In recent years I've watched good friends walk the valley of battling cancer. Somewhat slowly they went through the process of fighting for their lives. Finally, one day it was over and they died. 

I sat with one dear friend in his home months before he died and he asked, "Why me?" He was about 63 and had just started thinking about retirement and then his life was over. 

I was talking to a classmate from high school who was telling me about his elevated PSA while his significant other had just been diagnosed with cancer. She had just decided to go with a double mastectomy. We were sharing our troubles and we both agreed that we are aging. 

The alternative to dying is aging. If we are to live there is only one way to go and that is adding additional years. While many of us still feel and want to act like we are 21 we aren't. We all know people who died at young ages from disease or an accident or were killed in war. Some of us have been fortunate to live awhile and most of us are very grateful for every day of life. 

We shrug our shoulders sometimes and say we're 40, then 50, then 60, 70 and so forth. It's hard to believe that we have achieved our particular age.  The flipside to this increasing number are life's problems that accompany aging. We don't see as well. We don't hear as good. We don't stand as straight. Our knees and hips hurt. Our hair turns color or falls out. We start having other internal problems related to heart, liver, kidneys, thyroid, lungs and the list goes on. Aging means more trips to the doctor and other medical specialists. The trade off to dying young is frequent body checkups and tune-ups. They aren't fun at all and are sometimes financially prohibitive for many. 

I'm not for socialized medicine but I'm for everyone having access to healthcare. If it takes socialized medicine to insure this then I'll vote for it to happen. I'm totally against the powers that be at an insurance corporate office deciding that I can't have a surgery if my doctor says it's imperative for my health and even life. I am opposed to someone at a government Medicare office saying that Medicare won't pay for a heart surgery; a chemo treatment, dialysis or whatever is needed for anyone's health and life. I am opposed to killing babies on the front end of life and I'm opposed to killing old people at the back end of life.  Life should be given every opportunity. 

We are fortunate if we get to live awhile. The longer we live we will deal with blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, polyps, nodules and so forth. Finally, something takes us out and this good life we enjoyed is over.  Thus while we are alive we do all we can do to live wisely and to do our best. We trust that our doctor will do all that he can do and we look to God in faith that beyond this life is a much, much better place where our dear friends and family await our entrance to where they have gone on before. 

Glenn Mollette is an American syndicated columnist and author. 

What’s your view? Write a letter to the editor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: The Alternative to Dying

CRESTVIEW — Hurricane Michael devastated parts of the Panhandle, and North Okaloosa residents aim to help those dealing with the aftermath of this devastating storm.

Here is a list of places where Crestview residents can donate to our neighbors to the east.

Simply Vapor, 2219 Ferdon Blvd. S, Crestivew, and 144 Mary Esther Blvd., Suite 2, Mary Esther

Simply Vapor District Manager Jimmy Woodley says the company is accepting donation drop offs at both locations. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

"We are also donating 10 percent of all of our sales to the relief effort. We are delivering water and nonperishable food to the Air Force Enlisted Village, and delivering the rest of the supplies directly to Panama City and the surrounding areas in coordination with official relief efforts," Woodley said.

Crestview Police Department, 201 Stillwell Blvd.

The Crestview Police Department is accepting donations of ice coolers for police agencies and first responders in the communities between Panama City and Apalachicola affected by Hurricane Michael.

Donations may be brought to the Crestview Police Department in the Whitehurst Municipal

Building, 201 Stillwell Blvd. at any time, night and day.

Critical Systems manager Kathy Duke, spearheading the drive, said, “With the power out, they have no refrigeration, so coolers will help keep donated ice longer.”

The CPD also welcomes the donation of bottled water, sports drinks, toiletries, diapers and toilet paper. They will load the items into a CPD utility trailer and haul them to the affected communities toward the middle of the week, Deputy Police Chief Jamie Grant said.

Mint Julep Maids Cleaning Service, Crestview, 598-6379

Mint Julep Maids is donating $30 or more of its proceeds from each cleaning job, with the money going to Panama City hurricane survivors. Call the number above to book services, and go to https://bit.ly/2A7AC4H for details.

First Baptist Church of Crestview, 171 W. Hickory Ave., Crestview

FBC Crestview is collecting necessities through next 5 p.m.  Friday, Oct. 19 to go to affected areas.

The Lewis Diamond Gallery, 2670 Ferdon Blvd. S., Suite 103, Crestview

The Lewis Diamond Gallery is also taking donations.

Ruck Up Cup Drive Thru Coffee Stand, 4110 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview

Ruck Up Cup Drive Thru Coffee Stand is also accepting donations until 3:30 p.m. Friday Oct. 12. They will be taken to affected areas.

Shades of Blu, 426 W James Lee Blvd., Crestview

Shades of Blu will serve as a collection point for any necessary items like water, canned goods, and any household/cleaning supplies.

"We have flat beds and trucks ready to go," Breana Carlson Uptigrove said in a Facebook live video.

They will be taking the supplies to the Wewahitchka and Mexico Beach area.

Johnny O’Quigleys, 1025 Industrial Drive, Crestview

If you have supplies, Johnny O'Quigleys will be taking anything you can bring to the restaurant.

"Our first run will be Saturday and will continue for as long as needed," the business commented in a Facebook post.

Tyndall Families Alicia Barnett, 506 Boulder St., Crestview

The Air Force Network of Key Spouses is accepting donations for military families at Tyndall Air Force Base that have suffered from the hurricane.

To donate, you can send items to the above address, or go to the following links:

• https://www.target.com/gift-registry/giftgiver?registryId=84aa1c6631804dbd900a01b18b500318&lnk=registry_custom_url
• https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ls/ref=?ie=UTF8&%2AVersion%2A=1&%2Aentries%2A=0&lid=16W28YO332KNO&ty=wishlist

Maxfit Sports Nutrition, 2256 S Ferdon Blvd., Crestview

Jerry Kleinpeter, owner, will be taking donations to Panama City, according to a Facebook post.

Maxfit also has a location in Panama City that was damaged.

Jumping Beans Playzone, 3196 E James Lee Blvd., Crestview

Jumping Beans Playzone will have a donation box set up at their business. Once it fills up, the donations will be taken to Panama City.

Baker Feed and Country Store, 5791 FL-4, Baker

Baker Feed and Country Store has offered to be a drop site for hay, alfalfa cubes and pellets, dog and cat food, and animal first aid supplies. The first trip will head out Saturday morning to Chipley and Marianna. Call 537-1000 for more information.

Volunteer Florida

Whether you are looking to volunteer or donate, you can visit https://www.volunteerflorida.org/  or call 1-800-354-3571.

Children's Advocacy Center, Crestview Police Department, 201 Stillwell Blvd.

The Children's Advocacy Center volunteers are looking to take donations to the Gulf Coast Children's Advocacy Center in Panama City.

Due to possibly being out of power for weeks, they are in need of the following:

• paper plates
• paper towels
• hand sanitizer
• water
• peanut butter
• any non-perishables
• plastic utensils
• toilet paper
• baby wipes
• ready-to-eat food
• bread
• lighters

Ladies of Law Enforcement, Crestview Police Department, 201 Stillwell Blvd.

According to a Facebook post, Ladies of Law Enforcement is working with the Crestview Police Department to take a trailer filled with supplies to the small agencies affected by the hurricane.

They are accepting tax deductible gifts at https://www.ladiesoflawenforcement.org/donate-now and ask that the gift is marked as Hurricane Michael Law Enforcement Relief.

You can also bring non perishable supplies, socks, hygiene products, solar showers, sleeping bags, coolers, and other items to the police department.

Fairfield Inn & Suites

The Crestview Fairfield Inn & Suites at 110 Crosson St. is currently a drop-off spot for supplies going to Panama City area survivors on Friday, Oct. 19. Items most in demand are anything usable without power or running water:

• bottled water
• non-perishable items
• hand wipes
• water purifying tablets
• new clothes
• diapers

The News Bulletin will update this page as more information becomes available.

Email kparker@crestviewbulletin.com or call 682-6524 with information regarding donation sites.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hurricane Michael donation opportunities in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is looking to decorate your next Christmas tree with an ornament featuring the new Okaloosa County Courthouse.

The CRA Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to move forward with the ornaments at the regular meeting on Oct. 8.

The ornaments are a fundraising effort by the CRA.

According to CRA Director Alisa Burleson, the funds will be for beautification of the downtown Crestview area.

"That could be either Christmas decorations or any beautification that we need," Burleson said.

This year's ornament is an oval-shaped, gold ornament with an engraving of the new Okaloosa County courthouse.

"At the risk of being the Grinch this afternoon, and I'm most appreciative that you're using my courthouse as the design," Okaloosa County Commissioner Nathan Boyles said. "… My concern is that your time at the end of the day is probably more valuable to this organization focused on the big picture revitalization things."

"There's a million dollars in the bank, and there's a lot to be done. I just want to be careful that we don't end up in the weeds on something like this that has limited upside."

Boyles also said this project would be better fit for the Main Street Association.

Burleson said the Main Street Association will be helping market the ornament.

"The main purpose of this is more of a good will thing," Burleson said. "Every year, I want to establish a new ornament representing the city of Crestview."

The CRA plans to order 20 ornaments that will be sold in a felt box for $20 each.

Total, the ornaments will cost almost $2,000 although additional funds could be added, Burleson said. Funds for the ornaments will come from the revitalization section currently sitting at $95,000.

Burleson said they hope to begin taking orders online and at the Oct. 27 Fall Festival in downtown Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CRA moving forward with Christmas ornament featuring the new courthouse

CRESTVIEW — With Hurricane Michael approaching, some closures and other notices have been released in Okaloosa County.

BRIDGES

The Florida Department of Transportation will close all of the bridges once sustained winds exceed 39 miles per hour. They will do this without warning. The County is asking people who must use bridges to evacuate and wish to do so to evacuate as soon as possible. The governor has lifted tolls for bridges in advance of this storm.

CITY OF CRESTVIEW, TRASH PICKUP

City Offices will close at noon Oct. 9 and remain closed Oct. 10.

The city released this notice about Waste Management Pro trash pickup. "Waste Pro has informed the City of Crestview that in the event of winds over 30 miles per hour on Wednesday, the service days will be delayed

by one day: Wednesday Routes – Move to Thursday; Thursday Routes – Moved to Friday; Friday Routes – Moved to Saturday."

COUNTY COURT, JAIL NOTICES

Okaloosa County Courts will close at noon Oct. 9 and will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 10.

Judge Mason’s Tuesday plea day (scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 9) is rescheduled for Oct. 23.

Judge Brown’s Tuesday criminal pre-trial hearings (scheduled Oct. 9) with incarcerated defendants that are represented by Regional Conflict Counsel or the Public Defender is rescheduled to docket day on Oct. 17.

Information about Oct. 10 Shelter and Detention hearings and First Appearances will be determined and announced Oct. 9.

For further updates, go to https://twitter.com/1stCircuitFL or @1stCircuitFL, and www.firstjudicialcircuit.org.

Okaloosa County’s jail stands ready to withstand the affects of the storm. The jail has four days of food on hand to supply the inmates and will be able to serve food with or without power. The generators for the jail are fueled and ready to provide power as well.

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE

Eglin Air Force Base will close the East Gate at 2 p.m. Oct. 9. The West Gate will remain open until winds reach 58 mph. At that point, the West Gate will be closed. See http://eglin.af.mil and Eglin AFB FB page for updates.

PETS, HORSES

The Panhandle Animal Welfare Society shelter is at full capacity as of Tuesday, Oct. 9. Owners must now waive 24-hour rights when surrendering their pets, and PAWS takes immediate ownership of the animals.

Baker Area Recreation Association is accepting horses for shelter.  For inquiries, contact Tracy Rogers, 850-537-4744 or Tim Ross, 850-259-1284. 

SAND BAGS

Sand bag and sand locations are now open to the public at Okaloosa County Public Works, 1759 South Ferdon Blvd., Crestview; and Public Works, 84 Ready Road NW, Fort Walton Beach. The City of Destin Public Works is also giving away sandbags at their office on Commons Drive in Destin.

SCHOOLS

The Okaloosa County School District said during an Okaloosa County Commission meeting Monday afternoon that schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Northwest Florida State College canceled all classes and administrative operations for Oct. 9 and 10. This cancellation includes all athletics, arts and student activities. Visit www.nwfsc.edu and the school's social media for details on when the college will re-open.

SHELTERS

Okaloosa County shelters are on standby for the storm and will be activated on the command of the Board of County Commissioners.

Shelters will officially open to the public at 8 p.m. Monday.

One standard and special needs shelter is Davidson Middle School, 6261 Old Bethel Road, Crestview. Another standard shelter will open at 8 a.m. at Raider Arena, Northwest Florida State College, 100 College Blvd., Niceville.

The primary shelter will be Davidson Middle School, followed by Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College. Shoal River Middle School, 3200 Redstone Ave. E., will also be used if needed.

ADDITIONAL CLOSURES, CANCELLATIONS

• The Crestview Public Library will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 9 and 10.
• The Northwest Florida State College Film Club set for Oct. 8 is canceled. The next one is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 29 in Building 110, Room 328 at Northwest Florida State College, Niceville.

• BOCC: An Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners special meeting set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 10 at the Okaloosa County Administration Building in Shalimar is cancelled.

• CAMPGROUNDS, TRAILS: The Florida Forest Service is shutting down its operations, offices, recreation and day-use areas in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties starting Oct. 9. The closure will last through close of business Thursday, Oct. 11. All campgrounds, trails, swimming lakes, day-use areas and offices are included in this closure.

• FOOD STAMPS/SNAP: The Department of Children and Families has ordered an early release of SNAP benefits. Current SNAP customers who normally receive benefits Oct. 10-28 will receive their benefits by 7 a.m. Oct. 9 in the following counties:  Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie.

• BEACH ACCESS: All public parks and beach accesses were closed Monday evening, Oct. 8.

• VOTER REGISTRATION AFFECTED: Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections offices in Shalimar and Crestview will close at noon Oct. 9. This will affect the voter registration deadline Oct. 9. Any new Florida Voter Registration Applications must be submitted in person by noon, Oct. 9. People may also register online that day, but must submit the applications before 11 a.m. Oct. 9. Call 689-5600 or 651-7272 for more information. Also, Floridians can register to vote online at RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov, which is fully operational, until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 9. UPDATE: from Ken Detzner, Florida Secretary of State: Any Supervisor of Elections whose office is closed Oct. 9, the book closing deadline, as a result of Hurricane Michael is authorized to accept paper voter registration applications and third party voter regisration organization submissions until the end of the day for the 2018 General Election on the next day that office is reopened. This will ensure that each Supervisor of Elections Office has the same amount of days to register voters at their offices. As of this release, it is uncertain what day that will be, but new registrants can focus on preparing for the storm and submitting their voter registration application once it has passed.
• ECONOMIC SYMPOSIUM POSTPONED: The Gulf Power Economic Symposium scheduled Oct. 11 and 12 at the Baytowne Conference Center in Miramar Beach and all related events have been postponed. This is a major safety concern for our attendees since many would be traveling to the event during this time. Go to https://www.gulfpowersymposium.com/postponed for hotel and conference registration refund information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hurricane Michael notices released for Okaloosa County

NICEVILLE — In preparation for Hurricane Michael, Okaloosa County's Public Works Department is offering free sand bags and sand for all who wish to take advantage of those services.

The county public works yards where you can pick up these items are:

•1759 S Ferdon Blvd., Crestview.

•Hollywood Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach.

•A third location, the City of Destin Public Works Maintenance Department on Commons Drive, Destin, is giving away sand bags and sand.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa, Destin Public Works offer sand bags

CRESTVIEW — Family, friends, fellow barbers and clients of Rook Torres are asking the community for help after Torres was involved in a terrible motorcycle accident Saturday.

"Last night we almost lost him," Brent Parry wrote on a Go Fund Me account titled "Heal out Rook." The page is dedicated to helping Torres, 28, with his medical expenses.

Parry said Torres was leaving a get-together for a friend who opened a barber shop in Panama City. He lost control of his motorcycle and hit a car.

Torres walked away from the wreck and began having difficulty breathing, not knowing he was bleeding internally. EMS realized his condition and transported him to Bay Medical Sacred Heart, according to Parry.

Doctors were able to remove Torres' ruptured kidney and stop the internal bleeding. However, according to Parry, they could not sew Torres' incision because of swelling in his stomach area.

Parry said Torres, now in a drug-induced coma, is in an Intensive Care Unit but stable. Doctors are attempting to bring the swelling down and hope to perform surgery on his stomach by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Torres also has a laceration on his knee that won't be operated on until surgery on his stomach is completed, Parry said.

"He has a long road ahead of him, but trust me, he’s a fighter," Parry wrote in a Facebook post.

Parry said Torres is unaware of his situation.

In his current condition, Torres is expected to have at least a three month recovery.

Parry said after the incident occurred, clients began reaching out wondering how they could help with Torres' medical expenses.

"Hes been here since February and has hundreds of people that consider him family," Parry said.

As an independent barber, Torres doesn't have access to company-funded health insurance.

"That’s the thrill of being a barber … the freedom to control your own life," Parry said. “… It’s a risk we run.”

However, because Torres will be away from his barber chair — his livelihood — for at least three months, Parry hopes the community will help with expenses.

"We are his family," Parry said.

Torres' fellow barbers miss seeing his smile and having his positive attitude around the barber shop, Parry said.

Currently, they have a memorial display in his chair along with a donation jar.

"He's my best friend for a reason," Parry said. "He sees Crestview for what it is, and he sees a side of Crestview that a lot of people don’t."

To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/heal-our-rook?member=888184 or bring donations to Hub City Barbers, 211 N. Main St.

Parry said there will be T-shirts with Torres' name on them for sale, and 100 percent of the proceeds going to Torres' medical expenses.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Hub City Barbers seeks help to 'Heal our Rook'

CRESTVIEW — There are three factors in maintaining and improving memory for the elderly, according to Eden at Crestview assisted living community Executive Director Alan Woods: meals, medication and movement. It is the mission of Eden staff to work with its residents in these areas.

Meals

For seniors living at home, it takes a lot of time and effort to go to the store, buy groceries, come home, put them away, do the cooking and then clean up, Woods said.  And so it becomes easy to resort to quick, less-than-healthy food options, which can negatively affect memory.

Eden offers popular southern cuisine with meals approved by a registered dietician, according to Woods.

Medication

Incorrect medication dosage can have a detrimental effect on memory as well.

If memory is already an issue for seniors, keeping track of medication can become challenging and a concern for family members. Is mom forgetting to take her medicine? Is dad taking too much? Eden can take the worry out of medication management by allowing trained staff to keep its residents on schedule with the right dosages.

Movement

Movement encompasses three types of activity at Eden: physical, mental and social. Studies say, according to Woods, physical activity has a positive impact on mental acuity and memory. To this end, Eden provides physical activity like live music for dancing.

Eden activities staff also works with residents to keep their minds sharp with art projects, word puzzles, bingo and card games. There is also a library.

Finally, Woods said socialization is another important tool to maintain mental faculties.

"If mom or dad is sitting at home all day long, they start to withdraw. If you don’t use your social skills," Woods said, "memory starts going (along with) morale and attitude."

And so Eden provides group activities like a "happy hour" to foster building relationships among the residents.

The last Thursday of the month, Eden at Crestview holds a community update at Samuel’s Roadhouse, 114 John King Road. Call 417-0103 or email alan@livingateden.com to RSVP.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Three keys to improving your memory retention

CRESTVIEW — Local cook Sherri Williams is preparing for her return to the World Food Championships Nov. 7-11 in Orange Beach, Alabama.

She is cooking in the sandwich category this year, but hopes to eventually defend her 2017 WFC Granny Grilling win.

"I don't know if they're going to have that this year, but I hope they do, because I want to defend my title," she said, laughing. She especially enjoyed that their Grilling Granny judges were 20 middle- to high school-age children.

Some attendees may have recognized Williams from her appearances on Food Network competitions such as "Guy's Big Project" and "All-Star Academy."

Area residents got a taste of her competitive chops when the Army veteran cooked and shared simple recipes with the public Sept. 29 and 30 at the Niceville Walmart. The recipes Williams created and those by other WFC winners are posted available online as part of the Food Champ Recipe Club, https://worldfoodchampionships.com/fcrc-recipes.

Of the weekend cooking sessions, Williams said, "It went really well. I love it! I loved talking to them about food," she said. "It was a lot of fun." 

On Saturday morning she made sweet and spicy pulled pork sliders with mild peppers and ranch dressing, and a pecan pumpkin mousse parfait that afternoon.

Sunday recipes included Asian-inspired pork fried rice and piña colada slaw with pecans.

She also showed her audience how to make substitutions for recipe requirements that may not be in stock at the grocery store. For instance, sausage crumbles were an ingredient in the fried rice recipe. She showed attendees how they could buy sausage patties, chop them up and use them instead.

"We used all of Walmart's Great Value products and their Marketside Value, and all the recipes you can make in less than 30 minutes," Williams said, "and the meats are all fully cooked already."

The parfaits called for four ingredients, including pumpkin in the can, whipped cream, crushed shortbread cookies and nuts.

Sherri also spoke about her love of cooking competitions and the challenges that go with it. She said you have to be able to think really fast, make food that tastes good, cook it, plate it and put it in front of the judges.

"You've gotta be a real fast thinker. You've got to think on your feet and just do it," she said.

She said in one grilling competition, they had these huge red snappers that had to be scaled, cleaned and prepped before they could cook them in the limited time they had available. And the weather was not cooperating with the grilling they had to do.

"You have to have a back up plan," and adapt to the conditions you're working in, she said. With the rainy weather not helping, she wound up flaking the fish she prepared instead of serving the fillet portion she'd planned on.

This article was updated to correct the information about the World Food Championships dates, and Sherri Williams' military status.

Here's a list of articles the News Bulletin has written about the local chef through the years.

• Crestview cook enters Food Network competition: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/news/20171013/crestview-cook-enters-food-network-competition
• 3 local chefs collaborate on Crestview's first guest chefs' dinner (PHOTOS): http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/article/20151020/NEWS/151039931
• Crestview competitive chef inspires Northwood Cougars (PHOTOS, VIDEO): http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.441702
• Crestview woman: Hopefully, $10K contest win inspires other backyard chefs: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.340752
• Crestview's grilling guru: Sherri Williams wins regional grilling competition, advances to New York: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.332655
• Crestview woman quits job, focuses on cooking: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.276139
• WINNING WINGS: Crestview chef to appear on national talk show: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.85494
• Crestview woman's poppers recipe takes national contest's top prize: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.234339
• CULINARY ARTS: Crestview resident wins nationwide cooking contest: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.70923
• CULINARY ARTS: Award-winning braised beef short ribs and radishes: http://www.crestviewbulletin.com/1.71286

More about Sherri Williams

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview cook prepares for culinary challenge

CRESTVIEW — From the Pacific northwest to the Florida Panhandle, Courtney Durke brings a little West Coast flare to her beauty shop in Crestview.

Durke, who moved to Crestview a year ago, opened Bloom Beauty Bar in August.

She said she wanted to open something more than a hair salon with a modern feel.

"I just wanted to create…a fun, trendy atmosphere, very modern for Crestview," Durke said. "I feel like it's something clients are looking for."

The building is filled with modern decorations and furniture, the majority of which has been built locally, according to Durke.

The main difference between the beauty bar and a typical hair salon are the services offered, Durke said.

Bloom Beauty Bar offers many hair services like cuts, colors, and styling for events. One of the stylists, Shelby Smith, offers makeup services including airbrush makeup.

"I didn't want to limit it to just a hair studio," Durke said.

Eventually, Durke plans to have an esthetician — a person who specializes in skin care and provides facials.

One room in the beauty bar that is currently an office will eventually be open for rental to a masseuse.

Durke said she enjoys being a hair stylist because of the relationships she's able to develop with her clients.

"We really become more like family with our clients," Durke said.

Earlier this year, Durke said she had a client pass away, and her last wish was for Durke to do her hair.

"It was definitely sad, but it was rewarding in a way that we literally see our clients through death," Durke said. "…It was an honor."

Smith recently met Durke through the smartphone social media application Instagram and rents a booth in the beauty bar. Smith said this is one of the first times she's felt truly relaxed in a salon.

"I've been doing hair for a little over three years, and this is the first one I've been at where I felt at ease all day long," Smith said.

Currently, Bloom Beauty Bar is open with four stylists but will have a grand opening on Oct. 19.

They are located at 277 Texas Parkway.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bloom Beauty Bar brings a modern, trendy atmosphere to Crestview