Here are upcoming Crestview Public Library-related events. The library's address is 1445 Commerce Drive. 

UPCOMING

AGES 3-5 LIBRARY CLASS: Sign-in is 10 a.m. for the 10:15 a.m. class. Parents may stay with or drop off their children. Younger siblings are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Children complete a craft that goes with the class subject. Dates and subjects are as follows: July 18, Let's Sing.

AGES 6-11 LIBRARY CLASS: Sign in is 10 a.m. July 18.

FAMILY HISTORY CLUB: 10 a.m. to noon July 19 at the library, with specialist Cindy Barber from the Genealogical Society of Okaloosa County. Email dotdane99@gmail.com for more information.

AGES 0-2 LIBRARY CLASS: 9:15 a.m. Fridays in the Story Room, with sign-in at 9 a.m. It is limited to 30 children per class and their caregivers. Older children are welcome if they want to attend. A story, songs and finger plays are part of the event. Dates and subjects are as follows: July 20, Let's Sing.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE AWARDS: 6:30-7:15 p.m. July 24 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive. The deadline to turn in Summer Reading Challenge logs 6 p.m. July 18 at the front desk. Readers will be able to spend the Funny Money dollars they earned at the event.

BEGINNER'S CHESS TOURNAMENT: 1:30-4:30 p.m. Aug. 2 at the library. The Beginner’s Chess Club will have their first ever tournament on this date. Signups are not required, and the tournament will be round robin with no elimination. Come and go at your own leisure. The player with the most checkmates wins.

AMATEUR RADIO PRESENTATION: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 4, at the library. The North Okaloosa Amateur Radio Club will host “Crestview Library on the Air.” They will introduce many different facets of amateur radio hobby, teaching patrons of all ages through crafts, STEM topics, and hands-on activities. Free and open to the public. 682-4432.

RECURRING

CRESTVIEW WRITERS GROUP: 6-7:30 p.m. every fourth Monday, Crestview Public Library. Online: http://www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php.

FAMILY HISTORY CLUB: 10 a.m. to noon every third Thursday features the basics and a question-and-answer discussion led by volunteer cindy Barber. Contact dotdane99@gmail.com for information.

BEGINNER'S CHESS CLUB: 3-4 p.m. every first and third Thursday at the library. For ages 6 and up. Learn to play the game.

CHESS CLUB: 3:15 p.m. first and third Thursdays, at the library. For ages 6 and up. Bring a snack or drink to share.

ESSENTIAL OILS 101: 6 p.m. every fourth Thursday and 2:30 p.m. every fourth Saturday learn about essential oils with volunteer consultant Lynisha Smith. Contact 758-6482 or YLBlessed1@gmail.com for more information.

TEEN TIME: 2-4 p.m. Fridays at the library for students in grades six through 12.

READ TO DOZER: 10 to 11 a.m. on the first Saturdays of each month (as long as it's not raining).

COFFEE & CRAFT: 10 a.m. second Saturdays, Crestview library. Call 682-4432 to reserve your spot.

BRIGHT FUTURES VOLUNTEER HOURS: for students in grades nine through 12 to use toward Bright Futures scholarships. Contact Youth Librarian Heather Nitzel, 682-4432, for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Public Library events

Have you ever been stuck in a line?

The answer, of course, is: Who in the world hasn’t? Whether it’s the apocalyptic crowds at a certain chicken-based fast food joint at high noon, the registers at Wal-Mart or, God forbid, the unhallowed halls of the Department of Motor Vehicles itself, we’ve all been there and done that.

It would be nice if you could pass the time with a good book or audiobook, but, alas, sometimes they’re too bulky, and a portable CD player is practically an extinct species these days.

Fortunately for you, courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Okaloosa library system, we have a solution for the yawn-inducing lines of the world.

Did you know your library card gives you the ability to check out a whole bunch of eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines? There are three different apps to explore, all accessible from computers and most devices.

Libby and Overdrive are two applications created by Rakuten Overdrive that provide free access to tons of different books options for reading or listening. You can download or stream, place holds, and even renew your items multiple times. The selections are fresh, easy to navigate, and a lot of fun to browse through!

If you’re just looking for something quick to cruise through, RBdigital might be more your style. Create an account with your library card, and you’ll find access to eBooks, eAudiobooks, and, more importantly, digital magazines! Browse news titles straight from the stands, catch up on the latest actor gossip, or even just drool at a tempting dinner recipe.

Suffice to say: there’s no reason to snore your way through life. Whip out your library card and discover something awesome!

Emily Knie is the Crestview Public Library's adult services librarian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CHECK IT OUT: Library card gives electronic access to books

CRESTVIEW — At Gordon Martial Arts, there’s only one way to fail—that’s to give up, Master Tom Gordon said. Gordon started the downtown academy in 2003.

"I learned more from my failures than from my successes," he said before the summer promotions ceremony July 6 at the Crestview Community Center.  "We don’t set people up to fail. The only people who fail are the people who don’t come back to try again."

Multiple rounds of forms demonstrations — including a few stunning throws and falls — followed some inspirational words by guest speaker Ronald Daves, CEO of North Okaloosa Medical Center.

The demos led to a promenade of successful taekwondo and hapkido students who crossed the stage, bowing to their masters and instructors, and proudly but with humility accepted the next belt as they advanced in their art.

Among the black belt recipients was Jeremy Morgan, whom Gordon described as "a quiet man but a heck of a technician and instructor." Morgan earned a promotion to fifth degree, which is master level.　

"From what I can tell, there’s about a 4 percent chance a white belt holder (beginner) will earn their first degree black belt. I’d venture to guess only one out of 2,000 white belts makes it to fifth degree," Gordon said.

Something they enjoy 

"It’s neat to see everybody here, from different ages, from young to old, all accomplishing something they enjoy," Daves said.

"I started when I was 5," junior black belt recipient Jackson Bayless, 10, said. Today he wears the black dobok — uniform — of a GMA leadership student, and offered this advice to new students of any age: "Listen to your instructors because they will help you. And have the precision you need to have in your forms (patterns)."

Jaedyn Williams, 7, was surprised when instructor Amanda Howard selected him to come up on the stage and receive the equipment provided only to members of the Black Belt Club, an elite cadre of students who accept the challenge to advance to black belt.

"It’s good, but sometimes it’s hard," Jaedyn said.

"It’s difficult, but it’s worth it," 13-year-old Jayde Bradley, also sporting the black leadership dobok, said. "Practice at home because as Mrs. Howard says, ‘Practice makes permanent.’"

The family center

Gordon Martial Arts calls itself a "family center," and that’s not just due to the crowd of supportive moms, dads, siblings and grandparents who turned out to cheer as each student received his or her next belt.

Several belt recipients are parents who participate in the disciplines with their kids.

Luke West retired from the Air Force, moved home to the Fort Walton Beach area, and then "spent a long time looking for a good (martial arts) school for my sons."

After enrolling Justin (12) and Patrick (10) at Gordon Martial Arts, Luke realized he missed participating in the art himself. Friday evening he achieved his fourth-degree taekwondo black belt, accompanied by teaching certification.

"Now they have to deal with their dad being an actual instructor," Luke said, chuckling.

"Yeah, we have the greatest dad!" Justin said, and he and his brother gave their father a massive bear hug.

"We’re enjoying it," Luke said. "We’re having great fun. It’s something we can all do together."

Stephanie Lynch and her son, Patrick, 16, agreed.

"It’s fun having my mom there," he said.

"It really has been fun," Stephanie agreed. "It started out on a bet. I told him if he made first-degree black belt, I’d join, and I did."

Many benefits

Justin West added the study of taekwondo has been a benefit in more ways than quality family time.

"I have ADHD," he said. "Taekwondo helps manage my levels of bouncing off the walls. I’m able to focus. I want to pursue all the way to black belt like my dad."

For families, GMA is an affordable academy. After the first two family members pay the usual fee, any subsequent family members join for free.

"So, you have a family of eight, two pay," Gordon said.

For adult student Scott Williams, who moved to GMA from another academy, instructors like Amanda Howard helped him find his niche while achieving his taekwondo goals. That he is deaf makes it important that he has an understanding, patient instructor, who teaches him partially in sign language.

"Mrs. Howard is an incredible teacher," he said. "I was excited to come here (to GMA) because I wanted to learn more. I want to test for third-degree in December."

His students’ comments are music to Master Gordon’s ears.

"That’s what this is all about," he said. "People challenging themselves, and having fun while they do it, in a friendly, nurturing, supportive atmosphere."

18: Hours of testing in latest black belt cycle

14: Students who tested for black belt

13: Students who advanced to black belt

3.5 to 4: Years of study to become ready for black belt

500: Classes to prepare for black belt testing

83: Students promoted to black belt under Master Tom Gordon

15: Years Gordon Martial Arts has been in business

5: Years Gordon ran a martial arts program before launching GMA in 2003

A black belt, by the numbers

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: More than 110 martial arts students promoted at GMA

Youths from across the state of Florida participated in a mock legislative experience at the Florida State Capitol through the Florida 4-H Legislature event.

The 4-H'ers were able to experience the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Florida government in a learn-by-doing environment.

Youths played the roles of lobbyist, senator, representative, media correspondent, governor, or lieutenant governor throughout the week-long affair. The 4-H Legislature event is planned almost a year in advance by a youth-led 4-H Legislature Planning Committee, which manages the event and provides leadership to the other youths.

Members not on the committee still had the opportunity to play a vital role in the planning process by writing proposed bills. These proposed bills were presented to the youths who sponsored, amended, and lobbied each bill before it was debated on the House and Senate floors.

Lobbyists, typically first-year participants, had the unique opportunity to visit the Museum of Florida History, be pages, and/or participate in mock trials at the Florida Supreme Court.

Youths practiced life skills such as learning and defending a theory, debating and analyzing legislation, public speaking, respecting others’ opinions, and many more life skills during the event.

Taylor Wilken is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Florida 4-H Legislature youths visit state capitol

Fort Walton Beach — The Nutrition Group will have a series of job fairs for food service cafeteria workers.

Open interviews will be held as follows throughout the county:

●8-10 a.m. July 9, 16 and 23 at Nutrition Center, 202 Highway 85 N., Suite B, Niceville.

●8-10 a.m. July 11, 18 and 25 in the cafeteria at Pryor Middle School, 201 Racetrack Road NW, Fort Walton Beach.

●8-10 a.m. July 17 and 24 at Fort Walton Beach High School, 400 Hollywood Blvd. SW, Fort Walton Beach.

●8-10 a.m. July 13 and 27, Carver-Hill Center, 461 School Ave. W, Suite 601, Crestview.

Job seekers may also apply online at thenutritiongroup.biz/careers.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Food service job fairs scheduled in Northwest Florida

UPCOMING

WHITTEN GUEST SPEAKER: 6 p.m. July 10, Hideaway Pizza, 326 Main Street, Crestview. Crestview City Council President JB Whitten will brief the gathering on the Aug. 28th referendum, which could conceivably change the form of city government in Crestview. All registered Republicans and those interested in becoming a Republican are invited to attend.

REPUBLICAN SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM: 11:30 a.m. July 11, Wyndham Garden Hotel, 575 Santa Rosa Blvd., Fort Walton Beach. The Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated meeting includes a forum of Republican candidates running for Okaloosa County's School Board. To RSVP, contact Dolores Noechel, 305-4331 or denoechel@gmail.com, by July 7. Cost of the lunch is $18 for members and $20 for guests. www.rwof.org. 

RECURRING　

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa County clubs and organizations

Sizzling summer-like temperatures coupled with heat indices exceeding 100 degrees arrived well ahead of the first day of summer June 21.

That has Gulf Power customers already cranking up their cooling systems to beat the heat and, at the same time, looking for ways to save on their energy bills. 

“Extended days of above average hot weather can lead to higher energy bills,” said Kimberly Blair, Gulf Power spokesperson. “There are immediate actions customers can take, today, to take control of their power bill, like adjusting their thermostat as high as comfortably possible. Almost half of the energy in your home goes to cooling.” 

As we enter summer, typically one of the peak energy usage seasons, we want to point out six top tips that are free and can be used on a daily basis that helps customers control their power usage: 

Keep the heat out: Close your blinds and drapes during the day to prevent heat gain.

Even out highs and lows: Customers can keep their summer energy bills from busting their budget, is by signing up for Budget Billing. The free service averages the highs and lows of their electric bills by giving them an average price to pay each month. A plan is customized for each customer based on the past 12 months of their energy usage in their current location.

Adjust thermostat: The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be. The standard energy industry recommendation is to set your thermostat to 78 degrees. For every degree below 78 degrees, you’ll use 5-10 percent more energy to cool your home.

A fan of fans: Ceiling fans offer an inexpensive alternative to setting the thermostat to a lower temperature because fans make you feel several degrees cooler without lowering the temperature in the room — all while using a fraction of the energy consumed by the air conditioner. Set the fan to turn counter-clockwise in the summer and be sure to turn it off when leaving the room.

Reduce heat-production: Avoid using the oven during the summer and, instead, cook on the grill, use the microwave or stove top, or prepare meals that don’t require cooking. Replace heat-producing incandescent light bulbs with cooler and energy efficient lighting. In fact, LEDs last about 10 times longer and produce four times more light than standard incandescent bulbs for the same about of energy.

Control energy use: Join Gulf Power’s Energy Select, a free energy management program that will allow you to pay a lower price for your electricity 87 percent of the time.

For more comprehensive energy-savings tips, visit https://bit.ly/2Lul9OY and gulfpower.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Gulf Power offers tips to beat summer’s soaring temperatures

CRESTVIEW — Parents and rings were topics for some Crestview library classes recently.

Have a cute photo of your kids out and about? They could be our next The Bulletin Kid! Email a photo with your child's name, age, hometown and a description of the action to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: THE BULLETIN KID: Parenthood and rings are library class themes

News stories from all over the country find their way to our email accounts or facebook pages and it seems like there is a double standard that is taking over, whereby we have to be mindful of not offending one group of people, while we seemingly offend another group. 

It is well documented that this country was colonized by people who among other things, sought the right to practice their religion without the risk of persecution. It is evident just what a stronghold religion has in this country, when you consider just how many places of worship there are in a standard city, let alone here in the ‘South’. 

So, it seemed to create quite the buzz when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to create a wedding cake for two men who were to marry. A similar case in a different city last year resulted in the two women who ordered a wedding cake being successful in their bid to sue for discrimination. The baker in that case admitted it was due to his religious beliefs that he did not wish to provide the cake for the commitment ceremony.

While no one should be discriminated against for any reason, and the rights of the LGBT are to be upheld, where does that leave people who live their lives according to their religious beliefs and practices? 

Tolerance regarding non-western religions has been a hot topic also, as we should not judge those who practice a specific religion by the actions of a small break-off group or radicalized faction. Fear and hatred breed contempt, as was evident after 9/11 when terrorists splinter cells, claiming to act under the guise of the Muslim faith, carried out atrocities, while those who were born into this faith and call the USA home, could not help but be tarnished. It was an extremely difficult time for thousands of people, and while that particular topic is off the radar for most people, it continues to be an issue for many.

Religious intolerance seems to work against the grain of our basic society, yet we tolerate it, if it suits the majority opinion of the day. Without taking into consideration the feelings and basic human rights of each person as an individual we may find ourselves guilty of discrimination of a higher level. Take God out of the equation, and we may see a change of sorts to the basic structure of our society, or we may not. It all depends on the conviction some have toward their faith, versus those who have little to none.

What today’s generation needs to remember is that the world is made up of people from all different races, creeds, religious practices, etc. and has been since the dawn of mankind. Just because it is popular to support one group over another, does not make you an activist. It just makes you a human, with free will.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Protecting one group’s rights while treading on another’s

CRESTVIEW — A barber at Hub City Barbers in Crestview has won a contest for best male haircut.

Quentin "Q" Paulsen was one of eight weekly winners in the Project X Instagram Contest launched in April by American Salon, www.americansalon.com; Reuzel, a hair pomade and products manufacturer; and Project X, a Netherlands barber education and scholarship provider.

Judges from the three companies selected their favorite photo based on three criteria: the haircut's quality, the picture itself, and following contest instructions for the haircut. After weekly winners were selected, they narrowed those photos down to the top 10 percent of entrants.

On June 20 Paulsen learned that he also won the grand prize, a trip for two to the Netherlands, where he will attend Project X's Old School Barber Academy.

 "I'm really looking forward to getting to meet the guys at the barber academy over there," Paulsen said. "I'll be spending about four days at a barber school that they created. They use the Reuzel pomade that we use here, and they do the old style classic hair cuts, you know, the pompadours and flat tops.

"So they've got their own school out there. So I'll be attending that and just being able to refine my craft and get to watch these guys who are really good in the barbering industry do what they do best," he said. "Thank you from me to American Salon, Reuzel Pomade and Brenton Parry."

Paulsen has been at Hub City Barbers since the business opened its doors Dec. 11, 2017 at 211 Main St. N.

HCB owner Brenton Parry said a professional colleague recommended Paulsen as a potential employee.

Parry grew his hair out, pretended to be a tourist and went to Paulsen for a hair cut.

"I sat in his chair and let him cut my hair and made sure he did a good job and the attention to detail was there. The reason why I went to check him out instead of the other two guys was the type of haircuts he does are the rock and roll style haircuts we specialize in," Parry said.

His professionalism and demeanor, and the work he did on Parry's hair sealed the deal.

"His haircuts are exactly what I needed in the shop — top notch," Parry said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Top notch' barber wins Netherlands trip