ARTS+CULTURE

28th Annual Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation ‘Festival of the Arts’ expands to three days

The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation’s 28th annual Festival of the Arts will celebrate visual arts, music, theater and food in Destin, Florida from Oct. 27-29.

• The festival opens Friday evening with the Arty Kick-Off Party at the Henderson Beach Resort featuring live painting by award-winning artist Kathy Schumacher and music by Coconut Radi. Tickets to the party are $75.

The signature two-day festival held in tents at the Dugas Pavilion green will feature over 100 artists from 17 states. Mediums on display range from oil paintings and photography to mixed media, mosaics, sculpture and more. Festival admission is free.

“To enrich this year’s Festival, we’ve added the Arty Kick-Off Party at Henderson Beach Resort on Friday, a VIP Sponsor Loung, and a fun immersive experience for kids with Maxine Orange’s Splatter Studio — we hope you enjoy it all,” said MKAF Festival Producer Deb Nissley. 

• In celebration of visual arts, artists will compete for over $12,000 in prizes awarded by judges Carrie Ann Baade and Dale Castellucci. Festivalgoers can also vote for the People’s Choice award winner. A collaborative exhibit will showcase both seasoned and local student artists vying for $850 in McIlroy Awards.

• In a celebration of music and theater, the lineup includes 7 music acts spanning jazz, rock, bluegrass and more. New this year, members of the Stage Crafters Community Theatre will perform live scenes.

• To highlight culinary arts, the festival will feature food vendors serving up dishes like Latin cuisine, Asian cuisine, Texas BBQ, sweets and more. A beer and wine garden will also be available.

The festival provides interactive fun for all ages, including a hands-on art studio, souvenir tent, and art drawing with donated works by featured artist Roger van Lieshout. Free shuttles from Destin High School and Emerald Coast Centre provide transportation.

Festival proceeds benefit the foundation’s arts education programs serving students, adults and veterans. More information can be found at www.MKAF.org.

SCHOOL

Local schools to host ‘See You At The Pole’ prayer gatherings this Wednesday

Students across Okaloosa are planning to gather around the flagpoles at their schools on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 to pray for their campuses, communities and country.

The annual “See You At The Pole” event draws students together to intercede for their schools and connect with God. This student-initiated, student-organized and student-led event will take place at majority of the schools across Okaloosa County:

• Cinco Bayou Christian School – 8:30am
• Choctawhatchee High School – 6:30am in front of the stadium
• Crestview High School – 6:30am in front of the stadium
• Destin High School – 10:45am
• Fort Walton Beach – unconfirmed, but typically takes place around 6:30am.
• Niceville High School – unconfirmed, but typically takes place around 6:30am.
• Rocky Bayou Christian School

The movement started in 1990 with a small group of teenagers in Texas who came together for prayer before school. It has since grown into a global event with millions participating each year on the fourth Wednesday of September.

If your school wasn’t listed, there is a good chance they have something planned. Please contact your school today for specific times and locations.

THINGS TO DO

Community yard sale coming to Destin on October 21

The City of Destin will host a community yard sale on Saturday, October 21, 2023 at Dewey “Buck” Destin Park.

The sale is scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon at the park. Sellers can reserve spots for $15 for Destin residents, free for Destin Senior members and $20 for non-residents. The fee includes one table and two chairs.

• Set-up starts at 7 a.m. that Saturday. The sale is limited to one city-provided table per reservation, but sellers can bring extra tables from home.

To reserve a selling spot or for more information, call the Destin Community Center at 850-654-5184.

POLICE BLOTTER

Okaloosa Sheriff’s Office seeks IDs of suspects passing counterfeit bills in Destin

Authorities are seeking to identify three people for questioning in connection with counterfeit $100 bills passed recently at several Destin businesses.

• The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office said the pair may be traveling in a white 2022 Nissan Rogue with California license plates.

Investigators are asking anyone with information about the identities of the two people or with additional details about the case to contact the sheriff’s office at 850-651-7400 or Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS, emeraldcoastcrimestoppers.com or the P3 Tips mobile app.

NEWS

A new FWB City Council-member will be selected tonight. Here’s what we can expect.

The Fort Walton Beach City Council has two important meetings scheduled for tonight, September 26th. Here’s what local residents can expect:

Regular Meeting at 4:00pm:

• Recognition of students receiving civic awards.
• Second reading of ordinances on animal control and purchasing thresholds.
• Appointments to various boards and authorities.
• Discussion on city hall parking lot and Liza Jackson Park improvements.
• Monthly reports from City Manager and City Attorney.
• Selection of new council-member from list of 7 nominees to fill vacant seat. The current nominees include Brandon Bishop, Ryan Hartman, Jason Harwell, John Mead, Jeff Pendleton, Debra Riley and Sharon Trenary.

Special Meeting at 6:00pm:

• Adoption of updated fee schedule for FY 2023-24.
• Adoption of final millage rate and budget for FY 2023-24.
• Millage rate set to remain flat at 4.9999 mills.

The full agenda details can be found at the city’s website.

COASTAL RESOURCES

239-foot vessel will be second largest artificial reef in Destin-Fort Walton Beach

A new artificial reef is coming to the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area thanks to a Tri-County partnership between the Tourist Development Departments in Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach, and Walton County.

In late February, the Okaloosa Tourist Development Council approved allocating funds from tourist taxes to support the next phase of the County’s 5-Year Artificial Reef Plan. This plan included acquiring and deploying a 239-foot former (oil) well stimulation vessel called the R/V DEEP STIM III as an artificial reef.

The vessel, which was constructed in the 1990s for offshore oil exploration, will now become the second largest artificial reef off the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast when it is deployed in October. 

• “This deployment will demonstrate how a joint project such as this will work and pave the way for a future larger-scale project,” Fogg said. 

The vessel was originally quoted at $1.8 million to acquire, clean, prepare, tow and deploy as an artificial reef but was reduced to $750,000 for the entire project. Additional funding from the Emerald Coast Reef Association and South Walton Reef Association will pay for extra reef modules to be added to the deck to enhance the marine habitat. 

• Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) also contributed funds specifically for the towing fees to bring the ship to its final destination. 

Once deployed, the vessel will be accessible to a wide range of dive levels as it sits in a range of depths from approximately 70-feet at the top of the wheelhouse to 135-feet at the sand. The majority of the vessel deck will sit at 100-feet, ideal for an advanced dive experience. 

In addition to diving, the 65-foot high-relief site will provide an outstanding fishing location and provide habitat for popular species like Amberjack. The added reef modules enhance the overall habitat and will attract fishing favorites such as Grouper and Snapper. 

• The vessel will be deployed in the eastern extent of Large Area Artificial Reef Site A approximately 22 NM from Destin East pass, 29 NM St Andrews Pass and 16.5 NM due south of Walton County. 

Fogg explained that the tri-county partnership allows for expanding artificial reef programs that attract divers and anglers.

• “Our area boasts a significant amount of fishing and diving so it only makes sense that we work together to increase the opportunities,” he said. “Collaborative projects like this will open the door for future opportunities that continue to benefit locals, visitors and the environment.”

The massive steel vessel, free of hazardous materials like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), fuels, plastic and non metal items will create a unique, high-relief diving and fishing location. Advanced divers can explore the deeper levels of the vessel including the added models to the deck, while novice divers can explore the shallower wheelhouse and mast. For fishing, the structure will attract a wide variety of fishing favorites such as Grouper, Snapper, Amberjack, and Cobia. 

With county funding supporting preparation and deployment, local nonprofit groups like the Emerald Coast Reef Association and CCA were able to target donations specifically for enhancements like additional reef modules and towing costs. This allowed the project to expand in scope and impact.

According to Fogg, the artificial reef system plays an important role for the local community and economy. Having a robust system not only diversifies the available habitat but it attracts more visitors interested in fishing and diving adventures. He explained that artificial reefs also benefit the environment by providing habitat for marine life. 

The Destin-Fort Walton Beach artificial reef initiative demonstrates the area’s commitment to ecological stewardship and expanding opportunities for visitors and locals to experience the natural beauty of the area both above and below the water’s surface. Collaborative projects like the R/V DEEP STIM III artificial reef showcase how multiple partners can come together to make a significant positive impact.

The Okaloosa Coastal Resource Team plans to deploy the week of October 16, pending good weather conditions.

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