The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab Sea Mobile, a self-sustained aquarium complete with a state-of-the-art filtration system, houses a variety of live marine life.

And it is bringing the ocean to the Crestview Public Library on Saturday, Sept. 19!

Come any time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This family event, open to all ages, does not require enrollment. 

The Sea Mobile holds 750 gallons of saltwater aquariums, including five touch tanks with safe-to-handle species such as: starfish, sea urchins, conchs, crabs, sponges and other colorful sea life from the Gulf of Mexico.

In addition, seven acrylic aquariums are filled with animals to view including: stingrays, seahorses, sea anemones, octopus, stone crabs, file fish, gorgonians, shrimp and a variety of fish and invertebrates from the Gulf of Mexico.

The Sea Mobile also has two light microscopes with video camera adapters hooked to two LCD 46-inch flat-screen televisions that allow visitors to see intricate details of a sponge or tiny creatures such as amphipods swimming across the screen. Two Blu-ray players hooked to televisions play informational videos.

Please visit www.gulfspecimen.org for a sneak preview. Call me at 682-4432 with questions (about the event, not the sea!).

Heather Nitzel is the Crestview Public Library's youth services librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview library to host sea mobile

CRESTVIEW — Old Glory mingled with the stars and bars, the Bonnie Blue and the battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia Saturday morning as a Southern Strong convoy of almost 40 vehicles marshaled in Old Spanish Trail Park.

Jake Moore was ready. The Pensacola resident had a custom trailer hitch flag pole bracket fastened on the back of his pick-up truck, from which fluttered the U.S. flag flanked by the battle flag and a black version of the Gadsden “Don’t Tread on Me” standard.

“We’re going to keep doing this every month,” Moore said. “We need to get the word out this is our history.”

“We’re standing up for what we believe in,” Crestview resident Susan Hollingshead said.” You have to do that. If you don’t stand for what you believe in, we’re all going down.”

“We have to stand up for our history or we’d be lost, honestly,” convoy participant Joseph Morgan said.

SHOWING PRIDE

Dorrian Vance, one of the convoy and rally organizers, said the event was a matter of showing pride in Southern heritage at a time when the Confederate battle flag is being debated.

On Sept. 14, the Crestview City Council will discuss the battle flag’s presence over Confederate Park and its monument to Confederate veterans, including William “Uncle Bill” Lundy.

“It’s a Confederate soldiers’ memorial,” Lundy’s great-grandson, Greg Lundy, said. “We can’t think of a better place to flay a Confederate flag.”

“We want the council to know we’re not lying down,” Vance said. “We’re not going away.”

Vance said the Southern Strong organization has attracted about 700 members of “like-minded people who want to share and fight for our heritage” from Escambia through Walton Counties.

After it left Crestview, the convoy headed south to Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola, then east to conclude with a rally in Milton, where organizers said the presence of the battle flag on public property is also under debate.

“We love our flag more than they hate it,” rally co-organizer Tammy Dempsey said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3-county Southern Strong convoy departs Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The name of Army Sgt. 1st Class William “Kelly” Lacey, an Okaloosa County native killed in action in Afghanistan in 2014, soon will be added to the Okaloosa County Veterans Memorial Wall.

The memorial’s newly reconstituted board of directors met Aug. 17 to discuss revising its bylaws to clarify who is eligible for inclusion on the wall near Okaloosa County's courthouse in downtown Crestview. The meeting was prompted by an inquiry Lacey’s family, including his dad John, and widow, Ashley, made in July.

Lacey’s stepmother, Karla Lacey of Laurel Hill, originally was told Kelly’s name could not be included on the memorial because he didn’t meet three criteria: that he was born in Okaloosa County, that he was killed in action, and that he had trained at a military installation in Okaloosa County. The third requirement eliminated Kelly, who never trained at local bases.

When Crestview Mayor David Cadle, the foundation's vice president, and retired Brig. Gen. Mark Stogsdill, the secretary/treasurer, learned of the rejection, plans were set in motion to fix the problem.

The organization recruited four additional board members: former Fort Walton Beach Mayor Glenda Glover, former Eglin Community Relations Chief Shirley Pigott, Crestview businessman Andy Powell, and Crestview attorney Bill Parker. Crestview resident Bob Lynn will continue as the organization’s president.

Under the bylaws' new wording, a person may be eligible to have their name on the wall if he or she was born in Okaloosa County or attended a public or private (including homeschool) school in Okaloosa County; and was killed while on active duty in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa Courthouse memorial in Crestview will include Laurel Hill soldier's name

School is back in session, and we all know what that means … science fair projects! The Crestview Public Library has purchased a new online resource that students, parents, and educators are sure to find indispensable.

Science in Context is a premier online resource providing authoritative information on all major science topics from earth science and life science, to space, technology, mathematics and science history and biography. It provides a curriculum-oriented, engaging online experience to boost achievement for students and researchers.

Click here for Science in Context search instructions.

Science in Context has several options for beginning your research: Spotlighted Topics, Browse Categories & Topics, Featured Video & News, Basic Search, and Advanced Search. There’s a Tools Box to help you manage your chosen document: Citation Tools, Email, Download, Print, Highlights & Notes, Save, Share, and Translate. The ReadSpeaker feature even allows you to listen to a document or download an audio version as an MP3 file.

To access Science in Context from the library’s website, www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php, select the “Electronic Resources” tab on the left, then the Science in Context logo. You will need to enter your 14-digit library card barcode number.

Sandra Dreaden is the Crestview Public Library's reference librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DREADEN: Science in Context is an anywhere, any time resource for science fair projects (DOCUMENT)

NICEVILLE — The Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra is holding orchestra-wide auditions for regular and substitute rosters in August.

This includes auditions for a one-year appointment for Principal Violin II, principal viola, second bassoon and bass trombone.

Auditions are in 15-minute time blocks starting 9 a.m. Aug. 29 at Northwest Florida State College, Mattie Kelly Fine and Performing Arts Center, Tyler Recital Hall, 100 College Blvd., Niceville.

Players will be expected to perform excerpts listed in the corresponding repertoire list as well as a prepared solo concerto movement.

For details, email personnel manager Matt Fossa, mufossa75@gmail.com. To schedule an audition, call Diana Jernigan, 729- 5382.

The NFSO is in its 29th season as the premiere fully professional orchestra on Florida's Emerald Coast. Visit online at www.nfsymphony.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/northwestfloridasymphony

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra auditions scheduled Aug. 29

CRESTVIEW — Thirty-four French visitors soon will experience Northwest Florida culture and enhance their English conversational skills, which may include an occasional “y’all” and “bless your heart.”

The 22 students and 12 adults — visiting Crestview from its sister city, Noirmoutier-en-l’Île — also will inject $16,000 to $20,000 into the area economy during their Oct. 16-30 visit, organizers said.

Visitors will stay with host families who take their guests sightseeing, shopping and out to eat, contributing to the economic benefit of Crestview and Noirmoutier's relationship, which Sister Cities International formalized in May 1997.

Noirmoutier Sister City Committee President René Relandeau said each student has been instructed to bring at least $450, but many will bring more, and the adults will bring a minimum of $700 each. They are also renting a van — which costs more than $700 for the two-week stay — and renting cellphones for adult guests.

The October visit — which reciprocates a May trip to Noirmoutier by a delegation of 18 Crestview-area residents — marks the 20^th anniversary of the first exchange between the two communities. Event organizers' calendar of events will include dinners, lunches, shopping, a Mattie Kelly Arts Center concert, visits to the Baker Block Museum and the Baker corn maze, and area tours.

Organizers and supporters said the program has many benefits. 

“Cultural programs like the Sister City organization add a dimension to the attractiveness of our area to different businesses who are seeking new opportunities for their employees,” Mayor David Cadle said.

“Many of our kids will never have an opportunity to visit France,” Crestview High School French teacher Chris Lanoue said. “The Sister City program brings French culture to them. Many of our previous hosts are still in regular contact with their French friends.”

That's the case for Crestview residents Jim and Jan Tuttle, who will host Relandeau and his wife, Madeleine.

“They are like part of the family,” Jan Tuttle said. “René said my boys are his ‘American grandsons.’”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Sister City visit could inject $20K into area economy

CHIPLEY — Lane restrictions are planned through the weekend for eastbound traffic on U.S. Highway 98 across Brooks Bridge in Okaloosa County.

Restrictions will last from 9 p.m. Aug. 23 to 2 a.m. Aug. 24 as crews complete repairs to a railing that was damaged in a recent vehicle accident. 

Motorists are reminded to use caution when traveling, especially at night, in a work zone.  Repairs are weather dependent and may be rescheduled due to inclement weather.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Nighttime lane restrictions scheduled across Brooks Bridge, Okaloosa County

NICEVILLE — A Crestview teenager's two-dimensional drawing has earned a "Superior" rating after exhibiting at the National Fine Arts Festival in Orlando.

Christa Daughtry's artwork, "Unreached but not Unreachable" — which ranked sixth among her peers — reveals a woman's face that is partially covered by her hand.

The annual competition features hundreds of talented artists and their best work. Scholarships are awarded to those with highest accolades; to date, Daughtry has earned more than $4,000 in awards.

Daughtry — who attends Lifepoint Church in Crestview and Rocky Bayou Christian School in Niceville — plans to attend Southwestern Assembly of God University and major in education before beginning mission work in India.

"I feel called by God to be there, and would like to work with orphaned children and reach other people who haven't had the chance to learn about God," she said. "I definitely want to help children learn to read and write, but I would love to share art with them and help them develop their own God-given talents."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview artist receives national recognition

CRESTVIEW — Milk shakes at Dupree’s, dragging Main, smooching in the Fox, and dancing to the jukebox at Crescent Springs Swimming Pool: that's how Crestview teenagers once spent their carefree years.

“Teenagers of this era were like teenagers of today — always complaining there was nothing to do in this town,” Betty Curenton and Claudia Patten wrote in “Crestview: The Forkland.”

“Looking back, we can see we usually found a lot to get into.”

Dupree’s Drive-In, where burgers and fries were affordable, was a popular haunt. So were drug store soda fountains, with several on Main Street, including Brackin’s and City Pharmacy.

“The malted milk shakes and ice cream sodas were really a treat, and we really enjoyed cherry Cokes when they came out,” Curenton and Patten wrote.

'THE PLACE TO GO'

Warm spring days, hot summers and balmy early autumn days in the late 1940s and early '50s were spent at former mayor Purl Adams’ Crescent Springs Swimming Pool. Families could picnic on a hill above the pool, and buy burgers and hotdogs from Purl Jr., his son, at the concession stand.

Purl Jr. doubled as a lifeguard, and periodically abandoned the grill to dash to the pool and haul a sodden swimmer to safety, Barbara Adams, Purl Jr.’s widow, recalls. “He said a lot of times he would be in the sandwich shop and somebody would scream and he would run and dive in with his clothes on to rescue them,” she said. “That Purl!”

At night, teens gathered under the pool’s pavilion and danced under festive colored lights to music on the jukebox. “We had some good times out there,” Joe Curenton, Betty’s husband, said. “It was big. It was a nice place… It was the place to go.”

Teens also would buy a few gallons of gas  —  then about $.15 to $.20 a gallon —  and head to Shoal River, Turkey Hen Creek or Garret’s Mill Pond. “Almost everyone remembers at least one ‘skinny dipping’ trip,” Curenton and Patten stated. “No matter how hot the day, it never took long to cool off in our local waters.”

DRIVE-INS AND DRAGGING

During the evenings, young people headed to the Fox, Eglin and Crestview movie theatres on Main Street for Hollywood’s latest fare.

In the 1950s, Neal Robinson built the Dixie Drive-In theatre on Juke Hill  —  around the site of today’s Big Lots on South Ferdon Boulevard  —  while Hinson Ward built the Park Drive-In Theatre on U.S. 90 West.

“Most of us remember going to the drive-ins and paying for two tickets for those in the car,” Curenton and Patten wrote. “There would be two more (people) emerging from the trunk when the car parked.”

For teens with cars, or those who borrowed their folks’ automobile or rode with someone, nights weren’t over until they “drug Main,” or cruised the length of Main Street to see and be seen before heading home.

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CRESTVIEW CENTENNIAL: Remembering our top teen hangouts

CRESTVIEW — One of the Wild West’s most legendary figures had a fleeting North Okaloosa County association.

Dr. John Henry “Doc” Holliday — famous for his role in the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona — returned to his native Georgia after graduating from dental school in Philadelphia.

He worked his way south to Florida, then headed west, according to Holliday historian Victoria Wilcox.

“We think he came right through Okaloosa County,” which would have been Walton County in the 1870s when Holliday passed through en route to Dallas, she said.

Wilcox, who attended Crestview dentist Dr. Richard Thomas’s annual Doc Holliday birthday party on Friday, marveled at the exhibit Thomas created in his Alabama Street practice.

It includes dental tools typical of the late 19^th century, playing cards for Faro — “They always show them playing poker in the movies but actually it was Faro,” Thomas said — and Holliday’s appointment “book,” an ivory fan with one blade per day of the week on which appointments were penciled in. The book includes traces of Holliday’s handwriting.

The centerpiece is Doc Holliday’s dentist’s chair and foot-powered pedal drill, which Thomas won in an online auction in 2013, bidding against the Doc Holliday Museum in the legend’s hometown of Griffin, Georgia.

“It is world-class,” Wilcox said. “There is nothing nowhere that has what Dr. Thomas has here. This is amazing. I’m excited for Crestview.”

Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Doc Holliday expert 'excited' by Crestview exhibit