CRESTVIEW — The first week of June is National Fishing and Boating Week, and 37 states, including Florida and Georgia, have planned license-free fishing days during the June 1-9 celebration.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, has set June 8 for free freshwater fishing.

All bag limits, seasons and size restrictions apply on these dates.

More details: http://myfwc.com/fishing/freshwater/regulations/

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Floridians can freshwater fish without a license on Saturday

CRESTVIEW — Sharon Jackson wants to enhance the city’s musical offerings with her gift of a Wurlitzer electronic organ.

The organ had been in Jackson's family for years.

"We had it a long time. It's a beautiful organ," Jackson said. "It's a family piece. I used to play it. I had a couple grandkids who'd play on it once in a while."

However, because of lack of space in their home, Jackson's family moved the organ to their covered porch, and protected it with a plastic sheet.

Jackson called city clerk Betsy Roy in mid-May and offered the instrument to the city for use in Warriors Hall.

Roy had the organ transported to the Stillwell Boulevard auditorium, and contacted the Friends of the Arts to see if the group could evaluate the organ and contribute toward its maintenance if the city accepted it.

The organization provided and maintains the Warriors Hall grand piano and produces arts events benefiting improvements to the facility.

Mary Mancini, a Friends member and former music storeowner, is having the organ evaluated by a trained technician, Friends President Rae Schwartz told the City Council at a May 21 meeting.

Schwartz said she would present the council with the technician's evaluation of the organ.

"If it's reasonable, we will certainly take it on and maintain it," Schwartz said.

Roy said if the organ is in good condition, it will enhance services offered by the auditorium.

Jackson said she hopes children might take organ lessons on it.

Her son, Chris, said the family is at peace knowing the instrument will keep making music.

"We were glad to see it go to someone who can use it," he said. "We were afraid with bad weather coming it would get ruined sitting on the front porch."

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: Resident donates Wurlitzer organ to Warriors Hall

When we have a dry period in spring or summer, I get predictable calls about some mysterious pest wreaking havoc on lawns.

However, the dry spots callers describe actually result from an irrigation system’s imperfections, revealed following inadequate rain. During sufficient rainfall, rain masks the irrigation system’s imperfections.

The cause for dry spots may be as simple as a maladjusted spray head, a broken spray head, a plugged nozzle, a tree trunk or tall shrub blocking the water, or grass that has grown over a pop-up spray head.

There may be too few sprinkler heads for adequate coverage, insufficient pressure to operate each zone, an incorrect choice of nozzles or wrongly mixing rotors with spray heads on the same zone.

The homeowner may easily fix some problems, but others require a licensed irrigation contractor’s expertise.

These tests can help confirm whether problem areas result from lack of water versus some mysterious pest.

•Take a soil sample in the root zone. Remove a slice of soil 6-8 inches deep with a shovel. Feel the sample for moisture. Do the same in an adjacent area of the lawn that looks normal, and compare the difference. It should be obvious if there’s a difference in moisture between tested areas.

•Place several empty straight-sided cans, such as tuna cans, in the affected area and several in a normal area of the lawn. Turn on the irrigation system and let it run long enough to collect water in the cans. Compare the water amounts collected in the two areas.

•Occasionally, run your irrigation system and check for obvious maladjusted or broken spray heads.

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

But don't guess.

If you're unsure about the diagnosis, contact a reputable lawn care or pest control business or your local UF/IFAS Extension Office.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

MASTER GARDENER YARD SALE: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 15, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural SciencesSanta Rosa CountyExtension Office, 6263 Dogwood Drive, Milton. Free admission. Details: Mary Derrick, 623-3868 or maryd@santarosa.fl.gov. Hearing impaired: 983-5373 (TDD).

BUILDING YOUR FINANCES FOR RETIREMENT WEBINAR: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 20. Register: http://bit.ly/PlanRetire.

TEACH CHILDREN TO SAVE: through July 31. Youths ages 18 or younger who deposit money into a savings account can win a $50 prize. Details: 683-8431; 689-5850, extension 0; or visit your local financial institution.

Larry Williams is an agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Don’t blame pests for dry lawn

CRESTVIEW — More than a century before megaships with populations the size of an average town plied the Caribbean, Americans’ cruise vacations were aboard elegant paddlewheel steamboats. 

“Steamboatin’: The Original All-American Vacation,” an exhibit through July 5 in the Crestview Public Library lobby, recalls those days of Victorian opulence. 

Artifacts from private archives include pieces from the now-defunct Delta Queen Steamboat Company and New Orleans steamboat historian Paul Nelson. 

Patrons may view dinnerware from the National Historic Landmark “Delta Queen” and learn about the grandest of all steamboats, the 1878 “J.M. White,” also known as “the mistress of the Mississippi.” 

Shipyard trim scraps hint at the graciousness of the “American Queen,” today operated on America’s western rivers by new owners in Memphis. 

A pewter goblet and a stateroom door placard are among the few artifacts that remain from the “Mississippi Queen,” sold for scrap in 2009 to cover New Orleans wharfage fees. 

Materials on display include signage, boat models, a bottle of Steamboatin’ Amber beer brewed exclusively for the Delta Queen boats, Great Steamboat Race buttons and 19th-century steamboat photos from the Natchez, Miss., Gandy collection.

WANT TO GO? 

“Steamboatin’: The Original All-American Vacation” is on display through July 5 in the Crestview Public Library lobby.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Library exhibit recalls the steamboating era through July 5

My fellow architecture majors and I took college art classes just to have the freedom to create stuff for the sheer fun of it.

Everything we did in design lab had to have a form following a function. "I like it" was not an acceptable reason for designing something. But in art class, we were free to have creative fun.

But that didn't stop the art majors from reading deep, hidden meanings into our prints or drawings, which always gave us a good guffaw.

Similarly, Crestview artist Mary McShane invites those who view her work currently on display at the library to interpret it as they please.

"Paintings are to be seen and explored, finding more in them every time a person looks at them," the former Laurel Hill School art teacher said. "My paintings are not completely explained."

With her interest now focused primarily on acrylic paint and collage, McShane presents an exhibition filled with color and motion. Horses gallop and dancers twirl across her canvases.

In "Ghosts From Our Past," figures emerge from a swirl of vibrant color, while others remain more subtle. I found 12, but there may be more. I'll study it again soon to see.

"These are paintings that are more experimental in nature," McShane said. "I put paint down and different materials, some kind of paper, and paint with it, and then figure out what to do with it.

"It's making a problem and then figuring out how to solve it. It's a lot like math, but with math there's only one right answer. With art there are many answers."

The viewer is part of the equation.

"Different people can get a whole different interpretation," McShane said. "I just like the painting to have a little mystery in it."

Want to go?

Paintings by Crestview artist Mary McShane are on exhibit through June at the Crestview Public Library.

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: REVIEW: Crestview artist lets viewers interpret her work their way

4-H offers many opportunities for adults, parents and — most importantly — kids!

The program focuses on teaching agriculture; life skills; citizenship; science, technology, engineering and mathematics; diversity; teamwork; leadership skills; and responsibility.

Fun, educational children’s programs include summer camp, the county fair, school enrichment opportunities, county and district events, and club meetings. Eglin and Hurlburt Air Force Bases youth centers have active 4-H programs.

The organization began more than 100 years ago and has served many youths in its time. All 67 Florida counties have a 4-H program.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ 4-H Youth Development Program mission, as it appears on the state 4-H website, is to "use a learn-by-doing approach to help youths gain the knowledge and skills they need to be responsible, productive citizens.

“This mission is accomplished by creating safe and inclusive learning environments, involving caring adults, and utilizing the expertise and resources of the University of Florida and the nationwide land grant university system."

LEARN MORE

Contact the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 689-5850, for more information about 4-H.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

INDOOR YARD & CRAFT SALE: 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., June 8, extension office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. Food, crafts and household items, including area farmers' fruits and vegetables.

BUILDING YOUR FINANCES FOR RETIREMENT: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. June 20. Register: http://bit.ly/PlanRetire.

TEACH CHILDREN TO SAVE: through July 31. Youths ages 18 or younger who deposit money into a savings account are eligible for a $50 prize. Details: 683-8431; 689-5850, extension 0; or visit your local financial institution.

Haley Worley is an agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: 4-H kids learn about agriculture and more