CRESTVIEW — Jennifer Jackson never expected her Facebook group to become so popular.

“It took on a life of its own. This was not expected. It was kind of a knee-jerk reaction to even start the group,” Jackson said. “Then it just took off.”

Jackson and her husband, Terry, started Crestview Citizens for Change on Facebook in 2017, along with another Crestview resident, Matt Gates. They formed the group after the 2017 municipal election, in which Joe Blocker was re-elected to the city council with fewer than 600 votes cast in the race, a 3.8 percent voter turnout.

“That was appalling,” Gates said. “So the Jacksons and I got together with this idea that we were going to spur some involvement and get people involved in the city.”

Since then, the main focus for the group has been to push to amend the city charter to allow for a city manager. The city is in the process of crafting the ballot question that will appear on the August 28 primary ballot. If approved, it would allow the city council to appoint a city manager to oversee the various city departments.

Gates thinks that would be a good thing.

“I want a qualified professional to come in and set us up for success,” Gates said. “We don’t need a politician. We need a professional.”

One problem with the current form of government, Gates said, is that things move too slowly due to the city council only meeting two or three times a month.

“These guys are expected to run a city twice a month. I can’t do my job twice a month. If I can’t do my little thing over here that only has to do with me, how can they run a city effectively twice a month?”

The city council currently holds a regular meeting the second Monday of each month and a workshop the fourth Monday. Special meetings are scheduled as needed.

Gates said a major benefit of the city manager form of government is that the city manager is appointed, so he or she can be fired by the council for poor performance without having to wait for another election. The cities of Milton and DeFuniak Springs recently fired their respective city managers, leading to some controversy among Crestview’s neighbors to the east and west.

Jackson said she hasn’t thought much about what the group will focus on after the August charter vote, but she feels the group will find some way to push solutions to the problems that appear with Crestview’s growth.

“It’s growing. There’s nothing you can do to stop it,” Jackson said. “If we’re growing population-wise, then we need to be growing to support our population.”

Jackson and Gates both hope the group has an impact on voter turnout in the August 28 election and the upcoming municipal elections in 2019. Two city council seats and the mayor’s office will be up for grabs in that election, scheduled for March.

“If this whole move results in 20 percent voter turnout, I’m going to see it as a success,” Gates said.

Editor's note: While group members see membership numbers above 1,500, due to privacy settings, non members visiting the Crestview Citizens For Change page may only see a total of approximately 1,370 members.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview activism group tops 1,500 members

CRESTVIEW — Communities across Northwest Florida will host Memorial Day observances May 28. The holiday honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.

The Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Unit 57 of Crestview will conduct a Memorial Day observance at 10 a.m. May 28 at Live Oak Park Memorial Cemetery, 112 North Ave. E, Crestview. This is also the official City of Crestview ceremony.

All local veteran and civic groups, churches and individuals are invited to place a wreath at the cemetery's memorial during this observance.

Contact Merallyn McDonald, 682-3666 to take part.

The group will also place flags on all veterans' graves at 7 a.m. May 26 at the cemetery.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Memorial Day observance

FORT WALTON BEACH — A representative of the Episcopal Church Women of St. Simon on the Sound Episcopal Church, in Fort Walton Beach made a $650 donation to Opportunity Place recently.

Cat Howton from the church presented the check to Debra McDaniel, Executive Director of the shelter for women and families. 

Opportunity Place is located at 305 Lovejoy Road in Fort Walton, a safe shelter for women and families who are homeless. For more information on the shelter visit www.opifwb.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Homeless shelter receives $650 donation

CRESTVIEW — City Council President J.B. Whitten on Wednesday continued his series of town hall meetings to inform city residents about the upcoming referendum on changes to Crestview’s city charter.

The May 24 meeting at Hub City Smokehouse was the second of three planned events. The first took place April 26 at Casbah Coffee, and a third event is planned for June. Whitten said his goal is to hold the meetings at different times during the day to accommodate everyone who would like to attend.

Whitten has been an outspoken proponent of amending the city charter to allow for a city manager form of government. If the referendum is successful, the city council would be able to appoint a city manager, and all department heads would report to that person. Under the current form of government, some departments report to the mayor, while others report to the council.

“Out of 412 cities in Florida, only 85 have our form of government,” Whitten said. “Of those 85, 83 of them have fewer than 1,700 people. Here we are in Crestview. We’re heading toward 25,000 people and we’re still operating the same way that smaller cities are.”

The current charter has been in place since 1965 and has been amended various times over the years. A previous attempt to change the form of government in 2012 failed. Whitten believes that was largely due to lack of voter education on the subject.

“It’s incumbent upon us in the city to reach out and educate people,” Whitten said. “That’s why we’re having these town hall meetings.”

Whitten said the benefit of having a city manager is that the position would be filled by a professional who understands budgets, finances and management. There are no requirements that city council members have those qualifications.

“I’m not even trained in the budget process,” Whitten said. “We educate ourselves, but it’s a learning curve. A city manager is going to be someone that’s already gone to school having learned about every department in the city. They’ve learned about doing budgets. They’ve learned about sunshine laws.”

In Whitten’s view, the charter change is the most important issue that voters can have a direct impact on.

“I’m asking everybody to get educated. Tell your friends and neighbors,” Whitten said. “You definitely have to come out and vote. This is the most important vote that you can have concerning the future of Crestview.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'The most important vote'

CRESTVIEW — See, touch, hear, and play a variety of instruments during the Crestview Library Instrument Petting Zoo. Doors open at 10 a.m. June 2 at 1445 Commerce Drive, Crestview.

Attendees may play instruments with their mouth, hands, and even a flip flop. Registration is not required for this free event. 

This Family Library Time is designed for ages four and up. If you bring smaller children, please keep a close eye on them. 

Summer Reading Challenge Reading Logs, including stickers and book review sheets will be available. 

Call Heather at 682-4432 with questions. Special thanks to Upbeat Music and the Pelican Pickers for sharing their instruments.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Instrument petting zoo is in June

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

OPEN MIC: 6:30 p.m. June 12, the Crestview Public Library’s next monthly open-mic for poets and musicians to read, perform, improvise and play together. Everyone is welcome, even if you don't write poetry or play music. Free. Contact Esther at the library at 682-4432 or ehurwitz@okaloosa.lib.fl.us. Arrive at 6 p.m. for conversation and snacks, the poetry starts at 6:30p.m.

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. The May 18 topic is Praiseworthy Parents.

CRESTVIEW WRITERS GROUP: 6-7:30 p.m. every fourth Monday, Crestview Public Library. Online: http://www.cityofcrestview.org/library.php. There is no May meeting due to the Memorial Day holiday. The next 6 p.m. meeting is June 25.

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.

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

NICEVILLE — The Vietnam Vets and Legacy Vets MC Z Chapter are holding a Memorial Day ride May 28.

Riders will meet at Bayou Plaza parking lot at 10:30 a.m. at Highway 85 South and John Sims Parkway for a safety briefing. Kick stands go up at 11 a.m.

Riders will head to Niceville's Fallen Soldier Monument. Food follows the ceremony with music, a 50/50 raffle and more at the American Legion Post 221, 244 John Sims Parkway in Niceville.

The public is welcome to attend.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Memorial Day ride

CRESTVIEW — After months of anticipation, a new Italian eatery in Crestview is finally open for business.

Vitaliano Pizza, Pasta & More opened its doors May 21 for lunch and dinner. The menu features authentic Napoletana-style brick-oven pizzas, homemade lasagna and gnocchi and other Italian favorites. The wine list includes a variety imported from Italy, starting at $15 per bottle.

Giuseppe Vitagliano had originally hoped to have the restaurant open in March, but he ran into some problems that caused delays.

“The problem was our pizza oven took three months just for the shipping,” he said. “It’s 5,000 pounds.”

The brick pizza oven was brought in from Italy, and the roof of the building had to be removed in one area in order to install the oven. The entire process took five months from start to finish, three just to get the oven to Crestview.

“The pizza oven is my toy,” Vitagliano said. “It’s perfect for cooking the real Napoletana style.”

The restaurant business is nothing new to Vitagliano, whose father opened a restaurant in Italy in 1962. Vitagliano is still a part owner of that restaurant today.

In 2012, Giuseppe and his wife Daniela moved to the United States, along with their daughter, Gaia. The Vitaglianos opened a restaurant in Santa Cruz called Tramonti, named after the region of Italy where Giuseppe was born.

The family moved to Crestview in 2017 after a friend told them the city was in need of an authentic Italian dining experience.

“We came here to Florida for our new adventures and we found this place,” Vitagliano said. “We remodeled everything and now we’re ready to open.”

 Vitaliano Pizza, Pasta & More is located at 398 East Hickory Avenue. It is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Dinner hours are 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Italian restaurant opens in Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The dog mentioned in an earlier post on the News Bulletin Facebook site has already been reunited with its owner.

The original announcement posted May 19 by Raychele Miller contained a picture of a dog that had been running around the Silver Oaks neighborhood off Old Bethel.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Update:Dog's owner claims it