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 — 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 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

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