s Berry Farm, the beaches, the mountains, the desert, zoos, the Arboretum and other lovely gardens, as well as the symphony and theatre — just about any activity is available. 

The flowers are in bloom, and are just beautiful. Mother’s bougainvilleas are in bloom, as well as her daffodils, roses and narcissus — she loves her flowers. 

However, traffic is a sight to behold.  After driving in our fair town, it is interesting to once again face California freeways.

Yes, in California, they are called freeways.

Having grown up there, I don’t mind the bumper-to-bumper traffic, but it can be intimidating to be honked at, cut off continually, have a car change lanes from the far left-hand lane over four lanes of traffic to get to an off ramp or have someone tailgate for miles. 

There are quite a few interesting driving habits. 

The speed limit is 65, but you feel as though you will be run over, as most motorists drive about 75 to 80 mph.

All to say, driving in the Los Angeles area is not for the faint of heart or timid.

I will write more about my California adventures in the next few weeks, and would really love to hear where you have gone for a winter vacation, or where you would like to go.

SUPPORT FOR BIG RED MACHINE

I want to turn focus to our talented Crestview High School Band, which is raising money for new uniforms.

According to Jody Dunn, the band director, each uniform costs approximately $300. The uniform goal is $90,000 and so far they have raised $22,000. 

All donations are tax-deductible; if you would like to help our fabulous band, please make your check out to Crestview High School, write Band Uniform Fund on the memo line and mail to Crestview High School, c/o Jody Dunn, 1250 N. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, FL 32536. Any donations will be gratefully accepted.

If you see me around town on my jaunts, please say “hi." If you have any “Happenings,” please drop me an email so I can report on it.

Janice Lynn Crose lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her brother, Robb; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

Email listings of upcoming events and activities of public interest>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: California driving and Crestview band uniforms

GUEST COLUMN: Ensuring jobs, economy take Florida College System's focus

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, more-voices, Opinion.

Florida businesses need an academically, technologically prepared workforce to succeed, which makes our higher education system's strength a major factor in attracting new business to Florida.

The Florida College System, serving nearly 1 million students annually, is committed to providing access to high quality, affordable academic and career education programs that maximize student learning and success. 

It is more important than ever to prioritize the Florida College System's goals for the year as the Florida economy continues to expand, and the demand for skilled workforce grows exponentially. 

We can do this in three effective ways:

•Expand critical workforce areas: By expanding workforce-training programs, the FCS can provide the opportunity for more Floridians to gain skills critical to the region in which they live.

The college system will respond efficiently to meet employers' demands by optimizing alignment of certificate and degree programs with regional workforce needs. These efforts will build a pipeline of talent, helping Floridians gain employment while supporting the state’s economy.

•Expand academic support: Services such as academic support, learning assistance, advising and mentoring improve a student’s ability to ultimately secure upon graduation either job placement or transfer through our seamless 2+2 to a college or university.

Expanding academic support services plays a crucial role in student success and will be a major focus in 2015.

•Maintain affordability: A college’s capacity to serve is based on tuition and state investment. Maintaining affordable tuition is a priority for the colleges, the Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott.

Without tuition increases, we must increase our capacity to serve by committing as a state to an investment in our future talent.

The FCS wants to ensure the cost of college is not a burden to the student, and therefore needs an appropriate investment from the state. 

Following years of dramatic growth during the recession, FCS student enrollment has reached an unprecedented plateau. An increased investment from the state is essential to help us enable more students to excel in Florida’s most in-demand occupations.

As one of the nation's most successful college systems, the FCS, with the Legislature and Scott's vital support, will continue to concentrate on delivering the talent Florida needs to become the nation's No. 1 job creator.

LOCAL EDUCATION'S IMPACT:

•98 percent of Florida College System graduates stay in Florida, contributing their acquired skills and training to the state’s economic development.

•With 28 public colleges throughout the state, the FCS has a $27 billion economic impact.

Source: Florida College System

Dr. Jim Henningsen is the chairman of the Florida College System’s Council of Presidents and president of the College of Central Florida.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni @cnbeditor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: GUEST COLUMN: Ensuring jobs, economy take Florida College System's focus

Bullying: not just a buzzword in Okaloosa schools (VIDEO)

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, more-voices, Opinion.

"Progress, not perfection" has been Okaloosa County School District Superintendent Mary Beth Jackson's motto since being elected to represent 30,000 students and over 3,000 faculty and staff members.

Your school system is a vital part of our community and, on any given weekday, 15 percent of Okaloosa’s population is at one of your schools.   

Recently, the Crestview News Bulletin published an editorial asking whether “bullying” had become just another buzzword. 

Florida law and Okaloosa School Board policy define bullying as “systemically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees." 

“Bullying” is not just a buzzword to us, but a key concern of your school’s administration, faculty and staff. Inappropriate or aggressive behavior is still met with disciplinary and corrective action, even if it does not meet the state’s definition for “bullying.”  

The state annually audits our policy and procedures to verify our district’s compliance with state statutes. 

In a recent report, Florida schools ranked near the top in prevention of bullying. (Editor's Note: The Sunshine State was ranked the 10th best overall at controlling bullying based on nine factors by WalletHub. See the full report here.) 

Does that mean we have it perfect? No! But we constantly work on progress.

PROVEN RESULTS

Our results are proven. For instance:

•We placed fourth in the highest percent of “A” schools, with 36 earning that designation.

•Three of our high schools (Fort Walton Beach, Niceville and Collegiate) rank in the top 75 of all high schools in Florida!

•We have specialized education programs. Students who want to be in a medical profession should consider the SSTRIDE — Science Students Together Reaching Instructional Diversity and Excellence — medical program in Crestview or the biomedical program at Fort Walton Beach High School. 

•Crestview and Choctaw have great engineering programs. 

•IT studies? Niceville High School. 

•International Baccalaureate? Choctaw.

•Our Choice Institute is also filled with many excellent industry certification programs.  

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT KEY

Parents have great choices for educating their children in our public school system.

But education must be done in a safe environment. While we train our faculty and have an outstanding school resource officer program with the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, at the end of the day, parental involvement is still the determining factor in student success. 

Nearly 20 years ago, Baker students created a video called “Tell Somebody.” We updated that video for 2015, and we will show it to all 30,000 students. This video features students talking to students about how to handle situations that may arise in their schools.

We ask that parents and their students view the video together and spend a few minutes discussing it.

If you do not have internet access and would like to view the video, please contact your child’s school principal to schedule a viewing. 

On behalf of the superintendent, school board and all of our district employees, I want to assure you that your school system takes bullying, and student safety, seriously, and we need your involvement as we continue to make progress towards perfection.

Henry Kelley is the Okaloosa County School District's Office of Community Affairs program director. Follow him on Twitter>>

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni @cnbeditor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bullying: not just a buzzword in Okaloosa schools (VIDEO)

EDITOR’S DESK: Politics aside, Crestview's crime rate needs improvement

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, more-voices, Opinion.

Crestview's March 10 mayoral race is ramping up, and crime is a hot topic.

You see, the Hub City is experiencing an uptick in crime — or it's not, depending on whom you ask.

The Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin metropolitan area ranks No. 8 on 24-Wall Street's "Cities Where Crime is Soaring" list.

The list — which The Huffington Post picked up — shows the metro's violent crime rate spiked 40.2 percent in five years, with 294.8 and 413.2 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2009 and 2013, respectively. The national violent crime rate in 2013 was just 367.9 per 100,000 people, according to the report.

Joining the Crestview metro on the list are Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 9; Madera-Chowchilla, Calif., 7;San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, Calif., 6; Gadsden, Ala., 5; Longview, Wash., 4; Columbus, Ind., 3; Medford, Ore., 2; and Bismarck, N.D., 1.

Receiving such national attention added fuel to Crestview City Councilman Tom Gordon's campaign fire.

Gordon, who's running against incumbent David Cadle, alleged in a Monday news release that the mayor "is attempting to cover up" Crestview's perceived high crime rate.

Cadle has said the city's crime rate has dropped since Police Chief Tony Taylor joined the force in September of 2012 and the CPD's staff grew.

“In 2013, Chief Taylor’s first year in office, violent crime decreased 12.2 percent and overall crime decreased 13.1 percent, which is the last full year data are available," a recent news release from Cadle's office stated. "For the first six months of 2014, violent crime was down an additional 6 percent.”

Meanwhile, Taylor isn't saying too much about crime rates because of their implications on the mayoral race, the Northwest Florida Daily News reports.

Personally, I think that's a smart move.  

Look, whenever studies on crime rate crop up, journalists report them in good faith, but they also consider that numbers can be interpreted numerous ways.

It's why the first sentence of a Jan. 13 News Bulletin report on this very topic stated, "Is Crestview a hotbed of crime or was data misinterpreted?" as opposed to declaring, outright, "Crestview is a hotbed of crime, according to data from the U.S. Department of Justice's Uniform Crime Reporting Statistics."

Still, I constantly listen to the scanner, and the past few weeks alone have involved a number of breaking news reports in the North Okaloosa area.

Currently, police are investigating a Monday robbery that occurred during lunch near Industrial Drive and the KFC restaurant along North Ferdon Boulevard.

North Okaloosa residents wept for an infant left in critical condition the last week of January after we reported on her child abuse and a man's subsequent arrest.

That same week, a Crestview man was charged with armed burglary and battery of a man after visiting an ex-girlfriend, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

And the CPD is investigating a string of Cabana Way area burglaries.

So, I believe anyone looking at those facts would agree that crime isn't where we all want it to be in the northern county.

It will be interesting to see how mayoral candidates Cadle, Gordon, Lanny Edwards and Jeremiah Hubbard will respond to the issue.

I'm particularly interested in hearing more from Edwards and Hubbard; Cadle's and Gordon's camps have been getting out their messaging to the media, so with less than one month to the election, I've been wondering about Edwards and Hubbards' campaign strategies.

But I digress.

Find out what all the candidates have to say during these forums:

•Nonpartisan, 6 p.m. Feb. 16, Warriors Hall, 201 Stillwell Blvd., Crestview. Written questions from the public will be accepted at the door before the event, and submitted to the forum moderator. Contact Mae. R. Coleman, 682-5518, for details.

•North Okaloosa Republican Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 17, American Legion Hall, 898 James Lee Blvd. E., Crestview. A question-and-answer session will follow.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Politics aside, Crestview's crime rate needs improvement

SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Crestview High: a basketball school

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, Sports.

Like it or not, many high schools and universities are known for their athletic programs more so than their academics.

It has been said that a school’s athletic program is the school's front door.

And almost anyone you ask about the University of Alabama will probably first mention the Crimson Tide football program. If you are talking about the University of Kentucky, it’s men's basketball. Louisiana State University is best associated with football and baseball.

Locally, Baker School, with four state championships in football, is a football school. It also can be said that Baker is a volleyball school, as the Gators have won 12 straight district titles.

Laurel Hill School is no doubt a basketball school. Both the boys and girls programs have historically done well. The girls program, though having struggled the past few years, won seven state championships between 1981 and 1995.

But what about Crestview High School? If you were to say Crestview is a blank-ball school, what sport would that be?

The Bulldogs have never won a state championship in football, but they did advance to the Class 3A championship game in 2002. Historically, Crestview has won about a half-dozen district championships on the gridiron.

There have been periods when Crestview might be considered a baseball school. The Bulldogs are usually competitive at a local level, and have had a couple of runs deep into the playoffs.

But Crestview might best be considered a basketball school. The Bulldogs won a state championship in boys basketball in 1985. That same year, Crestview’s girls finished second in the state. And Tom Hammonds, Crestview’s most accomplished professional athlete, was a basketball player.

When considering the boys and girls basketball teams' recent success, it’s not a stretch to think of Crestview as a basketball school.

The past two weeks have been good to Crestview basketball. On Jan. 31, the girls won their first district championship since 2003. Last Saturday night, the boys won their second straight district title.

As best I can tell, this is the first time that both the boys and girls won the district championship in the same year since 1985.

Last year, the girls finished district runner-up and advanced to the Elite Eight before being knocked out of the playoffs. The boys also advanced to the Elite Eight — again, the first time that has happened for both teams since the mid-1980s.

It will be interesting to see how things unfold in the playoffs for both teams. Can they recapture last year's playoff magic?

Whether either team advances as far as they did last year, it’s safe to say basketball is — pardon the pun — on the rebound at Crestview High.

Kathy Combest has worked wonders with Crestview's girls in her three years as head coach. Greg Watson has been equally impressive on the boys side in his two seasons at the helm.

One day, another CHS sport might again match the boys and girls basketball teams' current success.

But for now, I think it’s safe to say Crestview High is a basketball school.

Email News Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Crestview High: a basketball school

FROM THE PULPIT: God wants the best for you

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, Opinion, your-voice.

There's a story about an ill-tempered man who was sullen and silent at the breakfast table.

"How do you want your eggs cooked?" his wife asked gently.

"One fried and one scrambled," he answered gruffly.

When she placed the eggs before him, he was furious.

"What's wrong?" asked his wife.

"You fried the wrong egg," he snapped.

People like this seem to have a chip on their shoulder that keeps them from enjoying life, that keeps them from finding life's good things, and causes them to only see the downside of most, if not all, situations.

Perhaps you have heard a pessimist believes that life is a car wash, and he's on a bicycle. Or, a pessimist can look at the land of milk and honey and see only calories and cholesterol.

In the Bible, God told Jonah he wanted him to go to Nineveh to proclaim a message of repentance. Jonah did not want to do that, so he ran away. Jonah refused to do that because he had a prejudice against the Ninevites that ran to the very core of his being.

Jonah could not look beyond his interests and desires long enough to realize God had a greater plan. All he could see was God did not support his position, and decided God was on the wrong side. As a result, Jonah lost his faith in God.

For many, it is easy to lose faith in God when things don't go their way. During these times, they tend to think God is unjust, isn't listening to them, doesn't exist, or doesn't care. So they turn their back on God.

But when tragedy strikes, or a person finds himself or herself sinking into the depths of despair or fear, or they hit rock bottom, they realize, once again, that God is the center of their strength, their life's source.

That's what happened with Jonah. As he sank into the depths of the sea, he cried out to God. Jonah's eyes were opened to God's greatness as he prayed. God reached down to save his servant, his child, and lifted him up.

God will do the same for you. When it seems as though God may not have your best interest at heart, look again.

God sees the whole picture and will give you, absolutely, what is best for you.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview's pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: God wants the best for you

HUBBUB: Not raising my child that way, bank has odd location

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, more-voices, Opinion.

Editor's Note: Featured comments are the most thoughtful or eloquently stated comments from our Facebook page and crestviewbulletin.com and do not necessarily reflect the newspaper management's views.

•••

TOP COMMENT: Zero tolerance policy 'shameful'

Bullies are catered to by "no tolerance," because they know you can't do anything about it unless you want to have district-level repercussions for yourself.

All this does is reward bullying and teach kids that stepping in and doing what's right is anything but.

Has anyone been on YouTube lately? It's full of cell phone footage of kids filmed being beaten up — because now we teach everyone to stand back and watch. Shameful!

Amber Nicole

——————-

Intervening is legal

Anyone can intervene when a forcible felony is in progress. Kids beating each other at a bus stop is a forcible felony.

Any kid who intervenes is acting within the law.

Any kid who is witnessing bullying in progress does not have a duty to stand down or retreat.

The school cannot deny a child his or her rights to act to prevent a forcible felony.

Chuck Billy

•••

Why discourage helping others?

I remember, when I was in high school in Okaloosa County, a complete dirt bag kid and his girlfriend jumped another girl. They were kicking her in the head when another boy, a good kid, stepped in and kept it from going any further.

He kept her from being hurt, and he was suspended for it.

Unacceptable.

Why would you discourage someone from helping someone else in trouble? 

Thomas Elizabeth Van Dyke

•••

Some teachers don't care

My kid has been bullied from day one. Some of the teachers just do not care.

One of the teachers asked my son whether he wanted two kids who shoved him out of his chair to be sent to the office. The teacher should have done her job, but instead she left it up to my child.

Carol Sharp

•••

No-win situation for schools

As for schools not doing their job, it's difficult for them; if they condone a child retaliating, a parent will sue them. If they punish all parties involved, regardless of fault and instigation, a parent gets mad. It's a no-win situation for all involved.

Krissy Leslie

•••

Considering private school

I have taught my daughter to stand up to bullies, but, to tell you the truth, I'm looking into a private school that I can't afford because it's so bad.

Amanda Kay

•••

Not raising my child that way

From what I understood from the (school) board's policy … if someone is being beat, other kids are to just stand by and not help?

If it happens off school property and you run to tell an adult, the adult cannot step in. By the time authorities arrive, the child could be seriously injured or killed, and definitely scarred for life.

Sorry, but I'm not raising my child that way. She is taught to help anyone being bullied, run and get help if needed, and always report it. What she does to protect someone, I will back her 100 percent!

Rebecca Gardner

•••

Policy needs to go

Usually the bullying doesn't go on when the right people are around. I can't wrap my brain around this policy. It's been around a long time and it needs to go.

Thomas Elizabeth Van Dyke

•••

Teaching kids to take a beating

It's absolutely ridiculous that we have to teach our kids to take a beating, because, if you defend yourself, you are as guilty as the attacker!

Kristi Harms

•••

Impressed with Davidson administration

I have had three children at Davidson. I know no school is perfect, but this is not the norm at the school, in my experience. I am certain the administration will get to the bottom of this A.S.A.P.

…When we dealt with a similar issue, the administration got to the bottom of it the next day. I really have been impressed with their kindness.

Aimee Hodgson Gudinas

•••

Written in 1995?

“We have no future in this region if we don’t get that bottleneck (S.R. 85) taken care of."

For a moment, I thought I was reading an article from 1995. I sure seem to recall hearing those same words 20 years ago — and every year since!

Kurt Burgess

•••

Sewer line should spur development

Hopefully this might get some developers to build at this site, now that they don't have to upgrade the sewer system.

Julio Parkin

•••

Bank has odd location

It's amazing how many banks are in Crestview. I understand free market, but I'm not surprised that this bank finally failed. It seemed really out of place where it was built.

Jerry Lacefield

•••

Kids are 'not a harvest'

Extremely troubling: “'We’ve been watching Crestview for a long time because the harvest is plentiful here,' the Rev. Rurel Ausley, pastor of the Niceville campus, said.'" 

Since when is my child a harvest? My child is not a harvest; they are free to think openly. Putting a church campus next to a high school to better populate their church is shameful. This church has already devastated other businesses in the area, then decided to not build. 

Todd Lawrence

•••

Little Free Library is awesome

That's awesome. I first saw this on the Disney Junior channel and I love that someone has done it here in our community.

Melissa Scott Kronenwetter

•••

Kudos for Beautification Committee proposal

Implementing this committee will enhance the visual appeal of Crestview, which is always needed.

I applaud (Crestview City Councilwoman Robyn (Helt's) drive to change the norm. A visually appealing city will help draw more population and business.

Todd Lawrence

•••

Editor: Hitchhiker's angel?

What if you were her angel? The kind man, the thoughtful deed, the momentary friendship that gave her strength to continue on another day!

I am proud of you, Thomas! Thank you for being loving, even when it is so scary to do so.

JamesandMerilea McCullough

•••

Join the conversation on our Facebook page>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: Not raising my child that way, bank has odd location

EDITOR’S DESK: Time for parents, school board to talk bullying

Written by archive on . Posted in columns, more-voices, Opinion.

Often, the corporate world hears a buzzword it loves, adopts the term, and never lets go.

You've probably heard terms or expressions such as holistic, logistics, Come-to-Jesus moment, part of our DNA, and return on investment.

And you may have questioned how such expressions materialized. (Is the second coming of Christ occurring every day in boardrooms across America? Since when did brick-and-mortar gain DNA?)

The buzzword starts in the boardroom, filters down through management hierarchies and eventually enters the local workplace.

Through overuse, it enters public consciousness; soon, it seems like everyone speaks jargon. (Case in point: "multitasking.")  

However, when you hear these popular expressions — some of which we've all probably said at one point — have you thought of using literal alternatives?

It might amuse you to ponder the answer.

Conversely, serious concern should arise when a real word — like, say, bullying — loses its meaning.

Merriam-Webster states that bullying means:

•to frighten, hurt or threaten (a smaller or weaker person)

•to cause (someone) to do something by making threats or insults or by using force

Growing up, I always thought a bully preyed on younger or weaker kids. That was the bully's specialty to compensate for low self-esteem or lack of athletic ability or talent — whatever the case may be.

The Berenstain Bears children's books — which I collected religiously — taught my generation the same thing.

In "The Berenstain Bears and the Bully," Sister Bear comes home shaken and hurting. "Who in the world would want to beat up a sweet little cub like Sister?" Mama asks. "A bully might," Brother says. Readers soon learn about the new kid in school and that one fateful day that she crossed paths with Sister Bear.

You grow up thinking one thing, and then a Crestview dad raises concerns about an Okaloosa School District discipline policy that raises even more questions.

Like whether the word bully is becoming a buzzword and, like all those corporate-world examples, has lost any real meaning.

The Okaloosa School District defines bullying as "…systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students or employees."

The policy states that bullying is "unwanted and repeated written, verbal or physical behavior, including any threatening, insulting or dehumanizing gesture, by a student or adult, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation…"

Suddenly, a student is not a bully without repeat offenses. (And why would you redefine such a widely accepted word — one established through not just the dictionary, but also countless art forms through generations? It's just confusing.)

Then there's the policy that students must sit on the sidelines while another student is — worst case scenario — beaten to a bloody pulp if no school employee is around. Or risk punishment.

My intention isn't to pile on the school system. After all, Niche, a company founded by Carnegie Mellon University students, recently gave Okaloosa an A minus grade based on surveys, district funding and student performance. That makes it one of the state's five best school systems.

But concerns about the school discipline policy show there's room for improvement.

Fortunately, the school board is open to suggestions, according to Henry Kelley, Okaloosa School District Community Affairs program director.

“We welcome them to come to the school board and address the board,” Kelley said in a Friday interview with our reporter, Brian Hughes. “If there are shortcomings in the system, help us work through those issues together. The school board exists for this reason.”

So there you have it, Mom and Dad. My suggestion is to take Kelley up on the school board's offer.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR’S DESK: Time for parents, school board to talk bullying

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