CRESTVIEW — International champion dancers Justin Guilmette and Kimalee Piedad will perform locally Saturday, exhibiting their sensuous, award-winning ballroom dance moves.

The duo takes to the Crestview High School Pearl Tyner Auditorium stage April 5 as part of Fred Astaire Dance Studio's annual "Dance for Life" exhibition showcase, benefiting Covenant Hospice.

"Dancing is truly a celebration of life, and Covenant Hospice is all about quality of life," studio owner David Colón said. "It is such a great cause and a rewarding partnership for both organizations."

Many Fred Astaire studios present yearly exhibition programs, often benefiting a worthy community cause, Covenant Hospice senior development manager Jenni Perkins said. This is the fourth year that the local studio has partnered with the hospice.

"Charity events such as Dance for Life help fund Covenant Hospice’s special programs in Okaloosa and Walton counties," Perkins said, adding the service accepts patients regardless of their financial status.

World champions

While Fred Astaire dancers from the Crestview studio and throughout the region will perform at Dance for Life, many eyes will be on the international champions.

The couple are United States Dance Championship and British Invitational Exhibition World Championship winners. Just six couples are invited to participate in the British exhibition.

"Their performances are full of emotion, beauty and amazingly graceful lifts that leave the audience breathless," Colón said.

In addition, Piedad appeared on ABC's “Dancing with the Stars” and Fox's “So You Think You Can Dance,” Perkins said.

“Each year this dance showcase gets bigger and better," Colón said. "We are excited about hosting the event again, and we are thrilled to introduce local performing arts lovers to Justin and Kimalee."

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Dance for Life, a Covenant Hospice fundraiser

WHEN: 6:30 p.m. April 5

WHERE: Crestview High School's Pearl Tyner Auditorium

COST: $15 general admission; $30 VIP, including limited, reserved premier seating and post-event cocktail party with celebrity dance stars Justin Guilmette and Kimalee Piedad

TICKETS: Available at Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 301 N. Main St., Crestview, 682-1455; or at the door.

Email News Bulletin Staff Arts and Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: World champion dancers performing Saturday in 'Dance for Life'

CRESTVIEW — Martial arts enthusiasts and instructors from around the country and abroad are heading here this weekend for the 2014 Korean Martial Arts Festival.

The three-day festival, hosted by Gordon Martial Arts, will feature instructors like Geoff Booth from Australia and Inwan Kim, grandmasters in Korean Martial Arts who have 10th-degree black belts. 

Tom Gordon, the host school's owner, will be among 16 instructors teaching various Korean martial arts techniques including taekwondo and Hapkido, among others. In addition to networking, the festival allows enthusiasts to learn from each other in a positive environment, he said.

The festival has brought international attention to Crestview, earning praise from numerous national martial arts publications. In 2012, Black Belt Magazine named the event one of "10 Must Do Martial Arts events."

Last year, the TaeKwondo Times called it the "must-attend event of the year."

More than 100 participants are expected to participate in the Friday, Saturday and Sunday festival, which, for the first time, will take place at Warriors Hall Auditorium, Gordon said.

"We did previously have it at the (Gordon Martial Arts) school, but we outgrew it," Gordon said. "It's a good problem to have."

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Korean Martial Arts Festival brings international attention to Crestview

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) scheduled the first of four license-free recreational fishing days on the first full weekend in April each year (April 5-6, this year), because it coincides with a productive freshwater fishing period, when the weather is usually pleasant. Many of Florida’s recreational sport fishes, including black bass, bluegill and redear sunfish, move into shallow waters to spawn during spring, making them more available for anglers to catch.

License-free freshwater fishing weekends are a great time to introduce other family members, friends and neighbors to fishing and see if they and you would like to take up the sport. Besides enjoying the fun of reeling in a fish, many people find recreational fishing to be a good motivator to enjoy the great outdoors and living a more active, healthy and natural lifestyle.

During license-free freshwater fishing weekends (the first weekend in April and the second weekend in June), no recreational fishing license is required. However, all other bag limit and season, gear and size restrictions apply.

To further encourage recreational fishing, the FWC will conduct a special contest during April to collect photos of anglers. All you have to do is post a photo of your family fishing in Florida’s fresh waters on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FLfish (or  use #FWC-FamilyFishing). In return, the FWC will enter you into a drawing for one of six surprise packages, each including a $50 gift card from Bass Pro Shops, thanks to TrophyCatch; a Glen Lau video library on DVD; and assorted fishing lures, hooks, line and goodies to make your next trip even more productive.

Submitted photos must be your own. Editing software must not be used, and the photo cannot include inappropriate content. Photos should be taken during April while freshwater fishing in Florida and include multiple anglers enjoying their day together on the water. The FWC may subsequently use the photos for educational or outreach purposes.

So where will you go (FWC link) for your next freshwater fishing trip? Plenty of resources are available online to help you choose. Start by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and under “Freshwater Fishing” pick “Sites/Forecasts.” There you can find the top destinations for pursuing bass, bream, catfish and other species in 2014, as well as regional forecasts and tips for local waters; information on all 80 FWC fish management areas; and links to our boat ramp finder and freshwater fish attractor locations. Another good resource is the Take Me Fishing website.

Freshwater anglers have enjoyed wonderful fishing so far in 2014 across Florida, and this spring should see a continuation of that trend.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) incentive-based conservation program, TrophyCatch, rewards anglers for participating in citizen-science, by catching, documenting and releasing largemouth bass heavier than 8 pounds. Besides the immediate gratification of releasing these older bass to fight another day, anglers provide valuable information about the number and distribution of these trophy bass and what it takes to sustain a trophy fishery. Biologists compare the findings to existing conservation programs such as habitat restoration efforts, aquatic vegetation management strategies, bass stocking histories and various regulation management approaches to determine what works best.

Between Jan. 1 and March 23, anglers entered 220 Lunker Club, 89 Trophy Club and three Hall of Fame bass. That is a three-fold increase over the same period last year. Part is due to simplified rules and more anglers being aware. Nevertheless, it is clear that Florida is producing and recycling vast numbers or trophy bass.

You never know when you may find a lunker on the end of your line. To be prepared, visit the TrophyCatch website, register and check out the rules and prizing. Just registering makes you eligible for a random drawing in October for a Phoenix bass boat powered by Mercury and equipped with a Power-Pole. However, every time you have a TrophyCatch bass verified, your name is entered 10 more times.

Moreover, every verified bass earns you not only bragging rights on the Web but also a customized certificate, decal and club shirt, plus at least a total of $100 in gift cards from Bass Pro Shops, Dick’s Sporting Goods and/or Rapala. Bigger fish earn greater rewards: Anglers who have 13-pound-plus Hall of Fame entries also get a $500 fiberglass replica of their catch.

So far there are already four Hall of Fame bass this season. Joseph “Brooks” Morrell’s 14 pound, 9 ounce-bass from Lake Kingsley in Clay County is the current season leader. If it holds up, he will earn the TrophyCatch Championship ring in October, which is donated by the American Outdoors Fund.

However, there is still a lot of fishing to be done before then, so get out there and see what you can catch.

Bob Watterndorf is a columnist for Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. For more Fish Busters columns, visit the FWC website and select News/Monthly Columns. Instant licenses are available at on the FWC website or by calling 888-FISH-FLORIDA (347-4356).

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FISH BUSTER'S: License-free freshwater weekend is April 5-6

CRESTVIEW — Family and friends are doing what it takes to make sure Hanna Greenfield competes in the country's second largest Arabian horse show.

It'll cost almost $3,000, including registration fees and travel costs, for the 12-year-old to participate in the Arabian Horse Association's Region XII in May in Perry, Ga., horse trainer Marissa Brown said.

Trainers at The Equestrian Center in Fort Walton Beach hope fundraisers help the Baker School student and her horse, Espania, a 20-year-old Arabian mare, make it there.

So far:

•An anonymous donor contributed $1,000.  

•Leslie Gilchrist is selling Mary Kay products and donating 80 percent of proceeds.  

•Brown created a gofundme.com account that has raised $75, as of this writing.

Such efforts are worth it, as Hanna's dedication to training earned her 20 top-placing awards in Class A competitions, family members said.

"If she is willing to go out there and do what she does with the help of her trainers (Devon Smith, Daphne Whitehead, Randee Harvell and Brown), then it's the least we can do to try and help her get the money to go," said Sharon Adams, Hanna's grandmother.

Hanna has earned 10 points in Class A shows, which is enough to compete in Perry, Brown said.

And she has earned almost 100 ribbons after participating in almost 40 competitions since 2010, trainers said.

"We are going to get her there one way or the other," Whitehead said.

Hanna said she appreciates everything the center has done for her and hopes all of her hard work pays off.

"I feel like we can still do this," she said.

Learn more about Baker School student Hanna Greenfield's fundraising efforts to participate in the Arabian Horse Association's Region XII in May at on Facebook or at gofundme.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Equestrians seek help sending Baker teen to national horse competition