THE ISSUE: The number of abandoned, run down buildings has surged in downtown Crestview

LOCAL IMPACT: Blight is not just unsightly; it deters potential investors, which stunts economic growth

CRESTVIEW — Proactive instead of reactive: Mayor David Cadle said that's the goal concerning code enforcement.

‘DOWNTOWN IS A HOT TOPIC’

Cadle said he wants to see the city rid itself of excessive trash, debris and dilapidated buildings.

The city’s blight discourages residents and makes Crestview unappealing to potential investors, Cadle said.

City Council members agree that problem is out of control.

“We need to put some teeth into enforcement,” City Council President Joe Blocker said.

He said the council needs to take steps to improve the city’s overall appearance, but he said the city should remain fair to property owners.

Commercial properties also must receive more scrutiny, Councilman Doug Faircloth said. He cited several downtown buildings in disrepair and infested with vermin.

“We need to clean them, or tear them down, or do something,” Faircloth said.

A walk through Main Street shows several abandoned commercial properties, many with rental or sale signs in the windows.

Although they are vacant, most don’t appear to be rundown, aside from the need for a pressure wash or paint job.

However, what about these buildings’ structural and interior conditions?

Code enforcement officers, perhaps ironically, can’t enforce building codes, Code Enforcement Department Supervisor Senida Oglesby said.

This means the department can’t deem properties unsafe or condemned — a common misconception.

Therefore, live electrical wires in abandoned buildings, for instance, fall outside code enforcers’ jurisdiction. The building department monitors and cites building code infractions.

IT TAKES TIME

So, what is the city doing to eliminate the blight?

“There is a process and we are running the process,” Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said. The growth management department oversees building inspections and code enforcement.

Citing building codes and condemnation is a time-consuming procedure, according to Gaillard, who said this process often takes longer than people would expect or prefer it to take. However, her department and the city are formulating a “plan of action,” she said.

Building inspections and deeming structures unsafe are also capabilities of the fire marshal, according to Gaillard.

While true, the fire department focuses on ensuring residents’ protection, Fire Marshal Rodney Lancaster said.

Codes enforced by the department deal primarily with occupied buildings that might pose a threat to safety or wellbeing, he said.

Therefore, many building code violations fall back to the building department, he said, despite the fire department’s ability to declare a building “unsafe.”

‘THEY ARE ATROCIOUS’

Downtown isn't the lone problem area. Homes and former businesses beyond Main Street face similar calls for condemnation or cleaning up.

“I’ve seen some of the buildings and they are atrocious,” Councilman Shannon Hayes said. “We got to do something about cleaning up our city for our residents and those that might want to be.”

Some of these matters, again, fall beyond the reach of code enforcement officers because they relate to building safety, according to Oglesby.

That's a shame, one resident says. 

"The powers that be should give code enforcement more power to get these things up to code," Joan Bencheck says. "Houses on Pearl Street should be checked out … Maybe a few fines would get them in line.

"Code Enforcement does a great job and they should not have their hands tied."

Until then, education is also an issue, as many residents are not aware they are violating city codes, Oglesby said.

“Most of our job is educating people about what they can and can’t do, even if it’s on their property,” Oglesby said, adding that violators include senior citizens and impoverished residents who lack the means to correct code issues.

The department has had success despite these concerns, according to Oglesby. Code enforcers had a 99 percent success rate in obtaining compliance during the last fiscal year, responding to over 800 code violations she said.

All of which is handled by a small staff.

Crestview employs two full-time code enforcement officers and operates one city vehicle, according to Oglesby. The department’s second vehicle was totaled in a car accident in November 2016 and is in the process of being replaced.

Blight and decayed buildings exist in Crestview, as they do in most cities.

Correcting these issues has no quick solution and requires the work of several departments within the city government.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Clean it up or tear it down?

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County courthouse’s demolition ends a lengthy chapter in Hub City history.

Black mold and asbestos throughout the building prompted the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners to vote for its closure in October 2015. The courthouse closed its doors for the final time in April 2016 and demolition of the site began this week.

The current courthouse building was built in 1955 for about $400,000. The central portion of the structure functioned as a bomb shelter due to its Cold War-era construction, according to Ann Spann of the Baker Block Museum.

Newspaper reports at the time didn’t indicate a specific reason for construction, as it replaced an existing courthouse. The rebuild was possibly little more than progression for the city, Spann believes.

The county courthouse’s history goes back even further than the 1955 building.

The site housed Okaloosa County’s first courthouse, constructed in 1918. This original courthouse was priced at about $29,000, according to news clippings the museum provided. Although, a cost of up to $30,000 was “within the appropriation,” the excerpt read.

J.J. Brett and W.J. Rice, owners of the Crestview Land Company, donated the 11-acre site for the first courthouse. The building featured steam heating, electrical lighting and a functioning plumbing system.

Robert Blackwell, a confessed murderer, was executed by hanging at the courthouse on July 30, 1920. This was the first murder case tried in Okaloosa County, according to Spann. Blackwell addressed a large crowd of attendees for about 20 minutes before his execution. His body was placed in a coffin in the courthouse for viewing after the hanging.

Two others were hanged on the Okaloosa courthouse’s lawn. Putnam Ponsell and Jacob Benjamin were also convicted of murder and executed Sept. 23, 1921. They warned the crowd in attendance to learn from their mistakes and turn to God, according to writings the museum provided.

Execution by hanging was performed in Florida by local jurisdictions, but outlawed by the state in 1923 and replaced by the electric chair.

The current courthouse’s demolition isn’t the end of the story for the Okaloosa County Courthouse in Crestview, merely the beginning of a new chapter.

County commissioners voted to construct a new courthouse on the same site at a cost not to exceed $23 million. Completion of the new structure is expected around July 2018.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Remembering the county courthouse

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Two U.S. Air Force airmen graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas.

They are:

•Airman 1st Class Christopher M. Speegle, the son of Michael and Michelle Speegle of Crestview. He graduated in 2007 from Crestview High School and earned a bachelor's degree in 2015 from Auburn University.

•Airman Alexander B. Blake, the son of Elliott and Michelle Blake of Crestview, and a 2015 graduate of Crestview High School.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Speegle, Blake complete basic training

The Okaloosa County Tax Collector’s Office is collecting delinquent business tax receipts in January.

The receipts are required for businesses that provide merchandise, entertainment or services to the public, even if it's a one-person company or home-based business, according to Tax Collector Ben Anderson.

“To prevent the illusion of a scam, agents will only call during business hours, Monday through Friday, and identify themselves as Tax Collector employees. If business owners have questions, they can contact our office at 651-7300,” Anderson said.

BTRs are renewed annually and should be paid by Sept. 30 to avoid penalties. See www.OkaloosaTax.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Delinquent Okaloosa tax receipts due

The details

A Crestview campus for Florida International University has been in the works since about 2009. The campus will build on an existing physician’s assistant program that allows the completion of clinical rotations and residencies for students of northwest Florida.

Rotations permit students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom in a working environment and are required in medical schools. Completion is performed at a hospital or local practice within a student’s field of study.

A provisional accreditation of the program was required before classes could be hosted. This approval was an external peer review conducted by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant to ensure the program’s educational and professional quality.

Completion of this process takes about a year to enact and several more years to be conducted. A provisional approval was granted to the FIU PA program in Apr. 2015. This allows the program to seek a final approval known as accreditation-continued.

The ARC-PA requires five consecutive years of accreditation-continued for a program to be eligible for a satellite campus. Students are still able to complete classes, residencies and rotations without the presence of a physical campus.

Allowing students to complete their education outside the Miami area, where FIU is based, is the program’s goal. Targeting Crestview for the site was partially due to the area’s military presence according to Pete Gutierrez, the associate dean and founding chair of FIU’s physician assistant school.

The program and future campus would allow more individuals to further their education. This will help strengthen a growing medical field, according to Gutierrez.

The PA program is a master’s program requiring applicants to have a bachelor’s degree, complete the Graduate Record Exam and submit letters of recommendation.

The progress

The program accepted its first round of 45 students in Crestview in 2015, followed by another group of 45 in 2016. Second-year students began their rotations January 2017 through the program.

A satellite campus is still years away, despite the program accepting and educating students.

Accreditation-continued takes at least 18 months from where the program is now and Gutierrez expects this to be completed in 2018-19. The ARC-PA requires a program to maintain accreditation-continued for five years before becoming eligible for a satellite campus.

Students can conduct and complete their FIU PA education in northwest Florida, but don’t expect to see a campus in the area until at least 2023.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Florida International satellite campus still years away

1. SEE DANCERS ONSTAGE as the Eisenhower Dance Company performs "In Power & Passion" 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center, Northwest Florida State College, 100 College Blvd., Niceville. Tickets cost $25 each and are available at http://www.mattiekellyartscenter.org/EventItem.cfm?ID=1107 or at the campus box office.

2.  ENJOY CARS AND COFFEE at the Emerald Coast Cars & Coffee meetup. The group of enthusiasts meets once a month to look at each other's vehicles or anything with wheels. Hours are 9-11 a.m. Jan. 14 at Starbuck's in front of Santa Rosa Mall, 340 Mary Esther Cutoff, Mary Esther.

3. ATTEND THE 30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL. It has headline performances and workshops from esteemed artists such as John Prine, Cheap Trick and Dr. John & The Nite Trippers. Workshops and performances begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 13, 9:30 a.m. Jan. 14 and 9:30 a.m. Jan. 15, and continue past 10 p.m. on the main stage at Grand Boulevard, Sandestin and other venues along Scenic Highway 30A. Weekend passes are available for $275 each at http://www.30asongwritersfestival.com/. To see the schedule of performers, go to http://bit.ly/2iVqZMt.

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

FORT WALTON BEACH — Impact 100 of Northwest Florida — a non-profit, all volunteer organization made up of women — has new officers to guide the group in 2017.

Joanna Dean of Crestview will serve as treasurer of Impact 100, a position she also held in 2016. Dean has more than 15 years’ experience in the accounting field and has spent the past 10 years working for Speedee Cash Management Company Inc. She currently serves as the company’s chief operating officer.

Other 2017 board members are: Teresa Bolton of Santa Rosa Beach, president; Lisa Jo Spencer of Mary Esther, vice president/president-elect; Pam Woodall of Shalimar, secretary; Michelle Anchors; Christine Carter; Kay Crawford; Crestview resident Sherry Ensor; Amanda Gordon; Cindy Graham; Dawn Hoffman; Susan Page; Jennifer Poland; Gayle Powers; Mathilda Ravine; Cindy Shanklin; Mari-Helen Skinner; Jo Stewart; and Connie Yarbro.

In the past five years, Impact 100 has contributed $1,290,000 to non-profit groups in Okaloosa and Walton counties. All of these funds come from annual member donations and are provided as grants of at least $100,000.

Recipients include AMI Kids Emerald Coast, Arc of the Emerald Coast, C.O.P.E. Center of DeFuniak Springs, Destin Harvest, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, GRACE Rides, Habitat for Humanity of Walton County, the Matrix Community Outreach, Okaloosa Public Schools Foundation’s Silver Sands School, Safe Connections and Shelter House.

See www.impactnwf.org for more information on the organization.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Impact 100 elects 2017 officers

I often hear parents and community members mention that life skills once taught in school or learned from helping Mom or Grandma are missing in today’s youth. Skills like cooking, letter writing and sewing are often not practiced regularly in school or in the home. 

This past week, the Family and Consumer Science program and Okaloosa County 4-H hosted a beginner's level Youth Sewing Day Camp. Participants ages 8 and up learned how to sew using a sewing machine and made two pillows to take home. By the end of the class, students were threading their machines, pivoting to sew corners, and back-stitching. Children also learned how to make a no-sew scarf. 

Volunteers from the Santa Rosa County Home and Community Education Club helped teach the class. The kids left with smiles on their faces and asked when the next class would be held. Look for an upcoming day camp in summer 2017.

Jill Breslawski is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Students enjoy youth sewing camp

CRESTVIEW — Speaking at the Gordon Martial Arts Jan. 6 advancement ceremony, Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor found similarities between the academy’s guiding tenets and those followed by his police officers.

The 120 students who were promoted to their next belt levels strictly observe a code of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

“These are the same tenets police officers follow,” Taylor said.

Taylor soon discovered Gordon Martial Arts supporters follow a sixth tenet: generosity.

Following Taylor’s remarks, academy owner and internationally recognized Taekwondo master Thomas Gordon and his staff passed Taylor’s cap around the packed Crestview Community Center, soliciting donations at Taylor’s recommendation to C.O.P.S.— Concerns of Police Survivors.

Taylor explained that the charity provides financial and emotional support for families of slain law enforcement officers. He is a board member of the local Northwest Florida chapter, which has provided benefits to locally slain officers’ families, including those of OSCO Deputies Bill Myers, Tony Forgione, Burt Lopez and Skip York.

After Taylor’s cap made it around the hall, it was overflowing with $444.09 in donations.

“I knew it was a lot, but I wasn’t expecting this much,” Taylor said after the cash was counted. “We really appreciate Gordon Martial Arts’ generosity.”

“It’s what we do to thank our speakers,” Gordon said of the hat-passing tradition. “We don’t pay them, so this is what we do.”

Each year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. C.O.P.S. (Concerns Of Police Survivors) provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join

C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.

C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today membership is over 37,000 survivors including spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and affected co-workers of officers killed in the line of duty.

C.O.P.S. is governed by a national board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the national office in Camdenton, Missouri. C.O.P.S. has more than 50 chapters nationwide, including a Northwest Florida one, that work with survivors at

the grass-roots level. For information about the local C.O.P.S. chapter, contact Crestview Police Chief Tony Taylor, 682-3544 or taylort@crestviewpd.org.

Source: www.NationalCOPS.org

What is COPS?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Ceremony raises funds for slain officers' families

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

CRESTVIEW — Sharing and Caring is an emergency food pantry that provides food and hygiene supplies to those in need, and it’s been doing so since 1990.

The pantry — located at 298 Martin Luther King Ave., in Crestview — relies on donations and support from local churches and the United Way to supply non-perishable goods, bread, baby food and formula, meats and limited hygiene items.

Sharing and Caring helped 13,072 families in 2016, according to its former president Robin Marston. She spent over nine years operating the center and said she’s seen rising needs during that time.

Families can receive one order per month; the homeless can receive an order every two weeks. Homeless individuals receive an extra order per month because they often have limited space and inability to store some food, Marston said. The products and amounts S&C gives out vary based on the number of family members.

The food at S&C is secured through product donations by local churches, individuals and the United Way. Monetary donations to the food bank are used to purchase additional food. Hygiene items and products such as laundry powder are only available if they are donated to S&C, as the organization doesn’t purchase these items.

At least five churches partner with the food bank, according to Marston. However, more churches make occasional donations when able.

Publix also offers food donations and allows S&C to order bulk items through its food vendor and pick up items upon delivery. This makes large purchases easier for S&C and Publix, Marston said.

Sharing and Caring doesn’t offer clothing, shelter, monetary assistance or meal services (such as a soup kitchen), but Marston said volunteers can refer those in need to other outlets. Occasionally, S&C volunteers have offered budgeting advice to families regarding food, but it’s not the food bank’s primary function, Marston said.

Signs hung in the food bank’s waiting room detail Crestview’s various shelters and information on GED testing. The room also features a library for people to take a book or movie.

Eighteen volunteers, including Marston, help the food bank operate. These people check in families, package orders and receive incoming donations.

The center always needs volunteers or donations, according to Marston. Food items in constant need include canned goods, rice, pasta, bread, baby food and formula, diapers, cereal, powdered milk, dried beans, meat and personal hygiene items.

The facility is open 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Thursday and volunteers work as much or as little as they are available. Call 682-1907 for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sharing and Caring: feeding families in need