CRESTVIEW — Motorists on State Highway 85 heading north from downtown Crestview may notice a new sign that designates the roadway as C. Wayne Ansley Highway.

The Florida Department of Transportation recently erected the signs on the corner at U.S. Highway 90 and Old Bethel Road to honor former Okaloosa Assistant Superintendent of Schools C. Wayne Ansley. 

Ansley served as Superintendent Don Gaetz’s deputy until 2006 and, before that, was principal of Crestview High School and Baker School.

During Ansley’s time as overall administrator of all North Okaloosa County's public schools, every elementary, middle and high school became “A” schools and was honored as among the state’s highest performing. 

Ansley, himself, received the Commissioner of Education’s Principal Award for his turnaround leadership of Crestview High School.

The honorary naming of the highway, which passes in front of Crestview High School and near Davidson Middle School, was enacted into law by the Florida Legislature as a provision of Senate Bill 820 during the 2014 legislative session.

“As chief operating officer of schools in North Okaloosa County, Wayne Ansley recruited and led a group of exceptionally talented and motivated principals and teachers,” said Gaetz, now president of the Florida Senate. “He set a historic standard of academic performance, financial management and customer relations in our schools that has not been equaled before or since.”

Gaetz and his son, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fort Walton Beach), guided the highway designation through the Legislature and secured Gov. Rick Scott's approval.

Ansley retired from the school system in 2006. He and his wife, Kathleen, a former teacher, live in Milligan. The Ansleys have two children: Clarence, a local pharmacist, and Andrea, an attorney practicing in Okaloosa County.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Highway designation honors longtime Crestview educator

VALPARAISO — Yule of Yesteryear, a traditional Christmas festival, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 13 at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida.

The museum will be open all day for traditional craft demonstrations, ornament making for children, and free photo opportunities with Santa Claus.

Visitors can enjoy a bake sale and shopping for unique gifts and affordable stocking stuffers in the museum’s gift shop. Local art & craft vendors also will be present. 

A Holiday Victorian Tea is at 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.  Visitors who pre-register  (visitors, $15; museum members, $12) can enjoy teatime and refreshments while learning about Victorian costume, etiquette and holiday traditions. 

The Walton Guard will present a reenactment of the Civil War Christmas of 1861 and local choirs and musicians will perform. A Christmas tree lighting and caroling in Perrine Park begin at 4 p.m. 

Call 678-2615 or see www.heritage-museum.org to register for paid events.  

This event is sponsored in part by the city of Valparaiso, the city of Niceville, and Trinity Presbyterian Church. 

The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida is located 115 Westview Ave., Valparaiso. 

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Yule of Yesteryear set Dec. 13

FORT WALTON BEACH — The 36th Annual Jingle Bell Jog, which includes a 10K and 5K race and 5K fun run, is scheduled for 9 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Okaloosa Island boardwalk.

Each 10K, 5K run and 5K walk entry costs $30 plus a $2.50 signup fee.

All proceeds go to the Special Forces Association, Chapter 7, a veterans non-profit, all-volunteer organization.

The SFA7 provides support for service members and families of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Eglin Air Force Base.

The race is at 1450 Miracle Strip Parkway SE. Register at SFA7.com. Email sfach7jinglebelljog@gmail.com for more details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Special Forces Association chapter hosts Jingle Bell Run

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Police Department is accepting donations for this year's Cops for Kids.

If you'd like to help, donate money or a new unwrapped toy (no stuffed animals) at collection sites throughout the city. Donation boxes are located at Publix, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Kids Discovery, participating Dollar General stores, city hall and the Crestview Police Department, 201 Stillwell Blvd.

Contact Officers Sam Kimmons or Wanda Hulion, 850-682-3544, for details.

Almost 200 needy children received toys from the 2013 Cops for Kids.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview police accepting toys, money for children

“Alligator arrived with apples and allspice. Bear brought banana bread, biscuits, and butter.”

There’s going to be a feast, and everyone is here with food from A to Z!

There is Elderberry Elixir from Elephant and Mocha Mousse made by Mouse. By the time Zebra zips in with his Zaftig Zucchini, there will be enough food to feed a zoo.

So come; read this book, join the party — and don’t forget your appetite.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Public Library Staff Pick: 'Alligator arrived with apples' by Cresent Dragonwagon

CRESTVIEW — Riders in the Farm-to-City mini-parade that rolled up Main Street Friday morning didn’t toss candy to the few residents who paused to watch.

What they distributed was far healthier: fresh-from-the-farm produce.

“We always celebrate Farm-City Week by distributing fresh vegetables to those in need,” said Molly Huffman, chairwoman of the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee.

“We like giving people a taste of fresh vegetables instead of something out of a can,” she said.

The parade’s two trailers, towed by shiny farm tractors, were packed with sweet potatoes, kale, cabbage, turnips, collards, and grits and corn meal ground from Okaloosa County-grown corn.

“We also (had) peanut butter we gathered with the county extension’s Take a Bite Out of Hunger (collection),” Huffman said.

“It’s all locally grown produce,” University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension agent Jennifer Bearden said. “Some places serve breakfasts or lunches. A food giveaway is what we choose to do” during Farm-City Week.

The parade paused at Richbourg E.S.E. School, where students, accompanied by their teachers and aides, poured out the front door to select a fresh sweet potato to take home from the lead tractor’s front bucket.

At Woodlawn Baptist Church, the parade came to a halt and remaining produce, grits, corn meal and peanut butter was given to the church’s soup kitchen volunteers for distribution.

DID YOU KNOW?

Supporting local farmers means you can eat fresher, tastier food.

That's because crops don’t have to be picked before they’re ripe to be shipped to distant markets, according to University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension agent Jennifer Bearden.

And it’s healthier.

“People don’t understand that ‘organic’ produce has more bacteria than conventional produce,” she said. “I know farmers around here are not going to use excess chemicals to grow their crops, so I prefer to just buy local.”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Farm to city to table: Area celebrates Farm-City Week (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

The Crestview Public Library will be closed Thursday, Nov. 27 and Friday, Nov. 28 for Thanksgiving.

We are thankful for you, our patrons, and hope your Thanksgiving is filled with good food and fellowship!

So, that's the big news this week. Next month, it's carols, crafts and cookies! How can you miss? Celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with us on Thursday, Dec. 18 at the Crestview Public Library.

The 11th annual Noel Night begins at 6:30 p.m. and wraps up around 7:15 p.m. Soloist J.R. Lewis and the youth worship team from Emmanuel Baptist Church, led by Kyle Boone, will fill the library with Christmas music.

Crafters, come early! We’ll do crafts while supplies last. Scavenge the library and win a prize! You can also win a prize by playing dreidel! We may even have a surprise visit from… well, you’ll just have to see for yourself!

This event is geared for age 4 and up and is free for you, thanks to our Friends of the Crestview Library (who will bake us yummy cookies)! Registration is not required.

If you’d like to give back to your community, please bring a nonperishable item, and we’ll make sure it gets to Sharing and Caring. Please call 682-4432 with any questions.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Thanksgiving hours and holiday celebrations

FORT WALTON BEACH — By the spring, snorkelers and divers should have two new artificial reefs to explore.

Okaloosa County has teamed up with Eglin Air Force Base to construct the two reefs 2 to 3 miles south of East Pass. The areas will be known as Fish Havens 13 and 14.

“We’re taking Eglin’s concrete rubble that they’ve generated in their activities on base,” said Jim Trifilio, coastal management coordinator for Okaloosa County. “This saves Eglin Air Force Base a considerable amount of money in removal costs, and we get absolutely ideal material for creating reefs.”

In recent years, the county has stepped up its efforts to create artificial reefs in an effort to stimulate tourism.

The two reefs are being funded with a $140,000 from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and a $175,000 from county bed tax revenue.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 2 new reefs coming to the Emerald Coast

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview Centennial planning committee will focus on significant events that, over a century, defined Crestview as they plan for the city's 100th birthday in 2016.

The group of community leaders, business owners and history buffs — chaired by former Supervisor of Elections Pat Hollarn — met Wednesday morning at city hall for preliminary discussion on the 2016 celebration.

The group will have a $30,000 operating budget. Since 2013, the Community Redevelopment Agency has annually allocated $10,000 for the Main Street Crestview Association’s centennial celebration fund.

Now, members are determining how to put that money to use.

“We need to address the things our community was founded on,” Main Street President Ellis Conner said, turning discussion to area history, the observance's likely foundation.

Railroads, the county seat's establishment, and the prosperous local timber industry are notable early influences that helped shape Crestview, Conner said.

Okaloosa County grew from Crestview, Baker and Laurel Hill's railroad communities, he said. The only early south county community of any significance was Boggy Bayou, now known as Niceville.

Committee members agreed that Crestview’s centennial events should last throughout 2016, including the city’s actual April 11 birthday. Events should be planned well in advance and be “branded” to associate them with the centennial, they said.

The Baker Block Museum, bound editions of the Crestview News Bulletin and other archives at the Crestview Public Library, and privately held historical records will be planning resources, the committee agreed.

ESTABLISHING A RAILROAD TOWN

Main Street Crestview Association member Cal Zethmayr, poring over the “Crestview: The Forkland” history book, noted that even before the city's April 11, 1916 establishment, it had been a thriving Walton County railroad community for 33 years.

Situated on a 236-foot crest, it was a prime location between the Yellow and Shoal rivers, he said, which are at much lower elevations.

“When those steam engines would chugga, chugga, chugga up that hill, they needed a break and there was a pond there,” Zethmayr said.

The spring-fed pond, used originally to water the trains, is today Twin Hills Park's ponds, and was an integral influence on establishing a rail stop that became Crest View Station.

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 planning committee begins discussions for 2016 celebration