Thanksgiving Week in North Okaloosa County means hunters hoping for a prized kill, students sleeping in — my sympathy to parents! — and football games with friends and family.

Not to mention a full feast and counting our blessings.

I have mixed feelings about the week. The best way I can explain this buffet of emotions is PPF: past, present and future.

Remembering past Thanksgiving gatherings helps me prepare for this year's celebration. For example, I know which foods to not serve certain relatives, which relatives should not sit next to each other and which topics are safe to discuss.

However, remembering loved ones who won’t be at the family gathering can be distressing. My two best friends and my grandparents, A.B. and Karoline Howell — always with me in spirit — won’t be at the table. This season makes me miss them even more, along with other loved ones who have moved on in one way or another.

Which brings us to the present.

Thanksgiving is about being thankful for what and who we have or have had in our lives. A person must be thankful for the bad and good in his or her life. After all, how would you be able to recognize the good without enduring the bad?

After rushing around cooking, baking and accommodating everyone, I sit down and take it all in: my blessings. The loved ones, the weather, and even the burnt whatever-I-know-I’ll-over-bake.

I enjoy the moment and reflect. Life is too short not to enjoy it. And one day, I’ll look back and miss most of the things going on right now.

Which brings us to the future.

Throughout this week, I’ll make notes of things I can do differently next family gathering, and which traditions to keep.

Warm wishes to all. Happy Thanksgiving!

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: Remembering the past, present and future this Thanksgiving

CRESTVIEW — The Wild Olive and Sorabal will serve a full Thanksgiving meal, free of charge, for residents spending the holiday alone.

The Wild Olive — with Mosaic Church of Crestview's assistance, and donations from area businesses — will provide a traditional meal with turkey, dressing, sweet potatoes and other sides.

"We wanted to extend our hands and our hearts to other people, so they could be a part of our family," restaurant co-owner Susan McDuffie said. "It's a way to show the community the love of (Jesus) Christ."

"It's not just for low-income people," she said. "There are military (service members) here, and their families are hundreds of miles away."

Susan and Mike McDuffie attend Mosaic, where many families have loved ones away on duty, the Rev. James Ross said.

Event organizers encourage interested parties to RSVP prior to the event so they can prepare enough food. Contact Holly@mosaiccrestview.com or call the Wild Olive, 682-4455, to do so.

Sorabal, the Korean and sushi restaurant, will serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, dressing, green beans, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato casserole and desserts.

The offer is available to military members and anyone spending the holiday alone, restaurant owner Tommy Batson said. RSVPs are unnecessary.

"Everybody is welcome," he said. "We just want to make the holidays better for people … We are going to keep on serving food until we run out."

Okaloosa County Commissioners Wayne Harris and Nathan Boyles, in addition to restaurant staffers, have volunteered to serve food, Batson said.

WANT TO G0?

WHAT: Free Thanksgiving meal

WHEN:  11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: The Wild Olive, 797 N. Pearl St., Crestview  

RSVP: Holly@mosaiccrestview.com or 682-4455

…

WHAT: Free Thanksgiving meal

WHEN:  Noon to 3 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: Sorabal, 172 E. Woodruff Ave., Crestview

…

Is your North Okaloosa County business offering a community service on Thanksgiving? Share it on our wall at www.facebook.com/crestview.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: Crestview restaurants offering free meals Thursday

CRESTVIEW — A small gathering Wednesday evening recognized the significance of one of north Okaloosa County's most historic cemeteries.

The Crestview Historic Preservation Board selected Old Bethel Cemetery as the location for the panel's second historical landmark marker. The first is in front of Conyers Masonic Lodge.

Board chairwoman Ann Spann called the cemetery "one of the most historic sites in Okaloosa County" before unveiling the green and white cast metal marker.

The marker also recognized the significance of Old Bethel Church, a log structure that stood on the cemetery grounds into the early 1960s.

Spann praised Old Bethel Cemetery Commission members who worked closely with Historic Preservation Board members to place the marker.

"We appreciate it," commission secretary Betty Miller said. "I have parents, grandparents and great-grandparents (buried) out here."

The marker also recognizes the role that Austinville, located on a stagecoach route between Milton and Geneva, Ala., played in Crestview's development.  

Griffith Ferry — established around 1850 to transport goods, people and the stagecoach over the Yellow River, about a half-mile from the cemetery — was critical to the commerce route.

Austinville, the town in which the cemetery once stood, was a stagecoach stop and one of the first post offices in the area, Spann said.

Spann said local oral history describes a mass grave of Confederate soldiers buried within a circle of field stones in the cemetery's oldest section.

University of West Florida archeologists — even using ground-penetrating radar — couldn't find evidence of bodies below the markers, she said.

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: Old Bethel Cemetery recognized with historical marker

CRESTVIEW — North Okaloosa Fire District and Auburn Water System representatives want north Crestview homeowners to know that newly installed fire hydrants could lead to lower insurance premiums.

Homeowners living within 1,000 feet of the hydrants annually could save $1,200 on insurance costs, NOFD Chairman Craig Shaw said.

The NOFD annually uses $10,000 from its fiscal budget to provide five new fire hydrants.

"In our charter, it specifically says one of our responsibilities is to provide fire hydrants," Shaw said.

Auburn Water System officials work with the NOFD to find locations with high population density. The water company also provides labor for installing the hydrants.

The NOFD is providing a vital community service, Richard Laux, Auburn Water's operations manager, said.

"The more (population) grows, the more the need grows," he said.

The need is to save lives and property, NOFD Chief Ed Cutler said.

"Providing emergency water for fire — that's the objective," he said. "The objective of putting the hydrants in is to benefit the most people."

More details:

If you are a homeowner living within 1,000 feet of these fire hydrant locations, North Okaloosa Fire District and Auburn Water System officials suggest contacting your homeowner's insurance provider about potential savings. Locations are as follows:

The corners of: Auburn Road and Hayes Drive; Reinke Drive and Hunter Drive; Auburn Road and Tansey Lane; Bill Lundy Road and Josey Road; Grandview Drive and Wheeler Place; Grandview Drive and Oakcrest Drive; and Phil Tyner Road and Pointer Road, or the north end of Aurora 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: NOFD: New fire hydrants could save homeowners money

CRESTVIEW — William Lee was one of several residents who appreciated Ferris Powell's vast knowledge of Native American culture following Saturday's American Indian Hunting Camp at the Crestview Public Library.

"I am very interested in Native American history," he said. "I have learned a lot from this man."

During the presentation, the Shalimar resident, also called "Blue Heron," educated attendees on Creek Indians, who occupied the southeastern United States in the 1500s.  

"When everyone thinks about Indians, they think about head dresses and tepees," Powell said. "I try to give them some education, insight on what it was like."

Wearing Native American attire, Powell spoke about Creek Indian history, clothing, weaponry and recreational activities.

 Jeff Kiewiet brought Cub Scouts in Pack 799 to meet their education requirements.

Pack member Waylon Hopwood, 8, said he enjoyed learning about various knives the Creek Indians used.

Lee attended last year's camp and plans to attend next year's event to learn more, he said.

"I do whatever I can just to be here, just to listen to him," he said. "In my opinion … more people need to come and just listen to just what the Native Americans went through."

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: Hunting camp offers insight into Creek Indian Culture

CRESTVIEW — If grocery shoppers picked up one extra non-perishable food each week and donated it to Sharing and Caring, the local food bank could meet its weekly demand.

The "Everybody Give One" drive is the brainchild of Sharing and Caring volunteer Bret Jenkins, an instructor at the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal at Eglin Air Force Base.

The number of families that Sharing and Caring serves continues to increase over last year's record-setting numbers, food bank vice president Robin Marston said.

"We're serving well over a hundred a week that walk through the door," she said, explaining that each person who collects food represents several other family members at home who were served by Sharing and Caring.

By buying nonperishable food offered during grocery stores' buy-one-get-one-free, known as "BOGO," sales, donors could help keep the food bank's shelves stocked, Jenkins said.

"If everybody would just give something every week, we'd have more than enough," he said. "When you go to Publix or Winn-Dixie and they have BOGO, that extra one could help feed a family at no extra cost."

Business drop-offs

Jenkins also initiated a business sponsorship program. At no cost to the business, Sharing and Caring will designate the company a food bank drop-off location, provide a collection bin, and will pick up donations weekly.

The News Bulletin, the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office Crestview station and Gordon Martial Arts are three sponsoring organizations.

The food bank is about to reap a windfall in one commodity thanks to local farmers, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences extension agent Elaine Courtney said.

Courtney has been working on a peanut butter collection drive with the Crestview and Niceville chambers of commerce. Nearly 300 jars, or 5,288.5 ounces, of peanut butter were donated in the Crestview area.

The Florida Peanut Producers Association will match the donations ounce by ounce, Courtney said. Peanut butter will remain in the community in which it was donated, she said.

While some will remain with churches that donated it for use in their cold weather soup kitchens, the majority will go to Sharing and Caring, Courtney said.

WANT TO HELP?

Sharing and Caring needs nonperishable foods and toiletries. Canned hams, gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing and other holiday feast fare are especially welcomed. Drop off donations at the News Bulletin, 705 Ashley Drive; Gordon Martial Arts, 130 Oakdale Ave.; the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, 197 E. James Lee Blvd.; or Sharing and Caring, 298 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., all in 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: Sharing & Caring launches food drive, business support network

Crestview AMVETS members, for another year, will deliver Thanksgiving dinner to Hub City residents who can't afford it.  

Meals include turkey with gravy, stuffing and rolls, green beans and corn, a fruit cup and dessert.

The delivery area includes Shoal River in the east and south, Yellow River to the west and Auburn Road to the north.

Call 682-8435 before 5 p.m. Nov. 25 to have a free meal delivered to you. Provide your name, address, phone number and the number of meals needed, along with directions to your home.

You may also call and reserve meals to be picked up instead.

This is the 14th year that Crestview AMVETS have delivered Thanksgiving meals to needy residents.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview AMVETS members delivering Thanksgiving dinners

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