United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties sets annual meeting

 FORT WALTON BEACH — The United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties has scheduled its annual meeting.

The March 11 event — which will cover the United Way's 2015 "Be Someone’s Hero" campaign — starts at 8 a.m. with breakfast at the Crosspoint Family Life Center, Niceville.

Campaign participants and volunteers will be recognized; Agency of the Year, Company or Organization of the Year and Volunteer of the Year will also be announced; and new board members will be selected and the board chair inducted.

Admission costs $15 per person; the public may attend.

Contact the United Way, 243-0315 or events@united-way.org, for more information. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: United Way of Okaloosa-Walton Counties sets annual meeting

VALPARAISO — The next “Saturday at the Museum” is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. 

Museum exhibitions include “Crestview Train Depot," “Military Memories," “Pieces of the Past: Okaloosa’s Centennial," and “1915 Early Transportation," among others.

Adults, seniors, and military get in for the reduced $3 children’s admission rate.

View historical exhibits and learn about Northwest Florida heritage. Play in the hands-on Discovery Room for kids, and picnic in Paradise Gardens or at one of Valparaiso’s beautiful city parks. 

In addition, all guests may participate in an instructed craft time with a history lesson at 11 a.m. or 2 p.m.  

The museum is located at 115 Westview Ave., Valparaiso.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview train depot among 'Saturday at the Museum' exhibits

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa and Walton County motorists can expect these traffic changes this week.

Okaloosa County: 

I-10 resurfacing: Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane closures 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 14 through Thursday, Feb. 18, from the Santa Rosa County line to east of County Road 189 (Holt exit). The active work zone's speed limit will be 60 mph.

State Road 85: Northbound traffic will experience a change in the traffic pattern at the S.R. 85 North-S.R. 123 intersection Sunday, Feb. 14. Lane closures will occur 8 p.m. Feb. 14 to 6 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15 as crews transition S.R. 85's north and southbound lanes to the original configuration.

Walton County:

Interstate 10 resurfacing: Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane closures from just west of Boy Scout Road to just east of U.S. 331; 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15 through Thursday, Feb. 18. 

I-10: Alternating east and westbound lane closures on I-10, between mile marker 74 in Walton County and mile marker 94 in Holmes County; 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15 through Thursday, Feb. 18. Crews will trim trees near the roadway. 

U.S. 331 North, southbound lane closures: Tuesday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 19 and Monday, Feb. 22 through Friday, Feb. 26, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., between Liberty Church of Christ and Harrison Drive, as crews trim trees.

U.S. 331 Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge: Alternating lane closures across the Clyde B. Wells Bridge, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday, Feb. 15, Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Thursday, Feb. 18 as crews place concrete for the new bridge.

U.S. 98, eastbound and westbound traffic will encounter lane restrictions on U.S. 98 about 3 miles east of C.R. 395; 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. starting Tuesday, Feb. 16 and continuing for one month as crews perform turn lane construction.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 7 Okaloosa, Walton traffic disruptions this week

BAKER — The Rotary Club of Crestview's 23rd Annual Wild Game Feast and Quail Hunt is Feb. 19-20.

When former Baltimore Raven and San Diego Charger Jarret Johnson takes the podium Feb. 19 at Gum Creek Lodge, it will be his first time at the event, a fundraiser for the Northwest Florida State College athletic program.

Johnson, who retired to Niceville after his career in the National Football League, had a simple reason for accepting the speaking engagement.

“They asked me,” he said. “I honestly don’t know a lot about it.”

But he recently spoke to NWFSC's baseball team, and understands who will benefit from the dinner. 

“It’s an interesting amount of talent you have there,” he said. “Some of the players might not have had the grades coming out of high school. And others were trying to position themselves better for professional ball or to get to four-year school.”

Johnson, who grew up in Cedar Key, moved to Niceville after retiring from football. He said his family was familiar with the area because they vacationed in Destin. They were attracted to the area because of the schools and the outdoor opportunities.

“My last few years playing, I started planning for retirement,” the 34-year-old said. “Some things worked out and some things haven’t. I’m staying busy.

“I do a radio show with a station in Baltimore during football season. I run an inshore charter fishing business and I’m starting to get into insurance.”

Want tickets to the feast? See 'RELATED CONTENT' on the left side of this page. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Wild Game Feast speaker Jarret Johnson staying busy

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Arc of the Emerald Coast supports people with developmental and intellectual disabilities with programs that help them live, learn, and work in their communities.

One of Arc's many programs is Supported Employment, committed to including people with disabilities in the workforce. 

SE coaches assist adults with disabilities by providing skill assessments, vocational training, resume writing, and on-the-job personalized training alongside SE business partners until the employer is satisfied the client is ready to work independently in their workplace. 

Businesses that employ a persons with a disability show the community they care. Benefits that businesses receive in turn are increased productivity, reduced employee turnover, tax incentives, diversity and innovation, along with enhanced community relations. 

Arc partners with employers such as Lowe's, Walmart, Publix, Winn Dixie, Pizza Hut, Sam's Club, Carmike Boulevard 10 and many other local businesses.

For more information about this program and many other services provided contact the Fort Walton Beach office, 863-1530, or the Milton office, 623-9320.

For additional information visit www.arcemeraldcoast.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida companies partner to employ people with disabilities

CRESTVIEW — The 12th annual Triple B Festival is set, and organizers are looking for vendors.

The annual event is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 19 on Main Street in Crestview.

For details, contact the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce, 682-3212 or info@crestviewchamber.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview chamber accepting Triple B vendor applications (DOCUMENTS)

CRESTVIEW — The Emerald Coast Dragway's track is cracked, the control room's windows are shot out, and weeds surround the bleachers. The lone sound comes from rushing vehicles on Interstate 10.

But Ozzy Moya and Robert Brown envision engines screaming, the smell of burning rubber and packed bleachers.

Reviving race tracks is Moya's passion. After selling a chain of auto racing supplies stores in the late 2000s, he rehabilitated the Lakeland Drag Strip, Orlando Speed World Dragway and the South Georgia Motorsports Park near Valdosta.

“He’s amazing. He’s the man,” Brown said. “He’s the 'track whisperer.'”

Now it’s the local track’s turn.

REBIRTH OF A TRACK

Emerald Coast Dragway, between Holt and Harold, was foreclosed in 2011, and crumbled over the past four-and-a-half years as it worked its way through financial and legal systems.

Moya and Brown credit real estate agents Gary Watson of Exit Realty in Pensacola and Jake Maurer of Premier Property Group in Miramar Beach for guiding them through the complicated acquisition. “Without them, it would have been a very hard battle,” Brown said.

The partners anticipate the track's purchase to close on Feb. 26. Within three months, they hope the sound of auto racing will again pierce the air of west Okaloosa County’s rural countryside.

But first, they plan several improvements to the facility, including:

●Repaving the track and bringing the surface up to industry standards

●Replacing metal trackside walls — Moya and Brown call them “can openers” because they can slice open a racecar that hits them — with formed concrete barriers 

●Renovating the vandalized control building

●Replacing the front gate and lighting

●Expanding the sand pit at the end of the strip, a safety feature that arrests cars unable to stop

EVENTS AND SAFETY

When the gates open, possibly by Memorial Day weekend, area residents can expect more than high-performance cars zooming down the track.

Moya and Brown want events that attract drivers of all ages and skill levels. “At one of my tracks, we gave a (winning Big Wheel racing) kid 150 bucks in singles,” Moya said.

For a fee, backyard mechanics will be able to test their souped up cars on the track at “test-and-tunes.” Young hopefuls can get their first experiences before embarking on a NASCAR career.

“We’re going to promote the junior drag strip events,” Moya said.

And the partners want to provide a safe place for inexperienced drivers to race. “I cringe when I see these street-racing shows that encourage kids to do that,” Moya said. “We can save some lives here, get the kids off the street.”

“It’s all about safety,” Brown said.

'A LABOR OF LOVE'

As Moya and his wife, Marie, walk the track, they see 5,000 fans in the bleachers, and families sharing an evening together.

“Racing’s a family sport,” Moya said. “Anytime you can offer a sport where you can keep the family doing things together for a long time, it’s a good thing.”

And it benefits the area economy, he said. When tournaments come to the track, drivers and pit crews will stay at Crestview area hotels. They and race fans will dine at local restaurants.

“This is a labor of love for me,” Moya said. “We have big plans for this place.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Race track whisperer' to re-open Holt dragway (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

Editor's Note: Valentine's Day is Feb. 14 — here's the story of a happily married couple of 56 years, and their advice for a successful relationship.

CRESTVIEW — Louis and Lola Becker's story began more than a half-century ago at Vitro Systems, a longtime Eglin Air Force Base contractor.

It started simple enough: Louis' boss sent him to the motor pool to meet the newest employee. “My supervisor told me, ‘There’s a new girl coming to the motor pool to work,’” Louis said. “He said, ‘I’d like for you to meet her.’

That was all it took — "He introduced me to Lola and, as soon as I saw her, I said, ‘That’s the woman I want to live with the rest of my life,'" Louis said.

Despite love at first sight, Louis had to attract the object of his affection. “I was really bashful,” he said. “I told this other fellow I worked with, ‘I’d like to go in and speak to Lola,’ and he said, ‘OK, I’ll go with you,’ because he had some keys to drop off from time to time.

“ I finally got up the encouragement to ask her to go out a time or two,” Louis said.

Fifty-six years later, Louis and Lola Becker are still happily married.

BUILDING A LIFE

While Lola moved to Okaloosa County from Alabama in 1951, Louis — born in Santa Rosa Beach — remained close to home. “I found my love close by,” he said. “I couldn’t ask for it to be any better. The Lord has blessed me from day one.”

The couples' careers with Vitro Systems spanned 41 years.

He began as a surveyor, overseeing the company’s operations on the Air Force’s Okaloosa Island property. His crew helped maintain the property and delivered range services, including taking care of range equipment, towers and buildings, and establishing targets for ordnance tests.

Lola moved up from the motor pool, working in personnel and administration before retiring from the company’s publications section.

All along, the couple worked and built their lives together at Vitro. “We met each other there and got married,” Lola said. “We had babies and retired the same way, still working for Vitro.”

The company that brought the couple together is no longer an Eglin contractor, but it’s never far from the Beckers’ hearts. In fact, on Thursday, the couple organized a reunion lunch in Crestview for 100 people who used to work at Vitro.

SIMPLE ADVICE

Today, the couple have three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren from their daughter, Dusty; their son, Randy, gave them two grandsons.

One of their biggest joys was taking the grandchildren camping and fishing in Cherokee, N.C., where friends owned a campground with a creek running through it.

“We used to go to the mountains and volunteer at their campground park,” Lola said. “We did that for years. We’re retired from doing that. We still go up there and see them, but we don’t go up to work anymore. We just love it up there.”

So, what's the secret to a successful marriage?

"We’re pretty simple folks,” Lola said, so it really comes down to a few things.  

“Be kind to each other and talk if you got a problem,” she said. “You can’t let it go on and on. Talk it out.”

“And belong to a church,” Louis said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: For Crestview couple, it was love at first sight

CRESTVIEW — Area couples planning shotgun weddings need look no farther than Pawn Nation.

During the "Buy a Bling, Get a Boom" promotion, customers who purchase jewelry totaling $1,000 or more will receive a free shotgun.

The offer, available now through April, to celebrate the store's first year in business, helps the guy who might rather have a shotgun than the jewelry preferred by his significant other.

"My partners and I … wanted to combine the two," Pawn Nation owner Ron Bonavita said.

But there are a few other requirements to snag this deal.

Buyers must be 18 or older and fill out Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms form 4473, Bonavita said.

"You must fill out the form, which is a background check. It has to be filled out before we can release the shotgun into your possession," he said.

The shotguns part of the deal is "a brand new, pump-action 12-gauge," Bonavita said. The brand name will vary depending on what he has in stock.

Visit Pawn Nation — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 3301 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview —  or call 306-2483 for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shotgun wedding? This Crestview pawn shop has a gun for you

DESTIN — A fundraising party for the Junior League of the Emerald Coast will feature a live showing of the142nd Kentucky Derby, a silent auction, and more.

 The 2nd Annual Derby Party is 3-7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at Emerald Bay Golf Club.

Attendees may enjoy Run for the Roses Raffle and contests for the best Derby hat, best dressed couple, best bow tie and biggest hat. Guests will enjoy classic mint juleps, a southern-style luncheon and live music and dancing.

Early bird tickets are $45 through April 10, and increase to $55 afterward. Purchase at https:www//jlec.org.

For more information about sponsorship or donation opportunities, contact 269-7234 or hq@jlec.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Emerald Coast Junior League schedules Kentucky Derby showing, silent auction