Our thoughts and prayers are with those recovering from the latest hurricane. Hopefully this video will help.
What A Crazy Year in Real Estate!
By Gail Pelto
Normally, I give you an update about the real estate market in January, a review of the prior year. However, since 2021 has been such a crazy year, I felt you might want to know how it’s been year-to-date and where the real estate market looks to be heading.
It’s been and still seems to be, a seller’s market. A few year-to-date residential real estate stats as of July 29th:
- 10,340 residential properties have sold compared to 7719 sales in 2020 – that’s a 34% increase…Huge!
- The median sales price in 2020 is 19.9% higher than 2020…Huge! Historically a 10% increase over prior year is a great economic sign!
- The average days on market before going under contract in Okaloosa and Walton Counties this summer has been less than one month. Remember that’s “average.” Many sales are happening before the property is technically active, i.e., “coming soon,” or within a day or two.
All good news if you’re a seller, right? Now, here are few more interesting points to ponder:
Inventory is still low compared to two years ago; back then, we hovered around 5,000+/- available properties for sale.
Earlier this year, we had 1,107 available properties for sale and stayed around that number for months.
I’ve noticed that inventory has been increasing by about 100 properties every week; today we have 1,863 available properties available for sale; that’s almost 60% more available properties than in the spring!
Full disclosure, I have no crystal ball nor a DeLorean to transport myself into the future to tell you exactly what’s going to happen. That being said, I do know the theory of supply and demand: As supply dwindles, prices go up; as supply increases, prices go down. Granted, even with 1800+ properties on the market for sale, that is still a low inventory number for us. However, supply is increasing on a daily/weekly basis. Plus, in the last week, I’ve received more notifications from fellow agents letting me know about available listings that have dropped the sales price because the house hasn’t yet sold. Buyers are also expressing fatigue in writing offers that lose out to other buyers. What’s all this mean?
In my opinion, if you want to sell, I probably wouldn’t wait too much longer…jus’ sayin’. Will prices continue to go up? Maybe…go down, maybe. Do you want to stick around until the prices drop, or strike when the iron is hot? Decision time, folks.
The great news for buyers is that interest rates are still really, REALLY low and all indications point to it staying that way for a while. Again, I don’t have an inside track on what the future will bring; I do know you can afford way more house now, than when the rates go up.
Have a question about your specific neighborhood or condo complex? Call me. I’m happy to share that info or answer any other questions you might have. Of course, if YOU are looking to buy, sell or invest and you need a great agent, I’m available for that, too! Call or text me, 850.374.0454, or email gail.pelto@kw.com.
Gail Pelto is a Board Member with The Rotary Club of Destin and the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation—and yes, a powerful, full-time real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty Emerald Coast. Call her with any real estate questions you have, and she’ll guide you in the right direction. Call her direct at 850-374-0454 or email to Gail.Pelto@kw.com. Want to know what the value of your property is today? Go to www.DestinAgent.com.
What Makes a House Need Roof Repair?
By Erin Bakker, SRI
If rain is coming into your house, it’s obvious that you need roof repair. However, it is often possible for a professional inspector to spot problems long before this happens. Then, repairs can be done before leaks, and water damage, ensue. Here are a few of the things roofing experts look for:
One of the first things roofing experts look at is the flashing, or connecting material, between the roof and “protrusions” – things like chimneys and attic vents – that are sticking out of the surface. Here, the experts will be checking to make sure that it and any sealers are still intact and in good shape. If they’re in poor condition, getting them quickly repaired can stop trouble from happening.
Next, the inspector will look for things like damage from overhanging tree limbs, fallen limbs, and other sources of direct injury to the roofing surface. Overhanging limbs can eventually scrape right through shingles, and fallen objects can break through the sealing surface underneath the shingles. In these cases, the next step is to look for rot under the damaged areas. Then, repairs involve replacing all damaged materials. Damage from long standing leaks can run all the way down to the roof edge.
Finally, roofing experts look at the overall condition of the roof. In some cases, it will be determined that it’s time for all-new shingles rather than a patch-type roof repair. This is especially likely if the old roof is near the end of its warranty life. Even with the best of care, the weather will eventually wear a roof out. Therefore, re-shingling is actually a form of standard maintenance, even though it usually only needs to be done every 20-30 years.
Contact Specialty Roofers at 850-974-ROOF for an evaluation.
International Coastal Cleanup Slated for September 18
Every year thousands of tons of garbage winds up in our Gulf and Bay, with at least 60% of that being composed of plastic material. Plastics, especially, last a very long time in the ocean and are in such abundance that there are 46,000 individual pieces of plastic litter for every square mile of ocean! This is a dire situation for the health of the earth’s oceans, which directly impacts the health of its people.
Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles, in partnership with Visit South Walton, will once again host the International Coastal Cleanup. The Volunteer Beach Ambassador Team invites all community members and visitors to the Emerald Coast to join in the efforts to clean up the beaches of South Walton on Saturday morning, September 18th, from 9-11 a.m. “We will work with little pomp and circumstance,” says VBA director Laurie Reichenbach, “but rather with a heart for serving our community and our beautiful coastal environment, and to gain the sense of serving for the greater good of Walton County and the health of the marine and bird life that make the Gulf of Mexico their home. Will you join us? Can we count on you?”
History of International Coastal Cleanup
The International Coastal Cleanup began more than 30 years ago, when communities across the world rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline. The movement was accelerated by the passion and spirit of two committed individuals: Linda Maraniss and Kathy O’Hara. The Cleanup has grown immensely in the 30 years since Linda and Kathy’s first Cleanup. Volunteers from states and territories throughout the U.S. and more than 100 countries come together each year and participate in a Cleanup event near them. Over the years, this movement has created a family that spans oceans and country borders. It is a network that works together for something bigger than us.
Harnessing the Power of People to Fight Ocean Trash
In partnership with volunteer organizations and individuals around the globe, the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) engages people to remove trash from the world’s beaches and waterways. Thanks to volunteers around the world, the ICC has become a beacon of hope, leading and inspiring action in support of our ocean. Since its beginning, over 16 million volunteers have collected more than 340 million pounds of trash.
If you would like to join in a cleanup at a Regional Access, you will find Host Volunteer Beach Ambassadors at the following locations:
• Inlet Beach Regional Access, 139 S. Orange St., Inlet Beach
• Santa Clara Regional Access, 3468 E. Co. Hwy. 30A, Seagrove
• Ed Walline Regional Access, 4447 W. Co. Hwy. 30A, Gulf Place, Santa Rosa Beach
• Big Red Fish, Coastal Dune Lake in Blue Mountain Beach
All participants are encouraged to provide their own trash bags or buckets, gloves, hat, sunscreen, water bottle, etc. There will be limited bags/gloves available for those without.
In other areas, start with something as simple spending the day on the Bay and carrying a roll of garbage bags. Clean up the mess and help to reduce the amount of garbage that gets into the Bay by hauling it away.
Host a Coastal Cleanup Day Event
During the years of this day, more than 12 million volunteers have collected over 220 million pounds of trash from the world’s beaches, rivers, lakes and coastlines. It’s not necessary to live by the beach, since all waterways lead to the ocean eventually. Head over to a local riverbed, lakeside or even a canal or pond that could use a bit of attention. With garbage bags, plastic gloves and trash-picker sticks in hand, send groups of people out to have fun making the earth a much nicer place for people, plants and wildlife!
In past years, county residents and visitors have turned out in large numbers to support the cleaning of our beaches, Bay and the Gulf during the International Coastal Cleanup. Each piece of debris collected is one more piece of trash saved from our ocean systems. This year can be equally effective with your help and presence in this community cleanup.
For more information please contact Laurie Reichenbach at 214-505-6273 or email lauriereichenbach@gmail.com.
People
By Sean Dietrich
Today at the store I watched a young guy hold the door open for a mother of three. He trotted ahead and threw open the door with a grand flourish as if to say, “After you, mademoiselle.”
The woman stopped cold in her steps.
She had a baby on her hip, a toddler holding her hand, and her oldest child was bringing up the rear, finger shoved in his nose. The woman was young, her clothes had food stains on them, and she looked like she hadn’t slept since the last papal installation.
“Thanks,” she said. And her face was bright red.
What I want to know is why.
Why did this young man perform this small act of goodwill? After all, I’m sure the kid has a chaotic life just like the rest of us. I’m sure he was in a hurry. He had important stuff going on, places to be, people to text. So why did he take 12 seconds out of his day to help a stranger?
Furthermore, what purpose did this nicety really accomplish within the grand schematic of existence?
Let’s be honest here. Did this woman need help opening a door? Not really. We are talking about a woman with perfectly functional opposable thumbs. She had plenty of options when it came to opening a door for herself.
She could have (a) set her kid down and simply opened the door. Or she could have (b) told the oldest kid to quit digging for nasal gold and open the door. And of course there’s always (c) using her foot.
The hack journalist in me was curious, so I approached the kid and asked why he opened the door.
His first reaction was embarrassment. Then he added, “Aw, it was really nothing, man.”
Nothing.
Astounding. Because it didn’t look like nothing. If this act was indeed nothing, then why did it make me feel good all over? Why did I come home and write several paragraphs about a kid I’ll likely never meet again? I’ll tell you why: to meet my daily word count.
But also because being nice is not nothing. Kindness, by definition, is the exact opposite of “nothing.”
Yesterday, I went to get my haircut. Before my appointment I sat in the waiting room, reading a 17-year-old dry-rotted copy of “Woman’s World.”
Meantime, I watched a hair stylist cut an old man’s hair, making conversation, and just generally being cheerful. The man spoke with labored speech, and half his face was paralyzed. I was thinking maybe he’d had a recent stroke.
When the haircut was finished, the stylist removed his cape and told the man the haircut was free.
The old man couldn’t believe it. He did what most decent guys would’ve done and removed $20 from his pocket.
The stylist said, “No. Please. I don’t want your money.”
He insisted; she refused. They did this little dance for several minutes until the man finally gave up and thanked her, then turned to leave. But before he exited, do you know what he did?
He gave the money to a woman seated in the waiting area.
The old man handed the lady cash and said with strained speech, “Your haircut is on me today, ma’am.”
The woman appeared moved by his generosity. She thanked him and didn’t even bother explaining that no procedure involving women’s hair ever costs less than, at minimum, $250.
But that’s not the point. What I’m getting at is: why? Why all this goodwill toward men? What’s it all about?
And the reason I ask is because all these charitable people you encounter aren’t just random folks. These are your neighbors. Your coworkers. Your family. You are one of these people.
For the past several weeks my mother-in-law has been lying in her sickbed under hospice care. Nurses are constantly checking her stats, administering meds, and telling us to prepare ourselves for death. We have spent these last days holed up in a house just waiting.
At times it’s been exhausting. Sometimes it’s been tough just remembering to eat regularly, let alone to keep writing mediocre columns.
But that’s where you stepped in. Over the past weeks you have flooded my family with emails, texts, messages, greeting cards, letters, care packages, anonymous pizza deliveries, bouquets, grocery drop-offs, and acts of kindness.
And all this kindness, to be perfectly honest, sometimes makes me feel sort of ashamed. Because sometimes I forget how good people are.
Sometimes it’s too easy to notice only the bad in this world. Sometimes it’s just simpler to focus on sadness. Sometimes it’s more convenient to see unfairness, injustice, and all the depraved souls who commit senseless acts of daytime television.
Sometimes I begin to have my doubts about our species. Sometimes I lose my way.
But then you come along. Smiling. Holding open the door. No, you might not be changing the entire world. But if you ask me, you are showing the world how such a thing can so easily be done.
So don’t tell me it’s nothing.
Welcome Back NWFSC!
There is nothing quite like the fall semester on a college campus! It is the culmination of what our personnel have been working towards all summer. It is with great anticipation that we welcome back our faculty and students to campus. We are striving toward a safe, healthy campus environment so we can continue to offer high-quality education and fulfill our mission of improving lives in Northwest Florida.
Our college has seen many exciting changes this year amid the challenges brought on by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but remaining steadfast is our strong commitment to student success. This fall we are launching several new programs including an associate degree program in Professional Pilot Technology and industry-recognized certificates in Aviation Airframe Mechanics in our brand new Aviation Center of Excellence in Crestview. Furthermore, we will launch nine career-based programs at the new Walton Works Training Center of Excellence at the Chautauqua Center in DeFuniak Springs. There are still a few seats left in the inaugural Medical Laboratory Technician Program based at our Fort Walton Beach Campus. If you are interested in this program, I encourage you to email MLT@nwfsc.edu. We are continuing to strengthen our industry partnerships to provide a future workforce that enhances community and economic development in our region.
I am pleased to report that NWFSC’s Reaffirmation of Accreditation process concluded last week with a highly successful onsite follow-up visit. Tasked with verifying the report from the College’s virtual site visit conducted in October 2020, the SACSCOC Committee Chair completed a multi-site visit to the Niceville Campus, the Fort Walton Beach Campus, and the Chautauqua Center/DeFuniak Springs to interview students, faculty, and administrators and review supporting documentation that confirmed the College’s compliance with U.S. Department of Education guidelines.
The lights are back on Broadway! We have missed our patrons and this season we have big things to celebrate! Not only have we cultivated an exceptional season, but this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Mattie Kelly Arts Center at Northwest Florida State College. From Broadway and gallery events to concerts, artist series and speakers, we have something for everyone!
Our student-athletes have been on campus this summer hitting the books and the weight room preparing for championship play in all sports again this season. We are looking forward to another exciting year of competition from all teams!
Lastly, our administrative team is continuing to develop the strategic path forward for our college. With student success as our primary goal, we are focusing on ways that we can improve higher education in Northwest Florida. Our mission remains resolute, to improve lives in Northwest Florida, and we will do that one student, one opportunity, and one possibility at a time.
Your future begins here at Northwest Florida State College. Fall term start dates are August 18, September 15 and October 13. We encourage you to visit www.nwfsc.edu to learn more about our programs, or call 850-502-2895 to speak to one of our Student Success Navigators. Enroll today!
The Importance of Insurance Loss Documentation
By Matthew Vanderford, Claimology
The most common thing that makes it difficult to recover from property damage, whether it’s water damage to your home from a broken pipe or smoke damage ruining your antiques to mold damage destroying everything in your business, is the fact there are so many details in accurately preparing and filing insurance loss documentation, recalling effected items (not just property), and what needs to be replaced by the insurance company. Frequently, when I’ve had to ask insureds about what contents were damaged, what the house contained, what types of materials were used, what backup systems their business had for record keeping, unfortunately a lot of times…the answers are the same. “I’m not sure,” “I have to see,” “I don’t really know,” or “I have to make some calls.” YIKES!
When it comes to property and business damage – there is really one thing to remember—be prepared. In business, it comes a little easier to be prepared and have strategies in place in the event major wind damage allows water in the building or a fire damage ruins a portion of the property and the company needs to relocate to keep operating. But you’d be surprised how many business owners can’t find one of the most important pieces of information when a loss occurs – THE INSURANCE POLICY! Homeowners and Condominium Associations have the same trouble too; when an emergency happens, everyone starts to scramble to find out the details of their insurance policy! Properly recording damages and prepping insurance loss documentation is vital to ensure that if you have the right insurance coverage, you receive what you’ve paid premiums for! So, here’s some helpful tips on what to do before the storms of life makes things hectic.
• Have on file a Complete Copy of your insurance policy. This can be requested from your insurance agent or insurance company directly.
• Keep a copy of the insurance policy online. Ask your insurance agent or insurance company to email it to you if possible.
• Keep all your most important papers, records and valuables in safe and secure place; a safe is a GREAT place!
• Take the time to photograph your property once a year – especially after remodeling, updating home or office furniture and electronics.
• See if you can find a copy of the blue prints or architectural drawings – you may want to pay someone to draft a copy for general purposes.
• Write down a list of what things cost when you purchased them – in this age you can digitally keep receipts.
• New gifts for the holidays or major purchase at the end of tax season? Document it and add it to your files.
Let’s be honest, most people find it difficult to do the tedious things, but one thing I’ve come to learn and appreciate is the value of details, and, detailing those details…and I think I just came off as Ned Ryerson (Google it)! After years of being involved in insurance claims and property damage restoration, I can say one thing for sure, there is great importance and value in being prepared and setting the stage for recovering what is owed in a legitimate insurance claim; accurate insurance loss documentation, should lead to accurate indemnification.
For a fast and easy way to keep all your important files and photos, check out Google’s app called Google Drive (there’s a direct link to check it out – many companies and professionals use it for its ease).
Here’s an old Cub Scout motto to motivate: ”Always Be Prepared!”
MKAF Names 2021 Festival of the Arts Poster Art Contest Winner!
Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation (MKAF) announces talented artist, Estelle Grengs, this year’s Festival of the Arts poster contest winner. Born and raised in New Hampshire, Estelle is a self-taught artist that molds a unique and whimsical folk-art style that embraces her experiences growing up in New England as well as her adventures as an Air Force spouse. Estelle uses mostly acrylics, but enjoys the versatility that mixed media art offers her pieces. Through vivid, bold colors, Estelle continues to create lively and happy artwork for her each and every customer. You can find Estelle’s work on her website estellegrengsart.com, at her new gallery located in Freeport, FL, and at many galleries along Florida’s Emerald Coast.
“Winning this prestigious award back in 2018 blossomed my art career. To win the Mattie Kelly poster contest again in 2021 is a complete honor. I am forever grateful to the Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation for continuing to support my dreams as an artist,” says Estelle.
As the annual poster art contest winner, Estelle’s award-winning art receives a cash prize of $500. The winning poster becomes the signature artwork to promote the 26th annual festival poster, postcards, the festival guide, t-shirts, and souvenirs, on the MKAF website, social media pages, and more. Festival attendees are invited to view Estelle’s winning art at this year’s Festival of the Arts, where the artwork will be available for purchase. In addition, the art is featured on this year’s official poster and a festival t-shirt.
“We’re excited to have Estelle’s vibrant, colorful artwork this year for our posters and t-shirts. This represents Estelle’s fourth win in the poster competition. All festival goers can find her original artwork in booth #1,” says Deb Nissley, MKAF Festival Producer.
Known as one of Northwest Florida’s premier fine arts shows, the MKAF Festival of the Arts is one of the most anticipated cultural events of the year. The 26th annual event is set for Oct. 30 – 31 at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village in Destin. This event is FREE to attendees.
During the Festival, artists from across the U.S. will offer up their original artwork in the form of oil, watercolor, acrylic and glass paintings; photography, sculpture, pottery, wood, paper, fiber, mosaics, mixed media, jewelry designs, and more in order to compete for $10,000 in cash prizes in 27 award categories, including the coveted “Best in Show” and “People’s Choice Award” which is selected by festival fans. The Festival also features a Collaborative Art Exhibit, which showcases select artwork of more than 60 community adult and student artists.
A celebration of art, music, food, and family fun, special features of the Festival include a live music lineup, arts, and craft activities for children, souvenir posters, t-shirts and more.
For more information on MKAF events, community outreach programs, volunteering, or investing in the arts, visit online at MKAF.org or call (850) 650-2226 to get involved.
Local Business Owner Launches NFT Digital Art Gallery
By Shantelle Dedicke
Greg Fisher is no stranger to the excitement of starting a new project. In 2009, he and his partners founded TripShock!, an online marketplace that allows activity and tour providers to sell their products and services to travelers across several different advertising mediums. Greg understands how to build a successful digital business, and now, he’s joining a new digital community to create the world’s first non-fungible token (NFT) virtual art gallery. MAHI Project is a crypto-backed collection of digital art NFT’s that will be displayed in a virtual public gallery. The project uses its own ERC20 token, MAHI, as a currency, enabling the purchase of NFT’s and governance of its protocol. A group of curators and association managers ensures the sustainability and proper governance of the network. The token can be actively traded on the UNISWAP V2 exchange, which gives anyone the ability to invest and support the project.
The MAHI Project recently opened a call to digital arts and creators specializing in marine wildlife and ocean landscapes with the plan of completing the project’s first curation by Thanksgiving 2021. Interested artists submit their original works of art on the project’s website at mahitoken.org. Chosen artists benefit from a virtual gallery showing, promotion, and exposure across social media and other digital platforms and 50,000 MAHI tokens in exchange for an original, custom piece. Artists may choose to hold tokens as personal investments or sell them after one year. MAHI is serious about marine life protection and ocean conservation, with 10% of the MAHI token supply reserved to support ocean conservation agencies.
When asked to describe the MAHI Project, Greg stated, “We are not creating a corporation, the MAHI project is a community of individuals who care about marine life and ocean conservation, and we believe that art is a unique platform to generate awareness while providing a digital gallery for artists and creators to display their work. We are looking for originality and creativity, and for this first curation.” The project team plans to open the first virtual gallery exhibition with 20 unique works of art from 20 digital creators.
A committee selects submitted works and unique works representing the following categories:
• beauty and majesty of the ocean and/or its marine life
• the impact of rising sea levels and pollution
• people who rely on the ocean for their livelihood
• the efforts of conservationists, scientists, and those fighting to protect the oceans.
Additional scoring criteria include the complexity of digital technology and demonstrated professional quality. The artist’s creations must be original, and art listed on any other NFT marketplace will not be accepted. For more information on the MAHI project and to submit digital works of art for consideration, visit mahitoken.org.
Meet Okaloosa County’s Patt Maney: An Uncommon Freshman Legislator
By Kenneth Books
Florida state representatives call one another “Rep.” But Okaloosa County’s newest legislator presented sitting representatives with a quandary. What do you call a man who is a retired brigadier general, a retired circuit judge and now a state representative?
They solved the problem, Patt Maney said, by referring to him as “GJR.”
“There are a good number of veterans in the (Florida House of Representatives) freshman class,” he said. “But veterans generally call me general. Lawyers call me judge. They couldn’t figure out what to call me.”
Patt, 73, a Kentucky native who has lived in Florida since 1975, challenged three other candidates for an open seat on the Florida House of Representatives in 2020, besting them in the Republican Party primary in August and defeating Democrat John Plante and write-in candidate Lance Lawrence to succeed current Okaloosa County Commissioner Mel Ponder. He took the oath of office on Nov. 4, the day after the election.
“Not surprisingly, I’m the oldest freshman in the class,” Patt said with a chuckle. “The youngest was 26. They call us the bookends.”
Patt move to Okaloosa County in 1975, where he practiced law for 15 years before his appointment as a judge with Florida’s First Judicial Circuit in 1989. An Army reservist, he sustained wounds during a tour of duty in Afghanistan. After his recovery, he tentatively resumed his post on the bench. On Jan. 31, 2016, he became the longest-serving county or circuit judge to preside within the First Judicial Circuit. He retired from the bench in May 2018, the same month he turned seventy, Florida’s mandatory retirement age for judges. He retired from the Army Reserve in 2007 with the rank of brigadier general.
Early in his term in the House, Patt had a plan. “I focused first on policy issues, then moved to appropriations,” he said. And, he added, he got plenty of help from old hands. “Chris Sprowls, the Speaker of the House, and his leadership team put on a great program to get freshmen a common base of knowledge,” Patt said. “The staff has been very friendly and responsive.”
He said Sprowls is also gifted at keeping civil. “He told the whole house this isn’t like Washington and we’re not going to have the same atmosphere. We’re going to debate policy and try to pass laws that are beneficial to the entire state. He keeps people on the subject and I appreciate that. He’s reached across the aisle to treat the (Democratic) minority party fairly.”
Not that his early service in the House hasn’t been without hitches. “I was surprised that being a freshman in the House is largely like being a freshman in high school,” he said. “You don’t know where you’re going, but you don’t want to be late. And the upperclassmen tend to tease or prank freshmen.”
For example, Patt was presenting a bill to a committee and referred to the chair as “ranking member.” A senior legislator chimed in with “Don’t you know her first name?”
Another time, he said, a freshman representative was talking about an education bill by acronym. A senior committee member asked him what the acronym stood for and he drew a blank. “They pounced on him,” Patt said, noting that the banter is good natured rather than malicious. “Most people don’t expect to know that legislators harass each other,” he said.
Right now, Patt is awaiting his committee assignments for the upcoming session. “I’m really interested in education, workforce development and infrastructure,” he said. “And not surprisingly in veteran’s affairs and judicial issues.”
Patt said his concept of infrastructure is not limited to bricks and mortar, but includes quality of life issues such as the environment. “I’ve sponsored several water projects,” he said. “You’ve got to have clean water to survive and for our communities to grow.”
Patt and his wife, Caroline, have been married 50 years and have raised two daughters, Lindsay and Sarah, who have given them six grandchildren. He’s determined to be a force for good in his adopted Okaloosa County. “My goal is to be a very effective freshman legislator in representing the people of Okaloosa County and improving life for the state at large,” he said.
