Community Happenings 4-13

All area codes are 850 unless specified.

Florida Trail Association

The Florida Trail Association will hold the following events. Visit http://westgate.floridatrail.org or call the listed number. 

•April 15-23: Panhandle Trace, nine day hikes from Ft. Pickens to the Alabama line north of Blackwater River State Forest, at 7 a.m. Call 776-5147.

•April 17: Hike at 7 a.m. near Navarre. Call 776-5147 or 434-8861.

•April 23: Ten-mile hike near DeFuniak Springs at 8:30 a.m. Eglin recreation permit required. Call 682-6098.

•April 24: Hike at 7 a.m. near Milton. Call 776-5147 or 434-8861.

•April 26: Monthly meeting at 6 p.m. at Ed’s Hometown Seafood & Steaks in Niceville. Call 546-1172.

•April 30: Canoe or kayak for a paddle on Juniper Creek in Santa Rosa County at 8:30 a.m. Call 484-9111.

Senior Program

Bridgeway Senior Program will deliver the following meals the week of April 11-15:

•Wednesday: Turkey breast.

•Thursday: Grilled pork patty.

•Friday: Hamburgers.

Celebrity Server Luncheon

Bonefish Grill in Destin and Newman-Dailey Resort Properties will host a Celebrity Server Luncheon to benefit United Way of Okaloosa/Walton County and the American Cancer Society on April 14. First seating is 11 a.m. to noon and second seating is 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.  Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at 837-1071, luv2relay@cox.net or lsanders@ndrp.com.

Boating seminar

A free boating seminar, Anchoring, will be held at 5:30 p.m. April 14 at the West Marine store in Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach. Call 315-0686.

•May 5: Hurricanes and Boats.

Pinwheel Ceremony

The Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center will host a pinwheel ceremony for Okaloosa County at 10 a.m. April 15 at McDonald’s in Niceville, 1090 John Sims Parkway. A field of pinwheels will be planted. Attendees are encouraged to wear royal blue, the color for Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Tax Day Rally

The Third Annual Tax Day Rally, sponsored by the Niceville-Valparaiso Tea Party and Fl Panhandle Patriots, will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. April 15 in front of Niceville City Hall. There will be music, speakers and food available for purchase.

Scout-O-Rama

Scout-O-Rama 2011 will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 16 at Uptown Station in Fort Walton Beach. The event will feature many Cub and Boy Scout events with free games, demos, crafts and community booths. A WEBELOS Crossover Recognition Ceremony begins at 4 p.m. A Scout movie begins at sundown on the Central Park big screen.

Belk’s Charity Sale

Local charities, schools and nonprofit organizations will benefit from Belk’s Charity Sale from 6 to 10 a.m. April 16. The first 100 customers will receive a free Belk gift card and three lucky winners company-wide will receive a gift card valued at $1,000. In addition, all participating charities and schools will be automatically registered to win one of three $1,000 donations from Belk in a company-wide drawing. Participating local charities will sell tickets in advance of the event and all proceeds from each $5 ticket will be retained by the charity. Tickets may also be purchased at Belk stores with all in-store ticket sale donations divided among the participating charities and schools in each location.

Cooking demonstration

The Fresh Market’s Fresh Flavors Cooking Demo, featuring Mediterranean Meatballs with Nicoise Style Tuna Salad and Grape Lime Cooler, will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. April 16 at the Fresh Market in Destin, 4495 Commons Drive West. The event is free.

Ballet Académie auditions

 The Northwest Florida Ballet Académie will hold auditions for incoming third grade students for the 2011-2012 school year on April 16 and 17 and May 7 and 8 at the Northwest Florida Ballet studios, 310 Perry Ave. SE in Fort Walton Beach.  Those auditioning must register in advance.  A parent open house will also be held on May 3. For more information call 664-7787 or visit www.nfballet.org.

Cruise Planning

A five-week boating course, “Cruise Planning”, will be held at 6 p.m. Mondays beginning April 18 at the Anchorage Building, 404 Green Acres Road in Fort Walton Beach. Attendees should arrive early the first night for administrative tasks. The course covers all a boater needs to know for weekend outings, vacations, long-range trips and rendezvous. Call 582-1483.

Senior Program

Bridgeway Senior Program will deliver the following meals the week of April 18-22:

•Monday: Pork patty.

•Tuesday: Oven fried chicken.

•Wednesday: Sloppy Joe.

•Thursday: Chicken salad.

•Friday: Glazed ham.

Career & Job Fair

The Career Resource Center at Northwest Florida State College and the University of West Florida – Emerald Coast are recruiting area businesses for an upcoming Career & Job Fair scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon April 20 at the college’s joint campus in Fort Walton Beach. Companies from all business sectors are invited to reserve a table to spotlight current, future, full-time, part-time, temporary, internship, and summer hiring needs. Participation is free. To obtain a registration form and more information, call 729-5227.

Educational seminar

Rhonda Jordan, RN, branch director for Emerald Coast Hospice Fort Walton Beach, will present a free educational seminar, “Determining Eligibility for Hospice”, at 2 p.m. April 21 at Hawthorn House. Refreshments will be provided.  Call 862-1069.

Stitch-in

The Sand Dunes Chapter of Embroiderers' Guild of America will host a public stitch-in from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 21 at the Books-A-Million bookstore in Destin Commons. Guild members will demonstrate various stitching techniques, answer questions, and discuss guild activities. Call 496-3466.

Beach cleanup

Volunteers of all ages are invited to participate from 8 to 11 a.m. April 23 at Beasley Park on Okaloosa Island, Beach Park east of SurfDweller on Okaloosa Island, and Henderson Beach State Park in Destin to collect marine debris. Volunteers receive free T-shirt. Visit www.co.okaloosa.fl.us/living_environment_beach.html.

ACT/SAT workshop

A workshop to assist students in Okaloosa County High Schools who will take the June 11 ACT and the June 4 SAT will be held from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. May 10-12 and 16-18 at Fort Walton Beach High School. All materials, snacks and drinks are furnished. Students need to bring calculators. Registration deadline is April 25. For information, contact Alice Hart at 615-585-2401, email Amhart1966@aol.com or contact your high school Guidance Department.

Art Auction

Artwork is needed from community members, parents, students and staff for an Art Auction to be held at 5:30 p.m. April 28 in the Destin Middle School Media Center. Donations are tax deductible. Proceeds will benefit Literacy Initiatives at DMS. Pieces, to include drawings, paintings, sculpture, photography, jewelry, woodwork and needlecraft, are needed by April 18. To donate, call 855-7719 or email armstrongk@mail.okaloosa.k.12.fl.us.

 Environmental Symposium

The Mattie M. Kelly Cultural & Environmental Institute at Northwest Florida State College will host the fourth annual Mattie Kelly Environmental Symposium on the Choctawhatchee Basin from 8 a.m. to noon April 29 at the college’s Niceville campus. The registration fee is $25 and includes all symposium materials and a continental breakfast during registration. Register online at www.mattiekellyinstitute.org or in person at the event.

Waterford Wedgwood 

Master Glass Blower Gerard Treacy will sign Waterford Crystal from 12 to 6 p.m. April 29 and Michael Doulton, a descendent of the Royal Doulton family, will sign Royal Doulton and Royal Albert collectibles May 21 at Waterford Wedgwood at Silver Sands Factory Stores. Waterford Wedgwood is now accepting pre-sales and phone orders at 650-1636.

Great Strides Walk

Army Aviation Center Federal Credit Union branches will hold various fundraisers to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation before The Emerald Coast Great Strides Walk April 30 at Village Baptist Church in Destin. Please consider making a donation.

Choctawhatchee Audubon Society

A bird walk to the Fort Walton Beach spray fields and holding ponds with Don Ware will be held April 30. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at FWB Coach-N-Four restaurant. Call 862-6582.

MAY

WAM! Conference

Shelter House will hold its WAM! Conference from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 7 at Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort. The Coupon Queen, Susan Samtur, will give keynote address. Tickets are $15 and include breakfast, lunch and money breakout sessions. For more information on sponsorship opportunities, call 243-1201.

Civil War Speaker series

The City of Fort Walton Beach Heritage Park & Cultural Center will host a free public speaker series, “Civil War Sesquicentennial Speaker Series” in honor of the upcoming 150th anniversary of the American Civil War. Local historians and archaeologists will give talks on different Civil War topics

The speaker schedule includes:

•May 7: Dr. Richard Lewis, “Women and Slavery”, 1 p.m.

•June 11: David Ogden, “Pensacola Forts and the Civil War”, 1 p.m.

Little Black Dress Party

The White-Wilson Center for Women’s Imaging has partnered with local organizations to host the second annual Little Black Dress Party and to give away 10 Total Woman’s Health Packages. Package includes screening mammogram, bone density scan, little black dress from Dillard’s, Life Balance package from Success with Desley, massage from It’s All About You Massage and Day Spa, $75 gift card and two tickets to the Little Black Dress Party May 21 at the Emerald Coast Convention Center.

To be eligible, you must be a woman, a resident of Okaloosa, Walton or Santa Rosa Counties and 18 years of age by March 31. To register, visit www.fwblittleblackdressparty.com. 

Tickets for the party are $60 and all proceeds will benefit Shelter House, Opportunity Inc. and local chapters of The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association. Call 863-8204 for tickets, or visit www.fwblittleblackdressparty.com.

Boating course

An America’s Boating Course will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 21 at the Anchorage, 404 Green Acres Road in Fort Walton Beach. Call 863-0874.

Boating course

America’s Safe Boating Course will be held at 9 a.m. May 30 at Treasure Island Marina, 327 Harbor Blvd. in Destin. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost is $35 and includes text, lunch, tour of the station and the examination. Pre-register at 865-9130 or 217-2918.

JobsPlus

The JobsPlus Mobile One Stop will be at the Destin Community Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the third Thursday of each month. Services include unemployment compensation, job search assistance and Employ Florida Marketplace registration.

Destin Library

The following events are held regularly at the Destin Library. Call 837-8572

•Tai Chi for Arthritis: At 7 a.m.  Wednesdays. Cost is $5/class.

•Cuddlers & Toddlers Storytime: From 3 to 3:45 p.m. Tuesdays and 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. Thursdays for ages 4 months to 4 years.

•Independent Film Series: Independent and foreign films shown at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month.

•Friends of the Destin Library: Monthly meeting held at 10 a.m. the second Friday of each month.

Destin Community Center

All activities are at the Destin Community Center, unless noted. Call 654-5184 for information and to register. Persons with disabilities who require assistance are asked to notify the center 48 hours in advance.

•Chair yoga: At 10 a.m. Thursdays. Cost: $3/class.

•Destin seniors: Activities each month for active seniors. See separate calendar of events at the Community Center or call Pat Markey at 685-5309.

•Duplicate bridge: At 9:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays and 12:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Entry fee: $6. No partner needed.

•Game room: Open to children 10 and older and under 10 accompanied by adult from 1 to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday.

•Intermediate party bridge: Mondays and Tuesdays at Buck Destin Park. Call 837-1967.

•Jazzercise class: 6 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

•Kids Klub: Afterschool care for students primarily of Destin Elementary from 3 to 5:30 p.m.

•Low impact aerobics: 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Bring water and a towel. Cost: $3/session.

•Open gym: Adult Full Court, 6 to 8 p.m. Monday. Wednesday and Friday, pending special events.

•Table tennis: 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays.

•Volleyball: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Call ahead.

•Zumba: 11 a.m. Thursdays.