CRESTVIEW — A cantata by Mark Hayes is coming to First United Methodist Church in Crestview.

"What Sweeter Music" features director Kevin Lusk and accompanist Leon Curenton.

It will be presented at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Dec. 14 at the church, located at 599 Eight Ave., Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Christmas cantata planned by First United Methodist Church

CRESTVIEW — Julie Voiles and Crestview Manor’s other 61 residents will be getting to doctor’s appointments, shopping trips and church easier and cheaper thanks to the assisted living facility receiving a van.

The wheelchair lift-equipped Chevrolet Express with a custom raised roof was presented Tuesday morning by the Rev. Alan Kilgore and representatives of First Baptist Church of Crestview.

See photos of Crestview Manor's new van presentation>>

The church, which is practically across Hickory Street from the Manor, ministers to Manor residents, with chaplains conducting on-site worship services and Sunday school classes.

“They have had a major problem here in that they do not have transportation to take the people to doctor’s appointments or other places,” chaplain and Sunday school teacher the Rev. Joe Sharpe said.

Sharpe said residents, most of whom live on a $54 monthly allowance, have to hire taxis or rely on Manor staff members who use their own cars to drive them to appointments.

“It’s very hard for people on fixed incomes,” Sharpe said. “There are people here who haven’t been to dentist’s appointments in a long time. The Lord has made it possible to donate this van.”

Crestview Manor director Becky Brice-Nash couldn’t stop smiling and praising the church as she accepted the license plate and keys to the van.

“This is just so exciting,” she said. “It’s got a wheelchair lift and everything. We’re finally going to be able to take people places. We’ve never had (resident transportation) at Crestview Manor before.”

“This is a real miracle for us,” resident Dennis Green said. “A blessing from God, that’s what it is.”

“A real blessing,” resident Latricia Schrag echoed.

Resident Julie Voiles volunteered to be the first to try out the wheelchair lift. Sharpe and the Rev. Larry Ewerds, also a Manor chaplain, manipulated the remote as Voiles was lifted gently level with the van floor.

“That was neat!” she said as she was lowered safely back to the ground.

“The reality is, these folks are very poor and their resources are very limited,” Sharpe said. “This van will make a big difference in their lives.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'A real blessing': Church's van donation will help Manor residents’ mobility

CRESTVIEW — The Eglin Chapel will host the annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Eglin West Gate Chapel. 

There will be choirs, entertainment, Santa arriving on a fire engine and the announcement of greeting card winners.

"This is one of Eglin's biggest family events so you don't want to miss this one," an event spokesperson said.  

Anyone with base access is encouraged to come. Refreshments will be served immediately after the ceremony. 

Contact the chapel, 882-2111, for more details.

In addition, the Main Street Crestview Association and City of Crestview Christmas Parade begins 5:30 p.m. Saturday in downtown Crestview.

The parade begins on Main Street at Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, goes north to Cedar Avenue, turns west, and then heads south on Wilson Street to Beech Avenue.

The parade previously concluded at Main Street and Cedar Avenue. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THIS WEEKEND: Eglin tree lighting; Crestview parade

BAKER — The Baker Family Medical Center at 1321 Georgia Avenue in Baker is hosting Cookies with Santa tomorrow.

Santa will visit at the center for two hours, 4-6 p.m. and will be taking Christmas requests. Children may write and share their letters with Santa, and their parents or guardians may also take a photo of their children with Santa.

Cookies and punch will be served.

Call 537-2700 for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Cookies with Santa planned in Baker

BAKER — Out-of-town motorists driving on Highway 189 face a surprise as they turn onto Sexton Drive.

A quarter-mile down Sexton — much of which is lined with barricades and cones — is a washed out stretch with a waist-deep crater.

Watch video of Baker residents talking about the damage>>

The quiet county road is home to a small number of families and retirees who haven't had a smooth trip since April's floods.

But this is more than an inconvenience; the road is potentially dangerous, some residents said.

LIFESTYLE CHANGES

"I try to make sure when people come to my house, I'm like, 'Stay over to the left (of the road)," Patrick Crinklaw said. Steering right could land you in a ditch or a 3-foot hole.

Some of Sexton's most significant damage is just in front — well, now, below — Crinklaw's driveway.

Wheel tracks on his neighbor's front lawn indicate his new way home. "I've had to ruin my neighbor's yard," Crinklaw said.

And, since the flood, his daughters — 8 and 5 years old — haven't been able to ride their bicycles in the area.

"You used to see (neighborhood kids) out here running and playing," said James Brown, who's lived on the street more than 30 years. "Now, they have to really be careful.

"My goodness, would you want your child playing around, riding a bicycle here?"

PERSONAL EFFORTS

April's washout wasn't Sexton's first. Tropical Storm Lee caused some damage in 2011, Crinklaw said. So did Hurricane Georges in 1998, Brown said.

"The damage (with Lee) wasn't as severe as the damage now, but the response was better," Crinklaw said, adding the road was repaired within a month.

This year, it's been seven months, and "there has been absolutely zero work done to it," he said.

Crinklaw, whose friend owns a clay pit, has thought of taking the do-it-yourself route.

"I have access to a huge amount of clay to fill it in, but I don't have the money to pay somebody to come run 50 dump trucks full of clay out here," Crinklaw said. "I mean, it's just really too big a project for us in the neighbhoorhood to take on. "

But, as more of the road caves in, he does adjust county-placed barricades and cones surrounding the hole. And he wonders when county workers can fix the problem area.

"It'd be nice to just get some contact from the county … but they haven't even come here to see if the barricades fell in," Crinklaw said.

"And that's what we pay taxes for. Our taxes are supposed to take care of this problem."

'LIMITED RESOURCES'

Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said he understands Sexton residents' concerns.

"If it was my road, I'd want it done tomorrow, too, but we have limited resources."

Projects like Sexton Drive's erosion qualify for federal assistance, but FEMA must first approve reimbursement requests, county officials said.

"FEMA doesn't give you money upfront; they reimburse you," said Jason Autrey, Okaloosa's engineer and interim Public Works director. "So we have to … agree upfront that the (project's cost) is appropriate, so that when I build it, if I'm within the realm, then they'll match it back."

Ideally, FEMA reimburses up to 75 percent of the cost; the state, 12 1/2 percent; and the county, 12 1/2 percent, according to Autrey. The county can absorb more than 12 1/2 percent, but the goal is to keep the project within budget.

"I can appreciate how inconvenient it has been for everybody (on Sexton Drive), but if we would have gone and done the work and asked for reimbursement after the fact, we very much would have been caught holding the bag," Autrey said.

RATING NEEDS

"It's important to keep in mind we have a big county and a lot of stuff going on … but the reality is all (Sexton) residents have adequate access to their property," Boyle said.

County officials prioritized projects on a list of more than 35 flood-damaged areas including Sexton Drive, Shoal River Drive, Okaloosa Lane, the Okaloosa Jail parking lot and Oak Hill Road.

"Sexton Road is an important project in my district, and it's important to me that it get done, but … it doesn't rate at the top of the list," Boyles said.

County system failures that caused flooded homes take higher priority, county officials said.

"We had a county road that essentially acted as a dam that blocked water back and flooded about a half-dozen homes on Stanley Lane" in Baker, Boyles said.

Negotiations with the federal government are part of a lengthy process that includes engineer work to ensure the job isn't just completed on time, but that it also has lasting results, county officials said.

"There's often a notion that folks don't see guys with hard hats on, out there every day, and they assume that work's not being done," Boyles said. "But a lot of the work is done in the office trying to draft the plans to get started.

"For me, it's frustrating because there's not been a single day, that I'm aware of, where county staff has been sitting on their butts. We've got a list of projects that exceeds both our time, availability and our budgets."

One bright spot? Recent negotiations between a FEMA representative and the county have gone more smoothly compared to discussions shortly after the flood, Autrey said.

For instance, early on, the county sought $250,000 in federal assistance for one project, but a FEMA representative would authorize just $50,000, he said.

Lately, FEMA's offers are starting to align more with county estimates.

IT TAKES TIME

Repairs are in the works, with the county taking bids for construction on the jail parking lot and now requesting approval to advertise for construction on Oak Hill Road and Sexton, Autrey said.  

While Crinklaw waits, he remains concerned for motorists unfamiliar with the road.

"You have out-of-towners that turn on the wrong road and they'll come flying down here," he said. "If we didn't keep (adjusting) the barricades up there, they would go off into the abyss. We'd have a  pile of cars out here."

That's during the day. It's more difficult in the evening, as the barricades have no lights, he said.

"If you're not from around here and you just drive down this road at night, especially when it's raining, you're liable to end up in (the hole) because you don't know where you are."

Such concerns have merit, but nothing with the federal government happens quickly, and ensuring the area can withstand future natural disasters takes time, Boyles said.

"Those residents deserve to have their road repaired, and it will be; there's no question about it," he said.  

"We want to do it as cost effectively as possible for our citizens, and we want to do it right, but that probably means we can't do it quickly."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: As road damage frustrates residents, Okaloosa awaits FEMA funding (VIDEO)

Do you need help with your homework or resume; want to polish your writing skills or learn a second language? 

Thanks to the Okaloosa Public Library Cooperative, we now offer access to Brainfuse, a resource that provides free live tutoring sessions with experts. 

Here is a sample of topics that are covered:

•Live Tutor

•Resume Lab

•Writing Lab

•Send Questions

•Language Lab

•Live Interview Coach

To learn more about these features, create an account using the barcode on the back of your library card. Go to our homepage, www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php, and click on “Electronic Resources."

Scroll down and click on the “HelpNow” or “JobNow” icon to get started.

Marie Garcia is the Crestview Public Library's assistant director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Brainfuse offers live tutoring sessions

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The 96th Communications Squadron will open its Santa Hotline on Monday, Dec. 8.

The hotline will be open between 5 and 8 p.m. each day through Friday, Dec. 12. It is open to everyone who still believes in Santa Claus and wants to pass on a Christmas wish list.

Children of all ages are invited to call 850-882-NOEL (882-6635) to speak with Santa's Elves and put in their last minute Christmas wishes.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Santa's hotline opens next week

CRESTVIEW — Hillary Lee and Richard Long of Crestview welcomed their first child, Sophia Grace Long, born Nov. 6, 2014 at North Okaloosa Medical Center. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Sophia's maternal grandparents are Roger Lee and Sherrie Stanley, both of Crestview. Her paternal grandparents are Richard Long Sr. and Star Freeman of Franklinville, N.Y.

The family would like to thank the labor and delivery staff at NOMC. They said, "Dr. Janet Hamby was professional, courteous, and a great doctor for a first-time mother."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SPECIAL OCCASIONS: Daughter born to Crestview couple

Dr. and Mrs. Ricardo Syklawer, of Dothan, Ala., announce the engagement of their daughter, Dr. Sarah Brooke Syklawer, to Mr. Christopher Adam Howle, son of Mr. and Mrs. David E. Howle Sr., of Mobile, Ala.

The bride elect’s grandparents are Edith Newton Hilburn of Crestview, the late Howard Edward Hilburn, Bertha Syklawer of Miami, and the late William Syklawer.

Sarah, a 2006 Houston Academy graduate, achieved summa cum laude with honors from the University of South Alabama in 2010. She received a B.A. in psychology and a minor in chemistry and was president of Chi Omega Sorority.

Sarah graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry in 2014. She will complete her residency training in orthodontics at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 2017.

The future bridegroom is the grandson of Wini O’Brien, Ph.D. of Prattville, Ala., and the late Lt. Colonel Charles Richard O’Brien, and Mr. and Mrs. Roy C. Howle Sr. of Mobile, Ala.

Adam, a 2004 graduate of McGill Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2010 with a B.A. in business management. He is currently employed with Inmotion Medical Solutions, as a sports medicine orthopedic sales consultant. Adam covers the Ann Arbor and Detroit, Mich. territory.

The wedding is planned for the week of Aug. 8-15, 2015. The destination wedding ceremony and reception is at sunset Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, at the Couples Tower Isle Resort, in Ochos Rios, Jamaica.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SPECIAL OCCASIONS: Syklawer, Howle to wed next August