CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, sponsored by North Okaloosa Medical Center, is set for 7:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Crestview Community Center.
The entry fee is $3. Networking begins at 7 a.m. and the program follows.
Any chamber member can bring business cards, brochures or offer member discounts. The meeting will feature a table for displaying them.
FORT WALTON BEACH — The Allstate Foundation recently awarded Shelter House a $30,625 grant to continue its economic empowerment program.
Shelter House — a state-certified domestic and sexual violence shelter serving Okaloosa and Walton counties — first received this grant in 2009, and has since earned recognition and offered training to other domestic violence centers on its innovative programs.
Tactics that abusers use to exert control include restricting the victim’s access to money, ruining the victim’s credit, forbidding her to work or harassing her on the job, causing a spotty work history.
Shelter House advocates in the WAM! (Women and Money) program work with survivors on budgeting, building savings, repairing credit scores and more through economic empowerment courses.
The nonprofit organization also works with children of abuse survivors so they learn early in life how to handle their own finances.
The agency will hold public workshops on April 4 and June 25. Call 243-1201 for more information.
FORT WALTON BEACH — Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast will soon enroll for summer youth development programming.
Registration opens to all current club members on Feb. 16; to 2015 summer members on Feb. 29; and to the general public on March 7. Registration is on a first come, first served basis until each club has reached capacity.
Summer programming will be offered at these clubs: DeFuniak Springs and Crestview, Pensacola, Destin Elementary, Fort Walton Beach Youth, Fort Walton Beach Teen, and South Walton.
Membership rates cost $350 for the entire summer programming with a one-time $25 registration fee. Payment plans are available as follows:
●Registration fee and one-third of summer program paid on day of registration
●April 11: Second payment due
●May 9: Final payment due
Other program fee rates are available based on free or reduced-lunch eligibility.
CRESTVIEW — Drivers will encounter traffic disruptions on these state roads as crews perform construction activities:
I-10 resurfacing, Okaloosa County: Intermittent and alternating east and westbound lane closures from the Santa Rosa County line to east of County Road 189 (Holt Exit) between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 31 through Thursday, Feb. 4. The speed limit will be reduced to 60 mph in the active work zone.
I-10 Resurfacing, Walton County: 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. Sunday, Jan. 31 through Thursday, Feb. 4.
I-10, Walton County: Alternating east and westbound lane closures between exit 85 (DeFuniak Springs/Exit 85) and exit 96 (Ponce deLeon/ State Road 81), 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1 through Thursday, Feb. 4 as crews trim trees near the roadway.
U.S. 331 Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge, Walton County: Alternating lane closures across the Clyde B. Wells Bridge from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 5 as crews place concrete for the new bridge.
In addition, there will be alternating lane closures between the Relief Bridge and the Clyde B. Wells Bridge, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3. to 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 4 as crews perform paving operations.
CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce has a new Membership and Events coordinator.
Sandra Wilson accepted the position and began serving Jan. 21.
Chamber President and CEO Valerie Lott said, "Sandra brings experience and a proven track record of success in the business and event planning area, which will be invaluable in meeting the goals and objectives of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce.
"I am confident that Sandra will be an excellent match for this position and a strong asset to our organization. Lott said.
NICEVILLE — The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra is hosting a series of performances by international and national guest artists.
The next recital will feature award-winning pianist Tomer Gewirtzman 7:30 p.m. Feb. 6 in the Tyler Recital Hall. The hall is located in the Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center, Northwest Florida State College, 100 College Blvd., Niceville.
Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased by phone, web or at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Box Office. Call 729-6000 or go to www.MattieKellyArtsCenter.org.
Gewirtzman's many prizes and accolades include first prize in the 64th Wideman International Piano Competition (2014); third prize in the inaugural Midwest Piano Competition in Iowa in June 2014.
He is also the most recent winner of the America – Israel Cultural Foundation's Aviv Competition that took place in December 2013, where he won both the piano prize named after Rafi Guralnik and the audience prize named after Meira Gera.
Gewirtzman is currently working toward the Master of Music degree at the Juilliard School in New York, as a student of Maestro Sergei Babayan.
He is a proud recipient of the prestigious Kovner Fellowship award. Prior to Juilliard, He studied for one year at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He completed the Bachelor of Music degree with honors under the guidance of Prof. Arie Vardi at the Buchman-Mehta Academy of music in Tel-Aviv.
CRESTVIEW — Poets and musicians can read, perform, improvise and play together during an open-microphone event 6 p.m. Feb. 9 at the Crestview Public Library.
The poetry starter is "An Empty Chair." Anyone can attend, and admittance is free.
The library is located at 1445 Commerce Drive in Crestview. Contact Esther Hurwitz, 682-4432 or ehurwitz@okaloosa.lib.fl.us; or Rick Sanders, 585-6399, for details.
