Aug. 12 is the first day of school and it is right around the corner. Have you begun to prepare for the start of school? In addition to needing school clothes and shoes, supplies are needed.

I went to the school websites and the list of needed supplies is fairly long. Begin buying these supplies now so they don't take too big a hit out of your budget all at once. Staples, Wal-Mart and other stores all have been advertising different school supplies on sale each week.

Additionally, Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday is scheduled for the weekend of Aug. 2-4. This weekend helps tremendously with the larger purchases, such as clothes, shoes, backpacks and so on.

I was amazed at some of the low prices the stores are offering. Make sure to look online and get the list you need as well as look at the weekly sales specials.

Families can save a great deal of money by purchasing these items on sale and in bulk. I found 12 dozen Ticonderoga pencils on the Wal-Mart website for a great price. If you have more than one child, this makes sense as most classes want four to six dozen pencils per child for the year. These pencils were less than a dollar a dozen in bulk.

Just watch the ads and purchase wisely.

If you can't afford some or all of the needed supplies, contact your local church or the Salvation Army and ask them to direct you to resources that help out with school supplies.

If your family can afford it, please pick up extra supplies and donate them to your child's teacher, as there are always families that can't afford all of the needed items.

This is a kind thing to do and helps relieve financial stress on the teacher. Most teachers end up buying hundreds of dollars of supplies out of their personal money to ensure that their students have the proper supplies.

When I taught school, we were provided with copy paper, but our school district requires the teachers to supply their own. Throughout the year, it would be a kind gesture to take a few reams of plain copy paper to your children's teachers as they will surely need it. You might also ask what other supplies they are running low on and help out with those.

We pray that all of our teachers and children have a safe and successful 2019-2020 school year.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Get ready for upcoming school season

It is easy to get complacent, but we must remain vigilant as we are in hurricane season. Last year, Northwest Florida experienced a devastating hurricane, Hurricane Michael. It hit to the east of us and affected many of our neighboring communities, people lost their homes, cars, and livelihoods.

We need to be as prepared as possible.

If you live in a neighborhood where there are elderly people, please make sure to include them in your storm preparations. They may be unable to do much to get ready or evacuate. Their families may be far away and unable to help.

After the storm has passed, there may be a need for you to help others. Please be generous with your time and resources. Many communities will have shelters and local churches will also need volunteers.

For more information, please refer to: www.ready.gov/hurricanes.

Here is a partial list of preparations that can be done ahead of time.

• Make sure you are tracking current storms.

• Have storm shutters or cut plywood to protect your windows.

• Make sure your homeowner's insurance is current.

• Have an evacuation plan mapped out. Make sure all family members are aware of the plan.

• Have essential papers in a waterproof zippered bag, insurance policies, birth certificates, passports, banking information, deed to your home, and medical information.

• Keep your automobile gas tanks full.

• Have a small propane stove on hand and plenty of propane to cook food.

• Water, make sure to have at least one gallon per day per pet and two gallons per day per person for a 7- to 14-day period.

• If you buy a portable generator, have a licensed electrician install it.

• Have plenty of canned food on hand as well as a portable can opener.

• Have pet food for your pets.

• Get a battery-powered radio, flashlights, battery-operated fans and plenty of new batteries.

• Have your prescriptions filled ahead of time in case evacuation becomes necessary.

• Have needed phone numbers available, with paper copies in case your phone is dead.

• Have all chargers for phones, tablets, etc. in a waterproof bag. Keep these items charged.

• Have basic tools readily available: wrench, screwdriver, tarps, duct tape, etc.

• Prune trees so limbs don't get blown loose and break windows.

• Bring in all outdoor furniture once a storm has been confirmed.

• Take your pets with you when you leave. They cannot fend for themselves!

• Have cash on hand for needed supplies. ATMs and credit card readers require electricity, which may be down after a storm.

• Fill your bathtubs with water for flushing toilets, wiping down counters and so on.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Remain prepared for hurricane season

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Border children are nonpartisan

Buying a new cellphone is not near the fun it once was, since we now pay for them ourselves. A new cellphone can set one back hundreds of dollars or more.

Most people buy a new phone and pay a monthly charge. They never pay off their phone — they just keep buying new ones and keep paying, which is a very expensive proposition.

Gone are the days when cellphone companies provided a new phone for being a loyal customer. Phone insurance is quite expensive, with a high deductible.

When you need your phone replaced, you typically receive a used phone someone turned in because they had problems with it, which then become your problems.

Unless one is a technological wizard, a phone purchase can be confusing. There are terms such as 3G, 4G and 5G; as well as MP for the camera. Then there are Android vs. iOS operating systems.

One needs to know the network the phone will work with, AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, Boost, and so on. And cellphones don't work with all the carriers — one must have the right phone for the right carrier.

Some phones work on a GSM network while others on CDMA network.

Make sure you purchase the right phone. If you don't, most carriers charge a hefty restocking fee. Ouch!

My husband Jim and I have no need for the latest and greatest cellphone. I only need a basic phone to call and text. Jim needs something more sophisticated as he uses his for work and scheduling. My niece worked for Verizon's technical support, so I always solicit her advice before purchasing.

Since I am frugal, I use my cellphone until it dies, the circuit boards give out or the network kills it. On the other hand, my husband loses, drops, or leaves them some place.

Jim had an unfortunate accident with his phone this week. Fortunately, we have Walmart and many carrier stores here in Crestview, so replacing it should be easy.

Now I just have to figure out which phone works with our carrier, has the right specifications, and which limb we are willing to sacrifice to pay for it.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Phones are more sophisticated — and more expensive

The Flag of the United States of America is a symbol of our nation and our freedom. We revere and respect our flag each June 14, Flag Day. This date is a tribute to the date our flag was adopted June 14, 1777.

We remember the stories of Betsy Ross stitching our flag, but history indicates that she also had a hand in the layout of that flag. The first flag was red, white and blue, as it is today, with 13 stars for the original 13 colonies, as well as 13 stripes.

Our current flag has 50 stars for the 50 states in the Union and 13 stripes for the original colonies. The stars were put in a circle on the first flag so that no one state was shown preference.

As more states were added to the union, obviously the flag would have become cumbersome if stripes kept being added, so in 1818, Congress changed the flag to keep the original 13 stripes and add stars to represent the new states.

In 1782 when the Seal of the United States was adopted, Charles Thompson, Secretary of the Continental Congress, stated the following: "The colors of the pales (the vertical stripes) are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice." (http://usflag.org/colors.html)

I remember learning flag etiquette from my parents and grandparents. We were taught to stand when the fag was presented, face toward it, put our hand over our heart during the Pledge of Allegiance, and to sing the National Anthem.

We were told that we stand in honor of the men and women who fought for our country and can no longer stand. My brothers were instructed to take off any hats they might be wearing as a sign of respect.

We respect our flag when we honor the men and women who fought and died defending our country.

Our flag should never to touch the ground nor be carried flat. It is to be carried on a pole and should be carried higher than any other flags in a procession.

Also, the flag should not be flown at night, unless it is lighted. Tattered flags should be retired respectfully.

Most Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion groups will accept old flags and retire them.

Let's fly our flags with pride on Flag Day here in Crestview.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers; we love and appreciate you!

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Some of the history behind our flag

This Thursday, June 6 will be the observance of the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

The event will take place from 4:30 to 8 p.m. at Warriors Hall in Whitehurst Memorial Building, 201 Stillwell Blvd., Crestview. The program begins at 6 p.m. This event is free and sponsored by Mayor J.B. Whitten, the Crestview Area Sister City Program, and MGMR Strategic Solutions.

Before the program, visitors can browse the World War II displays that will be posted around the room. There will be a display about Noirmoutier, our sister city in France, as well as museum pieces from Tom Rice's collection. There will also be original movie posters from World War II films, World War II memorabilia from the Baker Block Museuml and authentic vehicles and field equipment from a personal collection.

The program will begin with Pastor Mark Broadhead, the chaplain for the Crestview Police Department, reciting President Franklin D. Roosevelt's D-Day Prayer.

The first-place D-Day essay contest winners, one from middle and one from high school, will be presented with their scholarship checks and read their essays. All contest winners will be recognized and receive their checks.

Whitten will give a short talk and then the documentary movie "Mother of Normandy" will be shown after an introduction by Mary Richard.

This movie will be the regional premiere of the hour-long documentary about Simone Renaud, the wife of the wartime mayor of Saint-Mére-Église, which was the first French town liberated by Allied forces. She welcomed the liberating American soldiers into the Renaud home and store, wrote to their families letting them know their sons were alive and safe, and also tended the graves of the men who didn't go home.

The D-Day observance is the first in Whitten's Cultural Series. After the documentary presentation, there will be snack foods available called "from then and now." It will feature snacks from today as well as the snacks that would have been eaten during World War II, as well as Spam.

An event of this type takes many local individuals and companies to help sponsor the food, historic photo enlargements and decor. The front of the hall will be decorated in a World War II motif and will include a segment of a "Normandy landing beach" and memorial crosses depicting the American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, the center of the Omaha Beach landing area.

This promises to be an informative event. I hope to see you there and many thanks to all who contributed to make this event a success. 

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview to observe D-Day 75th anniversary

Democrats agree with Trump that tariffs on China are a good idea. It always concerns me when the political classes in D.C. are in full agreement; the last time that happened, they voted for the Iraq War.

Retaliatory tariffs will hurt the U.S. in the near term and China in the longer term. If ever Trump is going to take on the Chinese, who have cheated on trade for years, it is now. With low inflation, a good economy and the stock markets near highs, we are in the best position to endure a trade war.

When I was attending Georgetown University in a remedial program for Southerners, I worked for President Reagan’s U.S. Trade Representative, former Senator Bill Brock (R-TN). We were free traders. We knew the world was a safer and more prosperous place when nations traded goods with each other. We said, “When goods cross borders, troops don’t.” Missiles and war rhetoric did not bring down the Berlin Wall eight years later; it was Russian citizens’ desire for Levi jeans, Marlboro cigarettes and Jack Daniels whiskey that did.

We knew that the difference between a welfare cheat and a tariff was that if you put a gun to the head of both of them, at least the welfare recipient would work.

The acrimonious argument about who pays for tariffs need not be a debate. Trump says China will pay them but, like Mexico paying for The Wall, he conflates bluster with reality. Tariffs are, in essence, a tax on goods imposed by a government to punish another country. Consumers, you and I, pay the tariff in the form of higher prices at the cash register. Whether we pay the full 25 percent increase or a percent of that depends on if the product can be purchased from a less-tariffed country like Vietnam or India.

China’s communist centralized, command-and-control economy is in a quandary here. Cut prices and maintain market share to continue to employ their masses who demand jobs, or don’t reduce their prices and risk the pitchforks of the proletariat which might start protesting the kleptocracy into which every socialist/communist country devolves.

Trump tried to have a nice relationship with China’s President Xi Jinping. Trump even invited him to Mar-a-Lago and he met the Trump kids. When the Chinese president met 13-year-old Barron Trump, he was very nice and even asked which factory he worked in.

Trade wars were the cause of the War of 1812. Tariffs and French/British trade impediments sparked this war in which we got our tail whooped. The British actually attacked Washington D.C. and burned down the White House. It is a forgotten war that we lost so badly we called it a “tie.”

President Lincoln raised tariffs on cotton and the like, which was one of the factors leading to the Civil War. In fact, Lincoln was very similar to fellow Republican Trump: Both presided over a bitterly divided nation, raised tariffs, and actors of the day wanted to kill them.

China has long made money on Americans and for American companies like Wal-Mart by selling us cheap goods. They go from selling Americans size large T-shirts for $10 one year, then XL T-shirts the next year. We are now into XXL and beyond, and will have to pay 12 bucks. Most will not notice; inflation is under control and countries like Vietnam have become competitors with China for production of cheap goods.

Capitalism has a remarkable way of getting the best product to market, at the best price, when government leaves it alone. At this writing, I cannot think of one thing government inserts itself into that is made better.

The ongoing dilemma with Chinese tariffs is like eating Chinese food. Once you raise taxes with a tariff, an hour later you are hungry for more.

You can tell the Chinese are directing their anger at Trump.  They just slapped a $250 tariff on each MAGA hat they produce — which is all of them.

Trump feels he was successful in renegotiating NAFTA with Canada and Mexico. He raised tariffs on Canadian dairy products, which made him more popular with Wisconsin farmers than an Aaron Rodgers football jersey. I am not sure what tariffs he imposed on Mexican products because I do not know what they export other than illegal aliens.

Our politicians are owned by drug companies, so they have been cracking down with tariffs on generic Viagra sent here by Russia and North Korea. Dems have been clear: They won’t stand for foreign interference with our erections.

Ron Hart is a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tariffs, Trade and Tyrants

Summer is almost here. The weather has been volatile: wind, rain and thunderstorms for a few days and then sunshine. Given the warmth and sunshine of the past few days, though, summer is definitely around the corner.

Spring is associated with spring cleaning, which can mean more than thoroughly vacuuming drapes, carpets, lamp shades, blinds and so on.

Perhaps you want to take out your carpet and replace it with tile or laminate, or get carpets cleaned.

Sometimes cleaning means taking a serious look at our possessions and making some hard decisions whether to keep or donate items. Maybe it is time to donate that statue Great Aunt Ada gave us that we hate to dust and think is an eyesore.

This is a good time to clean out our closets and critically look at our clothes. Give those nice clothes that are no longer worn to a charity thrift store or homeless shelter. If it no longer fits, donate it. Don't clutter up your closet and life needlessly.

Do you need all the pots, pans, cooking implements, dishes and storage containers you own? Would your life be easier if you could find the lids to what you use?

Take the items out of your cupboard and check for lids that match pans. Make sure your skillets are in good condition. If they are scratched, toss them and use the new skillet you've been saving for a special occasion. Verify that all of your storage containers have tops and bottoms that fit and make sure they aren't cracked or split. Give away the excess. Your life will be easier.

I love cookbooks, but I can't use them all. I am going to donate some of them as I know I won't use them again.

Don't leave all your junk for when you are elderly. You may not have the health or stamina to sort your items and make good decisions. Decluttering a little at a time makes an enormous job much easier.

This also may be a good time to get to know that new neighbor. Buy some cookies or a small plant, then walk over and introduce yourself. Another tip is to smile at everyone you meet.

Your neighbor may become your new friend and a fun companion for gardening, exercising or shopping.

I have been reading that we Americans don't know our neighbors' names and don't talk with each other. Here in Crestview, we are known for our friendliness, so let's change that. Let's get to know our neighbors, their names and watch out for each other.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Some of these tips may help with spring cleaning, decluttering