CRESTVIEW — Hot summer months are not the time to be using most lawn herbicides.

One issue is the heat of summer. Most lawn herbicide labels include statements such as the following:

“Do not apply when temperature exceeds 90°F.” “Do not broadcast apply this product when air temperatures are above 90°F (85°F for St. Augustinegrass) unless temporary turf injury can be tolerated.”

Every year we’ll see lawns that are injured or killed because of lawn herbicides being applied when temperatures are too hot.

Summer is usually a rainy and windy time of the year. Many lawn herbicide labels include statements such as the following:

“Allow 12 hours after application before watering lawn for maximum effectives on listed weeds.” “Apply only when wind is no more than 10 mph.” “Applying this product in calm weather when rain is not predicted for the next 24 hours will help to ensure that wind or rain does not blow or wash pesticide off the treatment area.”

It is critical to read and follow the label directions and precautions for any pesticide you use. Pesticide labels, including herbicides, include the following statements.

“To the extent consistent with applicable law, the buyer assumes all risks of use, storage or handling of this product not in accordance with label directions.” “It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.”

Mature weeds

By the time summer arrives, many of the lawn weeds are mature, which means they are well established with extensive root systems.

These mature, well established weeds are much more difficult to control. They are more susceptible to herbicides when they are small, young and not well established. Also, these mature weeds have been allowed to produce countless numbers of seeds as they move into summer. Most weeds are prolific seed producers. For example, a single crabgrass plant (a common summer lawn weed) can produce 150,000 seeds.

Applying a preemergence lawn herbicide in February to help prevent summer annual weeds such as crabgrass or applying a postemergence lawn herbicide during spring while the weather is mild and before the weeds are out of control simply makes more sense than waiting until summer.

The best options now with lawn weed control involve continuing to follow good mowing practices, maybe hand removal of some weeds and just simply waiting it out until next February and spring to worry with the use of lawn herbicides.  

In the meantime, you may want to read the following UF/IFAS Extension publication on lawn weed control: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/EP/EP14100.pdf.

 Call 850-689-5850 to have a printed copy mailed to you.

Larry Williams is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Timing is everything when controlling lawn weeds

CRESTVIEW — School has only been back in session for a few weeks, but I am seeing driving patterns that are quite alarming.

I was driving south on Ferdon Boulevard last week and saw several scary driving behaviors. One pickup just ran right out of a parking lot across three lanes so he could make a left turn. He almost hit two vehicles, sped up and never made eye contact with anyone. I watched his aggressive driving in absolute amazement.

On this same trip, I saw four different drivers run red lights. Most of them were right turns on the red, but they didn't even slow down, much less stop before turning right as required by law. In one instance the vehicle driving straight through the intersection with the green light had to slam on their brakes to avoid the person who ran the red light.

There are several reasons for poor driving. From what I have observed, the first one is distracted and unfocused driving. The driver is either talking on their cell phone, texting, turning around to calm down their children, eating, or my favorite, putting on their makeup. Any of these behaviors can cause an accident.

The second driving mistake I have observed is speeding or even just overdriving for the conditions of the road. If there is bumper to bumper traffic, there is no need to dart in and out of lanes just to be two or three cars ahead at the next traffic light.

This causes needless stress on the drivers that you come too close to when darting in and out. If it is raining, back off on your speed and allow yourself more time to get to your location. Getting into an accident or receiving a ticket will take much longer than slowing down 5 or 10 miles per hour.

A huge pet peeve of mine is tailgating, where the car behind follows too closely. There is no need to tailgate. You undoubtedly won't arrive at your destination any faster, but you do put yourself and others at risk with this behavior. Tailgating can be a form of aggression and can potentially lead to anger and road rage. A good rule of thumb, according to Comedyguys.com, is:

• "3 seconds between you and the vehicle ahead of you for speeds between 35 and 55 mph, in ideal driving conditions (good road surface, good weather, light traffic)
• 4 seconds for speeds between 55 and 75 mph, or during rain, on wet pavement, or in heavy traffic
• 7 to 8 seconds for icy or snow-covered roads

"Remember, the whole purpose of a safe following distance is to give you time to brake or to safely drive around a car that stops in front of you," Comedyguys.com wrote. "If conditions like wet pavement affects your brakes' ability to stop your car, give them more time to do their job." (https://www.comedyguys.com/defensive-driving-tips/defensive-driving-tip-8/)

It doesn't take much to be a safe and polite driver. Let's all try to drive as carefully and be as focused as possible, remembering that when children or pedestrians are around, we need to be extra careful and slow down. The goal is to arrive at our destinations alive, without getting a ticket or being involved in a car accident.

Stay safe, Crestview!

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: HAPPENINGS: Peoples' driving is becoming alarming

For the past two-plus years we, as a world, a nation, and individuals, have been going through unprecedented challenges and hardships. There have been riots, some of the worst political upheavals in modern times, a pandemic that is still wreaking havoc on humanity. There have been heated and volatile arguments about vaccines and masks. 

We have seen some of the most un-Christian behavior even among Christians throughout all of this. The cry and attitude about personal rights has taken precedence over all else.

People are trying to find something that will provide a sense of normalcy. What that boils down to for many is taking care of one’s own needs to the exclusion of others’.

Awhile back a good friend told me how he enjoyed playing baseball when he was in high school. He loved the game, but he hit a slump. His coach noticed and told him that when things started to slip, it was time to get back to the basics.

The coach told John to just go to the batting cage and simply work on his swing, to pay attention to his form. He said to simply play catch with another team member, throwing each other grounders and pop-ups. Just toss the ball back and forth without trying to make each throw perfect. Have fun with it. Get back to the basics. And it worked!

Recently, the phrase “get back to the basics” came back to me in a powerful way.

It seems to me many would benefit from getting back to the basics of the Christian faith – loving the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; loving your neighbor as yourself; caring for the least of those among us; remembering the words of Jesus, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” 

By extension, that makes us the brothers and sisters of our Lord – and of one another. And as such, we are to love and care for one another.

Our Lord calls us to share his love as being part of his family. Being bound together means we care for one another, we help one another, we look out for one another, we do what is best for one another – even for the stranger in need.

When we recognize that someone is hurting, afraid, sick, or challenged, we are given the opportunity to be God’s instruments. We are the ones who can speak comforting words to another, perform acts of kindness, provide support to help see another through their difficult time. We are the ones who can be proactive on their behalf.

Let’s get back to the basics and do our Lord proud.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: 'Back to basics' is key in times of stress

CRESTVIEW — The showy chaste tree makes an attractive specimen as the  centerpiece of your landscape bed or in a large container on the deck.

Much more of them are being seen since the Florida Department of Transportation has recognized the tree as a desirable median planting.

Easy to grow, drought resistant, and attractive to butterflies and bees, Vitex agnus-castus is a multi-stemmed small tree with fragrant, upwardly-pointing lavender blooms and gray-green foliage. The chaste tree’s palmately divided leaves resemble those of the marijuana (Cannabis sativa) plant; its flowers can be mistaken for butterfly bush (Buddleia sp.); and the dry, darkened drupes can be used for seasoning, similar to black pepper, making it a conversation piece for those unfamiliar with the tree.

Vitex, with its sage-scented leaves that were once believed to have a sedative effect, has the common name “Chastetree” since Athenian women used the leaves in their beds to keep themselves chaste during the feasts of Ceres, a Roman festival held on April 12.

In modern times, the tree is more often planted where beekeepers visit in order to promote excellent honey production, or simply included in the landscape for the enjoyment of its showy, summer display of violet panicles.

The chaste tree is native to woodlands and dry areas of southern Europe and western Asia. It will thrive in almost any soil that has good drainage, prefers full sun or light shade, and can even tolerate moderate salt air.

Vitex is a sprawling plant that grows 10 to 20 feet high and wide, that looks best unpruned. If pruning is desired to control the size, it should be done in the winter, since it is a deciduous tree and the blooms form on new wood.

The chaste tree can take care of itself, but can be pushed to faster growth with light applications of fertilizer in spring and early summer and by mulching around the plant.

There are no pests of major concern associated with this species, but root rot can cause decline in soils that are kept too moist.

Sheila Dunning is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Chaste trees are great within a landscape

On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States of America endured a horrific attack. Most of us remember where we were that fateful day and what we were doing. Many of us watched in horror as the Twin Towers collapsed.

Twenty years later, there is a new generation that didn't experience this event and may not know too much about what happened. We have an opportunity to teach them about this historical event and share the heroism of the men and women who worked tirelessly to save the lives of those affected by the plane crashes.

The city of Crestview is observing the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with a "solemn and respectful" display of events Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Crestview Community Center, located at 1446 Commerce Drive, across from the library.

There will be exhibits and photographs on display, with the center opening from noon to 5 p.m. This part of the memorial event is free and open to the public.

At 3 p.m. Crestview High School's theater department will perform scenes from a drama entitled, "110 Stories," which is a compilation of survivors' stories from all the sites involved in 9/11. This includes the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Flight 93 that ended in the field at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, which didn't reach its intended target due to brave men and women on that flight.

Crestview Mayor JB Whitten will host an exhibit of vehicles and tactical gear that would have been used by those responding to this crisis. There will also be storyboards explaining the attacks.

This is a wonderful opportunity to pass along history to our younger generation that may not have even been born when this happened.

This should be very moving, especially to those of us old enough to remember that fateful day.

In addition, there will be other exhibits detailing the history of the events that happened on 9/11. 

At 6 p.m., a Remembrance Dinner will be served, catered by the Knife's Edge from Bob Hope Village in Shalimar. There will also be a presentation by Crestview police and firefighters representing their brave counterparts from the World Trade Center in New York City. Many first responders willingly gave their lives in order to save those affected by this act of terrorism and we appreciate their sacrifice.

Tickets for the dinner and presentation are $35 each and available at the billing window in City Hall, the Community center office or online at www.downtowncrestview.org/events. For online tickets there is a $1 fee for processing.

Whitten summarized his goal with this statement, "We want all our citizens to join us in remembering this tragic moment in our nation's history."

This will be a day of solemn remembrance for the fallen and a time for prayer, reflection and thanks to the heroes who stepped up to help those in need.

Thank you to all of the heroes of 9/11, we salute you for your bravery and love for our country. We will not forget you and will continue to tell your stories.

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: HAPPENINGS: It has been 20 years since the Sept. 11 terror attack

CRESTVIEW — Could Stephen Sondheim have been thinking about the Crestview Public Library when he penned the lyrics to “Something’s Coming” for “West Side Story?”

Could it be? Yes, it could

Somethin's comin', somethin' good, if I can wait

Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is

But it is gonna be great!”

We’ve been hinting — pretty strongly — that something great is coming to your library. We’re going to have to close from Sept. 11 through Sept. 18 to get it all ready, but we know you’re going to love it when we reopen Monday, Sept. 20.

So, what’s coming? We’re redoing not just the circulation desk area, but the whole checkout process is going to be high-tech, more streamlined and we’ll even have a self-checkout kiosk!

If you want to get a sneak peek at the improvements before everybody else, come to our preview party from 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview. There will be activities, food and prizes, plus this is probably the only chance to for kids to run in the library when they put on slides and race across the carpet.

Miss Heather will hold a story time around the “campfire,” and everybody can get into making s’mores. The always helpful library staff will demonstrate the new checkout system, self-checkout process, and new card catalog.

In many ways, this ain’t your grandma’s library, but the more things change, the more some things stay just as great as they’ve always been.

Your library still has stacks and stacks of great books, movies and music, classes and activities for folks of all ages, artwork on the Sandra Dreaden Gallery Wall and in the lobby, and the same helpful staff you can always turn to for advice and assistance.

And there’s one more great thing comin’, Mr. Sondheim. The Friends of the Library is returning! Stop by the circulation desk — either the current configuration up until Sept. 10 or the new one starting Sept. 20 — and find out how you can get involved in our fun community support group.

More about Sondheim

What? You don’t know who Stephen Sondheim is? Sounds like you need to stop by your Crestview Public Library to learn all about this great Broadway composer!

For complete event listings and more information, visit www.cityofcrestview.org/178/Library, call 850-682-4432, and follow the library on Facebook and Instagram.

Brian Hughes is the City of Crestview's Public Information Offficer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Check it Out: Somethin’s comin’, something’ good…to your library!

In 1995 Joseph Girzone wrote a wonderful book, "Joshua: A Parable for Today." It is a novel about Jesus (going by the name Joshua) returning today in a small, but diverse town.

I loved that book. In fact I read it several times.

Then, in 2002 the movie version, "Joshua," hit the theaters. Joshua was played by Tony Goldwyn. Stacey Edwards played Maggie. And as you may surmise by her name, Maggie was a modern equivalent of Mary Magdalene.

As often happens when books are turned into movies, a few licenses were taken with some scenes, but the plot remained untouched.

Spoiler alert!

One scene in the movie but not in the book was a conversation between Joshua and Maggie toward the end of the movie. Maggie was angry and upset that her life was in total shambles. She was angry that Joshua, with whom she had become quite fond, was leaving town.

In a fit of anger, she threw down a beautiful glass object she had been holding. It smashed into a hundred small splinters. She then stormed away from Joshua, tears flowing down her face.

As the movie draws to a close, Maggie talks with a local pastor, saying she was leaving town to start her life over again. He tells Maggie that Joshua left her a gift. He then held out a beautiful glass sculpture, obviously made from the hundreds of glass shards created when she threw it down during her confrontation with Joshua.

For most of us, the message was quite clear. When life becomes shattered, Jesus can pick up the pieces and create something beautiful for us and of us.

Quite often when bad things happen to good people, there are many questions: Why me? What now? How could this happen to me?

Despair can settle in as people tend to look toward what may be a bleak future.

And that is exactly what people without hope will see – a bleak future without any prospect of matters getting better. That is a horrible place to be.

Yet the assurance of being healed, even though the results may be different, is what comes from having faith in Jesus Christ. Realizing he is with you, has your best interest at heart, and wants you to know the joy of life creates hope and anticipation.

Jesus can take the broken pieces and shape and mold them into something beautiful – different, to be sure, but just as beautiful.

Romans 5:3–5, New Living Translation, states, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

"And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.” 

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: Faith in Jesus gives hope

Want to see s’more of your Crestview Public Library? 

Come to our Sneak Peek Party on Sept. 17 at 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview.. Doors open at 6 p.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. 

Be the first to see all of our improvements and perhaps more of the library than you’ve ever seen before. 

You can also:

• Eat a “s’more.” 
• Listen to live guitar music played by Rick Sanders. 
• Enjoy a story read by Ms. Heather while you “roast” a marshmallow by a “campfire.” 
• Play with Florida Fish and Wildlife’s interactive animal displays. 
• Ski through the library. 
• Use our new self-checkout. 
• Learn how to use the new catalog. 
• Join our Friends group. 

Registration is not required for this free event designed for all ages. 

Call me at 850-682-4432 with questions.

Heather Nitzel is the Youth Services Librarian at the Crestview Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Library to host sneak peek of new look, services

Some time ago, a pastor told me he was having a bad day. He had just learned of the death of a good friend and the news left him stunned.

The deacons in the church were arguing among themselves about a matter that should have been a no–brainer, but their wrangling could potentially split the church.

The budget was in trouble because contributions were falling off, and membership was dwindling slowly but surely.

The pressures weighed heavily on the pastor, causing a sour frame of mind to envelop him.

There was a knock on the church office door. He ignored it. A short time later the knock came again, more insistent. He ignored it again.

The knock came a third time, louder and even more insistent. Irritated, the pastor flew out of his chair, and threw open the office door.

Before him stood what may have been a homeless person, or someone down on his luck. The man appeared somewhat weathered, had endless tattoos that were revealed by his T–shirt and shorts, his smile exposed gold–covered teeth, commonly called a grill.

The pastor said in a not–so–pleasant tone, “You certainly are insistent. What do you need?”

The man smiled and said, “How are you today?” The pastor replied brusquely, not telling the truth, “I’m fine. What do you need?”

The man hesitated a moment, trying to appear friendly. But he was taken aback by the pastor’s short and somewhat hostile tone of voice, and simply replied, “Uh, nothing, nothing,” and then walked away.

A while later the pastor sat in his study reflecting on what had transpired. He realized his abruptness with the man at the door was because of his own internal turmoil.

The unexpressed grief over the death of his friend, pressures of a divided church board, unhappy members leaving the church, all came to a head.

The gentleman at the door was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and became the recipient of the pastor’s outburst – misdirected as it was.

This pastor told me that if he came across the gentleman to whom he was so rude, he would definitely apologize and seek forgiveness. I don’t know if he saw him again, but knowing the pastor as I do, I’m sure he would have followed through.

It happens, doesn’t it? There are times we tend to let pressures build up until they come out in hurtful ways. This is why it is important to not be so private that we cannot talk with others to help lighten our burdens, gain a different perspective, and deal appropriately with matters at hand. The apostle Paul said, “Be angry, but do not sin.” (Ephesians 4:26)

Yes, put it all in perspective. Seek the counsel of a good friend. Seek guidance and comfort from the Lord and the scriptures. You are not alone, no matter what anyone else might tell you.

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is pastor at Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FROM THE PULPIT: You are not alone — seek counsel and guidance