CRESTVIEW — We know that Crestview is home to the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), that it can take a good bit of time to make it from one end to the other and that the Crestview High School Bulldogs tear it up on the football field and basketball court.

Here are 10 things you might not know about the city that has been the county seat for just over 100 years. The list was compiled with a lot of help from the Baker Block Museum staff.

1. Crestview High School’s first mascot was the “Red Jackets.” During one of the earliest recorded football games in 1930, the Red Jackets played Milton to a tie in a scoreless game. By 1938, when the school’s first band was formed, Crestview was known as the Bulldogs.

2. Crestview became the county seat of Okaloosa County in an election held April 3, 1917, beating out Baker by just 85 votes with a total of 1,389 votes cast.

3. Crestview’s oldest business that is still operating is Mack Brooks Barber Shop on Main Street, which originally opened in 1917 in the same location as Keel’s Barber Shop, which was owned by James Henry Keel.

4. Crestview was home to the first factory in Okaloosa County — and the first industry to offer employment to women. The Smith-Johnson Garment Factory, later known as Alatex opened in September 1937 and was referred to as Crestview’s new city hall since government offices occupied one corner of the ground floor. The building now houses the Florida A&M University College of Pharmacy.

5. Crestview was at times declared “off limits” to airmen from Eglin Field during the late 1940s and into the 1950s due to numerous liquor and gambling establishments, which were perceived to take advantage of the young airmen.

6. The Fox Theater and the Eglin Theater, both located on Crestview’s Main Street, hosted a premiere showing of “Twelve O’Clock High” in 1949. Movie star Gregory Peck was in town for the premiere of the movie about a World War II bomber unit. The 20th Century Fox movie was filmed at Duke Field, Eglin Field and north of Crestview.

7. In the 1920s, Moses A. Sapp domesticated the wild blueberry, turning it into a profitable commercial crop at Crestview. Many acres of blueberries were transplanted and cultivated in the Crestview area. The 1929 harvest yielded 15 train boxcars that went to northern markets.

8. Crestview boasted the first hospital in Okaloosa County — and the only one between Marianna and Pensacola — when Dr. Olin Enzor and his brother, Dr. Jut Enzor, built the Enzor Brothers Hospital in 1926 on Highway 90 West.

9. In 1929, Crestview’s first airfield was located on Highway 85 South at the former site of Savage Turpentine Still, the current site of Beall’s Outlet and Day’s Tires.

10. Crestview was home to a Rosenwald School for black students in 1926 on Ratcliff Street. Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish man who was part owner and President of Sears Roebuck & Company, partnered with Booker T. Washington to build many of the schools across the south during the early 20th century. 

Ann Span is the director of the Baker Block Museum.

The Baker Block Museum features exhibits on the turpentine and timber industry, Native American artifacts, the Baker Mercantile Store, a military display and much more. Visitors can stroll through an 1860s log cabin and an 1880s dog-trout style log cabin in the heritage park. The museum’s local history library is home to a large collection of pioneer family genealogies, community, church and school histories, along with online access for genealogy enthusiasts.

The museum is housed in a turn-of-the-century general store building which served as the hub of Baker’s business district with a history all it’s own. The museum is located at the intersection of State Road 4 and Highway 189 in Baker. It is open from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and the third Saturday of each month. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/y6vkq9gb or call 850-537-5714.

Baker Block Museum

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 10 things you didn't know about Crestview

CRESTVIEW — The American Youth Soccer Organization in Crestview is registering players ages 3-18.

Registration ends March 10 and games begin March 31. Cost is $85 per person.

Visit www.ayso1603.org to register, and call 850-783-0650 for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview American Youth Soccer registering players

CRESTVIEW — Foxwood Country Club mysteriously closed at the end of October, with no notice apparently given to club members or residents of Crestview.

Almost four months later, the golf course shows no signs of reopening, and members are left wondering what happened.

A sign taped near the entrance reads, "Effective Close of Business 29 October 2017 Foxwood Country Club will be closed until further notice." A sign taped near the club's bar area reads, "We sincerely regret that as of October 24 we will no longer be selling alcoholic beverages. We no longer have a liquor license."

The statement continues, "New ownership is in the process of obtaining a license and the lounge should reopen in the near future."

If there are new owners, they would be the latest in a long line that was recently led by former golf pro Brandon Martin. However, the venue shows no indication of new ownership.

Okaloosa County officials said they were not aware that the club had closed and they did not require it to be maintained, according to county code.

"Maintenance is at the discretion of the property owner," Growth Management Director Elliot Kampert said.

The 2017 property taxes were paid, he said.

Next to an unkempt tennis court was a pile of debris in the parking lot. Around back, piles of trash and recyclables were left behind.

The phone line listed for the golf course is out of order and the website has been taken down.

Click to listen:

LISTEN: From the Newsroom

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: What happened to Crestview's Foxwood Country Club?

The sweetly scented, golden yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers on the cascading, fine textured foliage of Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens) covering fences and trees in open woodlands and along roadsides from late January to early April makes it one of the most beautiful vines throughout the Southeast.

Carolina jessamine’s growth rate is moderate, reaching 20 feet or more when maintained as a vine. It can also be grown as a ground cover by cutting yearly in the late spring after flowering.

This vine is very adaptable and will grow in a variety of conditions. Carolina jessamine tolerates either full sun or partial shade.

Flowering is more prolific and foliage growth is denser in full sun. For best results, plant it in rich, well-drained soil. Over-fertilization can reduce flowering, so fertilize only while the plant is actively growing with moderate amounts of a balanced fertilizer. 

Insects or diseases rarely trouble Carolina jessamine. Deer will not eat it.

However, all parts of this plant are toxic. The sap may cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals. People, especially children, can be poisoned by sucking the nectar from the flowers. This should be considered when choosing a location for installing Carolina jessamine. 

Sheila Dunning 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: Consider Carolina jessamine for an easy-to-grow vine

VALPARAISO — Make a musical instrument and learn to play a few tunes. The the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 21 offers the "Make a Musical Instrument" class for $105.

Using simple tools, students can make and customize a unique cigar box ukulele.

Attendees ages 12 to 16 can make this instrument with adult supervision. 

The cost includes the instructions and kit to make one ukulele

Pre-registration is necessary and space is limited. Call 678-2615 to make a reservation.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Make a cigar box ukelele

CRESTVIEW — This week's Bulletin Kid is able to recognize previous President Barack Obama after reading his mom's book.

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: Taking a look at history

CRESTVIEW — The Costa Enterprises’ McDonald’s restaurant on U.S. Highway 90 is the third Crestview location undergoing an extensive modernization remodel.

The renovation will be revealed at a grand re-opening, followed by a public McFamily celebration. The celebration starts 10 a.m. March 17 at 302 James Lee Blvd. W, Crestview.

Beginning from the exterior, and throughout the entire restaurant, there will be a great new look and feel with modern and sleek design, digital menu boards, digital self-ordering, free-standing kiosks, free Wi-Fi, comfortable seating areas and many more touches like added outdoor seating, activity tables and kidzpace gaming systems, according to a Costa Enterprises media release.

The self-ordering kiosks being put in all the modernized McDonald’s locations enable the restaurants to put a higher emphasis on hospitality and welcoming customers as table service and more customer service in the lobby is provided.

A space-age, indoor "Playplace" at that location will be "the only one of its kind," according to the release, and the restaurant, "like all the Costa Family restaurants continues to create a positive economic impact in the Crestview area, as the restaurant will employ approximately 80 people, with many new job opportunities anticipated.

Costa Enterprises owns and operates all three Crestview McDonald’s, and has 20 McDonald’s

restaurants in Northwest Florida. The organization has 22 years in business.

Call 897-3169, or visit costamcd.com or their Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter for more information.

This article was corrected May 9 to fix the McFamily Night date and time, and the number of Northwest Florida restaurants.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Local McDonald's remodel features technology, space-related play area

CRESTVIEW — A Crestview business offering unique custom woodwork creations is celebrating its store opening in Northview Plaza.

DaGeo Art sells custom awards, shadow boxes, plaques and other specialty items. Owner George Lebron tailors much of his work to the military community, but creates specialty woodworked items for everyone.

Lebron began woodworking during a 26-year career in the Air Force. He was able to turn the hobby into a full-time business after retiring from the military.

“As a young man, I liked doing art work. I was always an artist of some kind,” he said. “I was able to fulfill more of my artistic goals because I had more time now, whereas when we were in the military I only did it part-time to satisfy some requests and also satisfy myself with some work I did.”

Lebron has made custom awards for various military units, which are on display in the new store. He gets requests from customers who have seen one of the awards and want him to recreate it for them, but he declines to sell the awards to those outside of the units for which they are intended.

“They’re exclusive to that unit," he said. "This way they always have something unique.”

When Lebron does get a request for an award specific to a military unit, he offers to make something that is similar while preserving the individual character of each award.

The custom aspect of Lebron’s creations is an important part of his process, he said. Each design is uniquely tailored to the customer’s specifications.

“When we say custom, we mean really custom,” he said. “We sit down with the person and they’ll explain everything they’re looking for, and we’ll draw it out completely for them in every detail.”

Lebron said one of the most important things to him is the relationship he builds with his customers. He said it's important to build trust in those relationships.

The name “DaGeo” is a combination of the owners’ names, Daisy and George. Lebron said he put his wife’s name first because of how much she means to the team.

“It came to mind because for one, I wouldn’t be halfway this far if it wasn’t for her, so her name is first on DaGeo,” he said. “She’s the one that got us to the store. She’s the one that got us doing bigger work at the house. I needed her to do all this.”

DaGeo Art is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 767 N Ferdon Blvd between Pizza Hut and New World Oriental Market in Northview Plaza.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DaGeo Art offers custom woodwork, specialty items

In a part of the world dotted with posts and service organizations catering to active duty military and veterans, it may seem difficult to find a way to stand out. But a small Veterans of Foreign War post just outside of Crestview defined its own niche.

In a move that predates most of the current members, VFW Post 5450 apparently proclaimed itself the "Friendliest Post in Florida."

That was, until very recently, posted on its Facebook page. A sign on the building, which is on U.S. Highway 90, labels it the "Friendliest Little Post in Northwest Florida."

Current commander Warren Wiedemann is new to the area and to the post. He good-naturedly identifies himself as the commander of the friendliest post, while admitting that he's not sure how the post earned that designation.

"We've been asking some of the gentlemen who have been around for a while," he said. "We haven't come up with what the origin was.

"The ones who actually know the answer may not be around anymore."

Wiedemann, who is one of the youngest members at age 43, says his post has been reaching out to young families and even built a playground behind the post. They are friendly, he said, but stopped short of comparing his post to others in the Panhandle and the state.

"We try to live by it," he said of the motto on the building. "We're a very family friendly place."

Folks at other area posts say that while they don't want to be selfish, they're pretty sure their posts are just as friendly as 5450.

"We are friendly here," said a bartender at one in the south end of the county. "Everybody is just like a family over here. Everybody knows each other and tells their stories."

And out in Mary Esther, the Spectre Post commander, Mike Dorris, got on the phone personally to share his thoughts.

"I think I can speak for most VFW commanders in the state of Florida, everybody thinks they're the friendliest post in Florida," he said.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Friendliest post in Florida? We'll see about that

NICEVILLE — Northwest Florida State College President’s Circle members received recognition Feb. 21 at center court of the Raider Arena before the start of the last home men’s basketball game. This year, 62 members and their families were recognized as the largest President’s Circle the NWF Foundation has had since the inception of the program.

Members of the President's Circle are committed to the future of higher education in the community. Through their contributions and membership in this program, President's Circle members demonstrate their commitment to improving lives at Northwest Florida State College. President's Circle gifts provide the college the flexibility to use the funds where they are needed most – for program support, instructional needs, support to the Foundation, and many other crucial expenses that benefit NWF State College students. The President’s Circle has provided $31,000 in unrestricted gifts this year. These gifts have been used for scholarships as well as to create a student emergency fund.

The 2018 Northwest Florida State College President’s Circle includes Shane Abbott, Ajax Building Corporation – Amy Bitterling, Cole Allen, Anchors, Foster & Grimsley, P.A. – Katherine and Jeff McInnis, Pauline Anderson, Charlotte and Bo Arnold, Eileen Arpke, Jean and Wendell Barbour, Scott Behrens, Brad Blalock, Anthony Boyer, Ira Mae and Gaius Bruce, Bethany Burke and Martin Owen, Susan and Wayne Campbell, Jack Capra, Trecia and Robert 'ChedBob' Chedister, CHELCO – Patty and Steve Wolfrom, Tracy and Lamar Conerly, Lauri and David Corkum, Julie and Byron Cotton, DAG Architects – William Floyd, David Costa Enterprises – Jennifer and David Costa, James Durham, Audrey Edwards, Sam and Larry Fincher, Paige Floyd-Hart and Kyle Hart, Charlotte Flynt, Deborah and Troy Fontaine, Jenny and Ross Hamilton, Nancy and Chad Hamilton, Patricia and Richard Harp, Stacy and William Head, Patricia Hollarn, Sasha and Steven Jarrell, Cristie and Arthur Kedroski, Don Litke, Michael Lucchesi, Lois and Mauri Lunderman, Roberta Mackey, Magnolia Grill – Peggy and Tom Rice, Beth and Mitch Mongell, Venita and Robert Morell, Nancy Murphy, Laura and J.D. Peacock, Kimberly and Brian Pennington, Stephanie Pettis, Ruth and Eddie Phillips, Melissa and Terry Pilcher, Raytheon – Bonnie and Steve Wills, Carla and Richard Reinlie, Sharon and Donald Richardson, Victoria and James Richburg, Kathy and Jene Robinson, Meagan and Ramsey Ross, Ann and Dennis Sherwood, Wanda and Stanley Siefke, Nathanial Slaton, Anne and Burle Southard, Judy and Devin Stephenson, Aimee and Tom Watts, Maria and Randy White, and Jerry Williams.

The President's Circle is open to any individual or organization contributing an unrestricted, minimum gift of $500 annually. Membership perks include a distinguished lapel pin, recognition on the NWF website and in other publications, newsletter subscription and VIP invitations to special college-sponsored events.  The membership form is available online or in our office. For more information, please call the NWF State College Foundation at (850) 729-5357 or visit our website at www.nwfscfoundation.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: NWF State College recognizes 62 President’s Circle members