CRESTVIEW — Differences between Okaloosa County School Board candidates may arise, but on one topic of voter concern, they are practically united: Each finds components of the state’s Common Core standards to criticize.

State educators are developing a Florida version of the nationwide Common Core standards, including guidelines on how to implement them.

District 5 incumbent Melissa Thrush, completing her first term, reminded voters the school board did not choose Common Core.

“If we don’t like Common Core, we need to vote in a new governor and legislators,” Thrush said. “I think what is most frustrating for our teachers is we keep changing the rules.”

Her opponent, David Scholl, was more blunt in his criticism.

“Common Core: I oppose it,” he said. “I believe Common Core will do for our school system what the Affordable Care Act has done for our health care. I want tough standards, but I want local control.”

Cindy Frakes, a 16-year District 1 incumbent, said while she agrees with the state’s version of the standards, she disagrees with the range of hundreds of “exemplars,” or curricula options.

“Standards are what we teach,” Frakes said. “Curriculum is how we teach it.”

However, Frakes said she trusts area teachers to select curricula that reflect community standards.

“I know the teachers in Northwest Florida, and I know how conservative we are,” she said. “I know our teachers are not going to pick some risqué exemplars.”

Her challenger, Dr. Lamar White, a former teacher, coach and principal, faulted local acceptance of a Race to the Top grant, which required recipients to implement Florida Core, the state’s version of the national standards.

White also criticized the increasing number of early-release days in recent years that “reduce instruction time in the classroom.

“In effect, Okaloosa County has had academic decline and there’s no doubt Common Core will continue that,” White said.

The candidates spoke at a Thursday night forum organized by the North Okaloosa Republican Club. The night before, the club hosted a forum for county commission and clerk of court candidates.

The school board forum drew about 25 residents, which was less than half the previous night’s attendance.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: School board candidates united against Common Core

CRESTVIEW — More than 60 residents now understand county commissioner and clerk of court candidates' platforms following a Wednesday forum.

Though interest in mid-term elections is not generally high, supervisor of elections Paul Lux said, North Okaloosa Republican Club members had to set out additional chairs for the forum.

Attendees, mostly senior citizens, tend to be regulars at such events and, as a result, are generally more informed than many younger voters, clerk of court candidate Dan Spence said.

“I’ve been around here since dirt,” multi-generation Baker resident Kendall Helms said. “Sometimes you’re afraid to vote because you think you’re voting for a change for the better and it gets worse.”

Low attendance now seems to be a regular occurrence at opportunities to meet candidates, “but it wasn’t that way before," Crestview area resident Harold Lafountain said.

Lux said because no Democratic Party candidates entered the fray, “these races will be over Aug. 26,” meaning the open primary election will determine who fills the vacancies in November.

CIVIL DISCOURSE

Contesting incumbent County Commissioner Don Amunds — who couldn’t attend the forum due to a prior commitment — are attorney Trey Goodwin and business leader Henry Kelley.

Both men said addressing the county’s infrastructure should be priorities.

Kelley said improving drainage and paving north county roads will attract business. He cited, as an example, the condition of Fairchild Road, a dirt path that leads to L3 Crestview Aerospace. The quagmire deterred a major business from coming to Crestview after its executives arrived to tour the Bob Sikes Airport area in a rainstorm.

“There was nothing we could do when their car was sliding in the mud,” Kelley said.

Goodwin said addressing heavy afternoon traffic on State Road 85 will benefit both ends of the county, attracting both businesses and visitors.

“I’ve been to Crestview too many times at 4 o’clock and understand if you want to get from the Shoal River to the courthouse on time, you have to leave in plenty of time,” he said.

Moderator Cal Zethmayr of WAAZ/WJSB radio said the candidates at both forums did a good job of addressing the issues without denigrating their opponents.

JD Peacock and Spence, candidates for clerk of circuit court, presented their qualifications and stating their positions clearly, Zethmayr said.

“They were both very civil,” he said. “They’re both sharp candidates. They presented themselves well.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Improving county infrastructure among top priorities, candidates say

CRESTVIEW — A community organization’s request for free use of a city building for a school supplies giveaway drew a caution from city attorney Jerry Miller.

During Monday’s city council meeting, Concerned Citizens representative Rae Roberson requested the city waive its $25 fee for use of the Allen Park community hall for the organization’s annual Back to School Bash. The Aug. 9 event features a school supplies giveaway for any Crestview child, along with games and free hotdogs and hamburgers.

“We have set precedents that we have co-sponsored these sort of events in the past,” Councilman Tom Gordon said.

Miller cautioned that by providing free city facility use, officials were setting themselves up for problems should an objectionable non-profit request the same consideration.

“We've been down this trail before,” Miller said. “Then when the Nazis come in (asking for a fee waiver), you're going to have problems. If you're not going to enforce a fee, get rid of it.”

Council vice president Mickey Rytman, presiding over the meeting in President Shannon Hayes’ absence, offered to fund the Concerned Citizens’ facility use fee out of his own pocket.

Because the city has received many non-profit organizations' requests for free park or facility use, the previous council set a no-freebies policy.

Gordon said at the time that when the city budget is so tight that employees had to be furloughed, it didn’t make fiscal sense to give away facility use.

The new council has circumvented the policy by “co-sponsoring” a number of events, with the city’s contribution as a sponsor being free use of the facility.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Attorney cautions council against fee waivers

CRESTVIEW — Voters can meet local political candidates, discuss issues and concerns, and listen to the candidates debate during candidate forums tonight and tomorrow.

The North Okaloosa Republican Club will host forums for county commissioner and county clerk candidates on July 30 at Warriors Hall. School board candidates meet the following night.

Both events begin at 5:30 p.m. with an hour-long meet-and-greet, during which voters may speak with candidates one-on-one. The debates begin at 6:30, with candidates answering submitted questions.

Organizers hope more people will take these opportunities to consider the candidates, their records and their approaches to issues of concern.

“The people who show up at the forum are the same ones who always show up at forums,” Republican club president JB Whitten said.

“It is the citizen’s role to get in there and try to prompt candidates. You have to be informed and you have to know what’s going on,” Whitten said.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: North Okaloosa Republican Club Candidates’ Forums

WHEN: County Commissioner and County Clerk Forum, July 30; School Board Forum, July 31. Meet-and-greet begins at 5:30 p.m. each night; forums begin at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Warriors Hall, Whitehurst Municipal Building, Stillwell Boulevard at Industrial Drive, Crestview

CONTACT: NORC President JB Whitten, 610-1176 or norcoffl@outlook.com

THE CANDIDATES

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT AND COMPTROLLER

Charles Baugh Jr., Crestview (Republican)*

J.D. Peacock, Shalimar (Republican)

Dance Spence, Crestview (Republican)

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 4

Don Amunds, Mary Esther (Republican)*

Trey Goodwin, Fort Walton Beach (Republican)

Henry Kelley, Mary Esther (Republican)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 1

Cindy Frakes, Shalimar (no affiliation)

Lamar White, Shalimar (no affiliation)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 3

Joseph Slusser, Baker (no affiliation)

C.W. Soldier Hyden, Laurel Hill (no affiliation)

Rodney Walker, Fort Walton Beach (no affiliation)

SCHOOL BOARD, DISTRICT 5

David E. Scholl, Laurel Hill (no affiliation)

Melissa Thrush, Niceville (no affiliation)

*Candidate invited but unable to attend due to a schedule conflict

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Republicans host candidate forums, hope for larger-than-usual turnout

CRESTVIEW — The City Council has unanimously accepted two requests from the Public Works Department to cover engineering and pest control services.

Assistant Public Works director Carlos Jones — representing director Wayne Steele, who was out on medical leave — said Monday that they received plenty of response on a request for proposals for engineering consultants.

“We had nine firms that responded to that RFP,” Jones said during the city council meeting.

Jones said given the responding firms' diversity, the review committee revised the proposal's scope, selecting four firms that represented a cross section of areas of expertise.

“Several firms were needed to meet the planning and engineering needs of the city,” city engineer Fred Cook stated in a letter to the council.

CH2MHill, PolyEngineering, Seaside Engineering and Survey, and Atkins North America, will cover engineering needs such as upgrades to Twin Hills Park, water systems, sewer systems, drainage and erosion control, and roads and traffic.

“We also felt that utilizing four firms would provide more options to the city in the event that one is not able to provide the services at the time needed,” Cook’s letter stated.

With the council’s approval, Public Works will negotiate hourly rates with the four firms and prepare four respective continuing services contracts for the council’s approval. The city will only pay the firms when engineering services are actually needed.

PEST CONTROL

For pest control services, Bryan Pest Control was the only bidder to respond to Public Works’ request for proposals, Jones stated.

Its initial bid was outside the budgeted amount, but after negotiations, the company agreed to an annual cost of $3,960 to treat 15 city-owned facilities.

Bryan agreed to treat each building quarterly for $66 each, and would “take care of any problems between services at no charge,” according to a letter to the city from Allan Quigley, Bryan general manager.

A second company that planned to bid on pest control services submitted a proposal after the deadline, Jones said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bids approved for city engineering and pest control services

CHIPLEY — The Florida Department of Transportation will hold two final recommendation meetings concerning the update to the Interstate 10 Master Plan for Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington and Jackson counties. 

The first meeting is July 31 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive, Crestview. The second is Aug. 7 in the First Baptist Church Youth Building, 1300 S. Blvd., Chipley.  Both meetings will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m.  and will provide the same information.  A brief presentation is at 5:45 p.m.  

The purpose of the Interstate Master Plan is to develop an integrated transportation system that is economically efficient, environmentally sound, and moves people and goods in an energy-efficient manner.

The plan will identify and recommend mobility enhancement alternatives that serve high speed, high volume travel, including long trips and regional commerce as well as outline a process of protecting the right-of-way necessary to accommodate future needs. Your involvement in the master planning effort will help to shape I-10 in this part of the state for decades to come.

Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act or persons who require translation services (free of charge) should contact FDOT Project Manager Virgie Bowen,  toll-free at (888) 638-0250, extension 1530 at least seven days prior to the meeting.

Additional project information is on the I-10 master plan website.

For more information, follow FDOT District Three on Twitter or Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Final Interstate 10 Master Plan recommendation meetings set in Crestview and Chipley

CRESTVIEW — The initial two phases of the planned widening of P.J. Adams Parkway are on track, with construction work scheduled to begin in fiscal year 2015-16.

Further work on the P.J. Adams-Antioch Road corridor is also near the top of the Okaloosa-Walton Transportation Planning Organization project priorities list.

Committed projects in the Crestview area are two components of P.J. Adams Parkway widening, encompassing the first and second phases, which will widen the busy road to four lanes from State Road 85 to Ashley Drive/Villacrest Drive.

Brandi Whitehurst, public involvement coordinator for the OWTPO, said Project Development and Environment studies for the segments from Ashley Drive to Interstate 10 have also been completed.

Funding for right-of-way acquisition for those two phases is pending for fiscal year 2016-17.

Funding for construction of those phases, plus funding for design, right-of-way and construction of the final phase from I-10 to U.S. Highway 90 are not yet prioritized, according to a project priorities report provided by Whitehurst.

The final phase of the bypass — from U.S. 90 roughly following the Yellow River until meeting Old Bethel Road near Deer Valley Estates and continuing to S.R. 85 north of Crestview High School —  currently ranks 35th on the OWTPO’s project priorities report.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: PJ Adams widening on track, rest of bypass makes projects list

The American Legion Post 235 in Fort Walton Beach and the North Okaloosa Republican Club are giving area residents two chances to question local political candidates. Forum dates and times are listed below.

•6:30 p.m. July 24, American Legion Post 235, 105 SW Hollywood Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. Registered candidates for: Okaloosa County Commission Seat District 4 — Trey Goodwin, Henry Kelley and Donnie Amunds — and candidates for clerk of courts — J.D. Peacock, Charles Baugh and Dan Spence — are expected to attend the Okaloosa County Republican Club event. Cost is $15 per person, which includes drink and gratuity. All club members, registered Republicans and their invited guests are welcome. Details: Club President Don Adams, 586-1325.

•Okaloosa commissioner and clerk forum, 5:30 p.m. July 30, and school board, 5:30 p.m. July 31, Warriors Hall, 201 Stillwell Blvd., Crestview. Events start with candidate meet and greet, followed by forums at 6:30 p.m. Submit questions to norcoffl@outlook.com by July 20. Details: JB Whitten, 610-1176 or norcoffl@outlook.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Political forums give citizens chance to quiz Northwest Florida candidates