CRESTVIEW — The addition of a city manager is in one of the three questions to appear on the primary election ballot. The city of Crestview has approximately $300,000 allocated in next year’s budget proposal for the tentative city manager’s office, according to city officials.

"This would not be just for salary but all aspects of establishing a new position," city clerk Elizabeth Roy said in an email.

The money budgeted for the city manager's office would go back into the general fund if citizens vote against the amendment, council president J.B. Whitten said.

According to Whitten, the number in the budget proposal is higher than the anticipated costs.

Although this will be an additional cost, Whitten said he thinks it's a good investment for the city because the position could potentially pay for itself.

"I would never sit here and guarantee somebody that if we pay someone $100,000 that it will save the city $100,000. I think it will, but I can't guarantee that," Whitten said.

The city manager would be a full-time position and would receive benefits that part-time employees like the mayor and council members don't receive, Whitten said.

“Typically, a city manager for a city our size is going to cost north of $100,000, which right now, we don’t even pay that for the mayor. We have a part-time council and part-time mayor,” he said.

For comparison, Destin and Fort Walton Beach pay their city managers over $120,000. Both cities are smaller than Crestview.

Qualifications would also affect the city manager’s salary, Whitten said.

“If you hire someone that’s got a master’s degree and 20 years experience as a city manager in a large city, then you would pay that individual more than someone that just came out of public administration school and no experience,” Whitten said.

This charter is the city council’s second effort to replace the current mayor-council government with a council-manager government.

Primary election day is Aug. 28. Early voting begins Aug. 18.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Next year's budget proposal includes tentatve city manager office

CRESTVIEW — A historic building in downtown Crestview is being converted into a new, multi-functional facility with office and retail space.

Demolition on parts of the new Courthouse Suites, which was previously Seaside Engineering and Surveying Inc., has already taken place.

Although the front section of the building will remain, property owner, Alex Barthe', said the garage attached to the building had to be removed because they found asbestos.

The back of the building was also torn down due to spacing issues, and Barthe' said they are putting in a two story addition that will be about 3,000 square feet. With the addition, the Courthouse Suites will total about 9,000 square feet.

Although the front section of the building will be used for office space, Barthe' said he hopes to use the additional section for retail.

“We’re trying to make the most of the square footage and bring some nice things to downtown,” Barthe' said.

The property will bring a more modern feel to the downtown Crestview area, Barthe' said. The main building will have two floors with a couple conference rooms and about 20 office suites. The retail and office buildings will be adjoined by a shared area.

“It brings various amenities to Crestview," Barthe' said, "and it’s an opportunity for some of the things that in Crestview, we would like to see."

Barthe' purchased the historic property in February, he said, after hearing the county considered purchasing the property for courthouse parking.

“It’s a historic building, and that would be a tremendous waste to do that. So, I’m glad that I had the opportunity to get the building,” Barthe' said.

One issue facing Courthouse Suites is parking. According to Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard, the city will not require them to have additional parking because they are located in the downtown parking district.

“Part of Cedar Avenue was taken up by the courthouse parking, and the planning department's Teresa Gaillard said we can use space just inside of the courthouse fence,” Barthe' said in an email.

McCollough & Sons in Milton is the general contractor on the project, and Presergistics in Baker is the major subcontractor.

The building is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Courthouse Suites construction underway in downtown Crestview

CRESTVIEW — A kidney chain in Alabama surpassed 100 recipients on July 20 making it the longest running kidney chain in the nation. It started when one Crestview woman donated her kidney to a stranger.

That woman is former Bulldog, Paula King. She listened to a friend’s story about his decision to donate a kidney to his father.

“It gave his dad extended life that they could spend together," King said, "and that struck me that it was a very noble and a good thing to do.”

A few years later, King’s husband at the time needed a bone marrow transplant from someone, and finding a match became an issue.

“It was not a good feeling knowing that his livelihood was at somebody else’s mercy, a stranger,” King said.

King decided to call The University of Alabama at Birmingham, an academic medical center, because they did kidney transplant surgeries.

“It was sort of like the Holy Spirit had been telling me for a while, 'You need to do this,'” King said. 

King called UAB in 2013 and offered her kidney for donation. It took a month but they found a recipient: Shalimar resident Lornette Stewart.

At the time, King said she wanted her donation to remain anonymous, afraid she wouldn’t approve of the recipient.

However, King said she decided to allow the recipient to contact her after encouragement from the hospital staff.

When she heard from Stewart, King said she knew the donation was meant to be.

“She sent me an email, and when I opened it up, she started out by saying, ‘God has blessed me by this’,” King said. “That got me teary-eyed because then I knew God had been telling me all along to do this.”

In 1995, Stewart’s battle began with Lupus, which affected her kidneys. She needed a donor, and her daughter, Jovi Williams, was not a match.

Stewart said UAB contacted her daughter and asked if she would be willing to donate a kidney on behalf her mother.

Williams agreed to donate, not realizing she was beginning the longest-running kidney chain—a series of transplants in which family members donate a kidney to someone in need on behalf of a loved one receiving a donation.

“Every time we look at the chain … We just see what God has done, what He orchestrated,” Stewart said. “I look at it now, and all the people have received transplants because the first person said yes.”

Although they attended Navy boot camp in 1986, Stewart and King didn’t know each other personally. King said they have met in person and have visited together a few times.

King, Stewart, and Williams are all currently in good health.

For more information about the kidney chain, visit www.crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview resident's generosity leads to longest-running kidney chain

I had my fourth colonoscopy recently. The best part of the procedure is when it's over. Honestly, it's not that big of a deal but it's always easier to say that when it's over!

When I was in my gown five minutes before the test I thought about the inconvenience of the colonoscopy but then quickly remembered the inconvenience of colon cancer. 

My father was 60 when he was told that the large mass inside his colon was cancer.

Under the instruction of our family doctor Bob Hall in Paintsville, Kentucky he underwent surgery to remove a large section of his colon that also resulted in a colostomy in the right side of his stomach. He would wear a bag on his side for three months. I vividly remember the pain and sickness of that surgery in 1980. Three months later the doctor did another extensive surgery and reconnected his colon. Seemed to me he was sicker after that surgery than the one before. Eventually he regained normalcy once again, never had radiation or chemotherapy and lived 25 more years. He was one of the lucky ones. He had one really bad sick year but he lived. 

My mother in law had colon cancer and had most of her colon removed in her forties. She spent the rest of her life with a stoma.  A stoma is where a section of the bowel is brought out through the stomach area. However, she didn't wear a pouch but irrigated her colon every other day.  It was one awful surgery but she lived forty more plus very active years of life. 

A high school friend not long ago went to the doctor and found out he had stage four colon cancer. He couldn't beat it and died recently. A dear minister friend at the peak of his ministry in his early fifties found out he had colon cancer. He fought it hard but it didn't take long and he soon died. 

Something will take us all out. We are all going to die. My dad used to say; "None of us will get out of this world alive." This is a true statement. However, a colonoscopy is not that big of a deal. The routine procedure, two hours at the hospital might prevent you from having your colon cut out. Now, that would be good, right? Or, maybe it might prevent you from dying in your sixties or even fifties or late forties. It happens a lot.  

I had my first colonoscopy at the age of fifty and they cut out three polyps. If I had never had that procedure done I would probably be dead by now from colon cancer. I had another one three years later. Another one five years after that and came out with four large polyps and one looked very precancerous. Thus, recently three years after the last one I had my fourth and for the first time ever the doctor told me I had no polyps in my colon. Hallelujah! I was so glad.  I've been eating daily fruits and vegetables. Going for the broccoli, the asparagus, fruit, peppers, etc. I'm convinced fruit and vegetables are the ticket. I would recommend you make fruit and vegetable a part of your daily life.  If you remember, they told us this stuff in health class in elementary school. It's true.

The day before your procedure you will have to drink some nasty tasting stuff. At least I did. I was allowed to eat a little bit as late as 4:00 in the afternoon. Very little but I didn't starve by any means. Two o'clock in the morning I was drinking more nasty stuff. Plus I drank about a gallon of water to flush the nasty tasting stuff down. From about 2:00 in the morning until 4:30 I was in the bathroom almost constantly. At 6:30 I was at the outpatient center of the hospital. The people were great and explained everything. By 7:45 I was receiving propofol, (Michael Jackson drug) which puts you to sleep almost instantly. By 8:45 I was leaving the hospital with my good news of no polyps. My wife had to drive. You must have a driver with you. By 9:30 I was having a Greek omelet and four large pancakes. I felt like I had earned every bite.

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in America. Over 50,000 people die from colon cancer every year. Let's all get routine colonoscopies and at least try to avoid dying from colon cancer. Good luck!

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: Colonoscopy – Avoid Colon Cancer – Please

Parenting is hard…..right?

I know you have all heard people say, or perhaps you have said it yourself; "children do not come with an instruction manual; there is no rule book for parenting".  If there was, I am sure it would be the wordiest book in the history of mankind.

Every stage of parenting provides it own set of challenges and obstacles.  We cannot wait for our babies to learn to walk and talk, and then we spend years telling them to sit down and be quiet for a little while…seriously, we just need five minutes to ourselves! 

We send them off to school, then cry when we realize they are quite happy to be off with their friends, discovering new and wonderful things, while we watch the clock and arrive at the school early to pick them up because we missed them so much.

As their personalities develop and they start the dreaded ‘puberty blues stage’, eye-rolling and attitude is what greets our attempts at conversation, because even though they do love us, they just want to be able to go and do whatever they want….as long as you can drive them, or provide the funds to do so.

Move on to the High School years, where our kids are both excited at the prospect of being ‘older’ and almost ready to start their journey into adulthood, yet terrified of being held accountable for their actions and being out on their own without the safety net that parents and a home life provides.

Even when they have graduated High School and either gone into the workforce or off to college, we wave them off with one hand, while trying to hold them close with the other. They need the freedom to start their lives and make their own way; we just find it hard as parents to watch them make mistakes or worse, make decisions that have a negative impact on their world…..and ours.

When our children do make mistakes, or make us feel that we have failed, we are often too proud to admit that we find it hard being parents. There is no shame in that, although most of us feel just that; shame and embarrassment, or emotionally drained that we are not doing or saying the right things. Even the strongest people feel that way at times.

A local businesswoman, very bravely posted a Facebook Live video telling all, that the picture perfect scenario she had in her mind, had in fact turned completely around and she felt the need to find a positive in the obstacles she was faced with, when it came to parenting. As I watched her video, my eyes filled with tears, as I realized I was not the only one who was questioning the precarious relationships we have with our offspring.

Whatever it is that gives you comfort, whether it be your faith, spirituality, support groups…whatever, give it up to them. Talk about it, let it be known that none of us have all the answers, let us support each other and hopefully, collectively, we can get through this journey together.

Barbara Dale is the receptionist for the Crestview News Bulletin. Email her at bdale@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Parenting is hard

CRESTVIEW — The lights are on, and the building is nearly completed. But, the Popeye's in Crestview isn't ready to open quite yet.

Florida Department of Transportation required that the The Popeye's in Crestview have an access to State Road 85.

According to FDOT Public Information Specialist Tanya Branton, a permit has been issued to Popeye’s for access to State Road 85.

“It’s kind of a difficult site there,” Crestview Growth Management Director Teresa Gaillard said. “But, they have been working back and forth with the FDOT trying to get something that the FDOT would work with.”

The Popeye’s site has a gravel entry-way leading to 85, but the entry-way will need approval from the FDOT. Joe Mann Sr., the construction manager from Vertical Construction Management, said they will be meeting with the FDOT on Monday to go over their current plan.

The site is expected to be ready within 30 days, but it could take up to 60 days for the restaurant to open depending on when Popeye’s’ receives approval.

“With DOT, it’s always a wild card. They work at their pace. I think it’s a minimum of 30 to 60 days,” Mann Sr. said.

The opening of Popeye’s was delayed past the original date of July 24. Mann said there were multiple factors in play. One of them was the previous general contractor, who was fired over issues like poor performance, quality of work, and occasionally, not paying the subcontractors, Mann said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Popeye's waiting on approval from FDOT

CRESTVIEW — A nationally known nonprofit organization is rallying people across the country to donate money for Crestview Police Department’s K9 Officer Kody to receive a ballistic vest.

James Hatch, a retired Navy Seal, founded Spikes K9 Fund. Hatch was critically wounded during his last deployment but credits his survival to K9 Remco, who was killed in Iraq in 2009. The organization raises money for K9s specific needs like protective equipment, GPS trackers, and medical coverage for K9's who have retired.

K9 Kody, who often answers to Freddy, received a place on the fundraiser list after Jenn Parks, the Florida representative for Spikes K9 fund, reached out to the Crestview Police Department.

Hatch said that before the K9 makes the list, the handler must go through a verification process and prove the K9's need for the vest.

Before Kody was placed on the list, Nate Marlar, Kody’s handler, had to take his measurements and choose the color for the vest. Marlar said he chose a “coyote brown” ballistic vest for his canine partner. He has been with the police department for three years and Kody for eight months.

“With him, every time we’re out there and there’s a time whenever somebody might be armed or something, and we’re going into the unknown, that’s definitely something that’s on your mind because dogs are pretty awesome, but they’re not bulletproof,” Marlar said.

Marlar said Kody is next in line to receive his vest, and his fellow Crestview K9 officer, Sonic, is also on the list.

"(Kody) would give his life for me in a heartbeat, and it's my job to protect him," Marlar said. "I'm glad to know he's going to be able to be covered just like I am."

The ballistic vests, made by K9 Storm, are $2,500. The money donated to the Spike’s K9 Fund goes to the K9 at the top of the list.

"Once we get those donations in, even if we get enough in to put vests on two or three, we'll do that as quickly as we can," Hatch said.

Currently, Hatch said about eight or nine K9s are on the list.

Visit www.spikesk9fund.org for more information.

NOTE: A previous version of this story contained incorrect information. The K9 who died on Hatch's last deployment in 2009 was K9 Remco. K9 Spike died in 2006. The name of the company that provides the vests is K9 Storm.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: K9 Officer Kody next in line to receive a ballistic vest

CRESTVIEW — Local vendors gathered at the farmer’s market on a cool, crisp summer Saturday to set out their products.

One of the first vendors to begin setting up was Bob Sieminski, owner of Forest Farms in Holt. He pulled his van under the pavilion, opened the trunk, and began unloading his produce.

Sieminski has a variety of products like raw milk, eggs, honey, fruits and vegetables. He said all of his goods are completely organic. His farm has 35 bee hives, around 100 chickens, dairy cows, a garden, and two greenhouses, he said.

Sieminski has been bringing produce from his farm in Holt to the Crestview Farmer’s Market for three years.

“I love Crestview,” Sieminski said. “I would take Crestview over Palafox any day.”

Sieminski said he loves farming, but the job does not come without challenges.

“It’s always something,” Sieminski said. “I lost a dairy cow a month ago…I put two thousand dollars in the ground.”

The challenges Sieminski faces have not kept him from farming full-time.

“Why do I like it? What else would I do? I’m retired,” Sieminski said.

Sieminski was not the only regular set up at the market. Esther Phelps and her husband unloaded their van full of fruits and vegetables onto the table sitting next to Sieminski. They have been coming out to the Crestview Farmer’s Market for four years.

Phelps said she grows her produce at local farms and in the community garden occasionally but has her own garden at home.

“In self-defense, we grow so we can eat and eat good food. But the rest we sell,” Phelps said. “Most of the time, we feed ourselves first and bring to the market what’s left.”

Phelps has one regular customer from Crestview, Wayne Gauthier. He said he enjoys the good produce at the farmer's market and likes talking to members of the community.

"I've been going to farmer's markets and stuff like this for 15 years now, and I find it's great in the summer time," Gauthier said.

The farmer's market sells more than just fruits and vegetables.

Dena Anderson started bringing her home-made goodies to the farmer’s market three months ago and has continued to come consistently.

“I just enjoy feeding people…I’m not going to stop doing what I like to do. I’m just going to share it with more people,” Anderson said.

Anderson prepares for the market by spending her week baking pies, bread, and muffins. She also makes jams to go along with the baked goods.

The farmer’s market is located behind the Crestview Police Department and opens at 8 a.m. every Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local farmer’s market offers variety of homegrown and homemade goods

CRESTVIEW — Crestview has a new surgeon and a familiar face all in one person.

Dr. Daran Mason made his return to Crestview over a month ago. He was born in Fort Walton Beach but lived in Crestview after his birth.

Mason, a former Bulldog, participated in a gifted program offered at Crestview High School, where he chose a profession and had the opportunity to shadow someone in the field.

"I actually shadowed (Dr. Dennis Stewart) in the fall of '91, and I thought that was something I wanted to do," Mason said.

Mason returned to Dr. Stewart, a general surgery specialist in Crestview, and stayed with him for a year.

It wasn't until Mason graduated from Crestview High School in 1992 that he moved out of the area. He attended the University of Florida for its accelerated program but decided he wanted to travel outside of Florida for medical school.

After graduating in 2003 from medical school at The American University of the Caribbean, Mason moved to Mobile, where he completed his general surgery residency at the University of South Alabama.

Part of Mason's decision to come back to the area involved his 9-year-old son, Jennings, who is autistic. He said his family saved money by moving to Florida because of the state's special-needs benefits that Alabama does not have. Mason, his wife, and their two sons currently reside in Fort Walton Beach, where Jennings attends a special-needs school.

Although he does not live in the city, Mason said he wanted to work in Crestview because it's a "better fit" than Fort Walton Beach.

"It's exciting to be able to see some people and communicate with them on a different level of more familiarity other than just helping them with their medical problems," he said.

Dr. Mason's practice manager, Darlene Pourcillie, said that in the first week of opening his office, Dr. Mason had members of the community that have known him for years stop by and say hello.

"It was really good to see the community come and welcome him," Pourcillie said

Mason brings a unique aspect to our community, the da Vinci Surgical System. This system uses robotic technology, which keeps the surgeon from having to directly touch the patient.

"As a physician, the robot doesn't do anything. It's not on auto pilot," Mason said. "I do everything. It's like my puppet."

The benefit of the robotic technology is the surgeon's ability to be more precise and accurate during a surgery, which has proven to reduce patient's pain, Mason said.

Mason's office is located at the North Okaloosa Medical Center at 550 W. Redstone Ave.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Once a Bulldog, now a general surgeon

The buzz of a possible visit by Russian President, Vladimir Putin has died down.

Different reasons have been cited from safety to timing to other things going on right now for President Trump and Putin. 

I said on more than one occasion when Obama was President that he should invite Putin to the White House for dinner. I also said that about Kim Jong-un. 

Putin nor Jong-un are not beloved by the American people. Americans, or our President are not beloved by the North Koreans or the people of Russia. I don't necessarily know this as gospel fact but I watch the media and read other articles and columns. I suspect it's true. 

Diplomacy is always a good move to try from any side of the aisle. I do hope our President will have Putin in the White House for dinner, play checkers, pitch horseshoes and treat him to a tour of the White House grounds or something like that. 

On the other hand, I am sure that CNN, NBC and the New York Times would have great fear over what the two men might talk about. Maybe, they would talk about how our two countries could work together to make our world a safer and better place? Maybe they might talk about world peace? Maybe they would talk about global energy issues, food shortages and helping all people around the globe to have happy productive lives? Who knows what world leaders try to talk about for sure? Maybe Putin would disclose to the President how much his Facebook advertisement budget would be for the next election?

The way Facebook stock has fallen this week interested persons should keep an eye on Mark Zuckerberg. He may be meeting with Putin himself to rev up advertising accounts.

When it comes to advertising, most media ventures seem to sell to anybody that wants to buy any kind of an advertisement for or against anybody. I have not noticed any television stations in any town in American refraining from running any kind of political advertisement that anyone wants to buy.

Some political advertisements are ridiculous and should not be aired on television. The claims against opponents get more outlandish every year. Can you imagine what the advertisements are going to look like against Trump this next time? 

What if a group from Haiti wanted to buy Facebook ads for or against a candidate? Or what if someone from France wanted to get involved in buying Facebook or other media advertisements? The media groups would sell them the space because they are all desperate to turn dollars.

It's a free country, at this point. I'm sure there are groups who might not sell an advertisement to the Pope if he wanted to buy one against Trump but who would that be? 

Okay, back to Putin's lunch at the White House.

Invite him to come and see how it goes. He's not going to stay here. Bring Kim Jong-un and shoot some basketball with him.  This will also mean an invite to Dennis Rodman to the White House. And why not? We are talking about peace and trying to get this world together in harmony before we destroy it and that's reason enough.

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: Putin To The White House – Reason Enough