Bay Buzz March 2022

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Bay Buzz March 2022

Persistence Pays Off for Safety in Niceville
Redwood Avenue in Niceville is a county road. It is also a main arterial road for many pedestrians walking to school and shopping at nearby stores. Judy Boudreaux, formerly on the Niceville City Council and Transportation Planning Organization, saw this as a safety issue and pushed for a much-needed sidewalk along Redwood Avenue from Hwy. 20 south to Valparaiso Blvd. It took a number of years but with the support of the City Council and the members of the county commission, success was achieved with the passing of the County Infrastructure Surtax. “This project will bring 4,600 feet of sidewalk for our children and adults who travel this path daily,” Judy remarked, “Thank you to the people who voted for the Surtax and the tourists who will help pay for our much-needed sidewalks.” By June (or possibly much sooner), Redwood Avenue will become a safe place to walk in Niceville.

Mid-Bay Bridge Rotary’s Grant Donation to CBA
Mid-Bay Bridge Rotary Club awarded a $4,399 grant to the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance (CBA) that purchased equipment and supplies for the Alliance’s “Grasses in Classes’’ environmental education curriculum. The program serves 19 elementary schools across Okaloosa and Walton Counties. The grant funding comes from dollars donated by Mid-Bay Bridge Rotarians combined with money raised at the club’s events, such as Octoberfest, corn hole tournament and golf tournament and through the Rotary District 6940 Grant Program. CBA’s “Grasses in Classes’’ is a hands-on, environmental education program that gives students a direct role in the restoration of Choctawhatchee Bay. Mid-Bay Bridge Rotarians will also help students plant the shoreline grasses grown as part of the curriculum at the end of the school year. To learn more, visit basinalliance.org.
The Freeport Republicans will meet March 8 in Freeport at the Hammock Bay Clubhouse, 1830 Great Hammock Bend. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m.; meeting 6-7 p.m. This month, the club will meet in “Working Groups” such as “Mom’s for Liberty,” Local/county issues, Legislative bills/issues, Voter registration; Parades/events/fund raisers, Finding & Vetting candidates and Illegal immigration. The club meets monthly on the second Tuesday at the same location and time.

Niceville High School’s Jerral Horton received the 2022 Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. The program is designed to provide local recognition for outstanding administrators and provide an opportunity for the Okaloosa County Administrators and Supervisors Association (OCASA) to be represented in state-level recognition programs such as the Florida Association of School Administrators and the Florida Department of Education.

The Distinguished Young Women (DYW) of Okaloosa County will hold its information meeting Sun., Feb. 27 at 3:00 PM at Crosspoint Church Fellowship Hall for young women in their current Junior year of high school. Additional information meetings by zoom are Mon., Feb. 28 and Tues., March 1 at 7 p.m. Email Okaloosa@distinguishedyw.org for zoom link. Okaloosa County has had multiple State winners which have been awarded full scholarships.

The Walton County Republican Executive Committee (REC) will be meeting monthly at the Hammock Bay Clubhouse, 1830 Great Hammock Bend in Freeport. Registration begins at 5:45 p.m.; meeting at 6 p.m. These meetings are open to Republicans in Walton County. The REC meets monthly on the third Monday at the same location and time. The next REC meeting will be held March 21 at 6 p.m.

The March 16th Business Empowered Luncheon will feature the acclaimed author (of several books) Peggy Brockman. She has been a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Trainer and Coach for many years. She has owned several businesses and, in semi-retirement, is the regional coordinator for “United for A Good Cause.com” and more specifically, “Hope Squad Peer-to-Peer Suicide Prevention Program.” She will share some of her own miraculous survival from a critical illness and surgical complications that kept her hospitalized on the brink of death for six months as well as others. To register, call or text Al at 850-586-1472.

Geek Lights Fans Donate Over $8,800 to CALM
The Geek Lights on the Corner Lights and Music Show recently presented $8,826.76 to Crisis Aid for Littles and Moms a.k.a. CALM. The amount represents the sum total of visitor donations collected during the recently completed 14th season of the Geek Lights on the Corner, which took place at the corner of Bluewater Blvd and Antiqua Way November 29, 2021 to January 7, 2022. “I want to make sure everyone knows that this donation comes from the show’s fans, not from us,” said Jeff Werner, proprietor of the show. “Your incredible generosity broke every donation record that we track. I’m very proud of how much you’ve helped CALM to do their mission, and you should be proud of yourselves.”

COUPONS March 2022

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COUPONS March 2022

Schlatters Fine Furniture Huge Store Closing Retirement Sale!

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Schlatters Fine Furniture Huge Store Closing Retirement Sale!

Every Item on Sale Including All Fixtures!

After some 55 years of being in business, we have decided to close our doors and liquidate all the merchandise at Schlatter’s Fine Furniture, your friendly neighborhood store for all your quality furniture needs such as Bedroom sets, Living Room sets and Dining Room sets as well as Bookcases and Cabinets. The store founded by Mr. Doug in 1967 is finally closing its doors for good.

To thank all our loyal customers, friends and vendors for their valuable patronage and at the same time accomplish our goals, we are having a huge store closing retirement sale! You can get great discounts and a chance to win one of 10 fabulous prizes valued at $1,500!

Lt. Governor Nuñez Visits Niceville

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Lt. Governor Nuñez Visits Niceville

By Doug Stauffer

Okaloosa County and the city of Niceville were blessed to have a rare visit from Florida’s Lieutenant Governor. It was my distinct honor to host Lt. Governor Nuñez at the Niceville Senior Center with 20 varied Okaloosa County Representatives. The gathering was intended to introduce the Lt. Governor to Niceville and Niceville to the Lt. Governor.

The Lt. Governor gave a great speech and mentioned how she fully supported the Governor’s policies and positions, including election integrity, critical race theory, cancel culture and preserving religious liberties. She also supported his positions regarding K-12 education, vaccine mandates and passports, etc. She stood firm in not allowing the egregious government overreach forced by other governors upon their constituents.
Big government, by design, increases the citizens’ dependence upon the government. This administration determined not to use the pandemic to intensify a crisis and increase government control over businesses, education, healthcare and families in the state of Florida.

The Lt. Governor also mentioned the small margin of victory in the 2018 gubernatorial election—less than 33,000 votes. She sounded the clarion call for Floridians to understand that your vote matters and every vote counts. In Florida, we learned how much elections matter and that things could have been very different (during Covid) if the election had swung in the other direction. She cautioned us not to take our basic constitutional liberties for granted, a message that did not fall on deaf ears.

Dr. Mike Mosley, Rocky Bayou Christian School superintendent, said the Lt. Governor’s speech charged his batteries. Dr. Mosley mentioned her comments on job creation, maintaining low taxes, protecting our water quality and the environment and bettering our education system. As a lifelong K-12 educator, he appreciated the administration’s position on in-person school, because children need more than a Zoom education. Florida will have a competitive advantage in the future over the states that have lost two years of quality schooling. History will judge this administration’s decisions as some of the most critical choices made during one of history’s most significant times.

From 2010-2018, Lt. Governor Nuñez served in the Florida House of Representatives, also serving as speaker pro tempore for her final two years in office. She is a businesswoman who served in several healthcare industry capacities. She also worked for FIU (Florida International University) as an adjunct professor and advisor. When the world turned upside down in March of 2020, none of us could have imagined how important her background would be.

The Lt. Governor said she appreciated the educational and spiritual investment her parents made. “Looking back, I’ve learned that God was putting me in the right place to have experiences and knowledge for what was to be my future. I say this because as a fully devoted follower of Christ, the beliefs and values instilled in me at a young age have shaped me, laying the groundwork for THE type of faithfulness I would need in this line of work.”

The Lt. Governor mentioned her favorite verse as Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Happenings Around the Bay March 2022

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Happenings Around the Bay March 2022

Emerald Coast Marine Wins Prestigious Award

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Emerald Coast Marine Wins Prestigious Award

Emerald Coast Marine was one of six marine industry organizations recently recognized by the Sea Tow Foundation for its exceptional boating safety campaigns and initiatives in 2021, winning the prestigious “National Boating Industry Safety Award” for the ‘Retailer with One to Three Locations” category. “Emerald Coast Marine created an integrated campaign including an extensive social media initiative featuring a mix of online boating education resources, along with a new series of boating safety videos produced internally that show it is possible to accomplish a lot with limited resources,” said Sea Tow Foundation Executive Director Gail R. Kulp. “In addition, the dealership underwrites the cost and promotes in-person boating safety classes in partnership with the USCG Auxiliary, along with promoting boating safety in its monthly newsletter. They also promoted National Boating Safety Week with a custom video featuring every member of the dealership team wearing life jackets.” Ongoing boating safety programs are slated for 2022 including seven months of seasonal boating safety training programs held in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary; a dedicated on-site boating safety event including vessel checks with the auxiliary in March; ladies boating events/classes; and a continued emphasis on boating safety via live seminars, social media and video messaging.

Off the Hook: Black Drum Fishing

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Off the Hook: Black Drum Fishing

By Cali Hlavac, To Do In Destin

If you’ve wandered around any dock inside the Destin Harbor, you might have looked down to see some very large fish swimming below and wondering what kind they were. Often referred to as the “Big Ugly” by fishermen around the area, these monster fish are Black Drum.

Black Drum are a cousin to the Red Drum and are a popular fish among anglers, because they will eat both live and dead bait. They typically feast on oysters, crabs, shrimp and small bait fish and are often circling docks to eat the crustaceans off the sides of the pilings. Another name for these fish is the “lazy fish,” for their tendency to feed on dead bait more frequently than Red Drum will.

When the weather is warm, you’ll often find them on top of the water, making it easy to sight the fish, or throw a fly at them if you’re a fly fisherman.

Black Drum can surpass the 50 lb. range, and while they are edible, their flesh becomes coarser and less desirable once they surpass lengths of 30 inches. Slot size for a keeper is 14-24” and you are able to keep five per day. When they are too large and pass the slot size, they have an old prehistoric look to them and can be full of worms, so not ideal for the dinner plate.

In terms of a fight, Black Drum are strong and solid, but not as determined as other fish. Often, they will run towards the dock and, if you’re not careful, you might break the line when it hits the pilings. While you may not want to eat the large ones, catching one is still a great fight and should be on your bucket list while visiting Destin.

Try to snag one yourself from a dock or call up one of our local Charter Captains to take you out and get it done.

You Made a Resolution, Now Stick With It!

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You Made a Resolution, Now Stick With It!

Fitness Lisa TurpinBy Lisa Leath Turpin, Health & Fitness Coach/Consultant

Consider these suggestions to get the best out of your workouts and keep you interested.

Structure your workouts to fit your goals: A gymnast doesn’t train like a football player, and a tennis player doesn’t train like a basketball player. Why? Because in order to perform better at each sport, it takes specific movements and strengths, in specific areas, to make one stronger for each sport. How does this equate to you? You are unique. From your bone structure, genetics, chemical make-up (hormones/immunity) and body type. It’s great to get ideas from others, but make sure it will benefit you personally. When I train my small groups of two to six people, even if they do somewhat the same order of exercises, not all lift the same weight or perform the same reps. Some people want a more muscular build; some want long lean smoother muscles; some need to focus on fat burning. Figure out your goals at the beginning of your quest and it will give you direction and keep you more motivated.

Mix it up: In order to customize your workout journey, tailor it to fit your goals and make it enjoyable. Your body needs to be challenged to change. Do something called “Phase Training.” Briefly, a phase training plan manipulates exercise volumes and intensities over the course of weeks, months and years. Change your range of repetitions, how many sets, as well as the exercises themselves. It’s suggested, though, that in order for a muscle to get stronger or more toned, it needs time to adapt and change. Therefore, we need to have some time repeating a movement for this muscle adaptation to occur. A good example is the push-up. When you first begin doing pushups, you might be lucky to do five good ones. But if you do push-ups more often, you will increase the number of push-ups you can do. This is most important when looking for strength gains, but also for coordination. So, a simplified example of Phase Training for overall fitness would be:

Weeks 1-4: Endurance Phase/high repetitions 13-20/2-3 sets 3-4 days/week focusing on mobility, stability and form

Weeks 5-8: Strength Phase/moderate repetitions 8-12/2-6 sets 3-4 days/week focusing on lean muscle mass and gaining strong muscles (not bulky). Strong is GOOD!

Cycle through these phases all year.

Other additions to keep it interesting are Circuit Training, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or other types of interval training. Again, depends on your goals.

Slow down: For strength and safety purposes, perform your repetitions SLOWLY. The slower you go, the more muscle fibers you recruit, thus maximizing strength gains and less joint or ligament damage. There are times that you want to move faster like in Circuits or Interval Training. But the key to “faster” is stay in control and in good form. It’s best to sometimes work as fast as you can, but while performing full range of motion (ROM) with full control. If you can’t perform full ROM with full control, then you are too fast or too heavy. That makes speed relative to controlled performance. When lifting weights there is a positive and negative motion. When performing a bicep curl, you start with your arm relatively straight; but when you raise or curl the weight, flexing the elbow, it is the positive part of the lift. The lowering of the weight or extension of the elbow, is the negative. You always want to control and go slowly on the negative: this is where “resistance” training gets its name. It’s the control of resisting the weight that challenges the muscle and makes the greatest difference.

Be Active – choose what you like! Any and all movement is good. Don’t overthink it. Dance if it makes you happy! Guess what? You will be working out!

Lisa Leath Turpin is a degreed and certified health and fitness lifestyle coach and consultant who has devoted her life to motivating and strengthening the body and mind of others. With over 20 years’ experience, Lisa has a B.S. degree in Sports & Fitness Management from the University of Alabama, developed and managed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Health & Wellness Facility and programs in Huntsville, Ala., is board certified by the National Board of Fitness Examiners and possesses certifications from AFAA, Polestar/Balanced Body, Reebok U, SCW Fitness and American Heart Association. She is currently a group exercise leader at Destin Health & Fitness and an independent personal trainer in the Destin area, diversely and extensively trained in classical and modern Pilates, lifestyle management, personal training, group exercise and post-rehabilitation. Have a fitness question for Lisa? Email BeActive850@gmail.com.

Weight Loss and Thyroid

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Weight Loss and Thyroid

Dr Richard ChernBy Dr. Richard Chern, MD

In this column, we’ve discussed the thyroid before. However, it’s such an important subject, because even mild thyroid dysfunction can cause weight gain over months and years. And this weight gain is nearly impossible to lose and keep off without getting the thyroid optimized.

The thyroid regulates every metabolic process in our body. This includes growing hair and fingernails, moisturizing your skin for less dryness and a better appearance. It also means keeping our toes warm, and our brains focused and working.

The thyroid determines how many calories we burn for each process. With age, thyroid function often decreases causing weight gain. So how does this cause weight gain?
Imagine you are in your 30’s. Your thyroid is functioning perfectly and your weight has been the same for years. Your calorie intake matches your calorie output. If you are eating 1500 calories a day then you must be burning 1500 calories a day. Now fast forward 10 years. You haven’t changed a thing, but your body has decided that adding color to your hair is no longer a priority, and also, that your hair and fingernails do not need to be made as fast or as well. Your hair gets some gray, and becomes more coarse, dry or brittle. You don’t need to trim your nails nearly as often and they seem brittle and thin too. You are getting tired and unfocused in the afternoon and either nap, drink caffeine or just push yourself though the day. And you notice your weight is creeping up!

Now the diet and exercise is a start, but it’s always a struggle and seems less and less successful. What is going on? It’s you thyroid! Even though you haven’t changed anything in your life, your body has decided to burn less calories. You’re still eating 1500 calories a day and have exactly the same activity level, but your body is slacking on the job. Maybe your body is just burning 50 calories less a day. That’s five pounds of weight gain every year! And as you decrease your calorie intake or increase your exercise, your body continues to burn fewer and fewer calories each year. So, your diet and exercise just becomes more difficult.

What’s the solution? Get your thyroid functioning! When you turn the thermostat up, you burn more fuel. Hair, nails, skin, energy, focus improves and weight loss can happen without effort.

But my doctor says my thyroid labs are normal. We hear this a lot and, unfortunately, traditional medicine only orders a TSH and stops. Dr. Richard Chern, MD, orders numerous thyroid labs and understands that normal and optimal do not always agree. Of course, optimizing thyroid without also optimizing hormones is like going shopping without your credit card.

Dr. Richard Chern specializes in bio-identical hormone and thyroid optimization. He is the only Platinum Provider for BioTE in the region and mentors other physicians on the practice of bio-identical hormone therapy. Call Dr. Chern at 850-837-1271 for an appointment and turn your body back on!

Boeing Selects Fort Walton Beach for Competitive Expansion Project

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Boeing Selects Fort Walton Beach for Competitive Expansion Project

One Okaloosa EDC announced that Boeing Global Services has selected Fort Walton Beach for a competitive expansion project. The anticipated $2,550,000 project involves a 20,000 SF expansion to the company’s existing facility located at 20 Hill Ave. in the Fort Walton Beach Commerce & Technology Park. In addition, Boeing’s current position as one of Okaloosa County’s largest private sector employers will be further reinforced with the creation of 12 new positions at an average salary of $70,000 per year plus benefits (168% of Okaloosa County’s average wage).

In Fort Walton Beach, Boeing Global Services employees are dedicated to modifying, testing, repairing and servicing aircraft for customers in the U.S., including the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, as well as customers around the globe. Additionally, there is a maintenance repair and overhaul facility that services avionics, wiring and hydraulic systems for a variety of aircraft. The engineering capability is extensive and concentrates on military aircraft sustainment.

Boeing employees in Fort Walton Beach also support technical manual development for Boeing and non-Boeing platforms, such as the C-130, F-15, F/A-18, CH-47 and elements of the U.S. national defense system.

“Boeing is a world class company, and the fact that they have chosen to undertake this important expansion project in Okaloosa County is a testament to our community’s continued ability to provide them with the top-notch talent and infrastructure they require. We welcome Boeing’s growth in Fort Walton Beach and appreciate the vital role they play in supporting our nation’s warfighters,” stated Chairman Mel Ponder, Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners.

Construction is expected to begin in March 2022 with completion in March 2023, while hiring of the 12 new positions will occur within the next two years.

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