CRESTVIEW — Here in the United States we celebrate Father's Day on the third Sunday of June each year. In 2021 we celebrate Father's Day on June 20.

What are your plans this weekend? How do you plan to spend Father's Day? Do you have fun activities such as a barbeque planned with the family?

Thinking of your dad, here are some questions to ponder. What is your most memorable time spent with your dad? What did your dad do extremely well? What was your dad's favorite activity? If he is no longer with you, what question would you like to ask him if you could?

In Exodus 20:12 the Lord commands us: "Honor thy Father and thy Mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." This is a command with a promise, something  we need to pay attention to, especially in today's culture of disrespect.

In Ephesians 6:1 we are told, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." We are told to honor and obey our parents. How do we show honor to our fathers?

Obviously, when one becomes an adult and moves out of their parents' home, we no longer have to obey our fathers, but do we turn to them for advice? Do we still honor them? Are we kind, patient and loving toward our parents?

My dad and mom had great advice and I made very few important decisions without their advice. I valued their life experiences, wisdom and knowledge.

Good fathers are patient, kind, outstanding listeners, respectful to others and love their wives and children. Additionally, they provide financially, spiritually and emotionally for their families. Fathers also model a good work ethic, outstanding morals and character for their children and the world.

There are many qualities a good father should have, but most of all a father needs to be involved in his children's lives.

As I have mentioned before, the only perfect Father is the Lord God Almighty. He is the source of life and our blessings. Don't forget to thank him for your many blessings. Since he is the perfect Father, earthly fathers should model their behavior after his actions.

What gifts can we give our dads? Most of them have enough ties and knick-knacks, so let's try and get them something they will use.

Does your dad need a new Bible? What about some new sports equipment? An easy gift that is thoughtful is a handmade coupon book with chores that you will do for your father, things such as mowing and edging the lawn; washing the car; running errands; taking him to the movie of his choice, cleaning out the garage; or taking him to lunch or dinner.

Use your creativity. There are many "chores" that would suit your dad. You can even make blank ones so he can choose the chores he wants accomplished.

Remember, your father will not always be with you, so spend time with him now so you have no time regrets later on.

Happy Father's Day, Crestview dads!

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: Ways to celebrate your dad on Father's Day

Every time we have a dry period in spring or summer, I get those predictable calls about some mysterious pest that's playing havoc in lawns.

Without realizing it, the caller usually describes a textbook example of dry spots in a lawn. And many times that’s what the problem areas are – dry spots.

Dry spots are the result of imperfections in an irrigation system. They are revealed during dry weather. Adequate rainfall masks the imperfections in an irrigation system.  

Possible imperfections are many. The homeowner may easily fix some irrigation system problems, while other problems may require the expertise of a licensed irrigation contractor.

There may be too few sprinkler heads for adequate coverage, insufficient pressure to operate each zone, incorrect choice of nozzles or wrongly mixing rotors with spray heads on the same zone. The cause for dry spots may be as simple as a maladjusted spray head, a broken spray head, a plugged nozzle, a tree or shrub blocking the water, grass that has grown over a pop-up spray head, etc.

Two tests to try

Regardless of the cause, there are a couple of simple tests that can help confirm that the problem areas are to be blamed on lack of sufficient water instead of a mysterious pest.

First, check the affected areas by taking a soil sample in the root zone. Use a soil probe or shovel to remove a core of soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Visually inspect and feel the soil sample for moisture. Do the same test in an area of the lawn that looks normal and compare the difference. It should be obvious if there is a difference in moisture between the areas tested.

The second test involves placing several empty straight-sided cans such as tuna fish cans in the affected area and several in a "normal" area of the lawn. Then let the irrigation system run long enough to collect some water in the cans. Compare the amount of water collected in the two areas. It should be obvious if there is a difference in the amount of water applied in the areas tested.

These tests are cheaper, less trouble and more environmentally friendly as compared to purchasing and applying pesticides for nonexistent pests as a result of incorrectly diagnosing the problem.

If these tests do not identify the problem as lack of water, you may have a lawn pest. But don't guess.

Occasionally inspect your irrigation system while it's running for obvious, easily corrected problems such as a maladjusted or broken spray head.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences publications listed at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/entity/topic/residential_sprinkler_systems will help with your inspection.

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: Don't blame pests for dry spots in your lawn

CRESTVIEW — Have you heard of Allen Park? Located at 895 McClellend Street, this eight-acre facility offers a picnic area, softball field, outdoor basketball court, playground and youth recreation center.  

What does that have to do with the library? Glad you asked. This year the Robert L. F. Sikes (Crestview) Public Library and Allen Park are collaborating again, this time to offer Tails and Tales Summer Reading in the community. 

What does this mean? Stories, entertainment, crafts and special guests every Tuesday from 10-11 a.m. starting June 15 and concluding on July 20. The first class will teach participants about plants and gardening.  

Special thanks goes to the Common Ground Community Garden group and officers Dr. Catherine Ward and Mary Hallford for providing their time and expertise to create a lovely garden at the recreation center.

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the individuals and organizations who anonymously funded the plants; Walmart for donating mulch and planting supplies; and Crestview Facility Maintenance for preparing the ground. 

More about Tails and Tales

Learn about animals and their tails/tales each week. Meet baby chicks, goats and working dogs.

Reading awards will be presented July 30 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive, where we will be entertained and educated on more exotic animals from special guest Animal Tales starting at 6 p.m.

Storyteller Pat Nease will be performing at the Allen Park Recreation Center at 6:30 p.m. June 18. Interactive stories are family-friendly fun for everyone. Be sure to check out the beautiful new garden while you’re there!

Jean McCarthy is director of Library Services at the Crestview Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Crestview’s Allen Park joins the Library Summer Reading Program

Even though the calendar says it is spring, the weather outside this week has been telling us that it is definitely summer. 

It seems that scorching temperatures, humidity, and the fierce rays of the summer sun have made their way to Northwest Florida, and soon our electric bills will reflect it. Balancing our comfort in our homes with our checkbooks can be a challenge. Here are a few ways to keep your energy costs from soaring to new heights this season. 

1) Close the curtains. During the daytime, sunshine hitting your windows and doors can help magnify your home temperature. To minimize this effect, close your curtains or blinds while you’re at work and throughout the day to keep the sunlight from coming to heating rooms and working your air conditioning unit. Thermal or blackout curtains or shades work best. 

2) Insulate. Cracks and crevices through your home will allow cool air produced by your AC unit to escape and let hot air in. Use caulk or foam sealer where appropriate and weather stripping on your doors and windows to put a stop to these costly leaks.

3) Change your filter. Make it a regular appointment on your calendar to change your AC unit filter once a month. The build-up of dust, dirt, and debris like pet hair on a filter can put a lot of stress on your unit, making it work harder to cool your home. Changing your air filter once a month can keep your unit running more efficiently and may prevent costly repairs.

4) Use a fan. Using a standing, ceiling, or desktop fan can help to keep you cool throughout the summer while allowing you to turn the temperature on your AC up. So, for example, setting your AC at 76 instead of 72 and using a fan to help cool you will use less energy than using your AC alone. Be sure only to use your fan while you are in the room. Remember, fans are not meant to be left running 24/7 and only cool people; they do not cool rooms. Running a fan in an empty room is a waste of electricity and may burn out.

5) Open your windows: If there is a cool night with low humidity, open your windows and let nature do its job. Be sure to close the windows early in the morning before the sun hits and the air temperature rises.

Living well webinars can help

For more information about energy efficiency and live home maintenance demonstrations, join us for Living Well Wednesday webinars on June 9, 16, and 23 at 11:30 a.m. Central Time. Register for these free webinars at http://bit.ly/LWWhome.

For more information, please contact Jill Breslawski, Family, and Consumer Science with the UF/IFAS Okaloosa County Extension, at 850-689-5850 or jbreslawski@ufl.edu.

Jill Breslawski 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: 5 ways to save money on energy costs

CRESTVIEW — The 10th anniversary of the Laurel Hill Arts Festival was rained out in April.

This event has been rescheduled for Saturday, June 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the grounds of Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church, 8115 Fourth Street, Laurel Hill. There is plenty of parking available.

This festival features local artisans and crafters, as well as food and music. Many of our favorite artists will be back along with new artists. Among the arts and crafts featured will be painters, wood workers, photographers, candle makers, bakers, and so on.

There will be delicious food available for sale. Jams, jellies, pulled pork sandwiches, lumpia, Italian ices and more goodies will be at the festival. The Boy Scouts will be back with their delicious cobbler.

The Emerald Coast Pipe and Drum Corps will be returning. They are always a fan favorite. The North Okaloosa Community Band will also make their debut at the festival. There will be plenty of great music which most will enjoy.  

Some of the monies raised will be used to help fund the Laurel Hill Little Free Library, one for children and one for adults, locatedin front of Laurel Hill City Hall. Residents give, share and take gently used books.

In addition to the library, there is a free food pantry a short distance away stocked with canned and nonperishable goods for locals.

Members of the community contribute to both projects and contributions are gladly accepted.

As well as craft exhibitors and artists, there will be cultural and community groups  on hand with exhibits.

The Baker Block Museum and the North Okaloosa Heritage Association will feature local historical displays. It is so interesting to see how our area has developed and grown.  

Also the Crestview Area Sister City Program will share information about our relationship with Crestview's sister city of Noirmoutier, France.

We have a wonderful friendship with the people from this town, through our educational programs at Northwest Florida State College, as well as social and cultural exchanges.

This is a fun group with great activities. There will also be a group of Civil War re-enactors from Walton County  participating.

The Crestview Police Department will be demonstrating what a great help their K-9 officers are and how they work as well help apprehending suspects. These K-9 officers will also be available for pets and visiting.

A last minute addition is the Okaloosa County Health Department. Department representatives will offer Covid-19 immunizations at this event.

They will have the Pfizer 2 dose version for children 17 and under and the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for those 18 and older.  

The festival is always a fun day. Come out and bring your family!

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: Laurel Hill Arts Festival celebrating its 10th anniversary

CRESTVIEW — This year Memorial Day falls on Monday, May 31.

Memorial Day was established by a group of Union veterans in order to remember and decorate the graves of those fallen during the Civil War. General Logan, commander of  the Grand Army of the Republic, wanted to establish May 30 as Decoration Day.

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,(https://bit.ly/3oD6lCC), "The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C." The date was May 30, 1868. 

Many local communities and states held their own remembrance of these fallen soldiers for many years. After World War I, Decoration Day was expanded to include and remember all the fallen men and women from any American war. Congress adopted Decoration Day as a National Holiday to be held on May 30 in 1938. Decoration Day is now known as Memorial Day.

In 1968, Congress adopted the Uniform Monday Holidays bill, which moved Memorial Day to the last Monday of May.

This move was met with resistance from some who felt that by making this day a three-day holiday took away the solemnity of the occasion. This special date has been set aside to commemorate our fallen service members. It isn't just a day off school or work.

For many years, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and others worked to get Memorial Day to be held on May 30, no matter what day of the week, but this hasn't happened.

The original intent of this holiday was to clean up, remember and decorate the graves of those who have fallen in war. Small American flags are also placed at each grave as a remembrance of the sacrifice these persons have made for our country.

This is a solemn occasion and not one that should be taken lightly. We need to remember those who gave their lives in battle for our country.

Red poppies, which symbolize the blood that was shed for our country, are worn on the Friday before Memorial Day.

The poem "In Flanders Field" was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a Canadian doctor and World War I veteran.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie

        In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe: 

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high. 

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields. (Public domain)

Our children should be taught that true bravery is displayed when men and women go into war to preserve our freedoms.

Generally these loyal service members give no thought to their safety, but to the safety of our country.

We owe these fallen ones a huge debt of gratitude that cannot easily be repaid. Let us remember them on Memorial Day.

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: Honor our fallen veterans on Memorial Day

We’ve finally made it to warmer weather! This season has me thinking about barbecues and beach days, but it means more to our area farmers. This season is planting season!

Farmers are busy planting crops like peanuts and cotton and soybeans. Also, hay producers are busy getting their first hay cutting of the year into the barns.

Livestock owners are putting in summer forages. Vegetable producers are growing ]veggies such as tomatoes and watermelons.

Share the roads

This busy time of year for farmers means more farm equipment on the roads than usual.

These hardworking men and women are fighting against the elements and equipment failures to get tasks done in a timely manner. Most often, harvest and planting have to be completed in a small window of good weather. They are under a time crunch to produce the food and fiber that we often take for granted. The least we can do is share the road safely with them.

Farm vehicles are legally entitled to be on the roads. They are wide and slow moving. If you must pass them do so carefully and legally. Don’t assume that the driver of these large vehicles sees you and knows that you are there. A few minutes of patience could potentially save a life – maybe even your own.

So, let’s all slow down and enjoy all of the sights, sounds and smells of this season. Show your appreciation to farmers on the roads by having patience and being extra careful. They are busy providing food and fiber for us to enjoy!

Jennifer Bearden 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: Share the road safely with farmers, producers

CRESTVIEW — While local arts organizations have, sadly, come and gone, one stalwart supporter of the visual arts has always been available to share the community’s desire to appreciate art: Your friendly Crestview Public Library.

And during May, it has a surfeit of art on exhibit throughout the building.

The Crestview High School visual arts department is holding its annual spring art show at the library, and what a feast for the eyes it is!

“We are just thrilled to be able to do this this year,” art teacher Lori Phillips said. “We just don’t have the room at the school.”

The school’s art shows not only showcase the undeniable talents of Crestview High’s young artists, but also expose them to preparing their works for exhibition, displaying them in a public place, and undergoing a juried review of their pieces.

The experience prepares them for future visual arts experiences, whether they choose to become professional artists or continue to pursue their creative muses as a hobby.

Past CHS art shows have been held in the school’s media center, which in the time of COVID-19, has been set up as a socially distanced place to study for and take tests.

Phillips said she and her co-art instructor Alex Pottinger were at first hesitant to ask about holding the show at the city library.

“When we asked if we could do it at the library, they said, ‘Yes! How about for the month of May?’” Phillips said. “We were so excited. In the past we could only have a two-day show.”

Now, when patrons visit the library, they will immediately encounter three-dimensional works in the lobby, including pottery, clay sculpture and a giant piece called “Lady in Brown” by Jessica Mayfield. The all-cardboard piece cradles “Terren,” a smaller figure created by Shayla Willis.

The assigned topics led to some interesting interpretations. Ceramic hamburgers, for instance, are anything but a mundane Whopper. Dalton Pickron’s blue-ribbon-winner “Mushroom Burger” even has a ‘shroom sprouting out of the top. Noah Schmied won Best of Show in the three-dimensional category for his “The Patched-Up Burger.”

In the two-dimensional category, Alea Keliinoi garnered Best of Show for her painting, “Dinner,” depicting a colorful fish about to be filleted by a sharp carving knife. Adding an authentic substrate, Alea painted the piece of a wooden kitchen carving board.

Other captivating works include a series of pottery whistles, including the whimsical “Mama and Baby Dog” by Lily LaSalle; and the fun “Frog Burger” by Alayna Canlas, which is crowned by a big amphibian wearing a dapper top hat.

Look for Robby Kopp’s stunning black and white, high-contrast photo “Silence” among a diverse collection of photography, and pieces in the colorful tempera painting group like Emory Steadman’s “Mermaid,” which uses the thick paint to create dimensional scales on the mermaid’s body.

And in a twist on an American classic, Matty Bruning takes a cue from Grant Wood’s 1930 “American Gothic” with his interpretation, “Gothic Duck,” in which the dour country farming couple depicted in the original now hold a yellow duck.

There’s more — much more — to explore along the Sandra Dreaden Gallery Wall and on freestanding panels set up in many of the library’s open spaces.

Monthly art exhibits by community artists, sculptors, wood workers and ephemera collectors are just one great reason to visit your Crestview Public Library, located at 1445 Commerce Drive.

To learn about all the library has to offer, 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 Officer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Check It Out: Seeing art, art and more art!

I’ll be the first to admit that North Florida lawns are frustrating. With time, most people discover this.

Why are lawns so difficult here? The answer involves a combination of factors.

We are not far enough north to benefit from the better soils. Florida is known for sandy, low fertility, low water holding capacity soils.

Some areas of the country enjoy richer soils with better water and nutrient holding capacities. These better soils result in a more favorable lawn root environment with roots being more competitive and resilient.

Something else happens in more northern areas. The heavier soils and colder temperatures (sometimes resulting in the soil freezing) are natural means of inhibiting and/or controlling certain soil dwelling pests.

For example, nematodes are not nearly the concern in northern lawns. Many people that move to our area have never heard of these microscopic roundworms that play havoc in our low fertility, warm, sandy soils.

After a lawn has been in place for a number of years, allowing the nematode population to reach a threshold, the lawn begins to decline. And we have few legal, effective chemical control options for nematodes in Florida lawns.

Some other soil dwelling pests that northerners don’t have to deal with include ground pearls, small scale-like insects that bother centipedegrass roots. Mole crickets are not a pest much north of Central Alabama.

Years ago, a representative with the company that manufactured the once popular mole cricket insecticide Oftanol told me that in the absence of the state of Florida, they would not sell enough Oftanol to keep it on the market. Take-all Root Rot, a common soil dwelling fungus, plays havoc in our Florida lawns and it is difficult to control.

We are not far enough north to use the more trouble-free northern grasses to create a permanent lawn. These include bluegrasses, fescues and perennial ryegrass. At best, these grasses can be used to overseed our lawns during the cooler fall and winter months to create a temporary winter lawn. But they will not survive our hot, wet summers.

We are not far enough south to benefit from the lack of freezing temperatures during winter. A late freeze that occurred on April 8 a number of years ago resulted in much lawn injury. I saw lawns with 70 percent kill from this late freeze.

This is something that typically does not happen in Central and South Florida.

We deal with saltwater issues, high humidity, hurricanes and tropical storms, an array of lawn insects and diseases, and extremes in rainfall and temperatures.

It’s no wonder most people become dissatisfied with their lawns. Perhaps we should lower our expectations and enjoy the natural flora and fauna of our state.

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: North Florida lawns are frustrating