CRESTVIEW — A group of downtown business owners that first met July 19 has adopted an official name and set tentative goals, including loosening the city’s alcohol sales rules.

Meeting Tuesday evening at Casbah Coffee Company, the Downtown Crestview Merchants and Owners Association said that is one key to revitalizing downtown.

Members understood the Community Redevelopment Agency board’s concerns about downtown venues serving alcohol, particularly at outdoor events where people might carry a beer with them.

Some members, including Main Street attorney Nathan Boyles and business owner April Meier, said one solution might be to consider the restrictions on an event-by-event basis.

But the near-blanket ban not only stifles business and restaurant development, such as craft brewery one potential downtown business owner would like to start, it also virtually assures Main Street looks like a Wild West ghost town after 5 p.m., some merchants said. 

CRA Director Brenda Smith said the merchants’ concerns were noticed by an investors group that in August assessed downtown potential.

When the topic of loosening alcohol regulations for downtown was brought up at a Sept. 20 CRA meeting, Smith said questions arose. Finding solutions requires expert advice.

“The CRA board has some legitimate concerns about alcohol, so we bring the professionals in who can assess the district and say, ‘This will work’ and ‘This will not work,’” Smith said.

Working with marketing consultants from The Petermann Group, Smith said a thorough assessment of downtown’s potential will include surveying businesses, city leaders and customers on multiple issues, including alcohol sales. Fortunately, she said, “This board right now has been the most receptive and progressive board ever.”

Megan Bowersox, one of the association’s organizers, listed some other projects the group could consider, including:

●Implementing a downtown Little Free Library

●Collaborating with the Common Ground Community Garden on an expanded farmers market

●Working with the Main Street Crestview Association on monthly evening street festivals or other events.

“I don’t see anything but good coming from this,” Main Street President Paul Lowrey said. “This is a great time to be a business downtown. I really see a lot of great things happening downtown.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Merchants: loosen alcohol sales restrictions

At a Thursday morning ceremony in Garden Park, the refurbished marker was unveiled, designating State Road 85 as one of the program’s more than 3,000 highways nationwide.

The marker, which previously stood near the west border on U.S. Highway 90 in Crestview, was originally dedicated on April 29, 1968, and was sponsored by the Dogwood and Crestview Garden Clubs.

Over the years it had fallen into disrepair, so members of the Dogwood Garden Club had the marker refurbished, which ultimately cost more than $1,000, club member Janice Crose said.

By the Florida Department of Transportation designating S.R. 85 from Interstate 10 to U.S. 90 as a Blue Star Memorial Highway, the club was able to relocate the marker upon refurbishment to Garden Park.

But club members couldn’t do it alone.

“Our small club could not attempt to launch this project without the support of the Eglin Federal Credit Union,” club project chairman and first vice president Pam Callahan said. “They did not hesitate to act.”

Credit union President and CEO Jerry Williams said his institution was proud to partner in the effort with the club and the Crestview Department of Public Services.

“This area is rich in military history,” credit union President and CEO Jerry Williams said. “We’re greatly appreciative of the military folks who make up our membership.”

Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Blue Star chairman Rosita Aristoff said the state’s first Blue Star Memorial Highway was Route 1, with its marker dedicated on May 30, 1949 in Key West.

“The program was named after the blue star in the service banner which hung in windows of homes and businesses during World War II in order to honor the men and women serving in our armed forces,” she said.

Here are interesting facts about National Garden Clubs’ Blue Star Memorial Highway Program:

●5,000: Garden clubs across America

●175,000: garden club members

●8,000: Flowering dogwood trees planted along New Jersey Route 22, the first Blue Star highway

●5 miles: length of the first Blue Star highway in New Jersey

●3,000: Blue Star memorial markers erected nationwide on highways, parks and cemeteries

●70,000 miles: Length of total nationwide Blue Star Memorial Highways

BY THE NUMBERS

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview regains a Blue Star highway (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — Voter registration books close Oct. 11 for the Nov. 8 General Election. All new registrations must be submitted to the Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections office by Oct. 11. Address changes and other updates may be submitted at any time.

Both the Crestview headquarters and the Shalimar branch office will remain open until 10 p.m. to accept registration forms.

Call the Supervisor of Elections office, 689-5600 or 651-7272, or visit www.GoVote-Okaloosa.com for questions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Final day for voter registration set

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will meet 5:45 p.m. in Council Chambers at city hall.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open meeting

4. Public Opportunity on Council Items

5. Workshop items

a. Discussion of Police/Fire 175-185 plan.

b. Presentation of FLC conference items.

c. Discussion of Sister Cities Luncheon.

6. Comments from the Audience

7. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council Sept. 26 workshop agenda

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will meet 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 in Council Chambers at city hall.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

Special Meeting

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open meeting

4. Public Opportunity on Council Items

5. Resolutions:

a. Resolution 16-26 — Out of City Water – 3153 Aplin Road

b. Resolution 16-27 — Out of City Water – 1216 Chestnut Ave East

6. Staff Reports and Recommendations

a. Ordinance 1609 – 2016 Local Mitigation Strategy

b. Approval of funds for Sister City Luncheon

c. Approval of invoices from Ard, Shirley and Rudolph in the amount of $1,260.

7. Comments from the Audience

8. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council special meeting agenda

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview City Council will meet 5:15 p.m. Sept. 26 in Council Chambers at city hall.

Here is the meeting's agenda.

Public Hearing

1. Call to Order

2. Pledge of Allegiance

3. Open meeting

4. Public Hearing

a. Adoption of Final Millage Rate for Fiscal 2017 – Resolution 16-24

b. Adoption of Final Budget for Fiscal 2017 – Resolution 16-25

5. Comments from the Audience

6. Adjournment

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview City Council agenda: Sept. 26

CRESTVIEW — Councilman JB Whitten has scheduled his next town hall meeting.

The meeting is 6-8 p.m. Sept. 27 at Samuel's Roadhouse restaurant, 114 John King Road, Crestview.

The topic will be Crestview and its relationship to businesses. Members of the city Growth Management department will answer questions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Town Hall meeting set about Crestview business

FORT WALTON BEACH — Okaloosa Supervisor of Elections Supervisor Paul Lux is the guest speaker for the Okaloosa County Republican Club's next meeting.

The meeting starts with social hour at 6:30 p.m.; dinner will be served at 7 p.m. Sept. 22 at American Legion Post 235, 105 Hollywood Blvd. SW.

Dinner costs $15 and includes drinks and gratuity. Menu choices will be grilled barbecue pork chops with garlic mashed potatoes or grilled chicken salad.

To make a dinner reservation by the evening deadline on Sept. 19, call OCRC Vice President Nate Lepper at 376-2287.

For information about the club, call President Mark Franks at 240-1279.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Republicans meeting to feature elections supervisor

NICEVILLE — Best-selling author, film director and scholar Dinesh D’Souza will speak soon in Niceville on the topic “America’s Future.”

The free lecture, presented by the Concerned Conservative Christian Citizens group, or 4C, will be presented at 3 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center on Northwest Florida State College’s Niceville campus. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, with no tickets required. Doors open at 2 p.m.

D’Souza, a Mumbai, India native, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1983. His documentaries include “2016: Obama’s America,” “America,” and most recently, “Hillary’s America.”

He has authored books such as “The End of Racism,” “The Enemy at Home,” “Godforsaken,” “Obama’s America: Unmaking the American Dream,” and “What’s So Great About Christianity.”

D’Souza’s articles have appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, Vanity Fair, New Republic, Forbes, and the National Review.

He has appeared on numerous television programs, including The Today Show, “Nightline,” “The Kelly File,” “The News Hour” on PBS, “The O’Reilly Factor,” “Moneyline,” “Hannity,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” CNBC’s “Kudlow Report,” Lou “Dobbs Tonight” and “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Dinesh D’Souza is NWF State guest speaker

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa County will be the focus of several public improvements in coming months and years, according to Commissioner Nathan Boyles.

Issues he discussed during the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s Sept. 14 Government Issues Committee meeting include:

BUDGET AND TAXES

County commissioners kept the county’s ad valorem tax rate unchanged at 3.4308 mills, Boyles said.

“We are at the very bottom, or near the bottom, in millage rates across the state,” he said. “We generally function very efficiently. We are far and away the lowest aggregate millage rate in the state.”

Just one citizen attended a budget hearing “and he was at the wrong meeting,” Boyles said. “It was a change in pace. My second year in office we had people picketing the meeting.”

CRESTVIEW COURTHOUSE

The 1955 courthouse is now vacant and its asbestos abatement contract has been awarded. Asbestos must be removed before demolition can begin.

County Public Works Director Jason Autrey said asbestos mitigation should begin by October. Immediately afterward, court security Capt. Jay Jones hopes to hold an active-shooter drill in the building before its demolition.

Boyles said demolition could begin by the end of October. Once the building begins coming down, “I think we'll see things moving really quickly,” he said. “There won't be any pause.”

TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS

“There's a lot happening right now behind the scenes on the notion of a western bypass around Crestview,” Boyles said. “We're actively in the design phase and we're actively in the property acquisition phase from (State Road) 85 to I-10.”

Boyles said a study is underway for placing an I-10 interchange at the Antioch Road overpass or in the vicinity, and “There seems to be some growing interest in moving northward, more rapidly than I expected.”

A “loop up above (U.S. Highway) 90 from P.J. Adams to somewhere north of the city” in the Old Bethel Road area to connect to S.R. 85 is also under discussion.

“There's potentially some exciting stuff happening,” Boyles said.

At S.R. 85 South, “the Rasberry Road-Arena Road (connector) discussion is ongoing with the county and state,” he said.

“This is one of those things where there's a lot happening but nobody sees it because there's no asphalt going down yet,” Boyles said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ‘Life is good’