lifestyle | Crestview News Bulletin

THIS WEEKEND: Quilt show scheduled in Niceville

Written by archive on February 23, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

NICEVILLE — Flying Needles Quilt Guild Inc. will present a show Feb. 27 and 28 at Northwest Florida State College's Student Services Center.

The show — 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 100 E. College Blvd. — features vendors, demonstrations, a Quilter's Walk and a boutique. Lunch will be available in the cafeteria.

Call 729-7772 for more details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THIS WEEKEND: Quilt show scheduled in Niceville

NOMC: Vaccination key to prevent spread of measles

Written by archive on February 23, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

CRESTVIEW — Measles is making a comeback.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 102 cases of measles were diagnosed in 14 states in January.

Most of these cases are linked to a measles outbreak at an amusement park in California.

In 2014, the U.S. experienced the greatest number of measles cases — 644 cases in 27 states — since the virus was declared eliminated here 14 years ago, according to the CDC.

Most of these cases were in people who were not vaccinated.

“Vaccination is an important tool in preventing the spread of measles,” said Lida Deonarine, North Okaloosa Medical Center's director of Infection Control and Employee Health. “CDC research shows that one dose of the measles vaccine is about 93 percent effective at preventing measles if someone is exposed to the virus, and two doses are about 97 percent effective.”

Measles is still common in other countries, and travelers with measles continue to bring the virus to the U.S. An outbreak can occur when the disease reaches a community where groups of people are unvaccinated.

The CDC recommends that every child receive a first dose of the measles vaccination after reaching the age of 12 months. A second dose is recommended for 4- to 6- year-olds.

Vaccination is also recommended for adults who do not have evidence of immunity to the measles.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NOMC: Vaccination key to prevent spread of measles

HAPPENINGS: More adventures from California

Written by archive on February 23, 2015. Posted in columns, lifestyle.

I recently visited California to spend time with my parents, whom I had not seen for years. My Dad just celebrated his 90th birthday, so it seemed like it was time.

My first observation? Flying these days is fairly uncomfortable. Airlines pack you into tiny regional jets like sardines, and connections are tight. I almost missed my connection waiting for my gate-checked carry-on. I got exercise that day, walking fast and running for over a half-mile. They held the plane for three of us, thank goodness.

I had wonderful companions on both flights: a young lady from London was my seat mate on the way to Houston, and a young man born in Northern California but raised in Mexico was my seat mate to Ontario. I love to learn more about others, and it is especially fun to learn about other cultures.

And how wonderful it was to see Dad and Mom; of course, we had several adventures. I wrote a few weeks ago about our trip to the dentist. After that, we visited Knott's Berry Farm and ate at Mrs. Knott's Chicken Dinner restaurant. We have delicious fried chicken here in the South, but — my goodness — their fried chicken, buttermilk biscuits and boysenberry jam? Fabulous! It does seem that we ate out quite a bit, but with the different restaurants, there was always some place new to eat. And no trip to Southern California would be complete without a trip (or two) to In N Out Burgers — fresh burgers and fries!

It isn't as much fun to reflect on the more mundane things like cooking, dishes, laundry, yard work and feeding the pets. My Mom and I got to spend time talking and visiting while we scrapbooked and made cards. It is so much more fun to do crafts with another person.

What are your thoughts on family vacations? Do you enjoy just taking day trips and spending time with your loved ones, or do you prefer to go somewhere, like the beach, the zoo, or a specific destination?

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

Email listings of upcoming events to NorthOkaloosaHappenings@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: More adventures from California

Beekeeping course available next month in Cantonment, Milton

Written by archive on February 23, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

A beekeeping short course is scheduled through March in Milton and Cantonment. Classes, as follows, are 6-8 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday:

•March 9: Honey Bee Biology, Anatomy & Hive Structure

•March 16: Bee Nutrition and Bee Botany (identification of nectar plants)

•March 21: Bee-Yard field day

•March 23: Important Pest and Diseases — Identification and Management

Sessions are by interactive video, except for the March 21 field day.

Registration for all classes — presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Panhandle Agriculture Team — is $20 per person, or $30 per family. The fee covers course materials and refreshments.

Contact the Escambia County office — 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment, 475-5230 — or Santa Rosa office — 6263 Dogwood Drive, Milton, 623-3868 — to register.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Beekeeping course available next month in Cantonment, Milton

EXTENSION CONNECTION: Magnolias are a much anticipated first sign of spring

Written by archive on February 18, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

The saucer magnolia — Magnolia x soulangeana — is one of the earliest flowering trees to bloom.

The goblet-shaped, pink to purple blooms cover the deciduous tree's bar stems just before leaves emerge. Each flower is 3 – 6 inches in diameter, and takes on a tulip-like structure that fully opens into a saucer position, earning the tree its two most common names: tulip or saucer magnolia.

This hybrid's parents are Magnolia liliifolia and Magnolia denudata, which are both native to Japan, logically leading to an additional common name — Japanese magnolia.

The genus Magnolia is one of the most ancient genera among flowering plants, with fossils dating more than 100 million years.

Similarly, beetles in the Nitidulidae family that existed back then are still the magnolia flowers' principal pollinators.

How to care for them

Magnolias are shallow-rooted plants, and one of the surest ways to retard or possibly kill a new tree is to plant it too deeply.

When installing a saucer magnolia, locate the topmost root and position it slightly above the surrounding soil grade. Avoid disturbing the roots after planting.

Magnolias prefer to be grown in well-drained, moist soil. However, once established, they need no more than 20 inches of rain per year.

Mature trees can reach 20-30 feet tall, though the saucer magnolia is a fairly slow grower. Pruning can be done as needed after flowering, but before setting buds for next year.

The saucer magnolia's dramatic show of color is a wonderful break from winter's drabness.

Let's just hope that the last few frosts don't cut the blooming period short.

Sheila Dunning is a Commercial Horticulture Extension agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Magnolias are a much anticipated first sign of spring

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Holding investments long term can be less 'taxing'

Written by archive on February 18, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

As we get closer to the April 15 tax-filing deadline, you may be wondering about how your actions can affect the amount of taxes you pay.

Of course, you don’t have total command of some key tax-related components, such as your earned income. But one area in which you do have a degree of control is your investment-related taxes.

And since 2014 was a decent year for the financial markets, you may have some gains.

If you decide to sell some of your investments to “lock in” those gains, what would be the tax consequences?

Essentially, the answer depends on two variables: your tax bracket and how long you’ve held the investments.

Our tax code rewards investors who hold their investments for longer than one year. Consequently, short-term capital gains — earned on investments held for less than one year before being sold for a profit — are taxed at an individual’s ordinary income tax rate, which for 2014 can be as high as 39.6 percent.

However, long-term capital gains, earned on investments held one year or longer, are taxed at just 15 percent for most taxpayers and 20 percent for those in the 39.6 percent bracket. (At this tax bracket, a 3.8 percent Medicare contribution tax may also apply to long-term gains, so the top capital gains rate would be 23.8 percent.) You’ll need to check with your tax adviser on your specific situation.

From a tax standpoint, you may be better off keeping your profitable investments at least one year before selling them. But are there other reasons to hold investments for the long term?

In a word, yes. For one thing, if you are constantly buying and selling investments, you won’t just incur taxes; you’ll rack up commissions and fees that can eat into your investments’ real rate of return.

Also, if you are always buying and selling, you may be doing so for the wrong reasons.

You might be chasing after “hot” investments, even though by the time you buy them, they may already be cooling off. They may not even be right for your needs. Or you might decide you need to “shake things up” in your portfolio because you haven’t liked what you’ve seen on your investment statements for a particular time stretch. But if the overall market is down, it tends to drag everything down with it — even quality vehicles that still have good prospects.

Rather than chasing after hot stocks or reacting to short-term price movements, you may be better off by following a “buy-and-hold” strategy in which you purchase investments appropriate for your needs and then hold those investments for the long term.

Of course, “buy and hold” does not mean “buy and forget.” You may still need to make transactions, but only if it’s really necessary — such as when an investment is no longer appropriate for your investment goals.

If you want to cut down on your capital gains taxes, holding quality investments for the long term makes sense.

As for an investment strategy, a buy-and-hold approach can work well for you — long after tax season has ended.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FINANCIAL FOCUS: Holding investments long term can be less 'taxing'

Ash Wednesday run on Eglin

Written by archive on February 16, 2015. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The Eglin Chapel's Ashes to Dust 5K Walk/Run is Feb. 18 at the CE Pavilion. Ashes to start Lent will be distributed at 6:30 a.m., folowed by the run/walk at 7 a.m.

There are free t-shirts for the first 50 participants and for the first male and female winners.

For more information, please call the chapel at 882-2111.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ash Wednesday run on Eglin

FINANCIAL FOCUS: Will you be able to retire when you want?

Written by archive on February 13, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

Despite the past few years' soaring stock market, some Americans are nervous about their ability to retire comfortably — or even retire at all. Consider this:

• Almost half of American workers report being “not too confident” or “not at all confident” about being able to afford a comfortable retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute’s 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey. The 28 percent who say they are “not at all” confident is the highest level recorded in the 23 years of this survey.

• Between 2010 and 2012, the percentage of people ages 45 to 60 who planned to delay retirement rose to 62 percent from 42 percent, according to the Conference Board, a nonprofit business membership and research organization.

If you’re in either of these groups, what can you do to possibly alleviate your worries?

Get specific about your retirement goals. Have you set a target date for your retirement? If so, how many years until you reach this date? Once you know when you want to retire, you’ll need to come up with some sort of “price tag” for your retirement years.

By considering your hoped-for lifestyle and projected longevity, you should be able to estimate how much money you’ll need. You may find it helpful to work with a financial professional — someone with the tools and experience to plug in all the variables needed to calculate your retirement expenses.

Next, review your retirement savings vehicles, such as your 401(k) and IRA. Are you contributing as much as you can afford to these accounts? Are you increasing contributions when your salary rises? Within these vehicles, are you choosing an investment mix that can offer the growth you’ll need to accumulate sufficient retirement savings?

Even after you’ve “maxed out” on your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, you can find other tax-advantaged vehicles in which to invest for retirement. Again, your financial adviser can help you evaluate the ones that may be suitable for your needs.

Still, even after maximizing your investments, you may come up short of what you’ll need, given your desired retirement date. You may need to consider working a couple of extra years. If you like your career, moving out your retirement date may not be so bad — you’ll bring more earned income and you may be able to delay taking Social Security, which would eventually result in bigger monthly checks. Plus, you could postpone withdrawals from your 401(k) and IRA, giving these accounts more time in which to potentially grow. (Once you turn 70½, you’ll have to start taking money from your 401(k) and your traditional IRA.)

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FINANCIAL FOCUS: Will you be able to retire when you want?

HAPPENINGS: California driving and Crestview band uniforms

Written by archive on February 13, 2015. Posted in columns, lifestyle.

Having been born and raised in Southern California, with family still living there, it is a lovely place to visit in the winter.

So, for a winter vacation, I did just that.

CALIFORNIA AND CRESTVIEW

The Los Angeles area is warmer than our climate at this time of year, and quite beautiful.

The hills and mountains are still green, and there is snow on Mount Baldy; according to the ski reports, there is enough to ski.

There is so much to do in Southern California, whether you're visiting Disneyland (my favorite), Knott’s Berry Farm, the beaches, the mountains, the desert, zoos, the Arboretum and other lovely gardens, as well as the symphony and theatre — just about any activity is available.

The flowers are in bloom, and are just beautiful. Mother’s bougainvilleas are in bloom, as well as her daffodils, roses and narcissus — she loves her flowers.

However, traffic is a sight to behold. After driving in our fair town, it is interesting to once again face California freeways.

Yes, in California, they are called freeways.

Having grown up there, I don’t mind the bumper-to-bumper traffic, but it can be intimidating to be honked at, cut off continually, have a car change lanes from the far left-hand lane over four lanes of traffic to get to an off ramp or have someone tailgate for miles.

There are quite a few interesting driving habits.

The speed limit is 65, but you feel as though you will be run over, as most motorists drive about 75 to 80 mph.

All to say, driving in the Los Angeles area is not for the faint of heart or timid.

I will write more about my California adventures in the next few weeks, and would really love to hear where you have gone for a winter vacation, or where you would like to go.

SUPPORT FOR BIG RED MACHINE

I want to turn focus to our talented Crestview High School Band, which is raising money for new uniforms.

According to Jody Dunn, the band director, each uniform costs approximately $300. The uniform goal is $90,000 and so far they have raised $22,000.

All donations are tax-deductible; if you would like to help our fabulous band, please make your check out to Crestview High School, write Band Uniform Fund on the memo line and mail to Crestview High School, c/o Jody Dunn, 1250 N. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, FL 32536. Any donations will be gratefully accepted.

If you see me around town on my jaunts, please say “hi." If you have any “Happenings,” please drop me an email so I can report on it.

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

Email listings of upcoming events and activities of public interest>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HAPPENINGS: California driving and Crestview band uniforms

Tax-free investing seminar set Thursday

Written by archive on February 13, 2015. Posted in lifestyle.

CRESTVIEW — Yvonne Shanklin, an Edward Jones financial adviser in Crestview, is sponsoring a tax-free investing seminar on Thursday.

The seminar is 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at Coach N Four Steak House, 114 John King Road.

Dinner will be provided. Call Marcia at 682-2497 for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Tax-free investing seminar set Thursday

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