Inweekly Feb 22 2024 Issue

GET READY TO VOTE Independent News | February 22, 2024 | Volume 25 | Number 7

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winners & losers

outtakes

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news 6

We unpacked the game.

buzz

feature

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publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Joshua Encinias, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Dakota Parks, C.S. Satterwhite, Tom St. Myer

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13, 17 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. © 2024 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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February 22, 2024

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winners & losers

Larry Gillespie and Zorrian Photo Courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters

winners

losers

LARRY GILLESPIE Big Brothers Big Sisters of

ESCAMBIA'S OVERDOSE RATE Though the health data is running over a year behind, we continue to find Escambia County's opioid crisis continues, with the county having a rate of drug poisoning deaths more than double the state's average in 2022. Escambia County's rate was 75 drug overdose deaths per 100,000 population, while Santa Rosa's rate was 34.1, Okaloosa's 54.1 and Walton's 36. Glades, Marion and Volusia counties were the only other Florida counties with overdose rates higher than 60 per 100,000 population, with 65.9, 62.3 and 62.2, respectively.

Northwest Florida recently announced Gillespie as the recipient of the 2024 Big Brother of the Year for the state of Florida. The prestigious award recognized his outstanding dedication and commitment to fostering a meaningful relationship with his Little Brother, Zorrian, over eight years.

This recognition not only underscored the profound impact of his mentorship but also emphasized the importance of community partnerships.

Marathon Electrical Contractors played a pivotal role in making this mentorship possible by investing in BBBS programs and enabling Gillespie to share time with his Little Brother.

AMBER BORDEN The Escambia County Board

of County Commissioners is pleased to recognize Amber Borden, a grant coordinator in the Mass Transit Department, as the February 2024 Employee of the Month. She led the application process to successfully obtain $26 million in grants for a new transit facility. Bordon also secured $5 million for new eco-friendly and energy-efficient bus shelters.

In addition, she worked with the Florida Department of Transportation to have four 2020 buses donated for Escambia County's fixed route services. Alongside her duties as a grant coordinator, Borden serves as acting finance manager.

DATA DETECTIVES The University of West

Florida team placed fifth against teams including Yale University, Dartmouth College and others at the University of South Carolina's National Big Data Health Science Student Case Competition.

UWF graduate students Gail Han and Jason Gerstenberger and UWF undergraduate student Dylan Wright worked for more than 24 hours to solve a health care data science challenge. The team, "Data Detectives," was guided by faculty members Dr. Achraf Cohen and Dr. Shusen Pu, who work in UWF's Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

PARKRUN PENSACOLA On Saturday, Feb.

10, Parkrun Pensacola marked its five-year anniversary on the University of West Florida's Pensacola campus. Every Saturday morning, runners gather to walk, jog, run or volunteer during the timed 5K run/walk. Over the past five years, Rec Plex North Parkrun has seen tremendous success, holding 196 events with 2,384 participants.

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MILTON POLITICS For decades, Milton oper-

ated out of the spotlight with minimal controversy. City and county governments were stable and worked under the radar, but not anymore.

Both the Milton city manager and Santa Rosa County administrator have submitted resignation letters. City Manager Scott Collins submitted his resignation, effective Friday, Feb. 23, and Santa Rosa County Administrator DeVann Cook announced his final day is May 21.

MATT GAETZ Ahead of this year's Super Bowl, our congressman tweeted he would not watch the game because of a scheduled performance of the Black National Anthem. Gaetz's protest had no impact on the games' ratings. The Super Bowl was the most-watched telecast in history, with 123.4 million viewers across CBS, Univision and streaming platforms. Ratings were up more than 7% compared to last year's game.

STATE PAY RAISES Members of the Senate Appropriations Committee have objected to a Florida House proposal that would raise the pay of future governors, state Cabinet members and judges. If passed, the pay of the governor, lieutenant governor, Cabinet members and appellate, circuit and county judges to amounts on par or similar to state Supreme Court justices starting in the 2027-2028 fiscal year. Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill, argued lawmakers must first address property insurance and other economic issues facing Floridians. Some senators said the House proposal should include a study of the pay of lawmakers, who get paid about $30,000 a year, with relatively little change since 2010. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

CORRIDORS & POCKETS Escambia County Public Schools has begun identifying the academic outcomes, such as reading and math scores, with their school attendance zones to reveal "corridors of concerns." This is good news.

The "corridors of concerns" came up near the end of the Escambia Children's Trust's board meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 13, when the board discussed a March 20 workshop to look at future programs.

"The school district for several months now has been reviewing, some people may call it 'pockets of poverty,' we're calling it 'corridors of concern,'" said School Superintendent Keith Leonard.

"And what it does is it drills down to the number of students and what school they attend by each, not just zip code, but by school attendance zone. And it is very focused data. You can drill down to math scores, reading scores," he continued. "So, you can imagine we're beginning to put our focus in those particular areas and have a really smart young man that works in our IT department that has developed this. And if it would be appropriate, I would ask him to come and deliver that message along with our district data scientist."

The Trust's new executive director, Lindsey Cannon, jumped on the idea. "I think that's highly appropriate. If we're going to make data-driven decisions, we need to have all the data that we can get. I would love that breakdown, and I'm sure the rest of the team would, as well as the board. Thank you for offering that."

Last spring, Inweekly worked with the University of West Florida Haas Center to produce the Pockets of Poverty map to identify the Escambia County neighborhoods with the largest concentration of children living in poverty. Using the latest census data, Nicole Gislason, the UWF Haas Center's executive director, and her team mapped all 78 census tracts in Escambia County.

They identified the number of children living in poverty in each.

Six tracts in the city and county's urban cores have more than half of their children living in poverty. The areas are in Bellview, Brownsville, Pensacola Village, Myrtle Grove, North Palafox Street and near the old Baptist Hospital campus.

These six tracts account for 24% of the children in poverty, meaning almost one in four children living in poverty in Escambia County resides in those neighborhoods.

I hope we can apply the school district's "corridors of concern" data to the Pockets of Poverty map to give us a fuller picture of how poverty impacts performance in our public schools. We know schools in and near the pockets have been struggling academically for years, but we've never been able to pinpoint it precisely because the school district has been reluctant to share its data.

But that has changed with Superintendent of Schools Keith Leonard, thank goodness.

However, I don't think we should stop there. We need Achieve Healthy EscaRosa (AHER), a collaboration of local healthcare providers to improve the health of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, to share its members' data so we can better understand the health outcomes in our neighborhoods.

The Haas Center developed AHER's dashboard, which shows Escambia County's infant mortality per 1,000 births is 7.9, higher than the state average of 5.9. Our low birth weight rate is 11 per 1,000 births, while the state average is 9.

The teenage birth rate is 6.6, and the state rate is 3.5. We need to drill down into this health data and find out where these mothers and infants live to improve access to health care in those neighborhoods. And we can do that with all our other health data.

Then we add the crime statistics so we can even better understand the challenges these children face daily. We have people come before the Trust's board and the county commission who have shared anecdotal stories about the crimes children see. Let's add the crime date to the map to get a more complete picture.

Then, the Escambia Children's Trust's board, our elected officials and community leaders can make more informed decisions on how to help them. That understanding should lead to the Trust deploying its $100 million budget better and having a greater, more meaningful impact.{in} rick@inweekly.net

Six tracts in the city and county's urban cores have more than half of their children living in poverty.

February 22, 2024

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KEEPING GIRLS PLAYING want to be around their friends and have fun, and then they learn how to get good at the sport and start building confidence, which changes their perspective of why they play. But they first get into it to have fun and be around their friends."

"In volleyball and other sports, there is an awkwardness, a shyness," Wolter said. "Sports allows girls to let the court be their playground.

We teach them to let their personality come out when they play, and that person that's out there is learning, growing, making new friends, breaking through barriers and doing things that are hard."

"They learn to be good teammates, to communicate and to be good leaders." Yelton

Melissa Wolter / Photo Courtesy of UWF

By Rick Outzen Among all the Super Bowl ads that received rave reviews was Dove's "Hard Knocks" spot that celebrated body confidence for girls in sports. The ad began with girls taking hard falls in sports, timed to "It's the Hard Knock Life" from the musical Annie, and the final 15 seconds shifted to the message that 45% of girls quit sports because of low body confidence.

Dove has teamed with Nike to create the Body Confident Sport program, a global initiative that aims to stop girls from dropping out of sports because of body image concerns. The free program has web-based, self-guided lessons for coaches to help them create positive body image environments for their athletes, ages 11-17.

Body Confident Sport provides coaches the materials they need to increase girls' body confidence, body image, and self-esteem through sports. The Super Bowl ad directed viewers to bodyconfidentsport.com to learn more.

NOT BEING PERFECT IS OK

On the day before the Super Bowl, the University of West Florida Athletics Department hosted a free youth clinic for middle and elementary school girls as part of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, a national event held in early February and sponsored by the Women's Sports Foundation. The Florida Lottery supported the UWF event, which included free admission to the basketball doubleheader against Christian Brothers University.

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The girls rotated between stations of volleyball, tennis, golf, cross country, soccer and other sports so the college teams could introduce them to their sport.

"It was an amazing event to have girls introduced to different activities and understand that sports have great value to girls in our community," said Stephanie Yelton, UWF women's basketball coach. "Sports build confidence and leadership. Girls who participate in sports have higher GPAs than their counterparts. They graduate from high school at a higher rate than their counterparts, and it's good all around to see that great group of girls."

"It was an amazing event to have girls introduced to different activities and understand that sports have great value to girls in our community." Stephanie Yelton She continued, "They fed on pizza before the game and then came over to cheer us on against Christian Brothers—a super day of fun activities for girls in our community. " UWF volleyball coach Melissa Wolter and her players had a station at National Girls & Women in Sports Day. "It's probably one of my favorite events that we run here at UWF because it gives little girls an opportunity to get exposure to multiple sports in the same day," Wolter said. "We put 'em into groups based on age, and we had

every group for about 12 minutes. Then, they got to get exposure to women's basketball, golf and soccer."

She added, "At that age, you just want them to learn to love all sports, and maybe there's one that they don't like or a couple that they do, but it's just we had the best time. The girls were all super receptive, and our staff players came and worked it. It was just a great day."

Wolter praised Yelton for how she set the stage for the event. "Coach Yelton did a great job of kicking it off by letting them know that you're not going to be successful at everything you try today, but it's okay. Honestly and really long-term wise, not everybody's going to play college sports, but just to learn, keep trying and having fun with it, that was the biggest thing that we tried to convey to them."

Both coaches shared that their hometowns didn't offer many girls' sports when they were growing up. Yelton said, "When I played T-ball, it was with the boys. When I played basketball, it was with the boys. When I tried to pick up any sport, of course, I played football in the backyard with the boys."

Wolter said, "When I was growing up, I came from a small town, and of course, you would get asked to play lots of different sports when you're any semblance of a good athlete.

But I wish that I had had more exposure to more sports as a young person."

Today, sports associations have more girlonly teams in the broader variety of sports.

"There's a difference between girls and boys when it comes to sports," Yelton explained.

"Young girls get involved in sports because they

Yelton discussed the pressure that young girls experience. "Girls in our community, because of social media and peers, feel pressure to have to be perfect at things they try, and that's not the case in sports. Sports have good outcomes for our kids, even if they're not the superstar."

She continued, "They learn to be good teammates, to communicate and to be good leaders. It's healthy for their bodies, and so I hope our community can rally around our kids and not make it all about winning and losing. Instead, we should focus on learning, growing, being physically active and all the other positives that come along with sports, and no matter the sport you pick."

Coach Wolter talked about how she used the Super Bowl to teach her volleyball team.

"We unpacked the game. There were so many things that our girls needed to see from stuff that happened in that game on Sunday. It was a great avenue to have discussions about what confidence looks like, how to carry yourself in real life outside of sport."

She added, "I think there's definitely a trickle-over from sports into everything else that they'll need to do in regular everyday life."

Coach Yelton created her nonprofit, Bounce Basketball, to help local coaches and players.

"One of the motivating factors for me was the mentality that basketball is a truly hard sport to learn to play, but you don't have to play at the competitive level to be a basketball enthusiast," she said. "You can shoot the ball in your driveway, play in a rec league, or get some friends together and just play at a local playground."

Bounce Basketball hosts basketball camps and provides team clinics teams taught by coach Yelton, her staff and players. On Sunday, March 3, she will host a mixed doubles clinic at the UWF Fieldhouse 3:30-4:45 p.m.

"This is a chance for an adult—parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, a Big Brother or Big Sister— to bring their boy or girl, grades first through sixth, to the gym and participate in a camp with them," Yelton said. "It's going to be a great opportunity to introduce the young person in your life to the sport of basketball."

To learn more, visit bouncebasketball.org. {in} inweekly.net

February 22, 2024

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John Robinson / Photo Courtesy of Escambia County

A DECADE OF PROGRESS The first time Escambia County Animal Welfare Director John Robinson stepped into the county's animal shelter, he knew changes were needed.

On Sunday, Feb. 18, he celebrated his 10-year anniversary on the job, and the county wanted the public to know the progress the shelter has made under his leadership.

"My big goal first was just, 'How do we get the shelter turned around? What's that going to take,'" Robinson said. "And the first step was just putting a team together and processes in place that were going to be functional, that were going to work."

He focused on building a team of dedicated people who genuinely care about animals and the community. "When people come through here and see the animals, they can tell that they're in better shape than they used to be.

They're cleaner, they're healthier—they're all those things. I think all of that contributes to helping complete those families by finding the right animals for them."

Before moving here, Robinson served as the director of operations for the Humane Society of Memphis and later the shelter manager for the Town of Collierville, Tenn.

He is also a nationally certified animal cruelty investigator through the National Animal Care & Control Association and the University of Missouri. Throughout his animal welfare career, he worked as a responder with the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Humane Society of the U.S., responding to large-scale animal cruelty cases and disasters.

During his career with Escambia County, Robinson has increased the number of animals available for adoption by opening more shelter areas to the public. The shelter had previously been set up for the public to view only a small 88

portion of adoptable animals, which were selected by staff.

He worked with the veterinarian team to improve the quality of care for animals in the shelter and ensure they were spayed/neutered before adoption. Robinson reduced the shelter's euthanasia rate, ensuring dogs are not euthanized simply because of their breed.

Looking ahead, Robinson would like to build a shelter that is more inviting to the public and more comfortable for animals when funds become available. The current facility was constructed in 1997 before shelters were designed with animal adoptions at the forefront.

"My goal is to hopefully come up with something that can work and give this county a long-term solution," Robinson said. "There's never going to be a shelter big enough to house every stray animal in this county, but it's about how to take care of animals most in need in our community."

His vision for Escambia County Animal Welfare also includes continuing to build connections with the community.

"I think we're seeing a culture and a community that cares more for animals than they did 20 or 30 years ago, or in a different way," Robinson said. "But I'm still trying to build that better and better all the time, connecting with the community and becoming a part of that community."

He added, "I want people to look at the shelter and animal welfare officers in a positive light.

We're here to help, to educate and to make lives better for people and animals in our community."

FIGHTING FOR MALCOLM YONGE Citi-

zens wanting to keep the Malcolm Yonge Gym aren't going away without a fight. On Thursday, Feb. 15, Jonathan Green filed a motion asking for an emergency temporary restraining order against the City of Pensacola to allow the Com-

mittee to Save Malcolm Yonge Community Center 60 days to collect petition signatures for a citywide referendum.

"The goal of the temporary restraining order being filed, just simply as a resident and citizen, is for other like-minded citizens who, in this public outcry to save Malcolm Young Community Center, to be able to have time (to collect signatures)," Green said.

Under the Pensacola City Charter, groups opposing a City Council vote have 60 days to submit petitions signed by registered voters to force a citywide vote on the issue. The clock starts when 10 city electors file an affidavit stating they will constitute the petitioners' committee and be responsible for circulating the petition.

The committee must collect signatures from 10% of the city's registered voters, as shown by the compilation by the Supervisor of Elections for the most recent general election of the City Council. Election Supervisor Robert Bender told Inweekly the city had 41,381 registered voters for the 2022 general election.

Thus, the Committee to Save Malcolm Yonge Community must gather 4,381 signatures to get the issue on the ballot.

"Whether you're for bringing the Malcolm Young Community Center down or saving the community center to restore it, we want the community to be able to be those decisionmakers in that regard," Green said.

On Feb. 8, the Pensacola City Council approved a demolition contract for the gym that the city had leased to Lighthouse Private Christian Academy until March 2023, when the city closed the facility due to safety concerns.

Mayor D.C. Reeves recommended demolishing the structure and redeveloping the site after structural assessments for the cost to repair the gym were more than the building was worth. He argued that the city would be better off focusing on improving the nearby Cobb Community Center.

Teresa Hill called out the mayor and city officials for saying the public never used Malcolm Yonge after Lighthouse leased the gym.

"We had been in that community center many times over the past two years," she said.

"We saw pickleball, we saw volleyball camps, we saw tutoring, we saw basketball camps. So, the fact that they keep saying that over and over really sparked me up because it's clear there's an agenda that they seem not to really be forthcoming with the public, and this is why we have the right to have a referendum to keep our city officials in check."

The petition committee has set up a website, savepensacola.com. Hill said, "If you're interested in getting a petition ballot to sign, once we get through the Supervisor of Election process here in the next couple days, one of the electors or one of the petitioners on that committee will bring you the ballot to sign."

No petition drives have been successful since the current charter was approved in 2009. However, the city did have two petition

drives that collected enough signatures to force referendum votes under the old charter, which required 15% of the city's registered voters.

In 2003, a petition drive to overturn a council vote that would have built an auditorium and festival park where the Maritime Park sits today gathered 5.650 signatures. The voters reversed the council's decision. When the Pensacola City Council approved the Community Maritime Park in 2006, Save Our City collected 9,136 signatures, but the referendum failed.

On Friday, Feb. 16, Green delivered to Pensacola City Hall the Committee to Save Malcolm Yonge Community Center's petition affidavit with the 10 names of city electors needed to start the petition process. The names included former city council members Hill and Sherri Myers. The other eight names were Green, Fred Gunther, Gloria Horning, Barbara Mayall, Mary Ward, William Brancati, Daniel Hebb and Michael Raymond Webb.

'BLESS YOU' The Escambia Children's Trust board of directors met Tuesday, Feb. 13, in the Escambia County Commission chambers. It was the first board meeting for the new executive director, Lindsey Cannon, who reported to work the previous day.

As of Dec. 31, 2023, the Trust has $24.5 million in the bank and $851,890 in total liabilities.

The administrative expenses ($321,224) were 28.4% of the total expenditures ($1,131,845).

Legal Services of North Florida and Youth Left Behind made presentations to the board.

In December 2022, the board approved paying Legal Services of North Florida up to $617,034 to provide expanded representation for children in court and administrative hearings.

In September 2023, Youths Left Behind Corp. was awarded $93,982 for its After-School Peer Empowerment Program for children in grades six-12 living in the Silurian Pond Apartments in the 32505 ZIP code. The eight-week program would be offered one day a week to any youth residing in the apartment complex and neighborhoods nearby.

Youths Left Behind founder Hassan Hills told the board the program began Nov. 7 and has had 25 participants in the past 90 days. The participants have had no disciplinary referrals since joining the program.

"We have two of our young men that were in alternative schools, and due to the program and their attitude at home, they're now back in public school completing community service," Hills said.

He had a grandmother address the board about how her grandson went from failing grades to As and Bs. "He's excelling at school, at home. There's still some difficulties. That's where Hassan steps in and says, 'Look, I'll talk to him, talk to you, work things out.' He has been really, really helpful."

In his closing remarks, Hills said, "Thank you guys for believing in me. There's much more to come. We're outgrowing our building. It was gifted for three years, and we're grateful, but inweekly.net

we're outgrowing it. In the years and months to come, we want to expand and do more to better serve the community and give 'em more dosage."

After the presentation, board member Dr. Rex Northrup said to Hills, "Kudos to you and the service you are providing; this is just amazing. And this is exactly the type of impact that I think the board wants to see and what the community wants to see funded. And bless you and thank you."

"We're very confident on the terms," he said, noting that attorneys were still ironing out general logistics like parking. "It's not a question of rent or a question of length (of time) or any of that."

Late Friday, Feb. 16, Inweekly received word the agreement had been worked out, and it would be an add-on agenda item for the council meeting.

MAYOR'S PRESSER NOTES The town hall

TERM LIMITS Rep. Michelle Salzman's bill

regarding Safe Spot Skate Spot has been delayed while the City of Pensacola waits to see the renderings from Upward Intuition and has staff review them. Upward Intuition received a $150,000 grant from the "Dottie" Frist Foundation, and Mayor D.C. Reeves wants to see what can be built within that budget.

"We've entered into these skate spot partnership conversations based around the idea that we could help find some park property and that we could help project manage," Mayor Reeves said. "We have not entered into this with the idea that the city would be after a $2.2 million skate park. We're probably not going to be spending any significant funds on our side or proposing that."

The mayor wasn't enthused about adding a skate park to Bayview Park. "We've got 94 parks, many of which are entire city blocks that are very unactivated. As a matter of fact, I know we've been doing some research. I believe there's some kind of skate activation at Gull Point right now that's fallen into some disrepair.

Can it be a repurposed project as opposed to building something new if we can't make it work in the budget?"

On Friday, Feb. 16, the city sent out an official notice that the meeting had been officially postponed and would be rescheduled at a future date.

The mayor announced the estimated completion date for the installation of red-light cameras for the city's pilot program is July 1. He also said the Sanitation Department has begun applying QR code stickers to garbage cans.

The codes will give customers better access to signing up for text messages, the sanitation schedule and other information "just to have that one-stop shop."

At the Feb. 25 city council meeting, the mayor is recommending the council extend to June 30 the options that Inspired Communities and Valencia have for parcels at the Maritime Park. Inspire Communities has options on Parcels Four and Five to build apartments and retail. Valencia wants to build a luxury hotel on Parcel Seven, which is next to Nick's Boathouse.

The mayor hopes to have term sheets on both projects in June. He said a formula was in play that would avoid the necessity of building a parking garage initially.

Mayor Reeves said he planned to have a port lease agreement with American Magic before the Pensacola City Council's Feb. 25 meeting so there could be a signing ceremony when its skipper visits the following week.

February 22, 2024

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

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(HB 57) to limit county commissioners' terms was passed by the House State Affairs Committee after the bill was revised to impose eightyear term limits to align with the companion bill in the Florida Senate. Salzman had started with the eight-year limit but later changed it to 12 years, only to return to eight years last week.

Florida Association of Counties' deputy director of public policy, Bob McKee, argued local voters should be allowed to decide if they want to limit commissioners' terms rather than imposing limits through state law.

Salzman rejected the notion voters should decide the limits for their county commissioners. She and her fellow lawmakers know what the voters want.

"I truly believe that we have all been elected by our local communities to come here and represent their voice," Salzman said. "And we know that in their voices, they want term limits. So, to put that on the ballot as a statewide initiative would, in my opinion, be a waste of government and community resources."

HB 57 has passed all three committees and is ready for a vote of the full chamber.

The Senate version of the bill (SB 438) has been scheduled to go before the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 21, after our newspaper deadline. To find out what happens next, check ricksblog.biz.

LETTERS OF INTEREST The City of Pensacola and its Community Redevelopment Agency are soliciting Letters of Interest (LOI) from interested developers specializing and/or experienced in commercial real estate development for property formerly used by Pensacola Sports at 101 W. Main St. In September, Pensacola Sports announced it was moving from the downtown location it leased from the city for three decades to Pensacola State College's main campus.

LOIs will be accepted for a minimum of 30 days, ending 5 p.m. March 17, but may be accepted on an ongoing basis until closed at the discretion of City administration. An informational conference is 2-3 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 at Pensacola City Hall or online via Teams. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to attend.

This will be followed by a site visit 3-4 p.m.

Visit cityofpensacola.com for additional information on this project and sign up for notifications on future development opportunities within the City of Pensacola via the Notify Me "CRA Updates" and "Bid Postings" lists. {in}

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GET READY TO VOTE

The GOP presidential debates fizzled as Donald Trump sat out and let the other hopefuls battle for voters. Several of the Republican candidates dropped out before the Iowa Caucuses, while others fell to the wayside after the New Hampshire Primary.

In all likelihood, we will have a rematch of Biden vs. Trump in the November general election. It's too early to tell whether any of our local races will attract much attention. Most of the incumbents have pre-filed, but will anyone challenge them?

Inweekly will cover all the races and keep you informed as they develop. To kick things off, here is our way-too-early guide of the all elected positions up this year, plus important dates and resources.

2024 ELECTION CALENDAR PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY Election Day: March 19 Vote-By-Mail Request Deadline: March 7 Early Voting Period: March 9-16

PRIMARY ELECTION

Election Day: Aug. 20 Voter Registration and Party Change Deadline: July 22 Vote-By-Mail Request Deadline: Aug. 8 Early Voting Period: Aug. 10-17

GENERAL ELECTION

Election Day: Nov. 5 Voter Registration Deadline: Oct. 7 Vote-By-Mail Request Deadline: Oct. 24 Early Voting Period: Oct. 26-Nov.2

PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE PRIMARY The 2024 election cycle in Florida kicks off with the Republican Presidential Preference Primary Tuesday, March 19. To vote in it, you must have been registered with that party no later than Feb. 20. (Yeah, we realize we should have let you know earlier, but it was Mardi Gras.)

February 22, 2024

The ballot will list seven GOP candidates, but four have withdrawn from the race, leaving Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ryan Binkley.

Any votes for Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, Asa Hutchinson or Vivek Ramaswamy will be counted but will be seen by many as protest votes.

The Democrats have only one candidate who qualified to run, President Joe Biden.

Therefore, there is no Democratic Presidential Preference Primary.

If you're a registered Republican voting in the primary, here's a rundown of the three ways you can do that.

STATE LEGISLATURE, COUNTY, SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND CITY RACES

Early Voting: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, March 4-Sunday, March 17. Visit escambiavotes.gov for voting locations.

Florida House All Districts Term: Two years

Vote-By-Mail: The Supervisor of Election has begun mailing ballots. The deadline to request vote-by-mail ballots is Thursday, March 7. The request can be made in person, by phone to (850) 595-3900 or online. Vote-by-mail ballots must be in the Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Office (213 S. Palafox St., Second Floor) by 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19.

Constitutional Officers Clerk of Court Sheriff Property Appraiser Tax Collector Supervisor of Election Term: Four years

Election Day: 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Tuesday, March 19

BALLOT PREVIEW FEDERAL, STATE AND CIRCUIT 1 RACES U.S. Senator Term: Six years

U.S. House of Representatives District 1 Term: Two years

We have several local offices that could be on the ballots in August and November if anyone challenges the incumbents, but we will need to wait until June to see who qualifies to run. Candidates can qualify by meeting the petition requirement or paying a fee.

Florida Senate District 1 Term: Four years

County Commission Districts 1, 3 and 5 Term: Four years County Judge Groups 4 and 5 Term: Six years School Board Districts 4 and 5 Term: Four years

State Attorney Circuit 1 Term: Four years

Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Board Districts 1, 3 and 5 Term: Four years

Public Defender Circuit 1 Term: Four years

Santa Rosa Island Authority Board Term: Two years

Judges Circuit 1; Groups 1, 14 and 23 Term: Six years

Escambia Soil and Water Conservation District Board Groups 1-5 Term: Four years

Pensacola City Council Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 Term: Four years Town of Century Mayor Town Council Seats 1 and 2 Term: Four years

PARTY LINES Here are the most recent party breakdowns of registered voters for the county and state overall.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY (as of Feb. 1)

Republican: 94,346 (42.2%) Democrat: 62,251 (30.5%) No Party Affiliation: 42,430 (20.8%) Minor Parties: 5,194 (2.5%) Total: 204,221

STATE OF FLORIDA (as of Dec. 31)

Republican: 5,141,848 (38.5%) Democrat: 4,362,147 (32.7%) No Party Affiliation: 3,528,807 (26.4%) Minor Parties: 317,607 (2.4%) Total: 13,350,409

ONLINE RESOURCES FEDERAL, STATE AND CIRCUIT 1 RACES

You can find out who is running and review their campaign finance reports at dos.fl.gov/elections.

COUNTY, SPECIAL DISTRICTS AND CITY RACES

The Escambia County Supervisor of Elections office is where you can register to vote, change parties and find your voting precinct. You can also check for the latest information on local candidates and find out who has contributed money to their campaigns and how those funds have been spent at escambiavotes.gov. {in}

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WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22-28

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

Pensacon Celebrates 11 Years of Fandom

By Joshua Encinias

little more centralized than it's been in the past.

The Wright Center is significantly closer to Bay Center, making it easier to navigate between venues. Pensacon still offers a free trolly service around downtown, but for those able to, it's just easy to walk between the Bay Center and the First United Methodist Church campus.

PARTNER EVENTS

Photo courtesy of Pensacon / By V Sousa Photo

The Bay Center's first-floor conference room is about to be transformed, once again, into a galaxy far, far away.

Pensacon turns the space over to local chapters of "Star Wars" costuming organizations the 501st, Rebel Legion and Droid Builders for the best nerdy immersive experience this side of Disney World's "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge."

"Many times, when you see stormtroopers in Disney's 'Star Wars' shows, those are just fans from the 501st that Lucasfilm uses rather than going out and building new costumes," said Julio Diaz, media director of Pensacon.

Last year, they recreated the Cantina from "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" photo-ops and costumed characters. "It's a great part of the experience," Diaz said. "We're really lucky to have those fans on our side."

You can see for yourself what Pensacola's local "Star Wars" costumers have in store at Pensacon this weekend downtown.

GUESTS FOR 2024

Pensacon celebrates all kinds of pop culture.

You won't only find nerdy stuff at the con. This year is stacked with some of the biggest stars from the world of sci-fi and horror.

You can expect to see guests, such as actor Ron Perlman of "Hellboy," director Joe Dante of "Gremlins," a reunion of "An American Werewolf in London" actors Griffin Dunne and David February 22, 2024

Naughton, guitarist for horror rock icons The Misfits Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, actress Sofia Boutella of "Rebel Moon" and a mini "Rocky Horror Picture Show" reunion with actors Barry Bostwick, Nell Campbell and Patricia Quinn.

Oh, did we mention the voice actors from the original "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" animated series are also on the bill? And believe it or not, we barely scratched the surface of Pensacon's 2024 lineup.

It should be said that cancellations are common in the convention world. Things like job offers or family issues come up and guests have to drop out, so the lineup is subject to change.

"For any actor, doing conventions is secondary," Diaz said. "While they would love to meet their fans, when the boss calls, you gotta go."

NEW CAMPUS APPROACH

Last year, Pensacon partnered with First United Methodist Church on Wright Street to host panels and some gaming events. They've expanded their partnership this year to refocus their campus approach.

"First United Methodist love having Pensacon on campus," Diaz said. "They have an immense amount of space over, so all of our panels are gonna be there. The film festival has moved there from PLT while they renovate their theater, and our gaming will be there too."

That makes the 11th edition of Pensacon a

Pensacon's local business partners go all out this time of year. Spots like The Fish House will become Hogwarts, complete with staff adorned in wizarding robes.

"We've had actors from 'Harry Potter' that have gone in there and been bowled over by the decor," Diaz said. "You feel like you're in Hogwarts and you can order Harry Potterthemed drinks and butterbeer."

Perfect Plain Brewing Co., Garden & Grain, Perennial Patio Bar and The Well will do a "Star Wars" theme with special events planned. The Cabaret will transform into The Upside Down, complete with a "Stranger Things" themed drag show. O'Riley's Irish Pub Downtown also becomes "House of the Dragon" with an Iron Throne replica.

FILM FESTIVAL

Pensacon's film festival being at the Wright Center gives it a more prominent location than it's had in years past, and Diaz hopes more guests will discover it.

"We get dozens of entries from all around the world for our short film festival," he said. "I'm one of the judges at the festival, and we have some great entries. I think it's worth people's time to take in one of the screenings."

The film festival's schedule is categorized by genre, so if you are a science fiction or a fantasy fan, you can focus on those. You may even see a short by someone who's going to become the next big director.

Pensacon gives out Jury and Best in Show prizes, along with genre award categories. Guests even have a chance to vote in the Audience Choice Awards.

Even if Pensacon isn't on your weekend to-do list, Diaz suggests coming downtown anyway.

"Soak up some of the spirit and enjoy the best people-watching event of the year." {in}

PENSACON TIPS

If you spend one, two or all three days at Pensacon, there are a few insider tips you should know to make the most of your experience.

FIND THE "STAR WARS" ROOM "Star Wars" costuming organizations the 501st Legion, Rebel Legion and Droid Builders return to Pensacon's first-floor conference room this year. In 2023, they transformed the space into an intergalactic Cantina, and we can't wait to see what they have in store this year.

KNOW WHEN TO HIT UP THE INFAMOUS VENDOR FLOOR To avoid the hordes of people buying up collectibles on the Bay Center vendor floor, try visiting Friday or Sunday morning or at the end of the day. Most people will be at panels and events at those times.

USE THE APP Pensacon updates the schedule via their app throughout the weekend.

The app includes a festival map, trolly stops and just about everything else you need to know. It's available for Android or iPhone in their app stores.

STAY HYDRATED You're going to be on your feet a lot, so bring a water bottle to stay hydrated, and you can always check out one of the many restaurants or food trucks downtown if you need a sip and nosh.

TAKE THE TROLLEYS The Wright Center at First United Methodist Church is where most high-profile events take place this year.

It's a short walk from the Bay Center, but if you need a little ride, Pensacon has you covered. You can find trolly stops in the app. If guests have wheelchairs or ADA needs, there are vehicles available equipped for people with special needs.

PENSACON

WHAT: The 11th edition of the Gulf Coast's premier pop culture convention WHEN: Friday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 25 WHERE: Multiple locations downtown COST: The VIP Experience is $194.99 and three-day passes are $99.99. Single-day passes are $50 (Friday), $60 (Saturday) and $55 (Sunday). Kids 10 and younger are free.

DETAILS: pensacon.com 13

a&e happenings NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23. Tickets are available at pensacolasaenger.com.

saxophonist Austin Paul, Jr. and presentation from a nutritionist and local heart attack survivor. Event is noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at The Hilton Garden Inn, 1155 Airport Road.

BIRDS AND HABITATS RECEPTION Quayside Art Gallery reception of the all-member exhibit on view through March 30. Reception is 2:30-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. The gallery is located at 17 E. Zaragoza St.

GO RED FOR HEALTHY HEART RED DRESS EXTRAVAGANZA Luncheon with music from

FOO FOO FEST APPLICATION DEADLINES This year's Foo Foo Fest is Oct. 31-Nov.

11. The Foo Foo Festival Committee will award up to $500,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding per event. Organizations interested in applying for a Foo Foo Fest grant must submit a letter of intent by Friday, March 15. To learn more about the letter of intent and the Foo Foo Fest application process, visit acepensacola.org.

To apply for consideration as a "Friend of Foo," visit foofoofest.com.

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal

Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road.

The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. The full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for bingo nights.

You must be 18 to play. For more information, visit facebook.com/animalalliesflorida.

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTION Visit Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3

p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month at 6857 N. Ninth Ave. to meet your furever friend. Visit aaflorida.org for details.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing

Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens at 10 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop-top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women as well as sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 723-3390 for details.

ARTS & CULTURE

ROCK THE RUNWAY Pensacola Opera

fundraiser with music, fashion, and stars from the New York City show "Rock Me Amadeus Live." Event is 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Get your tickets at pensacolaopera.com/event/rock-the-runway.

MORNING AT THE MUSEUM The National

Naval Aviation Museum will celebrate "Morning at the Museum" 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays in February with a Chick-Fil-A breakfast, presentations from the curatorial staff and a movie in the theater.

Tickets are $20 online and $25 at the door. Children younger than 4 get free admission. Tickets must be purchased in advance for Chick-Fil-A breakfast at navalaviationmuseum.org/tickets.

COME FROM AWAY Broadway's "Come from

Away" at Pensacola Saenger, 118 S. Palafox St., is 414 1

BODACIOUS FANTASY BOOK CLUB The

Bodacious Fantasy Book Club meets every fourth Tuesday at 5 p.m. The next club discussion is Tuesday, Feb. 27 with the book "Ruthless Vows" by Rebecca Ross. Join the conversation.

Located at 101 E. Intendencia St. Visit facebook. com/bodaciousbookstore for details.

BTB COMEDY Watch live standup comedy in

open mic style 7 p.m. Mondays at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox. Follow BTB Comedy on Facebook for updates.

COMEDY SHOWCASE AT SUBCULTURE

BTB Comedy presents a comedy showcase the first Thursday monthly at Subculture Art Gallery, 701 N. V St. Follow facebook.com/pensacolasubculture for updates.

SCRIPTEASERS Join writers at Pensacola

Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St., for Scripteasers every month. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com for details.

THE MARKET AT GARY'S BREWERY Market

Perdido Key vendors will sell fresh produce, art, baked goods and more noon-5 p.m. the second Sunday of the month February-May at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. Next date is Sunday, March 10. Visit facebook.com/garysbrew for details.

PALAFOX MARKET Enjoy Palafox Market

9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. The event features local farmers, artists and crafters on North and South Palafox Street at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza and Plaza Ferdinand. For updates, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERICAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret

Drag Showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. Showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, contact show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at taizesinclairsanti@gmail.com.

SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pensacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equipment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours are held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. Sundays.

Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.

AFTER DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner happens inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with actual ghost-hunting equipment 6-8 p.m. Sundays. Listen as your

guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more related to Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. Following your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E. Government St. Reservations are required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Shop small

and buy art at Pensacola Arts Market 11 a.m.-4 p.m. every fourth Saturday of the month at Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave. Enjoy a local artisan and farmers market with more than 50 vendors, food trucks, plants, vintage clothing and décor, live musical performances, kids' crafts and games. This is a free event. Pensacola Arts Market is set up 4-9 p.m. every first Friday of the month and 2-6 p.m. every third Sunday at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave.

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT MARKET AT EVER'MAN Local vendors, artisans, holistic

practitioners, speakers and more come together 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the first Saturday of the month at Ever'man Downtown, 315 W. Garden St. This is a free indoor and outdoor event with door prizes, entertainment and children's activities. For a vendor table, call (850) 941-4321 or go to empowermentschoolhouse.com.

FIESTA PENSACOLA 75TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE A collection of cos-

tumes, dresses and ephemera from the Fiesta events dating back to the 1950s is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St., through April 7. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for details.

FIRE IN THE EVENING Enjoy a debut show

from Louisiana-based painter Dan Charbonnet.

Exhibition is on view at the Switzer Gallery at Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., through March 8.

THE FLUIDITY OF PERCEPTION Enjoy an exhibit from Chris Gustin and Nancy Train Smith in collaboration with the Gulf Coast Kiln Walk Society. The show is on view at the Switzer Gallery at Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., through May 17.

FOOD + DRINKS

FIVE SISTER'S BLUES CAFÉ CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MOH Five Sister's Blues Café will feature Black culinary innovators and special lunch and dinner features. Feb. 19-25 honors Edna Lewis, and the featured dish is Hoppin' John. Other innovators will be recognized throughout the month. Visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com for details.

GREEN THUMB WINE TASTINGS Join Green

Thumb Wines for a free wine tasting 6-8 p.m. every first Friday of the month at 9 E. Gregory St. For more information, visit greenthumbwines.com.

SATURDAY SIPS ON THE SIDEWALK Stop

by Green Thumb Wines, 9 E. Gregory St., every Saturday for wine selections. Visit greenthumbwines.com for details.

SUNDAY BRUNCH AT CAFÉ SINGLE FIN

Partake in brunch specials, full café menu, espressos and bottomless mimosas until 1 p.m. Sundays at Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. Live music begins at 10 a.m. Visit cafesinglefin.com for details.

SIPPIN' IN SUNDRESSES LADIES' NIGHT AT FELIX'S Pop-up shops, pink drink specials and live music is 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar, 400 Quietwater Beach Drive.

GAMER/JACKBOX NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S Gamers unite 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Mondays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

BINGO NIGHT AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS Play a game (or two) of Bingo 6-8

p.m. Mondays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

75 CENT OYSTERS AT ATLAS Tuesdays at Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St., enjoy $0.75 oysters from 5-9 p.m. For more information, visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S Visit O'Riley's Irish Pub for Bar Bingo 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays at 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

SECOND TUESDAY THEMED TRIVIA Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co. for themed trivia nights 7-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at 50 E. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco for details.

TRIVIA AT O'RILEY'S Test your trivia knowl-

edge 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS

Take part in trivia nights 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

PITCHERS AND TAVERN TRIVIA O'Riley's Tavern hosts trivia 8 p.m.-midnight Thursdays at 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern.com for details.

TRIVIA AT WISTERIA Trivia is 6 p.m. Thursdays at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

TRIVIA AT SIR RICHARD'S Flex your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Fridays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

FREE POOL AND BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S TAVERN Enjoy free pool and play bar bingo 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at O'Riley's

inweekly.net

a&e happenings Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details at orileystavern.com.

LIVE MUSIC

JAZZ THAT MADE HISTORY Jazz Pensacola and West Florida Public Libraries will have a special jazz program during Black History Month. Children's books and CDs will also be on display for patrons to learn more about the music and artists. Events are noon-2 p.m. 1-3 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 23 at Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Ave.; noon-2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 at Pensacola Library, noon-2 p.m. and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 24 at Pensacola Library with special programming for kids. Visit jazzpensacola.com for more information.

CRO-MAGS, WRITHINGS, SOUTHPAW, ANEURYSM, PAID IN BLOOD Show is 7 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 23 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $20-$25 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS Show is 8

back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District 7 p.m. every Monday at 130 E. Government St. in End O' the Alley. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

Leading the way in ER care

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodi-

ous Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.

KARAOKE AT O'RILEY'S UPTOWN Sing your heart out 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays at O'Riley's Uptown, 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern.com for details.

KARAOKE AT WISTERIA Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave., hosts karaoke 7 p.m.

Wednesdays. Details are at wisteriatavern.com.

WHISKEY WEDNESDAY KARAOKE Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar. com for details.

When you need care quickly, doctors and care teams at Ascension Sacred Heart listen to quickly understand and care for your needs. Our ERs are open 24/7 and backed by leading heart, stroke, surgical and trauma specialists that are always ready to deliver expedited care for your symptoms and injuries.

And before you leave, our ER care navigators connect you to follow-up care, including specialist appointments, labs, imaging and your preferred pharmacy.

The ER at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola is a Level II trauma center, delivering advanced care for life-threatening and traumatic injury such as complex fractures, spine injury, brain injury, uncontrolled hemorrhages, and blood vessel injuries. And when your child needs immediate, advanced emergency care, the ER at Studer Family Children’s Hospital is a pediatric trauma center — specially designed and staffed for children with serious illness and injury.

KARAOKE NIGHTS AT SIR RICHARD'S

Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $20 and available at vinylmusichall.com.

Bring your singing talents Monday and Thursday nights at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Festivities are 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

To find your nearest Ascension Sacred Heart ER or chat with us, visit us at ascension.org/SacredHeartCare

'JUST BOBBY' See Bobby Van Deusen in

SUNDAY KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS

If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, go directly to the ER or dial 911.

p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $20 and available at vinylmusichall.com.

CRYRS Show is 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 at Vinyl

concert 2:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25 at Unitarian Universalist Church of Pensacola, 9888 Pensacola Blvd. Suggested donation is $15 per person, $25 for two people and $100 for a table of eight. Cash or check only.

CELTIC WOMAN 20TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR Show is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27 at

Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Tickets are available at pensacolasaenger.com.

GRAVE CHORUS, DMPSY, BLSSR, ABSTRACT MODULE Show is 6 p.m. Thursday,

Feb. 29 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

DIRTWIRE Show is 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $20 and available at vinylmusichall.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ Visit Five Sisters, 421 W. Belmont St., for live music on select days.

•Tuesdays: Greg Bond 5:30-8:30 p.m.

•Thursdays: John Wheeler 6-8 p.m.

•Saturdays: Glenn Parker Band 6:30-10 p.m.

•Sundays: Curt Bol Quintet 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

PENSACOLA PICK NIGHT AT ODD COLONY Music pickers of all levels are invited

to play 7-9 p.m. every last Monday of the month at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Bring your acoustic instrument and jam. Visit facebook. com/oddcolony for details.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues

Society of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" February 22, 2024

Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. Sunday at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar. com for details.

© Ascension 2023. All rights reserved.

FITNESS + RECREATION

FW WESTON AUDUBON SOCIETY PRESENTATION: SAVING HUMMERS TO EAGLES See a presentation with Darlene

Willis, volunteer coordinator at the Northwest Florida Sanctuary. Attendees are encouraged to bring an item from the sanctuary's wishlist.

Event is 7-9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 at Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. Building 21 Room 2142.

I PINK I CAN RUN/WALK FOR BREAST CANCER Four-miler run/walk for Krewe du

YaYas Keeping Abreast Foundation. Race is 9 a.m.-noon Saturday, Feb. 24 starting at 17401 Perdido Key Drive. Details available at runsignup.com/race/fl/pensacola/ipinkicanrun.

OCEAN HOUR WEEKLY CLEANUPS

Ocean Hour Pensacola hosts weekly cleanups 7:45-9 a.m. Saturdays. On Feb. 24, the sites are Park East and Sanders Beach. Follow Ocean Hour at facebook.com/oceanhourfl for more details and locations.

BIRDS AND BREW Brenda and Jerry Cal-

laway leads a birding hike on the UWF campus and ends with drinks and food at Sammy Barker's. Hike is 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. Group meets at UWF, 11000 University Pkwy. Parking Lot K across from tennis courts. Register by emailing marcymcgahan@gmail.com. for more listings visit inweekly.net 15

A CRAFTY SOUTHERN PUB WHERE IT ALL COMES TOGETHER

MON-THUR 2-10 | FRI-SAT 11-11 HAPPY HOUR MON-THUR 2-4 UNIONPENSACOLA.COM

36 E. GARDEN ST. | 850.607.6320

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a&e

By C. Scott Satterwhite

Pensacola Welcomes Poet Lee Ann Brown sing or intone my poems in a room.

INWEEKLY: Tender Buttons has published some incredible poets over the years, whose books and authors have won some very prestigious awards. When you look over your career, do you see yourself as more of a publisher than a poet or the other way around?

Or both equally?

BROWN: They are very related and intertwined acts for me. Many of the best poets are published by webs and networks of other poets. It comes with the territory of elective affinities.

Lee Ann Brown / Courtesy Photo

World renowned poet and publisher Lee Ann Brown is coming to Pensacola to read from her large body of work. A longtime resident of New York City, Brown is described as an experimental poet whose work has gained incredible praise within literary circles, as well as the poets she has published. A woman-owned company, Tender Buttons Press has published "experimental poetry by woman and other gender expansive beings" since its formation in the 1980s. In this interview, Brown speaks of writing, publishing, influences and what she's looking forward to in her first visit to Pensacola.

INWEEKLY: What brings you to Pensacola?

BROWN: I have known poet Jamey Jones for years through a network of mutual poet friends, especially those around the late great Bernadette Mayer and love the Hurricane Review too. I love to go to new places to read and perform my work because I know I won't have to worry about repeating myself.

No, seriously I love to read and sing my poems and share out loud with engaged and interesting audiences. I love how people "wake up" when I begin to

INWEEKLY: That's very interesting. Within poetry, nearly all small publishers do so out of a love for the art. What drives you to continue to seek out poets and continue to publish their work?

BROWN: I listen to a lot of live poetry, and I am drawn to all types of work. Some of it is intuition and often it has to do with surprise, lexical density and playfulness. Aliveness.

INWEEKLY: As you may know, there's a close connection to Pensacola and the late poet Bernadette Mayer. When I read your poetry, I see hints of her work in your writing—especially her 1989 work "The Sonnets," which you edited. How were you influenced by her as a human being and her work?

BROWN: Bernadette Mayer is present with me in so many ways. Her experiments list is at the core of my writing and teaching practice, where, basically I learned to really connect up what I am reading, and what I am writing as a kind of call and response. We were dear friends and she was a super hanger-outer. I was very sad the other night about the state of the world and I started reading

a part of her book I had not read before—"Piece of Cake"—with Lewis Warsh, who also visited Pensacola and they painted his name on a bridge.

When I heard her voice in my head, I was happy again. I also always remember Bernadette asking me, "Can poetry change the world?" and genuinely being interested in my answer.

INWEEKLY: So do you think poetry can change the world?

BROWN: I think poetry can change the world.

Sometimes it's incremental, sometimes with a large reverb, but it accumulates.

INWEEKLY: You're often described as an experimental poet, but most experimental poets I know try to resist the titles critics give them. How would you describe your poetry?

BROWN: I still like the word experimental, but I attempt to write in as many ways as I can imagine. This is a life-long quest. My first book is called "Polyverse," [and it's] along these lines.

I like to just call myself a poet.

INWEEKLY: Speaking of experiments and poetry, I was watching a video of you reading your poem from "Polyverse" called "Pledge," where you describe how you constructed this poem by re-constructing the Pledge of Allegiance and the Girl Scout Promise. Can you describe the process for this or other reconstructions?

BROWN: It's a game or formula invented by the French [writers] group the Oulipo, which takes a pre-existing text and operates on it: in this case three different dictionaries issuing replacement words for each noun in the text. You look up the first noun, count seven words down in the dictionary and replace it with that word and then move onto the next noun. The form or formula is called "Noun plus 7." The Oulipo group has hundreds of these forms where the creative part of the act is choosing the dictionary, and then choosing the text to be operated on. The text becomes a rewoven textile.

INWEEKLY: When you teach various experiments like this, how do students respond?

BROWN: They usually love them.

INWEEKLY: Which do you prefer the most, writing of poetry or the performance?

BROWN: I love both and they go hand in hand.

Performing my poetry is an essential part of making it, and hearing how it needs to be and what works best.

INWEEKLY: Outside of poets and poetry, what other influences do you see in your work?

BROWN: I listen to a lot of music, go to movies, concerts and museum shows. I am a culture vulture.

INWEEKLY: From your work or the poetry of others, what is your single most favorite poem?

BROWN: I don't think I could pick just one; the more I read, the more I love. An early important poem for me was one a friend showed me in high school, [an] Emily Dickinson poem that begins with "There is a Zone whose even years / no Solstice interrupt" which conjures the power of art to make time stand still.

INWEEKLY: I love that. I remember seeing that at the beginning of "Polyverse."

BROWN: As for my own work, I am going to take the easy way out and say whatever poem I am working on at the moment.

INWEEKLY: Are you excited about your readings in Pensacola?

BROWN: Yes! And I want to walk on a beach in winter. {in}

LEE ANN BROWN IN PENSACOLA WHEN: Workshop and reading at Pensacola State College 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29; reading at 309 Punk Project 7 p.m. Friday, March 1 WHERE: Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd.; 309 Punk Project, 309 N. Sixth Ave. COST: Free DETAILS: leeannbrownpoet.com

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free will astrology WEEK OF FEBRUARY 22 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries film-

maker Akira Kurosawa was one of the greats. In his 30 films, he crafted a reputation as a masterful storyteller. A key moment in his development as an emotionally intelligent artist came when he was 13 years old. His older brother Heigo took him to view the aftermath of the Great Kantō earthquake. Akira wanted to avert his gaze from the devastation, but Heigo compelled him to look. Why? He wished for Akira to learn to deal with fear by facing it directly. I think you Aries people are more skilled at this challenging exercise than all the other signs. I hope you will call on it with aplomb in the coming weeks. You may be amazed at the courage it arouses in you.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): "When a

mountain doesn't listen, say a prayer to the sea," said Taurus painter Cy Twombly. "If God doesn't respond, direct your entreaties to Goddess," I tell my Taurus friend Audrey. "If your mind doesn't provide you with useful solutions, make an appeal to your heart instead," my Taurus mentor advises me. This counsel should be useful for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. It's time to be diligent, relentless, ingenious and indefatigable in going after what you want. Keep asking until you find a source that will provide it.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Gemini philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson offered advice that's perfect for you right now. He said, "Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not." Here's what I will add. First, you very much need to commune with extra doses of beauty in the coming weeks. Doing so will expedite your healing and further your education—two activities that are especially important. Second, one way to accomplish your assignment is to put yourself in the presence of all the beautiful people, places and things you can find. Third, be imaginative as you cultivate beauty within yourself. How? That's your homework.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I bet some-

time soon, you will dream of flying through the sky on a magic carpet. In fact, this may be a recurring dream for you in the coming months. By

By Rob Brezsny

June, you may have soared along on a floating rug over 10 times. Why? What's this all about?

I suspect it's one aspect of a project that life is encouraging you to undertake. It's an invitation to indulge in more flights of the imagination; to open your soul to mysterious potencies; to give your fantasy life permission to be wilder and freer. You know that old platitude "shit happens"? You're ready to experiment with a variation on that: "Magic happens."

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): On Feb. 22, ancient Romans celebrated the holiday of Caristia. It was a time for reconciliation. People strove to heal estrangements and settle longstanding disagreements. Apologies were offered and truces were negotiated. In alignment with current astrological omens, Leo, I recommend you revive this tradition. Now is an excellent time to embark on a crusade to unify, harmonize, restore, mend and assuage. I dare you to put a higher priority on love than on ego.

I dare you to put a higher priority on love than on ego.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): My poet friend Jafna likes to say only two types of love are available to us: too little and too much. We are either deprived of the precise amount and quality of the love we want, or else we have to deal with an excess of love that doesn't match the kind we want. But I predict that this will at most be a mild problem for you in the coming weeks—and perhaps not a problem at all. You will have a knack for giving and receiving just the right amount of love, neither too little nor too much. And the love flowing toward you and from you will be gracefully appropriate.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): If the devil card comes up for me in a divinatory Tarot reading, I don't get worried or scared something bad might happen. On the contrary, I interpret it favorably. It means an interesting problem or riddle has arrived or will soon arrive in my life— and that this twist can potentially make me wiser, kinder and wilder. The appearance of the devil card suggests I need to be challenged so

as to grow a new capacity or understanding. It's a good omen, telling me life is conspiring to give me what I need to outgrow my limitations and ignorance. Now apply these principles, Libra, as you respond to the devil card I just drew for you.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): A taproot is a thick, central and primary root from which a plant's many roots branch out laterally. Typically, a taproot grows downward and is pretty straight. It may extend to a depth greater than the height of the plant sprouting above ground.

Now let's imagine we humans have metaphorical taproots. They connect us with our sources of inner nourishment. They are lifelines to secret or hidden treasures we may be only partly conscious of. Let's further imagine that in the coming months, Scorpio, your taproot will flourish, burgeon and spread deeper to draw in new nutrients. Got all that? Now I invite you to infuse this beautiful vision with an outpouring of love for yourself and for the wondrous vitality you will be absorbing.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Behavioral ecologist Professor Dan Charbonneau has observed the habits of ants, bees and other social insects. He says a lot of the time, many of them just lounge around doing nothing. In fact, most animals do the same. The creatures of the natural world are just not very busy. Psychologist Dr. Sandi Mann urges us to learn from their lassitude. "We've created a society where we fear boredom, and we're afraid of doing nothing," she says. But that addiction to frenzy may limit our inclination to daydream, which in turn inhibits our creativity. I bring these facts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect you're in a phase when lolling around doing nothing much will be extra healthy for you. Liberate and nurture your daydreams, please.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): "Educa-

tion is an admirable thing," wrote Oscar Wilde, "but it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught." As I ponder your future in the coming weeks, I vociferously disagree with him. I am sure you can learn many things worth knowing from teachers of all kinds. It's true that some of the lessons may be accidental or unofficial—and not delivered by traditional teachers. But that won't diminish their value. I

invite you to act as if you will in effect be enrolled in school 24/7 until the equinox.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): The plan-

ets Mars and Venus are both cruising through Aquarius. Do they signify that synchronicities will weave magic into your destiny? Yes! Here are a few possibilities I foresee: 1. smoldering flirtations that finally ignite; 2. arguments assuaged by love-making; 3. mix-ups about the interplay between love and lust or else wonderful synergies between love and lust; 4. lots of labyrinthine love talk, romantic sparring and intricate exchange about the nature of desire; 5. adventures in the sexual frontiers; 6. opportunities to cultivate interesting new varieties of intimacy.

Decide right now what you want the next chapter of your life story to be about.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Unlike the Pope's decrees, my proclamations are not infallible. As opposed to Nostradamus and many modern soothsayers, I never imagine I have the power to definitely decipher what's ahead. One of my main mottoes is "The future is undecided.

Our destinies are always mutable." Please keep these caveats in mind whenever you commune with my horoscopes. Furthermore, consider adopting my approach as you navigate through the world—especially in the coming weeks, when your course will be extra responsive to your creative acts of willpower. Decide right now what you want the next chapter of your life story to be about. You can make it what you want.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: What helpful tip would you like to deliver to the person you will be a year from now? {in}

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news of the weird WAIT, WHAT? In Atkinson, New Hampshire, a new business is stirring up controversy: The Diaper Spa is a haven for adults who role-play as children. Boston.com reported that the spa is open to "all diaper-wearing individuals who seek acceptance, respite and care." The facility is decorated like a nursery, with toys and adult-sized cribs. Services range from $200 an hour for virtual playdates to a $1,500-a-day experience that pampers "the little one inside of you." The owner, Dr. Colleen Ann Murphy, said the community of ABDL (adult/baby diaper lovers) is vast. "Being a part of this community brings comfort and solace," she said, and added that her services do not have a sexual component. Some Atkinson residents are concerned, though. "That is something that I will never be willing to expose my kids to," said Kayla Gallagher. "People tend to fear anything that they fail to comprehend," Murphy countered.

IT'S A MYSTERY Brett Elmore, the general manager of WJLX-AM radio in Jasper, Alabama, thought he had misheard when he got a call on Feb. 2, The Washington Post reported.

"The tower is gone," his landscaper said. The 200-foot-tall steel structure that had broadcast the station for decades was gone, with cut wires and an empty concrete slab left behind.

Elmore said police were "as bumfuzzled as I was." Upon further investigation, he realized the padlock was missing from the small building adjacent to the tower, and the transmitter was also gone. "I have heard of thieves in this area taking anything," Elmore said. "But this one takes the cake. If the tower is found, it's probably in a million pieces."

EWWWWW U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported on Feb. 11 that the agency had confiscated the dead and dehydrated bodies of four monkeys from the luggage of a traveler returning to Boston Logan International Airport from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Associated Press reported that the traveler claimed he had dried fish, but a dog sniffed out something different. "Bushmeat" is banned in the U.S. because of the threat of disease, and the flyer said he had the monkeys for his own consumption. No charges were filed, but the luggage was seized and about 9 pounds of bushmeat were destroyed by the CDC. ANIMAL ANTICS When Bedford firefighters were called out to a horse farm in Westchester County, New York, on Feb. 5, they feared the worst, NBC4-TV reported. Fortunately, it was a false alarm—probably activated by Jax the horse, who refused to answer any questions about his shenanigans, the department said in a Facebook post. "Evidently, he was able to reach out from his stall and bite down on the alarm to set it off."

TOURISTS BEHAVING BADLY The Chinese take their pandas very seriously, as one Mr. Gao found out on Feb. 12 at the Chengdu Research

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province. The Associated Press reported that Gao, 53, threw unspecified "objects" into the panda enclosure, which is strictly prohibited. "In view of Gao's uncivilized visit and his behavior that may cause harm to giant pandas, he is prohibited from entering the panda base ... for life," the base announced. "The national treasure has strict dietary standards."

FIELD REPORT Poor Joey. The donkey, 15, who lives in Sidmouth, England, lost his mom, Josie, in November, and he hasn't been himself since, Metro News reported. In his grief, Joey stopped eating properly and developed a gastric impaction that threatened his life. Luckily, vets devised a sweet solution: "As well as pain relief, we flushed Joey's stomach with cola several times a day to dissolve the solid," veterinarian Jamie Forrest said. "We used 6 liters of full-sugar cola a day ... In essence the cola acted like a drain cleaner." Folks at Slade House Farm also hooked Joey up with Ben, another donkey who lost his best friend, Bob, late last year. "We hoped their shared experience of loss would allow them to comfort each other," said groom Kayleigh Yelland. "Their friendship is still flourishing. It's early days."

WEIRD SCIENCE Charlotte, a stingray who lives at the Aquarium & Shark Lab in Hendersonville, North Carolina, is pregnant, but scientists are stumped because there are no male stingrays in her tank. WBTV reported on Feb. 12 that Brenda Ramer, the founder of the aquarium, said she noticed bite marks on Charlotte's body and suspects that they were made by either Moe or Larry, the young male sharks that live with her in the tank. Since it's impossible for those two species to interbreed, the only other explanation could be parthenogenesis, where eggs develop without fertilization and create a clone of the mother. Ramer doubts that's the case, because it's rare in rays in captivity: "It's a 'once in the bluest of blue moons' experience."

LEAST ROMANTIC THIEF Anthony Lewis, 33, of Winter Haven, Florida, wanted to surprise his ex-girlfriend, and maybe lure her back, with a unique Valentine's Day gift. So he picked up a couple of crane statues—out of someone else's front yard. Fox13-TV reported that Lewis was on his motorcycle when he snatched the cranes, which were "very special" to the owner because her deceased husband had given them to her. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the girlfriend was "mortified" and cooperated with law enforcement. Lewis, who has 39 priors, was arrested. "If this guy's in the area, he'll steal it," Judd said. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2024 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com February 22, 2024

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