CRESTVIEW — This year’s Triple B CookOff is expected to attract more than last year's 13,000 people, but the event didn’t always draw a crowd.

Here’s a timeline of the festival’s growth.

2001: Mike Wright Reynolds, a barbecue judge and photographer, founds the event, part of the former Family Fun Day festival in Spanish Trail Park.

2002: Community leaders Ken Frost, Mike Holovack and Cal Zethmayr notice throngs of people sweltering during the Spanish Trail Cruisers Club car show on Main Street and decide to move the barbecue festival there.

Then-Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Wayne Harris, despite initial doubts, agrees to let the committee try one more festival, this time in the downtown location.

The event becomes a cooperative effort between the chamber of commerce and the Main Street Crestview Association, with help from the city.

2008: The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s Professional and Inspired Leaders of Tomorrow, or PILOT, committee are primarily responsible for organizing the Triple B. As the festival grows, it needs its own organizing committee.

2009: A second entertainment stage is added near the railroad tracks, bracketing with music the food and festivities in between.

2010: The Triple B adds the People’s Choice award.

And unlike many “professional” competitions, the local festival remains a community event at which the people get to enjoy the fruits — make that meats — of the pit masters’ labors as much as the judges do.

2013: The chamber's former Arts and Culture Committee becomes involved, expanding the festival’s cultural aspects.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The Triple B Cookoff evolved from Family Fun Day, a 1990s event held at Old Spanish Trail Park.

Family Fun Day waned, but after two years, a committee of local business leaders endeavored to keep the event’s barbecue competition portion alive by moving it to Main Street.

With a new venue, the committee believed the event needed a new name.

"We talked about calling it the Bluegrass Music and Barbecue festival," Cal Zethmayr, one of the event’s founders, has said. "Then somebody tossed out, ‘Let’s call it Blackwater.’ Blackwater, Bluegrass and Barbecue. We liked it. It had alliteration."

While some may say the Blackwater River and Blackwater State Forest are miles from Crestview, the city sits in the middle of another "black water," Zethmayr said.

The county name, proposed by founder W.H. "Bill" Mapoles, is a Choctaw Indian phrase describing the Yellow River, according to Betty Curenton and Claudia Patten’s book, "Crestview: The Forkland." "Oka" means water, the book states, and "loosa" means black.

The Triple B Cookoff evolved from Family Fun Day, a 1990s event held at Old Spanish Trail Park.

Family Fun Day waned, but after two years, a committee of local business leaders endeavored to keep the event’s barbecue competition portion alive by moving it to Main Street.

With a new venue, the committee believed the event needed a new name.

“We talked about calling it the Bluegrass Music and Barbecue festival,” Cal Zethmayr, one of the event’s founders, has said. “Then somebody tossed out, ‘Let’s call it Blackwater.’ Blackwater, Bluegrass and Barbecue. We liked it. It had alliteration.”

While some may say the Blackwater River and Blackwater State Forest are miles from Crestview, the city sits in the middle of another “black water,” Zethmayr said.

The county name, proposed by founder W.H. “Bill” Mapoles, is a Choctaw Indian phrase describing the Yellow River, according to Betty Curenton and Claudia Patten’s book, “Crestview: The Forkland.” “Oka” means water, the book states, and “loosa” means black.

DID YOU KNOW?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: TRIPLE B: Move to Main Street saved the Crestview cookoff

CRESTVIEW — From the Okaloosa County courthouse to the railroad tracks, music will mingle in the air with the aroma of smoking barbecue at the Triple B festival.

Organizers sought popular regional festival bands and performers to draw attendees from throughout Northwest Florida, Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce President Valerie Lott said.

Expect all sorts of music — and genres — from a variety of bands, including smooth jazz, R&B, soul, indie pop, acoustic and, not forgetting the Triple B’s roots, southern bluegrass.

Here’s who’s performing:

Florida Lottery (North) Stage:

●10:30 a.m. Continuum: Destin-based indie-pop band

●12:10 p.m. The Good Lookings: Destin-based acoustic rock band

●1:50 p.m. Dismal Creek: southern tradition bluegrass band from the Florida-Alabama line

●3:30 p.m. The Okaloosa Sound: Fort Walton Beach-based soul, funk, blues, jazz, rock and Caribbean sounds

Crestview Centennial (South) Stage:

●10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Simply D’Vyne: Smooth jazz, R&B and pop music from the Panhandle

●3-6 p.m. Dose of Johnny C.: Fun and music from the local disc jockey

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: TRIPLE B: Crestview festival's entertainment will span bluegrass to soul

CRESTVIEW — Response to the new North Okaloosa Community Band has exceeded organizer Lee Emerson’s expectations.

“Our first night's rehearsal was an epic success,” Emerson, who works at UpBeat Music in Crestview, said. “Four more people signed up the next day. We already have over 20 members.”

The band, which rehearsed March 14 in Shoal River Middle School’s band room under Mustangs band director Kim Whaley and Paxton band director Lindsey Stuart’s direction, is preparing for its Fourth of July debut at the Crestview Centennial Old-Fashioned Family Picnic in Twin Hills Park.

The musicians are practicing patriotic music, including John Phillip Sousa marches, and an armed services salute, Emerson said.

The band is open to adult musicians of all skill levels, and 11th- and 12th-grade student musicians with their school band director’s written permission.

What: North Okaloosa Community Band

When: Rehearsals are 6:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays

Where: Shoal River Middle School band room, 3200 Redstone Ave. E., Crestview

Notes: Open to adult musicians of all skill levels, plus 11th- and 12th-grade band students with their band director’s written permission. Call Lee Emerson, 398-4009 or lee@upbeatmusic.com, for more information

WANT TO JOIN?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: New North Okaloosa band quickly adding members

CRESTVIEW — Attendees seeking a convenient parking spot will have to come early, but their reward will be one of fewer than 20 prized downtown spots just steps from the heart of the event.

The First Presbyterian Church of Crestview’s American Cancer Society Relay for Life team will offer parking in the church’s lot, between Courthouse Terrace and Beech Avenue, for $5 per car.

“In the past, people have just come in and used our parking lot,” pastor the Rev. Mark Broadhead said. “We thought, why not have them kick in for a worthy cause?”

The lot will be blocked off the night before the March 19 event “to allow for a fresh start the morning of the Triple B,” Broadhead said.

Parking attendants will be on duty beginning at 9 a.m., and spots will be available first-come, first-parked. Oversized vehicles or vehicles with trailers requiring two spots will be charged for each spot occupied. No re-entry will be allowed.

“Relay for Life is a worthy event,” Broadhead said. “This is one way for us to support the cause.”

Learn more about the American Cancer Society’s Crestview Relay For Life at http://www.relayforlife.org/crestviewfl.

FYI

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: TRIPLE B: Convenient Crestview parking available for donations

CRESTVIEW — A Special Olympics torch run is March 30 in Crestview.

The 9-10 a.m. run starts at Publix in south Crestview and continues to the Okaloosa County Courthouse on Main Street.

The Crestview Police Department will escort runners during the event.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Special Olympics torch run scheduled in Crestview

NICEVILLE — The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warrior Foundation will have a golf tournament, auction, ceremony and ball May 6 and 7 in Northwest Florida.

Activities include:

●The 9th Annual EODWF Golf Tournament, 7:30 a.m. May 6 at the Eglin Golf Course, 1527 Fairway Drive, Niceville. The shotgun start is at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $70 per person, which covers the cart and green fees, range balls, prizes, and a barbecue lunch.

●Live auction with a pizza dinner and cash bar. Doors open 5 p.m. May 6 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center, 1250 Miracle Strip Parkway SE, Fort Walton Beach.

●EOD Memorial Ceremony, 9 a.m. May 7 at the EOD Memorial, Range Road, Niceville, just off Highway 20. It honors EOD warriors who died due to carrying out an EOD mission. There are currently 314 Fallen EOD Warriors on the EOD Memorial Wall, and seven more will be added at this year’s ceremony.

●The 48th Annual EOD Ball. Doors open 5:15 p.m. May 7 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center. Tickets cost $75 per person. The ball's keynote speaker is retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. Oliver North.

See www.eodwarriorfoundation.org/eodweekend for more details. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warrior Foundation sets 4 Memorial Weekend events

CRESTVIEW — When the Crestview Centennial Committee agreed to sponsor the Triple B Cookoff’s south stage, there was a goal in the back of committee member and Main Street Crestview Association coordinator Brenda Smith’s mind.

“We want to kind of shake it up and get people dancing,” she said.

Smith and committee chairwoman Pat Hollarn went with two local talents, Gwen and EdMo of Simply D’Vyne, who promise “fresh and funky with a groove,” and Johnny Alexander, a local disc jockey who “wants to get the audience moving.”

“I have seen Simply D’Vyne play in the past,” Smith said. “They are very good. They’re very diverse. They do jazz and rock, kind of like Cheryl Jones, but something different.”

And Alexander, who goes by his stage persona Johnny C, “is going to keep things moving all afternoon,” she said.

Johnny C, a former DJ on local radio stations 99 Rock, Mix 103 and Highway 98 Country, promises something bound to please everybody.

“It’s gonna be a mix of everything!” he said. “That’s what I do best. I throw in our modern top 40 dance music that can get people out and moving, stuff like typical line dances, and I’ll throw in some country and some classic rock.”

“The whole key is to change it up and add some diversity to the entertainment,” Smith said. “It’s going to be fantastic!”

The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce’s 12^th Annual Triple B (Blackwater, Bluegrass and Barbecue) Cookoff — the Hub City’s largest event — is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local talents plan eclectic musical mix for Crestview Triple B Centennial Stage

CRESTVIEW — The City Council unanimously approved Friends of the Arts’ proposal to create a display of 12 historic and military branch service flags to enhance Warriors Hall for the city’s centennial.

The proposed display would have flags for each of the six military branches on the west wall and six flags representing political entities that historically ruled the Crestview area on the east wall.

A March 14 FOTA memo credits Fire Chief Joe Traylor as the proposal's inspiration: Shortly after the city acquired the former church, Traylor suggested the service flags be displayed, the memo stated.

Service branch flags would be hung in chronological order of each branch's establishment, beginning at the rear of the hall with the U.S. Merchant Marine flag and continuing with the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force flags.

Historic flags would begin with the Muskogee (Creek) Nation, then continue with the Spanish colonial, British colonial, Republic of West Florida, United States and Confederate States flags. To avoid controversy, the Confederate States of America’s first national flag would be used instead of the battle flag.

The Friends’ proposal calls for sponsors of each flag, which costs $200, including pole, mounting hardware and identifying plaques. The plaques would be mounted below each flag and would recognize the sponsor and identify each flag.

“Service branch flags could also be dedicated to a veteran, either in his/her honor or his/her memory,” the FOTA memo states.

Public Works facilities workers will mount the display as soon as funding for all 12 flags is obtained and the flags can be ordered, Schwartz said. 

Ten 5- by 3-foot service branch or historic flags proposed for Warriors Hall need sponsorships. (Two flags, the U.S. Merchant Marine and the Muskogee Nation, have already been donated.) Sponsorships are $200 per flag and include pole, mounting hardware and a descriptive plaque. Sponsorship forms will be available at the city clerk’s office in City Hall or from Friends of the Arts President Rae Schwartz, bakerny@yahoo.com, beginning March 28.

WANT TO HELP?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Historic, military service flags proposed for Warriors Hall

LAUREL HILL — Some folks have stories about chasing a garbage truck when they’re late hauling out trash. Trecia Chedister fondly recalls dashing down German village streets ahead of the garbage truck.

The occasion: “gross garbage day,” “gross” being German for “oversized.”

In the 1970s, Trecia’s husband, now retired Maj. Gen. Robb Chedister, was stationed at Sembach Air Base near Kaiserslautern. The family lived in a village called Imsbach.

“It was a known fact among the Americans that every three months they had gross garbage day,” Trecia Chedister said. “If you couldn’t find what you needed in stores, you’d go out looking on the streets.

“Back then, German people wanted more modern things so they were putting their family antiques out on the street. It was just a wonderful, wonderful shopping day for Americans.”

Once the Chedisters and another couple visited Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a walled medieval village of half-timbered buildings.

“The guys went to do their touring and I went with my girlfriend to walk along the wall,” Trecia said. “We discovered it was gross garbage day and soon we were running ahead of the garbage truck to find what wonderful pieces we could find.

“The garbage guys realized what we were doing, so they’d slow down and shout, ‘hurry, hurry’ and point out good things to us.

“By the time the guys got back to the car, we had the trunk completely filled, and we were sitting on our luggage. We literally had our treasures packed around us. We had so much fun!”

Gross garbage day once led to a poignant moment. A pair of suitcases yielded a trove of antique, hand-blown glass Christmas ornaments.

“I took them back to our home and yelled for my landlady, who used to make fun of me for going out on gross garbage day, and said, ‘Ulla, Ulla, come see what I have found.’ When she saw them she just burst into tears,” Trecia said.

“I said, ‘Why are you crying?’ She told me one Christmas during the war, she was living with their grandparents and the house was bombed.

“Ulla always remembered the beautiful glass ornaments that they had just hung on the tree but were all destroyed. When she saw the ornaments I found, she started crying. I had to give them to her.

“Now she is still decorating her Christmas trees with them. She calls me every year to tell me how beautiful they are.

“So there are treasures in garbage.”

The News Bulletin publishes “Everybody Has a Story,” a feature about interesting North Okaloosa County residents, in each Midweek Edition and on www.crestviewbulletin.com.

Do you know someone who met a celebrity, has an unusual hobby or is otherwise fascinating? We welcome suggestions for the series, and particularly seek people who are not public officials and have never appeared in the News Bulletin. Email ideas to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

SEEKING SOURCES

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Laurel Hill woman once found treasures in German trash

Main Street Crestview, starting from the railroad tracks up to the Okaloosa County courthouse, will turn into festival grounds 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 19.

Local bands will perform on the south and north stages, with plenty of barbecue and a variety of other food offerings, during the Triple B — Blackwater, Bluegrass and Barbecue — Cookoff.

In addition, an abundance of vendors will line the street and offer their merchandise and displays for people of all ages.

People’s Choice tickets, for only $1 each, give you an opportunity to sample one of our participating competitors’ barbecue and vote for your favorite to be the People’s Choice Barbecue Winner of 2016.

If you are interested in competing or having a vendor booth, don’t worry, there’s still time. Please visit our website, crestviewchamber.com/pages/tripleb, or call the Crestview chamber office, 682-3212.

We would like to thank all of our sponsors, competitors and vendors who make this event possible. Come join us for this family friendly event!

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Triple B Chair: Mark your calendar for March 19