CRESTVIEW — Organizers of March 29's Triple B: Blackwater, Bluegrass and Barbecue Cookoff  seek businesses and others interested in sponsoring the Main Street event.

"We are right on track," Christie Cadenhead, chairperson of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce event, said. "We had a real successful event last year and we are looking to expand on that."

Nearly 10,000 people attended the Triple B festival in the past two years, she said, citing the Crestview Police Department's data. 

In the Triple B's 10th year, event organizers want to attract more area musicians and entries for the barbecue cookoff without changing the event's format.

"We definitely don't want to re-invent the wheel," Cadenhead said.

Triple B features local musicians, including area church groups and school bands, like Crestview High's jazz band, which enhance the event, organizers said.

"We have found that people just enjoy listening to local talent," Cadenhead said.  

But sponsorships will help the event planning committee meet and exceed Triple B's potential.

Downloadable sponsorship details and application forms are available here.

Printable applications and sponsorship packages, which range from $250 to $3,000, will also be available at the monthly chamber breakfast meeting, which kicks off at 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9.

Cadenhead encourages potential sponsors to submit the application forms early to better market their business or organization.  

WANT TO BECOME A SPONSOR?

Businesses and others interested in sponsoring this year's Triple B festival can click here for information on sponsorship packages and a downloadable application. Potential sponsors with more questions can contact event chair Christie Cadenhead at 796-2000 ext. 4601 or ChristieC@FNBT.com.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Sponsors sought for Crestview chamber's annual Triple B festival

CRESTVIEW —   A $320 donation from the Neville family's synchronized Christmas light-and-music show will keep Special Olympics Okaloosa County athletes looking stylish, officials said.

The family dedicated Saturday's final, 32,000-light display in the Shoal Lake neighborhood to the organization. Money the family collected will help cover the cost of new uniforms for the athletes, Kim Christopher, director of the Special Olympics in both counties, said.

View a photo gallery from the Watts Up Crestview light show>>

The occasion marked an end to seven years of Watts Up Crestview — at least, in the Shoal Lake neighborhood, Matthew Neville, a technical sergeant at Hurlburt Field, said. The family, with a baby on the way, wants to relocate within the city to a larger household. 

The public event allowed officials and athletes to spread the word about the games in the community, Christopher said.

Read the full story in the Jan. 8, 2014 Crestview News Bulletin.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Special Olympics athletes benefit from family's Christmas light show (PHOTOS)

CRESTVIEW — Locals know if they want a good meal, head to Mrs. Kolonowski's old house. For a fresh field-picked watermelon, swing by the farm stand on Blueberry Curve. Need some fast food? There's plenty on Juke Hill.

Native and long-time residents' penchant for identifying locations and giving directions using traditional place names and landmarks rather than street addresses often confuses newcomers.

After all, how does one plug "Chicken Head" into a GPS?

Here's a guide to help newcomers fit into their new hometown. Soon, "driving through The Quarters" will come easily.

ALATEX BUILDING: The classic American brick industrial building on Woodruff Avenue is now the home of Florida A&M University's Rural Diversity Healthcare Center.

Locals also fondly remember it as "the sewing factory" that provided jobs for many workers during the Depression. It also used to house City Hall.

ALMIRANTE: One of the county's first communities, located near present-day Laurel Hill, is still remembered through institutions such as the Almarante Fire District and Almarante Cemetery.

NOTE: Spelling difference between community name and fire, cemetery name

BACK STREET: In the 1920s, Fourth Street in Laurel Hill was a main thoroughfare, lined with some of the railroad town's nicest residences, Laurel Hill School and the then-bustling Presbyterian Church. So Third Street, the less prominent street behind it, was the "back street."

BLUEBERRY CURVE: The sweeping right curve on State Road 85 north of Winn-Dixie was named for the area's abundant blueberry crops in the 1930s. It was seen briefly in the locally-shot Gregory Peck World War II film, "Twelve O'Clock High."

CHICKEN HEAD: This is the big left curve on SR 85 approaching the straight-away by Farm and Garden World south of Laurel Hill. Chicken poachers would go down the embankment to behead their ill-gotten pullets.

HOG-N-HOMINY ROAD: County Highway 2 between Blackman and Laurel Hill was nicknamed by 1940s radio personality Cooter Douglas in a good-natured poke at the north county's agrarian lifestyle.

JUKE HILL: The stretch of SR 85 between the north and south entrances to West Redstone Avenue, containing Walgreens, Krystal, Dunkin Donuts, Captain D's and other businesses formerly contained several colorful juke joints.

Legend has it that certain commercial sites on the hill were jinxed and doomed to failure, but today's businesses seem to have broken the jinx.

MAR-CAMP: The longtime watering hole west of town on U.S. Highway  90 was originally a family-friendly recreation place, but later gained infamy as such a rowdy watering hole, the sheriff's office had a dedicated phone number to report troubles at the establishment.

It later became Keye’s Lounge, but its reputation remained intact. Now it's a mattress store.

MRS. KOLANOWSKI'S HOUSE: Today's Wild Olive Restaurant is in Mrs. Rosalyn Kolanowski's old home on the corner of Pearl Street and Hickory Avenue.

OWC: Okaloosa-Walton Junior College’s name was changed to Northwest Florida State College in July 2008, but long-time locals will always call it OWC, or just OW.

THE QUARTERS: The residential neighborhood of Laurel Hill on Old Ebenezer Road west of Gene Clary Park. The woods north and west of The Quarters were where "the squirrels were cooking supper," an old foresters' euphemism for telltale smoke from moonshine operations.

RADIO VALLEY: On south State Road 85, right before P.J. Adams Parkway, was the broadcasting tower for WCNU, Crestview's first radio station that signed on in 1948.

Sam Townsend, who ran the station, had his home near there. The station's studio was in a store across Main Street from present-day Desi's Restaurant.

SHOFFNER CITY: One of the area's first post-World War II planned neighborhoods was developed by Col. Arthur Shoffner, a real estate pioneer who established several area subdivisions.

The neighborhood south of Bob Sikes Airport still has several of its original one-story cement-block homes. Shoffner Boulevard, a two-story lane, named for the development's founder, is the preferred southern route to the airport over Hare Street, the dirt "official" access road.

THE SUPERETTE: Long-time locals will always memorialize a long-gone grocery store, the present-day Ritz convenience store at the Chevron station in Baker, by using its original name.

TED STEELE'S HARDWARE: Ted sold Crestview Plumbing and Hardware on Main Street to his nephew, Pete, who sold it to its present owners and then worked there for awhile.

TOMMY HORN'S: Crestview Nurseries on Houston Lane was owned by Tommy Horn, but now his children, Dan, BeBe and Dusty, run it.

Their variety of seasonally appropriate plants and flowers is renowned, drawing customers from as far away as Alabama and Fort Walton Beach, which older locals still call "Camp Walton," its name until the city promoted itself.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Guide to locals' nicknames for North Okaloosa landmarks

CRESTVIEW — Rob Cahill says that seeing his matted and framed photographs on public display is a first.

See 8 photos from an exhibition visit>>

"It's the equivalent of being published," the Baker resident said.

Cahill's photographs are among 36 images of landscapes, wildlife and architecture covering the Crestview Public Library's exhibition wall. 

Members of the six-month-old Crestview Photo Club invite residents to see their first exhibition before it closes Feb. 28.

Photographers from Crestview, Baker, DeFuniak Springs, Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar and Navarre comprise the club, which meets monthly and help photographers hone their skills.  

Read the full story in the Jan. 8, 2014 Crestview News Bulletin.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Crestview Photo Club exhibition

WHEN:Through Feb. 28 during normal Crestview Public Library hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays

WHERE: Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Photo Club invites public to view first exhibition (PHOTOS)

HOLT — Since June, a country horse farm near the end of a quiet dirt lane has provided respite for returning military members, special-needs children and their families.

Operating Silent Hooves Horse Farm and its Hooves for Heroes program is a "dream come true," owner Lexi Peters said.

With her husband, newly promoted Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Jesse Peters, recently deployed to Afghanistan with the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Lexi understands returning service members' special needs.

Transitioning to home life after the stress of deployment can be difficult, she said.

Peters, a Special Olympics volunteer, said opening the farm's Hooves for Heroes programto children with special needs goes hand-in-hand with offering equine assistance therapies to military members and their families.

"I always wanted to help out kids," she said. "I really didn't even think about soldiers until my husband started deploying."

It's about families

The farm's trainers are certified through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International, or PATH.

Humans aren't Silent Hoove's only beneficiaries. The farm's two ponies and three horses also come from troubled backgrounds.

"Each has overcome his own challenges, so soldiers say, 'OK, I can relate.' The horses come here to heal and they inspire adults and children to come here and heal," Peters said.  "The horses understand. They can feed off that. Their energy feeds to the rider and they overcome challenges."

At the end, Peters said, it's all about soldiers, special-needs kids and their families.

"We want to keep families close together and let them know they have a really strong support back here at home," she said.

Peters' own family is an integral part of the program, which she cofounded with Jesse before he deployed. Their daughter, Isabella, 3, is already on her way to being an equestrienne, Lexi said, though their son, Christopher, 21 months, just likes watching the animals.

'A real simple program'

Life at Silent Hooves can be as structured or informal as participants want.

"It's a real simple program. We just try to bring families together. They just hang out and spend some quiet time with the horses," Peters said.

"It's very quiet out here. We try to help them cope with some of the combat stresses they have — whether it's loss of a buddy or family stresses when they get back — and find their place in the home again."

Local clergymen also sometimes stop by and visit with service members or families seeking spiritual counseling, Peters said.

Soldiers and their families sometimes pitch in with farm chores, repairing fences or feeding animals. Community volunteers donate money toward horse feed and veterinary care.

Students often volunteer with the special-needs children, which has led to withdrawn children coming out of their shells, socializing with other kids and even joining local scout troops, Peters said.

"I just love sitting back and just watching them. It's been a  dream of mine," she said. "I'm literally living a dream and giving back to the community, which is a double bonus."

WANT TO GO?

Silent Hooves Horse Farm's nonprofit Hooves for Heroes program offers quiet, peaceful respite for military members, their families and special-needs children. Volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are available. Horse trainers are certified in equine assistance therapies through the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship. Contact owner Lexi Peters, 537-2457 or alexiscpeters@gmail.com, for more information.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hooves for Heroes offers respite, healing for military, kids and families

CRESTVIEW —  A Northwest Florida family is still shocked by what happened to their loved one's gravesite Christmas week.

Tyler Peaden said the recent theft of Christmas decorations from his daughter, Alana's, gravesite on a private area near Old Bethel Cemetery stirs up emotions of losing Alana all over again.

Alana died in June from complications with Type 2 diabetes. She left behind her fiancée, Dakota Danio, and their 1-year-old son, Noah, in addition to numerous loved ones. 

"She died just 10 days after she turned 20 years old; that was a hard pill to swallow in itself," Tyler said.

Friends and family members set up two solar-powered Christmas trees and other holiday items, including a shepherd's hook with a family necklace, at Alana's gravesite.

The crime occurred on Christmas Eve, Tyler said, adding he filed a report with the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office after taking Noah to see Alana's gravesite on Christmas Day.

"The bad thing about it is that Christmas is her favorite time of year," he said.

Personalized ornaments from loved ones adorned one stolen artificial Christmas tree. Thieves left the original funeral floral arrangements behind, only taking the Christmas trees and other holiday decorations.

Sharon Peaden, Alana's grandmother, said the thefts compounded their grief.

"It was going to be comforting for us, in knowing that (Alana) was going to be with us during Christmas and (Noah) could see his mommy … on Christmas morning," she said. "I just hope that this doesn't happen to anyone else."

Although this year's Christmas display for Alana was ruined, the family plans to celebrate Christmas the same way next year.

And now, the Peadens are prepared.

Responding lawmen ensured there would be additional patrolling in the area, and Tyler plans to install a hunting camera to curb future theft. 

The Peadens are determined to spend Christmas with Alana next year.

'We definitely won't let Noah forget his mother," Sharon said.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gravesite desecration, theft shock family; still, they stay strong

CRESTVIEW — As another eventful year draws to a close, the Crestview News Bulletin's staff looks back on the top stories we reported on in 2013.

1. THE CONVICTION OF JOSEPH FLOYD

Former Crestview police Maj. Joseph Floyd faces 12 years in prison following his October sentencing on a single racketeering charge.

Floyd, who commanded the department's defunct Street Crimes Unit, was credited with remedying the city's rampant drug problem and improving departmental professionalism.

However, evidence presented at his trial showed he harassed, intimidated and physically abused criminal suspects, residents and officers who worked for him, falsified paperwork and destroyed evidence.  

2. GERMANY, MEET NORTHWEST FLORIDA

The International Aerospace Industry Forum for Northwest Florida Leadership, held earlier this month in Hamburg, Germany, brought 35 business, education and community leaders from Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.

Okaloosa County Commissioner Wayne Harris, also the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce executive director; Nathan Sparks, the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council's executive director; and Linda Sumblin, the Workforce Development Board of Okaloosa and Walton Counties' executive director, were among attendees.

It was the first time that the five counties' economic development leaders worked together to organize an overseas trip to try to bring new business to the region.

3. BUS SERVICE THREATENED

After the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners voted to eliminate Crestview's two bus routes if the City Council couldn't help fund the service, Crestview leaders voted to fund the routes using anticipated county gasoline tax revenue.

Commissioners then changed parameters and said the routes would only operate through January 2014.

Monday morning, County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said the buses probably will keep running through fiscal year 2013-14, with possible route consolidations to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs.

"I think, at the end of the day, we can provide the same amount of service for less," he said.

4. FOOTBALL TEAMS BRING HOMETOWN PRIDE

Crestview High School's Bulldogs beat the Niceville High School Eagles 17-12 on Nov. 1.

The Bulldogs' first win over the Eagles since 1982 signaled a turning point for the school's football program, which posted two disappointing seasons under former Coach Kevin Pettis.

A new era, under Coach Tim Hatten, is here, and the future looks promising.

Neighboring Baker School's Gators hadn't won a district championship since 2001, but the team saw a perfect 10-0 regular season and defeated Distrcit 1-1A rivals Freeport, Jay and Northview.

5. SHOPPING MALL PROJECT IN LIMBO

Local shoppers anticipated national restaurant and retail chains as the proposed Crestview Power Center shopping mall project near Lowe's slowly lumbered forward.

An agreement between the city, Beach Community Bank, which owns the land, and developer D.R. Horton would fund a sewer line needed to allow development north of Interstate 10.

Mall developer Watkins Retail Group's abrupt withdrawal put the project in jeopardy. But a December agreement between the city and the bank allows the sewer line upgrade to move forward, facilitating D.R. Horton's residential community construction.

That should make the mall site more attractive to another developer, city officials said.

6. CRESTVIEW MISSION RAIDED

Following a month-long investigation into child abuse and neglect allegations, the Crestview Police Department on Nov. 7 executed a search warrant at Harvest Vineyard Ministries.

Police found nearly 80 people, including convicted felons and sex offenders, living in the same Main Street residential facility as children.

Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputies charged the Rev. Alex E. Thompson, the ministry's pastor, with child neglect without great bodily harm.

Authorities closed the facility and Harvest Vineyard staffers relocated residents to a Covington County, Ala., church.

7. VOTERS TURN OUT INCUMBENTS

Crestview voters elected three native residents to the City Council and turned two incumbents out of office in March. Only 1,324 of 12,652 registered voters went to the polls.

Joe Blocker defeated then-president Ben Iannucci III while former president Charles Baugh Jr. lost to Mickey Rytman. Shannon Hayes won the seat of former councilman Tim Grandberry, who did not run for reelection.

The new councilmen joined Robyn Helt and Tom Gordon on the dais in April. The three former councilmen were newcomers to the city.

8.CRESTVIEW NAMED THE NO. 30 COLLEGE TOWN

The American Institute for Economic Research ultimately named the Crestview metropolitan area, including Fort Walton Beach and Destin, No. 30 among America's Top College Towns.

The institute initially gave the area a No. 4 ranking, based on median income and other economic factors, which raised scrutiny among a number of North Okaloosa residents and inspired editorials from publications such as the Gainesville Sun, which criticized the decision.

Ultimately, the institute's president said a copy-and-paste error contributed to the erroneous Top 10 ranking.

9. CONFEDERATE FLAG ISSUE RISES AGAIN

In October, community activist Mae Reatha Coleman voiced opposition to the city flying a Confederate battle flag over William "Uncle Bill" Lundy's memorial.

The City Council held a special meeting Nov. 14 to allow discussion of the issue, which has been raised since the 1990s. Speakers included representatives of out-of-town southern heritage groups and local residents. The council adjourned without taking a side on the issue.

But Coleman, saying "the flag divides our community,"  promised to raise the issue again.

10.CITY GAINS NEW BUSINESSES

Many residents anticipated the Krystal hamburger restaurant's October opening, while a new Dollar General store opened across from the National Guard Armory in Crestview.

A new Taco Bell opened near Crestview High School, and Hot Spot, a cigar bar and coffee shop, opened south of town.

Emerald Isle Seafood, a seafood market and restaurant, opened in the location of the former Fish Net. Sweet Dreams Bakery brought from-scratch cakes and "sin-namon" rolls to Main Street.

Pawsitively Scrumptious also opened downtown, offering pet snacks and supplies, complementing All Doggy Divas and Rockstars pet boarding and grooming around the corner.

However, one long-time business is shutting its doors. Keith Lewis of Lewis and Company Jewelers, announced he is retiring and closing his North Ferdon Boulevard store.

Do you agree with this list? Or would you rank something differently? Leave us a note below!

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The News Bulletin's Top 10 stories of 2013

FORT WALTON BEACH — The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee of Okaloosa County has scheduled several events to honor the slain civil rights leader's legacy.

"Team Work Makes the Dream Work" is the theme of this year's events, which include:

•Oratorical/Poster Contest: Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to noon, Fort Walton Beach High School.

•MLK Memorial Program: Jan. 19, 5:30 p.m., Fort Walton Beach High School Auditorium.

•Parade/March: Jan. 20, 8 a.m., Fort Walton Beach Municipal Auditorium.

•Rally and After-rally Activities: Jan. 20, noon at Fort Walton Beach High School.

All these activities are free and open to the public.

Contact the Rev. Dr. Tommye Walker, event chairperson, at 863-4755 or 218-0103, or Justin Lee, co-chair, at 883-2708.

FYI

The 2014 holiday celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life marks what would have been the civil rights leader's 85th birthday, the 29th celebration as a national holiday and Okaloosa County's 28th local celebration

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa committee sets events to celebrate MLK's legacy