CRESTVIEW —Local Dogwood Garden Club members recently selected their Woman of the Year.

They presented Thelma Smith with the award in a ceremony at the Crestview Public Library.

The club dedicated a full-color book, "Gardening," in her honor and presented it to Library Director Marie Heath.  Club president Ruth Herington presented its annual monetary donation to the library as well. Club members continued the celebration by treating Smith to a luncheon in a local restaurant.

Smith shared details of her more than 60 years of gardening experiences in five different states at the group's October meeting.

Dogwood Garden Club meets the first Monday of each month from September to May.  The club is open to visitors for potential membership.  Most meetings are in the homes of members.  Call Herington, 683-0839, for information on the next meeting.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Dogwood gardeners select Woman of the Year

BAKER — The Cub Scout Pack 532 of Holt was part of the homecoming parade Sept. 29 in Baker. Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos and their siblings threw candy to every child they saw along the parade route.

"We have done a float three years now and have placed in the top three each year. This year we placed second. Everyone worked so hard, especially volunteers Dwayne Woods and Lisa Bell," Cubmaster Courtney Strom said.

Woods is a Holt resident, and Bell lives in Baker.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Cub Scouts join Baker's homecoming parade

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

AGES 0-2 LIBRARY CLASS: 9:15 a.m. Tuesdays, Crestview library. Topics: Oct. 13, Piggies; Oct. 20 and 27, Autumn and Halloween (wear non-scary costume if you like); Nov. 3 and 17, Thanksgiving; Dec. 1, On the Go; and Dec. 8 and 15, Christmas.

FAMILY LIBRARY TIME: for ages 4 and up. Visit the library for details as the date nears. Here are other FLT Crestview library events.

• 5 or 6 p.m. Oct. 17 — Escape Room, 10 people per session. Register at the library to solve puzzles together.
• 6:30-7:15 p.m. Nov. 21 — Wild Things. Guess which wild animal left the waste. Dissect owl pellets.
• 6-7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 — Noel Night. Music, makings and munchies.

AGES 3-5 LIBRARY CLASS: 10:15 a.m. Tuesdays, Crestview library. Topics: Oct. 24 and 31, Autumn and Halloween (wear a non-scary costume on Oct. 31); Nov. 7 and 14, Giving Thanks; Nov. 28, On the Road; and Dec. 5 and 12, Wrap It Up.

FIRST TUESDAY TALKS: 10:30 a.m. first Tuesdays at the library. Topic: Nov. 7, How to Love Your Wardrobe, by Anna Maria Garza, fashion designer and stylist.

READ TO DOZER: First Saturdays, 10-11 a.m.; for children ages 4 and up.

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

TEEN TIME: 2-4 p.m. Fridays in the meeting room, Crestview library. Featuring Wii and virtual reality games, etc. For sixth- through 12th-graders.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: UPCOMING

Here we are at the halfway point of the college football season and all the teams the experts picked to be the big winners are not there.

It seems we are going to have a bit of déjà vu in the Southeastern Conference, the Atlantic Coast Conference, and the National Title.

As of late Saturday night, the only teams at the top now are Penn State, Texas Christian, Wisconsin, Navy, Washington and Washington State, along with San Diego State. They are undefeated.

For all you diehard Florida fans, there's still hope for you. You now have South Florida to cheer for, and as for the SEC, Alabama, with Georgia, Auburn, and believe it or not, Kentucky is wanting a big bite out of the Crimson Tide. In the ACC, you have: Clemson with — and please believe me no one picked this one — North Carolina State, along with Virginia Tech and Miami with big wins Saturday.

Here are your 10 picks for the week, plus a tie breaker for Oct. 14.

1. Boston College Eagles versus Louisville Cardinals: With the way the Cardinals and the Heisman Trophy winner are playing, this just could be an upset here in the making. Boston College Eagles by 1.

2. Florida State Seminoles vs. Duke Blue Devils: This was to be the game of the week, with so much hope put in both teams. Surely the Seminoles can’t keep on losing. Yes they can and do. Blue Devils by 10.

3. Clemson Tigers vs. Syracuse Orangemen: The game is on Oct. 13. It will be the top game of the night, with the Tigers having about 24 points plus.

4. North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Pittsburgh Panthers: This is the ACC game of the week. Keep your eyes on the Wolfpack by 6.

5. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Miami Hurricanes: This should be a walk in the park for the Hurricanes, and they are in the position to make a statement. Miami by 13.

6. Arkansas Razorbacks vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (Train). Razorbacks are a hot and cold team. Crimson Tide will really have to watch themselves in this game. Ah, you can’t stop a Train. Tide by 14 plus.

7. Auburn War Eagles vs. LSU Tigers. This is the SEC game of the week. Do you really think that LSU can beat any team out of Alabama (ask the Troy Trojans about the Sun Belt Conference). War Eagles by 13.

8. South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Tennessee Volunteers: Unfortunately, Tennessee, I really do not see you winning any more games the rest of the year, except maybe against Vanderbilt, "but we still love ya!" There will be a lot of bird calls, and boos from the Vols. Fans; it’s not just the team but the coaching staff also. There's so much wrong at Tennessee. Gamecocks by 10.

9. Texas A&M Aggies vs. Florida Gators: Both teams lost Saturday and the Gators will lose again. Aggies by 10.

10. Missouri Tigers vs. Georgia Dawgs: The Dawgs will use this game to get a lot of attention in the SEC. Run-away Dawgs by 21 plus.

Tie Breaker: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns. A few weeks ago so much was put on this game. It’s a big rivalry in the Cows and Horses towns and fans. Also, who has the best tail gate party? This was going to be so big, they were trying to reschedule for Friday night. Yes, it’s going to be a big shootout (bang bang). With a new sheriff in town, the Sooners will win big by 21. Now really, was that a surprise.

This is the time of the year halfway through the season that teams get a bit lackadaisical and are looking for that week off. It’s also the time of the year that teams get upset…Watch out Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, and Georgia. Tennessee, you need not to worry.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: College football picks, week 7

CRESTVIEW — A local woman is raising money for a cause close to her heart — breast cancer research.

Deanne Vaughn is a member of the Flying Needles Quilt Guild, a non-profit group of women who not only preserve the traditions, culture and history of quilting, but also put their talents to use by raising money for various causes.

Vaughn, a breast cancer survivor, said she thought the best way to celebrate October, which is breast cancer awareness month, would be for the guild to create a quilt to raffle off. Then, they could donate all proceeds to the Susan G. Komen Foundation for breast cancer research.

“I think it’s important for people to know what can happen when you miss just one mammogram,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn’s mother had breast cancer and was diagnosed at age 57. She died after several years of medication, radiation and chemotherapy. According to Vaughn, her mother was the only member of her family who had breast cancer, so when she didn’t have the time for her yearly mammogram due to moving with the military, she thought she was in the clear.

But that was not the case and Vaughn was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41.

After total removal and reconstruction of both of her breasts and the removal of 16 lymph nodes in her arm, Vaughn began an aggressive form of chemotherapy; due to her mother’s history, the doctors wanted to be safe.

“Cancer now isn’t a death sentence like it used to be,” Vaughn said. “Look at me; I’ve been fine since 1997.”

Vaughn said the experiences she had with the illness and with her mother made her want to make this quilt and give all she could to cancer research. The quilt is 60 inches by 72 inches and was made with the help of members of the quilting guild.

Vaughn has been quilting since about 2002, she said. When she saw a show on PBS about quilting, it inspired her to try the hobby, and she immediately fell in love. Her first quilt, made from a bed sheet and denim jeans, was completely sewn by hand.

“It’s fun,” Vaughn said. “It just hits you.”

Vaughn is in charge of quilting workshops for the guild, and the group regularly gives back to organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse, for which they recently donated $300 in hurricane relief. They also make quilts of valor for physically or psychologically wounded servicemen, and quilts for various children’s organizations.

If you are interested in purchasing raffle tickets for the breast cancer quilt, come to the Crestview News Bulletin at 638 North Ferdon Blvd. or email the Flying Needles Quilt Guild at quilterdudette@gmail.com.

Tickets are $1 for one or $5 for six. The guild will choose a winner on Dec. 14.

“Cancer now isn’t a death sentence like it used to be,” Vaughn said. “Look at me; I’ve been fine since 1997.”

—Deanne Vaughn

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Quilting for cancer awareness

CRESTVIEW — If you have an event you would like to submit, send your first and last name and information about the event to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 3 things to do this weekend in Northwest Florida

CRESTVIEW — A number of North Okaloosa County residents have rallied to help one of their own following Hurricane Maria.

The Category 5 storm — which hit Puerto Rico Sept. 20, delivering 175 mph winds and causing catastrophic damage across the Northeastern Caribbean — destroyed the wooden home of Ismael Moreno and Fela Berrios. They are the parents of former Crestview resident Erika Moreno, the former owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Crestview.

THIS HOME ‘WAS THEIR PRIDE’

On Sept. 27, Moreno started a GoFundMe page to share her parents’ story and gain financial support. First, she stated on the page, her parents were unharmed during the storm.

“They took shelter at their cousin's concrete home and they are safe and in good health,” she said.

As for their home, “The roof was completely torn off by the wind, and the hours of torrential rain flooded the entire house,” she stated on the page.

David Colon, owner of Fred Astaire’s Main Street studio, recalled the house before its destruction, and expressed what it meant to the family.

“I vividly remember helping them build their home in the mountains of PR back in the early ’90s,” he said in an email to the News Bulletin. “This small, humble home was their pride and they built it with their own hands, with the help of friends and family.”

REMOTE TOWN, FEW OPPORTUNITIES

The family lost all their belongings in Hurricane Maria, according to the GoFundMe page.

“They currently sleep on a couch and on the floor at their cousin's house along with several others who took shelter there,” Moreno stated. 

Recovery has been difficult because her father cannot work and make money. Her family lives in Corozal, a remote town largely cut off from aid, where residents currently have to walk about 7 miles just to get gas, NBC Nightly News noted in its Sept. 28 broadcast.

Under such circumstances, any donation goes a long way, Moreno stated.

“… I ask you for a small donation, so my family can recuperate from this disaster and have a place to live,” she said on the GoFundMe page. “The money will be sent to them so they can have supplies and start reconstructing.”

Moreno did not expect what happened after the GoFundMe page went live, Colon said.

ANYTHING CAN HELP

Moreno set a $2,000 goal — and, “within one day people had donated over $1,300, most of them current and former Crestview citizens that care about her and even some that she has never met,” Colon said.

Colon said the outcome did not surprise him.

“I’ve lived in Crestview for over 12 years and have seen what our community can do to help those in need…,” he said.

Still, the $1,605 collected, as of this writing, is not enough. 

“… It is unlike me to ask for anything from anyone,” said Colon, an active member of the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce whose studio, over the years, has aided numerous charitable efforts, many with Moreno’s involvement. “These people are dear to my heart and I can't stand by without asking you to help them. You rarely find someone more willing to put someone else ahead of their own needs than Ismael Moreno and Fela Berrios. This time they are the ones in need and I ask you to help them with a small donation.”

Anything can help — even if that just means sharing this story on social media, Colon said. 

“Puerto Rico is in a huge crisis,” he said. “Things are much worse than you could imagine.

“You can't help everyone at the same time, but if you have thought to yourself what could you do to help, then this is a good opportunity to start with.”

HOW TO HELP

See https://www.gofundme.com/cessm-help-the-moreno-family to assist former Crestview resident Erika Moreno’s family with Hurricane Maria aid. The page includes photos of the family and the home’s damage.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview man: Hurricane Maria claimed this Puerto Rican family’s home — please help

CRESTVIEW — Community leader Velma Conyers died Sept. 30. She was 104 years old.

Services include a 5-7 p.m. viewing Oct. 5 at McKinnie Funeral Home, 398 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Crestview, and the funeral, which is 11 a.m. at Mount Zion AME Church, 502 McDonald St., Crestview.

"She's always been a joy to be around," her son-in-law, Malcolm Haynes of Crestview, said. "I've known her for over half her life and through all those years she really hasn't changed, as far as her spirit and commitment to the people of her community and her family."

Conyers worked in the lunchroom at Carver-Hill School, which was a segregated school for African-American children, until the late 1960s.

"Many people tell us if she hadn't been there, they wouldn't have eaten that day. She would see that they got fed if they couldn't afford it," Haynes said.

She and her husband, James Robert Lee Conyers, also served through the Crestview Masonic Lodge, in his case, and Order of the Eastern Star, in hers. Conyers joined the lodge when she was 18 years old, and was its Worthy Matron for 45 years. The lodge was the center of community support for black Americans over the years, and the whole of Crestview today, through such services as the annual No Child Without Healthcare Fair.

When asked what she  enjoyed most, Haynes said, "She really enjoyed her church. And she enjoyed fishing and she just loved to be around her grandchildren. We can be sorry, but you have to know she lived a great life.

"The reason she was blessed [was] she really lived (what she believed in). She said, 'I don't hate nobody,' and she really lived up to that."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Community leader Velma Conyers dies at 104

CRESTVIEW — A kick-off for Operation Christmas Child includes a guest speaker, inspirational stories and information on the program.

First Baptist Church will host a Never Too Early for Christmas kick-off 10:30 a.m. Oct. 7 at its fellowship hall, 171 Hickory Ave. W, Crestview.

The event also includes shoebox craft demonstrations.

The Operation Christmas Child program is part of Samaritan's Purse, a nonprofit, faith-based organization. It provides shoeboxes of gifts and necessities to children in need around the world.

See www.samaritanspurse.org for details.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: First Baptist Church to kick off Operation Christmas Child