CRESTVIEW — There were spares, strikes, splits and, yes, a few gutter balls, but more important, lots of cheers, hugs and high-fives as North Okaloosa County Special Olympics athletes bowled at Shoal River Lanes.

Twenty athletes participated in the Sept. 27 tournament, with 13 qualifying for the Oct. 15 area competition.

Several special needs athletes bowled. Some, such as recent Richbourg E.S.E. School graduate Lily Murph, used a ramp to launch the balls from their wheelchairs or while supported by volunteer aides.

As he spun his ball down the lane, John Lawrence jumped up and down in excitement as a strike seemed likely. Though one pin was left standing, John was pleased with his performance.

“I did good!” he said.

“You sure did, John,” interim Okaloosa County Special Olympics Director Cherie Cain said, receiving a big hug by way of thanks.

SOCIALIZATION TIME

“This is their socialization time, too,” Special Olympics volunteer Kathy Ellis said. “They don’t always have friends like some of us do. They look forward to this. It’s their time to get together.”

The athletes ranged in age from teens to 74-year-old Marjorie Waillsey, who placed second in her division. Athletes are ranked in divisions based on their age, gender and ability, Caine said.

For senior Jerry Bolton, who placed first in his division, Special Olympics bowling provided a new lease on life, Cain said.

He had been ill, stopped eating and doctors worried that he would die, but when he learned his friends were bowling, he wanted to join them.

Soon he experienced an astounding rebound, Cain said.

“Even the doctor said he’s amazed,” she said. “He came back to life. His will to live and not feel sorry for himself came back. Bowling was his whole quest.”

AREA TOURNAMENT

The Crestview tournament winners will proceed to the Oct. 15 four-county area games at Oops Alley in Milton. There they’ll have the opportunity to advance to the December state tournament, and maybe the summer nationwide Special Olympics.

“We start basketball next,” Cain said. “We’ll have the area games Jan. 7 at Northwest Florida State College,” with teams from Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Escambia Counties participating.

“The athletes know when the kids go back to school, the bowling starts, and when it starts getting cold, the spring games begin,” Ellis said.

Cain said the North Okaloosa Special Olympics will be rebuilt following a slump in participation, not by athletes but by people who make the games work.

“We need coaches and volunteers,” she said. “We can’t have the program without them.”

For the athletes, disruptions to the program that contributes so much to their wellbeing would be tragic, organizers said.

Especially now that Lily, John and Jerry won in their divisions and will join 200-some fellow athletes in Milton.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ‘I did good!’

NICEVILLE — "Littlefield," a satire by playwright Don Goodrum, head of South Walton High School’s drama department, premieres soon.

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12-15 in the Sprint Theater of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center in Niceville.

"Littlefield" tells the story of a small, north Mississippi town at the beginning of the 21st century as seen through the eyes of Polly Littlefield, 17.

As Polly’s story unfolds, along with her dreams of attending an Ivy League school and leaving her rural background behind, the dreams of other townspeople are introduced.

The drama unfolds in the town's diner, Main Street and the Kudzu Falls Rest and Retirement Villa, to reveal a slice of life in the small town that's not always as it first appears — but is ultimately true to heart.

The play features a cast of 15 Northwest Florida State College student and veteran community actors. Wesley Barlow of Crestview plays Holden, Polly’s boyfriend, and the town football star.

NWFSC theater professor, scenic designer and author Clint Mahle will direct the play.

Tickets for all four nights of the play are now available by phone, web or in person from the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Box Office at 729-6000 or at www.MattieKellyArtsCenter.org. They cost $15 for adults and $10 for youths. NWFSC students with their I.D. are admitted free of charge.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man cast in 'Littlefield'

CRESTVIEW — The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office fall activities schedule is below:

•The "Take a Bite Out of Hunger" peanut butter drive continues through Nov. 23. Peanut butter donations will be presented to local food pantries in early December. Donors may drop off unopened jars of peanut butter at these Crestview locations: the Okaloosa UF/IFAS Extension office, 3098 Airport Road; Okaloosa County Farm Bureau, 921 James Lee Blvd. W.; or the USDA NRCS Service Center, 938 Ferdon Blvd. N.

•Fall "Agventures" at the Corn Maze are Tuesdays and Thursdays in October. School group field trips will feature "The Fabric of Our Lives,” a lesson on cotton; "Good Bugs, Bad Bugs”; lessons on sunflowers and pumpkins as well as science, math and nutrition; and Corn Maze Fun. Homeschool groups may participate. The cost for students is $5 each. Contact Molly Huffman at the Okaloosa Farm Bureau, 682-3536, to schedule a trip to the maze, located at 5899 Buck Ward Road in Baker.

•On Nov. 1, a Panhandle Equine Health and Management Workshop is 6-9 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. A meal will be provided. The guest speaker is Dr. Carissa Wickens, UF/IFAS Extension equine specialist. Early-bird registration by Oct. 18 costs $15, registration by Oct. 25 is $20 and late registration by Oct. 31 is $25. Register at http://bit.ly/29tSH22. Contact Jennifer Bearden, 689-5850, with questions.

•As part of National Preparedness Month, the Crestview Extension office is distributing free copies of the Florida “Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards,” which are available at the office.

Call 689-5850 for more information about the University of Florida Okaloosa County Extension or the scheduled events.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Peanut butter drive, Fall 'Agventures' among Extension Office events

CRESTVIEW — Kaylyn Converse, 7, and Ireland Curtis, 9, of Crestview plan to participate in a November dance competition in Atlanta.

They are practicing for the event in their Intermediate Irish Dance Class at the Southern Dance Company in Crestview.

The two girls placed in their levels at the Irish Dance Competition Sept. 17 in New Orleans.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Children prepare for Irish dance competition

CRESTVIEW — Need something to do this week? Check out these fun events:

1. SEE RADIO-CONTROLLED AEROBATICS during the second annual Mill Creek Pattern Run. The event is 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 1 and 2 at Mill Creek Aerodrome, 175 WT Hulion Road, Crestview. Academy of Model Aeronautics members may participate, but admission is free to spectators.

2. FIND YOUR WAY THROUGH the Baker Corn Maze, which opens 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 1. Hour are those times on Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 6 at 5899 Buck Ward Road. The cost is $10 per person, with a $1 discount for military members and senior citizens. Activities include a hayride, corn cannon, kids' train and a petting zoo. Details are available at http://bit.ly/2d0Zd2i.

3. ENJOY THE LAUREL HILL HOBO FESTIVAL 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gene Clary City Park. Admission and parking are free. Children's activities, food vendors, arts and crafts, and musical performances by The McVays and Zach McCarver, Casey Kerney and Tim Richey are scheduled.

4. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE during the 2016 Zombie Medic Run. The event is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Fort Walton Beach Landing Park, 139 SE Brooks St. Runners will protect "life" belt flags from zombies as they go. The cost starts at $20 per person. Register at http://bit.ly/2dmxMvp; visit the Facebook page, http://bit.ly/2cFQ9Ns, for more information.

5. SPEND A DAY (OR TWO) AT THE FAIR. The last two days are 5-10 p.m. Sept. 30 and 2-10 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds, 1958 Lewis Turner Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. The cost for ages 10 and up is $8 per person; it’s free for kids under 10. Armbands cost $20 and pay for Arnolds Amusements Inc. rides for all ages; an exotic petting zoo; pony rides; and a "Cow Town" old time creamery exhibit with some hands-on activities like cow milking and butter and cheese making.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 5 things to do this weekend in Northwest Florida

CRESTVIEW — The Kiwanis Club has new officers.

The group held its Installation of Officers ceremony Sept. 24 at the John McMahon Environmental Center, the club's signature project.

Officers installed for 2016-2017 are Betsy Roy, secretary-treasurer; Destin Cobb, president; Yvonne Shanklin, past president; Jeff Morgan, president-elect; Adrienne McKinnie, Gaile Brooke, Jimmy Lundy, Fletcher Williams Jr. and Karen Donaldson, directors; and Donald David, incoming District 1 lieutenant governor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Kiwanis Club installs new officers

LAUREL HILL — Hobos big and small will converge on Gene Clary Park next Saturday for the community’s annual celebration of all things Hobo.

Gates open at 9 a.m. for the 2016 Hobo Festival, named for Laurel Hill School and, by extension, the community’s mascot.

Music plays almost continuously throughout the day, with local and regional performers on the bill from 9:45 until 3:15.

The McVays — brother and sister Micah and Garrett — along with Zach McCarver open the festivities. 2016 Gulf Coast Jam finalist Casey Kearney performs at 11 a.m., with Tim Richey, guitarist for The Mulligans, playing at 1:45.

“He’s back by popular demand,” Debra Adams, one of the Hobo Festival organizers, said.

Adams said to expect games, children’s activities, arts and crafts for sale, and lots of food. Admission is free.

Watch for the Hobo himself in the guise of the Rev. Mike McVay, pastor of Laurel Hill First Baptist Church.

The Big Red Bus bloodmobile will accept donations from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m., and the Dixie Antique Power Tractor exhibition will showcase vehicles.

Parking and admission are free.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Time to celebrate the Hobo

Each fall, nature puts on a brilliant show of color throughout the United States. As temperatures drop, autumn encourages the “leaf peepers” to hit the road in search of the red-, yellow- and orange-colored leaves of northern deciduous trees.

In Northwest Florida, the color of autumn isn’t just from trees. The reds, purples, yellow and white blooms and berries that appear on many native plants add spectacular color to the landscape.

American Beautyberry is loaded with royal-colored fruit that will persist all winter long. Wispy pinkish-cream colored seedheads look like mist atop Purple Lovegrass and Muhlygrass.

Monarchs and other butterfly species flock to the creamy white “fluff” that covers Saltbrush. But yellow is by far the dominant fall flower color. With all the goldenrod; narrowleaf sunflower; and tickseed, the roadsides are golden.

When driving the roads it’s nearly impossible to not see the bright yellows in the ditches and along the woods’ edge. Golden asters, tickseeds, silkgrasses, sunflowers and goldenrods are displaying their petals of gold at every turn.

These wildflowers are all members of the aster family, one of the largest plant families in the world. For most people, an aster resembles a daisy. However, while many are daisy-like in structure, others lack the petals and appear more like cascading sprays.

So if you are one of the many “hitting the road in search of fall color,” head to open areas. For wildflowers, that means rural locations with limited homes and businesses. Forested areas and non-grazed pastures typically have showy displays, especially when a spring burn was performed earlier in the year. Peeking out from the woods’ edge are the small red trumpet-shaped blooms of red basil and tall purple spikes of gayfeather.

Visit the Florida Wildflower Foundation website, www.flawildflowers.org/bloom.php, to see what’s in bloom and the locations of the state’s prime viewing areas. These are all native wildflowers that can be obtained through seed companies. Many are also available as potted plants at the local nurseries.

Read the name carefully, though. There are cultivated varieties that may appear or perform differently than those that naturally occur in Northwest Florida.

For more information on common native wildflowers of North Florida, go to http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep061.

Sheila Dunning 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: Ah, the color of fall in the Panhandle

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Public Library's next Family Library Time is themed "Wilderness Walk."

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and close at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the library on 1445 Commerce Drive. 

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will present its interactive display of native wildlife at Family Library Time, which is designed for families with elementary and middle school children. Adults are also welcome at the free event.

Attendees may stay as long or as little as they like, and learn answers to questions such as:

•Which animal leaves this track?

•Which animal has skin like this?

•Which animal left that scat?

Registration is not required. Call Heather Nitzel, 682-4432, with questions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Family Library Time to focus on Wilderness Walk

CRESTVIEW — Poets and musicians can read, perform, improvise and play together during an open-microphone event.

The readings start at 6 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive. The poetry starter is "fall." Anyone can attend, and admittance is free.

Contact Esther Hurwitz, 682-4432 or ehurwitz@okaloosa.lib.fl.us; or Rick Sanders, 585-6399, for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Open microphone night scheduled