NICEVILLE — Distinguished Young Women of Okaloosa County, previously the Junior Miss, is accepting applications for its second annual competition through March 1.

Young women must be in their junior year of high school and live in Okaloosa County to be eligible.

The Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Program will take place this summer on July 19. Girls participating will not only be in the DYW family for life, but also learn life skills invaluable for the coming years, as well as having the chance to be awarded cash scholarships for college.

Participants will be judged on five categories: Grades, Fitness, Talent, Interview, & Self-Expression. A mom/daughters meeting is planned for particiapnts signed up by the deadline.

For details, go to the DYM Facebook page; contact carolebyrd911@yahoo.com; or go to the DYM website and click on "participate."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Distinguished Young Women accepting scholarship entries

MOOC, or Massive Open Online Courses, is the acronym that academics, teachers and librarians use for online degree programs.  

Many of our visitors need a proctoring service that allows them to take exams in a controlled environment. We offer proctoring free of charge and serve a large number of students in the community.

Our library's Internet access allows students to search numerous databases to help them complete course work for higher education. We also have print resources that might be needed.

Database access is available to anyone with an Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative library card, and some of our databases specifically require a Crestview library card. These databases can be accessed remotely for those who have computers at home.

Just call us to get free proctoring, which is available during regular library hours.

You can reach me, Jean, or Marie, Sandra, Heather, Anna, Sabrina, Audrey, Mike, Sasha, Sandy or Esther at 682-4432.  

Jean Lewis is the Crestview Public Library's director.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Proctoring services available for students taking online courses

CRESTVIEW — Yvonne Shanklin would love to see the McMahon Environmental Center become a place where she can introduce her five grandchildren to outdoor movies.

Joyce Heath said she has enjoyed several family celebrations beneath the trees and would like to see more families make similar memories.

Wanda and Mark Hulion just want to pitch in and help make the park more attractive to draw more people.

They were among 40 residents who gathered on Saturday to share hotdogs, hamburgers and many ideas about ways to refurbish the center.

A Kiwanis project

The Crestview Kiwanis Club has taken on planning and fundraising for refurbishing the park, which retired forester John McMahon, the center's founder, said was the first arboretum of native trees in Okaloosa County.  

Among residents' suggestions were:

• Replacing the dilapidated museum — a former forester's cabin — with an outdoor amphitheater for lectures, nature presentations, small concerts, plays and outdoor movies

• Replacing the landmark fire tower and hut with a new, state-of-the-art museum, education and meeting facility, including an exhibit on Boy and Girl Scouts' contributions to the park

• Putting a playground, adult shuffleboard court and community swimming pool in the fenced-in area currently used to store parade barricades and derelict city-owned cars.

Preserving history

Demolishing the 1949 fire tower and current museum met with some residents' opposition.

"The tower is one of the landmarks of this city," Councilman Joe Blocker said.

Jayne Swift of the wastewater management company CH2MHill, which is partnering with the Kiwanis Club, said restoring the fire tower "would take all the funds we can budget for the whole site." A private company has offered to demolish the tower at no cost in exchange for the scrap metal's salvage rights.

Several scouts and Venture Crew members had considered museum renovation projects, Boy Scout Unit Commissioner Rae Schwartz said.

However, "They are limited by the Guide to Safe Scouting," she said. "Because of the asbestos (exterior wall shingles) and lead paint, there's very little they can do."

In addition, the building is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Kiwanis project chairman Jimmy Lundy said.

No trees to be lost

No trees would be lost in the final proposal, Swift said.

"The trees are what made this place," she said.

McMahon praised CH2MHill for its involvement, saying "they believe in the principle of environmental education."

The flow of public suggestions the Kiwanis committee has received "is contagious," Swift said. "I'm hearing ideas that take us down whole different paths I never considered."

Have a suggestion?

Crestview Kiwanis Club members and city officials welcome public suggestions for refurbishing the McMahon Environmental Center. Submit ideas to Jim Lundy, jimlundy3742@yahoo.com or Betsy Roy, emmiller@cox.net

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Public provides suggestions for McMahon Center refurbishment

CRESTVIEW — A women's self-defense course is planned from 10-11:30 a.m. March 1.

It will be held at Gordon Martial Arts, 130 W. Oakdale Ave., Crestview and is sponsored by GMA and the Healthy Woman program.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Women's self-defense course scheduled March 1 in Crestview

Editor's Note: We hope you enjoy this Black History Month feature, one of a series on successful influential residents in our community.

CRESTVIEW — Today's black youths have preceding generations to thank for their opportunities to be successful, Col. Arvesta Roberson says.

The 1985 Crestview High School alumnus particularly credits two men who inspired his goals, which led to a distinguished Army career. Among them are Sgt. George Stakely (Ret.), CHS's former ROTC battalion leader, and a former U.S. secretary of state.

"He always said Colin Powell was his mentor," Carver-Hill Museum curator Rae Roberson said of her son, who is stationed at the Pentagon.

Reading Powell's book, "My American Journey,"  inspired her son to join the Army, she said. Stakely, now retired, remains active in Crestview's Carver-Hill Memorial and Historic Association.

Now, Col. Roberson is taking Stakely's and Powell's inspiration and paying it forward.

"He (encourages) the young people to strive for their goals," his mother said. His most recent effort was during a Feb. 8 Black History Month presentation. "Coming back down to show the young kids how he started and where he is — that was his main goal," Rae said.

Col. Roberson's military career spans service in and travel to 35 countries. Among his decorations and awards are the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, Army Achievement Medal with two oak leaf clusters and the National Defense Service Medal with bronze star.

Rae said his list of awards and decorations leaves her "shocked" when she realizes the heroism he displayed to receive some of them.

"I got to reading about those medals and I just got sick" upon learning about the war hazards he faced, she said. "To think my child had been through all of this stuff."

Col. Roberson, the Army's current Integration Branch chief of the Requirements Division, will command the 1st Signal Brigade in Yongsan, Korea, beginning in July.

"Oh, definitely I'm proud!" Rae said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Army colonel credits previous generations for current success

The Bay Area Food Bank received 28,296 pounds of food to help needy people following the Defeat Hunger Bowl, the nonprofit's officials said.

“We couldn’t be happier with the level of participation and generosity folks in the community showed,” said Dave Reaney, the food bank's executive director. “With this food, we’ll be able to provide our Florida service area with 21,766 meals.”

Twenty-one Wal-Mart stores in the Florida Panhandle participated in the month-long food drive.

Other Defeat Hunger Bowl corporate partners  included Kraft, MondelÄ“z, Coca-Cola and CampbellÂ’s.

Bay Area Food Bank services Okaloosa, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington and Bay counties.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Defeat Hunger Bowl collections will provide 21,000 meals across the Panhandle

CRESTVIEW — Where do vegetables come from?

Not the grocery store. That's one message that Common Ground Community Garden organizers want to send as they promote an educational and economical alternative to store-bought produce.

The new program — complete with a Main Street garden near the State Road 85 overpass — is one way for people to learn where produce really originates, Esther Phelps said.

"It doesn't come from the vegetable aisle at Wal-Mart or from inside a can," she said. "It really comes from your own hand." 

She hopes that those who rely on stores for their meals will learn how to prepare homegrown meals.

"Many people don't know how to … buy or even cook (fresh vegetables)," she said. "We want to teach (others) how to grow, how to cook them and how to save vegetables for months from now."

Gardening tutorials for beets, broccoli, Brussels sprout, collards and other vegetables are available at www.crestviewcommunitygarden.org.

In addition to helping residents meet their nutritional needs and stay within budget, organizer Dr. Catherine Ward said there are social benefits.

"We are here to foster gardening, friendships and cohesiveness," she said.

Organizers are accepting applications from residents interested in tending to their own plot for $50 a year. The nonprofit will find sponsorships for those who can't afford the amount.  

Once residents become gardening experts, they can even profit from their produce.

Vincent Grund, of Baker, sells his vegetables at several farmers markets. Others, particularly those who could use additional cash flow, could do the same.

"I would like to see the less fortunate people be able to step up and be able to help themselves," he said.  

WANT TO GO?

Common Ground Community Garden meetings are at noon the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month at Convergence Coffeehouse, 498 N. Wilson St., Crestview

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview community garden organizers accepting applications

The Crestview Public Library is starting a Crestview writers group.

If you are interested in writing — whether novels, non-fiction, screenwriting, poetry or other forms — or getting your work  published, this group is just for you.  

The group will meet at 6 p.m. every fourth Monday in the library's meeting room. We welcome writers in all genres who are interested in sharing ideas and tips.

The Feb. 24 kickoff will feature guest speaker Dr. Anne Haw Holt, a Monticello, Fla. writer and author who has presented fiction and grant writing workshops here. Interested writers of all genres may attend. 

Email Dr. Holt, ahholt@ahholt.com, or call Esther Hurwitz, 682-4432, for more information.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Crestview Writers Group's first meeting is Monday

The Crestview Public Library will be closed Monday, Feb. 17 for Presidents Day, but we'll return with plenty of free activities for all ages.

You'll want to get your dancing shoes ready for Feb. 25, when David and Anna Sandlin demonstrate Irish dancing and teach lessons from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the library, 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview.  

For a toe-tappin’ good time, come see the Pelican Pickers perform from 10-11:30 a.m. March 29 at the library. They play 19th-century Appalachian, old-time and Gospel music on Appalachian Mountain lap dulcimers. Group members augment their sound with a banjo, mandolin, guitar, Irish penny whistles, fiddle, harmonica, Native American flute, recorder and silver flute.

We’d like to thank Cub Scout Pack 799, Webelos Den 11 and Wolf Den 4 and our Friends of the Library for providing refreshments.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Irish dancing, Pelican Pickers performance scheduled