Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means family get-togethers.

Yes, there are certain people with whom you can't stand to spend more than a few moments before having bad thoughts and expressing cross words.

However, practice these tips before Thanksgiving Day:

•Think of at least one good attribute about each person you'll be around.

•Think about why these people are your loved ones; there is a reason you will spend time with them this holiday season, right?

•Think of non-confrontational topics to discuss.

•Remember the true spirit of the season. Thanksgiving is about expressing gratitude for our blessings. One tool my family uses is the "Thanksgiving hand." Name things you're thankful for and count them off on your fingers. It shouldn't be hard to find five things.

Even with this recession, we live in privileged times.

And with that, here's what's happening on the Hill:

•Laurel Hill School Book Fair: Nov. 18-22 at the school, in honor of American Education Week.

•Nov. 22 is the final day to order fruit to support the Hobo Athletic Department.

•Scream Free Parent Workshop: 6 p.m. Nov. 20, Laurel Hill Head Start, 8264 Stokes Road, Laurel Hill. Child care available in advance. RSVP: Marilyn Parks, 586-7737.

Amber Kelley lives in Laurel Hill. Send news or comments to Hobo.homefront@gmail.com or P.O. Box 163, Laurel Hill, FL, 32567.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THE HOBO HOMEFRONT: Count your blessings — including relatives who try your patience

CRESTVIEW — More than two dozen residents attending the Crestview Public Library's First Tuesday lecture now know more about beekeeping.

Maj. Ken Bundrick, a senior Crestview Police officer, traded his patrolman's cap for a pith helmet with netting for the meeting, during which he explained the hobby's dos and don'ts.

He also displayed several items that Bundrick Honey Farms bees produce, including honey — "your simplest sugar," which the digestive system doesn't have to break down, he said.

Other products include bee pollen, beeswax and hand cream made from propolis, a waxy resin bees produce to seal holes in the hive.

Beekeeping 101

Bundrick offered advice for aspiring beekeepers, whose initial equipment investment can expect to be between $500 and $600 for a two-hive operation. Need-to-know information about beekeeping is as follows:

• "Stay off YouTube," Bundrick said. "There's so much bad information there. Someone thinks he's reinvented beekeeping. He uploads a video but forgets to go back and add, 'But my bees died.'"

• Suit up. "Nothing ruins things for a beekeeper more than not wearing protective gear," Bundrick said. "There's nothing like having a mean bee around your nose. If people say it doesn't hurt to get stung, they're lying." Start-up equipment — a wooden hive, protective clothes and a colony of bees — costs about $500.

• Blossoms on north county gallberry, blackberry and blueberry bushes are bees' favorites. Bees also make honey from cotton blossoms, but beekeepers dislike it because it granulates quickly.

• Planting flowers particularly attracts honeybees, but home gardeners should avoid insecticides.

• A hive can produce between about 60-80 pounds of honey a year, Bundrick said. It takes bees about 20 pounds of honey to make one pound of beeswax.

• Most wild honeybee colonies have fallen victim to insecticides and organic pests like mites; Bundrick said it's up to amateur and professional beekeepers to keep the species strong.

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: Crestview beekeeper shares advice on getting started in the hobby

CRESTVIEW — Faulty machinery was to blame for a minor structural fire at L-3 Crestview Aerospace, according to Lance Martin, L-3 Communications Group's manager of public relations.

A caller dispatching first responders about an hour ago initially reported a structural fire with injuries, but the latter part wasn't  the case; all employees are safe, Martin said.

The company released this statement:

"L-3 Crestview has contained a small mechanical fire at its facility. The safety and security of Crestview employees are the company’s top priorities and the protocols in place were effective in controlling the situation. All employees at the location have been accounted for and there have been no injuries reported, though there was minor damage in the area of the incident.  The facility is returning to normal operations and L-3 Crestview is working with local authorities to ascertain the cause of the issue."

L-3, a defense contractor that provides aircraft modifications and fabricates and assembles parts and frames for various aircraft, employs more than 1,000 people.

L-3’s Crestview office started hiring in June 2011 and has created more than 150 new jobs since then.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Update: Structural fire, 'minor' damage at L-3 Crestview Aerospace

Shelter House, serving Okaloosa and Walton counties, is accepting donations for its annual holiday food drive. The agency collects food and prepares holiday meal baskets for domestic and sexual violence survivors and their families.

Suggested donations include: turkeys, hams, mashed potato mix, stuffing mix, gravy, soups for casseroles, cranberry sauce, crispy fried onions, fresh fruits and vegetables, pie filling, pie crusts, condensed milk and laundry baskets. Gift cards are always welcome.

Volunteers accept non-perishable food items at any time. Perishable items — such as hams, turkeys, bread and fresh fruits and vegetables — will only be accepted Nov. 25 for Thanksgiving meals and Dec. 18 for Christmas meals.

All donations should be delivered between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, to the Shelter House administration office, 102 Buck Drive in Fort Walton Beach, or call the Crestview office, 683-0845, to arrange drop-off.

Contact Shelter House, 243-1201, for more information or to volunteer for meal basket assembly.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Shelter House seeks donations for holiday meals

CRESTVIEW — Fixed route bus service will be free for all riders Nov. 12 in honor of Veterans Day, Okaloosa County Transit representatives announced.

Free rides will be offered on all WAVE fixed routes. Buses begin running at 7 a.m. and will continue service until 7 p.m. See a complete listing of routes and schedules at www.rideoct.org or call 833-9168.

“Our community is filled with veterans,” said Lani Birchett, the Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners' transit coordinator and grants manager. “They have given so much to our nation, so we wanted to try to find a small way to give to the community in their honor. We are so grateful to them and encourage all who board a bus on the 12th to thank a veteran.”

Beatrice Love-Moore, Okaloosa County Veteran Services' director, expressed gratitude for the service. “We are truly honored to have our area veterans recognized by the county,” Love-Moore said. “This effort shows that the county cares about our veterans and acknowledges their service to both our nation and our local community. Additionally, this day of free service will help a huge number of local veterans because many of them use public transportation.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Anyone can ride the WAVE bus free Tuesday to honor veterans

The holidays are upon us, with Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the bend. I know things are tight this time of year, but if you have something extra to give, consider the Helping Hands Fund, which assists unemployed and disabled Laurel Hill residents. The fund helps pay our needy neighbors' bills and provides them food and clothing. I am directly involved, so contact me at the address below for more information.

You know, many of us don’t count our trials and tribulations as blessings, but if we didn’t have bad times, how would we be able to be thankful for the good? Without tests, how would we know our strengths and weaknesses? One way to look at this hectic season is to simply breathe and be thankful that we are able to even experience it.

Every day can be a blessing and an adventure if we simply have the desire to look at it that way.

OK, enough of my rambling — let's review what's been happening on the Hill!

Nov. 1, Laurel Hill Head Start, along with a few other Okaloosa County Head Start centers, voyaged to Niceville for the annual Pow Wow. There, they learned about Indian culture and witnessed tribal dances and rituals. The children were allowed to participate in the dances and try on traditional clothes. Needless to say, they thoroughly enjoyed that!

Oct. 31, parents readied Laurel Hill Head Start's playground in just an hour for a Halloween festival. The playhouse became "the ooey gooey house," where children used their senses, minus vision, to identify objects. The slide became a "spooky slide" haunted by ghosts, witches and bats. Additionally, children could roll pumpkins in competition. From there, they took their prize pumpkins to the painting station and decorated them! Face painting, a fish-for-prizes booth, bobbing for apples and pin-the-tail-on-the-kitty were other enjoyed areas. All the 3- and 4-year-olds had a blast!

Following the festivities, I headed over to Laurel Hill School, where the annual trunk-or-treat took place. Pre-k, kindergarten and first-grade students paraded around the parking lot trunk-or-treating. What wonderful costumes! The rain caught us off guard, but that didn’t deter our Hoboes! Each vehicle was festively decorated, and some facilitated children's games. This year's trunk-or-treat received a very large turnout — I believe the biggest yet — so thank you to all the volunteers!

Amber Kelley lives in Laurel Hill. Send news or comments to Hobo.homefront@gmail.com or P.O. Box 163, Laurel Hill, FL, 32567.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THE HOBO HOMEFRONT: Fund set for needy Laurel Hill residents

CRESTVIEW — Crestview Housing Authority staffers say they are working to challenge unfavorable opinions about affordable housing.

"We really want to change the public's perspective of us," CHA Executive Director Judy Adams said.

"Unfortunately, people have an idea that we are a project," CHA program analyst David Clark said.

The CHA — which manages 273 housing units with up to five bedrooms in the Lakeview Drive, Virginia Court and West Edney Drive areas — receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eligibility for housing depends on a household’s financial situation and size, Clark said.

"In our area, a single-person household that makes less than $36,000 (a year) is eligible for housing," he said.

Within the past seven years, CHA maintenance staffers have upgraded units — some built as far back as the 1960s — on the outside and inside. They’ve set new driveways, walking paths and metal roofing, and have added new door locks and energy efficient windows.

In addition, CHA maintenance staffers — who regularly inspect units, replace air filters and encourage use of energy efficient water heaters, toilets and interior lighting to lower utility costs — check for potential signs of crime.

"We have done extensive drug training … to target methamphetamines and other illegal substances (used inside each unit)," Maintenance supervisor Mike Riley said.

The goal is to make CHA’s properties safer, and for the public to see them that way.

"Now we are trying to get it up to the standards, where the tenants can now see it as a community,” Riley said.     

  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 Housing Authority improving properties to change public opinion

CRESTVIEW — A night of music, dancing, gourmet cuisine and cultural displays is on tap next Saturday for the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce's annual Wine Gala.

With the theme "Moonlight and Melodies Cultural Celebration," the chamber's Arts and Culture Committee will help organizers enhance the festivity.

As part of the state's Viva Florida 500 celebrations, special performances will include a Native American flute player and demonstrations of African and Latin American dances, event chairwoman Crystal Boyles said.

Bob Sikes Airport's fixed-base operator, Emerald Coast Aviation, is the evening's host and, along with L3 Crestview Aerospace, is a premier sponsor.

"Hopefully, we'll have nice weather and can have the hangar doors open and have the runway lights on and really set the tone for the evening," Boyles said, adding there will be a silent auction and a wine raffle.

Jones and Company, led by Dr. Cheryl Jones, and special guest vocalist Sandra Daggs will provide entertainment.

Country Chicken and Fish, Helen Back Again, Johnny O'Quigley's Ale House, Chill Yogurt, Sorabal Korean BBQ, Boudreaux's and other establishments will provide food.

Want to go?

WHAT: Moonlight and Melodies Cultural Celebration Wine Gala

WHO: Sponsored by the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce

WHEN: 6-9 p.m., doors open 5:45, Nov. 9

WHERE: Emerald Coast Aviation main hangar, Bob Sikes Airport, 5545 John Givens Rd.

TICKETS: $40, available at the chamber of commerce or online, www.crestviewchamber.com. Details: 682-3213

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: Cultural component will augment annual Wine Gala on Saturday

CRESTVIEW — Although John Henry "Doc" Holliday is renowned in American history as a Wild West gambler and gunslinger, he also was a dentist.

Fittingly, Crestview dentist Dr. Richard Thomas will host a Nov. 8 open house for a permanent exhibit featuring Doc Holliday's dental chair.

The ornate mid-19th-century dental chair, with its pedal-operated drill, is the pride of Thomas' extensive collection of Wild West antiques.

Thomas didn't reveal how much he paid for the chair, but said he got caught up in the excitement of the online auction in which he bought it.

"I've never been in an auction before," he said. "I should've cut my finger off. For some reason, I kept bidding it up and bidding it up and the next thing it said (was), 'You got it.'"

Thomas also acquired Holliday's appointment "book," a fan of ivory cards on which weekly patient appointments — some still barely legible — were written in pencil and later erased.

Gambler and gunslinger

The exhibit also features late 19th-century playing cards, dice, clay poker chips, a casino card shoe and a leather-topped card table, which spotlight Holliday's gambler personality.

Thomas — whose fascination with the Old West began when he was a child playing cowboys and Indians in Utah — has avidly studied Holliday's colorful life, which mainly included gambling and frequent drinking as his tuberculosis progressed.

Holliday's legend grew after he stood with the Earp brothers — Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan — during the infamous Oct. 26, 1881, "Gunfight at the OK Corral" in Tombstone, Arizona Territory.

An enlarged illustration of the quartet — walking down Tombstone's main street shortly before the battle — appears in a new exhibit room at Thomas's Alabama Street office, as will a bottle of Holliday's favorite beverage, Old Overholt whiskey, and a vintage crystal shot glass.

Thomas and his staff will unveil the exhibit on Nov. 8, the 126th anniversary of Holliday's death.

Dentist and dandy

Thomas praised Holliday as a smart fellow dentist who, he believes, was misunderstood.

"It was hard to tell in those days who was a scoundrel and who wasn't," Thomas said. "He was actually a pretty darned good dentist. He was a real smart guy."

The exhibit room, with velvet-flocked wallpaper, a pressed tin ceiling and period furnishings, reflects Holliday's elegance, Thomas said.

"He was a dandy," Thomas said. "He always dressed to the hilt. He wore an ascot with a diamond or a pearl in it."

Thomas watched in appreciation on Wednesday as contractor Joe Chancey and his wife, Becky, worked on the room to prepare for next week’s unveiling.

"Doc would be impressed with his new office," Thomas said. "I'm thinking, ‘If this stuff could talk…”

His voice trailed off as he stroked the collection of gambling artifacts.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Public unveiling of John Henry "Doc" Holliday's original dentist chair and period artifacts.

WHO: Hosted by Dr. Richard Thomas and Family Dentistry

WHEN: 5-7 p.m. Nov. 8

WHERE: 102 Alabama St., Suite A, Crestview

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: Crestview dentist to unveil permanent 'Doc' Holliday exhibit

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa residents and visitors can expect to see acrobats, performing elephants, Siberian and Royal Bengal tigers and other attractions next week when the Loomis Bros. Circus comes to town.

The circus will present eight shows Nov. 8-11 at Old Spanish Trail Park.

It’ll be a homecoming for ringmaster Justin Loomis, whose mom, Paulette Loomis, and sister live in Crestview. Paulette sings "God Bless America" to start each Crestview performance.

During the city's Nov. 11 Veterans Day parade, the renowned Loomis Bros. Circus elephants will join other groups to honor U.S. veterans.

This is the fourth year the Main Street Crestview Association has sponsored the traveling circus, which is now in its 16th year.

Previously the association hosted traveling carnivals, member Cal Zethmayr said. However, there were accountability issues regarding the association's percentage of the ticket office take.

"I started calling around to see what other carnivals or events were available," Zethmayr said. "Then I ran into Mrs. Paulette Loomis at a Main Street event and she said, 'Well, my son has a circus.'"

Zethmayr said the partnership between Main Street and the circus has been mutually beneficial and enjoyable, and has also been profitable for the association, which uses its share to produce downtown events such as the Fall Festival and Christmas parade.

"We know right to the penny what we took in," Zethmayr said.

WANT TO GO?

WHAT: Loomis Bros. Circus, benefiting the Main Street Crestview Association

WHEN: 7 p.m. Nov. 8; 1, 4 and 7 p.m. Nov. 9; and 3 and 7 p.m. Nov. 10 and 11. Gates open an hour beforehand.

WHERE: Old Spanish Trail Park, at Stillwell Boulevard and Industrial Drive

TICKETS: $10 advance, $15 at gate; available at select area merchants in Crestview, Baker, Blackman, Laurel Hill and DeFuniak Springs. Details: 240-4053.

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: Loomis Bros. Circus coming to town this weekend