CRESTVIEW — Barricades guiding traffic around road work near the State Road 4-U.S. Highway 90 intersection have been replaced by barriers that allow greater visibility.

The original New Jersey median barricades were too high to allow drivers turning left from S.R. 4 onto U.S. 90 to see oncoming traffic, according to Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles, who said he fielded several calls from concerned motorists.

In addition, drivers said the barricades — also known as K-wall barriers, initially placed to guide westbound U.S. 90 traffic through construction — had a difficult-to-negotiate pattern, according to Boyles.

“The barriers created a hazard for those headed west on 90 because of the proximity to the travel lane and a sharp jog in the road,” Boyles stated in an email.

“In the first 24 hours when the barricades went up, they were nice and clean, but then you could see where they got scuffed up by what looked like a semi had hit them,” he said.

“It’s really hard to tell how they’ll work when you design them sometimes,” Florida Department of Transportation construction engineer Eric Benson said. “We had some people tell us there was a problem, so we responded.”

The DOT's contractor replaced the New Jersey barricades, literally overnight, with low-profile wall barriers.

The new barriers are just 1 foot, 6 inches tall; the New Jersey barricades were 2 feet, 8 inches tall.

The department also redesigned the westbound U.S. 90 route; the adjustment to the driving lane now is more gradual.

Boyles said the quick response is further evidence of a closer partnership between the department and Okaloosa County.

“The DOT has really shown themselves to be a good partner for Crestview and Okaloosa County,” Boyles said. “We’re starting to see a lot more projects coming our way.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Department of Transportation lowers barricades for motorists

CRESTVIEW — Austin Carrico is Crestview's newest Eagle Scout.

Boy Scout Troop 773, which purportedly produces more Eagle Scouts than the national average, continued the trend Dec. 20, when the 15-year-old received his Eagle neckerchief.

‘A GREAT UNDERTAKING'

In addition to attaining more than 75 merit badges, Austin designed and supervised restoration projects at Krul Lake State Recreation Area as his Eagle service project.

Approximately 20 Boy Scouts and adult volunteers invested more than 256 service hours on the roughly $1,000 project, adult volunteer Tim Lindenberger said.

“To earn the highest rank in Scouting, a scout must spend an incredible amount of time,” Lindenberger said. “Austin’s Eagle project was a great undertaking.”

TRAIL TO EAGLE

Austin, the son of Paulina and Kelly Carrico, began his Trail to Eagle on March 18, 2011, after Cub Scouts and Webelos, when he attained the rank of Scout before progressing through Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star and Life Scout, which he reached on Feb. 24.

In addition to 80 merit badges, Austin earned the Boy Scouts Medal of Merit, the Historic Trails Award, the National Outdoor Award and multiple trail medals.

“He wants to earn all the merit badges,” Kelly Carrico, Troop 773’s assistant scout master, said, noting there are currently 135 badges available.

“I really strived to earn this great accomplishment,” Austin said after receiving his Eagle rank. “But I couldn’t do it by myself,” he added, thanking his brother, scout leaders and fellow Eagle Scouts.

“I look forward to both what he will accomplish in his troop, and what he’ll accomplish in his future,” Boy Scout Gulf Coast Council Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz said during the Court of Honor.

Email Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview teen earns Eagle honor

CRESTVIEW — Roughly 250 attendees packed Warriors Hall Dec. 12 during Gordon Martial Arts' promotional ceremony. 

Approximately 80 students as young as 4 years old, and others into their 60s, tested for new ranks in the Korean martial arts of taekwondo or hapkido.

The actual testing was held the prior Monday and Tuesday.

Beginning taekwondo students were called up in groups of six to eight with students similar in level of training and expertise. Students then went through a prearranged set of movements.  They were paired with a partner of like size to demonstrate self-defense movements against common strikes and grabs. The testing panel asked them to demonstrate specific techniques or answer questions about taekwondo history, curriculum specifics or meaning of tenets.

Intermediate-level taekwondo students did the same as beginners; in addition, they wore red padded safety gear and sparred other students, demonstrating a higher level of proficiency as they’ve progressed through the belt system. 

In addition to sparring, advanced-level students broke boards to demonstrate power. 

After warm ups and stretching, Hapkido students moved to the punching bags for a 15-minute cardiovascular workout. They spent a few minutes demonstrating correct falling and rolling techniques followed by a short water break.  Testers then partnered up with another student of similar size and ability to demonstrate joint locks, takedowns and throws. 

Students came up in groups by rank and performed some of their material for Friday's audience to see.

Afterward, most attendees stayed for pizza and mingled as Tony Larkins provided musical entertainment.          

Student of the Year:

•Adult Competitor of the Year:  Jonathan Bofinger

•Junior Competitor of the Year:  Jacob Cieslak

•Adult Perseverance Award: Larry Havard

•Junior Perseverance Awards: Emma Bofinger and David Griffith

•Student of the Year: Caden Mavity

•Friend of GMA:  Brenda Urich

•Above & Beyond Award: Alberto Barbon

New Black Belts:

•Eddie Dettmer, first degree in taekwondo

•Heidi Anderson, second degree in taekwondo

•Matthew Wilkinson, second degree in taekwondo

•Alberto Barbon, second degree in Hapkido

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gordon Martial Arts hosts testing, annual Student of the Year awards

Editor’s note: In each Weekend Edition, the News Bulletin will provide clues to a certain North Okaloosa location. If you tell us the correct location, you could win lunch for two at Angel's Speakeasy in Crestview. We will announce the winner on crestviewbulletin.com. 

It's too late to enter last week's contest, but you can quiz yourself on North Okaloosa knowledge, just for fun! 

HINT:

When I’m feeling loosey-goosey

And from our office walls I duck,

I grab lunch (I’m never choosy)

And escape the grind and muck.

To a verdant Eden I doth wander,

Where I relax and nearly snooze,

And watch the children play and ponder

A game of duck, duck, goose.

As upon my lunch I work my jowls

And let my thoughts run free and loose.

I observe the carefree water fowls,

And think what fun to be a duck or goose.

Where did I take my lunch today?

Spoiler alert: 

* * * * * * * * *

The correct answer was: Twin Hills Park!

Congratulations, Ruth Copeland, for guessing correctly!

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: I AM WHERE? ("Don't get your kicks…")

CRESTVIEW — Gary Johnson wants the Crestview area's needy children to have a Merry Christmas.

Well, more like a "dreamland" Christmas.

His organization, Brotherhood of Love, will present "Dreamland Christmas," a worship service, lunch and toy giveaway scheduled for noon to 4 p.m. Dec. 25 at Carver Hill Community Center. An adults-only party will begin at 8:30 p.m. the same day.

Carver Hill Community Center is located at 895 McClelland St., Crestview.

The Brotherhood of Love seeks donations of used and new toys, clothes, shoes and food for the event. Johnson's goal is to collect enough items for 125 girls and 125 boys ranging from ages 3 to 12.

Kids must be present with their parents to be eligible for giveaway items, and there's a reason for that, Johnson said.  

"There are so many kids now out there that don't really have their parents that, you know, show them that they care and they're concerned about what they (are) involved in and what type of environment they're in," Johnson said. "There's too many kids out there that's been unattended. That's why they end up on street corners selling drugs, robbing people, and doing all sorts of things."

So far, Johnson said, the group has received few donations, but he believes that will pick up.

"Some kind of way, God will work it out," he said.

Johnson's nonprofit outreach ministry flourished for years when he lived in the Miami and Thomasville, Ga., areas.

He resurrected the organization in November, when he and a number of volunteers prepared free Thanksgiving meals for needy residents.

The goal was to feed 250 people, but more than 400 people received meals after word about the benefit spread in the News Bulletin and the Northwest Florida Daily News. 

The nonprofit organization will have more events, and will provide financial assistance to people who've been evicted or need help with utility bills, for example. Donors can make checks payable to Brotherhood of Love.

"We don't just do this on certain special days," Johnson said. "This is an ongoing, everyday thing that we reach out in the community to help anyone who is in need."

Call Gary Johnson, 229-379-1741 or 398-0272, for more details about Dreamland Christmas

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Donations sought for Christmas toy, clothes giveaway

CRESTVIEW — Stacie Prahl enjoys the Christmas lights display her stepfather, Mark Waggy, presents each year.

And she's not the only one.

"The whole month of December, you can find families in line around his block to slow down and get a view of his display," Prahl, a Holt resident, stated in an email.

ALL LIT UP

Most of Waggy's property on Monterrey Road lights up at night: from the vintage-style Santa and reindeer that appear to fly off his roof and lights on the lawn arranged in the shape of Christmas trees, to illuminated candy canes staked throughout the property.

Sometimes, he himself embodies the Christmas spirit.

Occasionally, "I'll (portray) Santa and give out candy canes and that sort of thing," the 52-year-old said. Next Monday from 6-8 p.m. he will be dressed as Santa for visitors. Two volunteers, a friend and a coworker will play elves that evening. In addition, a snow machine will add to the display for a couple of days.

THE HARDEST PART

Waggy said he has decorated his house for Christmas ever since he started living on his own.

And each year, it seems like the decorations become more and more grand.

He doesn't know exactly how many lights are involved — "There's thousands," he said. But Waggy spends $300 to $400 a year making sure he has enough for the looks he creates.

"I always say I'm going to start downsizing; it just never works," he said.

When asked what his wife, Nancy, thinks of his efforts, he said, "She likes it, but she always says, 'Why do you do so much every year?' When I'm done she really likes it, though."

The hardest part of decorating is putting up the display, Waggy said. "I use thousands and thousands and thousands of zip ties," he said.

Decorating takes about three weeks, which includes every day after work, "from like 6 to 8 or 9 o'clock at night," he said. He tries to start the weekend after Thanksgiving unless it rains or he otherwise is delayed.

This year, his sons, Matthew Waggy, 30, and Aaron Waggy, 24, both of Crestview, helped him with setup, which was completed Dec. 14. "Normally it's myself, but I'm getting older and slower," Waggy, 52, said. "They're kind of concerned when I'm up on the tree and the roof."

A KIND OF SANTA

Over the years, neighbors have come to expect Waggy's Christmas light display.

"Most of the time before I get started, my neighbors will stop me and ask me, 'When are you going to start?' They bring their grandkids and friends to see (the lights)."

The requests surprised Waggy at first, but now they make decorating an even more important part of the holiday season.

Waggy usually takes the display down the weekend after New Year's Day. But before then, Prahl said, he reminds her of a certain someone.

"He does this display every year for the pure joy it brings for all that see it," she said. "Some may even be reminded of Santa himself."

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Christmas light display and visit with Santa Claus

WHEN:6-8 p.m. Dec. 22

WHERE: 3053 Monterrey Road, Crestview

COST: Free

Email Renee Bell, follow her on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man spreads joy of Christmas with lights display

CRESTVIEW — The NAACP's Okaloosa County branch wants to send a message to Crestview area residents: that black people's lives matter.

If all goes well, members will gather at 11 a.m. Saturday at city hall to march in protest of recent violence against black men.

The civil rights organization has a permit application, but hadn't filed it as of our Tuesday afternoon press time, according to Mayor David Cadle's office.

Raymond Nelson, the NAACP's local chapter president, didn't immediately return Tuesday morning phone calls, but a source close to the organization said the only delay is getting insurance for the procession.

Last Saturday, an NAACP gathering attracted 40 people to Chester Pruitt Park in Fort Walton Beach, according to the Northwest Florida Daily News.

Long-time Crestview resident Mae Reatha Coleman said she hopes this weekend's proposed march can start a larger movement.

She can imagine the Hub City setting an example for the region, and even the nation.

"Crestview can be like a beacon," she said, if diverse groups come together to discuss perceived racial disparties and find solutions to widespread concerns.

'UNDERLYING RACISM'

 "I don't care what color; all over the world and all over the United States, we still have this underlying racism, it's still there," Coleman said.

Locally, a Confederate battle flag flying on city-owned property bounded by State Road 85, Hickory Avenue and First Street raises concern.

Supporters have said removing the flag, a symbol of Southern heritage, would amount to erasing history.

But Escambia County commissioners' decision this month to remove a Confederate battle flag from the Pensacola Bay Center resonated with Coleman.

"Pensacola can remove the flag," she said. "You're gonna tell me I'm paying taxes for this blood flag … (a symbol of) something that killed my forbears?"  

Another concern is some black residents' changing perception of police officers.

"When I was a kid, coming up, we were told the police were your friend. They're supposed to protect you," Coleman said. "Now, everybody I know's scared of the police."

RECENT CASES

The deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y., and Tamir Rice, in Cleveland, Ohio, have provoked national protests and discussions about race relations.

Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer, fatally shot Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, on Aug. 9 after an altercation; Wilson earlier determined that Brown matched the description of a man involved in a convenience store theft, according to the New York Times. Before their encounter and altercation, Brown stole several short cigars and shoved a convenience store clerk.

Witness testimony included conflicting statements, according to an AP review of the grand jury, but protestors believe Brown attempted to surrender with his hands up before the fatal shot.  

Garner died July 17 after police, pursuing him for selling single cigarettes without tax stamps, placed him in a choke hold that violates NYPD policy. 

He said, "I can't breathe," several times before his death, which a medical examiner ruled a homicide. A passerby captured most of the encounter on video.

Ohio police fatally shot Tamir, a 12-year-old they believed was carrying a gun, on Nov. 22, according to the Associated Press.  

Those incidents didn't occur in Okaloosa County, but Coleman said they affect everybody.

"The killing is not here today for us, but it may be here tomorrow," she said. "If the killing's in Pensacola or Mobile or anywhere in the U.S., I'm gonna sympathize with it, because that could have been my child that got killed."

Coleman said she encourages Crestview residents of all races and beliefs to gather Saturday, if the march happens, and send a message.

"Let's come together," she said. "The killing needs to stop today."

—

Thoughts? Email tboni@crestviewbulletin.com or tweet@cnbeditor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'THE KILLING NEEDS TO STOP': NAACP mulls march downtown this weekend

CRESTVIEW — The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park's first Zoobilee of Lights continues Dec. 19, 20, 21, 22 and 23.

The event, 5-9 p.m. each night, presents lights, live entertainment, snowfall, cookie decorating and an appearance by Santa and friends. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children age 5 and younger. 

Food and beverage will be available for purchase from local vendors. Menu choices include seafood gumbo, red beans and rice, jambalaya, beignets, funnel cakes and carnival-style foods.

Exhibit viewing may be limited, as some of the zoo's animals are brought inside at night.

The ECWR Zoological Park, the former Susquatch Zoo, is located at 5262 Deer Springs Road off U.S. Highway 90, east of Crestview.

Contact the Zoological Park, 682-3949, for more details

See www.ecwrzoo.comor www.facebook.com/ecwrzoo.comfor more information about the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Zoological Park.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Santa, Mrs. Claus join zoo animals for light display