CRESTVIEW — Eden at Crestview, an assisted living and memory care community, is still on track to accept new residents at the beginning of 2019.

Eden is taking reservations. Executive Director Alan Woods has cautionary words for those waiting to decide.

"Choose now or choose what’s left over later," he said.

This is not to say any of the rooms are not stellar, only that an incoming resident may prefer one of the elegantly-appointed studio or one-bedroom apartments closer to the Eden Bistro & Bar or the full-service salon.

Eden offers three options to choose from for staying: standard assisted living, respite and short-term care.

Amenities with standard assisted living residency include routine personal care, medication management, routine health monitoring, nutritional support, utilities and basic cable television, and exercise programs. Different levels of care plans include certain amenities. Call for details.

Respite, or day stays, are for seniors whose families travel out of town or as a way to try out Eden before making a long-term commitment. Day stay visitors can take advantage of socialization and daily activities.

For seniors needing temporary care, whether for a week or up to a month, Eden at Crestview offers all the same services and amenities that permanent residents enjoy.

For seniors apprehensive about the assisted living lifestyle, they should know they can enjoy landscaped grounds without the mowing, gardens without the weeding and dining without the dishes.

Whether staying temporarily or permanently, Eden at Crestview offers a maintenance-free, care-free life. Even the payment structure is easy with the month-to-month resident agreement. Residents need only give a 30-day notice before leaving.

Do you have questions about Eden you'd like to ask someone directly? Woods will hold monthly community updates once a month at Samuel's Steakhouse, 114 John King Road in Crestview. The first will be at 5 p.m. June 28. Call 417-0103 or email alan@livingateden.com to RSVP.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Eden at Crestview to offer flexible staying options

Lots of outrage has been seen and heard around America over the treatment of families illegally entering the United States. President Trump has signed an executive order to keep the families together. 

I'm not sure where Americans want to keep these families who took a great risk to enter our country hoping to gain entrance quickly and illegally. It did not work out for them. I know quite a few people who live in our country who have moved here from Mexico, Myanmar and other parts of the world. They are working very hard and are very supportive of the laws of America.

Breaking the law always has some penalty or repercussions. I'm all for keeping border families together. I would never want to see children ripped away from a mother or father. Those crossing the border for the most part are very desperate people in search of a better place. 

Every day people fill out the necessary paper work, go through the proper channels and enter our country. Millions of them are now working a job that many Americans no longer want to work which is very sad for our country. However, it's good for those who want to work it seems. 

What do we do with these border families now? Do we keep them in full service hotels or house them at a resort property in Disney World? They have left third world countries where conditions apparently were not very good. How much can we be expected to do for people showing up demanding entrance to America? What would you do for people showing up at your front door demanding lodging and meals and even health care? It's hard for most people when family shows up unannounced.

I found in interesting watching the outcry of demonstrators and different media personalities. I have wondered where are the daily cries over how America treats our children and unborn children? Right now while I am writing this there will be about 3000 legalized abortions in America. Add that number times 365 days in our country. There were 652, 639 legalized abortions in 2014 according for the Center for Disease Control. 

Seven thousand children are abandoned each year in the United States. China is said to have over twenty million orphans. 

How many babies and children spend their first five years in daycare and then are raised essentially by the school? It's a tough day for America's families who are trying to financially survive. However, money, things and attainments never take the place of time with children and families. It's easy to see this looking back. 

I'm glad there are Americans who have verbalized their pain concerning the importance of children and parents being together. It's important. Maybe there will be some outrage down the road on the state of America's families who enjoy the privileges daily afforded to our families but for different reasons don't treat their children very well.

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: Border Pain and Our Children

CRESTVIEW — Upcoming North Okaloosa County events and surrounding area activities are as follows. 

WELDING ORIENTATION: 4:30 p.m. June 25, in the welding shop, building 500 at Northwest Florida State Collge, 100 College Blvd., Niceville.For anyone interested in beginning the program this fall. Scottie Smith, Professor of Welding, 729-5224 or smiths60@nwfsc.edu.

FREE DENTAL X-RAYS: The Northwest Florida Dental Assisting Clinic will over free dental X-rays Monday-Thursay through June 21. Participants must obtain a written prescription from their dentists, who can fax it to the clinic at 729-6480. Those with no access to a dentist’s office may contact faculty member Dr. Elvira Chiccarelli to write a prescription for the serviceon site. Call for details or to schedule an appointment.

PUBLIC MEETINGS

BLACKMAN FIRE DISTRICT BOARD: 7 p.m. first Mondays, 1850 U.S. Highway 2, Baker.

CRESTVIEW CITY COUNCIL: 6 p.m. second and fourth Mondays, City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St., Crestview.

CRESTVIEW HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD: 5:15 p.m. third Mondays, 371 Hickory Ave. W, Crestview. Open to the public.

CRESTVIEW CITY COUNCIL: 6 p.m. second and fourth Mondays, City Hall, 198 N. Wilson St., Crestview.

MILLIGAN WATER SYSTEM BOARD: 6 p.m. second Tuesdays, 5340 U.S. Highway 4.

BAKER FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSION: 7 p.m. second Tuesdays in the Baker Area Public Safety Building, 1375 19th St.

REP. JAYER WILLIAMSON OFFICE HOURS: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. first and third Thursdays, Okaloosa County Extension office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. Call 995-3698 for an appointment.

LAUREL HILL CITY COUNCIL: 6 p.m. first Thursdays, City Hall. 

DORCAS FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS: DFDC now meets 7 p.m. first Thursdays, 5232 Deer Springs Drive, Crestview, off Highway 90.

HOLT FIRE DEPARTMENT: 7 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays, fire station, 490 W. U.S. Highway 90, Holt.

ALMARANTE VOLUNTEER FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS: 7 p.m. second Thursdays, Almarante Fire Station, 3710 Old California Road, Laurel Hill.

OKALOOSA-WALTON NORTH OKALOOSA FIRE DISTRICT: 6 p.m. third Thursdays, fire station 82, 5549 John Givens Road, Crestview.

HOLT FIRE DISTRICT COMMISSION: 6:30 p.m. third Thursdays, 490 W. U.S. Highway 90.

HOLT FIRE DEPARTMENT: 7 p.m. second and fourth Thursdays, fire station.

LAUREL HILL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT: 7 p.m., second Fridays, in Laurel Hill City Hall's fire department office.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

CRESTVIEW AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EVENTS: for chamber members and their employees. Details: 682-3212 or info@crestviewchamber.com. http://www.crestviewchamber.com.

HEALTH FAIR: Visit the events tab at www.crestviewchamber.com or call 682-3212 to sponsor or purchase a booth for the chamber's 2018 Annual Health Fair. The event is 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 4 at the Crestview Community Center, 1446 Commerce Drive.

HERITAGE MUSEUM ACTIVITIES

The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida is located at 115 Westview Ave. in Valparaiso.

HERITAGE ALIVE CRAFT CLASSES: June 16, Americana Basket weaving. June 16 – Intro to Blacksmithing. June 22 – Advanced Blacksmithing. June 23 – Wood Turning. June 30 – Intro to Blacksmithing. July 6 – Watercolor Painting. July 7 – Soap Making. July 14 – Mosaics. July 27 – Basket Weaving. Visit http://www.heritage-museum.org or call 678-2615 for fees, details. 

SUMMER CAMP EXPLORATION: 9 a.m. to noon June 18-22, Heritage Museum. Learn and explore the history of Northwest Florida. Hands-on activities and topics associated with science, technology, engineering and math training. Students will solve mysteries in the museum's Paradise Gardens, learn about caterpillars, butterflies and bees; explore public safety vehicles and meet K-9s; make a catapult and a straw rocket. For ages 5-14, $75 per student ($65 for museum members.) Reservations required at 678-2615.

JULY 4 $2 ADMISSION: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 4, Heritage Museum. Admission reduced to $2 for the holiday. Exhibits include military, Native American, and early fishing and turpentine industries. Hands-on Discovery Room for kids, a garden, and café.

KIDS SUMMER SAGAS SCHEDULE: 10:30 a.m. to noon at museum. Summer program for ages 5-14. Cost: $10 per person ($8 for museum members. Reservations required due to limited space.

•Mad Hatter's Tea Party, July 14. A real tea party with finger foods and prizes while attendees learn the significance of tea throughout history and simple table manners.

•Ice Cream Social, Aug. 4. Learn the history of ice cream, and make homemade ice cream.

BOBBIN LACE & TATTERS GROUP: 1 p.m. first Saturdays at the museum.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: What's happening in North Okaloosa County

CRESTVIEW — Gill Powell Sr., established what is now called Powell, Powell & Powell Attorneys at Law in 1951. The Crestview-based firm has seen three generations of attorneys with all three of his children practicing together, and now some of his grandchildren.

His son, Gill Powell Jr., never expected that all three of his children would follow in his footsteps and become attorneys, but they did just that.

His daughter, Lacey Powell Clark, has worked for the family firm since she was a teen.

Lacey started at the firm answering phones when she attended Crestview High School. She said her father and grandfather never pressured her into studying law, but it just felt natural.

“It’s been wonderful working with my dad. I’m so incredibly blessed, and wouldn’t want to work for anyone else,” Lacey said.

Gill Jr.’s other daughter, Ginny, also works for the firm, and his son Beau is an attorney in Milton.

“It’s been wonderful working with them and they’re all excellent lawyers,” Gill said. “I practiced law with my dad and now (they) did, too. It’s about as good as you can get and I’m proud to death of them.”

Clark will soon be appointed as a circuit judge for Florida’s first judicial circuit. She said becoming a judge has always been her dream, as her grandfather was also a judge in the same circuit.

When it comes to celebrating Father’s Day, the Powell’s do what most families do — sit down to a nice dinner together and celebrate the fathers in the family. Lacey’s husband, James Clark, is also an attorney with the firm and they have two children together.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview law firm sees three generations

When you think of librarians, do you conjure up cranky old ladies shushing you from behind a desk? Luckily, you will not find that at the Crestview Public Library!

The librarians there strive to do so much more than what is required of their daily jobs.

In fact, they are teachers, writers, poets, artists, problem solvers, event planners and coordinators of fun! They provide community / social relations and tech advising. They are proctoring partners for area colleges, school liaisons, storytellers and actors. They are more than happy to assist you in finding a particular book, or placing a request for an item that the library does not have on hand. They always greet you with a smile, say hello and wish you well.

Last, but not least, when you visit the Crestview Library you will find friends in these fascinating women.

When an up and coming Crestview photographer, Jessie Williams, graciously volunteered her time and services to treat the librarians to a fun photo shoot, some were more than happy to participate.

Jessie’s passion is searching for subjects that she can turn into works of art. She enjoys capturing the magic of the moment from behind the lens of her camera. We were very pleased to see she was able to do justice to every photo.

She effortlessly found each librarian’s inner charm. In doing so — and to our delight — she revealed an irresistible children’s librarian playing in the rain, and a captivating superhero reference librarian.

Additionally she discovered a glamorous and romantic art coordinator, a spellbinding book enchantress, a sassy motorcyclist, a volunteer hypnotic book charmer and a winsome library director.

For more information on Jessie or to arrange your own fantasy photo shoot, you can visit her @Abraphotodabra Facebook page. You can also reach her by email at Jessie@abraphotodabra.com, or by phone at 850-259-4633. 

Holly Jacobs is the former art director at the Crestview Public Library.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local photographer has an 'eye for inner charm'

NICEVILLE — Northwest Florida State College and the Mattie Kelly Arts Center will have a gallery exhibit, AQUIFERious, Aug. 20-Nov. 2 in the McIlroy, Holzhauer and Corridor galleries.

Margaret Ross Tolbert curated AQUIFERious, which is based on her award-winning book by the same title. The exhibition will juxtapose Tolbert's dramatic, large-scale springs paintings and eloquent poetry with contributing artists' and scientists' photographs, videos, cartography and writings. The exhibition includes contributions from Jill Heinerth, Eric Hutcheson, Mark Long, Tom Morris and Georgia Shemitz. 

Over the past 25 years, these artists have worked to document some of the springs’ unique features. They emphasize the urgent need for the preservation of Florida’s freshwater springs and the Floridian Aquifer that feeds them. 

Among the most remarkable natural wonders of the Sunshine State is the seldom-seen, underground Floridian aquifer system, a 100,000 square mile life force that reaches into neighboring states and feeds more than 1,000 freshwater springs throughout Florida. AQUIFERious is intended to give the audience a greater understanding and appreciation of Florida’s subterranean water system, while celebrating its extraordinary beauty and that of the fragile springs that arise from the system’s depths. 

The galleries are open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to most Mattie Kelly Arts Center Mainstage and Sprint Theater performances. For more information about the Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries, contact Director KC Williams, 729–6044 or artgalleries@nwfsc.edu.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Mattie Kelly Arts Center Galleries host AQUIFERious exhibition

CRESTVIEW — Two job fairs are planned in Crestview, one this weekend and another next week.

The first is at American Elite Molding. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 9 at 5680 John Givens Road, Crestview. The company will have on-the-spot interviews and job offers.

A construction mini job fair is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 12 at the Crestview Public Library, 1445 Commerce Drive. Positions include HVAC, electrical, civil engineering and general construction, and employers include the Building Industry Association, Lowe's, One Hour Air Conditioning, Kelly Services, The Home  Depot, Anderson Engineering and Gulf Coast Insulation.

Visit www.careersourceokaloosawalton.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Companies offer local job fairs

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Embroidery group donates sampler to Habitat for Humanity homeowners

CRESTVIEW — Jennifer Garcia, a full-time nurse at Eglin Air Force Base and mother of four, runs a photography business in her spare time.

The Crestview resident started her company, Jennifer G Photography, in 2013 after some prodding from her husband, Benjamin Garcia II, a crew chief at Hurlburt Field.

"I’ve always loved taking photographs. It started out as a hobby taking pictures of my family and eventually became a business. My husband bought me my first Nikon DSLR and put the idea in my head that I could start my own business, and the rest is history," she said.

Her photography sessions are normally of weddings and family portraits, but in April she shot her first "ugly location" shoot for fun. The shoots consist of photos taken in an area not normally used or arranged for professional photos.

"No one would even think about having his or her family pictures taken at say, Lowe's or an auto body shop. These 'ugly' locations are challenging. I use whatever lighting there is at that location and I don’t move anything out of the way. I don’t take any extra lighting or equipment with me. It’s just the model, my camera, and me," Jennifer said.

Garcia's June 3 shoot was at Main Street Automotive in Crestview.

When asked how he felt about MSA being considered for such a shoot, co-owner Jason O'Daniels said, "It made me raise my eyebrows until it was explained to me that it's not necessarily an ugly establishment, but just something that's not your usual photo shoot location. I was fine with that."

The family owned, veteran-operated shop opened specifically for the shoot, the first one in the whole 25 years O'Daniels has worked there.

They didn't have to do anything in particular to prepare the space, O'Daniels said.

"They told me to leave it the way we usually have it. You know at the end of the day we clean up anyways, to a point," he said with a laugh.

"We are an auto shop, and we just made sure that it was safe and nothing for tripping hazards, and made sure that they had what they need, which wasn't much of nothing except opening doors."

And what did model Terisa Collazo think of the ugly shoot process?

"It's lots of fun. I enjoyed every bit of it," she said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview photographer takes on 'ugly shoot' challenge