CRESTVIEW — Ongoing fiber-reinforced stormwater drainage pipe failures in the Fox Valley subdivision have Public Works crews scrambling to repair damage before it worsens and threatens homes.

In March 2015, more than 350 feet of 24-inch diameter Hardie Pipe failed, causing storm water to undermine part of Territory Lane, threatening other buried utilities.

That repair cost taxpayers $34,000, Public Works Director Wayne Steele said.

In November 2011, $3,159 worth of repairs were needed to failing 18-inch pipe on Grey Fox Drive.

Now, two more sections, 162 feet of pipe on Foxchase Way and 388 feet of pipe on Swift Fox Run need repair, at a combined cost of more than $52,000.

THE WRONG PIPE

Steele said Hardie Pipe, which is no longer made in the United States, like Hardie Plank, is a composite material reinforced with fiber. It is now made and used only in Australia, he said.

“This type of pipe had not been tested and tried in all types of applications,” Steele said. “Even FDOT had made some recommendations to engineers on stormwater applications: Do not use this pipe.”

Fox Run’s developers used the pipe instead of reinforced concrete, corrugated metal or plastic pipe, Steele said.

“What's happening is this pipe is cracking laterally,” he said. “It is not designed to take the ground load pressure which in the state of Florida is extreme. This pipe here is failing.”

In a memo to the City Council, Steele said the city should never have accepted the developer’s use of Hardie Pipe, which doesn’t meet the city’s code of ordinance specifications.

HOPE FOR REIMBURSEMENT

Steele said he and city attorney Ben Holley have researched possible remedies for the city’s almost $90,000 in expenses to fix the leaking pipes.

“I haven't found a class-action lawsuit, but found the city of DeBary has received a release and settlement agreement in April 2014 from James Hardie Building Products,” Steele said.

“In the case of DeBary, the city put the pipe in,” Holley said. “In this case, the developer put the pipe in. It's going to take some ingenuity to find a way to go after it.”

“I don't want to give you false hope, but if they acknowledged failure and they made a settlement with one entity in our state, it gives us some hope,” Steele told the council at its April 11 meeting.

FIRST PRIORITY: REPAIR

Steele’s first priority, however, is fixing the current pipe failures, which will be done by inserting a liner in the Foxchase Way pipe, and injecting a cured-in-place liner in the Swift Fox Run pipe.

“If we don't fix it, it would negligence on our part,” Steele said.

Completely replacing the pipes would require excavation work that would completely block the street, ‘which would block most residents from their driveways for a number of days,” Steele stated in his council brief.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Failing fiber-composite pipe threatening more Fox Valley streets

CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners has awarded a construction contract to Anderson Columbia to pave the 1.82-mile dirt section of Fairchild Road.

The project has been a priority for Commissioner Wayne Harris since he was first elected in 2008 as it is an important infrastructure component for Crestview Aerospace, the north county’s largest private employer.

The road serves not only residents, but as much as half the company’s workforce, Harris said, with as many as 500 employees using the road daily.

Commissioner Nathan Boyles said Anderson Columbia’s bid “is just shy of $1.7 million dollars,” which is about $300,000 less than the project’s original projected cost.

The southeast U.S. construction company has a local plant between Crestview and Holt and has done numerous projects in Okaloosa County, including runway and taxiway work at Bob Sikes Airport, and is constructing the State Road 123 flyover across State Road 85 outside Niceville.

Okaloosa County engineer Scott Bitterman said Anderson Columbia can’t start work until construction engineering and inspection—or CEI—planning is done.

“I would think we would get started at the end of May, early June,” Bitterman said. “There’s a lot of prep work that has to be done before we see the asphalt trucks out there.”

Construction is expected to take about a year, Bitterman said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Fairchild Road paving to begin soon in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — A celebration of Crestview's 100th birthday is 11 a.m. April 16 at the Okaloosa Courthouse, Main Street.

Dress code is comfortable outdoor attire. Centennial cupcakes will be served.

RSVP your attendance to 651-7105.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Last chance to RSVP for April 16 Crestview centennial celebration

BAKER — Baker residents are raising funds to meet two goals: help a former teacher, and aid their adoption of a Chinese child.

Joe Stapp and his family are members of the Both Hands Foundation, which helps widows, orphans and adoptive families, a mission based on Bible verse James 1:27.

On April 30, the Stapps and a team of volunteers will make repairs and possible renovations to the home of Baker resident Nell Pittman.

Pittman, a 12-year widow, worked as a teacher for 38 years and has Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. A media release states she "poured her life into children in both Baker and Crestview area schools, as well as at the Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Cancer has changed all that … impacted her life in many ways, and left her home in need of some TLC."

Meanwhile, over the past year, the Stapps have been working to adopt a 4-year-old girl in China with cerebral palsy. They are accepting donations to assist with the adoption, and plan to bring her home in May.

Both Hands' fundraising method is similar to raising sponsorship for a 5K race, but the service is fixing a widow's home to secure funds for the adoption process. Team funds are used solely for the adoption process, not for administrative costs.

The Stapps have $875 in donations as of April 14, and hope to raise $15,000.

Businesses or individuals may support the Baker team's efforts by donating funds or supplies through April 30.

Contact Joe Stapp, 420-0918 for more information.

Visit the team's page here>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Can you help this Baker family repair a widow's house?

CRESTVIEW — Due to inclement weather conditions the traffic shift originally scheduled to take place April 14 on U.S. Highway 90 over Yellow River in Okaloosa County has been rescheduled.

Eastbound traffic will be transitioned to the newly constructed eastbound span Saturday, April 16 at 6 p.m. Drivers may encounter intermittent lane restrictions throughout the day as crews make preparations for the shift.

All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or rescheduled in the event of inclement weather. Motorists are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Yellow River Bridge April 14 traffic shift rescheduled

Finding the right career can be a daunting, high-stakes task.  

The Crestview Public Library’s Vocations and Careers Collections, in our website’s Electronic Resources, covers the topics of finding an appropriate institution of learning; job-searching; and maintaining a career. They also provide current, applicable content for all vocational milestones.

The collection offers content from almost 400 journals, and free access is available for Crestview Public Library card holders.

Go to www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php, click ‘electronic resources,’ click ‘Vocations and Careers Collections,’ and type in your library barcode number for access.

Once you have decided to send resumes, you can also use our Career Transitions database to help you with your job applications and resumes.

Marie Garcia is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview library offers career, job application information

The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce schedule for April is listed below.

●Lunch n' Learn, noon April 20, chamber office, 1447 Commerce Drive, Crestview. Guest speaker Adam McCloskey of the Small Business Development Center will present information on "Google Places: Let's Get Your Business on the Map."

Lunch will be provided. RSVP by Friday, April 15 to Sandra Wilson, swilson@crestviewchamber.com.

●PILOT Committee meeting, noon April 21, chamber office. Members will welcome chamber intern Theo Toulat, from Crestview's sister city in France. Catered lunch. Cost is $5 at the door. RSVP your attendance by April 19 to Ryan Mabry, PearlMabrySOM@gmail.com.

●Ambassador Committee Meeting, 8:30 a.m. April 27, Stay Suites of America, 3709 Ferdon Blvd., S., Crestview. For more information about the committee, contact chair Anne Shaffield, ashaffield@careersourceow.com.

For details on the chamber or any of these events, call 682-3212 or email info@crestviewchamber.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview chamber schedule includes April 20 Lunch and Learn

CRESTVIEW — “A Spring Ring: Eclectic Chimes from Hymns to John Williams” is an upcoming May 3 presentation.

The Morning Chimes Choir, a local handchimes group, plays music from many genres including classical, hymns, folk, and movies plus original pieces.

It will perform 10:30 a.m. May 3 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive, as part of the library's First Tuesday series.

The concert is free to the public. Coffee and cookies will be served at 10:30 a.m. Call 682-4432 for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Choir schedules May 3 Crestview performance

CRESTVIEW — The Habitat for Humanity regulars had a challenge finding tasks for all the volunteers that arrived this week to work on a new Crestview home. Associates from the local Starbucks volunteered with associates and managers from several Okaloosa County Publix stores.

“They are virtually supplying all of the man-power,” said David Hyre, long-time volunteer and co-foreman on the Crestview home. “Those of us who are regulars on the job spend our time trying to instruct them as to how go about doing operations.”

Jackie Gouge, Publix district manager, is excited that her company sponsored Okaloosa Habitat’s 56th house. “It’s very important for our associates to feel validated when they do this, and they have a lot of fun doing it.” Gouge says she personally benefits by seeing her associates having a great time while serving their community.

Publix Supermarket Charities donated $4 million to Habitat for Humanity, directly resulting in the sponsorship of the Crestview home.

“Our associates are compassionate. They want to give back to the community,” says Tim Bryant, manager of the Crestview Publix. “Even though we’re a multi-billion dollar company, we give money back to the community to benefit those who need help the most.”

Starbucks, a company whose Crestview location also donated helping hands, shares the same community service values with their fellow site volunteers.

“You see all of our partners in a certain environment,” says Crestview Starbucks manager Erin Johnson. “To see them out of their environment and out of their comfort zone is really fun.”

Jamie Peoples, the future homeowner of the Crestview Habitat house, says that once she is in her new home she will have more time to spend with her three children.

“We’ve had a stable home for a while, but it’s expensive. And since I work two jobs they don’t see me,” says Peoples, trying to hold back tears. “That will be the biggest thing for me; being able to be home more with them.”

Having more weeks like this one, with dozens of volunteers, Peoples and her children will be in their home that much sooner.

For more information on how to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in Okaloosa County, go to www.habitatfwb.org/volunteer.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Publix, Starbucks team up to build Crestview resident's Habitat home

CRESTVIEW — A retirement ceremony honoring the accomplishments of Jean Lewis, former Crestview library director, was April 9 at the Carver-Hill School Center in Crestview.

Lewis was the first African-American library director in Okaloosa County and Crestview, with 12 years of service. According to the program for the event, she received her A.A. degree from Corning Community College and a B.A. from Florida A & M University, where she graduated summa cum laude.

"She has been recognized in 'Who's Who in Black America', and 'Who's Who in America, is a member of Mount Zion AME Church, Velma Conyers No. 7 Order of the Eastern Star, American Library Association, FAMU National Alumni Association and The Friends of the Crestview Library," the program stated.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Retirement ceremony celebrates first Crestview, Okaloosa African-American library director