NICEVILLE — More than 90 individuals were recently recognized for their more than 7,000 hours of combined volunteer service this past year with the usher corps at Northwest Florida State College’s Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center.

Volunteer ushers assist with all public events at the arts complex, from symphony concerts to student productions, and work at other college events such as commencement and the annual dinner. They also raise funds for student scholarships and other arts endeavors and have donated more than $10,000 in recent years to the NWFSC Foundation, mostly from concession sales proceeds.

Mattie Kelly Arts Center ushers who assisted at the college’s recent 50th Anniversary Kick-Off Assembly in the athletics arena included Delores Merrill, Niceville; C.V. Miller and Sandy Miller, Niceville; Marsha Hooten, Florala, Ala.; Dodie Glowa, Fort Walton; RoseLyn Stone, Niceville; Betty Doyle, Fort Walton Beach; Jean Smith, Valparaiso; and Gloria DeBerry, Fort Walton Beach. From left, back row, are Jim Washington, Destin; John Hooten, Florala; Nancy Litten, Shalimar; Lee Fryer, Ron Altman, Roxanne Ruckdeschel and Chuck Hightower, all of Niceville; Una Heavener, Fort Walton Beach; Dave Kaplan, Ellie Hightower and Sharon Johnson, Niceville; and Dave Hyre, Destin.

Other Mattie Kelly Arts Center ushers recognized for their service include Margaret Larson and Tonya Nascimento, Crestview; Anna and Wayne Leone, and Steve Strauss, Destin; and Heather Perez, Freeport.

Also: Inge Ackerman, Darlene Anderson, Audrey Bailey, Diana Barr, Mindy Barrett, Phil Block, Michele Boles, Joan Bowman, Jane Broestler, Yolanda Byrd, Brenda Crabbe, Joy Crimmins, Jan and Kurt Eichorst, Katie Furby, Marjorie Gray, Dee Gulbranson, Susie Hagwood,  Audrey and Bob Hains, Laurie Hardy, Be Hinely, Pat Honstetter, Kathie Justice, Carol Lumsden,  Gilbert March, Sue and Lee Marion, Pat McDaniel, Cheryl McDermott, Dave Miller, Lynette  and David Pearce,  Melissa Pearce, Ali Pfeffer, Marsha Plinske, Vicki Richburg, Angela Smith, Paul Summitt, Ann Surmiak, Caroleen Swanson, Barbara and Bill Thaler, Judy Van Rees, Valerie Valade, Gary Wendel, Cathy White and Nancy Whitehouse, Niceville; Pam and Leroy Donald, Fred Doyle, Nancy and Charley Dyess, Dan Glowa, Sue Jones, Astrid and Phil Krajeck, Mary-Anne Lovato, and Judith Mastromonico, Niceville; Lolly and Steve Korn, and Sheila Stetzler and Pat and Jim Wood, Shalimar; and Pat D’Aquila, Valparaiso.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa volunteers among ushers recognized for service

With hurricane season upon us, evidence of preparation surrounds us. Tree trimmers contracted by local electrical utility companies have been removing trees, branches and other vegetation "too close" to power lines, which has concerned many homeowners.

To prevent power outages, the federally approved Vegetation Management Reliability Standard, FAC-033-2, requires utilities to manage vegetation growth along the path of power lines to prevent contact. A minimum clearance of 14 feet between trees and transmission lines in the right-of-way must be maintained at all times to achieve service reliability and public safety.

Florida Statute 163 grants an electric utility an easement or right-of-way on private property to build and maintain electric power lines. Vegetation maintenance allows for mowing vegetation within the right-of-way, removal of trees or brush within the right-of-way and selective removal of tree branches extending within the right-of-way by the electric utility personnel, licensed contractors or International Society of Arboriculture-certified arborists.

The choice of how to trim trees and manage vegetation growth near a power line — by pruning, herbicides or tree removal, for example — is primarily made by the electric utility, subject to state and local requirements and laws, applicable safety codes and any limitations or obligations specified in right-of-way agreements.

An individual may contact the utility company to obtain a copy of his or property’s right-of-way agreement.

Sometimes, it appears that excessive vegetation has been removed. Remember, utility companies must maintain the appropriate clearance "at all times."

For example, power lines sag in the summer as they expand from rising air temperatures and heavy use. In addition, wind and future growth must be considered when determining where to prune. Electric utilities usually prune or remove vegetation to a distance greater than the minimum clearances to account for these factors.

Tree trimming around power lines may seem like a local issue, but vegetation growth also affects interstate transmission lines.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that electric utility service interruptions annually cost businesses and communities tens of billions of dollars. Tree contact with transmission lines was the leading cause of the August 2003 blackout that affected 50 million people in the Northeastern United States and Canada.

That particular blackout prompted Congress to pass the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which led the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to establish the Vegetation Management Reliability Standard.

If Northwest Florida experiences a storm, remember that tree and branch clearing provides faster access for first responders, line repair crews and other emergency service personnel.

As you watch preparation work in progress, think about where you will plant a tree. Ensure it can reach full maturity without threatening power lines — which would require "ugly pruning."

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: Storm season comes with tree trimmings

CRESTVIEW — Faces from the past gaze from a crisp, high-definition computer monitor’s wide screen, a seeming incongruity given the photo's origin.

However, after countless hours by late Baker Block Museum volunteer JC Connor, about 90 percent of the museum's photo collection has been digitized.

Connor, who died May 21, left behind a legacy for the North Okaloosa Historical Association, which runs the museum and its historic and genealogical research library, museum director Ann Spann said.

He borrowed Crestview High School, Laurel Hill School and Baker School yearbooks and scanned their pages into the archive, she said.

Photographing pages from the Crestview Public Library’s bound copies of old Okaloosa News Journal newspapers was particularly necessary as time was taking their essence.

"They're crumbling," Spann said. "They're so brittle they're just going to crumble apart. We need to preserve them as fast as we can."

Connor worked on the project on his own time over the last several years, around his full-time job as the Okaloosa County School District’s chief information officer.

"We jokingly referred to JC as the 'picture king' because he loved old photos," Spann said.

Reminiscing

Scanning through archived images, Spann pauses at a senior class photo from the 1944 "Bulldogger" yearbook. It is mostly girls.

"All the guys are gone to fight World War II," Spann said. "There were just two dudes in the whole class."

While some people in the pictures have been identified, many have not been, Spann said. When local historians come to help put names to faces, they begin reminiscing about the old days, she said.

Claudia Patten, who co-authored "Crestview: The Forkland," and Colleen Polly recently pored over scores of digitized photos.

"They'd pull up a picture of the class of 1940 and by golly, they'd know everybody in it," Spann said. "Then they'd start telling stories. Every picture has a story."

The historical society has not decided how to make the photos available to the public, or whether a searchable online archive would be created, Spann said.

"It's definitely a work in progress," she said. "There's a lot of stuff we have to sort and identify. The museum is really grateful for all the hours JC put into this and we're dedicated to continuing the project."

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker museum photo and newspaper clipping archive digitized

CRESTVIEW — Dawn Onuffer seeks support to bring her baking dreams to November’s 46th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Las Vegas. The Crestview resident is a semifinalist in the national competition.

The contest

Onuffer's Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake recipe is one of 60 entries in the "Simple Sweets and Starters" category. Three other contestants, from Miami, Tampa and Melbourne, represent Florida in the category. The top 34 contestants with the most votes will receive an expenses-paid trip for the chance to win a $1 million grand prize.

"This is the mother of all baking contests," Onuffer said. "We will bake our recipes for the judges and they will select the top three finalists."

The second and third finalists win $10,000 and $5,000, respectively, according to the contest website. The top three finalists can choose from sponsor General Electric’s kitchen appliances. 

Four other $5,000 prizes will go to participants who present particularly creative recipes.

Onuffer — who expects to know voting results by July 4 — said she already knows what she’d do if given the ticket.

"I have never been out west … If we go I would like to take the family to see the Grand Canyon," she said.

Standout competition

"I just like to experiment (in the kitchen)," Onuffer said. "I just throw things together; that's just how I cook.”

However, she said, “I enjoy baking more so than cooking."

Onuffer — who has entered several baking contests in the last decade — participated in the Bake-Off four times before becoming a semifinalist in last year's Orlando competition.

"It was a cookie with a cream cheese, coffee-flavored topping," she said of her Cappuccino Toppers.

This year’s cake entry requires flour, eggs and sugar. Per contest guidelines, the recipe includes Pillsbury products,including hot pink vanilla-flavored frosting and the company's self-rising flour.

Click here for Dawn Onuffer's Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake recipe>>

After a half-hour preparation time, the cake takes one hour and 40 minutes to bake. The result is a creamy, vibrant dessert.

“It’s the only pink recipe online (on the contest website) … it stands out really well," she said.

Want to vote?

Visit http://bit.ly/159LsOa to vote for Dawn Onuffer's Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake recipe. Deadline is 11:59 a.m. June 27.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview woman vying for national baking contest (RECIPE)

CRESTVIEW — The Friends of the Arts has announced it will not fund repairs for a donated Wurlitzer electronic organ currently in Warriors Hall.

The organization will not maintain the instrument due to its condition and age, President Rae Schwartz said in an email. The decision followed a commissioned evaluation of the organ.  

"While we were at the evaluation, the professional told us that most groups now use a digital organ, which this is not," Schwartz said.

The 1970s instrument was unstable and couldn’t be easily moved for various uses, a Friends statement said.

Sharon Jackson donated the organ to the city. It had been wrapped in plastic and rested on the family's covered front porch.

“Friends of the Arts appreciate the donation of the organ as a gesture of support for the arts and for the hall; we thank the donor for her consideration in doing this,” Schwartz said on our Facebook. “Unfortunately, the outcome is not what we would have hoped, but we do appreciate the opportunity to serve our city and its citizens.

City clerk Betsy Roy said the issue would be brought before the city council at a future meeting.  

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Friends of the Arts decides against organ maintenance