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

May is here and our attention needs to be turned to hurricanes once again. With all of the wind, rain and tornado watches we have had, we need to be prepared for inclement weather should it strike us here in Northwest Florida.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 9-15.

With the official start date of June 1, we need to be ready. Now is the time to be mindful of approaching storms.

Let's stock up our supplies now, instead of rushing to the store once a hurricane is predicted. Make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand, order extra now instead of waiting.

Make an evacuation plan. Know where you will go should the need arise to leave the area. Plan more than one route to get to your destination as roads may be closed or gridlocked due to traffic.

Know your destination. Will you stay with relatives or go to a hotel? If you have pets, is the hotel you have chosen pet friendly?

Be sure to have enough supplies for everyone in your family if you stay home, including pets and some extras for neighbors who may not be as well prepared.

Necessities

Here is a partial list of needed items. You can customize it to meet your family's needs:

•Battery-operated radio to keep updated about hurricane conditions.

•Cash to buy needed supplies.

•First aid kit.

•30 days' supply of prescription and over-the-counter medications.

•Plenty of fresh batteries and working flashlights.

•Bottled water – at least two gallons per person daily, plus one gallon per pet daily.

•Post multiple copies of your evacuation route in your home and have a meeting place for the family.

•Have a list of motels with phone numbers ready if you need to evacuate.

•Cell phone, laptop and tablet chargers as well as extra cell phone batteries.

•Home owner's insurance, car insurance, banking information, birth certificates and all other important papers should be placed in a portable file or in waterproof zippered plastic bags.

•Pet leashes and carriers in an accessible place, along with pet vaccination records.

•Pet medicines and two-week supply of pet foods.

•Keep your car full of fuel. If we lose power, there will be no pumping gas.

•Propane for the grill – use OUTSIDE only.

•Five-day supply of canned food and a hand can opener.

•Diapers, formula and baby food if you have babies or small children.

•Fill your bathtubs with water for cleaning up, hand washing and flushing.

•Take your jewelry, cameras and other valuables with you if you evacuate.

Shelter supplies

If your family plans to go to a local shelter, know the rules ahead of time.

Is this a pet friendly shelter? Do they have services for the disabled? Will your family need to have masks and what are the COVID-19 restrictions? What supplies will be needed?

Check on the requirements ahead of time, so you know what you will need. Generally the following are needed in a shelter:

•Sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, sheets

•Food and drinking water for your family.

•Important papers and Identification.

•Snacks, games and toys for your children.

•Medicines and prescriptions for family members.

•Battery operated radio.

Most importantly, be prepared, know your plans and be organized. Remember to take all of your pets with you. They cannot fend for themselves during a disaster.

 If you want a more complete list of items needed, visit www.national-hurricane-center.org/hurricane-awareness/hurricane-checklist.

Stay safe Crestview and Northwest Florida!

Janice Crose: Additional Lifestyle articles

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: Prepare as hurricane season approaches

May Day (May 1) marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. It has traditionally been an occasion for popular celebrations.

The day was the traditional first day of summer in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures.

Worldwide, the holiday has been celebrated with several horticultural presentations. Small baskets have been left anonymously on neighbor’s doorsteps. May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii. In Germany, a tree wrapped in bright colored streamers was once delivered to a love interest.

Modern day May Day ceremonies vary greatly because May 1st also commemorates the fight for the eight-hour work day. In 1958, the U.S. Congress designated May 1 as Loyalty Day.

Calibrating water use

In North Florida, the month of May typically begins the dry season. So, while everyone is thinking about planting new flowers and trees, they should also be focusing on keeping the plants watered. Those with the forethought to have installed rain harvesting devices this winter, when the rain was plentiful, will be well equipped to deal with the upcoming dry season.

For those who didn’t, it may mean that May Day will be a day of labor, rather than an opportunity to exchange flowers.

Calibrating your sprinkler system means figuring out how long you need to run your sprinkler system to apply the correct amount of water.

In most Florida soils, the correct amount is 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water. This rate varies depending on your location in the state. Heavier clay soils, such as in North Florida and the panhandle, may only need the 1/2-inch rate. In sandy soil, which doesn't hold water as long, you may need to apply the 3/4-inch rate.

Set out five to 10 coffee or tuna fish cans (any straight-sided can will do) around your lawn and landscape. If you have an in-ground irrigation system with multiple zones, place the containers in one zone at a time.

If properly designed, the sprinkler system has separate zones for landscape areas and the lawn. Scatter the cans at random within the zone. Repeat the procedure in every zone, because there may be differences in how uniformly water is applied in each zone.

If you use a hose-end sprinkler to water your turf, place the cans in a straight line from the sprinkler to the edge of the watering pattern. Space the containers evenly.

Turn on the sprinkler system for 15 minutes. Then use a ruler to measure the depth of water in each container. The more precise your measurement, the better your calibration will be.

Find the average depth of water collected in the containers. To do this, add up the depths in the different containers and divide that number by the number of containers. This will give you the correct rate in inches per 15 minutes.

The length of time can be adjusted to enable the system to deliver 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of water at each irrigating event.

Anything less leads to shallow weak root systems. Anything more is wasting water and adding to non-point source water pollution.

Then select the days that the system will run so that one inch of water is delivered every 5-7 days. Don’t forget to check the rain shut-off device and the rain gauge. Even in May we get a random downpour.

Calibrating your system helps you save water and money, and protects your grass and plants from disease.

For more information about this and many other gardening topics contact the Extension office, at 850-689-5850, or at 3098 Airport Road, Crestview.

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: Set water usage to save money, prevent disease

If you’re like me, you’ve already started trying to figure out what the summer is going to look like for your child (or children).

Here are some dates to save for activities at your library:

Tuesday, June 1 — Reading logs available for ages 6-17.

Friday, June 11 — Storyteller Pat Nease will enthrall ages 5 and up with stories about animals at 6:30 p.m.

Mondays and Wednesdays, June 14-July 21 — Ages 3-5 and 6-11, Storytime Classes at 10:15 a.m.

Tuesdays from June 15-July 20 — Ages 6-17, Library Class at Allen Park at 10 a.m.

Tuesdays from June 15-July 20 — Ages 0-2, Storytime Classes at 10:15 a.m.

Tuesdays June 15 and 29 and July 6 and 20 — Ages 6-17, Lego Free Play from 2-4 p.m.

Fridays — Teen Time for 6th-12th graders from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Friday, June 18 — Storyteller Pat Nease visits again, this time at 6:30 p.m. at Allen Park, 895 McClelland St., Crestview.

Friday, July 30 — Reader Awards with special guests Animal Tales at 6 p.m. at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive. Summer readers who turned in their reading logs on time will receive a certificate. Teens will receive their prizes. Animal Tales will bring live animals and teach us how they use their tails.

We’ll see you there!

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Library releases summer schedule