Member News: Free Shredding Event, New Breakfast Menu, Royall Rumble Cobia Tournament & More

Wyndham Vacation Rentals Offers Properties in TripAdvisor’s “Top 25 Beaches”
Wyndham Vacation Rentals offers vacation rental accommodations in three of the “Top 25 Beaches” as named by TripAdvisor®, including Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, and Panama City Beach, Fla. The 2014 Travelers' Choice™ Awards for beaches in the United States featured 25 locations, 10 of which are located in the state of Florida, and three of those 10 in Northwest Florida. Pensacola Beach was ranked 19th, Panama City Beach was ranked 20th, and Navarre Beach was ranked 25th in the category of Top 25 Beaches – United States. To learn more about what to do and where to stay in Northwest Florida, guests should visithttp://www.wyndhamvacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/florida/northwest-florida/.

Hilton Sandestin Named in “30 Best Meeting Site Boardrooms” by ConventionSouth
For the second consecutive year, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has been named among the 30 Best Meeting Site Boardrooms by ConventionSouth magazine. Including notable hotels and meeting facilities from around the southeastern United States, the list of top 30 boardrooms was created by editors based on a variety of factors, including comfortable seating, interesting decor, high-tech capabilities, and more. For more information on Hilton Sandestin Beach or to book a meeting at Destin’s premier resort hotel, visit HiltonSandestinBeach.com or call (850) 267-9600.

South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival Unveils Interactive Mobile App
A new interactive mobile event App for South Walton Beaches Wine and Food Festival, which is set for April 24-27, is designed to make the festival experience more engaging and interactive for attendees. Event Live, the festival’s official App, helps consumers find local events from any geographic location. It also helps event organizers stay in touch with their audience. For more information, including a list of attending celebrity winemakers and to purchase tickets, visitwww.SoWalWine.com. Event founding partners include Grand Boulevard at Sandestin, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, and more.

BBB® partners to Combat Identity Theft
Your BBB, along with Gilmore Services, Cat Country 98.7 FM and WEAR-TV3, is offering individuals an opportunity to shred their sensitive data on Friday, April 25. This shredding event is free to the public and will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Cordova Mall in Pensacola and Santa Rosa Mall in Mary Esther. In addition to shredding, resources on how to protect your identity will be provided. An individual may bring up to 50 pounds of sensitive information to be shredded. Documents to be shredded should be removed from binders, but staples and paper clips are acceptable. Please do not tie bags or tape boxes! For details, visit bbb.org.

Kiwanis of Niceville-Valparaiso Help Children in Crisis Kiwanis Club of Niceville-Valparaiso members donated their time during a recent workday, called "Kiwanis One Day," to help make The Children in Crisis Neighborhood look great. The work group included about 15 Kiwanis members and 35 military members from the Detachment 3, Hurlburt Field Tactical Air Control Party training school, led by 2nd Lt. Caleb Ingels of Austin Texas. The volunteers pressure washed all the homes, completed normal grounds maintenance, and did a variety of other tasks. Those pictured include J McEntire, Kiwanis President Stan Claypool, CIC President & CEO Ken Hair, Steve Baldock, Vern McGraw, Tim Parsons, Ed Dunbar, and Judy Boudreaux. To learn more about CIC, call (850) 864-4242 or visit www.childrenincrisisfl.org.

Covenant Hospice Offers Free Evening Education Series 
Covenant Hospice will offer a free seminar, “Customer Service for Healthcare Professionals,” on Tuesday, April 15, at 5:15 p.m. at its Fort Walton Beach branch office, 220 Eglin Parkway NE in Mariner Plaza. Kathleen Doran, R.N. and Edie Henley, R.N., CHPN will present the course. Seminar attendees can expect to learn about facts supporting the importance of customer service, the components of quality customer service, tactics for achieving this high level of service, and ways to “wow” customers. For more information about Covenant Hospice or to make a hospice inquiry, contact the local branch offices in Fort Walton Beach (850-729-1800) and Crestview (850-682-3628) or visit www.covenanthospice.org.

"Top of the Class" Opening Reception 
The A+Art, Committee of the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, presents the annual juried exhibition “Top of the Class” from April 4 until May 30, 2014. The exhibition is at the Northwest Florida State College South Walton Center at 109 Greenway Trail in Santa Rosa Beach. The artists in the exhibition include Susan Alfieri, Charlotte Arnold, Melody Bogle, Donnelle Clark, Heather Clements, Maria Dante, Judy Dewar, Carol Dickson, Joanna Ellington, Allison Hicks, Dinett, Hok, JoAnne Jones, Lois Kennedy, Suzanne LeLoup-West, Bonita Loman, Susan Lucas, Theresia McInnis, Kristina Perry, Susan Richardson, Kathleen Schumacher, Janet and Steve Thomas, Tanis Thomas, Joan Vienot, Richard Weber, Ann Welch, Lynn Wilson, and Mary Zahner.

Destin Water Users Wins “Best Tasting Drinking Water Contest 2014”  Drink up, Destin, Florida: The city’s tap water is among the tastiest in the state. The residents of Destin won bragging rights on March 6 , for having the best-tasting tap water in the 4-County Area, which includes Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties. Four utilities entered which included Emerald Coast Utility Authority (ECUA), Destin Water Users (DWU), People’s Water, and Auburn Water System. Contest judges were Ted Corcoran, President/CEO FWB Chamber; Don David III, Financial Advisor Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and past Director of DWU; and Doug Barr, Past Executive Director of the Northwest Florida Water Management District, who is now doing private consulting on water supply issues. The state contest is April 8. Have You Seen our Spring Break Discount Event? It is Happening Now! The Emerald Coast VIP discount Dining Card is a local business that aims to inform locals and visitors in our beautiful area, while assisting them get to know many of the best restaurants along the coast by means of enjoying unusual discounts and free items! We are welcoming more participating locally owned restaurants, shops, cafes, and bakeries every week! We invite everyone to learn more by visiting our site at ECVIPcard.com. All of our upcoming Dining Events and other local events are posted for your convenience, so please visit our site often. Sandestin Wine Festival Makes FlipKey’s List Flipkey.com, TripAdvisor’s vacation rental company, recently named the Sandestin Wine Festival to its list of nine Top Food & Wine Festivals for 2014. "This award-winning wine festival … is entering its 28th year. Wine novices and aficionados alike will enjoy the experience with ample tastings, celebrity chef dinners, and the ability to purchase discounted wines immediately after falling in love with them. There’s also an ability to purchase rare, hard-to-get wines here. Don’t miss out on the Seafood Cruise or the Champagne Brunch, both are rumored to be the can’t-miss events of this can’t-miss event," according to its website. View the full article here:http://www.flipkey.com/blog/2014/04/03/come-and-get-it-top-food-festivals-for-2014/.

Jim ‘N Nick’s of Destin and Niceville Selected to Serve New Breakfast Menu
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q in Destin and Niceville have been selected as two of only three locations to begin serving breakfast, out of over 30 locations nationwide. Featuring classic southern dishes, such as Chicken and Waffles and Pork & Grits, Jim ‘N Nick’s will also offer traditional breakfast plates, including farm fresh eggs, biscuits made daily from scratch, beef brisket, smoked ham, and more. The Destin location will offer a full-service breakfast menu everyday from 7 - 11 a.m. The drive-thru-only Jim ‘N Nick’s location in Niceville is offering the taco and biscuit breakfast, served daily from 6 - 10:30 a.m. For details, visit www.jimnnicks.com.

Student enjoys Home School Friday Lesson “Be A Curator!” 
With white gloves, homeschool student Kaleb Baker examines artifacts from the Museum’s historic collection during April’s “Home School Friday” program. Each month through June, a different program is presented related to Northwest Florida history. Children and families can enjoy the same program during “Hands-On History” offered one Saturday per month. The Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida is dedicated to providing affordable, family-fun, quality programs based on the Florida core standards for education. Groups welcome. SPACE IS LIMITED! Please pre-register. Call (850) 678-2615.

Legendary Marine Announces "The Royall Rumble" Cobia Tournament
Legendary Marine is hosting The Royall Rumble on April 18-19, a family-friendly fishing tournament for the customers and friends of Legendary Marine. Presented by Legendary Marine and spearheaded by sales consultants and fishing enthusiasts Todd, Travis and Randy Royall, the event is designed to promote a day of fun cobia fishing for the family. Event sponsors include Skeeter Performance Fishing Boats and the Addictive Fishing TV Show, and fishing celebrities will be present. Every boat that includes a Wounded Warrior as part of its fishing crew waives the $50 per boat entry fee. To register and for details, contact the Legendary Marine Ship's Store at (850) 337-8200. For more information, visit www.legendarymarine.com.

MKAF and Ocean Reef Resorts Presents Gimme Abbey
The Mattie Kelly Arts Foundation and Ocean Reef Resorts come together on April 24, to present GIMME ABBEY, a Beatles and Rolling Stones tribute performance by The Return and Satisfaction. Event will happen at the Mattie Kelly Cultural Arts Village. General admission is $15 for MKAF members and $18 for others. Children under 12 are free. Picnic supper club tables are available. Enjoy a charity raffle at intermission. Visithttp://mattiekellyartsfoundation.org/destinfloridaeventsart.html for tickets.

Get Involved this Earth Day
The Okaloosa County Environmental Council invites volunteers of all ages to participate in the Earth Day Beach Cleanup on Saturday, April 12, 2013, from 8-10 a.m. Sponsored by the Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department, the Okaloosa County Environmental Council has organized more than 30,000 volunteers in removing 114,000 pounds of discarded trash from local beaches during beach cleanups held twice each year since 1988. Volunteers of all ages, including family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, youth groups and students are encouraged to participate. Volunteers are invited to sign in at Beasley Park on Okaloosa Island, the Beach Park west of Island Princess on Okaloosa Island, and Henderson Beach State Park in Destin. Receive your “Leave Footprints – NOT Stuff” event T-Shirt, trash bag, bottled water, gloves, and Get a Little Sand in your Soul!

Sacred Heart to Host Joint Replacement Classes April 14 and 28 
The Joint Replacement Program at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast hosts bi-weekly education classes to help people learn more about the joint replacement process. The next classes will take place on Monday, April 14, and Monday, April 28, at 9 a.m. in the hospital’s Resource Center Suite 3 conference room. Led by Linda Ledford, Sacred Heart’s dedicated joint replacement coordinator and registered nurse, the class will focus on what to expect before, during, and after surgery. For more information on the joint replacement process or to attend a class, please call (850) 278-3646. 

Chris J. Ogle Designated a “Premier Advisor” Wells Fargo Advisors has designated Chris J. Ogle, First Vice President- Investment Officer, as a member of the firm’s Premier Advisors Program, a distinction that reflects Chris’s achievement of professional success by meeting or exceeding Wells Fargo Advisors’ high standards as measured by one or more of the firm’s criteria for revenue generation, educational attainment and client-service best practices. Ogle has been a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors for 14 years and has 14 years’ experience in the brokerage industry. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Flagler College. For information, visit www.wellsfargoadvisors.com or call (850) 837-5366.

WSRE's StudioAmped Concert Series to Begin Airing April 3
Season 6 of StudioAmped, WSRE’s popular concert series recorded in front of a live studio audience, began WSRE April 3. Upcoming concerts include the following:
Timberhawk – April 10, at 9 p.m.; April 16, at 10 p.m.
Flow Tribe – April 17, at 9 p.m.; April 23, at 10 p.m.
The Owsley Brothers – April 24, at 9 p.m.; April 30, at 10 p.m.
New Earth Army – May 1, at 9 p.m.; May 7, at 10 p.m. 
Fatty Waters – May 8, at 9 p.m.; May 14, at 10 p.m.

For more information, follow facebook.com/StudioAmped.

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