Editor's Note: The city of Crestview may have permanently closed discussion on the Confederate battle flag flying above the William "Bill" Lundy Memorial on East First Avenue.

A public meeting on the embattled flag was scheduled for Tuesday, but Lundy's immediate descendants proposed that the memorial be moved to private property. Few details are available on the proposal, which rendered the scheduled discussion moot.

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Dear editor,

I planned to speak about this issue at the (July 7 Crestview council) meeting. Preparing for this opportunity, I took the time to review the PBS show "Civil War" by Ken Burns.

My objective is to place the flag question within a context that does not require anyone to believe they have lost or won, but more importantly, have listened, in the words of President Lincoln, "to the better angels of their nature!"

Personally, I can remember the veterans of the Civil War attending events honoring those who had taken part in this great struggle.

Watching the "Civil War," I was reminded that no one today who took part, on either side, is alive. Therefore, I sought to find a section of Ken Burns' material where a single element would place the Confederate Battle Flag question in a perspective that would provide an opportunity for the "better angels of our nature" to witness that the citizens of Crestview are in fact looking to the future.

The example I planned to relate was the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1913. An element of this event was A re-enactment of "Pickett's Charge."

I have walked that battlefield and from the (perspective) of either side, I would not have wanted to be an active soldier in the summer of 1863.

As the re-enactment of "Pickett's Charge" began to take place in July 1913 — "a moan burst forth from the Union forces on the hill — they broke forth over the rock barricade and rushed down the hill to embrace the Confederate forces, not in combat, but in arms of brotherly love."

If those who had actually fought the Civil War were willing to set aside all for the sake of "brotherly love," are we not called to follow their example?

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: A question about the Confederate battle flag

Dear editor,

To add to Janice Lynn Crose's article about Crestview traffic — As someone who lives off of Live Oak Church Road, I am very disturbed that the area of State Road 85/LOCR is being considered for commercial retail businesses.

As it stands, we already have a bad traffic bottleneck starting at LOCR, continuing through PJ Adams Parkway and Redstone Avenue.

This proposal will compound it, as now —  instead of just northbound 85 traffic to contend with — you will have southbound 85 traffic trying to turn onto LOCR (during rushes) to use these businesses.

Don't forget people departing these businesses trying to merge into northbound traffic.

What is this town and county thinking?

How about they slow business growth first, fix the town's infrastructure and then welcome new growth?

Lastly, because I live off LOCR and work south, I see much of the traffic between 4 and 5 p.m. every day. What I notice is a good chunk of traffic is contributed due to people turning left onto Antioch. That pushes the cars to sit in the left lane waiting for their turn, stopping everyone else trying to pass through.

That left turn lane needs to be severely extended farther south to allow a longer turn lane. (It may help as a bypass for PJ, too).

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Suggestions for Live Oak Church Road traffic

Dear editor,

I met Dr. Durell Peaden in 1976 at Okaloosa Memorial Hospital. He had a critically ill patient that he treated all night, never leaving their side.

Dr. Peaden displayed love, compassion and kindness toward the patient and the family, and gained my respect that night. I observed this level of care throughout his medical career.

This concern for others transferred to his political career also. It did not matter who you were, you were important to him.

He did not want to leave his patients, and traveled between Tallahassee and Crestview for several months to ensure his patients were fine.

He never forgot his hometown of Crestview and aided in its progression. He was instrumental in bringing the Shoal Creek Nursing Home and the North Okaloosa Medical Center to Crestview.

He also worked to bring the FAMU pharmaceutical school to Crestview, and brought a dental school and a physician assistant school to DeFuniak Springs.

Dr. Peaden will never be forgotten by those whom he loved and those who loved him. His good works toward humanity will be remembered.

I am proud and honored to have worked with him and am more proud to be considered part of their family.

One of God's faithful workers, there is nothing that happens on earth that God can't take care of in heaven.

Love to Nancy, Durell III (Trey), Tyler and Taylen.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Remembering Dr. Durell Peaden

Dear editor,

Is the city's leadership anti-church? No, of course not! 

Does Destin Commons have a church located in the area?  Does Cordova Mall have a church located in it? 

Folks, if you want shopping, we need shopping districts with eateries and public facilities. The intent is to make Main Street a more vibrant retail area where people can dine, shop and be entertained.    

Saturday’s paper gave us a classic example of an alarmist with doomsday comments: "religious persecution is finally knocking at Crestview's door" and "selling the city’s soul to the devil." 

These make for wonderful headlines and to sweeten the pot, from all people, a preacher — to compound matters, the acting chaplain of the Crestview Police Department. 

The irony? A fellow public servant has used their position in the religious community to make disparaging comments about the city leadership who are, by and large, Christians; with current and past members very active in their respective churches. 

The current mayor (who had veto power over the offending ordinance) is very active in his church.

Same with the council members, who are Sunday school teachers, a deacon and serve other roles in their respective churches. 

Brother Broadhead, in my estimation you have misused your position as a religious leader and have attempted to demonize fellow public servants.

I got a phone call Friday morning from a local preacher who took the time to privately voice their concern and work through the issues professionally and without being an alarmist.

Yes, there was some poor wording in the ordinance, with unintentional consequences. We’re human and we make mistakes; but it was nothing that was intentional and nothing that can’t be fixed.   

Although I’m no longer on the council, much of this came through during my time on the council, so I made a few calls. 

As of recently, the City Council enjoys a wonderful administrative assistant who was already on the matter.

My understanding is that the current city council will have a solution before them without all the fanfare. 

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: The irony? Crestview's Christian city leaders support Main Street plan

Editor's Note: This woman's account underscores the importance of using caution when dealing with strangers on the Internet. We have replaced the accused man and his niece's and friend's names with pseudonyms since no charges have been filed.

Dear editor,

This is a warning to all Crestview residents. I wired $300 to "Brady Jackson" (costing me fees of $24 and $8) so he could rent a van and drive me to Crestview for relocation.

He received the money and deposited it in his account. He then paid for a rental and apparently insured the car — not a van — for a lot. He arrived four and a half hours after my storage closed and told me to unload my suitcases and pare down. This was 10:30 p.m. on May 8.

I lost nearly everything.

He drove me and my daughter to his father's house in Broward. He smoked marijuana with his niece, Darlene, while I was in the car. Darlene then began hitting the hood with a golf club. He used my phone to call 911 three times.

We then left and he drove us to Crestview, where he tried to dump us off at a despicable shack on Savage Street.

He wanted to use the car for another trip and tried to take off. I said I was not staying there. He then said he'd drive me to his friend Rebecca's Aplin Road apartment. She said he told her he was planning on relocating to Miami and he was going to be gone four to five days, not two. 

He then tried to run off with the car, and threatened to run me over if I didn't get out of the way.

I called the police as I stood there and refused to move. The police came and he let out a self-righteous tirade about me. They told him to drive back to his "house" and let me get my possessions, which he had reduced from seven suitcases and boxes to white garbage bags.

He told police he would drive me to Fort Walton, where I could get the Greyhound back to Miami. He, instead, put the windows up and turned on loud, erratic music and railed at me, saying if the police gave him citations for his property, he was going to drive me somewhere and kill me.

He then drove to a gas station and opened the car door of the small white Kia Rio and handed me a gas card and ordered me to put $10 on it. I left the door open, which infuriated him. He drove away with my daughter in the back seat and stopped on the side of the gas station and told my daughter to get out. She refused. All our things were in the car.

 I called the police again. They had him get out of the car.

He drove off after releasing my things, which were now a shambles on the ground.

The police called a taxi to take me to Fort Walton Beach. I had to pay hundreds of dollars to get back to Miami.

I went on Craigslist and found he was advertising under ride-share programs.

Since then, I received a voicemail telling me he was " sorry" and trying to get me to sign insurance papers so he can get the deposit back, which he claims he'll give me — when donkeys fly!

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Crestview residents, be careful with ride-share programs

Dear Crestview,

Where are your priorities? No, really. Where are your priorities?

You have school resource officers but you won't put in a light, paint a crosswalk, or have any of those new banks build a sidewalk.  

That was just for the high school.

Let's go to Davidson Middle School. Students are meeting their parents behind the Winn-Dixie parking lot.

What good is your SRO now? Are they off property, or are the kids still your responsibility?

Sidewalk, maybe?

And parents, what are you doing? Are you military, just here a couple of years, and don't care?

Lifelong locals: Do you see the changes to your community and you don't care?

Last local election, depending on where you go, I saw an 11 percent voting rate.

How pitiful. 

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Where are Crestview's priorities?

Dear editor,

In the May 20-22 edition of the Crestview News Bulletin, two customers expressed concern over lack of notification from Auburn Water.

One writer referenced brown water in the area of Stacy Lane. This had no connection to a water main repair performed on Friday, May 15 on Garden City Road. The repair on Garden City Road was preformed as a result of a lightning strike that cracked the main line.

Those affected by the water line repair (seven customers) were notified in writing by door hangers that they were being placed under a boil water notice until clearance samples could be processed. No other customers were affected.

If a fire hydrant is opened too quickly during flow testing, it can cause a water hammer that breaks free the normal rust that occurs in a metal fire hydrant. This can cause the water to temporarily turn brown and may require flushing to get the rust out. We are happy to provide this service at no charge whenever we are notified.

We have no way of knowing if a customer has a problem with their water service unless they notify us. We will respond the same day if we are made aware of the problem.

The presence of brownish water due to the rust being stirred up in chlorinated water does not carry with it bacteria or viruses.

Both writers expressed concern over a lack of automated calls. When a small number of customers are affected by a water outage and subsequent boil water notice, we have found the door hangers are more effective in assuring the affected customers are properly notified.

We do have the capability of a customer phone call out when customers have provided us with current phone numbers, but use it only when it affects a number of customers that make the door hangers impractical.

To make it clearer for customers who visit our Facebook or website page, we will list either specific addresses that are affected or specific geographical locations of a starting point and ending point where a boil water notice has been issued. This will be in addition to the use of the door hangers.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Auburn Water: Phone calls, door hangers used for different occasions

Dear editor,

"Oh, my God, the City Council has done away with prayer in Crestview." 

Or, "Oh, my God, the City Council has opened time during each meeting to hear the prayers of We The People!" 

What a great opportunity for all the sideline Christians here in the Bible Belt to actually bring Christian prayer to each City Council meeting. 

Yes, it requires us to think. But, more importantly, it requires us to be a witness for Jesus Christ. 

I went to the City Clerk's office and signed up to pray for the City of Crestview.  Join me — it will be fun.   

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Crestview prayer policy adjustment offers opportunity