Pensacola Magazine June 2016

The Connected Home

safety, security & efficiency through technology

Waste not pensacola A look at pensacola’s recycling programs

the perfect boil A guide to a Great summer feast

A Natural Oasis: Old Florida in Gulf Breeze

SPECIAL BUSINESS CLIMATE SECTION INSIDE

JUNE 2016 • pensacolamagazine.com

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ELITE NEUROSURGEONS. ONLY AT BAPTIST. Our neurosurgeons come from some of the most respected programs in the country. They lead the region in the treatment of neurological conditions using the latest innovations and techniques. Not only do our patients have access to the expertise of our neurosurgeons, they also benefit through our collaboration with Mayo Clinic to provide leading edge care right here at home.

8 5 0 . 4 6 9 . 0 6 4 2 / B A P T I S T M E D I C A LG R O U P. O R G

COLBY MAHER, M.D. NEUROSURGERY

AMBER GORDON, M.D. NEUROSURGERY

BRETT REICHWAGE, M.D. NEUROSURGERY

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA-BIRMINGHAM

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

pensacola magazine | 3

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Editor’s Note my two cents on the subject Kelly Oden Executive Editor One thing I love about my job is the ability to peek into other people’s lives. Be it personally or professionally, I enjoy seeing how other people work and live and I often take a lesson or two away from each story. I particularly like working on our three Home and Garden issues each year because I usually get to explore a lovely local house and the history and stories of the family who call it home. This month was no exception. While the physical home of Jim and Jeanette DeVries is a gorgeous, wellbuilt modern coastal cottage with a fantastic layout, the star of the show at this Gulf Breeze property is most certainly the views. The sweeping vistas include a canal for docking boats, a saltwater estuary, the Naval Live Oaks, and the Pensacola Beach skyline across the smooth sound. When I visit home owners for these stories, I often image how I would use the home if I were ever lucky enough to live in such a place. In this home, I would plant myself squarely on the screened in porch for my morning coffee and only the need to pay the mortgage, so I could keep the view, would get me up and out the door for work. In the evening, I would wind down on that same porch with a glass of wine and the evening sunset for my viewing pleasure. The DeVries are lucky folks to call this paradise home. Check out the home, the views and the DeVries’ sweet dog Mattie on page 34.

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.

6 | pensacola magazine

In addition to our sneak peek into a beautiful home, this issue of full of great information and ideas to transform your house into the sanctuary of your dreams. Be it high tech gadgets and apps to create a home smarter than its owners or recipes for southern fare like crawfish and refreshing tequila-based cocktails for those summer like gatherings, we’ve got you covered. Plus, we take look at the current state of recycling in our area and get a look into the future plans for dedicated local facilities.

All that as well as our reader favorites—regular departments like Pensacola Scene, Page 10 with DeeDee Davis and our Play, Live, Give calendar of local events. I hope you enjoy the issue and I hope you have fabulous summer!

Now Building Huntington Creek Just West of the Equestrian Center

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April 22 - Aug 27

April 22 - July 16

Stephen Knapp: Lightpaintings

The Artist Revealed: Artist Portraits & Self Portraits

Right: Chuck Close, Alex, 1992, color woodcut on laid paper, image courtesy of the Syracuse University Art Collection Left: Stephen Knapp, Installation Image, Courtesy of artist

pensacola magazine | 7

contents JUNE 2016 34

A Natural oasis Old Florida in Gulf Breeze

17

21

Page 10 with DeeDee Davis 10 Pensacola Scene 12

TEQUILA Cocktail recipes for a smooth summer.

THE PERFECT BOIL A local recipe for that great summer feast.

Summer Styles 24 Play Live Give 43

27 31

Special Section 49

8 | pensacola magazine

WASTE NOT PENSACOLA

What’s the deal with recycling and where does it all go? Pensacola Magazine addresses these questions and more regarding our local recycling programs.

THE CONNECTED HOME Connect your home to your life in a more effective way through local programs that aim to increase economic efficiency and safety in your house.

MAGAZINE

june 2016 Owners

Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger

Publisher

Malcolm Ballinger malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com

Executive Editor

Kelly Oden kelly@ballingerpublishing.com

Art Director

Guy Stevens guy@ballingerpublishing.com

Graphic Designer/Ad Coordinator Anna Hitchcock anna@ballingerpublishing.com

Editor

Josh Newby josh@ballingerpublishing.com

Assistant Editor

Dawn Gresko dawn@ballingerpublishing.com

Editorial Intern

Melanie Painter melanie@ballingerpublishing.com

Sales & Marketing

Stephanie Boyce, Account Executive ext. 21 stephanie@ballingerpublishing.com Paula Rode, Account Executive ext. 28 paula@ballingerpublishing.com

314 N. Spring St. | Pensacola, FL 32502 850.433.1166 | fax: 850.435.9174 ballingerpublishing.com Published by Ballinger Publishing:

magazine

Member of:

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. Š 2016

pensacola magazine | 9

page10 with DeeDee Davis

At what age does a parent finally get some relief and get to stop worrying about their children?

The reasons for concern vary at every stage of development, but regardless, the intensity is always there. When my two kids were young my concerns were, understandably, the same as those of any other working mom.

Was I, pursuing a career, doing them an irreparable injustice by not staying home with them?

Was I doing everything I could to keep them healthy and safe from deadly diseases? Exactly how much was too much television?

As they grew, I acquired a whole new guilt set. Would divorce cause them to become serial murderers or result in them having multiple personalities? Would being a single mom drive them into the arms of a gang? Would dating and ultimately remarrying cause them to spiral into drug abuse? Mercifully, none of these things happened, and if they did, I do not now want to know about it. I have made it this far without knowledge of any major crimes and would prefer to keep it that way. All of the sharing and confessing that kids do in later life is, in my opinion, overrated and they need to be more grateful that they were nurtured into adulthood.

10 | pensacola magazine

On more than one occasion I had second thoughts about my decision to give birth.

It is, of course, the unconditional power of love that drives us to nut land over our children. Haven’t you had those nights when you wake at 2 am in a cold sweat with remorse and frustration over not being able to do more to help your child? As adults, they need us every bit as much as they did as infants, just in a different way. They may be all grown up with cars and houses and husbands and wives, but the need for parenting never goes away. Their struggles are our struggles. Their disappointments, their successes, their fears, their conquests— all ours. We are a part of each other and though we can be friends as adults, we are parent and child first, foremost and forever.

I love my kids more than I love air and sun and yes, even more than red wine. But I have learned that the old cliché about teaching our little birds to fly and then watching sadly as they leave the nest is true. I have more respect now for my own mother and what she has been through raising five of us.

May is time to smell the roses and enjoy mild temperatures before summer arrives on the Gulf Coast. It’s also time to get ready to celebrate what really makes the community unique—our history.

You simply cannot understate the awesomeness of being America’s first settlement. And while most towns and cities observe some sort of Founder’s Day, we are the big enchilada. Fiesta of Five Flags, under the careful watch of executive director Adelene Lovelace, puts on quite a menu of activities to sing our song.

From races to boat crossings to prayer services to treasure hunts, there is something for everyone, all culminating, of course with the lavish Coronation where local business leaders, beautiful debutantes, and excited children reenact significant historical moments that occurred under the flags that have flown over Pensacola.

We certainly love visitors but some have proven to be incredibly ungracious. Lionfish. Who could ever dream that such pretty little invertebrates could cause so much damage? The Gulf Coast Lionfish Coalition hosted the second annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival on South Palafox Pier following a fishing

page10 with DeeDee Davis

tournament where the little critters were hunted. We are now 8,000 lionfish less than we were a week ago but when one lays more than a million eggs, the prospects are pretty daunting.

I sampled Nathan Holler’s fried lionfish at the Doghouse booth and it was delicious! Most of our local noted chefs, including Irv Miller and Gus Silivos, attended and demonstrated unique ways to prepare the tasty white fish. The festival more than doubled in size since last year so plans are already underway for next year’s event.

Pace, Jim Rigsbee, Brian Spencer, and Lewis Bear, Jr. Tickets will go on sale soon and always sell out.

The Council on Aging is gearing up for the sixth annual Rat Pack Reunion gala on October 21, but the fun has already begun. Joe Durant, Sheriff David Morgan, and Ray Russenberger will be honored as rats at New World Landing, but the former rats turned out downtown to mingle and toast the new group. The first rat, Fred Levin, was there as well as other

Nathan Holler fries up lionfish.

in town to present some of his beautiful work and discuss photos compiled into his new coffee table book featuring the Florida Everglades. He captures the heart and soul of the ecosystem in the lovely pages of his book, creating awareness for just how fragile the entire watershed is. The lectures/ receptions at IHMC are fabulous and free to the public but you must rsvp.

The Institute for Human Machine Cognition held yet another successful lecture evening at their Alcaniz Street building as famed photographer Mac Stone was

v

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La Serene Day Spa alumni honorees Pete Moore, Corbett Davis, Jr., Charlie Switzer, Teri Levin, Jack Nobles, Richard McAlpin, McGuire Martin, Mike Papantonio, Larry Morris, Tom

Hair • Skin • Nails Massage • Spray Tan • Make-Up Salt and Sugar Scrubs www.laserenedayspa.com • (850) 994-8816 • 3637 Hwy 90 Pace, Fl pensacola magazine | 11

pensacolascene who/what/when/where

Galvez Day 2016 Celebrations

Judith Bense & Brian Spencer

Flack & Kathleen Logan, Joe Gilchrist, Jeri Blankenbeck, Anthony Startz, Dan McCort, Nancy & Molly McCort

Diane Appleyard, Nancy Fetterman, David Richbourg, Dio Perera, Norman Ricks, Jim Green

Dan McCort, Congressman Jeff Miller, Vicki Miller, Collier Merrill, Brian Spencer, Consul General of Spain in Miami Candido Creis, Maria Davis, and Dr. Brendan Kelly

Congressman Jeff Miller and Mayor Antonio Campos of Macharaviaya

Jeff Nall & Grace Tennyson 12 | pensacola magazine

Mary G. Park & Lori Landrum

Sheila Bowman, Pam Schwartz & Diane Buck

pensacolascene LeaP Class Project Unveiling, DeLuna Park

who/what/when/where

Megan Chapman, Audrey Preston, Larry “Love� Adams, and Olevia Yates

John Johnson and Mayor Ashton Hayward

Mark Faulkner, KC Gartman & Barrie Arnold

Eric Olsen and Janice Gilley

Adron Chambers, Kesha Royster, and Cain

Fred and Chris Fisher

Ron Butlin pensacola magazine | 13

Wreath Laying Ceremony Remembering the Battle of Pensacola

pensacolascene who/what/when/where

Robin Blyn, Mamie Webb Hixon, and David Baulch - UWF English Department colleagues - “seventifying” with Mamie on her 70th birthday

BOWLING

PINS & PALS BOWLING CAMP Learn A Sport That Lasts A Life Time With Qualified Instructors June 6-10 • June 13-17 June 20-24 • June 27-July 1 July 11-15 • July 18-22 July 25-29 • August 1-5 9-12pm Ages 5 - 18 Monday - Friday

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LESSONS, RENTAL SHOES, LUNCH, CUSTOM FITTED BOWLING BALL $125 PER CHILD

Cordova Lanes

850-477-2300 2111 AIRPORT BLVD. PENSACOLA 14 | pensacola magazine

Learn To Sail With Confidence

And Have Fun Doing It!

The Retreat is a special place, and experience, that has been described as refreshing, supportive, fun, assuring, caring and heartwarming by those who participate and their families.

All Summer sessions offer Beginner to AdvancedAges 6-17 Children learn basic knots, boat handling, sailing fundamentals, and how to be a Pirate!

They will experience sailing windsurfers, catamarans, Flying Scot, 420, Laser, and prams.

Sessions are weekly from June 6- August 5th.

Register on-line at: pensacolayachtclub.org

Positive outcomes for participants include increased socialization, improved mood and behavior, greater sense of purpose and improved sleep habits.

Family caregivers gain peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in a safe place while they go off to work or get much needed respite.

Call 850.266.2503 to arrange a tour.

875 Royce Street, Pensacola (ACHA#9051) Monday-Friday 7:30am-5:30pm Daily fee includes breakfast, lunch and activities.

Come see what you are missing!

To learn more, visit www.coawfla.org.

pensacola magazine | 15

FINANCING AVAILABLE

Pool sales and service

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vinyl liner and fiber glass pool construction pump, filters, pool chemicals, screen enclosures, florida rooms, patios

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call 850.476.5517 Vaughn’s Inc Of Pensacola 1290 W. Nine Mile Rd Pensacola, FL 32534

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When your child needs advanced care, we’re with you every step.

As one of the nation’s leading children’s health systems, Nemours has made a promise to bring you the care you need – where and when you need it. And when you need a pediatric specialist, the experts of Nemours are here for you, close to home.

Pediatric specialty care in orthopedics, hematology/ oncology, pulmonology, urology and more.

See all that we offer at Nemours.org.

© 2016. The Nemours Foundation. ® Nemours is a registered trademark of The Nemours Foundation.

Nemours Children’s Clinic is here for you in: Pensacola For Appointments: (850) 505-4700 Destin For Appointments: (850) 505-4745 Bonifay For Appointments: (850) 505-4700 16 | pensacola magazine

Written by Josh Newby

Cocktail Recipes for a Smooth Summer

W

hat does summer call for? If you said Bud Light, you can leave that at the door and come in to where the real party is. The hot weather needs a refreshing punch of taste while providing the much-needed alcoholic social lubricant, and few elixirs mix as well with so much as tequila, and few places do it as efficiently as newly established hotspot Taco Mez. Each year, the blue agave plant offers up its God-given talent to the delight of partiers and casual sippers everywhere. From sunrise to sundown, this is the beverage that gets the job done without requiring too much in return. So pull out your glasses and pour some salt, because these drinks from Taco Mez are serious business. Turn up the tunes, and don’t forget the lime.

Summer is here.

Photography by Guy Stevens Drinks Courtesy of Taco Mez

pensacola magazine | 17

Jose “Joe” Margarita

You’ve never had a margarita quite like this. From the moment the perfectly blended salt and pepper rim touches and your lips and tongue, you know that this isn’t your momma’s Sunday afternoon drink. The ensuing punch is mitigated by the refreshing sensation of lime juice and nectar. You’ll want to order four more; but careful, because this drink isn’t playing around.

18 | pensacola magazine

1 ¼ oz Milagro Silver Tequila ½ oz Agave Nectar ½ oz Lime Juice Shaken & served over ice Garnish with a Salt and Pepper Rim

Pineapple Jalepeño Margarita

Do you like margaritas but wish they were simultaneously spicy and sweet? Well, look no further, adult sojounrer.

This drink takes the best part of pineapple-based drinks and throws in some jalapenos for good measure. The former will parch your thirst as the latter provides a thrilling aftertaste and makes you feel alive. Add a few more slices, if you dare, but don’t forget while we’re all here. To enjoy the summer with the top-shelf exotico reposado.

1 ¼ oz Milagro Reposado Tequila ½ oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice ½ oz Jalapeno Simple Syrup 1 oz Fresh Squeezed Pineapple Pulp Shaken and served over ice Garnish with sliced fresh jalapeños

pensacola magazine | 19

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>Th

< l e Per ct Bo i fe

You can call them crawfish, mudbugs or crawdads, but if you’re near the southern end of the Mississippi, please don’t call them crayfish. These freshwater crustaceans are the culinary capital of many southern foodies, especially during the spring and early summer when you can’t go too far without ending up at a crawfish boil. While there is no set crawfish season (weather and rainfall determine timing and quantity), March through June is a generally accepted time in which mudbugs are both plentiful and affordable. While there are many variations on crawfish boil recipes, spices, corn and potatoes are staples. We caught up with the kind folks at Cubs Crawfish for their take on the perfect boil.

Intro by Kelly Oden Photography by Guy Stevens Crawfish Courtesy of Cub’s Crawfish

pensacola magazine | 21

>The Perfect Boil < 4 1/2 pounds dry crab boil

(Zatarainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Louisiana Cajun Land, Swampfire, Slap Ya Mama, just to name a few...)

4 lbs. Spicy smoked sausage

5lb. bag of red potatoes,

quartered 22 | pensacola magazine

35-40 Pounds Live Crawfish

Citrus Element (optional)

oranges (4) lemon (4) pineapple (1) (cut off top and bottom, cut in half, boil on low for 1 hour)

Fill pot with enough water to cover crawfish. Add all seasoning to water and bring to a boil.

20 Corn Cobs, halved

Put crawfish in basket and return to a boil.

When the pot reaches a good ‘foam’ (7–10 minutes), dump up to 10 pounds of ice on top. Stir until the ice is completely melted.

Let soak for 30–45 minutes.

Gather up your friends and family, pour the basket onto a table covered with newspaper, crack open a beer and enjoy!

Come check out Cub’s Crawfish 4145 Barrancas Ave, Pensacola, FL 32507

2 lbs. Whole white mushrooms

11125 Lillian Hwy, Pensacola, FL 32506

pensacola magazine | 23

Summer

1

Styles

With the warm summer weather comes a desire to redecorate.

Whether you prefer bright pops of color, cool coastal hues, or earthy garden tones, Pensacolaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s local shops have something to suit your summer style.

2

7

8

6

1. Great blue heron pillow, Constance Crosby Interiors 2. The Sea Heals Everythingâ&#x20AC;? pillow, Constance Crosby Interiors 3. Glacier Blue Starfish Pillow, Constance Crosby Interiors.

4. Coastal Blue Glass Lamp, Dee Mcdavid Interiors 5. Scented Candles in Hand Blown Glass Jars by Lafco New York, Dee McDavid Interiors 6. Candels by Nest. Constance Crosby Interiors 7. Painted Metal Garden Sculptures, Floral Tree Gardens 8. Weathered Metal Garden Sign, Floral Tree Gardens Constance Crosby Interiors constancecrosby.com

24 | pensacola magazine

Floral Tree Gardens Dee McDavid Interiors floraltreegardensofpensacola.com deemcdavid.com

3

4

5

pensacola magazine | 25

26 | pensacola magazine

Waste Not Pensacola

Photo by: Baskerville-Donovan Inc.

The low-down on our local recycling programs and how to do your part to keep Pensacola’s green and clean initiative going

By Dawn Gresko

R

educe, reuse, recycle: Pensacola is all about following the three R’s of the environment, especially when it means limiting the negative impacts of waste on our communal home and garden. Since 2009, the City of Pensacola’s implementation of its recycling program coupled with the recycling services provided by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) has been the answer to the community’s call for a greener initiative when it came to disposal of recyclable materials. But, now, residents are asking: what items should actually go in my recycling bin? Where do the recyclables go? To answer these questions and more, Pensacola Magazine reached out to the ECUA and City of Pensacola’s Sanitation Services and Fleet Management Department to learn more about how our local recycling programs operate and how we can do our part to ensure a greener and cleaner horizon for Pensacola.

has either an ECUA or City of Pensacola logo. This is because the City of Pensacola’s four recycling routes extend to the city limit of Pensacola, while the ECUA’s services pickup where the City leaves off— covering the remaining Escambia County residential areas, as well as those in Santa Rosa County.

Depending on where you live in Pensacola, you might have noticed your recycling bin

The statistical goal for the City’s recycling program was to recycle at least 20 percent

Chances are if you live downtown, the City handles your recyclables, while if you fall outside the city limit in areas like Ferry Pass and Brent, your recycling is handled by the ECUA. However, ECUA is also in the middle of a negotiation to accept recyclables from Okaloosa and possibly other counties in the region, too.

Out of the 800 tons of waste per day produced by Escambia County alone, between 40 to 50 percent of that waste is recyclable when using traditional recycling methods.

of waste that would normally go into traditional garbage and be sent to a landfill.

The good news is the City achieved the goal for its program, reaching a 25 percent recycling diversion rate in 2015.

The City saves roughly $130,000 in annual disposal costs by diverting materials to be recycled. If the City didn’t provide a recycling service, the cost of sending recyclables to the landfill would cost $45.06 per ton. The recyclables collected by the City are sent to Tarpon Paper in Loxley, Ala., a privately operated recyclables processor that is responsible for sorting and marketing all materials collected.

Of the 4,806 tons of recyclables collected by the City in 2015, 10 percent (about 500 tons) were contaminates, otherwise called non-recyclables. If non-recyclable items are collected in recycling carts, they must be sorted out and sent to a landfill, which hurts the processor by further increasing operation and disposal costs. pensacola magazine | 27

Waste Not Pensacola

“The goal of the City’s recycling program is to provide customers with a convenient way of recycling much of their household waste,” explained Jerry Moore, director of the City’s Sanitation Services and Fleet Management Department. “However, using recycling carts for garbage disposal not only hurts the program, but can eventually cost all customers more money in processing fees and additional disposal costs.”

As of now, the City is able to provide recycling services at no added cost to citizens, since the implementation of the curbside recycling program was done in unison with changing garbage collection from twice to only once weekly. Other than the purchase of recycling carts, there was minimal added cost to the City since the same number of trucks and manpower were (and continue to be) used for the recycling program.

The recyclable materials accepted by the City’s program include plastics with labels 1–2, old corrugated containers (OCC) like cardboard boxes, mixed paper including old magazines, and some metals like aluminum.

For a full list of what the City accepts for recycling, check out cityofpensacola. com/143/sanitation-services-fleetmanagement.

Since Tarpon Paper doesn’t have a viable marketplace in the region to sell glass, or plastics with labels 3-7, the City does not accept these materials. Furthermore, the glass is problematic for a mixed recycling operation like the City’s collection system, since broken glass comingles with other recyclables, often hindering the recovery and marketability of the other recyclable paper products.

On the other hand, the ECUA’s recycling program does accept glass and mixed 3–7 plastics. This is because the ECUA was able to dispose of the materials by sending them to three privately operated recyclables processors, including the Infinitus Renewable Energy Plant (IREP) in Montgomery, Ala. Unfortunately, as a result of downturns in the recyclables commodity prices, the ECUA lost access to all three of its recyclables processors, including IREP, after they shut down last year. This means all recyclables currently collected by the ECUA are sent to the local landfill.

28 | pensacola magazine

4 Baler

1 Metering Bin

3 Polishing Screen

2 Nihot Separator Metering Bin provides an even, steady flow of material into the system.

Nihot Separator uses air technology to separate glass from fiber fines.

Polishing Screen separates into 3 materials: mixed paper, containers, fines.

Baler compresses final products into bales.

In response to the closure of the IREP, the ECUA and Escambia County Board of County Commissioners launched a $10.4 million Interim Materials Recycling Facility (IMRF) project to meet the recycling needs of the community and maintain reasonable costs for the consumer.

There are two main types of MRFs: “clean” MRFs that accept recyclable materials already separated at the source, and “dirty” MRFs, also called mixed waster processing systems, which would sort single stream recyclables along with household garbage.

The IMRF is a 53,460 square-foot facility that will be covered in the same type of PVC-like fabric used for airplane hangars like those on NAS Pensacola. The facility is located adjacent to the Perdido Landfill in Cantonment, Fla. Construction of the IMRF began in January 2016 and completion of the facility is expected in September 2016.

For now, the IMRF will be a clean MRF. However, the project is referred as an “IMRF,” or “interim” MRF, because the ECUA and Escambia County are in negotiations with a vendor regarding the possibility of constructing a dirty MRF. Should the project for the dirty MRF move forward, the IMRF would be the temporary, or “interim,” processing facility for recyclables until the dirty MRF could be permitted and constructed.

The building process involved multiple parties: while Brown Construction completed site work and laying down the foundation and structure of the facility, Big Top Inc. provided the fabric for the roof of the building, and Bulk Handling Systems created the unique sorting system inside the IMRF.

But, by all means, the IMRF would not go to waste. If the dirty MRF were to proceed in construction, then all equipment and materials from the IMRF would be incorporated into the permanent dirty MRF.

The 25 TPH sorting system from Bulk Handling Systems has multiple screens for separating fines from paper and containers, sorting lines and separators, an optical sorter for plastic separation, and a Nihot system for glass recovery.

The IMRF is projected to handle 25 tons per hour, adding up to processing roughly 165 tons of recyclable materials per day with an estimated annual capacity of 40,000 tons.

“The ECUA realized its customers view recycling as a necessary and environmentally beneficial service,” said Randy Rudd, deputy executive director of Shared Services. “A solid recyclables processing infrastructure is needed, and the ECUA believes it is better suited to weather the normal downturns in recycling commodity values. Also, by keeping recyclables out of landfills, the ECUA avoids related disposal costs while allowing recyclables to be used for higher and better purposes.”

Now Enrolling for Fall 2016

A Classical & Christ-Centered Education trinitaschristian.org | (850) 484-3515

Miscellaneous Recyclables: • First City Art Center (clean glass, Styrofoam containers) 1060 North Guillemard Street • Publix (plastic bags, Styrofoam egg cartons) 2975 University Parkway • 2B Postal (bubble wrap, packing peanuts) 6901 North 9th Avenue Hazardous Household Waste (ECUA’s HHW Program): • ECUA accepts pool chemicals, used motor oil, pesticides, aerosol cans, herbicides, household chemicals, automotive fluids, adhesives, fertilizers, paint, degreasers, cleaners, fluorescent bulbs • Call ECUA Customer Service at 850-476-0480, or email customer. service.ecua.fl.gov to schedule a pickup Fats, Oils and Grease (ECUA FOG Stations):

A place for you in Pensacola

Business

n

Vacation

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Extended Stay AIRPORT/CORDOVA MALL

2187 Airport Boulevard 850-478-1123 HamptonInnPensacolaAirport.com

1144 Airport Boulevard 850-479-8900 HiltonGardenInnPensacola.com

5049 Corporate Woods Drive 850-474-3777 HomewoodSuitesPensacola.com

PENSACOLA DOWNTOWN

• Ever’man Cooperative Grocery & Cafe 315 West Garden Street

601 East Chase Street 850-432-0202

• ECUA 9255 Sturdevant Street, 3050 Godwin Lane, 3050 Fayal Drive

700 East Chase Street 850-439-3330

• NAS Pensacola Andrew Jackson Court, Slemmer Avenue, Corry Field Housing • Keep Pensacola Beautiful 3303 North Davis Highway • Grocery Advantage 736 Highway 29 North • Perdido Key 12950 Gulf Beach Hwy

ResidenceInnPensacolaDowntown.com

CourtyardPensacolaDowntown.com

PENSACOLA BEACH

16 Via DeLuna 800-934-3301 • 850-934-3300 DaysInnPensacolaBeach.com

850-932-9314 • Highpointe.com • 311 Gulf Breeze Pkwy • Gulf Breeze, FL

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The Connected House

By Josh Newby

s our lives grow more connected, both to each other via technology and to the technology itself, it was only a matter of time before our homes themselves joined in on the fun. And we’re not just talking that speaker system your husband installed throughout the house with haphazard wiring; we’re talking HVAC systems that can be controlled remotely, hot water heaters and dish-washers that can be scheduled to run during off-peak times, and pool pumps that run in the most economic way possible.

A lot of smart phone apps and services exist that will even send the user information on usage and energy allocation. If it sounds like science fiction, it’s not. You could be thousands of miles away from home, and using only an internet connection, you can ensure that your home is being kept cool in your absence, that your hot water heater is not wasting precious energy, and even that your cat is well-fed and the outdoor lights are on at night, using programs like Gulf Power’s EarthCents.

And while the automation and fun of it all may appeal to you, just think of the security possibilities.

If your doorbell rings while you’re away, you can get a notification on your phone and swipe to peer through the front-door camera at the delivery man. Motion detectors can tell you if your teenage son is hanging out with someone else while he’s supposed to be doing homework—or if your dog is making a mess of the new rug.

Long gone are the hokey gimmicks of the 20th century, like the Clapper which only occasionally worked and was a more a novelty than a functional benefit. These new technologies are the Clapper on steroids. Your house is the USS Enterprise and you are Capt. Kirk, fine-tuning appliance usage for economic maximization and keeping your home safe from pests large and small.

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The Connected House The great thing about home automation is its a la carte nature. Want to turn on the AC a half-hour before arriving home or keep the hot water heater off except for in the morning? No problem. Or maybe you prefer to schedule every major appliance in your house and track energy usage to the watt. You can do that, too! Local companies like Gulf Power, Total Connect Solutions and even All Pro Sound will help you get the most or the least out of your home automation experience.

HVAC: Using Gulf Power’s EarthCents, you can program your HVAC system to only run when it is economically advantageous.

Electricity costs less during offpeak times than during peak times, and using this free service, you can ensure your home is as cool or as warm as you’d like for as little money as possible. If you wake up warm, just use your smartphone to turn on the AC without even leaving your bed.

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Appliances: After Gulf Power installs its cost-saving EarthCents hardwired system, you can schedule your dishwasher to run early in the morning so its sound won’t compete with your nightly television viewing and you can make sure you turned off the oven before you left work, all while reducing energy usage without compromising your lifestyle.

Pool Pump: The EarthCents program has a 21-day installation turnaround, so there’s just enough time to loop in your pool pump before the season starts. Run during off-peak times and monitor usage to maximize your pool time.

Security: One of the biggest benefits of a connected home is security.

Using Total Connect Solutions, you gain remote access and control of your door locks. Long gone are the days of leaving a key under the mat; now you can just unlock the door from your smartphone. And don’t forget syncing it all with your security system: set it to automatically disarm if the main door is unlocked at a certain time.

“

Right now we have more than 16,000 people hooked up with EarthCents. It’s a great program that has saved 87 percent of participants money. Even if you only have an electric water and heat pump, you should enroll. If you add a pool pump to the mix, it will definitely save you money.”

- Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power

Garage: You may not think about it, but your garage door is an important element of your home that could benefit from connectedness. With Total Connect Solutions, automatically close the garage door when the security system is set, receive notifications if it has been left open or check to know any time if it is open or closed. You can also be kept aware when another user may be engaging with it—or when a thief is tampering with it.

Lights: Using both Gulf Power and Total Connect Solutions, schedule your outdoor lights to illuminate at night. If you’re away on vacation, you may want a few indoor lights on, as well, to give the illusion that you’re home. Each system can be turned off and on, dimmed, pivoted, rotated from anywhere in the world.

Video: Using Total Connect Solutions, you can watch live video on your smartphone or computer, view recorded clips to see what you’ve missed, and even schedule recordings for when the kids come home from school.

Theater: It’s not all home security and energy monitoring, though. Have some fun with home automation by using All Pro Sound to wirelessly sync a custom home theater system that will be the envy of neighbors and friends—all controllable from your smartphone or tablet, of course.

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A Natural Oasis: Old Florida in Gulf Breeze

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Home & Garden

J

im and Jeanette DeVries chose the quiet cul-de-sac in Gulf Breeze as the site of their new home in the mid-90s for its splendid views and natural, old Florida feel. “We are right against the national seashore, so the wild life we have here is incredible,” says Jim. Blue Heron nests abound in the natural salt estuary and the neighboring Naval Live Oaks harbor an abundance of wildlife and also helps to keep development from encroaching on the incredible views of the sound and Pensacola Beach in the distance. When Hurricane Ivan rendered that home unlivable, there was no question in their minds about rebuilding on the same lot. “The neighborhood is very close knit,” says Jeanette.

“Especially after Ivan. Many of us lived in trailers in our front lawns while we rebuilt and it created a very tight bond. We spend a lot of holidays together.” The current two-story 3,254 square foot home was finished in 2006. Lush natural landscaping, a beautiful double set of Spanish Cedar French doors, and the couple’s incredibly sweet springer spaniel, Mattie, welcome you to the home.

Written by Kelly Oden • Photos by Randy Hamilton

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LIVING ROOM & KITCHEN The home’s open floor plan and chef’s kitchen make it the perfect place for entertaining. The ten foot ceilings allow for large windows designed to capture breathtaking views of the saltwater estuary, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Pensacola Beach skyline.

The stunning kitchen boasts old Chicago brick floors, which are both gorgeous and low maintenance.

The hard wood Lyptus cabinets, pull-out shelves, granite counter tops, Viking six-burner gas cooktop and KitchenAid double-ovens and a walk-in pantry are a chef’s dream. The large island with prep sink allows cooks to enjoy the view while prepping food and a large peninsula with café-height seating allows guests to relax and mingle with the hosts.

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Home & Garden With a setup like this, it’s no wonder the couple entertains a lot. “We are the neighborhood party house,” says Jim. “We like to have people over, so we designed it to be open and great for entertaining.” The couple has held multiple pig roasts at their home and are well known for many delicious dishes including pasta fagioli, cannelloni and smoked fish dip.

For more formal affairs, the dining room’s custom wainscoting was built

by Jim himself and the beautiful water views complement any meal.

Open to the kitchen, the family room’s large windows offer abundant light and water views.

The custom surround sound, wood blinds, built-in window seats, and gas fireplace make the perfect setting for cozy evenings.

Downstairs you’ll also find a half bathroom off of the dining room with slate floors and a custom vanity.

A large laundry room is located off the kitchen and includes a custom cabinet, sink and ice machine.

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BED & BATH

With four bedrooms, two of them master suites; this is a perfect family home. The downstairs master suite features new carpet and a beautiful on suite bathroom with a large garden tub, double vanity with travertine counter tops, and a walk-in shower with multiple shower heads.

The large upstairs master suite boasts unique character and has become an excellent bedroom and playroom for the coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two grandchildren. A tiny door hides a large closet perfect for storing toys and playing. The room is also a favorite for enjoying the spectacular sunrises.

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OUTDOOR SPACES

Home & Garden

Besides the breathtaking views, outdoor amenities include a large screened porch and custom multi-level decking with built-in seating/benches (designed and built by Jim) as well as an outside shower. Mature landscaping also dots the well kept yard, giving it that old Florida feel.

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Home & Garden

The cozy screened in porch and custom deck are both perfect spots for that morning coffee or evening wine.

Jeanette and Jim DeVries relax in the family room with their adorable dog, Mattie.

While the DeVries love their coastal cottage, they are heading into retirement and have decided to downsize. If this lovely home with its stellar views speaks to you, it could be yours. If you are interested, call Eric Milstead with Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Properies at 850-221-0443.

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Veranda

of Pensacola

Veranda of Pensacola is a retirement community which fosters long-lasting friendships and a strong sense of belonging.

Visit with friends, enjoy the numerous activities, or relax in your own beautiful apartment.

Come and see for yourself how our residents are enjoying, “Retirement Living at its Finest.”

Hear what actual residents have to say at www.verandapensacola.com

Veranda of Pensacola, Inc. · 850-417-7869 · 6982 Pine Forest Rd., Pensacola

AL#11190

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Play / Live / Give APR 15

JUNE 10–12, 16–19 june PMA presents

10 Highlights from the Permanent Collection

The Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) will highlight works from its Permanent Collection, containing primarily 20th and 21st century works of art by international, national, and regionally acclaimed artists, starting on June 10 and running through September. This collection will feature a wide range of modern and contemporary styles and periods including Cubism, Realism, Pop Art, Non-objective Art, Folk Art, and Illustration. The Museum also owns a fine selection of European and American decorative glass, as well as African art and sculptural works, which will be on display.

There are more than 500 works with the PMA’s Permanent Collection and the notable artists highlighted within this exhibition include, but are not limited to: Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Vivian Maier, and Ellsworth Kelly. Visit pensacolamuseum.org, for more on upcoming exhibits.

june Flora-Bama Fishing 10–12 Rodeo

You don’t have to be VIP to fish with Flora-Bama. The Flora-Bama Fishing Rodeo is the “every man’s” fishing rodeo, returning to the Gulf Coast during the weekend of June 10 through 12. Categories will range

PLT presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike Just who are Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike? They’re not your average farmers, that’s for sure. Prepare to discover why the play was named winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, when you unravel the story of the elderly Vanya and his adopted sister of the same age, Sonia, whose quiet life on the Pennsylvania farm where they grew up is disturbed by the return of their movie star sister, Masha. Life on the farm won’t be quite the same, especially since Masha decided to bring along her twenty-something boy toy, Spike. As you might imagine, a weekend of rivalry, regret, and raucousness between the four ensues.

This begs the question: will they all live happily ever after? Find out how this twisted tale (recommended for mature audiences) ends by reserving your tickets today at pensacolalittletheatre.com. Tickets range $12 to $30 per person, and show times are at 7:30 pm except on Sundays, when the show begins at 2:30 pm. from catfish to billfish and everything in between. Prizes will be given away to top of the line fishers, and the tournament will be held at the FloraBama Yacht Club across the street from the world-famous Flora-Bama Lounge. This three-day beach party will include daily weigh-ins with fish viewing areas, live music, great food and hospitality done in true FloraBama Fashion! A portion of the sales will be donated to the Operation ReConnect—a nonprofit geared toward providing combat veterans with well-deserved family vacations.

Kid’s division (for 12 and younger) is $25/angler, and the adult’s division is $45 per angler. For more information, visit florabama.com.

june Save the Third for

13 Chef Irv: Pan(sacola) Asian Cooking

On the third Wednesday of this month, Chef Irv will create dishes from some of his favorite Asianinspired recipes using ingredients from our local Oriental markets, such as Saigon Oriental market and Deli, as well as Bien Dong Oriental Market. Popular restaurant ingredients that Chef Irv will incorporate into his dishes include sriracha, red chili and garlic puree, sambal oelek, soy sesame oil, kwong hung seng sauce, hoisin sauce, gochujang, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sweet red chili sauce, wonton and egg roll wrappers, tamarind paste, and dried rice noodles for soups. The

fresh produce includes miniature bananas, jicama, yucca, mango, rambutan, colossal ginger root, lemon grass, baby bok choy, yardlong beans, cilantro, bean sprouts and daikon—to name only a few!

As always, you may choose to attend either the 5 pm or 7:30 pm class with reservations at $45 per person to cover costs of the cooking demo, recipe tastings and wine pairings, as well as a take-home recipe booklet.

Reservations are required and may be made in advance by calling Maria Goldberg at 850-217-2347, or emailing maria@jacksonsrestaurant. com.

june Annual Bill

16–19 Hargreaves Fishing Rodeo

Family, fishing and fun: the three F’s that make the annual Bill Hargreaves Fishing Rodeo an event you won’t want to miss this summer. There will be prizes in cash, medals and trophies, along with food from a fishy fry and more. Open division is $40 per person and includes access to a fish fry. All those under age 12 may participate for free. Tickets may be purchased at the Grand Lagoon Yacht Club or online, and proceeds go to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida. For more details, or to view past rodeo winners, visit billhargreavesfishingrodeo.com.

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Play / Live / Give june Life’s a Dance at

17 Saenger Theatre

The eighth annual Life’s A Dance event benefiting Covenant Care will take center stage at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre on Friday, June 17 from 7 to 9 pm. The event will be emceed by WEAR TV-3 news anchor, Sue Straughn, and Cat Country 98.7 personality, Brent Lane. Expect a star-studded evening of dance featuring local celebrities and cast members from ABC’s hit television series, Dancing with the Stars, which will include Tony Dovolani, Sharna Burgess, Emma Slater and Sasha Farber.

Local celebrities who will be competing for this year’s “People’s Choice Award” contest include: Carey King (Studer Group), Dr. Luis Navas (Medical Center Clinic), Jason Crawford (Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems), John Lark Herron (John Lark Herron Insurance), John McClean (Pensacola Ice Flyers), Karen Sindel (District 1 Commissioner Candidate), Laura Hussey (WEAR ABC-3) and Nicole Stacey (Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce). Reserve your tickets online at pensacolasaenger. com.

june Father’s Day Brunch 19 at a Great Southern Restaurants

It’s time to show Dad some TLC and take him out to brunch this Father’s Day, June 19. Whether you opt for a seat at the Fish House or Jackson’s Steakhouse, your father is in for a meal fit for a king. Starting at 11 am, Fish House is serving up bottomless champagne and mimosas for $5 and bloody marys for $2 to be paired with a special Father’s Day dish of 12 oz. hickory-smoked prime rib served over loaded gratin potatoes. At Jackson’s all Dads receive a complimentary bloody mary, and can choose from entrees like house-roasted pulled pork with soft poached eggs, Moroccanstyle grilled chicken wings, plus many more special options designed just for Dad. Set up your reservation today at greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

june Award Winning

19 Sunday Brunch for Dad Father’s Day brunch at Seville Quarter has been a tradition in Pensacola for years, so show Dad how much he is loved by treating him to their awardwinning Sunday brunch in the Apple Annie’s Courtyard this Father’s Day, June 19. Seville Quarter offers all the things that you love about Father’s Day brunch: great live Jazz music, amazing food, a fully-stock bloody mary bar along with champagne, mimosas and screwdrivers. If Dad likes golf, know that Seville Quarter will be showing the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Golf Championship. Reservations are encouraged. For more details, call 850434-6211, or visit sevillequarter.com.

june Gulf Coast June Fest 22–26 2016

The seventh annual June Fest is making some noise at Sam’s Fun City (6709 Pensacola Blvd.) this year kicking off on June 22 and ending on June 25. In addition to arts and crafts vendors, all attendees can enjoy the eclectic sights and sounds of over 20 live and local bands, musical acts, performers and entertainment. In addition to a day full of music, for even more fun your event ticket includes all-day, unlimited access to Sam’s Fun City park rides, special attractions, as well as Play-Zone City and Sam’s Surf City Water Park.

If you’d like to know more, call 850602-3292, or send your inquiries to junefestmusic@gmail.com.

Creatisphere Summer Art Camp Creatisphere is the ultimate summer art experience for children age 8-14 who want to create! Each week will be a be a new and different adventure in art making featuring workshops in: Glassblowing • Pottery • Photography Painting • Sculpture • Mixed Media • Mural Art Fiber Arts • Collage • Comics and Illustration 3-D Design • Technology Lab And Much More!

For 2 weeks of camp Creatisphere will be joining with the Mess Hall!

To see available dates and details for age groups 8-11 and 11-14 look under workshops at Firstcityart.org, or call (850) 429-1222 44 | pensacola magazine

june Art Gone Wild 24

Seville Quarter’s annual auction to aid the local Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida returns June 24 at Apple Annie’s from 5 to 8 pm. A silent auction of award-winning artists will raise money for the Wildlife Sanctuary.

The public is welcome to this free event, which feature wonderful works of wildlife for animal lovers and art collectors alike. For more details, check out sevillequarter.com.

Play / Live / Give june Dodge Brawl 2016 25

Want an altruistic excuse to hurl round objects at others? Then convince your cohorts to form a team and sign up for 2016 Dodgebrawl at the Pensacola Bay Center on June 25. Dodgebrawl is a fun, double-elimination dodge ball tournament with teams consisting of six to 10, who will be playing for annual bragging rights along with winning money for a local charity of their choice. Teams will also have the chance to win prize money for their charity through unique contests, such as Best Dressed Team and Best Team Name. But, that’s not all: throughout the day, participants and spectators will enjoy the amenities offered at Dodgebrawl including freshly poured beverages served in the beer garden, as well as all the offerings of an onsite cash bar. A professional photographer will be available in the photo op area if you’d like to a memento to keep of you and your squad, and live entertainment will be provided by a DJ and MC. Team registration is $30 per person and $30 per coach. To sign up, go to pensacolabaycenter.com, or call 850-432-0800 for more details.

june Brit Floyd at Saenger 25 Theatre

You won’t want to miss your chance to witness the world’s greatest Pink Floyd show: Brit Floyd, coming to Pensacola’s Saenger Theatre on June 25. Brit Floyd returns to North America to continue its amazing journey through 50 years of Pink Floyd—along with the vast and incredible catalogue of music the band has given listeners. Along with performing the favorite moments from “The Dark Side of the Moon,” “Wish You Were Here,” “Animals,” “The Wall,” and “The Division bell,” Brit Floyd will treat audiences to its show-stopping rendition of “Echoes” in its entirely from the landmark album Meddle, as well as a host of other Pink Floyd musical gems. With a spectacular new million dollar light show and state of the art video design, plus even bigger stage production, Brit Floyd’s Space Time and Continuum World Tour promises to be the most ambitious and best Brit Floyd show yet. Tickets range $46.50 to $100 and you may find more information, or purchase your tickets, online at pensacolasaenger. com.

june Pensacola International july Firecracker 5K 29 Billfish Tournament thru The Pensacola International Billfish July Tournament is back, celebrating its 2 45th year on the weekend of June

2

29 through July 2. Every year, Plaza DeLuna Park in Downtown Pensacola serves as host and setting to the International Billfish Tournament—a three-day deep sea fishing competition drawing a large crowd of both professional and amateur anglers from across the United States. As the country’s largest billfish tournament, there are consistently large crowds participating in events with cash awards and prizes for both large and small vessels. Whether you’re in it to win in, or you want the chance to see a billfish firsthand, visit pbgfc.com for more details on this year’s tournament.

the pensacola little theatre presents

Wear your most patriotic attire as you run, or walk, the 5K for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida’s annual costume contest starting at 7:30 am on June 2 in Downtown Pensacola. The course will start at the intersection of Palafox and Government street, and will end on Jefferson and Government streets.

Stick around after the race for the post-run celebration at Plaza Ferdinand, where awards will be announced while participants cool down and enjoy food, misting tents and a variety of vendors. Regular registration is $30 per person and the first 1,000 registrants are guaranteed a shirt. All proceeds benefit our local Ronald McDonald House. For more info, visit rmhcnwfl.org.

2013 TONY AWARD WINNER FOR BEST PLAY

WRITTEN BY

CHRISTOPHER DURANG DIRECTED BY BILLY BUFF

JUNE 10-12 AND 16-19 BOX OFFICE 850.432.2042

PENSACOLALITTLETHEATRE.COM

three siblings. one hot mess.

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc, New York.

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Play / Live / Give july Sertoma’s

culminate with the fireworks show over Pensacola Bay, synchronized with a music broadcast on Cat County 98.7. As always, admission is free!

For more on the largest fireworks display on the Gulf Coast, check out pensacoalfireworks.com.

4 Independence Day Celebration

For the 27th year, Sertoma organizations in our area are coordinating and hosting the largest fireworks display on the Gulf Coast, which will make colorful explosions across Pensacola Bay on Monday, July 4, starting at 9 pm. However, there will be activities throughout the day starting from 11 am until 6 pm in Seville Square. Events will include a children’s area with inflatables, pony rides, a rocking climbing wall, plus a meet and greet with characters, facepainting stations, a Lowe’s kids clinic and much more. There will also be a variety of arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and live entertainment on the gazebo stage beginning at 11 am.

Live music will start at 4:30 pm on the Bayfront Stage. Of course, the Fourth of July would not be complete without a Hot Dog Eating Contest, so sign up early because the contest begins promptly at noon. The festivities will

JUNE Take Me Out to the

10–14, Ball Game 14–19, What do BayBears, Biscuits and 29–30 Lookouts all have in common? Each

will rival against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos this month during the team’s home games at the Blue Wahoos Stadium. So, be a good sport and come out to root for Pensacola’s home team. Call 850-934-8444 to reserve your seats for any one (or all) of the upcoming home games. Don’t forget to visit bluewahoos.com for more details on upcoming themed games like “What If Night.”

June 10-14: v. Montgomery Biscuits June 14-19: v. Mobile BayBears June 29-30: v. Chattanooga Lookouts

JUNE Blue Angels Practice 14–15, 21–22, 28–29

Soar away with the Blue Angels during their practice performances every Tuesday and Wednesday at the National Naval Aviation Museum for June 14-15, June 21-22, and June 28-29. Make sure to grab your concessions before practice begins at 11:30 am. Then sit back, relax, and watch as the Angels maneuver into formation and jet out creative contrail-cloud shapes left in their wake. Find out more about upcoming practices and shows by going to blueangels.navy.mil.

JUNE Bands on the Beach 7, 14, 21, 28

It’s summertime Pensacola: time to sink your chairs and toes into the sugarywhite sands of Pensacola Beach while you get ready to enjoy our area’s free concert series every Tuesday night from 7 to 9 pm at the Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach. Pets and glass must stay at home. For more information, call the SRIA at 850-932-2257, check out visitpensacolabeach.com, or tune in to Cat County 98.7 to hear the latest updates.

June 7: Buck Nasty & The Cadillac June 14: Modern Eldorados June 21: The Astronauts June 28: The Reunion Band

JUNE Vinyl Music Hall 10, 11, 17, 24

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Every month, Vinyl Music Hall hosts a wide variety of acts, events, performances and more that draw a diverse crowd to Downtown Pensacola’s go-to venue. This month is no exception, so don’t miss out on any one of the upcoming shows including a free Gallery Night show on June 17.

Get your tickets now, or find out more on June’s calendar of events, by visiting vinylmusichall.com.

June 10: Big Deal Burlesque June 11: 80s Night!

June 17: Big Jim Brown & The SpeedKings June 24: Elizabeth Cook purchase your tickets now, by visiting pensacolalittletheatre.com.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA Dec 17 Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola

Remember, Honor and Teach

Learn more and Sponsor wreaths at

Barrancaswreaths.com

or print downloadable order forms for info: call 850-207-1217 email barrancaswreaths@gmail.com

Website sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of Big Lagoon Foundation, a 501(3)(c) entity

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SPECIAL SECTION

SPECIAL SECTION 53

Caring for Kids WHAT’S THE STATUS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD IN FLORIDA? WE LOOK AT PARENTAL RESOURCES, HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION.

· OTHER STORIES ·

50

57

61

Building Better Health

A New Venture for Veterans

Around the Region

FORT WALTON BEACH KNOWS HOW TO WIN AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WHILE HELPING OUR NATION’S HEROES. AND THEY DO IT USING FREEMARKET PRINCIPLES AND SMART INVESTMENT.

FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN BUSINESS, GOVERNMENT AND CULTURAL NEWS IN THE GREATER PENSACOLA AREA AND NORTHWEST FLORIDA.

ONE OF THE MOST IGNORED YET VITAL FACETS OF HEALTHCARE IN THE UNITED STATES IS REAL ESTATE. THROUGH IMPROVED PATIENT ACCESS POINTS AND CLIENT-DRIVEN SERVICES REAL ESTATE MOGULS ARE CHANGING THE HEALTHCARE BUSINESS, ONE HOSPITAL AT A TIME.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 49

Healthcare

Building Better

Health

We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like to think of healthcare as a profit-driven and competitive service, but it is, with all the strategic considerations and access points necessary for other types of services. With new regulations and an enhanced role of technology, the game of healthcare real estate is changing, and this evolution is forcing a progression of how we plan our communities, where we go for care, and the interests of those who care for us.

By Josh Newby

50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

Hundreds of years ago, nurses and doctors would come to the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s house to diagnose and apply treatment. As the country became less rural and centralized health services became more economical and realistic, the model changed to one where clients and patients would travel to visit care providers. Services became decentralized and increasingly expensive as insurance and other considerations further complicated the equation. When the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has come a centralization of services. Fee-for-service became pay-for-performance and value-based medicine, a system that measured quality outcomes and focused on population and preventative health.

With these changes has come a renewed focus on customer service and more patient access points throughout the community. Heightened insurance regulations and the influx of public funds means that institutions must remain competitive in a market where costs are more transparent and providers can be compared and contrasted to other providers.

Healthcare real estate is one of the best ways hospitals and healthcare organizations can better engage with clients. The focus on standardization, consolidation and integration has forced a renewed appreciation for planning, creating, optimizing and maintaining healthcare real estate.

That is where organizations like Catalyst CRE come in. Catalyst is a locally

based healthcare real estate boutique focused on healthcare administration, real estate brokerage and development, and facility and property services. With a focus on improving efficiencies, they let the providers provide and take it upon themselves to handle the rest.

“We work on understanding the providers and what their business and clinical strategy is,” said CEO Chad Henderson. “We learn what the endgame is and help them meet their goals. Our clients are wisely preparing for the next generation of healthcare delivery and are considering where and why to locate or relocate. We help them implement accordingly.”

The first step of healthcare real estate, as with other real estate and nearly any business venture, is to plan. Catalyst uses demographic and healthcare analytical data to introduce evidence-based decisionmaking into the process.

“Hospitals used to just be hospitals, but now they are embarking on an employ-physicians model,” said Henderson. “They are destination-oriented and want to make a certain geographical footprint.”

Organizations like Catalyst help their clients find a location where their services are in demand the market is growing, while helping to manage cash flow requirements.

“You don’t want your patients to have to travel too far to see you, or they may choose another provider,” said Henderson. “We strategically place healthcare access points throughout a certain geographical area. Used to be, everyone went to a hospital for care. But, in a truly integrated model, you have multiple satellites orbiting that hospital and working in coordination with one another.”

Through EMR (electronic medical record) systems, you can go to one location and access a wealth of different opinions, varying modalities of specialization, and improve the efficiency of all of the above.

The next step is to create.

Whether it is a completely new development, construction management services, or simply leasing and acquisition of existing

Photo by NEC Corporation of America

“It’s all about feeding the market and out-positioning competitors.” properties, healthcare real estate is big money.

“We will provide third-party capital to essentially lease new or existing facilities to a provider,” said Henderson.

This type of real estate, called acquisition lease-backs, has been a big success in various parts of the state. Catalyst is actually about to close on a $17 million deal on five buildings in central Florida.

Essentially, a group will sell existing buildings to Catalyst, then use that money to grow other competencies within their existing model. By using third-party developers, healthcare institutions can save their capital resources for acute care needs and focus their attention on achieving key goals, instead of getting caught in the weeds of regulation and maintenance.

On the development side of all this, knowledge of the area and patients is crucial. A women’s and children’s access point, for example, is going to be completely different than a cardiovascular institute.

Working to capture a certain segment of a patient base requires foreknowledge of that base.

“It’s all about feeding the market and out-positioning competitors,” said Henderson. “A large hospital can obviously serve a large footprint, but specialty providers create a niche in the market that maybe hospitals cannot service.

So, they will absorb these smaller access points through physician acquisition.”

After creating new developments and partnerships, Catalyst seeks to optimize existing patient services. The organization is currently working with Louisiana Heart Hospital, for example, to do just that. Through property management, brokerage and lease administration, services such as Catalyst allow hospitals and healthcare providers to focus on what they do best—patient care— and leave the day-to-day paperwork for the professionals.

The final step in healthcare real estate is maintenance. Not surprisingly, these facilities must adhere to detailed regulatory requirements, both in the nuts and bolts of the building itself and in emergency response plans and information technology. Because of unique building sterilization and filtration needs, coupled with heightened adherence codes, it is increasingly attractive for providers to outsource these headaches.

Working almost like a team of doctors who goes in and diagnoses existing troubles while keeping an eye out for future problems, Catalyst’s team and subcontractors will implement preventative systematic visits to monitor and maintain facilities, work to reinstate normalcy or improve a work

environment if something goes awry, and even help with repairbased construction services like roof leaks and moving.

Healthcare real estate is big business, and it’s getting bigger.

Along with higher education and government, healthcare real estate is a stable sector that continues to grow even in times of economic decline. With ACA implementation has come about 9 million new patients into the American healthcare system. These new patients have less doctors to see them than in past years, as physician retirees vastly outnumber new graduates.

Henderson admits that he came into the business at a perfect time, with an aging population that requires more health services, advances in technology that allow for medical procedures to be done off-site or out-patient, and a tighter office market as the rest of the construction industry slumped in 2007 and 2008.

In 2015, more than 8.8 million square feet of medical office space was developed in the United States.

Florida is just one small—but growing—piece of that pie.

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Education

Caring for Kids In Florida, we like to tout our recordbreaking tourism, speedy development and postRecession growth. But what about some of the least fortunate among us? As profits rise and populations increase, are we caring for the disadvantaged children in our state who have no agency, a lack of resources, and whose destination may be the same poverty they were born into, unless we intervene?

By Josh Newby

Kids Who Receive HighQuality Early Education...

24 percent more likely to own a home

53 percent less likely to get arrested

18 percent more likely to be employed nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 53

Education

“

In order to remain competitive and viable, we have to accelerate our educational standards and take proactive measures as a community, together, using all sectors to improve.”

Research has shown that all children need early and plentiful access to three things—high-quality education, healthcare and insurance, and parental support—in order to be successful later in life and escape the cycle of poverty and destitution into which they were born. Perhaps you’ve heard that one in four kids who do not receive proper preventative care early in life are susceptible to life-threatening diseases later in life, or that less than half of poor children show up to school prepared with the early math and reading skills necessary to learn. Research tells us children of low-income parents hear 30 million fewer words by age 5—when 90 percent of brain development happens—than their better-off peers.

Fortunately, there are advocates on both sides of the aisle, in the halls of Congress and in boardrooms across the state, who are dedicated to reversing this problem. They know that the future of business vibrancy depends on a healthy, well-educated, well-adjusted workforce.

The Children’s Movement of Florida is an early childhood advocacy organization located in south Florida. Launched in 2010, its goal is to ensure that Florida is the best state in the nation for your children. While they are not a service organization, they do help the existing network of non-profits throughout the state receive funding by moving the political needle in their favor.

They work to improve measurements in each of the three categories for childhood success—education, healthcare and parental support.

“A lot of these problems transcend demographics simply because the resources that exist are fragmented and difficult to find,” said Vance Aloupis, CEO of the organization. “The quickest path toward real equity in our state begins with all children having a strong start during the first few years of life.”

For the most recent legislative session, the Children’s

Movement was laser-focused on working to pass a bill, HB 5101, which accompanied the state budget. This bill would allow thousands of children of legal immigrants to receive subsidized health insurance through KidCare beginning at birth. While these children have always been technically eligible, language in the program dictated that the state could not provide healthcare to anyone who had been in the country for less than five years.

This particular victory has been four years in the making, as various representatives and senators have sponsored bills in their respective chambers that would lift the waiting period. Ultimately, it was Speaker Steve Crisafulli who called for its passage in January.

Rep. Joe Felix Diaz of Miami had been involved with child welfare for a long time before realizing that this particular initiative was a no-brainer.

“Preventative care is of course much cheaper and this addendum provides for that,” said Rep. Diaz. “We are expecting to cover between 17,000 and 45,000 additional kids for no additional money because we were able to shift dollars from the existing general fund.”

The federal government also agreed to pay 97 percent of the cost of KidCare enrollment, an increase from the 71 percent it had been paying.

While this was a big win for children, the legislature and the Children’s Movement, there remains an even bigger problem. Right now, about 383,000 children are fully eligible for access to the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which includes KidCare, and Medicaid, yet are not enrolled simply because they are unaware of the resources available. There’s MediKids for children ages 1 to 4, Medicaid for kids of low-income families and the Children’s Medical Services Network for children with special needs. Another option, Florida Healthy Kids, charges families based on income. For example, most families only pay between $15 and $20 a month for care.

“There are enormous resources available, but far too often it is far too difficult to find this information,” said Aloupis. “We shouldn’t be allowing kids to be using ERs; that’s an expensive form of care that we end up paying for as taxpayers anyway. The information is there, but it’s highly localized.”

That’s where the second leg of the stool, parent support, comes in. The Children’s Movement is also championing an

“We are expecting to cover between 17,000 and 45,000 additional kids for no additional money.”

54 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

expansion of a round-the-clock parent resource system called Help Me Grow (HMG). The goal of HMG is to promote healthy development for every child in the state. It is a comprehensive and integrated system designed to address the need for early identification of developmental/behavioral concerns, and then link children and families to community-based developmental and behavioral services and support.

As part of HMG, any parent can reach representatives from early learning coalitions, Florida Legal Services, the United Way and more, by simply calling 2-1-1. They also offer web chat versions of their services. In this way, Aloupis said, parents with limited resources can find out what is out there to help them raise their children in the best, most effective way possible.

The service also offers referrals with advocacy and follow-up, screenings for health and development, enrollment in community programs, and networking opportunities for families, service providers and community partners.

The United Way of Escambia County facilitates the local branch of the 2-11 program, and, also offers information on emergency food and shelter, child care services, help for people with disabilities, counseling, mental health services and more.

The last crucial antecedent of a positive childhood experience is early, high-quality education. The Children’s Movement is a big believer in Voluntary Pre-K, a program to offer all four-year-olds free prekindergarten regardless of family income. VPK prepares early learners for success in kindergarten and beyond.

While Florida was the first state in the nation to provide pre-K access, funding for the program has been woefully inadequate. There is a waiting list of about 50,000 for subsidized school-readiness programs.

“When the program was first instituted, there was $2,500 allotted for each child,” said Aloupis. “A lot of experts say that’s not enough to ensure high quality. We’re now in the 11th year of the program, and we’re actually spending $63 less per child, despite an increased cost of living. Compare that with DC where they spend $15,000 per child.”

It would require about $250 million to get the program up to snuff, compared to the $20 billion Florida spends on education out of the $82.3 billion budget.

Aloupis is hesitant to just throw money at the problem, though. He says that accountability and comprehensive assessment are far better metrics for success than how much money is spent.

“How do these schools rate on school-readiness and how do students perform on the larger continuum of eventual higher education?” asked Aloupis.

Florida requires that 70 percent of children who attend VPK be ready for kindergarten in order to receive public money.

“Parents need to research these organizations,” said Aloupis. “They shouldn’t just be a babysitting program; they need to teach children effectively.”

There is clear research indicating that children who are born into poverty are on a different trajectory than their better-off counterparts. Disparities can begin to manifest as early as 18 months. But, education is the great equalizer. That is why, according to Aloupis, we must reconstruct how we view education.

“We need to draw a direct line between investments and ROI later on in high school and college,” said Aloupis.

Not one to wait around, private industry is starting to take matters into their own hands.

Companies like Gulf Power are huge proponents of workforce readiness and early childhood education.

Jennifer Grove is the community development manager for Gulf Power and is part of their initiative to locate and nurture high-quality students.

“It started when we discovered that we were having a hard time getting folks to hit the ground running in some of our high-skill positions,” said Grove. “We started looking at our student base and tried to determine when kids decide to get into science, engineering and technology. We discovered it was very early on, and that’s when we decided to be proactive about cradle-to-career programs.”

Through ECARE (Every Child A Reader in

Escambia), Gulf Power partnered with other organizations in the area to help improve childhood literacy. This is done through ideas, like Reading Pals, in which professionals in the community sign up for one hour a week to read to preschool children in the area.

“We also work with professional development for teachers and encourage family interaction and model behavior,” said Grove. “The entire community should be one big support system for parents, whether it’s reading to their kids, or tax preparation, or professional development.”

Grove also serves on the Florida Chamber of Commerce, helping with their Six Pillars program. One of those pillars is talent and education, and the Chamber has already added early learning as a key component of the talent pipeline.

“We do that by sharing consistent messaging with our business audience,” said Grove. “We tell them why it matters to focus on early learning and let them know how their business can get involved, whether through tangible counseling or through partnerships, programs and funding—anything to move the needle on early learning outcomes.”

Breaking the cycle of generational poverty and moving kids into high-skill, high-wage jobs requires parental and professional support. One of the greatest investments any individual or business can make, in fact, is early learning. It is estimated that one dollar spent on a child between the ages of 1 and 4 returns an average of seven dollars later in life.

“People understand the importance of family and economic health, but what they don’t realize is how closely education is tied to that,” said Grove.

“Everything we know from brain science to economic research tells us that there is a direct connection between not being ready for kindergarten and dropping out of high school, only to be dependent on social systems later in life. It’s really about a culture change that starts with the parents and children before kindergarten.”

Grove recommends that parents go to educational facilities and engage one-on-one with teachers. Make sure the schools provide a vocabulary-rich environment. Tune in to your kids and talk to them, even if they cannot yet talk or understand. There is a direct connection, Grove says, between the language arts and STEM. “In order to remain competitive and viable, we have to accelerate our educational standards and take proactive measures as a community, together, using all sectors to improve,” said Aloupis. “With that kind of understand, plus a network of parental resources and robust healthcare, we will have less work to do on the social safety net and incarceration side.”

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 55

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Military

A New Venture For Veterans FOLLOWING THE BUZZ ON THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ENTERPRISES OF FORT WALTON’S VENTURE HIVE AND UNDERSTANDING ITS VETERAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMS. What’s a Venture Hive? It isn’t a home for adventurous bees, if that’s the image your mind was conjuring up. Rather, Venture Hive is an organization working to educate and cultivate entrepreneurs by offering effective turnkey models, which allows for the creation of an entrepreneurial ecosystem based on tried and true educational principles.

BY DAWN GRESKO In 2013, serial entrepreneur Susan Amat founded Venture Hive in Miami, Fla. On the large scale, it offers both accelerator and incubator programs that focus on connectivity and guidance for entrepreneurs and startups to maximize regional economic development impact. Since its launch, Venture Hive has created partnerships with major corporations like Microsoft, and sponsors like the Small Business Association.

One of Venture Hive’s more recent partnerships was with the City of Fort Walton Beach in order to create a home for the veteran entrepreneurship movement with the start of its customized accelerator and pre-accelerator for veteranowned businesses and/or startups.

The goal is to connect these vets with resources and support necessary to scale their businesses.

Unlike other veteran entrepreneurship programs, Venture Hive aims to help build large scale and global market companies, which can take advantage of the innovative research already being conducted in the Fort Walton Beach area.

In fact, the USAA and US Chamber of Commerce named the City of Fort Walton Beach one of the top ten cities for veteran startups in November 2015.

So, what’s the City of Fort Walton’s secret? The answer: a combination of efforts by Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach and director of the Veterans Program Bob Foster—a Gulf Coast native, who began his experience in information technology as an IBM field engineer in Pensacola.

“I look forward to supporting the Fort Walton Beach community and our veterans,” said Foster.

“The methodologies and systems used by the Venture Hive team are the best-in-class that I have seen in my decades of entrepreneurial experience.”

Foster’s 17-year career with IBM included positions in engineering, sales, product development, education and evaluation, as well as executive management and corporate strategy, giving him a well-rounded understanding of the business arena. He returned to the Emerald Coast from Austin, where he managed an IBM Development Laboratory Team before moving into the entrepreneurial world.

Following his exit from IBM, he went on to found, fund, help launch and mentor numerous central Texas startups, including a number that were led by veterans. As an honorably discharged veteran of the Army Reserves himself, Foster is also a member of the Navy League of the United States, InfraGard, and the Information Systems Security Association, all of which have lent Foster a unique perspective from which to guide veterans.

Today, Foster’s role as director of Venture Hive’s Veterans Program includes anything and everything

Military from introducing program participants to possible investors to helping them approach lawyers for product patents, as well as helping them understand the basics of starting a business by dedicating one hour per week to each company he mentors.

The Venture Hive Veterans Program offers both a pre-accelerator and accelerator classes.

What is the Venture Hive accelerator? An intensive 12-week structured program that provides access to a dedicated group of business coaches (like Foster), as well as highly customized training and a relevant network, all to drive the economic growth of the region.

The accelerator program is geared toward businesses that are beyond early development and possess a minimum viable product, business model, and revenue stream. To be eligible for this program, at least one of the primary founders of the business must be a veteran, excluding military spouses.

Participants should be prepared to spend over 40 hours a week working on the accelerator program.

On the other hand, the preaccelerator program is meant to aid new idea and pre-revenue businesses being launched by veterans and/or military spouses in Northwest Florida.

In other words, the program is open to either a veteran- or military spouseowned business still in the early stages, preferably those focusing on innovative web, mobile, or technology product solutions to address a clear market need. The company should have a rough business model, but may still be validating customers, building a product, putting together a team, and refining revenue streams.

Over the course of the 12-week pre-accelerator program, participants should be willing to devote over 25 hours a week, including 10 hours on-site at the Venture Hive facility and 15 to 20 hours on their own. The pre-accelerator includes a curriculum of practical workshops and training sessions, mentoring from a network of local, national and international entrepreneurs and experts, as well as exposure to qualified investors.

While the prospective company can be at the idea stage, you must be able to have a minimum viable product completed by the end of the program.

Also, preference for selection into the program will be given to businesses with two to four founders possessing complementary business and technical skills. Additional preference is given

to those who apply if they own some form of intellectual property, including patents and trademarks.

Beyond the 12 weeks of program involvement, participants in the pre-accelerator receive access to a collaborative working space in Fort Walton for six months, and those in the accelerator have access for a year.

While the curriculum for the pre-accelerator differs slightly from the accelerator program, the general curriculum for the first week consists of finding a co-founder, developing a co-founder agreement, and creating a co-founder checklist.

Also, during the first week, participants should expect to learn about competitive analysis, creating elevator pitches using PowerPoint presentations, and pitching to investors. Participants should be prepared for developing lien business models, defining a team, drafting a rough version of a full pitch, and compiling a set of milestones they hope to reach with the company (i.e., fiscal goals, how many employees the company will hire, and what quantity of product will be ready by a specific date), as well as defining the problem of opportunity, and doing due diligence on their market to see if people will want to buy the product.

Currently, Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach’s pre-accelerator and accelerator classes are offered at no cost to veterans.

The accelerator is free to selected businesses, thanks to the City of Fort Walton’s allocation of $500,000 to the Veterans Program initiative. The City has also agreed to provide renovated space to house the Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach accelerator.

Likewise, the pre-accelerator class is free to selected businesses because Gulf Power and other partners are sponsoring the operational costs for the program.

So, how does Foster and Venture Hive Fort Walton Beach help veteran participants get investors? It starts with finding an investor, such as a lawyer or another business owner.

“You have to give up a slice of your pie to feed the economic development beast,” said Foster. “Make it grow bigger, so everyone wins. It’s about getting people accustomed to investing in something that is sometimes just behind the screen—a theory, or idea, that’s not fully realized yet. But, when people start giving away a slice to invest, it grows the community.”

Essentially, Foster convinces an

investor to bet an initial amount on the veteran entrepreneur. By the end of the program, if the investor is not impressed, then both parties can shake hands and part ways amiably, so no one owes each other.

But, should the investor find the entrepreneur’s cause worthy of funding, then they will invest an additional amount with the anticipation of a generous pay out.

For instance, let’s say an investor bet an initial amount of $10,000 on the veteran’s startup, and contributed an additional $10,000 after deciding the venture was worth the bet. At the end of the investment, the investor can expect a return of 150 percent of what is owed by the veteran. Moreover, the investor can be offered deals on purchasing stock in the veteran’s company, such as the right to buy 1,000 shares in the company at the cost of a nickel each.

If you’re feeling iffy on the investment aspect, you should know that graduates of the Venture Hive Veterans Program are already achieving success in their enterprises.

One example is event coordinator and High Caliber Lady CEO Heather Burleson, who participated in last year’s accelerator program under Foster’s guidance. She came to the accelerator with an idea in mind for High Caliber Lady—a company concept for building a place to train women under nonlethal personal protection techniques,

as well as with tools like stun guns and pepper spray. The company also proposed to offer accessories like concealable weapon holsters.

In April 2016, High Caliber Lady raised $4,500 in its High Caliber Fashion Show for women interested in learning more about firearms, and featured a runway style fashion show highlighting pistol concealment holsters and garments. The money raised by the show was used to help a local disabled military family.

What’s more, High Caliber Lady has followed its fashion show with a series of classes focusing on fundamental pistol safety and ongoing skill-based training that began at the Fort Walton Beach Venture Hive classroom in mid-May. Venture Hive’s existing programs in Miami have already shown a $7.3 million economic impact in less than two years of operation. If this trend continues, Venture Hive’s parternship with Fort Walton Beach is expected to bring a similar, if not higher, impact to the city and to Northwest Florida, ultimately leading to the creation of higher business growth and job opportunities through creating successful entrepreneurs.

Follow the Venture Hive buzz on their social media, or read more on the Veterans Program at veterans. venturehive.com.

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Around the Region

Hilton Garden Inn hotel brand announces top award winners Hilton Garden Inn Pensacola Airport/Medical Center, managed by Gulf Breeze based Highpointe Hotel Corporation, has been recognized as a top award winner in the Hilton Garden Inn hotel brand for 2015.

The local hotel received two prestigious awards, including the Hotel Success Award and the General Manager Merit Award. The Hotel Success Award is given to those hotels performing in the top five percent of the brand, which includes over 650 hotels worldwide. The General Manager Merit Award, received by General Manager Dick Tanner, is given to only four general managers system-wide each year.

Two Landrum employees honored for 40 years of service Landrum Human Resources is proud to announce the 40th work anniversary of two employees - Peggy Fortunato, director of administration and corporate HR, and Denise McLeod, vice president of staffing and human resources. The company commemorated the occasion with a celebratory luncheon honoring their four decades of service.

Sunday’s Child announces this year’s grant finalists Sunday’s Child will hold their second annual membership meeting at the Studer Building in Maritime Park on Sunday, June 26 from 1 pm to 4 pm. After a rigorous review process, four non-profit finalists from a total of 30 grant applications have been selected to present their projects to Sunday’s Child members. This year, four of the five categories have been awarded nominations. Animals, Environment and Preservation category: Humane Society of Pensacola; Health, Wellness and Recreation category: Ronald McDonald House; Arts, Culture and Education category: First City Art Center; and LGBT and Family category: Beacon Shelter for Women and Children. This year, Sunday’s Child members will hear each of these organizations present their projects at the annual meeting to award two grants of $35,500 each.

Art, Culture and Entertainment, Inc. (ACE) announces grant recipients for third annual Foo Foo Festival Art, Culture and Entertainment, (ACE), Inc. announced on May 9 the recipients of nearly $300,000 in grant funding for the third annual Foo Foo Festival, the upcoming fall festival of arts and cultural events to be held Nov. 3-14, 2016.

Foo Foo Fest, the tourism-marketing program of ACE, promises to be bigger and better in 2016 as the area works to attract cultural tourists to Escambia County, Fla. Full list of grant recipients: • Friends of Downtown Pensacola • Ballet Pensacola • First City Art Center • Pensacola Little Theatre/Appetite 4 Life • Pensacola Opera • West Fla. Literary Foundation • African American Heritage Society • Pensacola Choral Society • Clean Energy Fest • Jazz Society of Pensacola • Pensacola MESS Hall

• Pensacola Bay Concert Band • Pensacola Civic Band • Pensacola Lighthouse Foundation • Pensacola Museum of Art • Pensacola Symphony Orchestra • Pensacola Waterfront Mission • My Brothers & Sisters • Legal Services of NWFL • Truth for Youth • Frank Brown Int’l Songwriters Festival

Around the Region

UWF professor appointed to Governor’s council for early childhood intervention UWF assistant professor Dr. Sara Evans has been appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to the Florida Interagency Coordinating Council for Infants and Toddlers, a statewide agency that assists and advises the Early Steps program.

Early Steps serves families of infants and toddlers who have developmental delays by providing individualized family support plans.

Early intervention helps caregivers develop the skills to help their children learn and grow.

Evans, an assistant professor in the UWF Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, has studied childhood behavior since she began graduate school in 2005.

“This knowledge informs my ability to serve on this council,” Evans said. “I am also the parent of a child with Down syndrome who has been receiving services through the Pensacola Early Steps office for almost three years. I can provide a unique perspective as someone who has very recently worked with a local office in Florida.”

Evans will assist FICCIT by informing policy makers, legislators and service providers to improve the implementation and development of these services. Her scholarly research in the area of child development will help to contextualize the broader influences that children using early intervention services are subject to, above and beyond any special needs they may have.

“Personally, this appointment is very meaningful because of my experience with our local early intervention office. We were very fortunate to have capable, kind and considerate people to work with in Pensacola, and I want to help assist the council in ensuring that all families across the state also have a positive experience,” Evans said.

Evans’ appointment is just one example of the work that faculty in criminology and criminal justice do to engage with the community and state at-large, she notes. Many other faculty members also serve in public service roles that help make this community a better place to live.

“Dr. Evans is passionate about early childhood development. She is hardworking, thoughtful and collaborative,” said Dr. Matthew Crow, department chair. “Her appointment is an excellent example of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s commitment to community engagement and partnerships.”

Evans hopes that by serving on FICCIT, she can help to improve the care and efficiency of early intervention services across the state of Florida and make a positive impact in the lives of families who need these important services.

62 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

Steve Gampher promoted to vice president at Sacred Heart Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola (SHHP) has appointed Steve Gampher to the position of vice president of Ancillary Services. Gampher, who has served as director of Diagnostic Services for the past two years, has 23 years of experience with Sacred Heart. In his new role, Gampher will be in charge of Laboratory Services, Radiology Services, Rehabilitation Services, Emergency Preparedness, Security, Echocardiography, TriMedx, Neurodiagnostics and Laundry Services.

He first started as a data-entry clerk for Sacred Heart Medical Group while attending college.

He earned bachelor’s degrees in Clinical Laboratory Science and in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of West Florida, where he also received a master’s degree in Management with a concentration in Healthcare Administration from Troy State University.

Gampher completed his clinical internship at SHHP through UWF. Throughout his career, Gampher has held various positions in the clinical laboratory, including working in laboratory information systems jointly with Sacred Heart Health System and Providence Hospital in Mobile, Ala. In 2013, he began serving as the Clinical Laboratory’s interim director and was promoted to that position in November 2013. In December 2014, Gampher was promoted to director of Diagnostic Services.

New Exhibition: Salty Butter June 9th – July 17th at the Gallery 1060 at First City Art Center Thursday, June 9th will be the opening of the exhibition Salty Butter at Gallery 1060 at First City Art Center from 6 to 9 pm. Salty Butter is an exhibition of whimsy, humor, and fun featuring the talents of First City Art Center’s gallery artists. FCAC is churning up large installations, paintings, sculptures and more.

The buttercream on the cake will be “Beyond the Grape” offering a wine tasting during the opening reception along with the gallery artists giving live painting and pottery demonstrations. The opening reception will be Thursday June 9th 6 to 9 pm. Bring your friends and family and enjoy an evening of whimsical fantastic art.

First City Art Center is located at 1060 N. Guillemard St. in Pensacola. For questions or more information please call 850.429.1222 or visit the FCAC website at FirstCityArt.org.

Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @firstcityartcenter and @firstcitygallery

Dr. Mehta of Nemours lands statewide leadership role Nemours is proud to announce that Dr. Mary Mehta, chief medical officer of Nemours Children’s Clinic, Pensacola (NCCP), is now part of the Nemours Florida Leadership Team as chief medical officer for all Florida Network Operations.

In her new role (in addition to remaining CMO of NCCP), Dr. Mehta will oversee the Floridaarea primary and urgent care offices and will promote the specialty care that Nemours provides to new and existing hospital partners.

A pediatric cardiologist for more than 20 years, Dr. Mehta has served the children and families of Nemours for more than 12 years. Moving forward, she will continue to practice in both Pensacola and Orlando.

15th Annual

In memory of John Ryan Peacock

Sept. 29 - Oct. 1, 2016 THURSDAY FORE! Charity Tee Off Par-Tee & Silent Auction Sanders Beach Corrine Jones Community Center

FRIDAY & SATURDAY 2-Day • 2-Person Best Ball Format Marcus Pointe Golf Club Stonebrook Golf Club

PROCEEDS BENEFIT LOCAL CHARITIES Including Child Guardians, Inc • Gulf Coast Kid’s House Council on Aging of West Florida Ashley Lauren Offerdahl Endowment for Children’s Home Society of Florida

Escambia County Sheriff’s Office

Sheriff David Morgan Your Life...Your Community • No Place for Drugs www.escambiaso.com

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The Company You Keep

How and to whom you present yourself influences the success of your business. Our listeners are: Curious, Active, Engaged, Business Leaders, Tech Savvy, Influential, Well-travelled, Educated, Affluent, Voters, Volunteers, Professionals. As a WUWF Program Sponsor, your business can benefit from the company it keeps.

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Invitation for Pensacola Area Presidents, CEOs & Business Leaders What Big Brands Know: Grow Any Business Like a Billion-Dollar Brand June 22, 2016 7:30 - 10:30 a.m.

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Gerry will cover 5 steps that big brands use to attract their ideal customers. To register, call 800-733-4832 or e-mail marketing@vistageflorida.com.

We work with you to provide the right technology for your business. Switch today for maximum Internet download speed options up to 10 Gigs.

It’s all backed by our responsive, 24/7 business-class customer support.

25 Mbps Internet

30-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE

69

$

/mo*

for the first 6 months with a 3-year agreement

CALL (877) 984 -0167 OR VISIT COXBUSINESS.COM TO SWITCH TODAY *Offer ends 9/4/16. Available to new commercial subscribers (excluding government agencies and schools) of Cox Business Internet SM 25 (max. 25/5 Mbps) who sign a minimum 3-year contract. After 6 months, rate increases to $79 per month for remaining term of contract. Early termination fees may apply. Prices exclude equipment, installation, taxes, and fees, unless indicated. Speeds not guaranteed; actual speeds may vary. See www.cox.com/internetdisclosures for complete Internet Service Disclosures. DOCSIS 3.0 modem may be required for optimal performance. Discounts are not valid in combination with or in addition to other promotions and cannot be applied to any other Cox account. 30day satisfaction guarantee limited to refund of standard installation/activation fees and the first month’s recurring service and equipment fees (and equipment purchase fees if purchased from Cox) for the newly subscribed services only. Excludes all other costs and charges. Refund must be claimed within 30 days of service activation. Other restrictions apply. © 2016 Cox Communications, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Mike & Phyllis Johnson Honorary Chairs

Visit wsre.org/wineandfood to learn more.

Troy Gagliardo Celebrity Chef

An Original Production of WSRE

Over 20,000 American boys and girls lost their fathers in Vietnam.

WSRE is proud to present They Were Our Fathers, a documentary filmed in Washington D.C. at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as hundreds of these children, now men and women, honored their dads on Father’s Day with a special ceremony and remembrances left at The Wall.

Each of these sons and daughters has a unique story to tell. They are bonded together in tragedy but also joined together in patriotism, honor and respect for the fathers they loved and lost. Their stories serve as powerful testimonies about the true cost of war.

17321-0516 WSRE PM-BC June FP ad.indd 1

Father’s Day Premiere 7pm Sunday, June 19 Presented by

wsre.org

5/26/16 10:57 AM

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