local business: McCaskill and Co.

It all started with a small suitcase containing a few beautiful pieces of jewelry, gems and pearls mostly, which Bill Campbell carried with him door to door along the Emerald Coast. Fifteen years later, McCaskill & Company is not only owned and run by Campbell, but is renowned as one of the best jewelry stores in the country.

In 1994, Campbell’s suitcase graduated to a kiosk in Seaside, where he commuted seven days a week until moving to the Market Shops in Sandestin where he spent four more years selling jewelry to Florida residents and visitors from a rented space. He never had any other help and worked double shifts – but his wife, Elizabeth, will attest he was so excited about the new venture that he never complained.

After spending more than 20 years running his family’s building supply business, Campbell knew it wasn’t what he wanted to spend the rest of his life doing. As a child, he was fascinated by the beauty and precision of diamonds and precious gems, instilled by his grandmother Gussie McCaskill Campbell. The fascination never left him, instead developing into a full-fledged passion and sparking his career change and the namesake for his own store.

McCaskill & Company’s landmark location, nestled between Destin and Sandestin, opened in 1999. Over the last 15 years, Campbell and his wife have worked together to make exclusive and exquisite jewelry and watches available in the panhandle.

“He had an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream; he followed his heart and it all came together,” said Elizabeth.

Neither Bill nor Elizabeth has a background in the business – just a passion for jewelry. Thanks to following Campbell’s dream, they now love owning and operating McCaskill & Company. With her background in community mental health, Elizabeth left her full-time job to join her husband when the flagship store opened, overseeing the business operations and marketing.

Today, the company has become renowned along 30-A, throughout the South and across the nation as one of the best of the best.

In the past year, the business was recognized in area polls as “Best Jewelry Store” and “Best Place to Splurge on Her.” The store has been featured in Harpers Bazaar magazine as one of the “Best Jewelry & Watch Retailers in America;” Harpers not only looked at reader favorites, but sought wisdom of jewelry connoisseurs across the country. McCaskill & Company has also been designated a “Couture Jeweler” for the last 15 years running, ranking the couple among the top 150 national independent jewelers.

The recognition is a testament to Bill and Elizabeth’s hard work: “We both got into this business as a second career and, in a very short period of time, were able to create something unique and special.”

Meeting with customers who are looking for that special-something for a birthday, anniversary, “Will you marry me?” or other special occasion, the Campbells love coming to work every day.

“We are blessed to be with people at the happiest times of their lives,” described Elizabeth.

And they admit they couldn’t do it without each other. In perfect yin and yang, while Bill spends his time up front greeting and helping customers, Elizabeth is usually in the back working on the business side of things.

“People who visit our store for the first time have never been to a jewelry store quite like it,” Elizabeth explained. “We wanted the store to be warm and inviting, so it feels like home. Our showroom is like a living room [complete with a fireplace and a tray of freshly baked cookies] and our showcases are more gallery-style, with tall pedestals showcasing each designer.”

The Campbells personally know each designer featured in their store. The personal collection started with Henry Dunay, the first to create ‘designer’ jewelry featuring his name with the pieces. He could sense Campbell’s passion and excitement and agreed to meet with him – which quickly led to putting together a collection.

“That opened a door to anyone else,” the couple said. “It provided credibility and other designers immediately trusted us because Henry had put faith in us.”

Oscar Heyman, known for creating the finest precious stone jewelry, was another major name to join the list of designers in the store – and more soon followed. Today, they feature two-dozen renowned designers such as David Yurman, Erica Courtney, Louis Glick, Kwiat, Daniel K and Gurhan. They offer bridal collections from 10 designers and in addition to their line of TAG Heuer luxury sport timepieces, they are the area’s official Rolex jeweler.

This summer, trunk shows in-house will showcase the designs of Alex Sepkus (June 24-25), Konstantino (July 8-9) and Oscar Heyman (July 15-16). The Campbells encourage anyone with an interest in seeing beautiful jewelry to stop by for the shows, even if just to look.

“People come to us not just because of the lines we carry, but because of the feel they get when they come here,” the couple described. “People are often intimated by high-end jewelry, but our staff is so personable and when you stop by, you aren’t a customer – you’re a friend.”

Adjoining their showroom, the Campbells’ daughter Carolyn houses her fashion designer jewelry and accessory boutique, Sarah Carolyn, which greatly complements her parent’s business. Between both stores, there truly is something for everyone.

McCaskill and Company is located at 13390 Highway 98 West in Destin, FL. They are open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. For more information, call (850) 650-2262, email info@mccaskillandcompany.com  or visit www.mccaskillandcompany.com.

relaxation: Salon Baliage and Spa

The casual elegance that exudes from the cities along Coastal Hwy. 30-A (much like that fresh, salty sea air) lends to experiences that make visitors and part-time residents want to return time and time again.

The business owners in the panhandle are no stranger to the draw that this particularly unique location offers. For Joanie Day, it was a clear choice when she opened Salon Baliage & Spa at the Carillon Beach Resort just a year ago, in July 2010.

“I had a previous location farther east, in the heart of Panama City Beach, for about seven years,” Day explained. “The location there drew quite a number of people from the 30-A region, and I knew my business would be more conducive in this locale.”

Day was also confident the atmosphere of the 30-A area would welcome her and provide a niche spot for a spa that emanates that same casually elegant style known to the area. At the Carillon Beach Resort, her discerning clientele are able to enjoy highly personal service and a boutique-style setting that is the antithesis of a large corporate hotel spa. When considering her move, being in a resort setting was a top priority; it was a standard she stuck to – and hasn’t regretted.

“It has been very fulfilling for everyone involved. Clients love the location, in the trees nestled between the lakes here at the resort. It is a serene and beautiful spot,” she said. “Many of the locals are not even aware of the serenity that Carillon Beach has to offer.”

Having originally come from Houston, Tex., Day moved to Florida many years ago (calling herself a genuine Emerald Coast-er these days): “I was in pursuit of a somewhat simpler, more relaxed lifestyle,” she described. “I began as a hairdresser and make-up artist in Houston’s fashion industry. Once in Florida, I saw an opportunity to add a spa to my salon, with the tourist industry and my existing clientele.”

Today, Day continues to have a passion for fashion, and her clients are drawn to her own personal style of casual elegance. For regulars and visitors alike, anyone who comes to Salon Baliage & Spa is treated to the best, with their lifestyle always kept in mind.

“I look specifically to the client to determine what style and amount of upkeep is best for them. My forte is color and I like to keep it natural and trendy,” Day said. “I am all about dimensional color, with an array of shades blended together to give the client’s hair an amazing amount of depth and sheen.”

And now that she is in the 30-A area, Day knew the new location would be a mecca for destination weddings. The business has been much busier these days, with wedding hairstyles and makeup bookings filling up especially quickly now in the summer season. Salon Baliage & Spa not only offers special packages for wedding day hair and makeup, but also spa parties (complete with delicious refreshments and personal service) with options like a manicure/pedicure combination, relaxing massage, body treatment or facial.

“Our second story location is set among the trees for a tranquil glimpse of nature while receiving your services,” Day described. “We also offer one of the only couples room in the area, complete with a private balcony shaded by thick palm trees.”

Salon Baliage & Spa offers cuts, styles and colorings using advanced European techniques with Pureology Color Care products. Customers can enjoy the spa experience with makeup, nail care, waxing, massages, skin care, body treatments and more with additional catering to weddings, special parties and packages for couples.

Salon Baliage & Spa is located in the Carillon Beach Resort located at 100 Market Street, Suite 202 in Panama City Beach, FL. They are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Sundays and Mondays by appointment. For more information or to make an appointment, call (850) 235-1985 or visit www.salonbaliage.com.

‘Pollution is the one big enemy of it all’

If you think one small piece of trash thrown out in the ocean won’t mean anything, think again.

Just ask “Wilma” the dolphin.

Peach and Roy “Captain Hub” Hubbard of Richmond Hill, who own the local Salty Dawg eco-tours and run the Dolphin Project, recently helped save a 2-year-old bottlenose dolphin that was injured thanks to an article of trash that became embedded in its neck about a year ago.

“She reappeared in May and a rescue team was formed. We made plans to try and do the rescue on July 1 and we spotted her in the Wilmington River,” Peach Hubbard said, noting that was how she came up with her name for the dolphin.

The dolphin was spotted near the Thunderbolt marina and the rescue team threw out ring nets to get the dolphin close enough to pull her onto a floating platform, where the team removed an inch-wide and quarter-inch-thick rubber gasket that the dolphin had become entangled in.

“It was like a giant rubber band,” Hubbard explained. “And as the dolphin grew, it just got tighter. We were afraid the dolphin would have to be euthanized, but luckily, it hadn’t broken into any organs.”

Roy Hubbard said they’ll never know where the trash item came from, but it could’ve traveled from as far as Atlanta through creeks and estuary waterways.

“Dangerous pollutions are waste products and runoff,” he said. “Politicians, developers and community leaders need to pay a little more attention to the scientific community.”

When developing the coastline, everyone needs to be “far more responsible and aware of how we are connected to our environment,” Peach Hubbard added.

Ocean mammals are good environmental indicators. If they are in trouble, it indicates the ecosystem as a whole is, too.

“If you’re a fisherman, you need to be concerned about the health of the aquatic animals right down to the periwinkle snail – it’s all the beginning of the food chain. It’s all connected,” Roy Hubbard said. “Pollution is the one big enemy of the whole thing – and it’s all human-generated.”

During the rescue, the team administered antibiotics, measured and tagged the dolphin, took tissue and blood samples and a sample of the virus that was growing on the dolphin’s neck as a result of infection.

For Wilma, there was a happy ending.

“They determined it was healthy enough to release it,” Peach Hubbard said. “The interesting thing was – the dolphin was calm through the whole thing – t was like she knew she was being helped.”

If anyone sees Wilma, please contact Dr. Tara Cox at Savannah State University because the rescue team will continue to track and study the dolphin. Wilma’s pink dorsal tag will look like either a “9″ or a “6.” Reach Cox at 356-2310 or coxt@savstate.edu. Please keep in mind the Marine Mammal Protection Act requires humans to stay at least 50 yards away from any marine mammals.

July’s dolphin rescue team included 30 people from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Georgia DNR, University of North Carolina Wilmington, University of Georgia, Savannah State University, Jekyll Island Sea Turtle Center, and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, Fla. Roy Hubbard noted there was a core rescue group, with additional scientists and marine biology students who tagged along for the experience.

Peach Hubbard is a dolphin specialist and the president of the Dolphin Project and Roy is a skipper. The project is a long term study of the bottlenose dolphin in estuarine waters throughout Georgia and South Carolina. For more information, visit www.dolphinproject.org or www.saltydawgadventures.com.

First published: Aug. 31, 2008
Active link: http://beta.bryancountynews.net/archives/3147/

Vets say VA service is ‘hard to get into’

How long does it take for a disabled veteran to apply for the Independent Living Program as part of the Veteran Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation?

Well, it depends on who you ask.

Ruth Fanning, director of Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service (VRES), said the average application process should take about 107 days.

But Richmond Hill resident Donald Singleton has been trying for more than 15 months and Bruce McCartney, of Midway, spent four years working to get his application processed.

“They don’t advertise this benefit – it doesn’t make sense to me,” Singleton said. “If it were this hard to get into the military as it is to get serviced on VA, there wouldn’t be any military.”

Singleton applied for ILP in April 2007, qualified in January and was told in March his paperwork had been submitted. That’s the last thing he heard. But he described ILP as “a good program.”

ILP is aimed at veterans with service-related disabilities who are unable to pursue an employment goal, to make sure they are able to live independently. Services can include assistive technology, specialized medical or rehabilitation services, and connections with community-based support services – such as ergonomic furniture, for example.

“When a veteran applies, they are applying for employment assistance,” Fanning said. “If there is an employment handicap, it’s our goal to help them ultimately be employable in the future.”

McCartney became a veteran after nearly 18 years in the Army. He began his application process in 2003, keeping a diary of his process and in 2007, had 150 pages of documentation. He found out his application was approved in 2006 – but he said it sat on a desk for a year before anyone got around to telling him.

As far as why it took so long, Fanning said McCartney was not at fault. She also said the Atlanta VA office will look into Singleton’s case.

“Once we determine someone is in need of Independent Living, we do a detailed assessment…that does take some time,” she said. “In (McCartney’s) case, I think there were errors that were made and those are unfortunate. I know the Atlanta office has put mechanisms in place – as we have nationally – to determine the status of cases and take appropriate action for those that are taking too long.”

McCartney estimates roughly 700 disabled veterans in Bryan, Chatham and Liberty counties.

“I bet there aren’t even 70 who have ever heard of it,” he said. “This is about the thousands of Georgian who paid for this program with their bodies and souls. I’m trying to get the word out.”

Fanning listed several ways to apply, or check the status of an application and recommended calling a counselor and asking to speak to the manager if things are taking too long. Visit www.va.gov ; download a form at www.va.gov/vaforms/form_detail.asp?FormNo=28-1900 and mail it in; go into a field office, Savannah’s is on Montgomery Crossroads, 921-3744.; visit www.VetSuccess.gov ; or call 1-800-827-1000.

“We’re getting information out through the website and we do aggressive outreach,” Fanning said. “Although this is a smaller portion of our program, it’s extremely important and we definitely want the word to get out. One case that takes too long is too many. We want to prevent what happened to Mr. McCartney from happening to anyone else.”

Now that he is in the program, McCartney said good things about it, noting it’s “improved his quality of life.” He received a greenhouse through ILP, which he said has helped him get re-involved with the community.

“I’m doing hydroponics and just recently had my granddaughter’s 4-H club visit,” he said. “And once a week, I give my tomatoes away to everyone in the community.”

To reach McCartney, email popz@coastalnow.net with “ILP” in the subject line.

First published: Aug. 17, 2008
Active link: http://beta.bryancountynews.net/archives/3103/