VALPARAISO — The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida invites art, craft, & antique vendors to the 40th Saturday in the Park Heritage Festival.

Vendors must produce quality, hand-crafted, original items only for festival, set 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 30 at the museum, 115 Westview Ave., Valparaiso.

Festival activities include a 5K run/walk and kid’s fun run at 8 a.m., re-enactments, traditional craft demonstrations, live entertainment, craft and food vendors, old-fashioned games and contests, a kid zone with crafts and more.

To register, visit the website, http://www.heritage-museum.org, email info@heritage-museum.org, or call 678-2615.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida art and craft vendors wanted for heritage festival

CRESTVIEW — Sharing Hands Network cofounder and CEO Esther Lynn Hemphill, eying expansion into North Okaloosa County, is emphatic about the one thing her organization does not want to do.

“The goodness that's being done already, we don’t want to upset that,” she said. “What we’re doing is being additive. My job is not to diminish what people are doing already.”

She just wants to make sure charitable organizations and community service providers know what each other can offer those in need. “We’re going to be the network that brokers that service,” she said.

Hemphill and her husband, Jon, founded the Destin-based Sharing Hands three years ago.

“All we knew was there was a gap, but we had no idea how to fill it,” Hemphill said during a Jan. 28 visit with Crestview Mayor David Cadle.

WHY IS IT NEEDED?

“People say, ‘Why is that needed?’” Hemphill said.

She answers, “‘Why is 9-1-1 needed?’”

“Say a mother is using paper towels for her baby. For her, a diaper is as critical a need as an ambulance for somebody who falls down. It’s a connection and resource network,” similar to a 9-1-1 operator and the police, fire department or EMS.

Hemphill said as many as 150,000 people in Northwest Florida are “food-insecure,” that is, “they have to choose between paying the bills and buying groceries,” she said.

“There are thousands of organizations existing to help those in need,” Hemphill said. “But the average person doesn’t know where to find them. Our mission is to connect those in need with those who can help.”

As Hemphill aspires to connect North Okaloosa County organizations to the Sharing Hands Network, she’s engaged marketing consultant Jeremiah Hubbard as a resource for charities.

A GO-TO RESOURCE

“Ninety percent of all charitable organizations don’t know how to use social media effectively,” Hubbard said. “They think if they post it on Facebook, everybody will see it.

"They’re just hoping — hoping — it’s going to go viral. These are things that make a difference in the social media world.”

Hemphill plans to host an informational breakfast in Crestview for charitable organizations such as cold weather shelters, soup kitchens, food banks, indigent medical care services, homeless care, and clothes closets in the coming weeks.

Sharing Hands can become those organizations’ go-to resource, such as for a shelter trying to help the hypothetical mother in need of diapers for her infant.

“Other than going out and buying a pack of diapers, I wouldn’t know what to do to help her,” Hubbard said.

“You can’t do it by yourself sometimes,” Hemphill said. “But if two or more get together, you can.”

What: Sharing Hands Network links charitable service providers with one another and those in need

Where: Headquartered in Destin, will link resources throughout Northwest Florida

Online: www.sharinghandsnetwork.org

Contact: 770-312-7518

F.Y.I.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sharing Hands network coming to Crestview

CRESTVIEW — A local man received an email saying he won $1,000 in a tax preparation company’s daily drawing, and almost hit the delete button.

Luckily for Joseph Farran, his wife Blanca and their daughters, Ariel, 11, and Bella, 8, he decided to check with his H&R Block tax preparer first.

It was no scam, Donna Fleming, manager of the company’s Northview Plaza office said. Farran was a winner in H&R Block’s “A Grand in Your Hand” promotion, in which 1,000 customers a day each receive $1,000.

“We’re going to pay some bills and take a family vacation,” Farran said. “We’re going to Clearwater with the kids and this will help fund it.”

When Fleming heard her client had won the daily drawing, she said she was as excited as he was.

“I was hollering around the office, and the rest of the staff was looking at me like I was crazy,” Fleming said. “We are so glad it was a local winner.”

“Usually someone in a small town doesn’t win these things,” Farran said. “Usually it’s Tampa or Orlando or New York or something.”

The nationwide “A Grand in Your Hand” promotion will continue for clients who file their taxes with H&R Block by Feb. 15 and receive Internal Revenue Service approval of their returns, Fleming said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man wins $1K in H&R Block promotion (VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — This weekend's Girl Scout Cookie sales are scheduled for these times in Crestview, by troop:

Troop 676:

●9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 6, Publix, Crestview

●9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 6, Walmart

●9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 6, Winn-Dixie

●9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Feb. 7,  Walmart

●5-7 p.m. Feb. 12 and 26, Walmart

●Times to be determined Feb. 20 at Winn-Dixie

Troop 738:

9-11 a.m. Feb. 6, Publix

1-3 p.m. Feb. 6, Publix

Troop 742:

●9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 6, Precision Tune Auto Care, Crestview

Troop 745:

●3-7 p.m. Feb. 6, Publix

●1-3 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Feb. 7, Winn-Dixie

Troop 818:

●9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Feb. 6, Auto Zone, Crestview

●9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 6, Ace Hardware, Crestview

●11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 6, Publix

●11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 7, Winn-Dixie, Crestview

●2-7 p.m. Feb. 13, Johnny O'Quigleys, Crestview

Troop 1318:

●9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 20, Pic N Save, Baker

●5-7 p.m. Feb. 7, Winn Dixie, Crestview

—

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect all known, registered Girl Scout Cookie sales at public locations.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview area Girl Scout Cookie sales scheduled this weekend (UPDATED)

A number of Northwest Florida residents had Ashley Madison accounts when the dating service, which encourages cheating on a spouse, was hacked. 

North Okaloosa County communities were among those with account holders.

4.6 percent of Crestview's population, for instance, had an Ashley Madison account. 3.8 percent of Laurel Hill's population and 3.3 percent of Holt's were account holders.

Here is how other communities ranked. 

Read more from the Northwest Florida Daily News>>

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: This many Crestview area residents had Ashley Madison accounts

CRESTVIEW — In addition to hosting the first of three martial art tournaments the weekend of Feb. 2, Gordon Martial Arts has events with a local, regional, and international reach.

The first Gulf Coast Martial Art Championships tournament is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 6 at Davidson Middle School, 6261 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. Tickets to watch the tournament are $5 for adults, $3 for children older than 5, and free for younger children.

Other events on the schedule are:

GMA SCHOOLWIDE TESTING: 3-8 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 and 31 at GMA, 130 W. Oakdale Ave., Crestview.

GMA PROMOTIONS CEREMONY: Awards, demonstrations, a community guest speaker and more are planned 6:30-8 p.m. Friday, April 8 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive. Gordon said, the event includes demonstrations by the students of what they have learned, certificates and belts are presented, and a featured Crestview guest speaker will address attendees. Previous speakers include CHS football coaches, Principal Dexter Day, Hub City Chevrolet's Chris Daggs, former Crestview Chamber president Wayne Harris, and other community leaders. The public is welcome to attend.

THE 10TH ANNUAL KOREAN MARTIAL ART FESTIVAL: 5:30-9 p.m. Friday, April 22, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 23 and 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, April 24 at GMA. Started in 2006, the event draws visitors regionally and worldwide, such as Australia, Canada, Scotland and the US. Black Belt magazine named the event one of "10 Must Do Events Of The Year." It includes the KMA Masters Hall of Fame ceremony Saturday evening with awards, demonstrations and more. Learn more at www.KMAF.info.

●The second GCMAC tournament is set from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 14 at Davidson Middle School. Schools from several states are set to attend.  

●A seminar with Aaron Gassor — "The Ginger Ninja," from the United Kingdom — is 6-8 p.m. Monday, May 16 at GMA. FOr more on Gassor, see http://www.gingerninjatrickster.com/.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gordon Martial Arts schedule includes tournaments, international festival

CRESTVIEW — A local shopkeeper is pairing two beverages with perhaps surprisingly similar properties.

That’s not to say Baron’sTea.com’s owner Erica Teets actually mixes wine with her classic and seasonal tea blends. But she finds the similarities between tea leaves and wine grapes interesting.

It’s so interesting to her that, in October 2015, she started hosting monthly wine tastings at the former tea parlor with certified sommelier Nieves Pascual Ena.

“Wine and tea have similarities because of the tannins (bitter-tasting organic substances) in them,” Teets said. “When you pair the wine with food, there are all these things that occur that our sommelier talks about: how the tannins in the wine complement different food. It’s kind of the same with tea.”

Phytochemicals — natural compounds in plants that affect their color, aroma and taste — also affect our perception of how different foods taste when we couple them with wine and tea, Teets said.  

“We’re trying to teach people that pairing the right wine with the right food maximizes the taste of each,” Pascual Ena said. “This is educational. We’re not selling wine or representing distributors.”

WINE LOVES CHOCOLATE

For The Baron’s Valentine’s Day weekend tasting, Pascual Ena has been playing matchmaker between select wines and gourmet chocolates.

Sampling fare can also include select fruit, cheeses, meats and smoked salmon, she said.

“I’m constantly thinking, 'This might go well with that,'” Pascual Ena said. “There is a  lot of work involved but I love what I do.”

One thing attendees at the Feb. 12 event won’t know at first is which wines they’re sampling, though the sommelier will explain the covered bottles’ different properties.

“When you do a professional wine tasting, the bottles are covered so you are not guided by the label,” she said. “Other wine tastings are sponsored by a distributor, so they’re going to try to sell you that. Ours are completely educational.”

LIKE TEA, LIKE WINE

Although tea leaves are the basic part of tea, and grapes are the basic part of wine, both plants have many varieties, Teets said. Those variations make for different flavors and characteristics.

“They produce similar things but there is so much complexity to each one,” she said.

There’s too much complexity for her, so though there is the tea equivalent of a wine sommelier, but "that’s not me,” Teets said, laughing.

“There are people who are getting into a new craft, pairing tea with food,” she said. “Just like with wine, in the tea industry there are people who study teas. But I’m not certified.”

But Teets, who has lectured on tea's properties and culture, will gladly share her expertise, and offers samplings at her Ferdon Boulevard shop.

“All of the phytochemicals in tea — and each type has a different range — that’s what makes teas taste different,” she said.

“It’s like different wines have different types of grape.”

Nieves Pascual Ena is a wine authority who is internationally certified in Berlucchi, Italy through the Associazione Italiana Sommelier.

“We teach people to pair the right wine with the right food. That’s what a sommelier does,” she said. “If you go to a good restaurant, the sommelier wants to make sure you choose the right wine to go with your food.

“I have the best job in the world. I love it.”

WHAT IS A SOMMELIER?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview tea shop finds similarities in traditional beverages (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — An art show featuring the the works of Michael D. Frabott is on exhibit throughout February at the Niceville Public Library.

Frabott's abstract and pop art wood sculptures will be on display 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at 206 Partin Drive N.

Frabott, a retired Crestview High School drafting teacher, used to make furniture. But he said he "got tired of making stuff that was just useful, so I decided to get into making artwork because it was enjoyable, relaxing and something to do. 'Everybody's gotta have a hobby!'" he said.

His favorite original pieces include two items: "The wall piece, I enjoyed gathering the stuff for it because that's a lot of found pieces, and the other one (a standalone artwork with a metal chain) was a little challenging to get the design right for it. I enjoyed the challenge of designing them."

The only thing not made of wood for the standalone project was the chain.

Contact Frabott,  689-2199, for more information about his work.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview artist's works on display in Niceville

CRESTVIEW — Ryan Jones enjoys traveling, teaching, playing sports and mowing his lawn, despite being visually impaired.

“With the right mindset, you can overcome your challenges to do what you want to do," the 1999 Crestview High School alumnus said.

He's been proving that his whole life.

GROWING UP

Ryan's dad, Bob Jones, former principal of Crestview High and Shoal River Middle Schools, said his son’s visual deterioration began as a toddler. So they adapted to the situation.

“He could read large-print books," Bob said. "As he got into middle school, he was carrying around these textbooks that were the size of an atlas.”

At CHS, Ryan used computer technology that enhanced scanned images and helped him learn. He joined the football team as a wide receiver, and played drums in the band, rising to section leader.

“He won the Louis Armstrong Jazz Musician Of The Year award his senior year," Bob said.

In addition, he won an Okaloosa County School District award for students who triumphed over disabilities or personal challenges.

HELPING OTHERS

As an adult, Ryan travels the country teaching visually impaired people how to use assistive technology developed by Freedom Scientific of St. Petersburg.

"We develop computer technology for people who are visually impaired," Ryan said. "We make software that reads everything on the screen out loud, and software that makes it possible to read on the screen.

"We make devices that translate print into Braille. We make magnifying systems for people who are have no vision or people who need just a little bit of help."

During his travels, he met blind singer Stevie Wonder, who has invited Ryan to his concerts.

Along the way, Ryan shares a message of hope: “Each of us have our own burdens to bear,” he said. “Mine is vision loss, but there are so many technologies to overcome people’s challenges."

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER

While traveling, Ryan met a Kentucky middle school teacher at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. She had a visually impaired student and, noticing Ryan’s cane, asked for advice on helping her student.

“She was sitting at the gate and she said she felt God telling her to speak to me, so we just struck up a conversation,” Ryan said. “We thought it was all about helping that student, but it was about God orchestrating ways for us to get married.”

They wed two years later, and will celebrate their sixth anniversary in April.

THE FIRST STEP

Ryan and Kayla Jones now live in Lexington, Ky., and their faith carries them through life.

“I focus on my church time just to talk about overcoming obstacles, to live by faith and not by sight, to encourage other people,” he said. “… It’s not a ministry, per se, but I get to use my faith to illustrate for other people, which is really good.”

“He’s my Christian role model and my work ethic and perseverance role model,” Bob said. “Ryan has vision that goes beyond sight."

“Sometimes people get stuck on dealing with what’s right in front of them instead of looking at the bigger picture and overcoming those things,” Ryan said.

“The first step is being real about your situation, and not trying to hide it.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview High School alumnus inspires others who are blind

Here's a list of upcoming events for Crestview, Okaloosa and Northwest Florida residents.

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