April 2 2015 issue

Independent News | April 2, 2015 | Volume 16 | Number 14 | inweekly.net

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winners & losers 4

outtakes 5

news

buzz 8

6, 7

We’re looking forward to the southern sunshine.

cover story 10

22

a&e

15, 21

publisher Rick Outzen

art director Samantha Crooke

Shelby Smithey, T.S. Strickland

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Jason Leger, Jennifer Leigh, Ben Sheffler, Chuck Shepherd,

contact us info@inweekly.net

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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. Š 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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winners & losers

Judy Bense

winners JUDY BENSE The University of West

Florida Board of Trustees voted to keep Dr. Judith Bense as the President of the University of West Florida until Dec. 31, 2016.

The extended term increases her pay by 10 percent during the one-year sabbatical leave that following the end of her term as president and during the three years following her return to faculty. In July 2008, Bense became the fifth president of UWF and has built a solid network of community partners, identified regional workforce needs, increased student residents and athletics and strengthened academic programs so that students are prepared for future leadership.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA MOVE TO AMEND The group, along with the Pen-

sacola Coffee Party, got the Pensacola City Council to pass a resolution that asks Congress to put forth and support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that sets forth that money is not free speech and a corporation is not a natural person with inalienable rights. The goal is to reduce the impact of huge contributions by corporations, unions and super PACs on our election process.

GRAND MARLIN RESTAURANT AND OYSTER BAR The Pensacola Beach res-

taurant is celebrating its fifth anniversary.

The Caribbean inspired dining spot survived BP oil spill, while amassing numerous culinary and beverage awards, and embedding itself in the community by supporting numerous local charities. Congratulations!

losers PORT OF PENSACOLA DeepFlex has placed on hold the construction of its facility at the port. City officials have cited the drop in crude oil prices as the cause. They have assured the city council that that the suspension is only temporary and the 200 jobs promised are still coming.

CITY HUMAN RESOURCES The city started off on the wrong foot with its new city attorney, Lysia Bowling, by having her sign a personal services contract with Mayor Ashton Hayward instead of the contract required by the city charter. COO Tamara Fountain said it was an “honest error” by the city’s Human Resources staff.

They only had to look up Jim Messer’s old contract for a template, LEONARD GONZALEZ, SR. After a hearing in Tallahassee, the Commission on Offender Review unanimously voted to deny Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr.’s request for early release. He requested the early release due to medical issues after the Department of Corrections reported that his life expectancy was one year or less. Leonard Patrick Gonzalez, Sr. was found guilty of second degree Murder of both Melanie and Byrd Billings in 2009. He was sentenced to 17.5 years in state prison.

State Attorney Bill Eddins opposed the request. The commission vote means that Gonzalez Sr. will be required to serve the remainder of his sentence.

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE In June 2013, the citizens of Pensacola voted to eliminate the two “at-large” seats on the Pensacola City Council and, thereby, reduce to the council from nine seats to seven. Our newspaper opposed the referendum. The daily newspaper urged voters to pass it.

What the daily newspaper failed to tell the public was the reduction shifted the balance of power between the city’s executive and legislative branches heavily in favor of the mayor.

The News Journal argued that a smaller city council would save money and, “by having fewer council members, will hopefully reduce the inefficiency, indecision and rancor that has become the hallmark of the council meetings in the last three years.”

At one time, I had also argued for a smaller council because the city’s population did not appear to warrant a nine-member council.

The city of Sarasota had a 2010 population of 52,488, compared to Pensacola's 51,923 the same year. However, its council has only five members. North Miami Beach, with a 2010 population of 41,523, and Homestead, with a 2010 population of 60,512, have seven-member councils.

However, I saw the danger in using a piecemeal approach to amending a charter that had been in effect only three years and asked Pensacola voters to push for a more comprehensive review of the document.

The daily newspaper’s editorial board agreed with the referendum’s sponsor.

Councilman Larry Johnson, who estimated city taxpayers would save about $48,000 in salaries and discretionary money allocated to those council members.

The PNJ board argued, “Anyone who would like to see less government should support the measure.”

What the daily newspaper, and possibly Councilman Johnson, overlooked in their arguments was neither Sarasota, Homestead nor North Miami Beach has a strong mayor.

The mayors of those cities sit on their city councils, and the cities are run by city managers. And most importantly, those mayors do not have veto power.

When Pensacola dropped its first “at-large” council member, Megan Pratt, in November 2014, Mayor Ashton Hayward become virtually impossible to challenge, as former City Attorney Jim Messer pointed out in his interview in this issue.

The mayor can veto nearly any council action and avoid it being overridden by keeping only three council members happy because, in the smaller council, overriding a veto requires a super-majority of six votes.

The unintended consequence of tinkering with a charter that took 18 months to craft is Pensacola may have made the mayor its king.

A new charter review commission cannot be appointed soon enough to right this miscue. {in}rick@inweekly.net

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TIPPING POINT Central to REAP’s model will be its network of community “allies,” who will work with inmates while they are still in jail to craft individualized reentry plans and act as accountability partners, advocates and mentors while they regain their feet.

For an example of how effective this model can be, look no further than Kevin Eason.

An ex-con who once served time for impersonating a secret service officer, Eason spent more than 13 years in state prisons, most recently at the Century Correctional Institute, north of Pensacola.

While in prison, Eason decided to abandon his criminal ways—a change of heart he attributed to his conversion to Christianity.

By the time he was released in October of 2013, he had already started planning for his reentry and lined up transitional housing in Pensacola. Still, his situation was precarious.

“After being incarcerated for 13 years and nine months, the only thing they give you is $50 and a bus ticket and tell you to be a good citizen,” Eason said this week. “What can you do with $50? Not much.”

Then he met Al Stubblefield.

“Without Al’s prayers and his support I wouldn’t be who I am or have accomplished the things that I have,” Eason said, choking back tears. “I became a part of their family, and I love them. They’re like my mom and dad.”

It was through helping Eason that Stubblefield became acquainted with the work of REAP. He now serves as chairman of the board and, along with Dye and Director of Operations and Development Vinnie Whibbs, is spearheading the group’s expansion efforts.

Stubblefield said he felt the county was ripe for reform.

Tidwell took the jail’s helm in January, replacing Gordon Pike as director of the county corrections department. The changing of guards came on the heels of an improbably turbulent two years that included an extended federal investigation into civil rights abuses at the jail, a bitter interdepartmental budget battle that resulted in the county assuming control of the facility from Sheriff David Morgan and a natural gas explosion that killed two inmates, injured and traumatized more than 180 and left the county’s Central Booking and Detention Facility in ruins.

Tidwell’s official first day on the job was Jan. 28. Within a month, he had agreed in concept to the pilot program. The jailer, who has worked in jurisdictions across the country, said he thought the county could be more prudent in its use of limited public funds.

“We have one of the highest incarceration rates in the state,” he said this week. “The jail budget is substantial, and we need to use those dollars very wisely.”

Tidwell ranked the department between a four and 4.5 on a 10-point scale in terms of efficiency.

“I think we can be a nine within a few years,” he added, but getting there will require that the county reexamine the way it handles inmates transitioning back into society.

“It opened my eyes to the fact that, if someone doesn’t help these individuals coming out of incarceration, their chances of going back are high.” Al Stubblefield

RIPE FOR REFORM

Escambia County Embraces Criminal Justice Reform

By T.S. Strickland A local group that has been working since 2011 to help federal inmates transition from prison back into the community is turning its attention to the Escambia County Jail.

Rick Dye, executive director of the Reentry Alliance of Pensacola, said his organization planned to launch a pilot reentry program with the county in May. 66

The effort—the first of its kind in Escambia— is one visible sign of a growing movement within the local criminal justice community to rely less on incarceration as a crime-fighting tool.

“The fact that we’re working to put ourselves out of business might seem counterintuitive,” Director of Corrections Michael Tidwell said this week, “but that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing.”

The pilot program, which will start with 20 county inmates hand selected by Tidwell, will build on REAP’s prior work with federal inmates—an effort that was championed by Chief U.S. District Judge Casey Rodgers.

REAP will partner with local nonprofits 90 Works—to provide for housing, employment and other immediate needs once inmates are released—and Catholic Charities—to help them achieve long-term financial stability.

Stubblefield served for 13 years as president and CEO of Baptist Health Care. During that time, he was credited with transforming the company’s culture and its fortunes. He retired in 2012, and the next year volunteered to teach a 10-week class at Century Correctional Institute through First Baptist Church.

Until then, Stubblefield said, he had never given much thought to the plight of the incarcerated, but the class was a revelation. Even those inmates who, like Eason, wanted to turn their lives around faced an uphill battle.

“It opened my eyes to the fact that, if someone doesn’t help these individuals coming out of incarceration, their chances of going back are high,” he said.

He and Eason, who was the chaplain’s clerk, struck up a friendship. When the time came for him to be released, Stubblefield made it his mission to help him. Now less than two years later, Eason owns his own truck, has a stable job, owns a small business and just closed on a home, which he is subletting to another former inmate transitioning out of prison life.

STEEP PRICE TAG

Escambia County does have one of the highest incarceration rates in the state—with nearly 5 out of every 1,000 residents behind bars on any given day in 2014. Most of those either were awaiting trial or serving time for nonviolent offenses. In 2014, the average daily population of the county corrections department was 1,411. inweekly.net

All this incarceration is costly. Last year, the county’s jail budget was more than $31 million. That means that for every $100 the county planned to spend, about $8.60 was dedicated to housing prisoners—more than 24 times the amount spent, for instance, on parks and recreation.

And yet, all this money doesn’t seem to be making a dent in crime. Each day, an average of about 35 people will return from the county’s custody to the community, according to figures provided by the county. However, many won’t make it far.

Though recidivism rates are not readily available at the county level, public records suggest they are high. For instance, nearly three in five people arrested in Escambia County last year had been arrested before. Of those, nearly two in three had been convicted of a crime.

Escambia County is far from alone in confronting the steep costs of incarceration—or in reexamining the status quo.

Nationwide, as correction budgets soar and crime rates decline or hold steady, a growing number of people on both sides of the political divide have begun to question the “tough on crime” policies of the preceding decades, calling on state and federal lawmakers to invest more in “smart on crime” policies that reduce prison populations without compromising public safety.

Still, most of this attention has focused on state and federal prisons. The role of local jails, which admit a far higher number of people each year, has been largely ignored.

That is beginning to change.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation this year commissioned a study on the use of jails in the United States. Researchers from the Vera Institute of Justice concluded there are nearly 12 million jail admissions in the U.S. each year—costing local jurisdictions more than $22 billion.

That is more than 20 times the number of annual admissions to state and federal prisons and about one third U.S. corrections spending, overall. And spending has risen sharply over the last three decades— increasing 235 percent between 1982 and 2011. Even these figures don’t tell the whole story, though.

“The increasing direct costs of operating jails,” the Vera researchers wrote, “... are matched by the indirect costs and consequences of jailing people who do not need to be there or holding them for longer than necessary. These consequences—in lost wages, worsening physical and mental health, possible loss of custody of children, a job or a place to live—harm those incarcerated and, by extension, their families and communities.”

NEW TOOLS NEEDED

The foundation has committed to invest some $75 million to reduce local jurisdictions’ reliance on jails. REAP is applying for one of the MacArthur grants, which could provide as much as $2 million to expand the group’s efforts in Escambia County. An award decision is expected sometime in May. “We’ve gotten overwhelming support (for this effort) from every key player in the criminal justice system,” Stubblefield said.

Tidwell said the county would consider scaling up the program if the pilot were successful at reducing recidivism and was optimistic about its prospects.

“If I didn’t think that we had some ability to affect the amount of money that is expended by the community, I would not be wasting the limited resources we have in trying to get this grant,” Tidwell said. However, he added that success would depend, in part, on the level of support in the community.

The 20 inmates participating in the pilot will be monitored at threemonth intervals for one year following their release. The No. 1 thing administrators will be looking for, Tidwell said, would be whether they had obtained employment—the primary predictor of successful reentry.

And that outcome will depend, in large part, on employers’ willingness to take a chance on ex-offenders. Al Stubblefield, chairman of REAP’s board of directors, said the group hoped to recruit 100 such small businesses.

Success will also hinge on the group’s ability to expand its network of “allies.” Stubblefield said he hoped to recruit 200 in the near future—an admittedly ambitious goal. Still, Dye and Stubblefield don’t shrink from the task—seeing opportunity, as well as risk.

"We're at a tipping point," Dye said. "We have the stars aligned in our 30-year corrections history to take advantage of having a need, having the knowledge and, now, having the financial resources to improve a system that was meant to reduce crime but now somehow has contributed to increasing it." {in}

“If I didn’t think that we had some ability to affect the amount of money that is expended by the community, I would not be wasting the limited resources we have in trying to get this grant.” Michael Tidwell

April 2, 2015

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8 50.469. 38 00 e la k ev i ewc en t er .o r g 7

COVERING GRANT DENIAL The

DEAD MAN WALKING On Pensacola Speaks, GOP political strategist Rick Wilson gave his opinions on the various Republican presidential hopefuls for 2016.

When asked about the two governors considering a run for the White House— Scott Walker of Wisconsin and Chris Christie of New Jersey, Wilson had better things to sat about Walker.

“Scott Walker has got a terrific story to tell,” he said. “He's still got a terrific ability to talk about how he took on everything Big Labor could throw on him in Wisconsin and won the fight. He won a huge ideological and political battle against everything the National Labor Movement and Obama could throw at him and came out on top.”

Wilson said that Walker still has to prove he can raise the money for a national campaign. He said, “He's got some good people around him. He's a guy who is learning a little bit how a presidential campaign has to scale up very quickly.”

Wilson is not a fan of New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. He said, “That guy is dead, but too dumb to lay down and start stinking. This is a campaign that is over before it starts.”

Christie lost credibility last year. “He’s going to try to mount a comeback, but in most polling right now Chris Christie isn't even in the single digits; he's in the rounding area.”

Wilson said that Christie’s campaign money is drying up. “The establishment has walked away from him; they're terrified of him because he's got a temperament that they don't see as presidential anymore. It's not just a ‘bridge gate’ story, it's an overall collapse.”

While Christie did do a good job last year as the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Wilson doesn’t see the New Jersey as a serious contender.

He said, “ There’s no natural political argument for Chris Christie in a field that is this big and has this many quality candidates.”

Federal Aviation Authority has denied the city of Pensacola’s request for a $3.5 million AIP grant needed to extend the taxiway at the Pensacola International Airport to accommodate VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering’s aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility.

The FAA denial was received in January, but Inweekly only recently learned of it through a public request of city emails regarding involving the Federal Airport Improvement Program (AIP).

Inweekly also found out Interim Airport Director Dan Flynn and Interim City Administrator Dick Barker knew six months ago the grant might not be given to the airport.

In an email, dated Sept. 24, 2014, consultant Michael Moroney told Barker and Flynn, “FAA has said to me that we should not count on the $3.5 million from them.”

This revelation came three weeks after Mayor Ashton Hayward held a ceremonial contract signing event with VT-MAE officials, Pensacola City Council and area leaders. The project promised to create 300 jobs.

For nearly two months, the city did little on the grant application, according to the documents released. The city did not start working on the grant until Nov. 12, 2014—a week after the general election. Over the next two months, Flynn, Hayward supporter Dave Penzone, John Daniel of Beggs & Lane law firm, lobbyist Scott Barnhart and others worked to convince the FAA to hand over the $3.5 million. They enlisted the help of Congressman Jeff Miller and Senator Bill Nelson to apply pressure.

On January 9, the city submitted a Pre-Application for the funds arguing that the Airport Improvement Funds were for the construction of the taxiway designed to handle larger aircraft that could not be accommodated elsewhere at the airport.

Unfortunately, FAA disagreed.

“That guy is dead, but too dumb to lay down and start stinking. This is a campaign that is over before it starts.” Rick Wilson

88

Flynn received a phone call from Bill Farris, Program Director in FAA’s Orlando district office, on January 22. Farris said the proposed taxiway was not for general use.

Farris later explained his decision to Congressman Miller’s staff. He wrote in an email, “Despite our best efforts, we cannot reach a conclusion that the taxiway serves any purpose other than to support the private, commercial interests of a single Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operator.”

It was that exclusivity that made the project ineligible for AIP funding.

“Before reaching this conclusion, we reviewed the airport’s planning documents going back to 1999 and cannot find any reference to the proposed taxiway, apron, or hangar,” said Farris. “Moreover, neither the ALP (Airport Layout Plan) or the airport’s Capital Improvement Plan request provided any documentation of a need for additional common use parking in this area.”

Even after receiving word from Farris, the emails showed the city lobbied Congress to get FAA to change its decision through the month of February. Then a few weeks ago, the city turned to the Florida Department of Transportation for help.

Interim Airport Director Dan Flynn wrote Inweekly, “The City of Pensacola has been in contact with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) with respect to funding assistance for the $3.5 million that the Federal Aviation Administration will not provide.”

He said that FDOT has indicated a multi-year approach to providing the funding–a portion of it this year through a State Joint Participation Agreement (grant) this year, and the remainder over the next one to two years with Supplemental Joint Participation Agreements.

Flynn said, “This would work with the overall project timeline. At this time, we are waiting for the issuance of the initial Joint Participation Agreement.”

When asked about a possible match, the airport director said, “At this point FDOT has not referenced the need for a match. Some Joint Participation Agreements require them, some do not.”

He pointed out that the $2.7-million Joint Participation Agreement for the stormwater project was a 100 percent grant.

“The $11 million Joint Participation Agreement that FDOT already has in place

“FAA has said to me that we should not count on the $3.5 million from them.” Michael Moroney

for the VT project is being matched by the other sources of funds already committed to the project,” said Flynn. “If a match is required, it would still be covered under the remainder of the other funds already available for the work.”

OLSON ASSUMES TOP POST Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward announced late Friday, March 27 that he was promoting Eric Olson, his assistant city administrator, to be his third City Administrator.

Prior to going to work for the city, Olsen was the veterans outreach coordinator for Pensacola Habitat for Humanity after retiring from the Navy. A 1985 distinguished graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Olson began his military career as a Naval Aviator and was later designated a Foreign Area Officer. In that capacity, he specialized in European political-military affairs and strategic planning.

Hayward’s two previous administrators were Bill Reynolds, another military veteran who was fired after a State Attorney’s investigation revealed that he had violated the mayor’s trust, and Colleen Castille, a lobbyist and Secretary of Florida Department of Environmental Protection under Gov. Jeb Bush.

Castille resigned in August 2014.

The administrator’s duties were divided between Olson, Chief of Staff Tamara Fountain and Chief Financial Officer Dick Barker, who was given the title Interim City Administrator. With the appointment of Olson, Barker returned to his role as Chief Financial Officer. {in}

Eric Olsen inweekly.net

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By Rick Outzen Jim Messer strolled into Seville Quarter.

After an exchange of text messages, the former city attorney had agreed to talk about his four years in the Hayward administration.

I didn’t expect any bombshells, but I knew he would be candid and open. Openness has been sorely lacking in Pensacola City Hall over the past few years.

A Marine Corps officer who earned a Purple Heart, Silver Star and Bronze Star while serving in the Vietnam War, Messer has always had a “don’t give a damn” attitude when it comes to criticism. He is a damn good attorney and that is what he wants you to know.

010 1

His tenure as Mayor Ashton Hayward’s first appointed city attorney began with controversy. Council President Maren Deweese and blogger Derek Cosson worked hard to derail the appointment, waging a four-week campaign trying to convince the Pensacola City Council to vote against the mayor’s recommendation to hire Messer.

In her memorandum to the council, Deweese criticized the proposed contract because it was with Messer’s law firm and not an individual. She believed the city should have advertised for law firms that offered a “broader range of talents.” Deweese also questioned whether the Messer law firm had adequate malpractice insurance to cover the city.

Despite her protests, the council approved an interim agreement with the Messer law firm. Later in the year, they voted for a three-year contract for Messer, which expired in December 2014.

“I didn’t seek out the job,” Messer told me as the waitress brought us coffee. Messer drank his black, of course. It was the mayor’s chief of staff, John Asmar, who had first broached the idea. Messer and his family lived in Birmingham, Alabama at the time.

I told John, “I'll come down one time. I'll send you my resume. If it works, it works, but I'm not interested."

Laughing, he said, “I had to come down three times, as you know, and all of sudden Cosson is publishing all these wild-ass con-

spiracy theories on his blog, trying to make me look like some criminal.”

Later in the summer of 2011, Mayor Hayward hired Cosson as his public information officer. In 2013 when the PIO got in trouble for lying to the media and criticizing council members and promoting the mayor’s agenda using fake names on area websites, Cosson was made the mayor’s press secretary. That appointment was short-lived when Cosson was charged two months later with a noncriminal violation of the state’s public records law. He was reassigned to the IT department. He would get in trouble yet again when he launched in 2014 an anonymous blog that accused reporters and others of being homosexuals and attacked council members inweekly.net

THREE POWERS

Jim Messer / Photo by Samantha Crooke and the mayor’s political opponents. Despite reports to the contrary, the city still has him drafting press releases for the mayor and the Pensacola International Airport.

In his first two years as city attorney, Messer defended the mayor in two lawsuits brought forth by council members.

Councilwoman Sherri Myers filed suit following Hayward’s May 2012 memorandum, which directed council members to channel their communications with city staff through the mayor’s office. Judge J. Scott Duncan issued a ruling that had both sides declaring victory—essentially ruling that the mayor could institute such a policy, except in the case of “inquiries.”

In December 2012, DeWeese filed a lawsuit alleging, among other things, that the mayor’s line item veto of the council’s changes to the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget was illegal and a violation of the separation of powers and the charter. Circuit Judge Terry Terrell eventually dismissed the case.

After those suits, Messer faded into the background, other than attending council meetings. Mayor Hayward became more dependent on outside legal advice, spending more than $1 million annually for legal help.

In December 2014, Hayward’s chief of operations, Tamara Fountain, announced April 2, 2015

Messer’s days working for the city were done.

In an email, Fountain told the city council that his contract would not be renewed. The mayor would not be hiring another law firm to serve as city attorney, but he intended to “bring the position in-house and will conduct

“I couldn't tell the mayor, just like I couldn't tell the city council that they were right or wrong when they weren't.” Jim Messer a statewide search for a city attorney with a strong background in Florida law and municipal experience.” Messer served as city attorney on a month-to-month basis until his replacement was hired.

When asked why his contract wasn’t renewed, Messer said, “Who knows why I'm not the city attorney anymore? I understand, I didn't always tell the mayor what he wanted to hear, and that became a closer question toward the end of my tenure. I couldn't tell the mayor, just like I couldn't tell the city council that they were right or wrong when they weren't.”

His replacement, Lysia Bowling, was approved in March by the council.

After the council vote for Bowling, Messer agreed to have breakfast. He wanted to make it clear that he had no “sour grapes” about his contract not being renewed. He considered Hayward a friend and enjoyed working with him.

We did talk about the city charter and how he saw his role as city attorney.

According to Messer, the city charter gives the city council only three powers, to appropriate, to legislate, and to investigate.

He argued that the city council is primarily ceremonial in many ways but still sees itself with the same powers, duties and responsibilities it had under the city-manager form of government under the old charter.

“Let me ask you this question,” he said, “can they never not approve the budget?”

No. They have to approve the budget.

“In a realistic sense, their approval of the budget is largely ceremonial,” said Messer.

“Here's why. Everyone talks about fi ve votes.

Mayor doesn't need fi ve votes. The mayor needs three votes.”

Yes, it takes fi ve council votes to approve the budget, but the mayor can veto any changes made to his budget. To prevent the council from overriding his veto, he only needs three votes to stop it because the charter states that such a vote requires a super-majority, six votes. On an eight-person council, the mayor only needs to control three votes to block the override.

“We had this lawsuit (filed by former Councilwoman Maren Deweese) that, in my opinion, established exactly how the budgetary process works,” he said. The judge ruled in favor of the city.

The waitress brought us more coffee and a platter of beignets.

Messer said, “There's a two- or threepage memo that I wrote that's the basis of our case. It's the law of the case now. For ever and a day, that cannot change.”

“The case clearly establishes that funds do not move back and forth like people doing the salsa on ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ just because the city council makes a motion. It established the mayor's line item veto.”

In essence, the mayor really controls the budget as long as he has three votes.

“The old days are over,” said Messer, “The old days were really over the minute that they passed the new charter establishing the strong mayor.”

He said, “You don't have to contort the charter. It says the mayor can veto, you don't have to go any further.”

He sipped his coffee and took a bite of a beignet. “I think that goes back to a fundamental misunderstanding of the people who either voted for the charter, or the cleverness of the people that drafted it,” said Messer.

“The reality is, we can sit and have beignets or we can write blogs and bitch about it, but think about this,” he said. “Every time that charter has been subjected to an

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objective analysis by a legally trained mind, and I'm talking about two circuit court judges, the first circuit court of appeals, and the 11th circuit, they have always upheld the city attorney's interpretation of the charter and always upheld the mayor's executive privilege vis-a-vis council.”

“We decided to ask for summary judgment on the cases,” said Messer. “I hate it when I read this crap about the motion, there was no motion to dismiss. Each judge looked at the facts in the law and said this isn't going any further. These challenges are so absurd, the city's position is so strong, it's a waste of my energy to talk about. They gave us a judgment.”

He said there is no conspiracy to subvert the new charter. The charter set this up and all the complaining in the world won’t change it, “as long as the mayor is savvy enough to have three votes,” according to Messer.

“This charter legally changed how the executive and the legislative branches operate,” he said, “It, in essence, changed the entire past structure of this city. It’s something some council members have failed recognize.”

He said the charter language is clear and unambiguous. “One of the best covers of your paper, cause I love your covers, was ‘Dysfunction Junction,’” Messer said, sipping his coffee. “I went, ‘This guy gets it.’”

He got frustrated sitting in council meetings and hearing council members say: "We don't support the charter, we were lied to.”

“It's not the intent of the charter.”

“I can't believe this is true.”

“I was betrayed.”

He said. “The point that they failed to grasp is no one cares about the intent of the charter. Because when you look at the charter as a law, under the light of the law, intent doesn't matter.”

On the council’s power to legislate, the attorney said the body had yet to grasp fully its role in governance, but he added it might not matter because the mayor can veto any law they pass.

“Name three significant pieces of legislation that passed,” said Messer. “Listen to me carefully, I don't give a damn what their legis-

lative powers are because they can't stop the mayor in any significant activity that he wants to undertake.”

He said, “Why? Because the only thing important is downtown beautification and jobs. Anybody who votes against that's going to be run out of office.”

Messer paused to eat another beignet.

“My point being not to make fun of them, but to say they have no choice. They can fiddle around, are chickens going to be allowed to lay eggs in East Hill? The significant decisions in the cities, where the grant money goes, how you get the grant money, what do you do with development, do you bring in new business?

That's all executive stuff.”

He added, “When I say they have no choice, literally they can vote against it.

Can you imagine a city councilman voting against getting 300 jobs or 100, even 25 jobs—‘I don't want 25 jobs in the city, not going to vote for it.’ They may be pissed off, they may be resentful, they may go bully the staff, but they're going to vote for it.”

The one power the council has that mayor can’t compromise is its power to investigate, according to Messer. The charter states the council has the power to “inquire into the conduct of any municipal office, department, agency or officer and to investigate municipal affairs, and for that purpose, may subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and compel the production of books, papers, or other evidence.”

Messer said the council came close several times to invoking this power, particularly in the case of former City Administrator Bill Reynolds leaking a confidential employee complaint.

“They have never been able to mount the political will to vote for an investigation,” Messer said.

The attorney said that while the charter lists duties and powers of the mayor, it has few penalties. The mayor went six months before naming a replacement for City Administrator Colleen Castille. To side-step council approval of his new department heads, the mayor has renamed the positions as directors or officers.

The city has a code of ethics that hasn’t been enforced by the mayor or council.

Jim Messer, “I'm saying, don't blame the city attorney for that.”

THE ROLE OF CITY ATTORNEY

Did Messer believe he worked for the mayor? Or did he work for the council? Or did he work for the city?

“Let's talk about that, because that was always frustrating,” said Messer. “I worked for the city of Pensacola. City of Pensacola's a municipal corporation. I used to ask people all the time and then I got worn out and said screw it. You've probably figured out the advice I've given the mayor, which has been validated by the judiciary.”

He said, “What if I'd given the opposite opinion? I'd be incompetent.”

Leaning forward, Messer said, “My point being, like the mayor, don't like the mayor, the fact of the matter is, the city of Pensacola is now represented in most, if not close to all things, by the mayor.”

He said, “When you ask who did I represent? I represented the city of Pensacola, and you have to figure out who is that. You can't represent a piece of paper. In the issues that came before the judiciary and the state attorney, the mayor's position has to be correct. You flip it and say how could I possibly represented the city council because they were legally incorrect. “ The charter states that the city attorney will represent the City in legal proceedings. Why was he not supervising all the city’s litigation?

He smirked, “Because I'm an incompetent, board certified civil trial attorney with two law degrees, with an unparalleled record of success.”

I hit a sore spot.

“Employment law, civil litigation, bankruptcy, code enforcement, some environmental, labor, all that stuff, in my opinion, should be handled by the city attorney’s office,” said Messer.

“People who devote their life to being ignorant, I think they have the same respect as people who devote their life to being smart.” Messer

His fee structure was based on his office handling all that work with two assistant attorneys. Instead the mayor’s office made the decision to take most litigation outside of the city hall. He said the city is paying over $1 million in legal fees annually.

What would have been the value of keeping the legal services in house?

“First of all, that gives you control of the litigation,” said Messer. “It gives you accountability for the litigation. It gives you a reasonable rate of return. It's not about ripping anybody; it's about responsibly analyzing how much does it cost to handle the legal affairs of this city, on a yearly basis and how do you want to do it?

He reminded me that the city attorney’s office at one time had four or five attorneys. He said his contract made sense if the mayor had brought all the litigation in-house. He would have had one assistant attorney to do the municipal law and handle the council and city boards and another to help him with the litigation.

“It would have been a fabulous office, run very efficiently and economically, when you look at what's it become now,” said Messer, shrugging his shoulders. “That again ... I never complained about that.”

Overall, he is proud of his work for the city and in establishing the case law for the new charter. He said, “I took the charter, gave it what I thought was a clear, plain meaning, and subjected it to judicial scrutiny."

He admitted that he has been stunned at how some keep beating up the charter, even after the court rulings.

“Why do we keep gnawing on this same bone?” he said. “That goes back to my original theory that there are a group of people that either thought the charter was sold to them as a bill of goods, and they take it personally and simply aren't going to live with it. Or you have a group of people who are simply ignorant, and you have to respect that. Because people who devote their life to being ignorant, I think they have the same respect as people who devote their life to being smart.”

Setting down his coffee and getting up to leave, Messer said, “I think that is the almost singular explanation for the dysfunction that we have.” {in}

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Other Views on the Role of City Attorney

by Duwayne Escobedo Inweekly asked former City Attorney John Fleming and Crystal Spencer, who chaired the commission that drafted the 2010 City Charter, about their views on the role of the city attorney.

•John Fleming, the former Pensacola City Attorney: John Fleming, who served as the Pensacola City Attorney from January 2006 to July 2008, retired before the new charter took effect. After 28 years with the city, he readily admits that it’s not his favorite subject.

“I have avoided commenting upon, or even thinking very much about, ‘how the job has been done’ (as you put it) under the new mayor-council charter,” he writes in an email. “I do not intend to start now.”

However, to Fleming, the charter is clear. The Charter says that the “City Attorney shall serve as the chief legal adviser to, and shall represent, elected or appointed officials, and boards and commissions, and employees in the course and scope of their official duties or employment.”

“This directive obviously includes both the mayor and the city council,” Fleming writes.

“Essentially, the city attorney’s client is the city government. This was the responsibility of the city attorney under the prior council-manager charter under which I served; and that role remains unchanged under the new mayor-council charter.”

As long as Mayor Hayward and city council members keep that in mind, everything should run smoothly at City Hall, Fleming reports.

“If the mayor and the city council have confidence that a capable city attorney represents the city without favor toward either the executive or the legislative branch of the government,” he says, “then the relationship should work harmoniously.”

•Crystal Spencer, Spencer Meador Johnson Attorney: Crystal Spencer, Charter Review Commission chairwoman, recalls meeting after meeting of debate on whether the city council should have the power to hire its own attorney. In the end, the Charter Review Commission members voted against giving that power to the council.

The charter commission was created Jan. 29, 2008 and became the first to review Pensacola’s structure, powers, and citizen’s rights since 1931.

The Charter Review Commission spent April 2, 2015

18 months over 2008 and 2009 reviewing Pensacola’s council-led system. It compared Pensacola to other City Charters, holding public meetings, and hearing expert testimony from business leaders, political leaders and academic leaders across the state. After a heated political campaign and a citywide mail-in ballot election, the new Strong Mayor system won out by a 55 percent to 45 percent vote.

Spencer says the city attorney’s office should be independent and neutral in representing both the mayor and city council. In case of disputes between both city branches, each is allowed to hire their own attorney.

“The city attorney represents both the city council and mayor,” says Spencer, whose husband, Brian, is a city councilman.

“It should look at them in a neutral manner.

Whoever is the city attorney should be strong enough to give opinions they can back up and stand behind. That’s what that office was intended to be.”

Many, like Mayor Ashton Hayward, believe the city council would violate the city charter, if it tried to hire its own attorney.

“There was a tremendous amount of debate regarding that,” she says. “It was a lengthy debate. It was not a unanimous item, I’m quite sure.”{in}

City of Pensacola Schedule of Legal Costs Oct. 1, 2013-Sept. 30, 2014

•Allen Norton & Blue PA $187,351.31 •Beggs & Lane $267,831.31 •Bondurant Mixon & Elmore LLP $32,960.22 •Bryant Miller Olive PA $7,951.91 •Clark Partington Hart Larry $8,360.07 •Coastal Association Law Group $3,917.36 •Colleen Cleary Ortiz PA $1,942.50 •Davidson & Hiers PA $625.00 •Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP $11,291.42 •Gray Robinson PA $30,070.74 •Gunster Yoakley & Stewart PA $23,966.41 •Hammons, Longoria, Whittaker PA $7,671.69 •Harrison Sale Mcloy & Jackson PA $287.50 •Jolly & Peterson PA $45,790.23 •Law Offices Of William I Gault $2,812.50 •Lewis Longman & Walker PA $135,479.82 •Locklin & Saba PA $3,000.00

•McCarter & English LLP $51,676.03 •McDonald Fleming Moorhead $10,445.25 •McGuirewoods LLP $9,501.00 •Messer Caparello PA $15,126.03 •Messer Law Firm PA $168,175.30 •Miller Balis & O'neil PC $12,630.43 •Nabors Giblin & Nickerson PA $1,541.78 •Philip A Bates PA $2,596.50 •Plauche Maselli Parkerson LLP $147,947.77 •Quintairos Prieto Wood & Boyer PA $30,156.77 •Ray, Jr., Louis F $18,009.00 •Roderic G. Magie, PA $50,482.65 •Rumberger Kirk & Caldwell PA $34,294.81 •Schnader Harrison Segal $3,240.58 •Wells, William D, Jr DBA $49,500.00 •Wilson Harrell & Farrington PA $74,718.95

Total: $1,451,387.84 13

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inweekly.net

3/30/15 9:44 AM

WEEK OF APRIL 2-9

Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

Connecting to the Past

by Jennifer Leigh

You,” won the down, but we know Grammy for Best we have too good Bluegrass Album. of a thing to let it go The year before, too long.” their collaboraIt’s an interesttion with Martin, ing time to play “Rare Bird Alert” bluegrass, as a lot of was nominated. groups are impleNot bad for a group menting elements of of guys that just roots music into rahappened to start dio hits. Sharpe said a band. he appreciates the influence Americana Sharpe said winning a Grammy was music has on modern music. pretty much the last thing on his mind “There’s a reason why you’re hearing a when he started making music. lot of banjos and rootsy sounds,” he said.

“The year before we lost to Alison “Something in you clicks. It connects you Krauss—and you can’t begrudge her for to the past, maybe even the past of your that,” he said. region.”

“It’s a daytime award, it’s not televised.

As much as the band is rooted in the There’s no Lil Waynes or Taylor Swifts,” past, they also looks ahead. As a songhe continued. “But just the experience of writer, Sharpe has written more than 30 being in that room, with the musicians you Steep Canyon Rangers songs. And it’s the admire, it gives you a boost and reinforces present, everyday life that he finds himself the need to keep working on your craft.” writing about.

Meeting Martin, who first picked up “It’s about keeping your eyes open the banjo when he was 17, was just another and seeing the small details,” he said. informal meeting, Sharpe said.

“Those lyrics are the ones that get stuck in “I think it was a spaghetti dinner,” he people’s heads.” said.

Sharpe said it can be a bit surprising to After clicking with the band, Martin see how popular bluegrass is all over the invited them to tour and record an album.

U.S. One of their first shows with the comedian However, the North Carolina-based was a 2009 recording of “Prairie Home band does have a special appreciation for Companion.” Together they’ve performed their southern tour dates, including their at Bonnaroo Music Festival, Austin City Pensacola show, before they have to head Limits and on “Late Show with David Letnorth. terman.”

“We’re looking forward to the southern “All the sudden we had this exposure,” sunshine,” Sharpe said. {in} Sharpe said. “We’ve had some crossover fans that have come back to a lot of places we played [with Steve]. And I think it has exposed more people to bluegrass music.”

Working with Martin has been a WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 7 rare experience, Sharpe said.

WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox “To see his creative mind at COST: $15-$20 DETAILS: steepcanyon.com work is pretty amazing,” he said.

“We were just in the studio for a day last week. Projects have slowed

“There’s a reason why you’re hearing a lot of banjos and rootsy sounds. Something in you clicks. It connects you to the past.” Graham Sharp

It was about 15 years ago that Graham Sharp gathered a few musicians together to informally comprise the band Steep Canyon Rangers.

“We were just having fun and the one thing turned to another. Fifteen years later, we’ve done all these crazy things,” he said.

That informal meet-up has yielded a Grammy, 10 albums, multiple tours and yes, the occasional collaboration with actor and comedian Steve Martin.

Growing up, Sharp said he was a Deadhead and an admirer of Jerry Garcia.

However in high school, one of his teachApril 2, 2015

ers introduced him to bluegrass musicians John Hartford and Norman Blake. In college he started playing the banjo, and Sharp still counts both musicians as two of his favorites.

In the early years of Steep Canyon Rangers, there was a period of copying first generation bluegrass songs until the band developed their own style full of energy and soul.

That style has earned the band two Grammy nominations and one win, not to mention various other nods and wins.

Their 2012 album, “Nobody Knows

STEEP CANYON RANGERS

15

calendar

Ears & Fingers

by Jason Leger

Death Cab for Cutie “Kintsugi”

Death Cab for Cutie are 18 years into their career as a band. Ben Gibbard, the principal songwriter, face and voice of the band went through a divorce in 2011, immediately following the release of “Codes & Keys,” which was arguably the band’s most hopeful sounding release. Late last year, it was announced that the band’s guitarist, producer and founding member Chris Walla was leaving for other pursuits.

This late in the game and surrounded by this much change and loss, what else is

THURSDAY 4.2

WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Try some-

thing new every week at Aragon Wine Market’s regular wine tasting, only a few blocks from downtown. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com SWANS 7 p.m. With Little Annie featuring Paul Walfisch on keyboards. Vinyl Music

there to do other than write what NPR is calling “very clearly a breakup record”?

“Kintsugi,” the band’s eighth studio album, is 11 songs clocking in at 45 minutes. The name comes from the Japanese practice of repairing cracked ceramic art with metal to make the art worth more than it originally was. It’s almost horribly appropriate. Obviously, Gibbard, bassist Nick Harmer and drummer Jason McGerr are in a state of repair and are hoping to come out on the other side stronger and better for the wear. Songs like ‘Little Wanderer,’ ‘Black Sun’ and ‘The Ghosts of Beverly Drive’ express a deep heartache for something gone, obviously nodding to Gibbard’s divorce from actress Zooey Deschanel. His disdain with the situation isn’t any more obvious than in the song ‘No Room in Frame.’ “Was I in your way when the cameras turned to face you? No room in frame for two?”

The situation with Walla’s departure is quite different. While this is the first album he didn’t produce for the band, he did play guitar and contribute songwriting to the whole process. The band expected his departure and it was completely amicable.

While this album is a mild shift toward more electronic influence in DCFC’s sound, the elements that have always kept

Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $25. vinylmusichall.com

FRIDAY 4.3

OPERA AT PENSACOLA MESS HALL 1-3 p.m.

Get ready for Pensacola Opera’s 2 p.m. performance of “Pinocchio” by making your own puppet at the MESS Hall’s Puppet Family workshop (1-2 p.m.) Pre-registration

this band thriving are all still there, so it may be another album before we feel the real effect of Walla’s vacancy.

All the band can do at this point is maintain and hold it together. “Kintsugi” is a positive step in the right direction and another notch in the belt of a band who have remained consistent for years.

“Kintsugi” is out now via Atlantic Records.

Courtney Barnett “Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I just Sit”

Spewing more words in a verse than most singers throw into entire songs, impressive Australian export Courtney Barnett has taken the world by storm this year.

She blew crowds away at SXSW, is Ellen Degeneres’ favorite new musician and has made an album that seems to get better with every listen. “Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I just Sit” is Barnett’s full-length debut and an exercise in deadpan delivery and vintage-ish rock riffs. Don’t let her rambling fool you, however. She isn’t lazy when it comes to songwriting. She is actually quite clever, and maybe, without your notice or consent, these songs will stick with you and have you humming. This album is currently (and for the foreseeable future) in constant rotation for me. I highly recommend it, as the entire 44 minutes is guaranteed to make you feel good about life. “Some-

required. Pensacola MESS Hall, 116 N. Tarragona St. $8. pensacolamesshall.org.

WINES WITH HILARY: THE GRAPE 4-5 p.m.

Wine education and tasting gathering.

SoGourmet, above Bodacious Olive, 407 S. Palafox. $15. sogourmetpensacola.com WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5-7 p.m.

Out and about in East Hill on Friday night?

times I Sit and Think and Sometimes I just Sit” is out now via Mom + Pop Records.

TRACK OF THE WEEK:

Godspeed You! Black Emperor “Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light’”

From the press release for GY!BE’s new album “Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress”: “Huge unison riff age, savage noise/ drone, oscillating overtones, guitar vs. string counterpoint, inexorable crescendos and scorched-earth transitions.” Basically, this track and the rest of the record is from a very focused Godspeed producing their most succinct release to date. Stream it on Constellation Records’ Soundcloud page or pick up the album, which is out now. {in}

Stop by City Grocery for their free weekly wine tasting before settling in or heading out for the night. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. DAX RIGGS 8 p.m. With Pleasures. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $10. vinylmusichall. com MOLLY RINGWALDS 8 p.m Seville Quarter,

Marital and Family Law New Location: 127 Palafox Place Suite 100 Pensacola, Florida | 466-3115 616 1

inweekly.net

calendar sacolahandlebar.com

SUNDAY 4.5

PASS THE GOOD ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS: SUNSQUABI 9 p.m. With The Groove

Orient, Soul’d Out, and Panda Panax. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $7. pensacolahandlebar.com

MONDAY 4.6

JAZZ JAM 6:30-9 p.m. Featuring Roger

Villines and friends. La Brisa Restaurant (formerly The Unique Cafe), 51 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. $10 for JSOP, $15 for non-members, $5 for students with a valid ID. jazzpensacola.com

FLORIDA SEAFOOD AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

130 E. Government St. $15 in advance, $20 day of show. sevillequarter.com

SATURDAY 4.4

PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh

produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques are just a few of the items offered at the weekly Palafox Market.

Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com

Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $5. vinylmusichall.com BANGOVER BOOKING PRESENTS THE HELVETICA EFFECT 9 p.m. With Paracosm,

Conspiracy Effect,and 13th Shade. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $8. pen-

6-7 p.m. Seafood education and tasting.

SoGourmet, above Bodacious Olive, 407 S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com TUNE-YARDS 7 p.m. With Son Lux. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $20. vinylmusichall.com

Bringing Back The Bands

PENSACOLA OPERA PRESENTS: FAMILY OPERA-TUNITY DAY 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Free

family fun including food, games, activities, and live performances. “Pinocchio” by John Davies will be performed at 9:30 a.m. followed by “How Andy Found His Voice” by Caroline Altman at 11 a.m. Both feature artists in residence, with character meet and greets after the show. Pensacola Opera, 75 S. Tarragona St. Free. pensacolaopera.com

2015 Bands on the Beach Schedule

FRANCIS M. WESTON AUDOBON SOCIETY BIRD WALK 8 a.m.-12 p.m. This special bird

walk will be counted as part of the annual “Birdathon”—where teams compete to raise money for the Audobon’s educational programs. Each participant is asked to make a donation in any amount. Reservations required, email Les Kelley to reserve your spot: les4plan@gmail.com. 1400 Fort Pickens Road, Pensacola Beach.

AFTERNOON TEA 4 p.m. SoGourmet, above Bodacious Olive, 407 S. Palafox. $40. sogourmetpensacola.com TEENS-ONLY COOKING CLASS 6-8:30 p.m.

Know a teen who wants to learn how to cook? This is a cooking class focusing on sweet and savory freshly baked bread, biscuits, muffins, and pretzels. Pensacola Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. $30. pensacolacooks.com THE UNDERGROUND KINGS OF COMEDY TOUR 8 p.m. Saenger Theater, 118 S.

Palafox. $28. pensacolasaenger.com IMPROVABLE CAUSE 10:30 p.m. Pensacola’s improvisational comedy troupe performs the first Saturday of every month in the M.C. Blanchard Courtroom Theatre at PLT. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. $7. pensacolalittletheatre.com EARLS KILLER SQUIRREL 8 p.m. With Acorns, Dicks from Mars and JPegasus.

April 2, 2015

Just in time for spring break, everyone’s favorite outdoor concert series, Bands on the Beach, is kicking off its 2015 season.

This year’s lineup features performers from a variety of genres, including Inweekly favorites and Best of The Coast winners Continuum in August.

Bands on the Beach begins the first Tuesday in April and ends the last Tuesday in October, so you’ve got plenty of chances to take in a show. Just remember it’s BYOC—bring your own chair. {in}

BANDS ON THE BEACH

WHEN: 7 p.m. every Tuesday, April 7–Oct. 27 WHERE: Gulfside Pavilion, Pensacola Beach COST: Free DETAILS: visitpensacolabeach.com/ events/bands-on-the-beach.php

•April 7 Emerald Coast Blues Brothers •April 14 13th Hourglass •April 21 Category 4 •April 28 The Blenders •May 5 The Hushpuppies •May 12 Not Quite Fab •May 19 Mr. Big & The Rhythm Sisters •May 26 After Midnight •June 2 Modern Eldorados •June 9 The Rowdies •June 16 Hot Sauce Band •June 23 Déjà vu Band •June 30 The Reunion Band •July 7 Johnny Earthquake and The Moondogs •July 14 Reddog & Friends •July 21 Mass Kunfuzion •July 28 The Astronauts •Aug. 4 Continuum •Aug. 11 The Groovinators •Aug. 18 CrossTown •Aug. 25 Chloe Channell •Sept. 1 True Blue Band •Sept. 8 Swamp Dog Honey •Sept. 15 Southern Breeze •Sept. 22 Dr. Breeze •Sept. 29 Exit 105 •Oct. 6 Robert Wayne •Oct. 13 Kyle Parker Band •Oct. 20 Holly Shelton Band •Oct. 27 Something Huge

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calendar SUNDAY 4.5

EASTER BASH AT RFBF Enjoy live music all

day, as well as fun, games and children’s activities at the ‘best of backyard on the beach’ on the peaceful Santa Rosa Sound.

Red Fish Blue Fish, 5 Via de Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach. redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com

Easter Brunch SUNDAY 4.5

above Bodacious Olive. 407 S. Palafox. $20. sogourmetpensacola.com EGGA-WAHOOZA 2 p.m. The Blue Wahoos are hosting Egga-Wahooza, a free Easter egg hunt with 50,000 eggs. Registration opens at 1 p.m. Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com

Easter Events SATURDAY 4.4

MAKE A BUNNY CAKE 11 a.m. Hands on

class for ages 12 and up. SoGourmet,

STEEP CANYON RANGERS 7 p.m. Vinyl

TUESDAY 4.7

SAUCES WITH SUE DEMONSTRATION 2-3

p.m. SoGourmet, above Bodacious Olive, 407 S. Palafox. $15. sogourmetpensacola. com

Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $15. vinylmusichall. com BANDS ON THE BEACH 7 p.m. The Emerald Coast Blues Brothers perform at this week’s Bands on the Beach—which is a free

In addition, Jackson’s will offer bottomless Piper Sonoma Champagne for $10.

Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. jacksonsrestaurant.com THE HILTON PENSACOLA BEACH 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Chef Dan Dunn and his team will present a spectacular six-station buffet.

There will also be egg hunts, a visit from the Easter Bunny, and children’s activities to delight the little ones. Adults $48.95, Children $12.95. Hilton Pensacola Beach, 12 Via de Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach. hiltonpensacolabeach.com

FISH HOUSE 11 a.m.-3 p.m Chef Matthew Brown’s cold smoked, bone-in pork loin will be the Easter Brunch and Dinner special. Additionally, they will be serving their regular menus with all of your fish house favorites. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. fishhouse.goodgrits.com JACKSON’S STEAKHOUSE 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. The Easter brunch menu is fixed price ($32 per person) and will feature a choice of appetizer and entrée from selections prepared by Chef Irv Miller.

outdoor concert series featuring regional artists held every Tuesday night through Oct. 27. Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach, 735 Pensacola Beach Blvd. visitpensacolabeach.com TUESDAY NIGHT POETRY NIGHT 7 p.m.

Free open mic poetry event every Tuesday.

Sluggo’s Vegetarian Restaurant, 101 S. Jefferson St. facebook.com/TNPNS DANCECRAFT SWING CLASS 7:30-9 p.m.

This class teaches the skills necessary to become a practitioner of West Coast

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BLUE WAHOOS GIFT with paid ticket.

Redeem at the Fan Services Booth during a 2015 Blue Wahoos game.

Pensacola Bayfront Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St.

IN

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calendar

Robots Unplugged at the Pensacola MESS Hall Swing, a popular partner dance that can be enjoyed with virtually any kind of music.

Additional classes and a social dance are held each Wednesday for a chance to put your skills to use. Tuesday class fee is $10 per person or free for people 30 years of age and younger. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com

WEDNESDAY 4.8

UNDER THE SEA 12-1:30 p.m. Seafood lunch

class. SoGourmet, above Bodacious Olive, 407 S. Palafox. $35. sogourmetpensacola.com ROBOTS UNPLUGGED 3:30-5 p.m. Explore

the mechanics of robot design during this one day workshop at the Pensacola MESS Hall. $8 for member, $10 for non-members.

116 N. Tarragona St. pensacolamesshall.org WEST COAST WEDNESDAYS 6:30 p.m. Learn the West Coast Swing at this weekly class, which is followed by a social dance at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday classes are $10 per person and the social dance is $5 per. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME 7 p.m. With The Atlas Moth, Raineys, and Revenge.

Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $16. vinylmusichall.com

location: TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox, Old County Courthouse. artelgallery.org

“FACES” BY DOTTIE KING Also on

exhibit at Artel Gallery until April 17.

Gallery hours and location: TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox, Old County Courthouse. artelgallery.org

arts & culture

≥exhibits

“ARTFUL SISTERS’ SHOW” AT QUAYSIDE Mary Lou

Nicolai, Joy Sims, and Dixie Ferrer, are three very different sisters but they have very strong bonds. Their art will be on display through May 2.

Gallery hours and location: Monday– Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 April 2, 2015

p.m.; Sunday, 1-5p.m. Quayside Gallery, 17 E. Zarragossa St. quaysidegallery.com “ART EXHIBIT BY ALUMNUS PATRICK JACOBS” AT TAG UWF Cur-

rently based out of Brooklyn, internationally-recognized artist Patrick Jacobs creates miniature dioramas which are installed behind the gallery walls.

On display through April 18. Gallery hours and location: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 12-4 p.m.

TAG UWF, Pensacola Main Campus, Building 82, 11000 University Pkwy. tag82uwf.wordpress.com

ARTEL GALLERY PRESENTS “THE GO SHOW” On ex-

hibit until April 17.

Gallery hours and

“METAMORPHOSIS” AT MAINLINE Cindy

Mathis (Lewis) is a self-taught, multidisciplinary artist with an extensive background in both visual and applied arts. Gallery hours and location: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mainline Art House, 442 S. Palafox. mainlinearthouse.com “OBJECT: SCULPTURES, PRINTS, AND

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DRAWINGS” AT PMA

Michael Boles, Pensacola State College Professor of Art and active member of our community’s art scene, is exhibiting his body of work at the Pensacola Museum of Art through April 18. Exhibit includes work from the past ten years of

020 2

Boles’s life. “Sketches of Spain” by Nina Fritz, also remains on display through April 18. “Color of Freedom: Journey Along the Underground Railroad” remains on display through April 4. This exhibit displays a collection of 49 paintings, etchings and draw-

ings by painter and printmaker, Joseph Holston. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults; $8 for members, children 17 and under, seniors and active duty military.

Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jef-

ferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥call for art

“FOR THE LOVE OF BROWNSVILLE” The

Escambia County Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), in partnership with Lamar Advertising and Artel Gallery, is proud to bring urban art

to the Brownsville area. The theme of this year’s competition is “For the Love of Brownsville.”

Artists are invited to create a work of art that shows a loving, artful and united side of the Brownsville Community.

Drop off deadline is Friday, April 10, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Artel Gallery. Submissions will be juried by a panel of artists, business leaders, and community leaders. Email info@ artelgallery.org for more information and guidelines, or call 432-3080.

Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox, Old County Courthouse. artelgallery.org

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FEST Artist

applications are now open for the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival, to be

held Nov. 6 - 8 in Seville Square. The three-day, juried art show draws thousands of visitors and more than 200 of the nation's best painters, potters, sculptors, jewelers, graphic artists, craftsmen and other artists. Cash prizes totaling $25,000 will be awarded. Jury fee is $40; deadline for entry is May 31.

Artists can apply at ggaf.org/apply.

“ALMOST NOTHING: EXPLORING MINIMALISM” A juried

show, judged by Rick Otoupalik, coming to Artel Gallery April 21-May 29. For artist guidelines and drop off information go to artelgallery. org.

≥classes & workshops

“MAKE-YOUROWN-GLASS” CLASS 10a.m.-3

p.m. Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 Held weekly on Friday and Saturdays, First City Art Center offers weekly “MakeYour-Own-Glass” classes, no previous glassblowing skills necessary. The classes are open to anyone age 8 and older and range in price from $25-$45.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required and can be made by calling 429-1222. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY ON THE WHEEL 6-8:30 p.m.

Monday, April 6.

During this weekly workshop held on Monday evenings

at First City Art Center, instructor Pearl VanHoove works individually with students to develop consistency in throwing on the wheel. Participants receive and introduction to materials, equipment and throwing techniques. Each session begins with a brief demonstrations followed by hands-on time at the wheel.

The class is $40 and open to individuals age 14 and up.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required and can be made by calling 429-1222. Class is limited to two participants. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

for more listings visit inweekly.net

inweekly.net

music

by Dylan Carroll

tUnE-yArDs’ Spring Revival

Photo by Holly Andres Merrill Garbus wants you to celebrate.

She has spent the past six years as orchestrator of the band tUnE-yArDs. Their sound is an unforgiving blend of primal rhythm and soul, married with a forceful zeitgeist. What began as a minimal performance with Garbus taking to the stage on

FOREVER DIETING?

her own has transformed into a crowded, frantic experience with multiple performers on stage.

Beautiful, robotic synths break through an almost Springsteenscented rock 'n roll energy to create one of the more fascinating and engaging world beat bands to emerge in recent memory.

She has been featured on “Austin City Limits” and NPR's “Tiny Desk Concerts.” In May 2014, her third album, “Nikki Nack,” was released and gathered diverse critical success.

2015 is looking like another big year for tUnE-yArDs. Spring and summer bring a swirl of shows all across the United States, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

Lucky for us, Pensacola also made that list.

We caught up with Garbus in advance of her upcoming show at Vinyl Music Hall.

INWEEKLY: Is this your first time in Pensacola?

GARBUS: It's actually our first time in Florida, ever. It had definitely been too long to not. It’s something we've wanted to do for a while, and it was worth the effort to route the tour down here.

“ I grew up in a family where the closest thing we had to religion was music.”

Merrill Garbus

INWEEKLY: 2015 is a full year for you.

What's it like to be performing a steady mix of festivals and headlining shows?

GARBUS: We've been doing a lot of both. It's kind of impossible to not book festivals along the way. Without the festival offers, with seven people on the road, it would be really difficult.

INWEEKLY: A lot of people talk about your music videos, like the one for 'Bizness,' when they talk about your music. Could you tell us a little a bit on the strong visual elements used in your videos?

GARBUS: Our director, Mimi Cave, amped up what we thought was possible. We all came at it from a total DIY perspective—all of the performers in the video were volunteers.

There has always been a family of visual artists involved in this project, and people really put their souls into it.

INWEEKLY: Your sound is inherently celebratory and bordering on spiritual revival at times. Do you agree with this?

GARBUS: I grew up in a family where the closest thing we had to religion was music. It was how we celebrated, and how we paid reverence to being on this planet. It's ritual. We try to show up to

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the stage honestly every night. It’s very easy to create a cartoon of ritual as opposed to really being there. I'm trying to do what feels right.

INWEEKLY: Did that change when the band expanded? What's it like to be joined on stage with these performers?

GARBUS: It's always such a tough question of who to bring on the road. It's a leap of faith.

We went with our gut after auditioning dozens and dozens of people. These are people you spend years with—at least a year. We were really blessed to find talented people and the right people.

INWEEKLY: Do you have any plans to transition into other sounds like goth hip-hop or something like that?

GARBUS: It's hard to have plans! Not ruling anything out, though, including goth hip-hop (laughs).

INWEEKLY: What would you want our readers to know before heading out to the show?

GARBUS: It feels really good to get down to Florida, and I feel like every show on this tour has been really special—and we don't take that for granted. {in}

TUNE-YARDS

WHAT: tUnE-yArDs with Son Lux WHEN: 7 p.m. Monday, April 6 WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox COST: $20-$23 DETAILS: tune-yards.com

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news of the weird MAN'S BEST FRIEND Researchers are now preparing a study seeking to confirm that dog slobber, by itself (and not just the psychological advantages of playing with and petting a dog), might provide human health benefits (such as relief from asthma, allergies and inflammation). Specialists from the University of Arizona and University of California San Diego point to existing evidence of the comparative healthiness of dog-owning families and suspect that canine saliva, like yogurt, may have unusual probiotic value.

RECURRING THEMES Japan may have its cat restaurants (where loaner felines lounge during meals) and even its penguin bar in Ikebukuro, and London (as reported here a month ago) an experimental owl cafe (with specially domesticated birds perched on diners' shoulders), but not to be outdone, an entrepreneur in Seoul, South Korea, guesses that his Thanks to Nature Cafe will be a big hit—with sheep wandering through the dining room. (After all, according to the lunar calendar, 2015 is the Chinese zodiac Year of the Sheep.)

Owner Lee Kwang-ho said his novel business model has attracted visitors from Macedonia, Saudi Arabia and New Zealand, among other countries.

•Home Unimprovement: Recent cases to add to the classic "Don't DIY" Files: (1) Fred Horne of Columbus, Ohio, burned down his house in February trying to smoke the bedbugs out of his couch. Only that one piece of furniture caught fire, but carrying it out of the house, Horne got stuck in a doorway, and the blaze spread. (2) Near Darwin, Australia, in February, an unnamed woman living in an RV came face-to-face with a snake and decided to encourage the serpent to leave—by lighting a fire beneath the RV's floor. The vehicle was destroyed but, said the police superintendent, "we don't know what happened to the snake."

•Supporting the Troops: Federal law prohibits foreclosures and repossessions (unless by court order) against active-duty military members, but Americans would hardly know that from observing creditors.

A 2012 Government Accountability Office report found at least 15,000 violations by U.S. financial institutions, small and large, including J.P. Morgan Chase (violations News of the Weird reported in 2011). In February, auto lender Santander Consumer USA agreed to pay $9.35 million to settle charges that it illegally seized cars of 760 service members (some while deployed in war zones) over the last five years.

•Smash-Mouth Competition: Dentist Leopold Weinstein, 63, was arrested in February in Camarillo, California, and charged with suspicion of setting fire to three competing dental offices (one for the fourth time). One victim said the arsonist

by Chuck Shepherd

even drilled holes in the roof and poured in gasoline to accelerate the blaze. (Later in February, in Hua Hin, Thailand, a 36-yearold woman was arrested for scattering screws on a busy street in order to increase business for her husband's tire shop.)

•Artists Working in the Medium of Silicone: Padge-Victoria Windslowe, a "Gothic hip-hop" performer known as "Black Madam" who carried out buttocks-enhancement procedures on the side ("thousands," she bragged) using industrial-grade silicone (and Krazy Glue to seal the injection site), was convicted in Philadelphia in March of the third-degree murder of one "patient" whose silicone leaked to her lungs. During the trial, Windslowe told the jury she had been called the "Michelangelo of buttocks injections"—though the reigning overachiever still appears to be Ron Oneal Morris, some of whose patients achieved higher booty-circumference numbers. (Morris is awaiting trial in Miami on manslaughter charges.)

ALSO, RECURRING ...(1) Devin Gesell, 17, and two underage accomplices are the most recent burglars to make off with a deceased person's ashes, believing they had swiped cocaine. Disappointment resulted from the very first taste, and the cremains were immediately tossed from the getaway car. (St. Peters, Missouri, March). (2) A 35-year-old woman became the most recent to get stuck climbing down a chimney, but she wasn't a would-be burglar. She was trying to enter the house of a former boyfriend (and father of her three children), who had forbidden her presence in the home. (Also, she was naked, perhaps to assist her descent.)

(Woodcrest, California, January)

PensacolaJazzFest 2015 April 11 – 12 • Seville Square Free admission • 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Holly Shelton

DUKES of Dixieland

Poster by Nina Fritz Roman Street

Gino Rosaria

Guffman Trio

Joe Occhipinti Big Band

Music • Arts & Crafts • Kids Area • Food & Drinks Plus College, High School & Middle School Jazz Bands

The one for JAZZ on the Gulf Coast! jazzpensacola.com

A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (FEBRUARY 2010) Too-Swift Justice: It is not unheard of for someone to commit a crime and then immediately surrender, usually for safety or the comfort of a jail cell. However, Gerard Cellette Jr., 44, tried to be even more helpful. Knowing that he would soon be arrested (and probably convicted) for running a $53 million Ponzi scheme in the Minneapolis area, he walked into a county judge's chambers in December (2009) and offered to begin serving time. The judge explained patiently that Cellette would have to wait until he was arrested and charges were filed and a plea recorded—which would all take time. (He was disappointed but 12 months later was sentenced to eight years in prison.) {in}

From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2015 Chuck Shepherd

Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to newsoftheweird.com April 2, 2015

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SUMMER COURSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARE CONVENIENT, ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE. Short Terms in 6 Weeks or Full Term in 13 Weeks • In-Person or Online • Financial Aid Available for Qualified UWF Students

HAVE A STUDENT HOME FOR THE SUMMER? Did you know they can take summer courses and transfer credits back to any public university or state/community college in Florida? For more information visit the Florida Virtual Campus website at flvc.org.

Register today. Classes begin May 11.

Visit uwf.edu/summer to learn more!

UWF.EDU/SUMMER Independent News | April 2, 2015 | inweekly.net