CRESTVIEW — The Club Challengers volleyball teams are champions following the Capital Classic Tournament held the weekend of Feb. 25 in Tallahassee.

The 13U team placed fourth, and the 14U team won the tournament. 

"(I) just wanted to give these girls a little recognition for their hard work, and their amazing teamwork. This team has chemistry like no other, having fun, staying positive and making us proud on and off the court!" Club Coach and Co-Director Kahley Wibben said.

The Crestview club has players ages 10 to 14.

Search for Club Challengers Volleyball on Facebook for more information or to join.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview 14U volleyballers win tournament

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 things to do this week in Northwest Florida

CRESTVIEW — A Pennsylvania woman now knows what many out-of-towners before her have learned: that she can depend on the kindness of strangers in Crestview.

Zazoo, Lana Caputo’s Congo African gray parrot, flew away from a Crestview motel in late February but the pair reunited after residents and others rallied to rescue the runaway bird.

"It was a very stressful four days," Caputo said.

Caputo was preparing to leave Crestview about 3 p.m. Feb. 21 when Zazoo, whom she has cared for an estimated 22 years, escaped. She’d removed the perch and opened the cage door to put the perch inside — that's when her bird flew off.

Over the next four days, Caputo searched for Zazoo with help from parrot rescue organizations; she also placed flyers in local businesses.

Throughout the search, she met many people who went out of their way to help.

On Feb. 23, she visited the Goodwill store on Highway 85 to secure permission to place a "missing" flyer. While talking with Goodwill System Manager Mark Walters, she decided to step behind the building and see if the parrot was nearby.

"I called Zazoo's name and (his) answer came. I got so excited!" Caputo said. "I thought he was on the roof of the building. He was that close — I could hear him that plainly."

Caputo asked Walters for a ladder, and he recommended checking with a nearby auto shop. Two men from the shop came over with the ladder to help look for him.

"One guy climbed the ladder to the roof and said he wasn’t up there. I looked all through the bushes and stuff and couldn't see him,” Caputo said. “… I finally saw him in a tree up about 50 feet or more (near a retaining wall) … he was scared to come down. He flew up and he wouldn't fly down. I had to stay until after dark so he would stay there and not fly out."

Caputo said she had to place herself in the same area around 5:30 a.m. the next day, and maintained this schedule the entire time Zazoo was gone.

Goodwill boss Steve Casker recommended contacting Signs Galore Inc. on Hammock Lane;  he knew they had a bucket truck she might be able to use to rescue the bird.

At this point, Zazoo had gone without food or water for a few days.

Signs Galore Project Manager Bryan Wibben sent Brandon Severns to Goodwill with the truck.

Severns, a sign fabricator and part-time installation technician, said, "As we approached the parrot it was whistling at us. It was just whistling songs to us, and as we got closer it got upset and went from singing to screeching," Severns said, laughing.

Because Zazoo only flies to Caputo, Severns had to hold onto Caputo as she leaned beyond the retaining wall to get Zazoo, who leaned toward her.

Area employees, and even motel guests, rooted for their reunion as she finally got her bird down from the tree. People, situated all along the fence, watched as she retrieved him, Caputo said.

And now?

The bird is recovering well, his owner said.

"His feet were a little roughed up from the branches up there, and he's a little more quiet than he usually is, but he seems fine," Caputo said.

She is grateful for everyone's assistance with the reunion.

 "They were really, really nice,” Caputo said of Crestview residents and those who cheered for her reunion with Zazoo.

“I just can't believe how they came through for me."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'They came through for me'

CRESTVIEW —The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce is organizing the 13th Annual Triple B (Blackwater, Bands and Barbecue) Cook-off.

The cookoff is set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 25 at Old Spanish Trail Park, on Stillwell Boulevard in Crestview.

Attractions include arts and crafts vendors, entertainment, children's activities and booths. Many events are designed to entertain people of all ages, which will serve to keep families at the event for a longer period, hence spending more money at the vendor booths, according to a chamber media release.

“We expect participants from all over the region,” the release stated. “The day will be filled with live music, barbecue all around the park and plenty of vendors, and ends with the barbecue awards ceremony.”

Food vendors may visit www.myfloridalicense.com and click the link for mobile food vendors to see if they need licensing to participate in this event. Vendors and competitors are responsible for any fees they must pay due to improper licensing.

Potential participants may return applications by the March 20 deadline, along with a picture or description of the craft or product they're providing and a payment for the booth, to Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce, 1447 Commerce Drive, Crestview, FL 32539.

Go to http://bit.ly/2lkXqDA for a vendor application; go to http://bit.ly/2mpz0NZ for a competitor application. Spaces are available first come, first serve. Refunds will not be given for no-shows or inclement weather. 

Contact the chamber, 682-3212 or info@crestviewchamber.com, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Chamber seeks vendors, competitors for barbecue cookoff

CRESTVIEW—The efforts of 600 volunteers, contributing more than 3,000 hours of work, culminated Tuesday.

That’s when Habitat for Humanity in Okaloosa County’s 57^th home officially opened the doors to its new residents.

“It just means so much to me — so much,” Esther Simmons, the homeowner said during the event. “It (the house) is something that I can pass down to my kids.”

Simmons, a mother of three, became familiar with Habitat for Humanity more than 15 years ago but never pursued an opportunity with the organization.

She finally completed an application for homeownership in January 2016 after seeing a home-building site.

Three months later, she got an acceptance call.

One of the requirements for homeownership through Habitat for Humanity is 300 hours of “sweat equity” on the part of the future owner. This equity is completed by volunteering hours at other build sites, at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore or by completing personal development classes for topics such as financial management.

Simmons performed about 100 hours of construction into her home, she estimated. She also helped construct another home before beginning on her house.

“I was a little nervous about the sawing part but they taught me everything,” Simmons said.

Mayor David Cadle, several city council members, volunteers and staff from Allen Turner Chevrolet — the official home sponsor— attended the open house.

“What Habitat for Humanity does is such an asset to our community and to the people it services,” Cadle said during the ceremony. “Welcome home.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart and to God above,” Simmons said. “This is just a blessing.”

Habitat for Humanity is constructing its 58th home in the area; it will be next door to Simmons’ residence.

See www.habitatfwb.org for more information on Habitat for Humanity in Okaloosa County and to learn about its homeownership program.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'This is just a blessing'

Regulations cost consumers $1.8 trillion per year, which means higher bills for utilities, gas and transportation for the average person.

Another example of the cost of environmental hysteria was revealed this week. Southern Company was forced to build a “clean coal” plant by former President Obama and his hordes of regulatory henchmen.

In 2010, the plant’s estimated cost was $3 billion. Because of government demands, the price for the Mississippi plant now stands at 7.1 billion. Oh — and it’s not workable. A comparable natural gas plant would have cost $700 million, one-tenth the cost.

It gets better.

Like other theories that government dolts came up with (as in the Solyndra debacle, which cost taxpayers at least $500 million), the cost of this harebrained Southern Company scheme will be passed on to Southern customers  — to the tune of $4.2 billion.

You see, since the government regulates utility companies, it allows utilities to pass on to their customers the costs of their ideas: one of the many hidden costs of out-of-control regulation.

The left shames people into blindly accepting climate change and calls anyone like me who questions it a “denier,” or a “flat earther.” Never mind that the science was “settled” that the earth was flat for centuries.

Liberals believe it is wise to spend trillions, costing tens of thousands of energy workers their jobs, just so a caribou in Alaska does not have to look at a pipeline.

In reality, we right-of-center Libertarians and Republicans love the environment and want to protect it more than those crowded into gentrified Brooklyn condominiums.

We hunt, fish, play golf, camp, etc. much more than the left.

Yet another false narrative coming out of this climate change movement is that they care so much more. Not true. We are just not idiots about the solution and don’t chase every stupidly expensive idea the left kicks around.

The founder of the religion of global warming is Al Gore, a delusional man, known for his gassy emissions, who also said he invented the internet.

Those who preach the religion of global warming, like professors and political government cronies, have something to gain by advancing the narrative. Even a UN official admitted that climate change is not about doing anything about it, but about global wealth distribution. Whistleblowers continue to tell us agencies are cooking climate data.

A recent U.N. study said that solar activity played a greater role in global warming than was originally thought. Wow — the sun? It’s always the last place you think to look, ain’t it?

The poster child for global warming, the polar bear clinging to a melting ice floe, is a crock. According to recent reports, the polar bear population is growing and is in the best shape it has been for 40 years.

What was the last government-propagated fear that actually came true?

These same folks made us learn the metric system years ago.

They shut down nuclear plant building in the 70s; it’s now the cleanest energy (oops!).

They said Y2K was going to be a disaster. 

And whatever happened to acid rain and holes in the ozone layer?

To believe all the climate change propaganda, you have to subscribe to the following: Earth is warming for the first time, humankind is causing it and politicians are so smart that if we give them more money they can change the earth’s temperature.

Earth’s temperature averages 59 degrees and has increased maybe a fraction of one degree. But politicians know better than our planet what its temperature should be. They are just that smart.

So let’s go with Gov. Jerry “Moonbeam” Brown’s hunch on this one.

He even said he’d sue Trump on climate change. The court case has already been named: Brown v. Orange.

Ron Hart, a libertarian op-ed humorist and award-winning author, is a frequent guest on CNN. Contact him at Ron@RonaldHart.com or @RonaldHart on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Don't buy the 'climate change' hype

Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series on North Okaloosa County nonprofits that improve our quality of life.

CRESTVIEW—My Safe Place Pet Rescue is opening a cat adoption center after months of renovations to a facility on its property.

The rescue already operates spaces for dogs and cats but the addition of a cat center allows the felines to socialize with each other and potential adoptees.

The center also allows for more space and dedicated care areas. These care areas include a quarantine space, for newcomers who have not been fully vaccinated or tested for disease, and a newborn wing for mothers and their kittens.

“What I see a lot is people will come in for one cat and go home with another,” Cindy Hunter, MSPPR’s owner and founder, said. “Cats have such different personalities and they are drawn to certain people. So, this gives people a chance to visit with different cats, not just the one they think they’ll adopt.”

The facility, known as The Kelly Curtiss Memorial Cat Care and Adoption Center, was made possible after MSPPR received a $25,000 grant. Curtiss was a friend of Hunter’s who died from cancer at 30 years old. Curtiss’ mother donated the funds after her daughter’s death.

“I didn’t have to think about what to do with it for even two minutes,” Hunter said. She had the idea of a cat care center for quite some time but lacked funds to make the vision a reality. MSPPR is a non-profit organization that relies solely on donations to operate.

Currently, the cat center and MSPPR rely on the help of about eight volunteers, according to Hunter. These individuals ensure food and water bowls are full, litter boxes are clean, and animal residents have a chance to socialize.

Some volunteers bring their children to spend time with the cats, Hunter added. This allows the felines to become more comfortable with human interaction.

Most of the cats at MSPPR come from kill shelters, including the Laurel Hill branch of Panhandle Animal Welfare Society, Hunter said. They are also found on free web pages, such as Facebook.

All animals rescued from MSPPR include basic vaccinations and are spayed or neutered. Those that are too young to be fixed are required by adoption agreements to have the procedure done by proper age. Out of the hundreds of adoptions, MSPPR has facilitated only two agreement breaches have occurred, Hunter said.

The rescue requires the procedure to prevent uncontrolled spread of pet populations, according to Hunter.

MSPPR’s location isn’t public information. Hunter is concerned that publicly listing the center and rescue’s address will encourage random animal drop-offs. The facility lacks the resources to help every animal that could come from that situation, according to Hunter.

Potential adopters make appointments with the rescue to meet the animals and visit the facility.

In addition to finding forever homes for the animals, MSPPR seeks foster homes, volunteers and donations in the form of monetary, food or scoopable litter.

The rescue spends about $1,200 per month on food, flea and heartworm medications and vet visits, according to Hunter. She has explored grant opportunities but hasn’t applied for any.

The rescue works with about 17 foster homes but just five of them accept cats, Hunter said. This low number adds to the benefit of opening the cat center, which can hold up to 20 felines, although around 15 would be ideal, Hunter added. 

The “grand opening” event for the cat care center will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4. The event will be an open house for people to see what the rescue is and what they do.

An adoption event will also be held, with the hopes of finding permanent homes for some of the animal residents.

Contact MSPPR at 306-1718 for more information about the open house, adopting, volunteering or donating.

WHAT: Grand opening for My Safe Place Pet Rescue’s cat care center

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 4

WHERE: Undisclosed location. Call 306-1718 for details. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: A place for cats

FORT WALTON BEACH — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast will soon enroll for summer youth development programming.

Registration opens to all current club members on March 6; it’s available to last year’s summer members on March 20. General public registration will open on March 27 and will be on a first come, first served basis until each club has reached capacity.

The program is available at these locations: Pensacola-Englewood Club, Destin Elementary, Fort Walton Beach Youth, Fort Walton Beach Teen, Kenwood Elementary, South Walton and DeFuniak Springs Club.

The schedule is as follows:

• Okaloosa Clubs: Wednesday, May 31 – Tuesday, Aug. 8
• Walton County Clubs: Friday, May 26 – Tuesday, Aug. 8
• Escambia County Clubs: Wednesday, May 31 – Tuesday, Aug. 8

Walton County’s end of BGC Summer Program date is tentative, as Walton County School District has not released the official 2017-18 school year calendar.

Payment plans are available as follows:

• Registration fee and one-third of summer program paid on day of registration
• April 28: second payment due
• May 26: final payment due

The Boys & Girls Club focuses on character/leadership, education/career, health/life skills, the arts, sports/fitness/recreation and other specialized programs. 

Call 862-1616 or go to www.emeraldcoastbgc.org for more information. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Registration opens for Boys & Girls Clubs’ summer program

CRESTVIEW — ServantCARE, a non-profit, 501c3 ministry that supports micro-enterprises in developing nations, is collecting shoes to raise funds.

Funds2Orgs helps impoverished people start, maintain and grow businesses in countries such as Haiti, Honduras and other nations in Central America and Africa.

Proceeds from the Crestview shoe drive are used to feed, clothe and house developing nations’ families.

 "We know that most people have extra shoes in their closets they would like donate to us and help those less fortunate become self-sufficient. It’s a win-win for everyone,” a Funds2org spokesperson said. 

The local drive runs through March. Contact Larry Tuggle, 830-4224, for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shoes wanted for fundraiser

In your life, you will want to take many journeys. Some are physical — perhaps you'll finally visit the French Riviera or the Caribbean. Others involve personal growth — one day, you'll finally become fluent in that foreign language you've been studying.

But of all the destinations you can identify, few will be as important as retirement — specifically, a comfortable retirement. And that's why it's so important to consider the "roadblocks" you might encounter on your road to the retirement lifestyle you've envisioned.

Here are five of the most common obstacles:

•Insufficient investments. Very few of us have ever reported investing "too much" for their retirement. But a great many people regret that they saved and invested too little.

Don't make that mistake.

Contribute as much as you can afford to your 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, and increase your contributions whenever your salary goes up. Even if you do participate in your retirement plan at work, you may also still be eligible to fund an IRA, so take advantage of that opportunity, too.

And always look for other ways to cut expenses and direct this "found" money toward your retirement.

•Underestimating your longevity. You can't predict how long you'll live, but you can make some reasonable guesses — and you might be surprised at your prospects.

According to the Social Security Administration, men reaching age 65 today can expect to live, on average, until age 84.3, while women turning age 65 today can anticipate living, on average, until age 86.6.

That's a lot of years – and you'll need to plan for them when you create long-term saving, investing and spending strategies.

•Not establishing a suitable withdrawal rate. Once you are retired, you will likely need to start withdrawing money from your 401(k), IRA and other retirement accounts.

It's essential that you don't withdraw too much each year — obviously, you don't want to run the risk of outliving your resources. That's why you need to establish an annual withdrawal rate that's appropriate for your situation, incorporating variables such as your age, the value of your retirement accounts, your estimated lifestyle expenses, and so on.

Calculating such a withdrawal rate can be challenging, so you may want to consult with a professional financial advisor.

•Taking Social Security at the wrong time. You can start taking Social Security as early as age 62, but your checks will be bigger if you wait until your full retirement age, which will probably be 66 or 67, or when your payments "max out" at 70.

You might not be able to afford to wait until then, but by postponing the date you begin taking withdrawals, you could help yourself considerably.

•Ignoring inflation. It's been low in recent years, but inflation hasn't disappeared, and it could rise at exactly the wrong time – when you're retired.

That's why you'll want your portfolio to include some investments with the potential to outpace inflation, even during your retirement years.

By being aware of these roadblocks, and taking steps to overcome them, you can help smooth your journey toward retirement — and once you get there, you may enjoy it more.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Try to overcome 'roadblocks' to a comfortable retirement