Pensacola Magazine December 2021

DEC

Real Estate is is Real Estate Real Estate is Our Family Our Family Real Estate is Our Family Business OurBusiness Family Business We are Northwest Florida’s Business We are Northwest Florida’s premier Real Estate Brokerage.

We are Northwest Florida’s Realthe Estate Brokerage.

We’vepremier been setting standard for premier Real Estate Brokerage.

We are Northwest Florida’s We’ve been setting the standard for excellence since 1982!

We’ve been setting the standard for premier Real Estate Brokerage. excellence since 1982!

With over 50 Full-Time Realtors, since 1982!

We’ve been excellence setting the standard for Withspecialists over 50 Full-Time we have in all areasRealtors, of With over 50 Full-Time excellence since 1982! Realtors, we have specialists in Real Estate ranging we have specialistsfrom inall allareas areas of of With over 50 Full-Time Realtors, Residential Sales to Commercial Real Estate ranging from we have specialists inranging all areas from of Real Estate Shopping Centers, Hotels, Residential Sales to Commercial Real Estate ranging from Residential Sales to Commercial Offices Shopping and Land Developement.

Centers, Hotels, Residential Sales toCenters, Commercial Shopping Hotels, Selling New Homes Since 1982!

Offices and Land Shopping Centers, Hotels, Offices and LandDevelopement.

Developement. #BuySellConnell Offices and Land Developement.

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850.478.4141 Selling New Homes Since 1982!

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850.478.4141 Connell & Company Realty, Inc. |Homes 2107 Airport Blvd | Pensacola, FL 32504

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Connell & Company Realty, Inc.Inc. | 2107 Airport Blvd | Pensacola, FLFL 32504 Connell & Company Realty, Inc. | 2107 Airport Blvd | Pensacola, FL 325 Connell & Company Realty, | 2107 Airport Blvd | Pensacola, 32504 buysellconnell.com #BuySellConnell

Harper TiTle Company, llC H arper ompany Haarper T. iTleCC ompany , llC 2107 BTiTle 14 l o s , llC Harper TiTle Company , llC

Connell & Company Realty, Inc. | 2107 Airport Blvd | Pensacola, FL 32504

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Loan Officer NMLS #440325 Direct: 850.777.3513 Fax: 850.777.3518 Shellie Isakson-Smith Shellie Isakson-Smith Shellie.IsaksonSmith@supremelending.com Shellie Isakson-Smith LoanOfficer Officer#440325 NMLS#440325 #440325 Loan Officer NMLS www.ShellieHomeLoans.com Loan NMLS Direct: 850.777.3513 Fax: 850.777.3518 Direct: 850.777.3513 850.777.3518 1115 EDirect: Gonzalez StreetFax: | Pensacola, FL 32501 850.777.3513 Fax: 850.777.3518 Shellie.IsaksonSmith@supremelending.com Shellie.IsaksonSmith@supremelending.com Shellie.IsaksonSmith@supremelending.com www.ShellieHomeLoans.com www.ShellieHomeLoans.com www.ShellieHomeLoans.com 1115 E Gonzalez Street | Pensacola, FL 32501FL 32501 1115 E Gonzalez Street | Pensacola,

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GROUNDBREAKING CARE Bringing groundbreaking care to the communities we serve is a part of who we are. And our new health campus is our latest groundbreaking advancement that will transform health care for the future. Born from a legacy of putting people first through better access, experiences and outcomes, this investment in our Mission of helping people throughout life’s journey is about much more than a physical location or a building. It represents our commitment to care for our community for generations to come.

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CONTENTS FEATURES 15 DECK THE HALLS WITH DIY STYLE Get in the holiday spirit with these festive DIY decorations from local craft stores.

19 CELEBRATE THE SEASON WITH LOCAL HOLIDAY MARKETS Support local artists and makers this season by shopping local at holiday markets being hosted throughout the city.

24 ON THE RIGHT TRACK: THE WEST FLORIDA RAILROAD MUSEUM PRESERVES LOCAL HISTORY The West Florida Railroad Museum offers a fun and informative history of railways throughout our region.

25 A LABOR OF LOVE IN OLD SEVILLE The law firm of Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin, McLeod and Thompson lovingly restores a local treasure.

33 LOVE YOUR CITY There are many ways to give back to our community to show some love to the place that you call home.

Let our guide to local giving help you get started.

TOPICS 9 Editor’s Note 10 Page 10 with DeeDee Davis 12 Pensacola Scene 42 Event Calendar

ON THE COVER: Illustration by Poppy Garcia. theartofpoppygarcia.com @thepoppygarcia

6 | DECEMBER 2021

EDITOR’S NOTE “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” ~Mohammed Ali I’ve always liked this quote from champion boxer turned humanitarian Kelly Oden and philanthropist Executive Editor Mohammed Ali. As individuals, our one precious journey through life is uniquely our own, but we are also all connected through our collective human experiences and the human condition in general. Don’t we owe it to one another, and ourselves for that matter, to be kind, generous and compassionate to our fellow travelers? I believe we do.

Interestingly enough, science seems to think we should be charitable as well. According to the Cleveland Clinic, numerous studies have found that charitable giving releases feel-good chemicals in our brains—serotonin, dopamine and oxytocin. Through MRI imaging of charitable subjects scientists have also found that being charitable stimulates the mesolimbic pathway, which is the reward center in the brain. This pathway releases endorphins and creates what is known as the “helper’s high.”

Psychological studies also support the idea that the giving of one’s time, talents and money can be an effective way to discover one’s purpose, overcome difficulties and find happiness and meaning in life.

They say charity begins at home and Pensacola is home to hundreds of charitable organizations that support a wide variety of needs. We’ve compiled a local giving guide to charitable organizations to help make your giving decisions a little easier.

This list is by no means exhaustive and we encourage you to seek out organizations that speak to your interests and to your heart. So, what are you waiting for? Go

PENSACOLA CULTURE + LIFESTYLE

DECEMBER 2021 Owner Malcolm Ballinger

out and show some love to your city, your community and your fellow travelers—you will be happy you did. (See what I did there?)

Throughout our giving guide, you’ll notice profiles of local activists for change. These are regular folks who are passionate about their community and who want to make it better. Their efforts run the gamut from protecting the environment and helping the homeless to advocating for women’s rights, social justice and access for people with disabilities. We hope you enjoy getting to know them and that you will reach out to them if their mission speaks to you.

Beyond that, we have a roundup of local holiday markets to help you support local artists and makers this season.

We’ve also profiled a unique experience for train enthusiasts, history buffs and anyone looking to learn more about our community— The West Florida Railroad Museum. During the holiday season, be sure to visit their Polar Express experience with the kiddos.

In a city like Pensacola, historic preservation is an important way to give back as well.

Restoring our history is no small task— financially or practically—but one local law firm took the restoration of their 140-year-old office building very seriously and the results are spectacular. Check it out on page 20.

And one last thing—be sure to look closely at our cover this month. We commissioned local artist Poppy Garcia to create a cover that combined the distinctive elements of our community with the many ways in which we can all give back. As usual, Poppy surpassed expectations with his bright, whimsical drawings and exceptional talent. Thank you, Poppy!

Happy Holidays, Pensacola! May yours be full of love, laughter and the healing power of charity.

Subscription Expiration Date is printed on the address label. Renew your subscription now online at www.ballingerpublishing.com: One year $14.95 and two years $22.75.

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Publisher Malcolm Ballinger malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com Executive Editor Kelly Oden kelly@ballingerpublishing.com Art Director Guy Stevens guy@ballingerpublishing.com Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator Garrett Hallbauer garrett@ballingerpublishing.com Editor Morgan Cole morgan@ballingerpublishing.com Assistant Editor Dakota Parks dakota@ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Intern Darien Hardy Contributing Writers DeeDee Davis Sales & Marketing Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com Becky Hildebrand, Account Executive ext. 31 becky@ballingerpublishing.com 21 E. Garden St., Ste. 205 Pensacola, FL 32502 850.433.1166 | fax: 850.435.9174 ballingerpublishing.com Published by Ballinger Publishing:

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NW Florida’s Business Climate Magazine and Pensacola Magazine is locally-owned and operated. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this magazine does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Ballinger Publishing. © 2021

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Page 10 DeeDee Davis, Contributing Writer

Where has this year gone? It seems like only yesterday that I was packing the ornaments to go back into storage and here I am schlepping all of the boxes back out again.

Well, I schlepped them in October as I like to decorate and have time to actually enjoy the results. Nothing screams Christmas like early October heat and hurricane season. Once upon a time my husband expressed serious concerns about my timeline for decorating, but those days are gone. True, he has gotten used to Halloween décor by Labor Day and Christmas by Halloween but that is not what changed things. Hallmark changed things. When he first got hooked on the Hallmark Christmas movies, there were only a handful of them played repeatedly through the month of December. Now, however, there are something like 4000 of them and they go fulltime 24/7 by, go figure, October! I was way ahead of my time. So now he enjoys the movies, surrounded by lovely Christmas decorations.

Additionally, my husband has

most of our family addicted to the channel as well. He also takes manly fishing trips several times a year where he and his friends go deep into the swamps or everglades or rivers or whatever water they decide to conquer. We are talking limited technology in these remote regions. His friends are doomed. They leave for the trip with all of their gear, talking trash about the fish, you know the drill.

And guess what? They come home trying to act normal, but they have this texting network going on because they all were exposed. To Hallmark.

They compare notes on the characters (Yes, Candace Cameron Bure is their darling) and curse the villain, because every one of the movies has one. They even act as if they don’t know how the movie will end. It’s very suspenseful.

Lovely girl has a jerk for a boyfriend. Her work requires her to go at Christmas time to a place with a name like Evergreen. While there she enters gingerbread contests, gets flour smudges on her face, stands under mistletoe and takes a hayride and falls in love with a local guy and they live happily ever after in Evergreen. There is usually some drama while she is in the town and this is when it really gets good. Most nights my husband starts the waterworks about this time. Yes, tears. Not like sobbing or anything, but sniffly emotional cant help

himself tears. This took me some getting used to. I was so surprised at first because this is just not like him. Now, however, the only surprise is when he doesn’t require a hanky. And he’s not alone.

The second the movie is over, his phone starts beeping like crazy because his “network” is all checking in to debrief about the “film”. I kid you not. I will not name names in order to protect the guilty but the Hallmark phenomenon is far more prevalent that you would think. And I am right in there with them now. I have my own favorites as they have several that involve a Royal.

Now these are the real deal.

Girl goes to Europe and falls in love with a guy who turns out to be a Prince. There is always a gala involved with beautiful gowns and a perfect ending. Sigh. What’s not to love about a story like that?

Real life includes far too much… reality. Aging issues, ugly politics, children with their own crises, health scares- what the world really needs is a heavy dose of Hallmark. And, evidently, plenty of people feel the same way. They now have not one, but two channels, and they have movies all year long. To think it all started with simple greeting cards and now we have a multi gazillion dollar business- all created to play on emotions, sentimentality, and love of

holidays. What a country.

And while Hallmark may have set the stage, Publix isn’t far behind. Have you seen any of their holiday ads? I can’t even get passed a 30 second spot without a lump in my throat. Soldier comes home for the holidays. College kid comes home and instead of going out with his friends, has pie with his mom. Pie! They know just what resonates.

I hope that every one of you have a lovely Hallmark, Publix kind of Christmas and that you get to spend it with people you love. Take time to check out the magnificent lights in downtown Pensacola and take a Winterfest trolley tour. Enjoy the beautiful shops along Palafox Street and check out the old and the new restaurants that are popping up (and thriving!!).

It’s our own version of the Evergreen experience and is every bit as good.

Merry Christmas!!

Opinion piece: the views expressed in this article are solely of the writer and not representative of Pensacola Magazine 10 | DECEMBER 2021

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 11

PENSACOLA SCENE COUNCIL ON AGING OF WEST FLORIDA’S RAT PACK REUNION The Council on Aging of West Florida celebrated its 10th and final Rat Pack Reunion fundraiser at Vinyl Music Hall on November 6. The event honored Rat Pack alumni and included a special salute to the original Rat, the late Fred Levin.

photos by Guy Stevens 12 | DECEMBER 2021

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Visit with the Doctor Our board-certified physician will ssit and listen to you, understanding g your history hi ory and condition. The doctor will submit your evaluation and appropriate notes Florida tes to The Florid

Marijuana Use (OMMU). This is a State requirement that you will have to go through every 7 months.

Holistic Perspective We want you to have as many tools as possible b to ble cope with the challenges in life, and have more quality of life. Knowing you better and un understanding d ng your life experience, story, and lifestyle, our Life Co Coach ac alongside with our Physician will create a plan of a action ct wellbeing and healing process. This will guide uide our physician in his recommendations and orders. ders.

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Deck the Halls with DIY Style

It’s time to deck the halls, ya’ll. What better way to get into the spirit than by spending a little quality time with family and friends and making your very own holiday ornaments and décor? We asked local craft stores Pinspiration and Maker’s Loft to guide us through a few easy yet charming DIY projects. So, grab your glue gun, scissors and glitter and make the yuletide gay! Be sure to stop by both stores for more festive DIY holiday projects and supplies.

Upcycled Oui Yogurt Christmas Jar Candle Holders Maker’s Loft

makersloftpensacola.com

Materials

Directions

Clean and dry Oui yogurt (by Yoplait) jar

1. Start with a clean jar and apply an even coat of Mod Podge around the outer sides of the glass. Avoid the bottom the jar so it will sit flat.

Mod Podge Glitter in holiday colors

2. Sprinkle glitter heavily on top of Mod Podge.

Paint brush

3. Let Mod Podge dry, then embellish jar with jute, twine or ribbon of your choice.

Jute, twine or ribbon of choice

These jars make the perfect candle holder for small tea lights or votives.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 15

Wine Cork Christmas Tree Ornament

Pinspiration Pensacola pinspiration.com/locations/pensacola

Materials 10.5 Wine corks Hot glue gun and glue sticks Twine or ribbon of your choice Sharp knife Acrylic paints (various colors)

16 | DECEMBER 2021

Directions 1. Dip the ends of 10 corks into paint like a stamp. Wait for the paint to dry. (Tip: blow dry them with a hair dryer to dry them faster) Once dry, add glitter or paint a design on each of the corks if desired.

2. Tie the twine or ribbon around one of the corks and make a bow at the top. Be sure to leave enough twine at the top so you can use it to hang as an ornament if you choose that route.

Some people also display their wine cork Christmas trees on a shelf or mantle.

3. Now, start with one cork and hot glue the remaining

corks in layers below it to form a pyramid shape. The first row will have one cork, the second row will have two corks, etc…

4. Next, cut one wine cork in half with a sharp knife or saw. Some choose to boil the wine corks to soften them, so they are easier to cut through.

5. Glue the wine cork stump to the bottom of the pyramid to complete the look.

6. Finally, hang on your tree or set on your mantle for handmade seasonal décor!

Chunky Looped Yarn Wreath Pinspiration Pensacola

pinspiration.com/locations/pensacola

Materials

Directions

1 skein of loopy yarn (color of choice)

1. Find the loose end of the yarn and tie it into a knot around the foam wreath to secure it.

14-inch Styrofoam wreath form Hot glue gun and glue sticks Ribbons and/or embellishments Wire or Zip Ties for tying the bow onto the wreath and to make the wreath hanger

2. Keeping the yarn balled, unravel slightly as you wrap the yarn all the way around the wreath form until the surface is completely covered.

Scrunch and fluff the yarn to cover any foam showing through the yarn. Next, tie another knot at the end and trim any excess yarn.

3. Select seasonal embellishments of your choice and glue or tie them to the wreath using hot glue, wire and Zip Ties.

Exercise caution while using the hot glue gun.

We suggest florals, ribbon, glitter, ornaments or other natural materials. Wood letters and shapes make great embellishments too!

4. Last, hang on the door or display it on your mantle for handmade seasonal decor.

Celebrate the Season with Local Holiday Markets

By Darien Hardy

As we enter the holiday season, it’s time to start thinking about finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones. Give a one-of-a-kind gift that gives back by supporting local artisans and vendors this holiday season. We have compiled a list of local holiday markets where you can shop for unique, handmade gifts that are sure to please everyone on your list.

CHRISTMAS GIFT MARKETS AT ALYSSA’S shopalyssas.com Nov. 20, 27 & Dec. 4, 11, 18 4586 Chumuckla Hwy. Pace, FL 32571 Every Saturday until Christmas, vendors will line the front porch of Alyssa’s with unique items, decor and gifts that make for perfect one-of-a-kind Christmas gifts. December 4 is “5 & Dime Day,” where shoppers can find thousands of hidden gems throughout the store on sale for just five or ten cents. December 11 is “Candlelight Night.” On this night, Alyssa’s will transform into a magical “Christmas Village,” lit only by Christmas lights, candles and lamps.

Admission to this one-night happening is $5 per-person, or ten canned good food items to help support local homeless families this Christmas. Follow @shopalyssas on social media for complete event details.

OYSTER BAY BOUTIQUE HOTEL MAKERS MARKET stayoysterbay.com Wednesday, Dec. 1 from 4 pm to 8 pm 400 Bayfront Pkwy.

Oyster Bay Boutique Hotel and Makers Market partners invite the public to shop a

18 | DECEMBER 2021

curated selection of quality products handmade by local artisans. Products for sale will include hand-blown glass, ceramics, printed goods, curated boutique clothing and jewelry and wellness essentials. Be the first to see some of the latest pieces by Oyster Bay’s selected artists.

CARAVAN ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW scpen.org Friday, Dec. 3 from 9 am to 4 pm Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 am to 2 pm St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church | 3200 N. 12th Ave. Enjoy your Christmas shopping this year by spending time in the relaxing atmosphere of the Caravan Arts and Crafts Show.

Visit the Bake Shop & Country Market at St. Christopher’s Espicopal Church for homebaked Christmas treats, gourmet dips and pepper jellies, locally made gifts and more. Purchase raffle tickets and bid on silent auction items for a chance to win beachfront getaways, gift baskets and restaurant gift certificates.

FIRST CITY ART CENTER’S WINTER ART MARKET firstcityart.org Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 am to 3 pm Gallery 1060 at FCAC 1060 N. Guillemard St. First City Art Center’s “Winter Art Market” will include more than 20 local artisan and student vendors selling unique handmade goods, such as holiday ornaments, glass items, pottery, paintings, jewelry, sweets, clothing, crystals, artisan coffee, fiber art and more. The market will also feature Mad Munchies Food Truck and Le Petit Pecan coffee. The event will feature holiday-themed activities for the kids and a special game area. This year, event organizers will be collecting gently used coats to donate to the Gulf Coast Kid’s House.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Saturday, Dec. 4 from 10 am to 4 pm Cordova Square | 1101 N. 12th Ave. Enjoy shopping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Market. Shop small for unique items such as local art, jewelry, soap, vintage, crocheted and delicious baked goods, including pet treats!

Admission is free. Follow @ pensacolaartsmarket on social media for event details.

BEARDLESS BREWHAUS CRAFT FAIR MILTON Sunday, Dec. 5 from noon to 4 pm Beardless Brewhaus | 5139 Elmira St. Join Beardless Brewhaus for their outdoor craft fair

where local vendors will sell homemade wares that are perfect to finish off holiday shopping. Come out and see the vendors and enjoy some amazing brews! For complete event details, follow @beardlessbrewhaus on social media.

HOLIDAYS AT THE HANGAR CRAFT MARKET Thursday, Dec. 9 from 4 pm to 9 pm Hellcat Hangar | 1008 N. Navy Blvd.

The holidays are coming and Hellcat Hangar is using every inch of its space to bring the holiday spirit to life with a pop-up holiday craft market, complete with local vendors and artists and food and drinks.

Come sip, shop, and enjoy the Holidays at the Hangar. Visit the Hellcat Hangar Facebook page for ticket information.

With 2021 being a tough year for live event fundraisers, all ticket proceeds will benefit FavorHouse of Northwest Florida and Autism Pensacola.

Donations support those in need in the Pensacola area.

Follow @hellcathangar for updates and complete event details.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET (NIGHTTIME EDITION) Friday, Dec. 10 from 4 pm to 9 pm Gary’s Brewery & Biergarden 208 Newman Ave. Enjoy an evening shopping experience with Pensacola Arts Market. This will be the last one of 2021 so come support local vendors and have a great time. Shop local art, vintage

Thank You Pensacola for a great

clothes and décor, baked goods, jewelry, soap, crochet wares and more! Live music with Jay Moody and the Hip Pocket Deli Food truck will be featured. This family and fur baby friendly event is free to the public. Follow @ pensacolaartsmarket on social media for more event details.

frankincense and myrrh to candles, elixirs and potions.

Tea head? Yes, they’ll have all of your holiday favorites to keep you warm and well too.

GULF BREEZE HOLIDAY ARTS AND CRAFTS SHOW AT THE CENTER

Come shop local at Palafox Market and pick up a gift for yourself or your loved ones!

Custom gift sets, a large inventory of houseplants, plant merchandise, terra-cotta and more will be available. Palafox Market hosts more than 200 local vendors, so come support a small local business.

Gulfbreezearts.com Saturday, Dec. 11 from 10 am to 5 pm Gulf Breeze Community Center | 800 Shoreline Dr. Gulf Breeze Arts, Inc. will be hosting a Holiday Arts & Crafts Show at the Gulf Breeze Community Center.

Local makers and artisans will showcase a variety of artwork and unique craft items available for sale. The Holiday Arts and Crafts Show will be set up inside of the Community Center and guests are invited to shop for items through December 17.

ASHER AND BEE @ ODD COLONY’S HOLIDAY MAKER’S MARKET stayhappening.com Sunday, Dec. 12 from 11 am to 4 pm 260 N. Palafox St. The Holidays are coming, so it’s time to get ready for all the Solstice gatherings and celebrations as families and friends come together to celebrate the season.

Asher and Bee Apothecary and Tea House will be a vendor at Odd Colony’s Holiday Makers Market and are bringing everything you need for gift giving and traditional celebration, from

first year!

PALAFOX HOLIDAY MARKET palafoxmarket.com Saturday, Dec. 18 from 9 am to 2 pm MLK Plaza | Downtown Pensacola

KRAMPUS CHRISTMAS MARKET PETTINATO PLANT POP-UP

TYLER KERCHER 850.390.4118 TylerKercher.com

Sunday, Dec. 19 from noon to 6 pm Emerald Republic Brewing Company 1414 W. Government St. Join Pettinato’s Rustic Roots for a Holiday Market hosted

by Emerald Republic Brewery Company. Along with many other vendors, Pettinato’s will satisfy your last minute holiday shopping needs with its eclectic collection of house plants and handcrafted plant accessories, as well as wooden serving trays, cutting boards, resin jewelry and decor and live-edge wood.

Follow @pettinatosrusticroots on social media for updates and complete event details.

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A Labor of Love in Old Seville

By Kelly Oden

In a town as rich in history as Pensacola, historic preservation is at the heart of maintaining our cultural authenticity.

While older homes and buildings require significantly more maintenance and care, the benefits to the community in terms of preserving history and character are well worth the extra effort.

Local law firm Kerrigan, Estess, Rankin, McLeod and Thompson knows the value of such efforts well as they recently invested substantially in the restoration and renovation of their 140-year-old office building across from Seville Square and the results are nothing short of breathtaking.

Currently sitting on the corner of East Government Street and Alcaniz Street, the 5,000-square-foot antebellum stunner features a treasure trove of architectural details including a double veranda spanning two floors, carved columns and balustrades, tall double doors to the veranda, Queen Anne-

20 | DECEMBER 2021

style millwork, broad bay windows and a gabled roof with a short portico.

The building also has an interesting history.

According to beloved Pensacola historian, the late John Appleyard, Benjamin Overman originally built the home in the 200 block of East Gregory Street. Overman, who hailed from North Carolina, came to Pensacola to join his friend, Ezekial Simpson, in the burgeoning lumber industry.

Simpson Mills became a great success, perhaps in no small part due to Overman’s innovative engineering skills. Interestingly enough, Overman also designed a number of significant local structures including the beloved St. Michael’s Catholic Church.

In the 1960s, the city began a project to widen East Gregory Street. The Overman house was no longer owned by Benjamin’s descendants and would have been razed, but as luck would have it, a local architect named Hugh Leitch purchased the property. Leitch had to have the building cut in two in order to move it to its current location at 400

East Government Street in the Seville Historic District.

In 1978, Bob Kerrigan and George Estess bought the building to house their young law firm. At that time, Kerrigan did some extensive restoration to the property’s interior woodwork. “All of the window casings and baseboards are the original oak, but all this beautiful wood trim was covered in layers of paint,” said Attorney Mike McLeod, who has been a partner of the firm since the early 80s. “Bob Kerrigan had more than 100 years of paint painstakingly stripped from all of the trim to expose the original oak.

We’re very proud of that.”

Over the years, McLeod said the building held its own through many storms, including Hurricane Ivan.

However, the building suffered substantial damage from Hurricane Sally resulting in the firm’s decision to do a full-renovation. As with most renovations, they encountered a few surprises along the way.

“Hurricane Sally was a wake up call,” McLeod said. “We had roof damage and we had

water intrusion in some of the exterior walls. We had to move out of the building to repair it, so we decided to do a complete refurbishing. We put a new roof on. We had all the rotten wood from the exterior of the building replaced and painted the original color.

A lot of the interior walls had to be removed down to the studs because we had wet insulation. Then, we discovered we had asbestos in two rooms of the building.

So, we had to remove the asbestos at a significant expense. We had people in here with HAZMAT suits and they had to use negative pressure respirators. It was an expensive and complicated process for what seems to be just a little bit of removal.”

Beyond the structural repairs, the firm also took the opportunity to remove the carpets and refinish the original heart pine floors.

All in all, the renovation included a new roof, new insulation, new ductwork, new sheetrock, asbestos removal, floor refinishing, new landscaping, new furnishings, new lighting and the exterior was completely renovated and painted.

“We think it’s money well spent,” McLeod said. “I think the older you get, the more you value older things. And I do think this building is the centerpiece of the historic district as far as real genuine old buildings that still look the way they looked when they were built 140 years ago.

And now it’s as comfortable as being in a modern building.”

One thing that struck McLeod during the renovations was the original window mechanisms.

“When we did the renovation we took all of the window molding off to have it cleaned,” he recalled. “Behind that window molding there are these big heavy weights. They’re very big and long and some of them have two weights and they are on these old ropes that create a pulley in order for the original owners to lift them. They’re

still on the same old ropes.

They’re still functioning.”

He also had a chance to see the original structural beams when some of the ceiling was being replaced. “It was interesting to see the old 140 year wood beams. They are so big and just about as hard as steel.

They’ve aged and hardened over 140 years,” he explained.

The firm worked with interior designer Joy Hodges to update the furniture and lighting, bringing a contemporary and comfortable feel to the space.

They also transformed the third floor space from a dusty old storage room to a sleek, modern employee lounge complete with skylights, television, a coffee bar and a sofa.

“We think it’s money well spent. I think the older you get, the more you value older things. And I do think this building is the centerpiece of the historic district as far as real genuine old buildings that still look the way they looked when they were built 140 years ago. And now it’s as comfortable as being in a modern building.”

Over the forty years the firm has occupied the building, they have watched downtown Pensacola grow from the neglect of the 70s and 80s to the booming and lively historic neighborhood of today—and they are thrilled to be a part of it all.

“While we do love the building itself, we also love the neighborhood,” McLeod said. “It’s surrounded by good restaurants, so you can walk across the street and have lunch or dinner. It’s right by Seville Park, which hosts a lot of festivals. On Friday and

Saturday nights, it’s hopping right around our neighborhood.

They have live music at Hub Stacey’s on weekends. People sit and eat outside at Dharma Blue. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen old buildings get refurbished. There’s kind of a new life to the streets.

Downtown is a happening place to be. It’s the place to live and work. We’ve had opportunities to move into a bank building over the years, but we just like this location. We like being part of the neighborhood.”

•

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 21

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ON THE RIGHT TRACK:

WEST FLORIDA RAILROAD MUSEUM PRESERVES LOCAL HISTORY

by Dakota Parks photos by Guy Stevens

Long before automobiles and airplanes, railways served as the beating heart of the Industrial Revolution, provided easier transportation of goods, safer travel for passengers and even led to the standardization of time zones. Here in West Florida, the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad, chartered in 1881, connected Pensacola across the sparsely populated Panhandle through thickets of cypress swamps and pine forests.

Along the 160 miles of tracks, two train depots were built in Milton and Marianna, the largest two towns along the route.

Located within the historic Milton depot, built in 1909 to replace the original 1882 building that was lost in a fire, lies the West Florida Railroad Museum that is dedicated to preserving the local history of railways throughout our region and educating future generations to come.

The L&N Milton combination freight and passenger depot is one of the few depots in America that has not only been preserved but is also still located on its original working grounds. Guests can walk the museum complex exploring train memorabilia and still feel the rattling of a passing train beneath their feet as modernday trains pass the depot. The station was closed in 1973, purchased and partially restored by the Santa Rosa Historical Society. The West Florida Railroad Museum opened inside the depot in 1989, completing the restoration.

Train enthusiast and former pilot, George Wilson, has been volunteering and leading tours at the museum for more than 15 years. For him, the children running down the wooden depot corridors and marveling at the model trains are what

keep him coming back. The museum offers public and private tours, class field trips and rental of its 1929 dining car for birthday parties and special events. In the winter, the museum also offers a Polar Express experience with hot chocolate and cookies inside the vintage dining car while volunteers dressed as conductors read from the book.

“We want to preserve the history and we want to make this an educational experience, but we also want it to be fun for children, so they keep coming back and learning more,” Wilson said. “We’re a railroad museum, so that means we teach about railroads. But I also teach a lot more than that. I can show you history about architecture, transportation, commerce, math, war, communication and technology. I can take you from the telegraph and morse code

to the radio and telephone.

This train station was the hub to the entire community. If you wanted to send a telegraph message or ship a package, you came here. There is so much history in these walls.”

The museum complex features the original train depot, the Bridge Tender’s House with a miniature HO model railroad depicting 1950s-era Northwest Florida, a section shed that rail workers used to maintain the tracks, the Garden Railway with an outdoor G-scale train layout as well as several vintage railroad cars. The railroad cars exhibited on the property include the L&N Dining Car 2722, L&N caboose 1148, Frisco caboose 1102, L&N boxcar 18050, L&N flat car 21107 and the former L&N baggagedormitory car 1652, which was used by the Atomic Energy Commission in the 1960s to

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 23

Top left: A rare coffin cart located amongst train memorabilia in the freight house of the historic Milton train depot.

Top Right: George Wilson and Peggy Humbert, members and volunteers of the West Florida Railroad Museum Bottom right: Dean Motis, a mobile welder begins restoration work on the L&N Dining Car 2722 to prepare the train cars to be repainted.

haul nuclear material for atomic and hydrogen weapons.

Housed within the depot walls are the original ticket counters, baggage room, waiting room and the Railway Express Agency, where museum guests can learn about telecommunications, train routes and the significant impact the railroad had on the local timber industry and population growth across the West Florida region. Historical remnants of the segregated South still remain such as the depot’s original triple entrances that were marked for men, women and “colored” before the Civil Rights Act. In the adjoining freight house, visitors can see train memorabilia like a coal burning steam engine, coffin cart, luggage scale and 100-year-old train car seats.

24 | DECEMBER 2021

Across from the depot, is the Bridge Tenders House, which once stood by the swing bridge in the middle of the old Escambia Bay trestle before it was replaced in 1989. The prior two houses were destroyed by hurricanes in 1906 and 1926, claiming the lives of the bridge tender’s family in 1906 that tried to ride out the storm. Now it houses the miniature train diorama of 1950s-era Northwest Florida complete with the Milton depot and stretching all the way to the Pensacola depot that is now the lobby of the Pensacola Grand Hotel.

Fellow train enthusiast and Club Treasurer Peggy Humbert first discovered the West Florida Railroad Museum in 2015 when she joined the Emerald Coast Garden Railway Club, located

at the back of the property.

Members of the club help maintain the tracks, pull weeds, trim plants and, in exchange, can bring their own trains to run on the track system. The garden G-scale train layout attracts children, families and train enthusiasts alike to marvel at the immaculately landscaped garden with small plants and detailed figurines.

Children, ages 3 to 12, are also invited to take a ride on the gondola-style train cars which surround the entire garden.

“We have about 35 members, and the trains are owned by the members. So, what you see running today in the garden could be totally different tomorrow or next week” Humbert explained. “In addition to having a fixed layout

here that we operate every week, we take layouts to various national train shows. It gives exposure to the museum as well as the City of Milton, because we carry a display board that has some information about Milton and the museum.”

When they aren’t giving tours or maintaining the Garden Railway, museum volunteers and staff are busy working on preservation, repairs and fundraising to continue sharing the legacy of this historic local landmark.

“We have projects going on constantly,” Wilson explained.

There is always something being repaired—be it the plumbing in the restroom or fixing shingles that blew off the roof. It’s just like anybody

Members of the Emerald Coast Garden Railway Club give free rides to children on the gondola-style train cars that loop around the garden.

else that owns a home. The problem we run into is that a lot of our materials are no longer manufactured. So, we have to come up with some sort of alternative to use. For example, when we replaced some of the wood siding on the exterior, we had to have blades made specifically to mill the lumber so it would match what was there, because they don’t make that kind of lumber anymore. The goal is to keep it authentic.”

The West Florida Railroad Museum is currently undergoing one of its biggest restoration projects to raise $100,000 needed to restore the old rusted and corroded train cars and make some muchneeded repairs to buildings on the property. By 2022, they hope to have both cabooses and passenger cars repainted to help them weather the sands of time.

The museum recently brought in a welder to begin restoration work on the L&N Dining Car 2722, which they rent out for parties and special events.

“Preserving this depot allows us to share the history and make it personal,” Humbert

said. “There are so many things that happened in this area that people don’t have any idea about. If we don’t preserve those things, they can’t learn and understand why they happened.

I think it’s not just the history, it’s our culture, and it’s what makes us who we are. It helps us understand how we became the people we are, and I think that’s an important facet of it.”

The HO model train display depicts 1950s-era Northwest Florida. HO is the most popular scale of model railway in the world using a 1:87 scale (3.5 mm to 1 foot).

Whether you’re a history buff, a train aficionado or you’re looking for a family-friendly outing for the holidays, the West Florida Railroad Museum has a little of something for everyone.

The museum is open from 10 am until 3 pm from WednesdaySaturday and is located at 5003 Henry Street, Milton, Florida. For more information or to donate to the restoration project, you can visit wfrm.org.

The popular Garden Railway display features an immaculate G-scale train system with live plants and pop culture figurines. The term G gauge refers to the track gauge for model railways which is often used outdoors because of its size and durability.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 25

350 Pensacola world.350.org/pensacola

Illustrations by Poppy Garcia

There is a lot to love about Pensacola—from the iconic landmarks, scenery and cultural offerings to the way neighbors and community come together in times of adversity. As our community continues to grow and change over the years, it is the people who dedicate their time and hearts that make our city such an amazing place to live. These organizations, activists and community leaders rally around issues within our community to promote change, progress and make our city a better place for future generations to come.

While we sport our Pensacola regalia and “live where you vacation” bumper stickers to show off how much we love our city, it takes guts to stand up for what you believe, point out issues that affect our most vulnerable citizens and work together on solutions to fix them. In the spirit of the season, Pensacola Magazine wanted to highlight these organizations and activists that work year-round to support issues of food insecurity and homelessness, domestic and sexual violence, animal welfare, social justice and racial inequality, LGBT+ and women’s rights, disability rights and so much more. While we could not include every nonprofit organization working to effect change in Pensacola, we hope this selection gives you an insight into the many ways to give back to your community and love the place that you call home.

26 | DECEMBER 2021

350 Pensacola is the local affiliate of 350.org, one of the largest international nonprofit organizations fighting climate change on a global and local level. 350 is the amount of carbon, in parts per million, needed in the atmosphere to have a healthy, sustainable planet, and right now the global average atmospheric levels are over 410. “We are already seeing the devastating impacts of climate change around the world, in the form of severe storms, droughts, flooding, wildfires, sea level rise and the destruction of whole ecosystems, such as coral reefs. Our mission is two-fold, to educate the public about the need to take action to reduce carbon emissions immediately, as we now consider the planet to be in a climate emergency, and to influence local government to implement policies to reduce their own carbon emissions and encourage and support local citizens in their efforts to do the same,” Executive Director Sandra Adams explained.

Healthy Gulf

Healthy Gulf, originally formed in 1994 under the name Gulf healthygulf.org Restoration Network, is an organization dedicated to providing research, communications and coalitionbuilding tools needed to reverse the lover exploitation of the Gulf of Mexico’s natural resources. “Our staff of 15 works with people across the Gulf region to protect waterways, aquatic life and communities from the impacts of pollution and climate change. We do that through science, education, advocacy and sometimes legal action.

We don’t accept funds from polluting industries, and that keeps our voices free and strong. Volunteers help us fulfill critical needs, including research, graphic design, social media and more,” Christian Wagley, coastal organizer at Healthy Gulf said.

Healthy Gulf has nearly 4,000 Florida Gulf coast residents who subscribe to their email updates and with whom they communicate regularly about issues along our coast. These are the engaged coastal residents they rely on to keep us informed and to rally around important issues.

Keep Pensacola Beautiful keeppensacolabeautiful.org Since 1979, Keep Pensacola Beautiful (KPB) has been serving Escambia County residents by providing interactive opportunities to improve our community through litter removal, beautification and other sustainability initiatives. “Maintaining a clean and beautiful PICKING UP LITTER community is vital to our IS NOT CHEAP! It economic, environmental, mental and physical takes time, resources well-being. We love and costs money engaging with fellow to properly dispose community members of litter. A $150 who all share a passion for a healthy environment donation buys 10 and for making their litter grabbers! neighborhoods better places to live, work and play. It is because of volunteers that KPB removes thousands of pounds of litter from public spaces each month,” Executive Director Sigrid Solgard said.

Christian Wagley COASTAL ORGANIZER FOR HEALTHY GULF

GET INVOLVED: Get engaged around the issue of climate change any way that you can. It is the epic issue of our time, and one that challenges us greatly here on the Gulf Coast.

(he/him)

Christian Wagley is an environmentalist, avid bicyclist and community advocate. He works as the coastal organizer for Healthy Gulf in Florida and Alabama and serves as the volunteer executive director for Bike Pensacola. “I describe the work we do at Healthy Gulf as science-based advocacy,” he said. “We are as much concerned about the health and well-being of the people of the Gulf Coast as we are about plants, animals and waterways. We utilize the results of scientific research to identify the most important environmental issues we face such as water pollution and climate change. We then engage with local communities around solutions. I make certain that the information I bring forward is rock-solid in its accuracy and relevancy and that the discourse stays respectful. By continually bringing forward the facts, you can become a trusted source on the issues.” photo by Guy Stevens

Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program ppbep.org The Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program (PPBEP) is a non-partisan organization whose mission is to restore and protect the Pensacola and Perdido Bay Watersheds through restoration, education and unbiased monitoring of the health of our estuaries. Through multifaceted programs like the National Coastal Condition Assessment, Trash Free Waters Project, and the Community Grant Program, PPBEP ensures meaningful and collaborative watershed management. “A mission as ambitious as ours cannot be accomplished without the support of dedicated volunteers and partners. Volunteers Our program has already are critical in supporting our Trash leveraged more than $1.7 million in funding to inform and support Free Waters Project that aims to restoration and education efforts. prevent water-borne trash in our Over the past two years, PPBEP local creeks and waterways as well awarded $450,000 in Community as aiding in the development of Grants to educational institutions, our Comprehensive Conservation nonprofits and local governments and Management Plan (CCMP), in our local communities to a blueprint for the recovery of our support action projects that waters,” Community Outreach serve to restore, preserve, Coordinator Logan McDonald said. connect, inform and educate.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 27

PACE Center for Girls, EscambiaSanta Rosa

Established in 1994, the Pace Center for Girls Escambia-Santa Rosa is a safe and supportive academic and wrap-around social services model that helps girls and young women overcome challenges and prepare for their future. Pace provides girls, ages 11 to 17, the opportunity to heal, learn and grow to better identify and utilize their own unique strengths through education, counseling, training and pacecenter.org advocacy. As one of the only gender-responsive, Of the 200 trauma-informed and strengths-based models for girls in the country, girls served each Pace has served more than 2,000 girls and young women throughout year, 97% improve Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. “Every human being deserves to in one or more of the have experiences and opportunities in their lives that allow them to following areas: academic, find and be their best selves,” Pace Executive Director Laurie Rodgers said. “At Pace, we serve girls who are at the age of self-discovery who are decision-making, personal relationships and not able to fully realize who they are and what they are capable of due to mental health. personal and family distress,” Rodgers explained. Pace is sponsored by the State of Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and is managed and led by a volunteer-based board of directors.

Children’s Home Society of Florida chsfl.org

Impact 100 Pensacola Bay IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area, Inc. (IMPACT) is an organization of women committed to improving their community by providing substantial grants to nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Started in 2003 by four local women, IMPACT has become the largest IMPACT group in the world. The idea behind IMPACT involves recruiting at least 100 women to donate $1,000 each and pooling those resources into one large grant fund to be awarded to qualifying nonprofit organizations throughout the community.

In the 18 years since its inception, IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area has awarded 131 grants to 91 nonprofit organizations totaling $13,950,000. The mission of IMPACT is accomplished through thousands of volunteer hours of the Board of Directors and its membership as well as many generous donations by community partners and sponsors. IMPACT has no paid employees or staff, so In 2021, IMPACT 100 percent of each member’s 100 was able to award annual contribution of $1,000 $101,820 each to 11 is pooled and awarded to nonprofit organizations in nonprofit organizations in our community for a total increments of at least impact of $1,120,020. $100,000 grants.

28 | DECEMBER 2021

As the largest and oldest statewide nonprofit in Florida dedicated to serving children and their families, the Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) has worked to build bridges to success for children and families since 1902. A leader in drafting key policies affecting children—from child labor laws to compulsory education laws— CHS advocates for the best interests of children in Florida and throughout the nation. Annually, the organization serves more than 60,000 children, youth and family members through early childhood services, child welfare, counseling and mental health services, community partnership schools, mentoring, outreach and job training. The goal of Children’s Home Society of Florida is to end the need for foster care by working with children and families before crises occurs. Staff and volunteers work to help keep more kids safe at home with their families, giving parents confidence and opportunities to build upon their strengths, empowering them to raise their children in healthy, nurturing homes.

CHS serves more than 2,000 children each year—60% are safely reunited with their families and 40% either move into the home of a relative or are adopted into a new family.

Mallory Luana VICE PRESIDENT OF STRIVE

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida

For more than 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has operated under the belief that inherent in every child is the bbbsnwfl.org ability to succeed and thrive in life. As the nation’s largest donor and volunteersupported mentoring network, Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”) in communities across the country. Big Brothers Big Sisters is one of the oldest and largest youth mentoring organizations in the country and has been the leader in one-to-one youth service for 30 years by providing caring, In Escambia adult mentors to children County, 22,432 ages 5 to 18 and beyond, who children will come primarily from single parent homes. “Each Time grow up without Big Brothers Big Sisters pairs a mentor in a child with a role model, we their life. start something incredible: a one-to-one relationship built on trust and friendship that can blossom into a future of unlimited potential,” BBBSNWFL CEO & President Paula Shell said.

Mallory is a queer, Haitian American artist, the Vice President of Strive and an advocate for transgender rights and undocumented Haitian and black communities. “I have a lot of intersecting identities and experiences with oppression. I am passionate about helping the oppressed lift themselves up,” they said. “The primary way Strive helps the transgender community in-need is through our emergency housing program, where volunteers become a host home in the event that we get contacted by someone in need of shelter, especially in winter. We work alongside other organizations like Dream Defenders, Food Not Bombs and the Pensacola Chapter of Women’s March Florida because we recognize that struggles are connected.

While we are helping trans people, we recognize that there are trans people who need reproductive rights. At the end of the day, everything we do—the protests, rallies, organizing, city council meetings, emails and calls to officials demanding justice and change—is for the betterment of all oppressed groups. That's why Strive is present in all actions that advocate for oppressed and marginalized people.”

(they/she)

GET INVOLVED: Most activism and organizing happens online these days. Diversify who you follow online, including local organizers and organizations, so you can actually see what is happening to marginalized groups of people. photo by Guy Stevens

Sunday’s Child sundayschild.org Launched by a group of ten friends back in 2014, Sunday’s Child is local nonprofit that works to create a culture and community of acceptance and visibility for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) individuals in the Pensacola area.

Armed with a mission to award grants for significant charitable and economic initiatives and that promote diversity, inclusion and equality, Sunday's Child has raised more than $536,000 for nonprofit organizations throughout our community.

Drawing from the charitable-giving model of IMPACT100, members of Sunday’s Child donate money on an annual basis. Each year, funds from membership contributions are pooled together and used to award multiple grants, ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, which are awarded to eligible, local nonprofits or initiatives that address a community need and place value on diversity, inclusion and equality. Individual members or member Since 2014, ensembles donate up to $1,000 annually, with 100% of funds Sunday’s Child has going toward grant awards. Sunday's Child has no paid staff and is organized, maintained and managed by volunteers. raised more than

$536,000 for local nonprofits.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 29

Valerie’s House Pensacola valerieshouse.org/pensacola Valerie’s House Pensacola (VHP) provides free grief support programs to help children, ages 5 to 18, and their families in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties to share, grieve and heal from the loss of a loved one. Valerie’s House expanded its services to Pensacola in April 2021 and is currently the only registered 501(c)(3) organization in the area solely dedicated to helping children and families heal and navigate through the process of grieving, together.

The organization hosts weekly support group sessions in a peer-to-peer setting which are designed to allow children to form bonds with the other members of their support group and group leaders. Although VHP is not a formal counseling center, it does serve as a community platform for individuals to come together, share and mentor each other through shared experiences. “When children experience the loss of a parent or sibling, it shakes their foundation during a time when they are still learning It is currently about themselves and the world around them,” VHP estimated that 1 Advisory Chair Crista O’Keefe in 11 children will Brandt explained. Valerie’s experience the House depends on volunteers loss of a parent or and support from individuals sibling by the age in our community to provide grief services to children of 18 in Escambia County and 1 in 14 in and families in need throughout the Santa Rosa County.

Pensacola area.

Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation

The Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem (NWFGAL) Foundation serves the First Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, which includes nwfgal.org Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties. The foundation provides direct support to the Guardian ad Litem Program, which assigns Volunteer Child Advocates to children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, abandonment and neglect. Volunteer Child Advocates look out for the best interest of the child by speaking up for them in matters relating to placement, medical, educational and personal needs. All volunteer advocates receive special training and support from GAL attorneys and Child Advocate Managers who work together to ensure the best possible outcome for each child. The NWFGAL also provides for some of the basic needs such as school clothes, money to attend camps and medical or mental health needs.

“Our goal is to help normalize the child’s life, even if it’s only in some small way—like purchasing them a new pair of shoes,” NWFGAL President Alicia Sckolrood said.

Volunteerism drives success within the Guardian ad Litem Program advocating for the system to remain focused on children’s well-being, assuring that each child’s specific needs are properly addressed.

Gulf Coast Kid’s House gulfcoastkidshouse.org Gulf Coast Kid’s House (GCKH) is a nonprofit children’s advocacy center that strives to form a strong, collaborative response to child abuse cases for children and families throughout Escambia County. Through support services and expert resources, their center of dedicated professionals work to improve case outcomes for victims of child abuse and help minimize trauma to children and families. With a mission to end child abuse and heal families through collaborative intervention, family support and prevention education, GCKH serves as a one-stop shop for families impacted by abuse. The organization hosts a team of on-site professionals and resources needed to conduct interventions, investigations and prosecution for child abuse cases all under one roof at its child-friendly facility in Pensacola.

Through counseling and support services, the organization works to form In 2021, Gulf a more collaborative response to child abuse cases to help improve Coast Kid’s House case outcomes and minimize trauma to the children and families it and its partners serves. GCKH relies on the support of volunteers to help accomplish provided services to its mission. “Our volunteers assist with everything from working our reception desk, to making donor gifts, hosting events and managing our more than 2,693 family resource closet. We are a small team and could not accomplish all children. that we do without their support,” GCKH Director Stacey Kostevicki said.

30 | DECEMBER 2021

Feeding the Gulf Coast (FGC), formerly Bay Area Food Bank, operates three branches located along the Central Gulf Coast, which feedingthegulfcoast.org partner with more than 400 agencies to distribute more than 30 million pounds of food annually to the 24-county service area through FGC’s hunger-relief programs. Helping the people FCG serves to gain access to healthy foods is critical. Throughout the Florida service area, more than 130,000 individuals, including nearly 39,000 children, struggle with food insecurity. “We rely on food, feet, and funds to achieve our mission. Small contributions by every individual make a tremendous, collective impact in ending hunger. Feeding the Gulf Coast and our partners rely on the generosity of volunteers,” FGC Marketing and Communications Manager Amanda Young said. Almost 24,000 individuals and groups helped provide an estimated $2,245,530 of paid staff and operation time by donating more than 224,550 hours of their time.

Feeding the Gulf Coast

Manna Food Pantry mannahelps.org Manna Food Pantry is a local grassroots organization fighting hunger in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties by providing groceries directly to those in need. This year alone, Manna has provided more than 494,500 healthy meals to a total of 31,014 people. Typically, 95 to 98 percent of the food Manna provides to the hungry is donated by businesses, faith organizations and individuals, with less than 10 percent donated by grocery stores. Manna also takes a unique approach by working with agencies that are addressing the root causes of hunger—for example, financial instability, low wages, lack of affordable housing and COVID-19 impacts. Volunteers are critical to the work that Manna does. “In the past year, 1,702 volunteers have given 5,676.25 hours of service so we could carry out our mission to help people in need,” Executive Director Dede Flounlacker said. All donations made to Manna stay local to help serve people in need throughout our community.

Hale Morrissette NORTH FLORIDA REGIONAL ORGANIZER FOR DREAM DEFENDERS

Food Not Bombs Pensacola foodnotbombs.net

Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer global movement that shares free vegan and vegetarian meals as a protest to war and poverty.

“We view Food Not Bombs more as a verb than a noun. Food Not Bombs is direct action. We do what is needed for our community and do not ask for permission. So while we are assisting those in our community, we are also very much protesting many of the conditions that our society allows to exist,” Michael Kimberl, Food Not Bombs volunteer and organizer said. Food Not Bombs is attempting to bring attention to issues surrounding income inequality, homelessness and how people seem to have an out of sight, out of mind mentality to these issues. It hopes to draw attention to the growing issues and to help Each week, start a conversation while providing some of the solutions. There are hundreds of Food Not Bombs independent and autonomous chapters Pensacola serves sharing free vegetarian food with hungry 40 to 50 Pensacola people and protesting war and poverty. citizens who are This energetic, all-volunteer grassroots experiencing movement is active throughout the homelessness and Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, food insecurity.

Asia and Australia.

GET INVOLVED: Join an organization that is doing tangible and strategic work.

Dream Defenders is always looking for new members. If you can donate, make a donation to organizations doing things that light your fire.

(she/they)

Hale Morrissette is a full-time organizer, part-time DJ and mother to two young boys. “I do the work of a womanist abolitionist,” she explained. “To break it down further, that includes race and gender inequality, police brutality, prison abolition and community violence. In November of 2014, I helped organize the first Black Lives Matter (BLM)-affiliated vigil, and it hasn't stopped since then. I am raising two very free little Black boys in the South, and I want the world to be different for them and whoever they bring into the world.

I love Pensacola and the people here. They help raise my little ones and the generations to come, so I give my all in fighting for a better community.”

photo by Guy Stevens

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 31

Waterfront Rescue Mission waterfrontmission.org

United Way of West Florida

United Way of West Florida (UWWF) works to improve community outcomes in health, education and financial stability by investing resources in quality programs, building and participating in collaborative partnerships that address critical issues and engaging people throughout our community with meaningful opportunities for service and advocacy. UWWF provides significant support to nearly 30 nonprofit organizations in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties through the Community Investment grant process. Unite Way also manages a number of programs that provide valuable support and resources to the community including the information and referral hotline 211 Northwest Florida (211 NWFL), The Florida Veteran Support Line and critical disaster relief services. “Volunteerism is at the heart of what it means to Live United,” UWWF Director of Marketing Jon Potrzeba said. ”United Way of West Florida manages several volunteer programs and sees firsthand the breadth of their impact on our community!” UWWF has also coordinated Day of Caring, the largest single-day of volunteerism across Northwest Florida for 28 years. Since 1993, UWWF has coordinated more than 28,000 volunteers that have completed 2,572 projects at schools and nonprofit agencies in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

uwwf.org

First established in 1949 as a refuge for wayward fisherman, the Waterfront Rescue Mission provides faith-based rescue and recovery programs to lift people out of homelessness, poverty and addiction along the Gulf Coast. In 2020 alone, the Waterfront Rescue Mission provided 72,000 meals and presented 518 life skills and job readiness classes.

Through these services, Waterfront assisted 68 men in finding and obtaining employment and also helped 35 men obtain housing. Waterfront’s goal is for clients to leave with connections and resources to live sustainably independent as overcomers. While most services and programs are available to men only, day services are open to men, women and children. Volunteers are encouraged to conduct item drives at their workplace or church or help serve meals at the Mission. “By using their talents and taking their time to serve at Waterfront, volunteers are providing more opportunities for us to reach our homeless community in various ways,” Waterfront Rescue Mission Executive Vice President Angie Ishee said. Waterfront Rescue Mission currently operates 10 locations along the Gulf Coast, including seven Thrift Stores.

In 2020 alone, the Waterfront Rescue Mission served 1,557 men throughout our community.

Alfred-Washburn Center alfredwashburn.org The Alfred-Washburn Center (AWC) is a day resource center for people experiencing homelessness and extreme bouts of poverty.

They provide a place to take a shower, do a load of laundry, set up a mailbox and acquire some of the supplies needed to survive on the streets of Escambia County. The services such as showers and laundry help to give back dignity and provide cleanliness and health; additionally, they assist with job placement and sustainability. The center is run by an all volunteer staff. Michael Kimberl, the director of the AWC, said the volunteers’ love and dedication to Last year, the poor is second to none.

AWC provided 6,956 showers, 3,461 loads of laundry, 22,196 sack lunches and delivered more than 4,500 parcels of mail.

32 | DECEMBER 2021

Loaves & Fishes loavesandfishessoupkitchen.com Established in Pensacola in 1983, Loaves & Fishes is a nonprofit Christian charity which operates a soup kitchen and shelter for Pensacola-area homeless. It also operates a thrift store whose proceeds go toward their charity work, as well as other educational and outreach programs. Loaves & Fishes reaches out to homeless men, women and children in an effort to meet their needs both spiritually and materially. Its goal is to provide a safe, clean and uplifting environment for those in the Pensacola community who find themselves in need. Loaves and Fishes strives to offer its guests hope for a better future. Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen is a nonprofit corporation, and all donations are tax deductible.

Pensacola Habitat for Humanity pensacolahabitat.org

Satoshi Forest Sanctuary

The Satoshi Forest Sanctuary is the first intentional homeless encampment in the State of Florida. Satoshi gives priority to women, people over the age of 50, the disabled and members of the LGBT+ community to have a safe, secure place to set up a campsite with portable toilets, running water, and garbage pickup. “A good majority find themselves sleeping outdoors in the rough. There is always the risk of arrest, theft, and assault sleeping on our streets. We provide a place that gives that extra security,” Co-founder and Director Michael Kimberl said. Volunteers have played a vital role in the success of the sanctuary. From clean up days to hot meals, Satoshi could not do this work if not for members of the community stepping up to assist. Follow @SatoshiForest on Facebook for updates and additional information.

Pensacola Habitat for Humanity (PHH) builds homes for people with a modest income and sells them with an affordable mortgage. When it opened in 1981, PHH started off as a completely volunteer-driven organization. To date, it has almost 50 employees between the affiliate and the PHH ReStore, but never loses sight of its volunteer roots.

PHH encourages volunteerism both in the Community Development program to assist with projects like wheelchair ramp builds and critical home repairs, as well as at the PHH ReStore to assist with donation delivery and customer service. Monetary support cycles back through the programs over and PHH has over again with homeowner mortgage payments. Every dollar is recycled through assisted ore than 1,450 the community. Homeowner mortgage individuals and families payments allow PHH to build the next throughout Escambia and home or complete the next repair. “We Santa Rosa Counties are on track to serve 53 homeowners to become proud through our Home Buyer Program and homeowners.

80 homeowners through Community Development initiatives,” VP of Development and Communications Crystal Scott said.

Caleb Houston (he/him) FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF THERE IS HOPE AND HUTS 4 OUR FRIENDS

Salvation Army salvationarmy.org The Salvation Army helps the less fortunate and the sometimes forgotten by offering love, hope and relief in the form of food and shelter. After Hurricane Sally and the COVID-19 pandemic, the Salvation Army remains on the front lines of need to ensure that Hope Marches On this holiday season. “Need knows no season. Although the holidays are often a time of joy, many people will not be able to celebrate this year because they are battling the effects of pandemic poverty,” pastor Capt.

Herb Frazier III said. The Salvation Army has proudly served Pensacola and surrounding counties since 1901 with multiple different programs such as Emergency Disaster Response Teams, emergency social services, food pantries, The Angel Tree Program (which helps families in need with toys and clothes for Christmas), emergency homeless shelters for women and children, sports programs and a community center program with an indoor aquatics facility.

GET INVOLVED: Find your passion. Whether it’s homelessness, Black Lives Matter, the LGBT community, find what you believe in and put in that footwork to research and support local organizations. photo by Guy Stevens

After recovering from drug addiction and homelessness, Caleb Houston made it his mission in life to help provide food, shelter and rehabilitative services to the most vulnerable members of our community. He is a homeless advocate, community leader and founder of There Is Hope, a 200-bed shelter facility opening soon at 3101 North Davis. “I feel like this is my calling and purpose in life to help people,” he said. “I don’t get paid for any of the work that I do. My paycheck is seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they haven’t bathed in two or three weeks or have been on drugs, and they come in and take a hot shower and eat a hot meal.

Right now, we have more than 400 people signed up for our program and 40 people that are sober from coming into our classes and mentor programs. I believe that consistency is the greatest key to success in helping people get on the right path. We are offering day services while we await the final code regulations to fully open the shelter. We provide showers, food, clothes, hygiene products and various classes and counseling to help equip individuals to be effective at job interviews. We need to stop judging why someone is homeless and instead provide effective assistance to help them transition out of homelessness, which is what we aim to do here.”

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 33

Autism Pensacola, Inc. autismpensacola.org Autism Pensacola works to guide children and families affected by autism through the maze of resources available to them. Autism Pensacola programs include a summer camp, support groups, community family events, adult activities, sensory stations, respite opportunities, educational training and collaborations with law enforcement and other autismfocused organizations. “When a child is diagnosed with autism, we are the first call a parent makes, and the first thing we say to that parent is, ‘You will never be alone again,’”Executive Director of Autism Pensacola Inc. Mary Donovan McClellan said. Autism Pensacola also serves as a central clearinghouse of information for resources that are specific to the disorder. While they do not diagnose or offer therapies, they do hold families’ hands as they journey through the world of autism and build personal relationships with parents and their kids. Volunteers play a big role in Autism Pensacola’s work. From parents, grandparents, and caregivers to therapists, college students, community leaders, teen peers and educators, volunteers are needed and greatly appreciated.

Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center navarrebeachseaturtles.org The Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center (NBSTCC) allows visitors from near and far to learn about the importance of sea turtles by entering the center and meeting Sweet Pea, NBSTCC’s ambassador, whose story is one of survival and really touches the heart of everyone she meets. She is a green sea turtle that has been deemed non-releasable by Florida Fish and Wildlife due to a tremendous amount of damage both externally and internally. After hearing Sweet Pea's story, guests are welcome to explore the center to learn more about the ecosystem Since January of 2021, and several habitats NBSTCC has hosted of local wildlife. more than 45,000 “We are powered guests, had over 500 by passionate participants for field and dedicated volunteers. trips and private tours, Because we are a working and 919 volunteers conservation center, we have collected more rely on our volunteers to than 1,400 pounds of be at the center on a daily marine debris. basis,” NBSTCC Volunteer and Outreach Manager Nicole Stephens said.

Pensacola Humane Society pensacolahumane.org The Pensacola Humane Society (PHS) is committed to improving the lives of companion animals in our community through advocacy, adoption, education and sanctuary. Unlike other animal society organizations, PHS focuses on the people in the community just as much as animals.

The PHS Help Team focuses on providing resources to pet owners in the community to keep pets in homes through their pet supply pantry, domestic violence program, outreach and education. “Volunteers are essential to our organization because they allow us to extend our reach and capacity care far beyond what it would be if we operated with just our small staff,” Director of Development Manda Leigh Moore said. PHS Volunteers provide temporary homes to dogs and cats in need, help ensure that each animal gets above and beyond care and helps us reach out and support our community through various programs.

Since October 30th, 2021 the PHS has helped more than 2100 community members, given out more than 45,000 pounds of dog food, and 19,000 pounds of cat food to those in need.

34 | DECEMBER 2021

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida pensacolawildlife.com The Wildlife Sanctuary is a nonprofit wildlife hospital that cares for 3,000 to 4,000 orphaned and injured native animals each year. They take in turtles who have been hit by cars, baby flying squirrels displaced by hurricanes, birds of prey injured in territory disputes and many others with the goal of returning them to the wild. The Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the few facilities in the state of Florida permitted to rehabilitate bald eagles.

Sanctuary volunteers help with all aspects of daily operations including lawn maintenance and habitat construction, diet prep and cleaning, feeding of neonate animals and public education. “2022 will mark 40 years that the Wildlife Sanctuary has served the western Florida Panhandle's community in its efforts to preserve our native wildlife,” Sanctuary Animal Care Supervisor Emily Holden said.

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge

FavorHouse of Northwest Florida

emeraldcoastwildliferefuge.org

favorhouse.org

The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge (ECWR) rescues animals from as far north as Century, FL and as far south as Panama City, FL. Because ECWR does not have the manpower for a rescue team, it depends on private citizens to volunteer to bring the animal to them. “We were lucky to have citizens assist us with over 1,000 of these rescues this year. We are reliant on donations to help rehabilitate the sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife.” ECWR Development and Content Manager Stephanie Scott said. ECWR has grown from being operated out of volunteer homes to having its own facility on donated land, buildings built through donations and grants and habitats built by volunteers. ECWR does not receive government funding but is supported through the generous donations of local residents and businesses.

Each year, ECWR treats 1,800-2,000 sick, injured and orphaned wildlife patients in order to rehabilitate and release them back into their native environment.

The Secret Place Home thesecretplacehome.org With a mission to provide a safe space for female child and young adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC) and their families in Northwest Florida, The Christian-based center offers independent living life skills, health and wellness, therapeutic services and mentorship.​The Secret Place Home is survivor-led and centered on TraumaInformed Care. In addition to its services for survivors, The Secret Place also offers Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) and Human Trafficking 101 education and training to health care, education, hospitality and other organizations and agencies. “Advocating is the number one job and the main reason we exist,” Volunteer Coordinator for The Secret Place Melissa Parker said. “Volunteers are essential in bringing awareness to the community, but they also serve as tutors, instructors and interns to help provide additional services to the survivors.”

FavorHouse serves as the certified domestic violence center for More than 4,000 Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. domestic violence reports FavorHouse provides emergency and transitional housing, were filed in Escambia, counseling for both victims and Santa Rosa and Okaloosa offenders and a 24-hour crisis Counties in 2020. hotline. The FavorHouse shelter program is a “bridge to a new beginning” for hundreds of domestic violence victims in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. FavorHouse accepts monetary donations and offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

Allison Ferreira (hir/ze) PRESIDENT OF THE PENSACOLA CHAPTER OF WOMEN’S MARCH FLORIDA

As a retired Army veteran and life-long activist, Allison Ferreira spends most of hir time volunteering, organizing and serving as the President of the Pensacola Chapter of Women’s March Florida. “These days I believe you need to aggravate and agitate in order to facilitate true change,” Ferreira said. “Being queer and from an older generation, I have seen way too much discrimination and harassment. I feel the need to continue speaking out against these issues for the younger folks coming up. The issues are women’s rights—whether that be black, brown, poor, immigrant, disabled, lesbian, queer or trans women. Their health, safety and environmental justice is the priority. Protests, rallies, caravans, speaking up at city council meetings, providing security for other activist organizations and escorting women to family planning clinics are just some of the tools required to make steady change.”

GET INVOLVED: Join organizations that are making a difference all year long.

If you can’t get involved inperson at protests and events, you can work behind the scenes making phone calls and getting the word out.

photo by Guy Stevens

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 35

The ARC Gateway arc-gateway.org Since 1954, ARC Gateway has provided lifeenhancing programs that help children and adults with developmental disabilities realize their dreams. ARC Gateway provides programs and services focused on living, learning, working and growing. ARC Gateway clients are trained to provide services such as paper shredding and fulfillment services. They also sell client-produced products including artwork, recycled Mardi Gras beads, concrete products, survey stakes and plant sleeves. These People with programs allow clients developmental to learn new skills, disabilities earn a paycheck accomplish great and live more things every day. independent lives.

They are our Members, volunteers friends, neighbors and supporters play and coworkers; a critical role in ARC and they enrich Gateway’s efforts by our community in donating time, money, countless ways. sponsorship and by becoming members.

Pyramid, Inc. pyramidinc.org/pensacola An arts-focused adult day training program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, Pyramid, Inc. is known for its unique focus on visual and performing arts as a way to engage those whose cognitive, physical and behavioral disabilities. “Pyramid celebrates the abilities of its students. Rather than focusing on what students cannot do, Pyramid’s curriculum is person-centered, offering a wide variety of opportunities that enrich and enhance the lives of our clients,” Pyramid Pensacola Director Joseph Green said. Through the arts and other programs, Pyramid offers students the opportunity to be compensated for their talents, develop new social roles, forge connections with others and gain the social skills, work ethic and other skills necessary to lead full productive lives as active members of their community. Volunteers play an integral role in Pyramid’s ability to create opportunities for community engagement and expose students to a more diverse range of skills, experience and knowledge. Volunteers assist Pyramid, Inc. by donating their most important commodity—their time. They also assist in staging public performances, help with facility and ground maintenance, donate supplies, lead club activities and spread the word about the organization and the abilities of those with disabilities.

Council On Aging of West Florida coawfla.org Council on Aging (COA) serves homebound elder adults through various programs such as Meals on Wheels, homemaker, personal care, companionship, respite and more. These services allow frail seniors to remain in their home, living with dignity and independence, for as long as possible, staving off nursing home and/or assisted living care. COA receives federal and state funds for their core programs, but they also offer several extra unfunded services that are important to help elders age in place.

These include wheelchair ramp installation, distribution of air conditioners and heaters, yard cleanup, Christmas for Seniors, a community care closet, caregiver support groups and more.

Combined “Volunteers are our boots on the ground in Escambia with matching and Santa Rosa counties. Hundreds of volunteers state funds, $50 deliver Meals on Wheels, serve in our adult daycare, can provide over one do wellness checks, call for telephone reassurance, week of meals delivered provide companionship and caregiver support and to a senior. It can also so much more. We literally could not do what we provide several hours’ do without them,” Marketing and Communications Director Josh Newby said. worth of in-home

care.

36 | DECEMBER 2021

Bruno Matthew Arnold FOUNDER OF TRIDENT DISABILITIES

Marine Toys for Tots pensacola-fl.toysfortots.org The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program collects new, unwrapped toys during October, November and December each year, and distributes those toys as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community. Toys for Tots began in 1947 when Major Bill Hendricks, United States Marine Corps Reserve and a group of Marine Reservists in Los Angeles collected and distributed Over 5,000 toys to needy children. the last The 1947 pilot project was so 67 years successful that the Marine of the U.S. Corps adopted Toys for Tots in Marine Corps 1948 and expanded it into a Reserve Toys nationwide campaign. There are many ways to volunteer for Tots Program, with Toys for Tots – simply Marines have donate a new toy, donate distributed more money via the website, than 416 million volunteer during the toys to 195 million campaign, become a toy needy children drop-off site or become nationwide. a corporate sponsor.

Disability rights activist Bruno Matthew Arnold, is the Founder and CEO of Trident Disabilities and a senior at University of West Florida (UWF). “I was born blind in my left eye as a baby in Azores, Portugal, but I could see until I was around 11 when my vision in my right eye started fading due to two tumors found on my optic nerves. Today, I see very little, and my guide dog, Mastro, leads me around,” he explained. “I first started Trident as a club in high school to combat bullying against people with disabilities, then brought it to UWF and finally registered it as a nonprofit. Fighting for disability rights is a little like trying to pull up concrete with a spoon because you are trying to chip away at a monolith that has stood for years and is trying to keep you out, but we continue chipping away. People with disabilities have always been seen as the other in society. That is why I work through Trident to make sure that both people with and without disabilities understand issues of disability rights that affect all of us. Think of how useful ramps and automated buttons are for people with disabilities that are in-turn are also used by mothers with strollers and kids on skateboards or bikes.”

(he/him)

GET INVOLVED: Don’t be afraid to get involved because you don’t know something. Disability rights are complicated. Whether you donate, give time or share your story, you are impacting change for a more inclusive world.

photo by Guy Stevens

USO Northwest Florida uso.org/northwestflorida The USO is a nonprofit charitable corporation chartered by Congress that relies on donations from individuals, organizations and corporations to support its programs and strengthen America’s military service members by keeping them connected to family, home and country, throughout their service to the nation. USO Northwest Florida has more than 430 active volunteers and more than 40,000 hours logged in 2021. “Our service members are linked by a common challenge: separation. We go where no other nonprofit organization goes to keep our service members connected to everything that gives meaning to their service. Through programs focused on connection, strengthening, wellness and resiliency, we express America’s gratitude and commitment to service members and their families,” Executive Director Dana Cervantes said. Volunteers play a crucial role at the USO where they provide hundreds of thousands of hours of service, from welcoming home deployed service members to providing support for individual service members and their families at USO centers. Volunteers help run special events, provide patrons with a home away from home experience in our centers, and honor those who serve by serving themselves.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 37

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The Gordon Community Art Center 306 N DeVilliers | 850.857.8961 | TheGordon.org

It only takes one person to slash the statistics.

Did you know that 1 in 10 children Escambia County are victims of child abuse? It’s time to change that number. Visit KnowChildAbuse.org to learn to recognize, report and reduce child abuse.

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EVENT CALENDAR Pensacola Ice Flyers Schedule For more information and tickets, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

• December 3 at 7:05 pm – Macon vs Ice Flyers • December 16 at 7:05 pm – Huntsville vs Ice Flyers • December 26 at 5:05 pm – Birmingham vs Ice Flyers • December 30 at 7:05 pm – Birmingham vs Ice Flyers • January 7 at 7:05 pm – Birmingham vs Ice Flyers

Pensacola Winterfest December 3–24 Pensacola's historic downtown streets—lit up during the holidays with more than half a million white lights— form a magical backdrop for Winterfest, an iconic celebration that kicks off on Black Friday with the Winterfest Elf Parade and ends on Christmas Eve, offering up a daily supply of live performances, holiday trolley tours, cascades of "snow," Santa and a cast of holiday characters and more. When the conductor calls your name, it's "All Aboard" for the most magical journey you'll take this holiday season. December dates include: December 3, 4, 10, 11, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23 and 24. Purchase tickets at pensacolawinterfest.org/tickets.

A Little Women Christmas December 3 Shining Light Players’ awardwinning cast serves up a helping of Christmas magic in this live stage production of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel! Launch your Christmas season with Meg, Jo, Beth

and Amy as they find hope during two Christmases during the Civil War. The show is at the Rex Theatre from 7–9 pm and admission is $25 for adults, $17 for students, seniors or military/veterans.

Annual Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament December 3 Join Pensacola Habitat for Humanity for the 5th Annual Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament on Friday, December 3rd at Scenic Hills Country Club from 10 am to 6pm. Each year new and existing Pensacola Habitat supporters gather on the course for a friendly competition.

At each hole attendees can indulge in hors d’oeuvres and beverages provided by local bars and restaurants. As there are various competitions placed throughout the course like Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive, attendees have multiple opportunities to win fun prizes!

Yoga in The Park December 4 Join longtime Pensacola yoga teacher and North Hill resident, Nancy LaNasa, for a gentle yoga session in the lovely setting of Alabama Square at 1 pm.

This will be a fun, relaxing 45 minutes of stretching, strengthening and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends. Bring a yoga mat or towel, or you can always just sit in the grass. This free event is part of Bike Pensacola's Gonzalez St. Shareway Day that brings fun activities and events to the Gonzalez St. Corridor.

Hot Rods 'N Coffee December 4 Calling all car enthusiasts! Join this local car club for their monthly meetup featuring vintage cars and trucks. All are welcome and attendance is free. After the coffee and chitchat, you can join the club for breakfast or lunch after. This month’s meet up is at Chicken n the Egg at 6707 Pensacola Boulevard from 8 am to 11 am.

Season Your Holidays Lighted Boat Parade December 4 The 2021 Lighted Boat Parade will be will set sail from Sabine Marina in Little Sabine Bay at 6:30 p.m. do a loop and will wind its way around the Santa Rosa Sound/Boardwalk area and then will circle back.

Spectators can watch the parade from Little Sabine or the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and any of the businesses along the route. After the parade a dazzling firework display will take place along the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk immediately following the parade! Boats of all sizes, shapes, and colors are invited to enter the parade and compete in the boat decorating contest!

Constant Coffee Poetry Night December 7, 14, 21 & 28 Join Pensacola Poetry at the longest running open mic in Pensacola at Constant Coffee & Tea, located at 615 Scenic Highway. Every Tuesday, poets and creatives come to flex their voices through poetry, rap and spoken word. Come out and support the local arts community and hear a

beautiful bricolage of words.

Doors open at 6 pm and mic starts at 6:30 pm. Follow Pensacola Poetry on Facebook for updates and information.

Gordon Open Mic December 9 Join the Gordon Community Center for this month’s open mic night where musicians, comedians, poets and performers celebrate their artistic talents. Open mic night is hosted on the second Thursday of each month from 7 pm to 10 pm at the Gordon Community Center located at 306 North DeVilliers Street in downtown Pensacola. If you are interested in performing, you will have a chance to sign-up for a time slot when you arrive.

Pensacola Little Theatre presents 1940's Radio Hour December 10–19 A different time is evoked in this marvelously theatrical show, a live broadcast of The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade from the Hotel Astor's Algonquin Room on December 21, 1942. The spirit of that bygone era when the world was at war and pop music meant "Strike Up the Band" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is accurately captured as the harassed producer copes with a drunk lead singer, the delivery boy who wants a chance in front of the mic, the second banana who dreams of singing a ballad, and the trumpet playing sound effects man who chooses a fighter plane over Glenn Miller.

For tickets and showings, pensacolalittletheatre.com.

2021 Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade December 11

Ballet Pensacola presents The Nutcracker December 17–19

Come join the fun downtown Pensacola beginning at 5:15 pm on Saturday December 11. You will not want to miss this event that draws over 50,000 people each year, including nearly 100 entries and eight bands from Escambia County, Santa Rosa County and New Orleans.

The parade also features the nationally renowned Blue Angels flight team and a host of organizations from around the region. Preceding the parade is the 1.2 miles Christmas Parade Dash, sponsored by the Pensacola Runners Association.

All profits of the Cox Pensacola Christmas Parade go to the local high school band booster organizations. Over $25,000 has been donated to area high schools.

To put you in the holiday spirit, Ballet Pensacola invites you to come celebrate The Nutcracker, a family tradition that is guaranteed to delight, so gift your loved ones the joy of dance today. Set to Tchaikovsky’s beautifully timeless score, join Clara as she embarks on a magical journey through glistening snowflakes, toy soldiers, mice-filled battlefields, and delicious festivities in the Land of the Sweets! Why dream the dream when you can live the dream and create memories that will certainly last a lifetime? Tickets are available at pensacolasaenger.com.

Gallery Night: Holiday Movies December 17 On Friday, December 17 from 5pm-9pm , Gallery Night Pensacola will once again close Palafox Street (from Garden Street to Main Street) in Downtown Pensacola and provide open streets for patrons to explore and enjoy music, art, food and more!

The December Gallery Night's theme is "Holiday Movies," and visitors are encouraged to dress up as your favorite holiday movie character and enjoy Holiday fun!

White Tie Rock Ensemble December 18 A White Tie Christmas is an annual holiday concert series featuring music from TransSiberian Orchestra, Paul McCartney, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis and other

A Place for You

Holiday Classics! The Tied Up Quartet will add a classical touch to the White Tie Rock Ensemble as they recreate these timeless songs in the White Tie Sound tradition!

Come celebrate the holiday season. The concert is held at the Saenger Theatre at 8 pm.

Holiday Skating at the Pensacola Bay Center December 20–31 The Pensacola Bay Center hosts public ice skating sessions October through April. All public skate sessions last one hour. Sessions typically occur on the weekends and after Ice Flyers Home games.

Capacity is limited for each session, so get your tickets early! Ticket prices are $12 for adult/child (includes skate rental); $9 adult/child (must provide own skates);

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Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Presents Celebrate the New Year!

December 31 End the year on a high note with the timeless music of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald!

Trumpeter and vocalist Byron Stripling returns to the Saenger stage with Grammy nominee Carmen Bradford to take you on a journey that features the hits of two incomparable jazz legends. The concert is held at the Saenger Theatre from 7 to 9 pm. For additional information and tickets, visit PensacolaSymphony.com.

Polar Bear Dip January 1 The Flora-Bama Lounge, located at 17401 Perdido Key Drive, on the Florida-Alabama state line on Perdido Key hosts this popular, annual splash in the Gulf of Mexico from 12-3 pm. Afterwards, everyone joins in a southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Say and warms up with good music and beverages. Great laughs and fun for the whole family!

Polar Bear Plunge 2022 January 1 Wash off 2021 with the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce annual Polar Bear Plunge! Head to Pensacola Beach at 2 pm and plunge (safely) into the Santa Rosa

Sound at the annual Polar Bear Plunge. This year’s event will again place in two locations!

Our signature spot, Paradise Bar & Grill, as well as Red Fish Blue Fish, the dog & familyfriendly area. Hundreds of dippers and spectators, many dressed in costume, flock to the beach to participate in this long-established tradition.

Pensacola VW X-Mas Lights Parade December 11 Join Rare Air Volkswagen Club for its annual VW X-Mas Lights Parade on December 11 from 5 to 9 pm at Coastal County Brewing Company on Olive Road in Pensacola. A caravan of classic Volkswagens will be decked-out with holiday lights as they wind their way through the city spreading holiday cheer. The lighted Volkswagens will depart from Coastal County

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at 7:30 pm and cruise down Scenic Hwy. and over the 3-Mile bridge to Pensacola Beach where the cruise will conclude with an award ceremony for the best decorated car. Proceeds from this annual holiday event will benefit Phoenix Rising Animal Shelter and Secret Place home for trafficked children. Follow @ RareAirEmeraldCoastVWClub on Facebook for more details.

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49

Planning the Future Of Pensacola: Pensacola 2030 Blueprint Targets Community-Wide Goals

The Greater Pensacola Chamber Of Commerce releases its community-wide blueprint to aid in Pensacola's population growth and economic vitality.

53

Around the Region

Find out what is happening in business, government and cultural news throughout greater Pensacola and Northwest Florida.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 47

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PLANNING THE FUTURE OF PENSACOLA:

Pensacola 2030 Blueprint Targets Community-Wide Goals

by Dakota Parks

After conducting two years of intensive research in cities throughout the state of Florida, the Florida Chamber announced its Florida 2030 plan which outlines goals and key factors to support the growing industries and rising population across the state. The localized blueprint, Pensacola 2030, spearheaded by The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, uses a holistic strategy to support economic development and community wellbeing by identifying key factors that drive our economy and community growth. According to the Pensacola 2030 Blueprint, an estimated 24,000+ new residents will call Pensacola home

Can you tell me a little about what the Chamber Foundation does and the role it plays within the Greater Pensacola Chamber?

The Pensacola Chamber Foundation is a 501c3 organization that serves as a support to the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and the Pensacola business community at large. The mission of the Pensacola Chamber Foundation is to support economic prosperity and impact economic wellbeing by strengthening and sustaining the future of our community.

What exactly is the Pensacola 2030 Blueprint?

The Pensacola 2030 Blueprint is an aggressive, holistic strategic plan that aligns economic and community development to equip Pensacola to become one of the

and 15,000+ new jobs will be needed to support the growth.

The plan addresses steps to improve education gaps, workforce shortages, community health, affordable housing, transportation, infrastructure and access to broadband internet as well as measurable goals such as adding 10+ new minority-owned businesses per year and increasing the per capita income to the national average of $56,200. Northwest Florida’s Business Climate Magazine spoke with Pensacola Chamber Foundation Executive Director Sara Lefevers about the five pillars of the Pensacola 2030 Plan and what this framework means for the future of Pensacola.

most attractive and competitive business climates in the state and across the world.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce spent two years researching in all 67 counties to create the framework for the Florida 2030 plan. What does this localized plan mean for the future of Pensacola, and why is it so vital?

Building on the framework set by The Florida Chamber, The Pensacola Chamber Foundation and the Pensacola business community have convened to identify key trends and factors that drive our local economies. As we prepare for our projected regional growth in the next eight years, Pensacola 2030 is our opportunity to come together to strengthen and sustain our community, businesses and future. The localized plan is essential to

our community. It is the first time we have had a holistic and truly inclusive approach to growing our community.

Can you tell me about the five focus areas for Pensacola and how this framework was established?

We surveyed our members mid-2020 and asked what areas the Chamber should advocate for and what areas need advocacy.

From there we determined the topics of our newly established issue, driven subcommittees. These subcommittees were comprised of experts in our community and service providers that could contribute the expertise in these areas that the chamber could not provide on our own. We obtained verified data on where our community currently ranks in these areas and were able to formulate percentages on where we need PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 49

PLANNING THE FUTURE OF PENSACOLA On that same note, minority business owners face unique challenges like limited access to capital. Will there be any collaboration with the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce or local organizations to address opportunities for minority business owners?

Absolutely, that is the only way we can successfully achieve these goals.

The Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber have entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and will be collaborating more as we move forward.

As the Chamber we are here to provide resources and support to our partners at the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber and throughout the business community.

The Chamber cannot take on the role to accomplish these goals alone, nor do we have the capacity to do so. However, we can convene, build capacity and make connections for those doing the work and then analyze the results and aggregate the data and show a more realistic view of where we rank in these areas.

to be or could be by 2030. From there we outlined our specific Pensacola 2030 goals.

Under the Economic Growth & Sustainability pillar, the plan addresses increasing minority-owned businesses, adding 15,000+ jobs and increasing the per capita income in Escambia County to $56,200. How do these issues affect current workforce shortages and the local economy?

We believe by growing our businesses and income, creating a more diverse workforce, evening the playing fields, strengthening our vulnerable communities and making our economy more attractive, we can become one of the most competitive business climates in Florida, thus growing our local economy and creating a place where people can and want to work.

50 | DECEMBER 2021

Of the projected jobs needed to support the 24,000+ new residents in Escambia County by 2030, which industries are projected to have the greatest need, and are there plans for workforce training programs to fill these roles?

According to a study by the Hass Center, the top growing industries in our county are management, architecture and engineering, computer and mathematical, life sciences, and Legal. Furthermore, the data shows us, of those employed, currently only 63.72 percent have what we call employable skills. There are many skills training programs in the state and in our area. What we need is a collaboration of those providers, higher education institutions and the local business community to educate the workforce on how to obtain those skill certifications and make those opportunities accessible to all.

We have developed wonderful partnerships with veteran organizations and others including CareerSource Escarosa to get information and opportunity awareness out to our community. We are excited to have CareerSource Escarosa CEO Marcus McBride chairing our workforce subcommittee and partnering with the Chamber to further develop this focus area as we strive to reach these goals by 2030.

How does addressing issues of youth obesity, access to mental healthcare and county health rankings impact the quality of life in Escambia County?

Community Health is the intersection of healthcare, economics and social interaction. Strong community health requires residents to look beyond themselves and take collective responsibility. The breakdown of how health outcomes in our community are determined is: • Healthcare = 10% • Genetics = 30% • Behavior = 40% • Social/Economic Factors = 20% One of the biggest lessons we have learned in the last couple years, is that community health and social determinants of health highly affect the workforce and people’s ability to perform at their highest optimal impact. By addressing these issues, we are strengthening the workforce and creating a more equitable community.

Under the Economic Wellbeing pillar, the plan addresses some complex issues like childhood poverty, food insecurity, infrastructure and affordable housing. Can you explain some of the tactics outlined in the plan to address these issues?

Our Economic Wellbeing goals are very aggressive. I can’t tell you the exact plan to tackle all of these areas; however, I can tell you where we plan to start. We are partnering with the Florida Chamber’s Prosperity Project and using resources that they have provided such as the Florida Gap Map to identify the areas with the greatest needs and to study what other successful communities have implemented such as sustainable solutions to childhood poverty and affordable housing that yielded proven results. One step we have identified and will be pursuing regarding access to nutritional food and fighting food insecurity, is to find ways to incentivize businesses grocers to establish their business in identified food deserts or opportunity zones. We see that in these areas the main places where food can be purchased is at convenience stores or various dollar stores. For people without transportation, this creates very little options for affordable or nutritious food options. Access is key. From there,

• Phase 1: Obtain data, discover needs, set goals and design blueprint • Phase 2: Community landscape analysis (who in our community is involved in these five focus areas), convene and provide information on strategies.

• Phase 3: Set actionable steps to achieve the set goals • Phase 4: Activate action steps and track data annually At the beginning of 2022, we will be hosting sessions for each focus area that will be facilitated by a consultant to help us develop our first 90-day plan.

From there, these groups of service providers will continue to meet every 90 days to review progress, establish the next 90-day plan and review available resources, gaps and possible solutions.

We have developed an annual scorecard to measure our goals year after year, and we will report annually to the community at our Foundation Gala in December.

various partners in our community can provide education and training for families.

How does this plan address barriers to entry for the workforce and education gaps to help fill these jobs locally and/or help serve low-income communities?

This plan addresses barriers by educating the business community that they exist, the reality of what they look like and our responsibility to do something about it. Thus, looking to our business community to provide mentorships and apprenticeships to new groups of people, to analyze the way we do work and how we address our employees who may experience barriers equitably. This plan is inclusive to our entire community and the actions steps will involve input and involvement from individuals in underserved communities to succeed.

We must have people at the table who are experiencing these barriers to know how we can best assist and what resources we can and should offer. That is the first step.

Additionally, partnering with the school district, higher education institutions and workforce/education providers to fill the gaps and provide solutions to the vast number of barriers that exist.

The plan explains that the military and defense industry make up 40 percent of Escambia County’s economy. What does the military pillar outline specifically on ways to support this industry?

The military provides the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) more than 8 billion dollars annually in economic impact. Our plan outlines ways our community can give back and support the military members, their families, veterans

and installations to make our community a place of military excellence and a location of choice. Our community wants to find ways to better support veterans transitioning into the workforce, to help military spouses with employment and licensure, to provide quality childcare and create a premier education experience for military children and to, of course, be a welcoming and attractive community to want to retire. The military is the heartbeat of this community, and it is the goal of our business community to support and give back to them as much as we can.

What does the rollout for this blueprint look like and how will these goals be measured year over year?

The first year has been divided into four phases to give this initiative the proper foundation from an inclusive approach. Those phases are as follows:

How can business owners, organizations and residents get involved in this plan or support its initiatives?

The first step is to participate in our Community Landscape Analysis Survey.

This allows us to identify who is providing what services in the county, invite them to the table and to additionally identify gaps in areas where resources are needed but not currently being provided.

Involvement can also be in participating in our quarterly planning meetings, volunteering with the foundation or investing in the Pensacola 2030 initiative to help us carry out necessary resources and programming. For involvement, individuals can reach out to us directly at slefevers@pensacolachamber.com.

The Chamber wants to be a vehicle for change, but we cannot do this alone. Our motive is to align the community and to be a platform for the people making all these wonderful things in Pensacola happen.

Our role is to convene and build capacity by identifying and optimizing resources to get the job done. We can’t do this alone, so please join us in this initiative.

•

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 51

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Around the Region Morris said one of the aspects she loves most about her career is helping people, whether it’s with a small project or a major development that changes Pensacola’s landscape.

Sherry Morris Selected as Director of New Development Services Department Sherry Morris has been selected as the Director of the new City of Pensacola Development Services Department, which will encompass the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, Building Inspections, and Planning Services.

Morris has worked in the city’s Planning Services Department since 1997, most recently serving as the Planning Services Director.

“I’m looking forward to taking on this challenge and continuing my career with the City of Pensacola in a new role,” Morris said. “We already have a great team at the city and I’m excited to further enhance our services and take our ‘one-stop’ Development Services team to the next level to serve our citizens as efficiently as possible.”

Morris has a bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in Political Science and a master’s degree from the University of West Florida in Public Administration. She has over two decades of planning experience in Northwest Florida and holds the designation of Certified Planner from the American Planning Association.

“When you work in development services, the most rewarding part is actually seeing some of the transformative changes that have occurred in the city and are continuing to occur,” Morris said.

In her new role, Morris will be responsible for long-range planning, land development and revitalization programs. She will also be responsible for the oversight of all operations of the three divisions within the Development Services Department. The new Development Services Department will offer a more streamlined approach to development and redevelopment activities in the City of Pensacola, both in the Community Redevelopment Areas and throughout the city as a whole.

As the city’s Development Services Director, Morris is appointed by Mayor Grover Robinson, and she will work under the direction of Deputy City Administrator David Forte and City Administrator Kerrith Fiddler.

“I’m very excited to have Sherry Morris continue her career with the City of Pensacola, bringing her institutional knowledge and more than two decades of experience with the city into this new role,” Mayor Grover Robinson said.

Delta Adds Nonstop Flight to New York from Pensacola International Airport After a robust summer, Delta isn’t slowing down in bringing back more flights and destinations for New York’s business and leisure travelers alike. Delta Air Lines has announced it will begin daily, nonstop service from Pensacola International Airport to LaGuardia Airport on Dec. 18, 2021. The Atlantabased carrier says the service is scheduled to run through May 4, 2022.

LaGuardia Airport, located in the Queens Borough of New York City, is the third busiest airport in New York, offering connections to Richmond, Virginia, Detroit, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota and many other destinations.

Delta’s daily flight will be operated by Republic Airways on the ERJ 175. The flight will arrive in Pensacola at 11:30 a.m. CST and depart for New York at 12:30 p.m. CST. Typical flight time is 2.5 hours.

“It’s always great to see more destination options at Pensacola International Airport, both for our residents looking to travel and for visitors who want to experience everything our beautiful city has to offer,” Mayor Grover Robinson said.

The added route is part of a larger plan by Delta to add more than 100 additional departures out of New York airports JFK and LGA compared to the Summer 2021 schedule. Delta offered

this flight to LaGuardia during the summer, but only on Saturdays. This summer, Pensacola experienced a passenger increase of more than 20% compared to 2019.

“We’re adding 25% more capacity this fall to meet the significant demand for business and international travel going into next year,” Delta Senior Vice President – Network Planning Joe Esposito said. “We continue to provide more choice and convenience while rebuilding our global connectivity and delivering what Delta does best – putting our customers first with exceptional, reliable service and a premium travel experience.”

“We are excited to have this route back at Pensacola International Airport with our partners at Delta,” Airport Director Matt Coughlin said.

“This daily route is a testament to the growth of the airport and the Pensacola community.

Our efforts are not going unnoticed here in Pensacola, the Gateway to the Gulf Coast.”

Travelers using this service are encouraged to stay informed on the COVID-19 restrictions and requirements for New York by visiting coronavirus. health.ny.gov/covid-19-traveladvisory.

Flights can be booked online at delta.com. For more information about Pensacola International Airport and flight schedules, visit flypensacola.com.

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 53

NeighborWorks America Gives Pensacola Habitat for Humanity $4,000 Grant for Neighbors Helping Neighbors Event On October 23, Pensacola Habitat for Humanity helped neighbors during its “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” event in the Westside Garden District of Pensacola, thanks to a $4,000 grant from NeighborWorks America.

Nine residents of the Westside Garden District volunteered their time to complete repairs and safety adjustments for three of their aging neighbors. Kristin Brown, resident leader of this project, and Donna Pruett, a Pensacola Habitat Community Development Committee member, started Neighbors Helping Neighbors and worked closely with Pensacola Habitat to plan and execute the event.

These projects included yard work, lighting installation, porch repairs, handrail installation, and much more!

“I think the Westside Garden District realized connections were missing in order to help one another in the neighborhood after Hurricane Sally hit. Reaching out and helping our neighbors was so rewarding. They have been in the neighborhood for many years and were happy to share stories about the area and grateful for our assistance. It was a perfect day of new friends, food, and fun and a great way to build and grow our friendships and neighborhood community,” stated Kristin Brown, resident leader of the project.

The Community Development Program works to preserve homeownership for Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties residents by engaging and empowering them to revive their neighborhoods

and become leaders within their communities. It offers services that enhance the quality of life. Neighbors Helping Neighbors is a neighborhoodspecific program within Pensacola Habitat’s Community Development Program which focuses on helping residents age in place safely while also building relationships with their neighbors.

them to make a difference in their community. We couldn’t have done this event without the help of the Westside Garden District residents and NeighborWorks America. We look forward to growing this initiative by expanding it to other neighborhoods in our area,” stated Emma Field, Community Development Manager.

“Events like this one embody exactly what Pensacola Habitat’s Community Development Program is all about: connecting neighbors and empowering

To learn more about how you can support Pensacola Habitat’s Community Development efforts, visit pensacolahabitat. org/communitydevelopment.

successes we are seeing at the Port of Pensacola, and I am excited to continue moving the port forward as an economic driver for the City of Pensacola.”

annual report highlighted a prosperous year of revenue increases, business development and continued growth at the port.

Port of Pensacola 2020 Annual Report Earns AAPA Communications Award The Port of Pensacola received a Lighthouse Communication Award of Excellence from the American Association of Port Authorities for its 2020 annual report, “The Waterfront – 2020 State of the Port.”

The AAPA Lighthouse Awards recognize ports for excellence in communications, environmental improvement, facilities engineering and information technology. Entries are judged by an independent panel of experienced communication professionals on: • Situation analysis and research • Identification of audience,

54 | DECEMBER 2021

goals, objectives, strategies, and tactics • Quality/clarity of content and style • Skillful use of copy, photography, design, layout and graphics • Evaluation methods used to determine communication’s success “Lighthouse Awards are the port industry’s foremost recognition program, and we are glad to be recognized with an Award of Excellence in the Communications category during AAPA’s annual conference held this year in Austin, Texas,” Port Director Clark Merritt said. “This is just another example of the ongoing

The Port of Pensacola’s 2020

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Wishing You and Yours a Happy Holiday Season

Sam Rogers Pat Boudreaux Broker/Associate Broker/Associate 850-572-0057 850-291-1001 samrogers@cox.net patsells@outlook.com

www.GulfCoastHomeSales.com

We would like to thank our clients, friends and colleagues for another wonderful year. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, safe and prosperous New Year!

ON THE MARKET a Real Estate Section

In This Section 58. By The Numbers: A Look at October's Market Highlights

60. Take a Room-by-Room Approach to Home Renovations

64. Practical Steps to Plan a Remodel

68. 3 Tips to Boost your Home Design with Energy Efficient LED Bulbs

PENSACOLA MAGAZINE | 57

BY THE NUMBERS A Look at October's Market Highlights Market Highlights Total October sales were slightly above September, were 17 percent ahead of last October, and were the most on record for the month.

19

DAYS ON MARKET

For Sale

Median sale price reached an all time high of $290,000.

290k AVG. SALE PRICE

322 PENDING SALES

Average DOM for all property types combined remained low at 19 days.

October saw the most new residential and condo listings added for the month in three years.

October pending sales were 11 percent over September and were the best on record for the month.

2389

SINGLE FAMILY LISTINGS Data courtesy of the Pensacola Association of REALTORS ® 58 | DECEMBER 2021

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Bekah & Terry Mahoney

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.

For a contemporary but classic look, try Wellborn Cabinet’s Hartford door finished in Onyx paint and dressed with bronze pulls and moulding for an attractive look from floor to (almost) ceiling. To create visual interest and contrast, take a different approach with your island, such as a Concord Maple door in Drift Slate finish. Don’t forget to give extra attention to what’s inside the cabinets, too.

Options like adjustable slide-out shelving make it easy to access even more storage space.

Bathroom Refresh

TAKE A ROOM-BYROOM APPROACH TO RENOVATIONS When your home needs updating in multiple spaces, you may find yourself wondering where to begin. Prioritizing the rooms you use most and those in the greatest need of attention can allow you to work through your renovation at a reasonable pace while bringing greater enjoyment to your home one room at a time.

There’s no rule about where to start; it all comes down to your budget and how your family uses your home.

The true beginning of any project is defining your vision for the finished space. These on-trend ideas can help you get started.

Multi-Purpose Room Makeover

If you spend any time on social media, you know laundry and multi-purpose mudroom updates are popular. Having a well-organized, attractive workspace can make the less glamorous aspects of homeownership more appealing. Today’s mudrooms are more than a pass-through space. With thoughtful planning, you can create a more functional area for laundry, a drop area for book bags and other daily necessities and even grooming space for a pet or a potting area for an avid gardener.

With a space that gets used in so many ways, cabinetry plays an important role in keeping your cleaning equipment and belongings

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Whether you’re breathing new life into an outdated bathroom or converting unused space into a new one, practical design is essential. This is especially true if you’re working on a full bath with a smaller footprint where storage space is at a premium. While a powder room may not require much in the way of storage beyond space for extra rolls of toilet paper and hand towels, a full bath demands much more.

tidy and neat. You’ll be able to find shapes and sizes to fit practically any need you can imagine, like tall hideaways for brooms or gardening tools and low-profile options that can double as bench seating. If your footprint allows it, consider an island for added storage and workspace.

Updated Kitchen

A stylish, functional kitchen is a must for anyone who enjoys culinary arts or the simple pleasure of gathering family or friends around the dinner table. Cabinetry is a focal point in most kitchens, so it’s an element that many homeowners give plenty of consideration.

Today’s looks are commonly painted, and black is a surprisingly neutral option that can be adapted to numerous styles. Medium density fiberboard is ideal for painted cabinetry because it provides a smooth surface for even coating and stands up to the temperatures and humidity commonly found in the kitchen.

Using the right cabinetry for your vanity can create architectural detail that makes even this small space feel special. The clean lines of a Preston door style in medium density fiberboard is a practical and eye-pleasing option. To complement the vanity, consider built-in cabinets in the corner. This is a smart way to use square footage that might otherwise be wasted. For visual interest, match the cabinet door style to the vanity but in a complementary way. One on-trend example is a soft, creamy Gray Mist vanity paired with a rich Willow gray.

Make function a priority with deep drawer dividers, sliding shelves and other creative solutions, such as repurposing a silverware tray insert to organize your toiletry drawer.

Find more inspiration for your next home renovation by visiting wellborn.com.

Home & Auto go together.

Like you & a good neighbor.

Michael Johnson, Agent 3127 E Langley Avenue Pensacola, FL 32504 Bus: 850-478-7748 www.michaeljohnsonagency.com

1601975

Some things in life just go together. Like home and auto insurance from State Farm®. And you with a good neighbor to help life go right. Save time and money.

CALL ME TODAY.

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm County Mutual Insurance Company of Texas, Dallas, TX State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, State Farm General Insurance Company, Bloomington, IL State Farm Florida Insurance Company, Winter Haven, FL State Farm Lloyds, Richardson, TX

YOUR DREAM. OUR MISSION.

PREMIER COASTAL TEAM

— Live Where You Love —

$665,000

For Sale

751 Pensacola Beach Rd #7E, Pensacola Beach

999 Ft Pickens Rd #402, Pensacola Beach • Gulf Front

27 E Galvez Ct, Pensacola Beach • Waterfront/Boat Dock

Under Contract $775,000 804 Maldanado Dr, Pensacola Beach

SOLD

$272,000

SOLD

Under Contract

$560,000

Under Contract

1763 Condor Dr, Cantonment

$4,000,000

$270,000

13500 Sandy Key Dr, #102W Pensacola

Jenn Cole

850.712.4084 jenncole2003@aol.com

Stephanie Harrington

850.816.6684 info@stephanieharrington.com

HELPING CHILDREN REACH HOME THROUGH HEARTFELT ADVOCACY Pensacola Eggfest has been donating to local nonprofit organizations for the past 9 years. This year, the NWFL Guardian Ad Litem Foundation was one of the organizations chosen to receive a generous donation from this amazing BBQ loving crew.

We are humbled and honored to partner with them and send a huge THANK YOU for believing in our mission and not only seeing but also fulfilling a need for these precious children we serve.

Visit us at NWFGAL.org to learn how you can help make a positive difference in the life of a child.

Give a child a voice today!

NORTHWEST FLORIDA GUARDIAN AD LITEM FOUNDATION

Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation, Inc. Hours: Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm

nwfgal.org

19 Iowa Dr NE, Ft Walton Beach, FL 32548 (850) 595-3728

1800 St Mary Ave #3, Pensacola, FL 32501

Prioritize Projects With your budget in mind, you can turn your attention to which renovations to prioritize.

When possible, begin with your home’s most immediate needs, even if they may not be the most exciting projects. Go for lasting impacts rather than cosmetic fixes. Repairing a leaky roof or crumbling foundation may not be as dreamy as creating a chef’s kitchen, but it’s important to make sure the projects you elect to do sooner set you up for success­­ – and improved home values – later.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

PRACTICAL STEPS TO PLAN A REMODEL

Establish a Budget Before you begin planning a project, determine what you can afford. If your list of upgrades is larger than your budget allows, consider a short-term budget and a longterm one so you can tackle some smaller projects more immediately and save the bigger renovations until you’ve had a chance to save or secure additional financing.

If you’re planning a home remodeling project but don’t know where to start, you’re not alone.

Starting any remodel or renovation can be nerve-wracking, but having the right steps in place, from picking the project to smart financing strategies, can lessen the stress.

Set a Financial Strategy Setting a budget and determining your financial strategy aren’t quite the same thing.

Once you have a budget set, you’ll need to decide how to pay for the work. According to a survey by online lender LightStream, savings accounts provide at least some capital for about 66% of homeowners who plan to renovate. However, in today’s uncertain economy, depleting a savings account may make you nervous, especially if you’re tapping into an emergency fund.

Before beginning any project, homeowners should consider what projects they want to prioritize, what they can afford and smart financial solutions to pay for it all. This can help you complete the project on time, on budget and with less stress.

Do Your Research Part of being prepared for a renovation project is doing your research. That means considering design and material options that reflect your personal tastes and what might add the greatest value to your lifestyle and home. It’s also important to plan ahead for factors like long lead times for contractors or supplies.

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Credit cards are a financial strategy about 30% of homeowners will use. However, unless card charges are paid off quickly, you may end up carrying that debt for years, making your project much more expensive due to high interest rates over a long repayment timeline.

An unsecured consumer loan, like those provided by LightStream, may be another financing option and can often save thousands in interest charges compared to credit cards. Homeowners with good credit can borrow up to $100,000 at fixed rates with no fees. Funds can be deposited directly into customers’ bank accounts as soon as the day they apply and can be used to pay for any renovation service, finishes or products.

Beyond critical repairs, the survey found the most popular projects homeowners planned this year include kitchen (38%) and bathroom remodels (32%). Building home offices also jumped in popularity as the pandemic drove a focus on upgrading remote workspace, doubling to more than 26% of planned projects.

Consider the Environment For many homeowners, Mother Nature plays a role as to which renovations are prioritized.

About 35% of survey respondents said they plan to invest in projects that improve their outdoor living spaces. When it comes to indoor improvements, consumers are interested in incorporating eco-friendly and sustainable products such as smart systems, energy-efficient lighting, solar panels, air and water filtration systems, insulated windows and other moneysaving, eco-sensitive products.

Many people are also choosing to work with companies that are committed to environmental responsibility. For example, through a partnership with American Forests, LightStream plants a tree every time it funds a loan, totaling more than 1 million trees planted across the United States.

Find more advice to get your home improvement project underway at lightstream.com/remodel.

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes for a season of love, peace and joy!

I would like to thank all of my clients for trusting me with their real estate needs in 2021. It has been an honor and a pleasure helping each and every one of you.

Please give me a call if you or someone you know is in need of sales or property management services in the new year.

I would love the opportunity to assist you with your goals.

Janet Keller SALES

A S S O C I AT E

8 5 0.7 7 6 . 4 9 0 2 Sales@davisanddecker.com JanetKellerRealtor.com

DavisAndDeckerProper ties.com 850.939.5422 8184 Navarre Pkwy Navarre, FL 32566

1. Go LED for cost savings Select LED bulbs reduce household energy costs over the course of their lifetime.

An EcoSmart lightbulb saves $0.55-$2.65 on average per bulb over its 25,000-hour lifetime. New LED lightbulbs offer the latest innovation in lighting technology and are available in a wide assortment of wattage outputs, colors, base options and shapes.

2. Consider function

3 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR HOME DESIGN WITH ENERGYEFFICIENT LED BULBS If you dream about transforming your home on a budget, chances are you’ve considered new paint, area rugs or window treatments. While these updates can refresh rooms without breaking the bank, there’s a crucial and often overlooked design element that can truly transform a room - lighting.

The good news is, improving lighting doesn’t necessarily require all new fixtures.

Simply swapping from standard to LED lightbulbs can upgrade the ambience of your home with stylish features and energy-saving benefits that can have a dramatic impact on your energy bill - and the look and feel of your overall space.

Lighting can alter the appearance of paint, furnishings and decor, becoming even more important as seasons change. As the days get shorter and darker, brighten up your home with an elevated, energyefficient home basic: LED lightbulbs.

Here are a few bright ideas to revamp rooms using the power of the humble lightbulb:

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LEDs are directional light sources, enabling them to cast light and use energy more efficiently. When choosing your ideal lightbulb style, consider the room’s purpose.

A kitchen needs to be bright to aid food preparation, but your bedroom should be a restful, cozy oasis. For a living room, you may want to switch from a game-andpuzzle center with focused lighting to a darkened home theater for movie night.

Kitchens need light to perform cooking tasks, as well as for entertaining. EcoSmart LED recessed and track lighting (BR) offer strong overhead illumination in enclosed fixtures.

Bathrooms need effective lighting, plus decorative style. Globe-shaped LED lightbulbs emit light in every direction, making them ideal for mirror and pendant lights.

Dining areas are a great place to show off decorative fixtures with candle bulbs.

New, improved decorative bulbs feature a thinner, longer filament design - with options like fine bendy or horizontal - that combine authentic styles and 360-degree light output with low glare for high-quality lighting that doesn’t sacrifice style.

Bedrooms or living areas where ambience is paramount offer endless creative possibilities. Vintage is a look that never truly goes out of style and EcoSmart “Edison” bulbs give a more “true vintage look,” along with the benefits of LED technology. EcoSmart offers a dimmable option for these bulbs too, so you can choose exactly how much light you want.

Outdoor living spaces benefit from security lighting. Turn any fixture into a state-of-theart security fixture with features like motion sensors, high output and dusk-to-dawn. Look for lightbulbs compatible with flood lights, security and landscape lighting (PAR).

3. Choose “color temperature” to change the mood Today’s LED bulbs offer a wide variety of color temperatures, empowering you to make the room feel warmer and cozier, or cooler and crisper.

Contrary to what you may think, the hotter the light source (measured in Kelvins), the cooler the “color temperature,” so lights with temperatures at 5,000 or more Kelvins look brighter, crisper and more bluish. However, light temperatures around 2,500-3,000 Kelvins emit an amber, yellowish or orange tinge which makes rooms feel warmer and cozier.

“Like choosing paint in cool or warm colors, picking the right color temperature for lighting can really transform a space,” said Sarah Fishburne, Director of Trend and Design for The Home Depot.

“You can emphasize warm tones like yellows, reds and oranges using ‘warm’ colored lighting, or you can make a room feel lighter, brighter and airier by choosing ‘cool’ temperature lighting.”

Experiment with different bulbs and settings to see what works best with your room. For the ultimate color selection, try an EcoSmart lightbulb with 5 CCT (Correlated Color Temperature) that lets you customize the color of light using an integrated switch.

Bulbs equipped with DuoBright technology empower you to adjust the color temperature and brightness with your existing dimmer switch to meet your preferences at any time - emitting 5,000 Kelvins (Daylight) at full brightness and slowly transitioning to 2,000 Kelvins (Sunset Glow) when dimmed.

Change your lightbulbs, change the world The other good news about swapping out lightbulbs? You’re helping the environment, too. On average, an enhanced EcoSmart LED bulb uses 85% less energy than a traditional incandescent lightbulb.

Learn more about EcoSmart lightbulbs available exclusively in-store at The Home Depot or online at homedepot.com.

I would like to help you make the right move!

Sunnie McClung O: 850-374-7334 C: 850-982-4828

AlwaysSunnieInFlorida.com

FOR SALE Call me today!

4632 US-90 Milton, FL 32571

850.206.3666

$499,900

5115 W Fairfield Dr.

2 Homes | 2.13 Acres | Zoned HDMU (High Density Mixed Use)

DIANE TOEPFER Broker-Associate

850.501.3046 diane.toepfer@cbrealty.com

Thank you for letting me be

your Realtor!

Let’s find your American Dream Home!

StillTheAmericanDreamHome.com 4475 Bayou Blvd Pensacola, FL 32503

850.432.5300

©2021 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logos are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Realogy Brokerage Group LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

5574 North Shore Way Residential Lot | MLS# 581242 | $424,900 Perdido Bay! Waterfront Vacant Land on Innerarity Island with Seawall! 110 Feet on Perdido Bay and plenty of room to build your dream home. This property is located at the end of the Cul De Sac.

JANET COULTER

850.206.3666 coulterjanet@yahoo.com

Janet Coulter Realty • 5241 A Willing St. • Milton, FL 32570

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Sherlyn Waghalter Team YOUR TRUSTED REAL ESTATE EXPERTS

Sherlyn Waghalter

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Are you dreaming of waterfront living in the beautiful Florida panhandle? Newly constructed in 2018, this waterfront home is a boater's delight! It was crafted with a coastal flare that affords fabulous water views from the open floor plan. Much of your time will surely be spent outdoors enjoying boating, kayaking or fishing from the newer boat dock with a 12,000 pound lift.

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3BD | 2BA | $849,000

Immaculate Waterfront Residence

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Located in Prestigious Deer Point

This Floridian style home is across the street from the Santa Rosa sound. It is a short walk to the boat ramp and Gulf Breeze recreation center. There is an abundance of low maintenance composite deck space to enjoy the Florida sunshine while entertaining family and friends. Located in the A-rated Gulf Breeze school system.. it's a short drive to the beautiful Pensacola beaches or downtown Pensacola.

7677 Petersen Point Rd, Milton

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334 Deer Point Dr, Gulf Breeze

Caroline Waghalter

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Cristina Waghalter

3108 BRITTANY TRACE, PENSACOLA

1340 QUIET COVE CT, GULF BREEZE

4BD | 3.5BA | 3,800 SF SOLD ON 10/12/21 $1,135,000

4BD | 4BA | 3,500 SF SOLD ON 10/5/21 $558,000

5BD | 4.5BA | 4,785 SF SOLD ON 9/22/21 $1,250,000

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480 JAMES RIVER RD, GULF BREEZE

4BD | 2.5BA | 2,610 SF SOLD ON 12/3/21 $1,537,500

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18 TRISTAN WAY, PENSACOLA BEACH

4BD | 4.5BA | 4,240 SF SOLD ON 8/18/21 $1,995,000

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4441 SOUNDSIDE DR, GULF BREEZE

3425 BLUERIDGE DR, PENSACOLA

5558 E BAY BLVD, GULF BREEZE

318 VALENCIA ST, GULF BREEZE

6043 FIELDBROOK CT, PACE

944 GONDOLIER BLVD, GULF BREEZE

4BD | 3BA | 2,800 SF SOLD ON 11/10/21 $375,000

4BD | 4.5BA | 4,540 SF SOLD ON 9/22/21 $1,200,000

3BD | 2BA | 1,700 SF SOLD ON 11/16/21 $475,000

5BD | 3BA | 3,025 SF SOLD ON 9/24/21 $549,000

4BD | 3BA | 2,950 SF SOLD ON 8/30/21 $1,450,000

850-449-4242 swaghalter@OnTheCoastHomes.com

Buying or Selling?

I’m your Agent!

Working with Mr. Wolfgang is the best decision we made. He worked hard for us, and listened to all we wanted in a home. Even in a tight market, he worked hard for us, allowing us to buy a wonderful home for our family!

– Rachel and Dan Peoples, buyers I have bought and sold houses with Wolfgang. He is the BEST agent I have ever dealt with and HIGHLY recommend him for whatever Real Estate transaction you are working on. If you want a stress free agent to work with...

Wolfgang is the Agent for you.

– Valerie Aune, seller and buyer Wolfgang Hucklenbroich

850.530.5133

WolfgangSellsHomes@gmail.com

305 W Gregory St. Pensacola, FL 32502

KATHY TANNER

850.982.0755

KELLEY AMOS

850.417.5779

16 W La Rua St

$850,000 | MLS# 594003 5 Bed | 3 Bath | 2,928 SQ FT

Specializing in Downtown, Waterfront, Historic Properties and Pensacola Beach

421 E ZARAGOZA ST. “In The Heart of Old Seville since 2003” 850-435-9007

4716 Rendezvous Cove $2,199,000 6BR/4.5BA 3,723 SF MLS# 593173 DESTIN, FLORIDA

The Resort Property Specialist

HOLIDAY DREAM HOMES

conna@connaodonovanteam.com

pensacolahomelistings.com c 850.232.4001 o 850.932.4102

Over 30 Years Experience OVER 30 MILLION SOLD 2021

Sold

713 Panferio Dr. $1,560,000 4BR/2.5BA 2,240 SF MLS# 590298 PENSACOLA BEACH

11 E Galvez Court $1,300,000 3 BR / 2.5 BA 2,652 SF MLS# 599254 PENSACOLA BEACH

Just Listed

Sold 825 Bayshore Drive $529,500 2 BR/2.5BA 1,800 SF MLS# 597991 BAYSHORE CONDO PENSACOLA

245 East Intendencia Street $1,195,000 RESIDENTIAL/ COMMERCIAL 7 RM/ 2 HALF BATH 2,456 SF MLS# 595231 DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA

Sold

Sold

1600 Via De Luna $539,900 2BR/2BA 1,244 SF MLS# 590511 PENSACOLA BEACH

1600 Via De Luna $400,000 1BR/1BA 1,244 SF MLS# 596156

For Sale

Just Listed

108 Alcaniz St. $330,000

4201 Soundside Dr. $1,097,000

1BR/1BA 843 SF MLS# 592357 DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA

4BR/3.5BA 3,709 SF MLS# 593508 GULF BREEZE

Sold

Sold