In today’s edition, we see photos from Mayor David Cadle’s recognition of a police officer and a firefighter for their more than 30 years’ combined service. (See “Public safety officers recognized,” B4.)

The News Bulletin commends the men for their service and devotion to protecting the city by putting their lives on the line. At the same time, we keep in mind that public safety jobs could be on the line as city leaders and department heads strive to present a balanced fiscal budget.

And we keep in mind how unpredictable that process can be.

A couple of months ago, Brian Hughes reported on the city’s recognition of Fire Station 3’s fifth anniversary. A five-year FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant funded 12 employees’ salaries; though the SAFER grant requires the city to keep paying those workers for one more year, Fire Chief Joe Traylor said that losing those positions would be detrimental.

"The loss of those 12 employees would have a direct negative impact on the amount of homeowners insurance and commercial insurance for citizens who are served by the firefighters that work out of that station," he has said.

Firefighters reacted a month later when they heard that Fire Station 3’s future was uncertain, as closing the fire station was among numerous ideas to balance the budget.

A few firefighters were particularly vocal in expressing their views on our Facebook and at crestviewbulletin.com. News Bulletin staffers heard directly from firefighters with families who find it difficult to grasp the concept of not being transferred to another firehouse, but just losing their job. They selected this type of work because they want to help people; plus, it’s a public service and should always be in demand, right? 

A few weeks later, Council President Robyn Helt proposed a budget that would retain firefighters and aid Police Chief Tony Taylor’s efforts to regain the public’s trust following former Maj. Joseph Floyd’s racketeering conviction. While the proposal would fund Taylor’s police department accreditation efforts, along with his goal of moving the dispatch center from P.J. Adams Parkway to police headquarters in the Whitehurst Municipal Building, it would result in the loss of four police officer positions. Though it would avoid raising the millage rate, it would modestly raise water rates and cut taxpayer-funded city employee dependent health insurance.

Last week, city council members and department heads expressed frustration for the latest proposal, which retains the police and fire department positions while raising the millage rate and cutting police and fire uniform allowances and the CPD’s K-9 division budget, among others.

That means it’s back to work on a new proposal — and a great challenge by any measure.

“I’m not in a popularity contest. I’m here to do a job,” Helt said.

She’s right. Running any kind of business requires making tough decisions, and we certainly wish the council the best in determining what that means for Crestview, its employees and its residents.

And you know what they say: You can please some of the people some of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can never please all of the people all of the time. (I tried to research its origin, but it seems there’s no conclusive answer on who came up with that gem.)

The bottom line is this: Our staff has spoken with city employees and with a number of city leaders, and we believe the council takes these decisions very seriously.

And guess what? You can help.

The final Crestview City Council budget workshop is 5 p.m. Sept. 5 at City Hall. The first public hearing on the budget and millage rate is 5 p.m. Sept. 10; votes on the budget and millage are scheduled for 5 p.m. Sept. 24. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

We hope to see you there.

Undoubtedly, whatever the final budget looks like, this will be one of those times when the decision pleases “some of the people.”

However, regardless of the outcome, at least you’ll know your voice was heard.

Email Crestview News Bulletin Editor Thomas Boni, tboni@crestviewbulletin.com, or tweet him @cnbeditor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EDITOR'S DESK: Public input could aid Crestview’s budgeting situation

Monday, Crestview High School, Bob Sikes Elementary, Northwood Elementary, Davidson Middle School, Richbourg School and Emerald Coast Career Institute were on lockdown.

It was a standard procedure to protect students after a man was robbed at gunpoint outside his Crestview area home, according to the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

That morning, Sports Editor Randy Dickson, unaware of the lockdown, approached the campus’ back gate to interview CHS athletic director and head football coach Tim Hatten.

The two would have talked about this Friday’s face-off with Milton High School. (See “Hatten era opens at Milton.") But that would have to wait; instead of Hatten, Randy met an Okaloosa Sheriff’s deputy who was very noticeably packing heat, on guard, at the campus.

The deputy politely directed him to a school resource officer at the front of the school. The SRO also was polite; in fact, he and Randy knew each other from football games — still, there was just no way that he would let Randy inside, he said.

When Randy returned to the office and related the story, I said, “You never know; the robber could be sporting a Randy Dickson costume.”

I didn’t really think that, of course, but let’s face it; across the country, stranger things have happened.

That’s just one reason why the SRO’s no-exceptions action impressed us.

Much has been said about whether school resource officers’ presence is needed on every Okaloosa County campus and whether money for such a cause could be better used. On today’s Opinion page (a print exclusive), you’ll see plenty of featured Facebook and crestviewbulletin.com comments praising or criticizing the schools for alerting parents, or not, about the lockdown.

But what the News Bulletin saw for itself on Monday, and what impressed us about the procedure, at least for that incident, was this: the students were safe. The system worked.

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: EDITOR'S DESK: Monday’s school lockdowns worked

Friday closed my first year as the News Bulletin’s editor, and there was no better bookend than Saturday’s edition, which featured Crestview’s Britainy Pate, who overcame paralysis to walk again.

One story published in August 2012 chronicled her hardship, which included losing feeling in her legs, leaving her unemployed, without health insurance and searching for answers. In time, we followed the journey as Pate’s family learned conversion disorder contributed to the paralysis, and they established a foundation for her.

Fast-forward a year, and the 27-year-old is back on her feet and studying to become a certified nursing assistant. The recovery is “nothing short of a miracle,” she says. Many readers agree, thanking God for year-ago answered prayers and expressing fond wishes for Pate on our Facebook page.

I’d like to think this is why we’re on this planet: to help other people as we struggle on our own journey, learning lessons along the way.

Ideally, we all do our part. Good neighbors provide meals and run errands for sick people and their loved ones; doctors and physical therapists treat the patient; donors provide funding; and journalists can get the word out numerous ways.

For seven years, I’ve been honored to introduce the public to causes that can help others while inspiring the community and uniting its members. It’s an honor to continue that mission here in Crestview. It’s particularly rewarding when the paper follows someone for a multi-part series that ultimately has a happy ending.

Not all stories are like Pate’s, but regardless of the topic or outcome, we hope the news printed on our pages concerns you, informs you, entertains you or makes you think.

Often, the latter happens on this page, where our readers and staff express their views.

Last year, while planning to revive the on-life-support Opinion page, we reserved space for Hubbub, which would include notable readers’ comments from our Facebook and website. As the section developed, I commented to management about the barrage of negative comments and pejorative nicknames the Hub City received from its residents.

Maybe it’s like the brother or sister whom no one else can pick on — or else — but who is fair game to you, and if that’s the case, maybe it’s OK for our most vocal readers to let off steam. Regardless, a year later, it still concerns me.

Where’s the hometown pride?

After all, we live here, and should think positive; effect the change ourselves, as residents, if progress needs a little push.

Today’s letters to the editor express similar sentiments. Linda Hivner says she can imagine a Crestview dog park becoming a reality much sooner if residents help foot the bill.

That method seems to be working for the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce, which has collected more than $15,000 toward its $30,000 goal for a fenced-in green.

That’s taking action. That’s personal accountability. That’s progress.

Believing Crestview always will be “behind the times,” “a good ole boys club” or “a redneck town” offers a good sound bite but does little to solve problems.

Solutions take action, like, say, giving the Dogwood Garden Club a hand, and working with the city to purchase and plant hundreds of native trees and plants to beautify the area. Imagine what would happen if a fraction of Crestview’s 20,000 residents committed to that. It would be one less thing for the City Council or Community Redevelopment Agency to worry about budgeting for, that’s for sure, yet we’d all gain from it.

That’s just off the top of my head; of course, I think plants make everything better. However, whether it’s that or something else, you get the idea.

It’s about doing something.

Weigh in: What do you think North Okaloosa residents could self-fund to improve their quality of life?

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: EDITOR’S DESK: Let’s show some hometown pride, solve problems

This week's coverage is about community leaders.

Not our everyday newsmakers — like our valued military service members, city leaders, chamber of commerce and nonprofits, who daily strive to make North Okaloosa and our country stronger — but rather those who rise up and do what they believe is right on a much smaller scale.

Whatever their age, whatever their background and whatever their deed, whether small or large, for self-improvement or the community’s benefit, their strength and determination inspire us and, I’d like to think, help us want to become better people, go the extra mile in work or church, strengthen our relationships and appreciate our neighbors more.

The Crestview Area Ministerial Association, for instance, showed us last weekend that churches could cross denomination lines with its meet-and-greet cookout at Rolling Hills condominiums complex.

Doesn’t that inspire us to look at our own prejudices and the proverbial walls that surround us, and aim to reach out to those of different political and religious affiliations?

I grow weary of politics that aim to divide and conquer, and can only sigh when someone says, “Well, you would believe that because you’re a Democrat,” or dismisses someone with, “Typical Republican.”

We see constant name calling on cable news but, even more distressing, those sentiments echo in our local communities. Frequent commenters on crestviewbulletin.com and our Facebook page attack the messenger and not the message — and the chasm widens, communication breaks down, and the community suffers.  

Indeed, united we stand; divided we fall.

Standing up for his community with service projects that include overseeing construction on an AMVETS post walkway is Crestview teen Tayler Vest, who has made his parents proud, earning the Boy Scouts of America’s Eagle honor.

“In fourth grade, Tayler was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome,” his mother, Kellie, wrote in an email. “He overcame what some call a disability and turned it into an ability."

His story inspires us to persevere despite outlying factors. I wish a leader like Tayler was around when I was in Boy Scouts. Our Troop leader died when I was in high school; it was devastating and led me to leave the troop. After seven or eight years of Boy Scouts, I didn’t attend Eagle Scout Court of Honor, and with each story I read like Tayler’s, I regret it.

That’s why we publish these stories, though: to inspire others and empower them to make responsible, informed decisions.

On that note, Crestview teen Harrison Mauldin seems like the embodiment of empowerment. You know that maxim, “If you can see it, and believe it, you can achieve it?” This 14-year-old proves it works. He says, “I will always picture myself as a winner.”

Sure enough, he won a bronze medal in the 800-meter run and a silver medal in the 1,500-meter run in May during the Special Olympics’ Orlando Games. 

How often do we give in to heavy workloads or personal problems and let them stress us out or determine our moods and the way we interact with others? We could all use Harrison’s strategy, imagine the victory before it happens, and use that goal as motivation to overcome any hurdle.

And no column on North Okaloosa leaders would be complete without mentioning the Beamons and the Millers, who are celebrating their 50th and 69th wedding anniversaries, respectively. 

In a country with a more than 50 percent divorce rate, it’s comforting to see two couples who have honored their wedding vows and set an example for stability and commitment.

And aren’t those qualities — commitment, stability and mutual respect — the essence of community?

All of these leaders, otherwise unsung heroes, typically stay out of the public eye if not for the newspaper, so it’s an honor to bring you their stories.

Keep reading, and we will continue bringing you many more.

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: EDITOR'S DESK: Honoring North Okaloosa's otherwise unsung heroes

Sometimes, it’s perplexing to reconcile the public’s perception of what we do and what we think we do.

In the past month, we’ve reported on a couple of traffic fatalities; people want an explanation for a blocked road or police presence, so we write a report that answers the public’s questions of what happened.

But there’s no easy or right way to report such events; I was reminded of that when a reader said a report seemed desensitized to tragedy and that the loved one who died should not be remembered for a traffic accident; her legacy should be more than that.

I agree.

Unfortunately, unless the reporter has an acquaintance or a contact who can share fond memories of the person on deadline, there’s little opportunity for including such sentiments in the news report.

Readers can help us correct that, to some degree, by offering comments on our Facebook or at crestviewbulletin.com, and we can edit the online article to include some of those comments — because all human life is precious, and no one should be remembered solely for their death.

Although we stay detached as journalists, I hope we are never desensitized.

Nearly five years ago, around 6 p.m. on a Friday in Daphne, Ala., I covered murder for the first time. Everyone else at the Daphne Bulletin, one of two newspapers I managed, had taken off for the weekend when the press release rolled in: a search team found the body of a missing 21-year-old near the wastewater treatment plant.

Daphne’s a lot like Crestview — the largest city in the county; not much major crime; and a place locals say is great to raise your kids in — and there hadn’t been a murder in years. The reporters’ schedules were maxed out, but this was an important development in a case the community cared about, so I drove to the scene.

A local television reporter arrived and met up with a police officer; the dialogue is hard to recall, but I remember how they gripped each other’s hands and flashed wide smiles upon greeting.

It was something you’d see at a fraternal society’s lodge meeting, not a crime scene, I thought.

It seemed wrong.

A woman in her prime was raped, likely killed and disposed of, and treated like garbage. I lived in the area my whole life and didn’t know the girl, but was sick on the inside and couldn’t imagine this event, or any gruesome act, as just another day on the job.

Passion for the case developed initially, but it didn’t affect the goal of neutrality. My standards were stricter than other news outlets’, so we didn’t use the word murder or any other legal terms unless authorities used them. The mainstream media’s rush to judgment a year prior in the Duke lacrosse case, which became a false accusation of rape, taught unforgettable lessons.

But I digress.

In such times, all you can strive for is accuracy and fairness, but reactions will differ. Readers will say more details were needed; fewer details were needed; the article seemed sterile; the article seemed sensational; there should have been more coverage; there should have been less coverage; there should have been no coverage.

Eight years in the business now, and news events involving harm between neighbors or sudden deaths still faze me.

Now, perhaps that cop and TV reporter five years ago needed to be chummy to make those kinds of nights bearable — after all, they say, you have to laugh to keep from crying — but if someone violates another person’s human dignity, I’d rather mark the occasion with solemnity.

Last week, we had to report the cold facts about a traffic fatality. Following the initial report, I posted on Facebook that the person’s family was in our thoughts and prayers. It’s not something you see every day from a news organization, but social media is still experimental for us; it offers greater flexibility and freedom with those kinds of things.

Besides, we’re not the New York Times, and it’s a relatively small, close-knit region. One traffic accident claimed a woman’s life, and we have to report it, but 5,000 Facebook fans could see the status message that, in its own small way, recognized her dignity.

I hope that kind of status message can become policy when these incidents arise — because all human life is precious.

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: EDITOR’S DESK: Rethinking reporting on sudden deaths

Last September, the News Bulletin rolled out a dedicated Opinion page featuring spotlighted readers’ comments from our website and Facebook, letters to the editor and this column.

Reviving the section leveled the playing field between readers, who aren’t necessarily newsmakers, and public officials and business leaders who regularly have their say. The section had dwindled over the years until it was non-existent, and we wanted to send a strong message that we care about what you think.

Because we do.

We care about how you view North Okaloosa County leaders’ governance, public safety, the economy, sports, arts and recreation. We read each Facebook and crestviewbulletin.com comment to understand consensus on these issues and about our coverage of them. And yes, since we’re human and prone to occasional mistakes or oversights, we learn how we can serve you better.

People are busier than ever, and many professionals have smart phones that keep them tethered to the office 24-7, so it’s a pretty big deal if you’re taking time to write us on local issues and to voice your view on the state of our area.

In the past, I tried each week to distill those sentiments into measured, fact-based commentary about a key issue. Sometimes, the message hit home; other times, it was lost in translation, and in a couple of instances, I admit it was the wrong message all together, and it took a couple of months and different perspectives for the real issue to surface.

Yes, this 10-month-old column has seen ups and downs; at times, many readers expressed gratitude for civilly holding public leaders, organizations and others accountable when they strayed from what seemed like reasonable expectations. Other times, many readers viewed efforts of accountability as unnecessary attacks.

Fair enough.

After resting the column for a month to retool, I realized two things are certain: We all want the best for North Okaloosa County, but have different ways of getting there. In addition, North Okaloosa County residents don’t hold back when discussing local issues they care about; that’s evident in today’s Hubbub and letters to the editor.

So going forward, I’ll leave the passionate commentary to you, our readers. After all, you do it so well!

I’ll just add perspective to the current edition’s news stories, recognize everyday residents doing extraordinary things, and raise points, as needed, on local issues.

For instance, please read and re-read the Hubbub comments about crossing railroad trestles. (Print exclusive, Page A4, July 31, 2013 Crestview News Bulletin)

We know it’s a real concern in Crestview after two people encountered a moving train and, blessedly, survived last week; Holt, where one reader saw three people on the tracks; and probably other areas.

After hearing these reports, I recalled a high school video lesson — from back when they rolled TVs into the classrooms to show movies — and wondered, “Did Buddy Threadgoode’s death in ‘Fried Green Tomatoes’ mean nothing?”

Railroads are non-negotiable and unforgiving. But I digress.

Our newly established editorial board, which already has formed positions on a couple of issues (see crestviewbulletin.com for past columns) will focus on key issues affecting the north county. 

If there’s something you’d like to see in this column’s version 2.0, or if you would like to meet with the editorial board, please email me. Let’s all work together to find the best solutions for North Okaloosa County and help these areas meet and exceed their potential.

Thanks for reading.

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: EDITOR’S DESK: With an evolving Opinion page comes change

What are you reading this summer? Arts and Entertainment editor Brian Hughes recently asked north Okaloosa County officials and business leaders for their lists. (See “Community leaders share their summer books,” July 3, Page A6).

First thought upon reading their answers? Encouraged.

Our public officials could read the “Twilight” series on their own time, and that would be fine if their leadership is up to par, but it’s comforting to know that Crestview Mayor David Cadle and Councilman Thomas Gordon stay engaged with intellectual works like Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Kennedy” and Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged,” respectively.

Second thought upon reading the answers? Wishful.

“Atlas Shrugged,” Rand’s longest novel at 1,192 pages — and a book that is positively polarizing, with some cheering for the author’s philosophy of objectivism while others jeer at complete capitalism — also is on my list. The page is dog-eared where Dagny Taggart, the protagonist, finds “Galt’s Gulch,” where business leaders have gone to strike against encroaching government.

Also dog-eared in the nightstand drawer are Freud’s “General Psychological Theory,” Matthew Kelly’s “Rediscovering Catholicism” and Geoffrey Berg’s “The Six Ways of Atheism: New Logical Disproofs of the Existence of God.” Yes, the last two conflict with each other, but I think it’s beneficial to understand multiple worldviews and not live in an echo chamber.

But I digress.

I wish I had more time to read these titles, which cover serious topics and require complete devotion. Like County Commissioner Wayne Harris, I have two — and sometimes more — books going at once, so that stretches the reading time.

I’ve always been a bookworm, attending library summer reading camps as a child, participating in Pizza Hut’s Book It! program and writing and selling illustrated books from “Thomas’ Library,” a venture that my dear, departed father fully supported.

However, professionally reading text all day and some nights makes you want to unwind other ways, so I usually enjoy a more passive pastime, like movies. (Sunday, that meant finally unwrapping and watching the “Atlas Shrugged: Part I” Blu-ray collecting dust in the TV console — hey, it’s just the first part, so it doesn’t spoil the book’s ending.) Or reading softer fare.

For the latter, the News Bulletin’s “Check it Out” recently came to the rescue, with Crestview Public Library director Jean Lewis’ recommendation of Jorge Cruise’s “8 Minutes in the Morning,” an exercise and diet guide that helps busy or on-the-go people find time to focus on their health.

Evening routine also includes reading print newspapers and magazines and browsing national news websites and industry blogs like Mediaite and Huffington Post’s media page.

However, I’m thankful for books. There’s nothing like their soft touch or cracking open a new one, smelling the pages of an old one and gaining knowledge from something that originally emerged from the earth.

A laptop computer makes an illustrated book beside it seem like a fossil. Still, the computer seems too futuristic. Computers are cold, hard, they glow and are entirely artificial. Syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker said it perfectly: they’re aliens. And who really wants to curl up with a Kindle?

An email circulating our newsroom lately links to “The Last Bookshop,” a British satirical fantasy that has gained 68,000 YouTube hits since its April release. The 20-minute film follows a child who mindlessly watches multiple Internet and television channels simultaneously in a not-too-distant future when people can swipe through virtual screens. When the system malfunctions, he goes outside and explores. A short journey down the cobblestone leads him to the last bookshop, with shelves of bound, foreign objects that he can’t navigate.

Nevertheless, he learns about books, with the shopkeeper’s help, and grows to love them. There’s more to the story — and it’s no happy ending — but see for yourself.

In any business, you evolve or you die. Innovation often brings progress, and dotcoms have done wonders for the job market. However, at some point, particularly with books, there’s a concern. What if we lose something precious forever — an experience that we too often take for granted?

Cracking open a new book, smelling an old book’s pages, and connecting with nature.

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: EDITOR'S DESK: Celebrating reading and pondering its many forms