2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists Announced
The Okaloosa County School District (OCSD) announced two students from Niceville High School—Lily Suttlemyre and William Cupp—along with Jonathan Curtis and Tina Le from Choctawhatchee High School have become the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and Commended Students
To qualify for the National Merit Scholarship Program, students must take the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) in the fall of their junior year. Semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors and are the highest-scoring entrants. To advance to Finalist status and compete for one of the 6,870 National Merit Scholarships, valued at nearly $26 million, students must submit a comprehensive scholarship application, maintain an exceptional academic record, receive a school official’s endorsement, write an essay, and achieve SAT or ACT scores that validate their earlier performance.
Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated Honor Veterans at Annual Luncheon
By “Doc” Doug Stauffer
On November 6, 2024, the Republican Women of Okaloosa Federated (RWOF) proudly hosted their annual Veterans Appreciation Luncheon, with this year’s theme honoring “Our Women in Service.” The event, organized by RWOF’s Immediate Past President Maddie McNeal, brought together veterans, community leaders, and supporters to celebrate the invaluable contributions of women in the military.
The luncheon, a cherished RWOF tradition, is held each year on the first Wednesday of November to honor veterans across all service branches. This year’s special tribute highlighted the courageous women who have served, highlighting their unique contributions and the obstacles they overcame to pave the way for future generations.
Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Carmen Reynolds of the United States Air Force served as the keynote speaker. Lt. Col. Reynolds, who broke new ground as one of the first female officers in the Air Force’s Security Police, shared insights from her 22-year military career, which spanned various roles from base administration to computer systems management, as well as her continued dedication to veterans’ welfare in retirement. Her address emphasized the resilience and adaptability of women in service and underscored the importance of community support for veterans.
The Emerald Coast Chorus and the Gloryland Choral Group closed the celebration with a patriotic medley of military songs and Christmas music, honoring the spirit of veterans and bringing a festive note to the event. Attendees, including many veterans from the RWOF membership, gathered to share stories, enjoy camaraderie, and honor the legacy of service members.
In a heartfelt message, Maddie McNeal, who has coordinated this event for several years, expressed her gratitude to all veterans and attendees. “It’s an honor to recognize our veterans’ sacrifices,” McNeal said. “Our country is forever indebted to these brave men and women who served selflessly to protect our freedoms.”
Dr. Elvira Chiccarelli, a trailblazer for women in dentistry, made an impression with her storyboards at the annual veterans’ luncheon. She is a pioneer and believed to be the first female dentist at Eglin Air Force Base. Despite many challenges, she persevered, rising through the ranks and eventually earning the 1989 Air Force Reserve Dentist Award. In recognition of her professional accomplishments and dedication to public health, she was inducted into the Okaloosa County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2022.
A longstanding contributor to the local community, she co-founded a county dental clinic, offering free care to residents and refugees, and spent 32 years serving patients in private practice. Dr. Chiccarelli’s legacy of service extends to her family; her daughter, Maj. Dr. Elvira N. Chiccarelli (same name), now serves as an Air Force dentist in San Antonio, continuing her mother’s commitment to service.
The RWOF Veterans Luncheon continues to grow each year, reflecting the community’s deep-seated patriotism and commitment to honoring those who have served. This year’s luncheon reminded us of veterans’ vital role in American life and the importance of recognizing their contributions daily.
The Vietnam Refugee Camp at Eglin: New Historical Exhibit at the Heritage Museum of NW Florida
By Barbara Palmgren
As a trustee for the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida, it is an honor to announce an exhibit being planned at the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida in 2025: the Vietnam Refugee Camp at Eglin AFB.
When the museum received the Impact 100 grant last November for a 1,400 sq. ft. Exhibit Hall addition to the museum, we knew we could honor a historical event that happened 50 years ago in our community. Several years ago, a young woman, Kim Delevett, from San Diego, Calif., traveled to our area and spent time in the museum’s research library looking at articles and photos about the camp. She was a small child in the camp and wanted to remember this time when her older brother and she were saved by the U.S. military.
Working with Kim and several others, we are moving forward now that we have available space, to share memories of this historical event. Kim and former Vietnam refugees living in California and Texas currently, have bonded over the years and will return as a group to visit our area the first weekend in May 2025. We anticipate having former refugees visiting the exhibit during the 2025 landmark 50th anniversary.
The new exhibit hall will house photos, newspaper reproductions, artifacts and oral histories to highlight the three phases of this project that resettled over 10,000 Vietnamese in the months of May through September, 1975. Eglin Air Force Base was one of three camps in the nation that housed refugees.
As the museum develops this project to have it ready for 2025, we are asking former refugees from this camp to contact us so we can interview them about their experience at the camp for our oral histories. We also want to interview personnel at Eglin or community volunteers who helped with the project.
If you were a part of this historical event, please phone the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida at 850-678-2615, and provide your contact information. Help us celebrate a memorable time for you and this nation!
The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and located at 115 Westview Ave. in Valparaiso.
10th Annual Eggs on the Beach Cooking Competition a Huge Success!
By Barbara Palmgren
What a beautiful day for teams competing for bragging rights as well as raising money for non-profits! This was my first experience attending and, yes, participating with our non-profit, The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida and our partner The Pallet Bar and Grill, located in Fort Walton Beach.
Hosted by Bay Breeze patio at Seascape Town Center, 25 cook teams brought their “A” game from desserts to shrimp, ribs, venison, pork belly, brisket, sausage, chicken, beef and seafood to raise an impressive $52,500 for local non-profits, including Fisher House of the Emerald Coast and Food for Thought through ticket sales along with the three non-profit cook teams.
This year, eight winning teams took home cash, prizes and bragging rights from the commemorative competition.
Proceeds from the event are presented to the non-profit cook teams and the remainder is divided between the two benefiting charities, Food for Thought and Fisher House of the Emerald Coast. This year, both received a $22,000 donation to support their mission. In addition, non-profit teams competed for Taster’s Choice Awards and were awarded cash prizes totaling $8,500.
The three non-profit winners selected by the people who attended and voted for the People’s choice included:
1st Place: Food for Thought
2nd Place: Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida by Pallet Bar & Grill
3rd Place: Healing Paws for Warriors by Swiftly Catered
The main bite selected for the Judge’s Awards included:
1st Place: Sea Market
2nd Place: Healing Paws for Warriors
3rd Place: Saltwater Restaurants
Two sponsors, Tony Chachere and Angles Envy, supported awards using their product.
For those who don’t know Angels Envy, it’s a delicious American bourbon whiskey distilled in Louisville, Ky. I fondly remember sipping mint juleps at the Kentucky Derby years ago never thinking how bourbon could be used for cooking! But used for cooking, it was, and here are the winners:
1st Place: Healing Paws for Warriors
2nd Place: It’s a Write Off
3rd Place: Food for Thought
Tony Chachere’s Bite Award Winners were:
1st Place: Saltwater Restaurants
2nd Place: Sea Market
3rd Place: Food for Thought
Taster’s Choice Awards included:
1st Place: Keggs Over Easy
2nd Place: Captain’s Choice
3rd Place: Saltwater Restaurants
Everyone who purchased a ticket and sampled entrees, sides, desserts and even drinks, were winners at Seascape Town Center.
