Opinion Archive

I’ve had a couple of weeks to think about the new football districts the Florida High School Athletic Association released during the holidays. All things considered I think the districts don’t look bad.

Dear Reader: I have provided a few Thoughts For The Day for you to ponder over the next few days. May our Lord speak to your heart.

February of this year will mark the fifth year of Tim Bolduc’s service to the City of Crestview as its first-ever city manager. He was appointed by the City Council in February 2019.

Dare I write it, Happy 2024!

I would ask where the time has gone, but I know that answer full well. I mark the passage of time with covering stories about athletes, coaches and games as well as our local churches and faith organizations and our educators and local schools.

What do the following two sets of names have in common?

The first group of names: Moses, Jonah, and Jeremiah.

The second group: Noah, Abraham, and Mary.

Since 2000, Crestview’s population has increased by 67%. That’s an increase of about 14,000 people. The sharpest increase in the population came in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and then again in 2020. The total percentage increase in those years was 23%. A large portion of that came from the addition of the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group, comprised of about 2,500 active-duty personnel and about 300 civilians who work alongside them.

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except (what) they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

I recently heard a sermon from my home church, First Baptist Orlando, that 100% inspired this column. I love Christmas for many reasons, but first and foremost because we are celebrating and recognizing the significance of the birth of Jesus. How does the world celebrate Christmas? By giving gifts and acts of kindness to one another to demonstrate our love for others.

I frequently hear that our society has become more and more selfish when it comes to personal matters. It seems to have become every person for himself or herself.

Is it possible that I’m already writing my 2023 Christmas column?

I blinked and the year is gone. And time continues to march on even when I don’t blink. This is my 66thChristmas; the eighth since my mom passed away and 11th since I lost my dad.