Optimizing Apps: Why? I have a Kyocera Hydro View. Every time I restart my phone, it tells me that Android is optimizing apps. This takes anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, and sometimes prevents me from using the phone when I need to use it.

What is Android doing, and why does it need to do it so often?
This is something in Android that is called the dalvik-cache.  It's basically an optimized version of the android package you usually install/download on your phone. This is usually done while installation and doesn't need to happen at every boot. However,  in your case,  reboots apparently trigger a dalvik-cache dump(for lack of a better word). So,  Android has to optimize all apps all over again. 
I'd suggest you to try and diagnose why your phone is clearing it's dalvik-cache at every boot. Are you running a custom ROM?