Pensacola Magazine May 2015

P e n s a c o l a • Yo u r C i t y • Yo u r M a g a z i n e

May 2015

MAKE SUMMER FUN A CAMP GUIDE

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editor’s note > my two cents on the subject Kelly Oden

Don’t tell my daughter, but I think I love summer break as much as she does. I adore her school and I fully understand the importance of a good education, but I love the long, lazy homework-free evenings of summer, too. Trips to the park, bike rides, playing on the beach, a stroll through a downtown festival—these are just a few of the ways we like to spend our summer evenings. Of course, the days of summer need to be filled with good things, too, and that’s where summer camps come in.

Summer camps offer kids the opportunity to keep their minds sharp and to try their hand at any number of new adventures.

Pensacola schools and organizations offer a broad range of innovative, creative and educational camp opportunities and you’ll find the best of those options in this issue.

Our annual Summer Camp Guide is a

Executive Editor

great tool for planning your child’s amazing summer.

Another thing I love to do with my daughter is cook. She loves to cut and mix and her specialties are strawberry pie and strawberry shortcake (can you see the trend?). Recently, a friend gave her a child’s knife for her birthday and it has been a great tool for her to build her knife skills. I love the time we spend together in the kitchen— it’s a learning experience and an opportunity to talk about our day or listen to music or just hang out together. This month, we asked local cooking school owner Jacki Selby of Pensacola Cooks to write an article outlining the value and benefits of cooking with kids.

She did a great job and we hope it inspires you to bring the kids into the kitchen and get them involved in preparing the family meal.

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

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We’ve also compiled a summer reading list for kids and young adults. Culled from recommendations from some of the best book reviewers and news organizations, this list contains unique books that offer highly imaginative stories and well constructed learning opportunities. Be sure to keep your kids engaged this summer with some of these great reads.

I hope you enjoy this issue. As always, let me know your thoughts!

ontents C Make Summer Fun: A Camp Guide p34

Cooking With Kids p30

Pensacola Summer Festivals p11

p11

The Juan SebastiĂĄn de Elcano Visits Pensacola in Honor of Galvez p15 Tri As You Might p18 Hangout Fest: The Best Weekend of Your Life p24 Inspiring Minds p26

p15

Play, Live, Give p42 Pensacola Scene p46

Northwest Florida’s Business Climate Magazine Special Section p49 p24 8

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On the Cover: Lawson, Lola, Oliver, Mac and Sienna at Episcopal Day School.

Photographed by Guy Stevens

May

2015

Publisher Malcolm Ballinger • malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com Pm Editor Kelly Oden • kelly@ballingerpublishing.com Art Director Rita Laymon • rita@ballingerpublishing.com Graphic Designer & Advertising Coordinator Guy Stevens • guy@ballingerpublishing.com Editor Emily Echevarria • emily@ballingerpublishing.com Business Editor Josh Newby • josh@ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Interns Dawn Gresko Sales & Marketing Becky Hildebrand, Account Executive ext. 31 becky@ballingerpublishing.com Amanda Tomlinson, Account Executive ext. 28 amanda@ballingerpublishing.com

Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Publisher Malcolm Ballinger • malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com Executive Editor Kelly Oden •kelly@ballingerpublishing.com Art Director Rita Laymon • rita@ballingerpublishing.com Graphic Designer & Advertising Coordinator Guy Stevens • guy@ballingerpublishing.com Editor Emily Echevarria •emily@ballingerpublishing.com Business Editor Josh Newby •josh@ballingerpublishing.com Sales & Marketing Simone Sands, Account Executive ext. 21 simone@ballingerpublishing.com Becky Hildebrand, Account Executive ext. 31 becky@ballingerpublishing.com Amanda Tomlinson, Account Executive ext. 28 amanda@ballingerpublishing.com Website: www.ballingerpublishing.com Editorial Offices 41 North Jefferson Street, Suite 402 Pensacola, Florida 32502 850-433-1166 • Fax 850-435-9174 Published by Ballinger Publishing:

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. © 2015

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Pensacola

s l a v i t s e Summer F

Compiled by Dawn Gresko

Art

in the

Fiesta

of

Park

Five Flags Crawfish Festival

Summer

begins officially in June, but that hasn’t stopped Florida’s signature hot-and-humid weather from rolling in along with a season of summer festivities. Get ready to cool off with Slide the City’s record long slip-and-slide coming to Downtown Pensacola at the end of May. Plan ahead to spend your summer days enjoying the Fiesta of Five Flags Crawfish Festival in Bartram Park and perusing Art in the Park at Seville Square. By night, you can experience summer Evenings in Olde Seville Square, and join in on the Fiesta Days Celebration at historic Seville Quarter.

Pensacola’s 31st annual Fiesta of Five Flags Crawfish Festival is coming to Bartram Park May 1 through May 3. Admission is either $5 per day or $10 for the weekend, and children under the age of 12 get in free. Admission is also free with an active military ID on Friday, May 1, and admission is free to those who participate in the Fiesta 5K & 10K Race on Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 am.

“This year’s festival will bring the tastes and sounds of New Orleans to Bartram Park,” said Hillary Turner, Fiesta of Five Flags public relations director. “There will be plenty of bloody marys, crawfish, and

Evenings

Slide

in

the

Olde Seville Square

City

a second line parade led by Cha Wa, a Mardi Gras Indian Band well known for their elaborate handmade headdresses, street chanting and blues.”

The musical lineup will include an array of artists from The Big Easy including Lee Yankie, Naughty Professor, Lost Bayou Ramblers, The Ryan Balthrop Band, Blues Old Stand, Peek, Voodoo Gumbo, The Daisy Dukes, Cha Wa, Hotel Oscar and Wayne Toups.

The Big Easy festivities will be accompanied by plenty of Cajun dishes--red beans and rice, boudin balls, seafood gumbo, etouffee, jambalaya, crawfish bread, and more. Traditional comfort food menu options will be funnel cakes, chicken baskets and po’boys, as well as bloomin’ onions and fried Oreos. Of course, the festival’s main course is the 16,000-pound supply of boiled crawfish provided by Mike’s Crawfish Boils from Louisiana.

If you like Man vs. Food, or want to show off your iron stomach, then enter the 10th annual Cat Country 98.7 Crawfish Eating Contest running through Sunday, May 3. Children and adults are invited to join, and winners will be awarded prizes from Cat Country 98.7.

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For the family-friendly festival, Cox is sponsoring a children’s area with sand art, mullet printmaking, hands-on crafts, and face-painting activities. In addition, there will be the famous NASCRAW races, where young participants get a chance to race live crawfish for prizes.

“Last year, the Crawfish Festival took place the weekend following the destructive April flood, so attendance was slightly down compared to years past,” said Turner. “However, we were wonderfully surprised at the turnout. Proceeds from last year’s Crawfish t-shirt sales totaled $2,000, and went to the Manna Food Pantries building fund created after the April flooding.”

Proceeds from the Crawfish Festival always benefit Pensacola’s community, and funds go to a local charitable organization. To learn more about this year’s Fiesta of Five Flags Crawfish Festival, be sure to visit fiestaoffiveflags.org.

After Seville Square was restored in 1966, Evenings in Olde Seville Square (EiOSS) began as a community party where locals dressed in 1890s-themed costumes. EiOSS is back by popular demand with free summer concerts starting the night of May 14, when the 2015 summer season will kick-off with musical performances by McGuire’s Pipe Band and Pensacola Civic Band. Concerts will be held every Thursday night from 7 to 9 pm through July 30.

“We are very excited to bring new bands to the event with original music and not just covers,” said Brooke Policicchio from EiOSS. “We leave the band’s lineup to them, but we will be posting band bios and links to their personal pages within the next few weeks on our website.”

Grab your lawn chairs and blankets, and get comfy for the evening shows in Olde Seville. Food trucks like Mimi’s Bistro On The Go, Rolling Embers Pizza, TCBY Frozen Yogurt, as well as Kona Ice will be offering treats during the concerts. There will also be unique memorabilia for sale at all events, including EiOSS t-shirts, light-up cups, picnic blankets, and other special merchandise.

Fiesta Days Celebration EiOSS seasonal memberships Surrender of the City are $20 and, in addition to helping defer the cost of putting on the concerts, memberships provide you with an EiOSS car magnet, as well as fun weekly email concert updates, quarterly e-newsletters, and entries in random drawings throughout the summer season.

“Evenings in Olde Seville Square is a downtown Pensacola tradition that is going on its 28th year,” said Policicchio. “We would like to remind everyone that these events are free to the public but donations, sponsorships and memberships are what keep these events alive.”

To find out more about the 2015 Summer Tour lineup, or to show your support by browsing special EiOSS merchandise or signing up for a membership, check out eveningsinoldesevillesquare.com.

For the weekend of May 16 and 17, Pensacola Museum of Art is hosting its annual two-day Art in the Park festival at historic Seville Square.

“Art in the Park’s main focus is to engage the community in the visual arts,” said Mary Hartshorn, director of communications at Pensacola Museum of Art. “It is a wonderful opportunity for individuals of all ages to enjoy art from various media, eat good food, and perhaps purchase some of the artist’s works.”

The festival will include a juried art show with up to $5,000 handed out in awards, and this year the show will feature an Emerging Artists category to allow new artist’s, or artists who aren’t familiar with the festival circuit, the chance to participate in the art show. The show is scored by local artists and art enthusiasts, and this year’s jurors will be Michael Boles, Nick Croghan, and Krist Lien.

“The PMA promoted Art in the Park to a nationwide audience of 12

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artists and we received a lot of interest,” said Hartshorn. “Close to 100 local and national artists will be in attendance this year. Some local favorites include wood turner Ralph Thomas, painter Margaret Biggs, and jeweler Kathi Gordon.”

Festival food and drinks will be provided by The Wine Bar and Mimi’s Bistro. All ages are welcome to attend, and there will be fun activities for children to create their own works of art.

Funds raised by the festival will go to support the Pensacola Museum of Art and its mission to keep local art education programs and art exhibits alive. For more information on the upcoming festival, or to learn more about donations, go to pensacolamuseum.org.

In honor of Pensacola’s unique ‘five flags’ history, Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon is sponsoring this year’s Fiesta Days Celebration, which will return on May 27 from 7 pm to 10 pm at historic Seville Quarter. The celebration is a re-enactment of our city’s founding in 1559 by Spanish conquistador Don Tristan DeLuna.

“As part of the Fiesta Days Celebration, Surrender of the City will take place at 7:15 pm in Phineas Phoggs,” said Turner. “Local dignitaries such as the mayor, police chief, supervisor of elections and the Pensacola Naval Air Station Commanding Officer are ‘captured’ by the Fiesta Forces and surrender the City of Pensacola and its citizens to DeLuna, his queen, and the Fiesta Forces for the Fiesta season.”

After Surrender of the City, there will be five rooms of fun at Seville Quarter for the five flags that flew over Pensacola—the flags of the Spanish, British, French, Confederate and American. Each room will have food and music to represent the culture of each of the five nations.

“This year, we are very excited to announce that we will be highlighting the Battle of Pensacola and honoring the honorary U.S. citizen, Bernardo de Galvez,” said Turner.

“At the Port of Pensacola on May 27, the officers and midshipmen of the Royal Spanish Navy training ship along with several Spanish dignitaries will join us for the historic Fiesta Days celebration!”

Individuals must be over the age of 21 to participate in the Fiesta Days Celebration, and tickets are available for $35 per person. Each ticket guarantees guests access to the five rooms, two beverage tickets, a custom-designed 66th annual commemorative pin, and a diverse selection of live entertainment.

To purchase your tickets, or read more on the celebration, go to fiestaoffiveflags.org For the first time, Slide the City is coming to downtown Pensacola on May 30. Slide the City is an organization that sets up massive slip and slides in downtown cities across the U.S., as well as in Canada.

Slide the City Pensacola will set up on Palafox between West Jackson and Gregory Street with a slip and slide stretching over 1,000 feet— that’s three football fields of slippery fun.

“There are three main goals of Slide the City,” said Kyle Larsen, marketing director of Slide the City. “First and foremost, we aim for customer satisfaction. The idea for Slide the City was inspired by childhood memories. So our goal is to create memorable, childlike experience for participants of all ages. Second, we love giving back to the community and supporting local causes—we want to revitalize these urban centers, and we want cities to want us to come back. And the final thing is that we want our event to be run well enough so that it is successful for our sponsors and partners, too.”

Proceeds from Slide the City Pensacola will go back to the community, and this year proceeds will benefit the Gulf Coast Kids House fund. Slide the City always works with the host city to recirculate and dispose of water responsibly in the community.

There are three wristband options for entry to Slide the City: Single

Slider for $25, Triple Slider for $45, and VIP Slider for $65 per person. Single Sliders get a mouth guard, drawstring bag and a faux tattoo. Triple sliders can slide up to three times and they also receive a tube, mouth guard and drawstring bag.

VIP sliders get to use the slide an hour before and an hour after the event in addition to unlimited slides throughout the day. Also, VIPs receive goodies including a mouth guard, tattoo, t-shirt, hat, tube and drawstring bag.

“Slide the City is basically one big party,” said Larsen. “Several regional bands, radio stations, DJs, and MCs will be there. Sometimes people dress up in goofy costumes. What I’m saying is come on out and get your slide on with us.”

To purchase your wristbands online, check out volunteer opportunities, or find out more about Slide the City Pensacola, visit slidethecity.com.

Tap into your inner child and seize your summer by joining in on the fun at Pensacola’s summer festivals. Who says you have to choose just one?

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The

Juan Sebastián de Elcano

visits Pensacola in Honor of

Galvez

By Kelly Oden

Pensacola

residents and visitors are in for a special treat this spring. From May 27 through June 1, the Spanish Navy training ship Juan Sebastián de Elcano will visit Pensacola. Maria Davis, the Honorary Vice Consul of Spain in Pensacola, has spearheaded the Elcano’s six previous visits to Pensacola. The first was in 1981 when the ship was commanded by Captain Cristobal Colon De Carvajal Y Maroto, a direct descendent of Christopher Columbus.

Currently under the command of Captain Enrique TorresPiñeyro, the four-masted schooner is one of the oldest tall ships sailing today. Built in 1927, the Elcano was named after the Spanish explorer who completed Ferdinand Magellan’s first-ever circumnavigation of the Earth from 1519 to 1522. At 370 feet long, she is the third-largest tall ship in the world.The hull is made of iron and there are four masts (called Blanca, Almansa, Asturias and Nautilus, after other training ships which preceded the Elcano). Up to now, the Elcano has sailed on 85 training cruises, including ten circumnavigations of the globe.

Sometimes referred to as a floating university, the Elcano is also an ambassadorial ship. Spanish Naval Officers study for five years and their Elcano tour happens during their fourth year. During this year, the officers visit at least a dozen cities

and learn firsthand about life at sea.

Maria Davis explains that the ship’s visit has a special significance this year, “General Bernardo Galvez came to Pensacola in 1781 and he fought the Battle of Pensacola, which played an important role in the fight for independence. Right now we are celebrating the fact that Bernardo de Galvez has become an honorary citizen of the United States. Only seven other people, including Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and the Marquis de Lafayette have made this list. This is a great honor to Spain and the Elcano comes to honor Galvez.”

This year, the visit also coincides with Pensacola’s Fiesta Days and a number of special events are in the works. While in port, the Elcano will be open to the public for tours. Davis estimates that approximately 10,000 people visited the ship during its last visit in 2009. The Elcano will be open to the public. The Elcano will be docked at The Port of Pensacola and will be open to the public on the following dates: May 29: 11 am-1 pm and 3-5 pm May 30: 11 am-1 pm and 3-5 pm May 31: 3-5 pm For more information, please visit fiestaoffiveflags.org.

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The Battle of Pensacola On March 9, 1781, Spanish General Bernardo de Galvez, with a fleet of some 30 ships, arrived opposite Pensacola Bay and within a day took Santa Rosa Island. On March 18, Galvez, in his ship Galveztown, sailed under the cannon of the Royal Navy Redoubt into the harbor, thereby inspiring the rest of the fleet to follow him. The British Army abandoned the town of Pensacola to take position on the fortified hills north of the town. After more than a month of siege and skirmishing, a shell from a Spanish howitzer destroyed most of the Queen’s Redoubt and resulted in General John Campbell’s capitulation and surrender of British West Florida. Although Spain was not a formal ally of the United States, her victory at Pensacola made a significant contribution to the success of the American Revolution.

Source: Battle of Pensacola Historic Marker at Fort George, Pensacola

From L-R, Maria Davis, Honorary Vice Consul of Spain; Commanding Officer of JS Elcano, Captain Cristobal Colon, Duke of Veragua, direct descendant of Christopher Columbus; Captain J. Fauste, Spanish Naval Attache on board the J.S Elcano in 1981 during its 2nd visit to Pensacola, Florida and the Bicentennial of the Battle of Pensacola in 1781.

The first circumnavigation of the globe and Juan Sebastián de Elcano Juan Sebastián de Elcano was born in 1476 at Guetaria, a little fishing port in the province of Guipuzcoa, in the north coast of Spain. Some of the most famous Spanish admirals were born in this region. From its coasts sailed the brave navigators who would reach Terranova in the middle ages.

It is surprising that an epic deed of such importance for Spain and the civilized world as was the first circumnavigation of the globe is so little known. Fame for this exploit has commonly been attributed to Hernando de Magellanes (Magellan), an outstanding figure in his age, who was appointed head of the expedition by Emperor Charles I of Spain. But Magellan did not live to see the end of the expedition, being killed by natives of Saint Lazarus Island in the Philippines. This tragic event, one of the most serious suffered by the members of the expedition, although in no way diminishing the merits of Magellan, gave the glory to that brave and indomitable seaman, Elcano, and his name has been preserved for posterity. He led the 17 survivors of the expedition to the end of their incredible adventure aboard the Victoria, returning to Spain and informing the Emperor, then at Valladolid, of the voyage’s success.

Charles I granted Elcano part of the value of the merchandise carried by the Victoria as well as the use of a coat of arms inscribed with a globe and the motto, “Primus circumdedisti me” (You were the first to circumnavigate me). Juan Sebastian de

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Elcano died on August 4, 1526 in Malaysia on board the galleon Sta. María de la Victoria, in the course of another voyage in which Cape Horn was discovered, and his body was buried at sea.

In 1960, the United States Navy nuclear submarine Triton followed the same route, under water, as that taken by the Victoria 438 years earlier under the command of Juan Sebastian de Elcano. After completing the first underwater voyage round the Earth, the U.S.S. Triton made for the coast of Cádiz on May 2, 1960 and after more than two and a half months under the sea, it surfaced facing the port of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, as a mark of tribute by the American crew to their Spanish predecessors. The Triton had a bronze commemorative plaque on board, with the dates of the two voyages of 1522 and 1960 and reproduction of the sailing ship Victoria, surrounded by an inscription in Latin addressed to Juan Sebastian de Elcano with the words, “Ave nobilis Dux, iterum factum est” (Greetings, noble Captain, it has been done again).

Source: Spanish Navy Training Ship Juan Sebastian de Elcano brochure.

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T ri As You Might

By Emily Echevarria

Since the warm spring weather has settled into Pensacola, plenty of people have gotten outside to enjoy the many spoils of our seaside surroundings while getting some physical activity. From the area’s vibrant running community, to the spandex-clad cyclists zipping down the streets, to the swimmers splashing through the Gulf, this area makes for a gorgeous backdrop to a little outdoor cardio. But how would you feel about combining all three of those activities into one challenging and exhilarating event? A triathlon does just that and local club TriGulfCoast, which presents the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon each October, is working hard to promote a love of the sport through camaraderie and community.

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Triathlon as a sport might feel intimidating at first glance, even to seasoned athletes who may participate in one or two tri activities regularly, but with a good training regimen and a little help from some 100-plus friends, mere mortals can indeed complete triathlons. It’s this idea that inspired the name of TriGulfCoast’s summer training group, the Mere Mortals.

Mere Mortals is a volunteer-led group that meets on Casino Beach on Sunday mornings from June through September to train together for the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon. Each Saturday kicks off with a 6:30 am meeting at the Gulfside Pavilion stage, followed generally by a group run, bike, swim, or a combination of two or three activities.

“It’s beginner focused and it’s meant to take people who have thought about triathlons and have thought about training for it on their own, and getting them in a once a week group setting,” says TGC Mere Mortals chairperson Tom Henderson. “We do a lot to help people learn from the stage at morning meetings, but as much or more of the learning that they have comes from the people that are right next to them.”

The purpose of Mere Mortals is ultimately to prepare participants for the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon, which this year will be held Oct. 3. The race consists of a 600-yard swim, an 18mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run. Participants need only register for membership in TriGulfCoast for a fee of $45 to take advantage of the training program and other member events. Mere Mortals start off getting accustomed to each sport in the group setting, and focus on various areas throughout the season, which culminates in a full practice triathlon for TriGulfCoast members only that utilizes the same course as the SRI Tri. For most of the between 100 and 200 participants at each Mere Mortals training session, swimming is far and away the

most daunting part of the sport. With very little group open water training available in the area, Mere Mortals spends a lot of time getting people comfortable with the swim portion of the race. They start out with a short swim on the calmer sound side after the first orientation, but from there they move to the Gulf whenever conditions allow it, and they have buoys placed to mark the distances for each swim.

There’s a great safety network for swimmers, as TGC makes use of volunteers in kayaks and on paddleboards that unsure swimmers can hold onto if need be, and it’s perfectly legal to do the same during actual triathlons, as long as the vessel isn’t propelling forward. Experienced swimmers are on hand to keep an eye on anyone who might need help. There’s also a devoted swim clinic day early in the season where swim coaches do presentations on land and there are stations where people can learn about buoy sighting as well as practice getting in and out of the surf, which is its own challenge separate from the swim itself.

“We’ve got people that come specifically for the purpose of hanging out with the people that are less comfortable,” Henderson says. “A lot of people have a tough time getting used to the idea of putting their face down in the water, so we spend the first three or four weeks just doing that.”

Biking and running are the more straightforward portions of the race, though both of those aspects get plenty of attention during Mere Mortal training. Organizers that lead the group help answer questions and concerns, and the wide and varying skill levels within the club can also offer a place for newer athletes to get support and help.

“There’s an opportunity to train not only alongside other people who are just now learning the sport and hear their questions, but also there’s some really experienced, really good triathletes

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out too, and they’re more often than not the ones that will ride up alongside you and say, ‘that seat looks too high on your bike,’ or ‘your back tire looks low,’ or give all kinds of tips that the people that are organizing it might never have seen.”

The diversity both in demographic and skill level in the athletes training alongside one another is something unique to the triathlon community. One passionate member of the group is Margaret Oskins. The 70-year-old retiree had competed in two triathlons in Philadelphia before moving to Florida three years ago, and this year she starts her fourth season with Mere Mortals.

“I did one, I got hooked. I struggled through and I finished,” Oskins says. “So I did another one the next year and then we had a snow storm in Philly and I said, ‘We’re moving to Florida.’ First thing I checked: what about triathlons?”

Before relocating, Oskins says she trained for her triathlons mostly on her own. She found out about TriGulfCoast through other runners at Running Wild and immediately joined. She says the group has made a huge impact on her life and she’s even recruited a fellow septegenarian last year who will be joining the group again this year.

“Being retired, it gives me a purpose,” Oskins says. “When I wake up in the morning I know the schedule. Today’s my swim, so I go to PSC to swim. I go to Running Wild and to Phat Girlz on Wednesday. I’ve got a reason to go ride my bike.”

Like most newer triathletes, Oskins says her biggest challenge is the swim portion.

Many people who come to the sport are already runners, who’ve maybe added some cycling to their routine for variety, but haven’t made the jump into swimming, which is why Mere Mortals has such a strong focus on getting participants confident in their swimming skills. For many triathletes, ambitions of a place on the podium are very much secondary to the challenge of 20

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becoming proficient in each sport and just completing a race.

“Most people don’t train to race, they race so they have something to train for,” Henderson says. “And triathlon forces you to have some variety in your training.”

In addition to training participants to complete the swimming, biking and running portions of a triathlon, Mere Mortals prepares you in ways you may not have even thought of if you trained on your own. Advice and practice time is dedicated to things like setting up a transition area— the small area where bikes, towels, running shoes and other gear are placed to be used when moving between each section of the race— and performing each transition efficiently. At one meeting there’s also a special presentation by a certified referee about triathlon rules that help Mere Mortals members avoid penalties on race day.

The gear required for triathlon training can be fairly basic with options for specialization for those that get more serious. Henderson says beginners are discouraged from spending large amounts of money on expensive tri-specific gear until They’ve been at it for a while. For beginners, the swim portion requires a swimsuit or triathlon suit, goggles and a swim cap. For cycling, a geared bicycle and helmet are necessary, and for running, athletic shoes and clothes are all that are needed. Water bottles and a visor are also recommended.

For those interested in getting active this summer or just looking for a new challenge in their life, Mere Mortals offers a great introduction to the triathlon community, which hooks new participants each year. Both Oskins and Henderson cite the supportive and enthusiastic volunteers and members as one of the huge draws to the sport.

“You get cheered,” says Oskins. “We’re out on the run and everybody’s coming back and we’re just starting out and they’re yelling, ‘You’re looking good!’ And you’re high fiving everyone.”

Longtime members and athletes are quick to offer help and encouragement to new members. Young or old, fast or slow, the community is accepting of all aspiring triathletes.

“There’s people who really are mere mortals just like me out there,” Henderson says. “There’s such a wide variety of skill levels and it really is kind of amazing that everybody manages to train together and support each other.”

To become a Mere Mortal, register as a member of TriGulfCoast at trigulfcoast.com, and join them at 6:30 am Sunday mornings June through September. Participants should arrive at least 15 minutes early to set up transition area as meetings begin promptly at 6:30.

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4

Steps to Planning the Perfect Party Thanks to our warm, Florida climate, almost any time of year is the perfect time to entertain.

Whether for friends, family, or coworkers, planning a party can be fun. It can also be stressful, but not if you plan and prepare. SoGourmet Chef, Betsy LeGallais, and SoGourmet Food and Beverage Manager, Hilary Shaffer, have some tips to help you throw the perfect party.

Theme and Invitations

Just like a great piece of music, every great party starts with a theme. Think about who this party is for. Is it a special holiday, birthday, or just because?

Once you decide who you want to entertain and why, you can begin developing your party theme. Whether it’s high tea, Cinco de Mayo fiesta, or a Pensacon pre-party, your theme should carry over to invitations, decorations, and yes, even libations. Have fun with table settings, themed stemware, or a “signature” wine or punch to accompany the party.

Finally, make sure to send out invitations early enough for guests to RSVP, so you can plan accordingly.

Space and Setup

Indoor, outdoor, sit down meal, cocktail mingle; the options are endless, but should follow your party theme. Think about who is coming and what will make your guests most comfortable. A Mother’s Day tea is likely a sit-down affair, while a Star Wars birthday party for a child may require lightsabers and costumes at an outdoor venue!

Creative venues can be fun, but consider weather, parking and accessibility when choosing your party location. The SoGourmet team loves hosting private events on their balconies overlooking

Pensacola sunsets, as well as cooking classes in their upstairs teaching and demonstration kitchen.

Events where guests can participate are also popular. Prizes for choosing the winning horse at a Kentucky Derby party, sparklers for Fourth of July, or even group cooking classes at SoGourmet make for a fun and guest-engaging party.

Party Prep

Lists are the life of a party planner!

If you are cooking and baking your own menu, create grocery and shopping lists.

Schedule out your party - and your planning - with plenty of time to help everything go smoothly.

What time will it start? What time are you serving? Do you have any special entertainment? Whether you’re renting a tent, bringing in a band, or having a catered dinner, be sure to double check with your vendors to make sure that everything is on time and in time.

Lights, Camera, Action

Dim the lights and turn up the music, it’s almost time for guests to arrive! Aim to finish all of your planning and preparing at least an hour before guests arrive. This will give you a chance to breathe and refresh, and perhaps test the wine before you serve it!

One final rule from our party experts: Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. Most guests are happy to lend a hand to their host or hostess.

Most importantly, have fun!

SoGourmet is a place committed to the joys of cooking and entertaining.

From cooktop to table top, shop for unique culinary tools, bakeware and table settings, stay for a cooking class in the demonstration and teaching kitchen or book your own private event.

SoGourmet has a full menu devoted to private events, complete with hor d’oeuvres, three, four, or five-course meals, buffet style meals, desserts, and adult beverages including beer and wine. They also have everything you need for your own DIY party, from wine to breads and cheeses and hor d’oeuvres.

Whether you’re hosting a party at SoGourmet or in the comfort of your own home, we hope these tips will help you plan the perfect party.

BY JOSH NEWBY

THE BEST WEEKEND OF YOUR LIFE T

he sixth year of the easy-going, hard-rocking Hangout Music Festival returns to Gulf Shores, Ala. May 15 – 17, giving music-lovers and partiers the experience of a lifetime as the fest continues to be one of the best of its kind in the nation. About 40,000 people are expected to chill in the sun and shade of the beach while listening to their favorite tunes drift through the salty air. The festival’s unique location and consistently outstanding lineup has put Gulf Shores on the map and routinely brings more than $40 million to the area’s local businesses and hotels.

It all started in November 2009, when Hangout restaurant proprietor Shaul Zislin thought that his business’s beachfront location would make a great spot for a yearly gathering of music aficionados. The first year had some troubles, as the event dates coincided with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Hangout Music Fest hit its stride in its sophomore year— when 35,000 people attended—and completely exceeded expectations in 2012, when advance tickets were sold out in just an hour.

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Now, in 2015, big names like Foo Fighters, Beck, Sam Smith and Skrillex are headed to southern Alabama to help 40,000 people from around the country and world have the best weekend of their lives.

“We’re focused on making this the best music fest experience anywhere,” said festival director Sean O’Connell.

“The chill, laid-back setting and bands that are both well known and soon-to-be well known make a great combination.”

But how does it all come together? O’Connell and team have already started planning 2016, an indication that facilitating the bands, volunteers, vendors, law enforcement, logistics and more is no easy task.

“First thing we do is recap how the most recent festival went,” said O’Connell. “We talk to a lot of fans and do a lot of surveys to see what they liked, didn’t like, and could use more or less of. Last year, we used aerial photography to monitor crowd

flow and had people on the ground taking notes on things like ease of access to water and restrooms, as well as sound engineering.”

One problem the crew noticed last year was the sonic reach of the east stage, where talent like Jack Johnson and Tegan and Sara played.

O’Connell and his team have worked with sound engineers to make sure new speakers can blast the music at a more perfect volume for far-out listeners while not blending with simultaneous tunes on other stages.

A small staff works throughout the year with experts in sound engineering, staging and logistics before expanding to a team of hundreds in the weeks

leading up to the big three-day weekend. The work only gets more intense once music-lovers start coming in late Thursday, ready to sink their toes into the sand and wave their hands to some of their favorite melodies.

“Safety is always our number-one concern, especially with that many people there,” said O’Connell. “It gets hot, so we make sure that watering stations are never out of sight. We’ve cultivated a real reputation among fans and the industry as the best place to play and party. So we have a comfortable, relaxing backstage for the bands and make sure the natural beauty of the area complements and doesn’t harm our visitors.”

This year, things are definitely getting kicked up a notch. A regional artist has been on retainer for a year, hand-making visual enhancements to the Hangout experience.

The music, itself, is of course the best its ever been.

“This is definitely our deepest lineup, all the way down the chart,” said O’Connell. “We have bands way down the list that have top-10 singles.”

Some bands reach out to the Hangout squad to play, while others have to be courted.

“It really depends on if a band is touring or not and if they’ll be in the area,” said O’Connell. “But most importantly of all, you have to put on a great live show.”

If last year’s performances by The Killers, Outkast and others are any indication, the Hangout team definitely excels at attracting the best showmen and women in the industry.

Those who come to the festival are

encouraged to remain polite and courteous. While law enforcement is on hand every hour, O’Connell said that they are rarely needed.

“We have a really wellbehaved crowd,” said O’Connell. “Compared to a college football game, the Hangout crowd is incredible.”

Festival coordinators are mindful of their gracious hosts, and encourage guests to patronize local establishments and spread the wealth and love to the surrounding community.

It is estimated that $6 million is spent on local groceries alone during the three days.

Additionally, every hotel and condo within a several-mile radius will be booked, giving business-owners a nice presummer bump in revenue.

This year, Hangout Music Fest has partnered with Life Is Good to do some charity work for children, and the recently created Hangout Foundation donates tens of thousands of

dollars to Gulf Shores High School. The festival also has an internship opportunity for students wanting to break into the music or event-planning business.

Above all, the Hangout team just wants people to be safe and have a good time. They have focused the featured artwork, brand partnerships and music stylings to meet fans’ interests.

That, coupled with some of the best beaches in the world, makes for a weekend nobody will ever forget.

“Hangout fosters spontaneous experiences that make these festivals memorable,” said O’Connell.

“People meet here, they hang out, and often end up having the best weekend of their lives.”

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Pensacola Magazine

The Lion and the Bird

By Marianne Dubuc Enchanted Lion Books Ages 4 and up

One autumn day, a lion finds a wounded bird in his garden. With the departure of the bird’s flock, the lion decides that it’s up to him to care for the bird. He does and the two become fast friends.

Nevertheless, the bird departs with his flock the following autumn. What will become of Lion and what will become of their friendship?

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space

By Dominic Walliman Flying Eye Books Ages 7-11

Larry and Friends

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space will tell you everything you need to know about our planet, our solar system, our galaxy and the universe that there could be to know. Our clever little cat has made sure of that; he’s a fastidious little feline! Dr. Astro explores topics such as gravity, extraterrestrial life and time with fun facts and fascinating insights that will take you and your children on a journey to the very frontiers of space!

By Carla Torres Tangerine Books Ages 6 and up

Larry the Dog is a juggler from Brooklyn and his friends are a diverse set of animals from all over the world. The story recounts why the characters end up relocating to New York City, how they became friends with Larry and how life has taught them a thing or two. Larry and Friends is primarily a book for children, but its spirit, aesthetic and subject matter will appeal to readers of all ages to be read for both pleasure and food for thought. The tale is truly inspiring; through their life stories, the whimsical characters bring forth the brightest possibilities of the human spirit.

29 Myths on the Swinster Pharmacy

By Lemony Snicket McSweeney’s McMullens Ages 7 and up

We are very curious about the Swinster Pharmacy. We stay up late every night wondering what sort of eerie secrets it contains. Why are there three styrofoam heads in the windows? Who is the owner? Is it really closed on weekends?

Renowned investigator Lemony Snicket has compiled 29 myths about this bewildering establishment, in the vain hope that he could help us shine some light on this enduring mystery.

Hug Me

By Simona Ciraolo Flying Eye Books Ages 3-5 years Ever feel like you need a hug, a really big hug from someone? That’s how Felipe the young cactus feels, but his family just isn’t the touchy-feely kind. Cacti can be quite prickly sometimes you know… and so can Felipe. But he’ll be darned if this one pointy issue will hold him back, so one day Felipe sets off on his own to find a friend and, just maybe, that long awaited hug.

Pensacola Magazine

You Are Stardust

By Elin Kelsey Owl Kids Ages 4 and up

From the water they drink to the trees they climb, kids are connected to the natural world in big and surprising ways. With simple, poetic text and exquisite artwork, You Are Stardust does more than introduce kids to these connections. It sparks their imagination. It starts conversations, and it delights all ages.

Wild Ideas

By Elin Kelsey Owl Kids Ages 4 and up

The Memory of an Elephant

From the creators of You Are Stardust comes a new informational picture book that brings the big ideas of their first book down to earth. Wild Ideas looks deep into the forests, skies and oceans to explore how animals solve problems. Whether it’s weaving a safe place to rest and reflect, blowing a fine net of bubbles to trap fish, or leaping boldly into a new situation, the animals featured (including the orangutan, humpback whale and gibbon) can teach us a lot about creative problem solving tools and strategies.

The Baby Tree

By Sophie Blackall Nancy Paulsen Books Ages 5-8 Cleverly revealing the basics of reproduction in an ageappropriate way, award-winning Sophie Blackall has created a beautiful picture book full of playful details to amuse and engage readers. Sooner or later, every child will ask, “Where do babies come from?” Answering this question has never been this easy or entertaining! Join a curious little boy who asks everyone from his babysitter to the mailman, getting all sorts of funny answers along the way, before his parents gently set him straight.

My Teacher is a Monster! (No, I am Not.)

By Peter Brown Little Brown, Books for Young Readers Ages 4-8

A young boy named Bobby has the worst teacher. She’s loud, she yells, and if you throw paper airplanes, she won’t allow you to enjoy recess. She is a monster! Luckily, Bobby can go to his favorite spot in the park on weekends to play. Until one day... he finds his teacher there! Over the course of one day, Bobby learns that monsters are not always what they seem.

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By Sophie Strady Chronicle Books Ages 5-8

Memory and meaning are at the heart of this oversized, content-rich picture book celebrating the life of Marcel, a soulful elephant. From the towering buildings outside his window and his recollected world travels, to the friends, flora, and fauna that flourish around him, Marcel finds significance in his surroundings and, most importantly, in life’s abundant details. Marcel is writing an encyclopedia, after all, and his entries are featured in full-page spreads packed with facts, elegantly situated alongside the story of his day and his life. Part story and part miscellany, this unforgettable book with dreamlike illustrations will transfix both parents and children.

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summer reads

Brown Girl Dreaming

By Jaqueline Woodson Nancy Paulsen Books Ages 10 and up

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

El Deafo

By CeCe Bell Amulet Books Ages 8-12 Going to school and making new friends can be tough. But going to school and making new friends while wearing a bulky hearing aid strapped to your chest? That requires superpowers! In this funny, poignant graphic novel memoir, author/illustrator CeCe Bell chronicles her hearing loss at a young age and her subsequent experiences with the Phonic Ear, a very powerful—and very awkward— hearing aid. The Phonic Ear gives CeCe the ability to hear—sometimes things she shouldn’t—but also isolates her from her classmates. She really just wants to fit in and find a true friend, someone who appreciates her as she is. After some trouble, she is finally able to harness the power of the Phonic Ear and become “El Deafo, Listener for All.” And more importantly, declare a place for herself in the world and find the friend she’s longed for. A 2015 Newbery Honor Book.

Heap House: The Iremonger Trilogy Part One

By Edward Carey Ages 10 and up

Young Clod is an Iremonger. He lives in at Heap House, his family’s mansion at the center of the Heaps, a vast sea of lost and discarded items whose ever-shifting masses have been known to swallow people alive. The Iremongers are an odd old family, each the owner of a Birth Object they must keep with them at all times. Clod is perhaps the oddest of all—his gift and his curse is that he can hear all of the objects of Heap House whispering. Yes, a storm is brewing over Heap House. The Iremongers are growing restless and the house’s many objects are showing strange signs of life. Clod is on the cusp of being “trousered” and married off (unhappily) to his cousin Pinalippy when he meets the plucky orphan servant Lucy Pennant, with whose help he begins to uncover the dark secrets of his family’s empire. The first installment of the Iremonger Trilogy, Heap House introduces the reader to a fascinating world whose inhabitants come alive on the page—and in Edward Carey’s fantastical illustrations—Clod and Lucy, anxious, animal-loving Tummis with his pet seagull, menacing cousin Moorcus, dreadful Aunt Rosamud, and more. Mystery, romance, and the perils of the Heaps await!

We Were Liars

By E. Lockhart Delacorte Press Ages 12 and up

What happened to the Sinclair family that fateful summer? The answer, as readers discover on this brisk adventure, is as much a solution as it is a perplexing problem. Every summer, the Sinclairs reunite on their private island--salty lemonade and river swims by day and marathon Scrabble games by night. But soon the idyllic reunions take a nasty turn the year protagonist Cadence falls victim to a traumatic brain injury. Two years later, she tries to piece it all together from the different and often conflicting narratives of those who were there. All she remembers is that the three adult sisters of the clan suddenly became bitterly greedy and vengeful, while the more youthful members of the family seemed more attached than ever.

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Cooki g s i Kd The Secret to Mise en Place

By Jacki Selby

I am not too sure that the reason

I spent so much time hanging out in the kitchen with my grandma was because she wanted to provide me with the building blocks for a lifelong habit of healthy eating. Nope, I am pretty sure me sitting on her mother’s Hoosier Kitchen Cabinet counter was all about grandma believing a child’s place was in the kitchen. It was her rendition of the French cooking phrase, “mise en place” (meez-en-plaz), meaning putting in place or to set up.

As important as collecting the ingredients and organizing the cooking space in her tiny kitchen in an urban,

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shotgun house in Cincinnati, Oh., was Grandma felt families, especially the children, should be ever-present in the kitchen, learning from their elders, and having a fun time.

As I grew into adulthood, those experiences in the kitchen with Grandma resonated with me as I gathered children in my own kitchen: my daughters, classrooms of students whom I taught over a 30 year span, and now my grandchildren. Cooking with the children in your life can nurture their creativity and imagination by learning how to modify recipes with their personal interpretation and by helping them feel a sense of accomplishment.

In grandma’s 1950s world, having fun and learning while cooking and baking were important enough skills.

However, for those of us living in a world today where there is a need to validate educational benefits derived from every move children make, there are a few skills and learning abilities that they can develop if we allow children the opportunity to build culinary memories in our home kitchens: • Academic skills in math, language arts, and science by measuring, counting, following directions in sequence when reading recipes, along with experimenting and incorporating ingredients that may result in a delicious or not so delicious food dish.

• Sensory and motor skills that include watching, feeling, smelling, tasting, all of which bring your child closer to learning to appreciate food and its preparation.

• Self-confidence that extends beyond the kitchen; culinary experiences provide immediate, positive feedback during different phases of the culinary process.

• Life-skills and culinary exposure that expands a culinary view encompassing flavors of the world and broadening healthier food choices as your child matures.

• Interpersonal social skills that contribute to your child’s ability to cooperate family and friends of varied ages with a wide range of skills levels.

Again, Grandma’s version of mise en place gives a clear focus on tips that are most useful when you put children in the mix of cooking with you. Build positive, successful cooking experiences by:

1. Abandoning your own adult stereotyping of foods, your likes or dislikes, or what your perception is of “kid food.” Lead by example when cooking with kids and taste something new and different. Plan and prepare meals that everyone in the family eats together. Remember, you may feel like a short order cook in your own kitchen because you allow it to happen.

2. Getting kids cooking at an early age. Exploring is a natural inclination. Squishing, pounding, pouring, and rolling are done close to perfection in the hands of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

3. Actively engaging kids in shopping for recipe ingredients. They will own the responsibility with pride if they know their involvement goes beyond just cleaning the dishes.

4. Preparing and stocking with the basics from your pantry and fridge. It’s amazing how easy “from scratch” recipes can make for some delicious additions to meal preparation when you are prepared and well-stocked.

5. Accepting that mistakes are made and messes are inevitable. Not every cooking adventure will turn out pretty or even tasteful. No, we aren’t all Food Network chefs and that is okay!

Yes, thanks to the wisdom of grandmas everywhere, children have a reserved space cooking in the kitchen, set-up for success and surrounded by love.

On the following pages are a few family favorite recipes that children of all ages can participate in preparing.

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FLOURLESS BLACK BEAN AVOCADO BROWNIES Delicious fudgy and healthy brownies made with black beans and avocados.

Sounds weird, tastes awesome! Be adventurous with your kids in the kitchen!

Adapted from ambitiouskitchen.com Serves: 12 Ingredients • 1 large egg • 1-15oz can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained • 1/2 medium to large ripe avocado • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder • 1 teaspoon coconut oil • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder • 1/3 cup chocolate chips, plus 2 tablespoons for sprinkling

Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8×8 inch baking pan.

2. Place egg, black bean, avocado, vanilla, and brown sugar in a food processor and process until smooth.

3. Add in cocoa powder, coconut oil, baking soda, and baking powder and process again until smooth.

4. Batter will be thick. If batter is too thick and won’t process, you can add in a tablespoon or two of milk. This batter needs to be very thick in order to produce fudgy brownies.

5. Fold in chocolate chip or sprinkle onto batter then transfer to prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly to sides.

6. Sprinkle top of batter with 2 tablespoons of remaining chocolate chips.

7. Bake for 20­-30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out somewhat clean. The top of the batter should be completely set and no longer jiggle.

8. Cool pan completely on wire rack then cut into 12 bars.

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Notes You may be able to sub the brown sugar for honey, agave or maple syrup. Reduce to 1/3 cup though. The brownies are best when made in a food processor so that beans can blend together better. The brownies are best when served at room temperature or cold. They should be stored in the fridge. You can also freeze these and thaw out for an easy treat.

About the author: Jacki Selby, proud grandmother of seven grandchildren and one on the way, enjoys cooking with her grandkiddos every chance she gets! In her spare time, Jacki is co-owner of Pensacola Cooks and Pensacola Cooks Kitchen, located at 3670 Barrancas Ave., in the heart of Warrington. Want more information about Pensacola Cooks services? Contact the office at 850.456.0743 or visit pensacolacooks.com.

PANCAKE BACON DIPPERS 1. Prepare your favorite pancake mix recipe.

2. Pour mix in a squeeze bottle. Make sure the hole at the tip is large enough for the batter to easily go through.

3. Squeeze some of the batter onto a hot griddle in the shape of the bacon, place a piece of cooked bacon in the center and add more batter on top in a zig-zag pattern.

4. Serve with a side of syrup for dipping or diced fresh fruit or berries for topping.

Kitchen Skills by Age 2-5 yrs 4 Stirring

butter in a bowl and straining fresh fruits and vegetables 4 Pouring liquid ingredients 4 Spreading peanut butter and jelly on bread 4 Mashing potatoes and other cooked vegetables 4 Rolling bread or pie dough 4 Using cookie and biscuits cutters 4 Whisking pancake batter 4 Cutting soft fruits and vegetables with a dull knife 4 Measuring liquid and dry ingredients 4 Rinsing

6-8 yrs 4 Whisking

eggs cupcakes and icing cookies 4 Mixing cookie dough and butter 4 Using a can opener, juicer, and garlic press 4 Grating cheese with a box grater 4 Peeling fruits and vegetables 4 Making fresh pasta 4 Using a hand cranked pasta machine 4 Melting chocolate in a microwave 4 Whipping cream with a hand mixer 4 Using paring or other small knives 4 Boiling pasta and eggs 4 Frying eggs and grilled cheese sandwich 4 Frosting

9-12 yrs 4 Trimming

and slicing vegetables 4 Putting foods in oven and removing them 4 Working with timers and thermometers 4 Baking quick breads and muffins 4 Kneading dough and letting rise 4 Cooking soup 4 Using specialty appliances 4 Steaming rice 4 Roasting vegetables 4 Cooking pancakes on a griddle 4 Using a food processor, blender, and stand mixer 4 Frying hamburgers 4 Using a chef’s knife and other large knives

13-16 yrs 4 Using

all kitchen appliances including handling and cleaning 4 Developing knife skills to chop and dice efficiently 4 Baking complicated yeast dough and pastries 4 Making risotto 4 Marinating foods 4 Pan frying and grilling chicken breasts and other meats 4 Using slicers and mandolins 4 Scaling recipes 4 Using and cleaning grills 4 Deep frying food

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make summer fun:

Compiled by Dawn Gresko What do youth and summer have in common? Both are seemingly endless! School’s out and it won’t be forever, but in the months ahead parents will face the challenge of finding constructive ways to occupy all the added free time for their recesscraving children, who smell summer in the air and want a fun-filled break from all the mental drudgery of working with textbooks and standardized tests.

Here enters Pensacola’s local summer camps, which offer a middle ground for parents and children with diverse projects that stimulate young brains and bodies with plenty of fun energy. Each camp offers an array of themes per week-long session, themes that aim to get students involved in various vocations from art to educational and physical activities, and more.

However, if students are attracted to a more specific subject in the arts, academic or active categories, there are specialty camps designed for each child’s individual interests and skills.

Does your child love to cook? Dance? How about build robot prototypes out of Legos? Rest assured, there’s a camp for that.

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A camp Guide

If your child has a knack for creating, or enjoys any of the performing arts, then you’ll want to check out programs and camps with Ballet Pensacola, First City Arts Center, Pensacola Cooks, Pensacola Little Theatre, Pensacola Opera, and Pensacola Museum of Art. On the other hand, if math and science are among your child’s fortes, then you might consider Pensacola MESS Hall, UWF Explore, and National Flight Academy’s Ambition or Flight Adventure Deck summer programs. More recreational choices for camps outdoors include those at PlayPensacola, YMCA�, and UWF Argo Kids Adventure Camp. If you’re looking for more mixed activities from which your child can sample in sessions, then look no further than Episcopal Day School, Montessori School of Pensacola, PSC Kids’ College and Creative Learning Academy.

Since our local summer camp establishments are gaining popularity, summer programs are expanding and hours are increasing per camp session. What this means is the camps can provide extended care hours for children with busy, working parents. Also, be on the lookout for special discounts off tuition costs for enrolling your child for more than one week, applying early for registration, or enrolling more than one child at a time.

Make summer fun and foster your child’s special talents and potential for intellectual and social growth with any one of Pensacola’s local summer camps. Here’s to making brighter summers for brighter futures!

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ARTS Ballet Pensacola

Dates: June 8-11; June 22-25; June 29-July 2; Aug. 3-6 Ages: 3-6 Where: Pensacola Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. Cost: $125/one-week, $325/three-week, $450/four-week session Info: balletpensacola.com Ballet Pensacola is offering a summer children’s program with two sessions per day with students grouped together according to age—there will be one session for three and four-year olds, and another session for five and six-year olds. Young performers will learn instruction in individual and group dances, character acting, as well as in crafts

and mime work. There is a beginning session for students who have already completed one year of pre-ballet, as well as a children’s session for students just starting ballet.

This year, students enrolled in the children’s session will learn dance in their choice of one of the following productions: Robin Hood and Maid Marian, Rapunzel, The Princess and the Pea, and Anna and Elsa. Classes are Monday through Thursday, but sessions run from 9 am to noon for three and four-year olds, and from 1 to 4 pm for five and six-year olds. Students are asked to bring a healthy snack for each day, and to wear uniforms of solid black leotards, pale pink-footed tights, as well as full-soled, pink ballet slippers.

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First City Arts Center “Creatisphere”

Dates: June 1-5; June 22-16; July 13-17; Aug. 3-7 Ages: 8-14 Where: First City Arts Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. Cost: $225/nonmember session, $200/member session Info: firstcityart.org First City Arts Center has expanded its “Creatisphere” summer art program for children, and now offers week-long sessions for students who are grouped by age—one session for ages 8-11 , and another for ages 11-14. Children will learn about pottery,

sculpture, photography, glassblowing, STEM projects, bookmaking, 3-D mixed media, painting, printmaking, and drawing, as well as other creative outlets. Creatisphere is open to students of all skill levels and encourages children to make art that’s “out of the box” in order to promote creative development, critical thinking and innovation. To showcase what the children have learned, Creatisphere will end with an art party and student art show, which parents and friends are invited to attend. Supply and material costs are included with the price of each session, but students are responsible for bringing snacks and lunch each day.

Pensacola Opera Camp

Dates: July 13-17 for Youth Camp; July 27-31 for Teen Camp Ages: 8-16 Where: Pensacola Opera, 75 S. Tarragona St. Cost: $150 for ages 8-12, $175 for ages 13-16 Info: pensacolaopera.com/camps Each year Pensacola Opera holds summer Opera Camps in which sessions focus on vocal and dramatic coaching, audition techniques, as well as set and costume design. This year, ages 8-12 will be learning Mozart’s The Magic Flute in Youth Opera Camp, while ages 13-16 will learn Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow in Teen Opera

Camp. At the end of each session, which will be on July 17 and July 31, campers will star in a final performance for parents and friends.

education Pensacola Little Theatre

Pensacola Museum of Art

Dates: June 1-12; June 15-26; June 29-July 10; July 13-31; Aug. 3-14 Ages: 6-15 Where: Pensacola Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. Cost: Varies by session from $150 to $450 Info: pensacolalittletheatre.com/education/ acting-classes Pensacola Little Theatre’s Education Department has a wide selection of summer camps and classes lined up this year, which includes Creative Drama, Puppet Camp, Break a Leg, Musical Masters, Movie Magic, and Summer Stars. Students will learn the fundamentals of puppetry, and how to use

Dates: June 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-26; June 29-July 3; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14 Ages: 6-9 (Mini Masters), 10-13 (Junior Artists) Where: Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. Cost: $100/member session, $125/nonmember session Info: pensacolamuseum.org Pensacola Museum of Art is offering up to ten weeks of creative fun in its annual Summer Art Camp in which students are shown a variety of mediums with which to create unique works of art. Some of the

their voice and body movements to create a character. Young actors will also learn how to design props, sets and costumes, as well as other backstage duties, and how to perform singing and dancing numbers. Students learn through hands-on experiences in a non-competitive atmosphere, the primary purpose of which is to help our local youths by providing the opportunity to develop, practice and hone the skills needed in all aspects of the theatre arts and theatrical production.

camp themes include Animal Adaptations, Ocean Commotion, Meet the Masters, 20,000 Leagues, The World of Dreams, Sea Monster Mania, Scultpure-palooza, eARTh Art Adventures, Emerald Coast Explorers, and Blast Through the Past. Costs for Ocean Commotion are $200 for members and $250 for nonmembers. Have your children dressed in clothing they can get messy, and make sure they wear closed-toe shoes for safety.

This year each camp session will explore the Pensacola Museum of Art’s blockbuster summer exhibition, The Lure of the Ocean: Original Works by Guy Harvey.

Montessori School of Pensacola

Dates: June 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-26; June 29-July 3; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14 Ages: 2-12 Where: MSP Campus, 1010 N. 12th Ave. Cost: $150/one-week session Info: montessoripensacola.com/summer Montessori School of Pensacola has two summer camp sessions lined up this year— one camp for preschoolers between the ages of 2-5, and the other for children between the ages of 6-12. In addition to recreational summer fun outdoors, preschoolers will

learn about different world cultures, theatre terms and production, jewelry-making, cooking safely and hygienically, science experiments and discoveries, music styles and instruments, as well as different artistic styles and mediums. Elementary-level students will go on archaeological “digs” and field trips exploring Pensacola, work on drama exercises like pantomime and improvisation, engage in woodworking, puppet-making, crafting with fabrics, as well as movement adventures filled with physical activity from maneuvering through obstacle courses to movement-based art and astronomy-based yoga. Camps run weekdays from 8 am to noon.

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education

Continued

Episcopal Day School

Dates: June 1-5; June 8-12; June 22-26; July 13-17; July 20-24 Ages: 5-12 Where: The Hilton-Green Campus, 601 N. Palafox St. Cost: $195/one-week session Info: edssc.org Episcopal Day School is planning for eight weeks of summer fun with its annual summer camp session, stretching Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4 pm. This year registration is open to EDS students, as well as nonstudents. For ages 5-8, camp themes will include exploring the world of Lego by learning and building, playing board games that exercise the mind, reading Spanish adaptations of fairy tales such as “The Three Little Pigs,” taking a journey to Neverland to learn about the history

of Peter Pan, participating in ballet, sports camps, as well as rainforest and safari games, making crafts and reading books. For ages 8-12, camp sessions will be organized around creating circus-themed artworks, investigating the ingredients of ice cream, making candy with science, building and designing a soapbox derby mini car, inventing a new game, learning how to mimic the recipes from fastfood restaurants such as Chick-fil-a and Wendy’s, as well as delving into the realm of robotics by building a programmable prototype.

In the final week, all age groups will participate in The Art of Action, a camp that emphasizes using a variety of tools and mediums to create art that shows action or motion. Students should bring a snack, drink and lunch each day.

Although supplies are covered by the camp fee, additional items may be needed for certain activities, such as goggles and coats for the science-themed camps.

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Pensacola MESS Hall Summer Camps

Dates: June 1-7; June 8-14; June 15-21; June 22-28; June 29-July 5; July 6-12; July 13-19; July 20-26; July 27-Aug. 2; Aug. 3-Aug. 9; Aug. 10-16 Ages: 6-14 Where: Pensacola MESS Hall, 116 N. Tarragona St. Cost: $100/member session, $125/nonmember session Info: pensacolamesshall.org This summer, the camps offered at Pensacola MESS Hall focus on building math, engineering and science skills, and students are organized according to grade levels. Themes at MESS Hall include

Amazing Architecture, Anatomy Academy, Camp Sampler, Code Academy, DNA Detectives, Inventors Workshop, Mission to Mars, Ocean Commotion, Robot Palooza, Rockin’ Out, Science of Sailing, and Zombie Apocalypse. Students will learn about the basic elements of architecture, anatomy, DNA, sailing and Lego robotics, as well as space, earth and ocean sciences. In addition, students will have the chance to experience a faux-zombie apocalypse in which they will diagnose zombie-ism, make predictions about the spread of the disease, avoid infection and deal with the aftermath of the outbreak. Camp days are half-days with either morning sessions from 9 am to noon, or afternoon sessions from 1 pm to 4 pm. Students should bring snacks for all sessions.

PSC Kids College

Dates: J une 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-July 3; July 6-17; July 20-24; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14; Ages: 6-12 Where: PSC Main Campus, 1000 College Blvd., Bldg. 96 Cost: Varies by session from $116 to $316 Info: pensacolastate.edu/ce Pensacola State College is offering science, theatre and Lego specialty camp sessions, as well as summer courses you can pick and choose for children in the 2015 PSC Kids’ College Summer Program. The options for enrollment are practically endless and parents have the choice to register children for individual courses, or week-long

sessions that run daily from 8 am to 4:45 pm. A few of the themes for Kids’ College courses include sports, book clubs, jewelry making, learning about local and foreign cultures, computers, photography, movie making, newspaper reporting, zoology, art, ecosystems and so much more. Students must bring or purchase a lunch, and lunches are available for purchase at the on-campus Subway restaurant, for each full day of classes. Students are also encouraged to bring snacks and water, too. For a successful first day at PSC Kids’ College, make sure your child wears comfortable clothing and give your child a written list of their classes.

National Flight Academy Ambition & Flight Adventure Deck Summer Programs UWF Explore Summer Camps

Dates: June 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-27; June 29-July 2; July 6-10; July 1317; July 20-25; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7 Ages: 5-17 Where: UWF Main campus (11000 University Pkwy.), Historic Pensacola campus, Gulf Breeze Elementary School, Arcadia Mill Cost: Varies by session from $25 to $370 Info: uwf.edu/continuinged/departments/ explore-summer-camps/ UWF Explore Summer Camps will be offering STEM, language and writing, art, and social studies camps for campers between ages 6-17. Kindergarteners will have their own summer camp in which they will become ocean explorers, dinosaur experts, and

adventurers who journey through the wintry world of Frozen. Each STEM camp is a weeklong session that encourages students to discover the world of science, technology, engineering, and math through hands-on activities. Art and writing camps will teach students how to express themselves in new, creative ways. Social studies camps will teach students about archeology and local history, and will include trips to the Arcadia Mill in Milton.

Dates: May 31 - Aug. 14 Ages: 10-12 (Flight Adventure Deck), 12-18 (Ambition) Where: NAS Pensacola, 1 Fetterman Way Cost: $165/one-week session for Flight Adventure Deck, $1,250/six-day session for Ambition Info: nationalflightacademy.com/ ambition-program/ The National Flight Academy is launching its annual Ambition and Flight Adventure Deck programs for summer enrollment. The Flight Adventure Deck program is open to fifth and sixth graders, who will learn how to launch their own rockets and build gliders.

Other activities include watching the Blue Angels practice, IMAX movies, or using the museum’s exciting flight simulators during a week-long session. At the conclusion of the

camp, students will receive their own “Flight Adventure Deck” t-shirt. The Ambition program focuses on building science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills, along with critical thinking, problemsolving, teamwork and communication skills. Students participating in the Ambition program will serve as an “inspired play” in which students work together to compete against other squadrons in finishing a task successfully. The Ambition is a four-story structure designed to simulate a modern aircraft carrier, so students feel immersed in a theme-park like environment to fulfill their tasks. A limited number of $500 scholarships are available for the 2015 program. For scholarship applications, students must submit a cover sheet, along with a 300500 word supporting essay and letters of recommendation to the National Flight Academy for consideration.

Pensacola Cooks Kids Summer Camp

Dates: June 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-26; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24; July 27-31 Ages: 6-9, 10-12 Where: P ensacola Cooks, 3660 Barrancas Ave. Cost: $175/one-week session Info: pensacolacooks.com/pc-kids/ pc-kidscamp/ Pensacola Cooks is having its annual Youth Summer Cooking Camp starting in June. Students are organized for sessions according to age, so there is one session for ages 6-9 and another session for ages 1012. This year, students will learn recipes and food traditions from each region of the U.S.

from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast/ Mid-Atlantic. In addition, young chefs will learn how to make healthier dishes that taste like favorite meals from fast-food joints, and they will attend a baking boot camp to uncover the mysteries of pastry-making, as well as discover more about food science by working with emulsions, meringues and soufflés, cheeses and solar cooking.

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Active

UWF Argo Kids Adventure Camp

PlayPensacola Summer Day Camp

Dates: June 1 - Aug. 14 Ages: 6 - 14 Where: Cobb Resource Center (601 East Mallory St.), Fricker Resource Center (900 North F St.), Gull Point Resource Center (7000 Spanish Trail), Woodland Heights Resource Center (111 Berkley Dr.) Cost: Varies by session from $45 to $130 Info: playpensacola.com PlayPensacola will host nine weeks of summer camps at each of these four resource center locations: E.S. Cobb, Fricker, Gull

Point, and Woodland Heights.

Field trips, swimming, arts and crafts, plus games and sports are just a few of the activities students can enjoy this summer with PlayPensacola summer camps. PlayPensacola is also offering specialty camps this year, which will include beginning and advanced fishing camps, as well as kayak, adventure, dance, teen, playground, British soccer, basketball, volleyball, tennis and junior tennis camps. Outdoor specialty camps are located at Community Maritime Park, Roger Scott Athletic Complex and Tennis Center, Malcolm Yonge Gym, and Gull Point. Camps run Monday through Friday from 7 am to 6 pm.

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Dates: June 1-5; June 9-12; June 15-19; June 22-26; July 6-July 10; July 13-17; July 20-July 24; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7 Ages: 5-11 Where: UWF Campus, 11000 University Pkwy., Bldg. 72 Rm. 278 Cost: $115/five-day session, $85/three-day session (Lunches are an additional $30 per session) Info: uwf.edu/offices/recreationand-sports-services/argoadventure-kids-camp/campinformation/ UWF Argo Kids Adventure Camp will be using the following themes for its summer camps this year: Under Construction,

Around the World, Wizarding Week, American Heroes, Florida Adventure, Deep Sea Voyage, Wild West, Where the Wild Things Are, and Sensational Sports.

Outdoor time will be spent on natural trails, hiking and doing rope courses, while indoor activities will include dance, swimming and rock climbing. Safety activities will also be offered to give students instruction on knot tying and self-defense, and sports activities will allow students to play softball, kickball, tennis, and much more. Every day students should bring a backpack or gym bag with sunblock, extra clothes and shoes, swimming gear, and a water bottle labeled with your child’s name.

May 2015

Northeast Pensacola’s YMCA Summer Day Camp

Dates: June 1-5; June 8-12; June 15-19; June 22-26; June 29-July 3; July 6-10; July 13-17; July 20-24; July 27-31; Aug. 3-7; Aug. 10-14; Aug. 17-21 Ages: 5-12 Where: Pensacola’s Northeast Branch, 3215 Langley Ave. Cost: $60/member session, $120/nonmember session Info: ymcanwfl.org/programs/ youth-development/daycamp YMCA Summer Day Camp is hosting summer camp sessions at its Northeast Pensacola location this year. Activities include arts and crafts, sports, indoor and outdoor games, swimming, skits, singing, field trips, as well as other

themed sessions. In addition to offering swimming lessons for an extra $20 per session, YMCA Northeast is offering Leader in Training Programs for youths between the ages of 13 and 15. Field trip opportunities this summer for YMCA Northeast include excursions to Dreamland Skating Center, Waterville USA, Pensacola MESS Hall, Sam’s Fun City, Gulfarium Adventure Park, Bounce House Pensacola, Mobile Exploreum, and Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. Sessions will include projects, games and events built around weekly themes such as the 80s, great outdoors, water adventures, Olympic games, space camp, and much more.

Campers should bring a bag packed with a swimsuit, towel, sunscreen and a water bottle, as well as a lunch that does not require special heat or refrigeration.

Creative Learning Academy

Dates: June 8 – July 31 Ages: 3 – 14 Where: Creative Learning Academy, 3151 Hyde Park Rd. Cost: Varies by session, $175/ full-day week and $100/ half-day week sessions Info: creativelearningacademy.org Creative Learning Academy is providing the following summer camps this year: Junior Camp, Classic Camp, and Enrichment Camp. Students between the ages of 3 and 7 may enroll in Junior Camp, while those between the ages of 8 and 14 may sign up for either Classic or Enrichment camps. Junior Camp sessions have weekly activities with exploration, mad scientists, pirates and art, as well as under

the sea and true outdoors camping themes. Classic Camp sessions are packed with arts and crafts, sports, and science activities, as well as team-building exercises, free play outdoors each day, and weekly water activities. Enrichment Camp sessions feature robotics, creative writing, photography, music, ceramics, and sports, as well as Lego, Harry Potter and Shakespeare themes. All classes in Enrichment camps run from 8 am to noon but, for an additional $75, you can register your child for Classic Camp from noon to 3 pm. Although healthy snacks are provided, all campers are asked to bring lunches Monday through Thursday. Every Friday is pizza day!

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PLAY•LIVE•give May 1–3, May 7–9

PLT Presents MOMologues 2: Off to School The mom crew is at it again in PLT’s production of MOMologues 2: Off to School, offering a frank and funny look at the true tales of motherhood, from homework hell to multitasking mania. Four separate characters tell their individual stories, either directly to the audience in monologues, or in scenes with each other. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $10 for general admission, or $17 for limited café seating. For tickets or more information visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

Blues Angel Music Blues on the Bay Concert Series 2015 Lineup The Community Maritime Park Associates, Blues Angel Music, and the City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department are excited to announce the 2015 Blues Angel Music Blues on the Bay Summer Concert Series Lineup. All concerts are held at the park on Sundays when the Wahoos are not playing. Concerts begin at 6 pm, and they are free and open to the public thanks to sponsors.

Please do not bring pets or glass containers into the park. For more information, call 436.5670 or visit pensacolacommunitymaritimepark.com.

May 3 Modern Eldorados May 10 Reunion Band May 31 Still Standing, Elton John Tribute

Blue Wahoos Home Games The fourth season of Blue Wahoos baseball is under way! Take yourself out to the ballgame to cheer on Pensacola’s newest home team, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos at the glorious Maritime Park baseball field. Home games for this month are listed below.

For more information and time for games, check out bluewahoos.com.

May 5-9 vs. Tennessee Smokies May 16-20 vs. Mississippi Braves May 21-25 vs. Jackson Generals

Bands on the Beach Pensacola Beach will feature its popular outdoor summer concerts series, Bands on the Beach, every Tuesday night from 7 pm to 9 pm. Regional and local bands will perform in the beautiful Gulfside Pavilion (Casino Beach Blvd.) overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Admission is free but T-Shirts are always on sale for $10, and proceeds help fund the concerts. Feel free to bring your own lawn chairs and get ready to enjoy the show! For more information, go to visitpensacolabeach.com.

May 5 The Hushpuppies May 12 Not Quite Fab May 19 Mr. Big & The Rhythm Sisters May 26 After Midnight

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PMA Presents Art in the Park May 16 – 17 Join PMA for its 13th annual Art in the Park, a two-day arts festival held in historic Seville Square minutes away from the beautiful waterfront and Pensacola Museum of Art. Come take in the beautiful downtown scenery at the family-friendly festival and enjoy art, eat good food, drink spirits, and perhaps purchase some artworks, which will go toward much needed funding to support the Museum. There will be jewelry, wood turning, paintings, sculptures, 2D and 3D art, and more. In addition, Art in the Park is hosting a juried art show with jurors Michael Boles, Nick Croghan, and Krist Lien. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. To learn more go to pensacolamuseum.org.

May 7

ABC Beverage Tasting at Atlas Oyster House Atlas Oyster House presents the next installment of Atlas Beverage Classes (A.B.C.). This semester will feature a presenter discussing the highlighted beverages, each paired with small plates. Classes are held on the Deck Bar the first Thursday of the month and will feature a presenter for four tastings. Classes begin at 6 pm and cost is $20 per person (plus tax and gratuity). The May 7 class will feature Cinco de Mayo Margaritas. Reservations are required. Call 516.2324 to reserve a seat.

May 7

RadioLive WUWF’s RadioLive is back for the first Thursday of each month at the Museum of Commerce at 201 E. Zaragoza St. Concerts start at 6 pm.

This concert will feature guitarist Bill Mize, and songwriters Carrie Elkin and Danny Schmidt.

Admission is free, but please bring canned

food or money to donate to Manna Food Bank.

For more information visit wuwf.org.

Christopher’s Concerts Enjoy family-friendly musical entertainment on the lawn of St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church (3200 N. 12th Ave.) each Thursday evening in May from 6 to 8 pm. Christopher’s Concerts are open to the public and admission is free.

Bring lawn chairs and snacks if desired. The concession stand is open from 5:30 to 7:30 pm and offers sandwiches, hot dogs, soft drinks, ice cream, popcorn, as well as a special menu item—Moe’s Southwest Grill tacos. For more information call 433.0074.

May 7 The Blenders May 14 Reunion Band May 21 Dizzy Juke Band May 28 Mr. Big

May 7 – June 6

Quayside Art Gallery Presents Ninth Annual First City Juried Art Show Quayside Art Gallery is hosting its Ninth Annual First City Juried Art Show with works by local artists living in the Pensacola area. The exhibition will be open to the public on May 7, after jurying and judging decides the winners on May 5.

Artworks that win will not only be on display in the gallery, but are available for purchase by the audience. Join Quayside Gallery for the First City Art Show opening reception on May 8 from 6 pm to 8 pm at the gallery. For more information on the juried show and exhibition, visit quaysidegallery. com or call the gallery at 438.2363.

May 8 – 10

Pensacola Children’s Chorus Presents Showtime at the Saenger Theatre The Pensacola Children’s Chorus, under the direction of Allen and Susan Pote, will celebrate its 25th season as it presents the annual production of Showtime on May 8, 9 and 10 at the Saenger Theatre. The 280-member chorus will perform a variety of creative themed segments including a medley of memorable musical moments from the last 25 years entitled “25 Years of PCC,” a hilarious spoof of fairy tales called “Once Upon a Fairy Tale,” a presentation of international songs, and much more. The chorus will be showcasing spectacular costumes, dynamic choreography and impressive staging. Tickets are $26, $36 and $42. Performances are May 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, May 10 at 2:30 pm. For tickets or more information visit pensacolasaenger.com.

May 9

Inaugural Gulf Coast Gear Swap Join the Inaugural Gulf Coast Gear Swap at Rodizio Grille from 8 am to 2 pm on May 9. This event is designed to give outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds a chance to trade, sell and buy their own gear, and find amazing deals on new and used gear, equipment, and accessories that others are offering. For more information call 432.8638.

May 9 – Aug. 9

PMA Presents The Lure of the Ocean: Original Works by Guy Harvey This exhibition features original paintings, watercolors, mixed media and pen-and-ink drawings by celebrated artist, Guy Harvey.

Recognized today as the world’s finest marine wildlife artist, Guy Harvey relies on his talents as a marine biologist, diver, photographer, and angler to visually represent the authentic underwater wildlife displayed within The Lure of the Ocean. Explore additional interactive areas within the galleries to inspire and educate children and adults of all ages. Create your own sea creature to place upon a digital underwater world created by museum goers. Capture a lasting memory in our Guy Harvey themed photo booth.

Discover Sea Monsters through Mote Marine

Laboratory’s hands-on learning components.

Learn the fascinating “monster” characteristics within underwater environments. Conservation, creativity and interaction comprise this unique blend of visual arts and marine science. Dive into the arts this summer at the PMA! For more information visit pensacolamuseum.org.

Evenings in Olde Seville Square 2015 Summer Tour

Through July 30

Evenings in Olde Seville Square 2015 Summer Tour Back by popular demand with free concerts every Thursday night from 7 pm to 9 pm during the 2015 Summer Tour. Bring your own blankets and foldable chairs, and get ready to enjoy an evening in Olde Seville Square (311 E. Government St.). For $20, sign up for a 2015 summer season membership and receive an EiOSS car magnet, silly weekly email concert updates, quarterly e-newsletters, as well as entry to random drawings throughout the season. Admission to the concerts is free, but donations and memberships are encouraged.

For more information, or to purchase an EiOSS membership, visit eveningsinoldesevillesquare. com or call 261.2200.

May 14 McGuire’s Pipe Band & Pensacola Civic Band May 21 Sarah Mac Band May 28 Megan McMillan

May 15

Rodney Carrington at the Saenger Theatre Rodney Carrington has been making audiences laugh for almost 20 years with his unique blend of stand-up comedy and country music. Originally from Longview, Texas, the country singersongwriter has recorded over eight major label comedy albums which have cumulatively sold more than two million copies, and two of them have been certified Gold. Enjoy a night at the Saenger with Rodney Carrington May 15 at 7 pm.

Tickets are $47.75 or $180.75 for VIP seating and an exclusive meet and greet with Rodney Carrington. For tickets and information visit the Saenger Box Office or pensacolasaenger.com.

May 15–17, 21–24

PLT Presents 33 Variations

May 14 – 17

Pensacola Little Theatre Presents 33 Variations on the mainstage May 15-17 and 21-24. A mother coming to terms with her daughter. A composer coming to terms with his genius. And, even though they’re separated by 200 years, these two people share an obsession that might make time stand still. Drama, memory and Beethoven’s music combine to transport you from present-day New York to 19th-century Austria in this extraordinary new American play about passion, parenthood and the moments of beauty that can transform a life. Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 pm and Sunday matinees are at 2:30 pm.

Tickets are from $14 to $30. For tickets or more information visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

PSC’s Performing Arts Department Presents Zombie Prom

May 16 – 17

Join PSC’s Performing Arts Department for the production of Zombie Prom at the on-campus Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium on May 14 through 17. Showings will be Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 pm, and Sunday at 2:30 pm. The play is a rock and roll, off-Broadway musical set in the atomic 1950s with original tunes in the style of 50s music hits. Being forbidden from seeing the girl he loves sends a high school bad boy charging off on his motorcycle, then crashing into a nuclear waste dump. He returns as a radioactive zombie, ready to reclaim his sweetheart and take her to the high school prom. Tickets are $7, $9 and $16.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 484.1800, email kryan@pensacolastate.edu, or go to pensacolastate.edu.

Fiesta Family Weekend Keep the Fiesta festivities going with Fiesta Family Weekend, featuring the Fiesta Children’s Treasure Hunt and Sand Sculpture Contest. Visit Bayview Park in East Hill on Saturday, May 16 for the free Fiesta Children’s Treasure Hunt, a time-honored tradition that gives children in the community the opportunity to learn about Pensacola’s rich history. On Sunday, May 17 the free Sand Sculpture Contest will be hosted behind the Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach. To learn more about the free family-friendly events, visit fiestaoffiveflags.com.

May 20 May 15

Grand Fiesta Day Parade Come join the Fiesta Day festivities for the 66th Annual Pen Air Federal Credit Union Fiesta Day Parade on Friday night, May 15. It’s not Mardi Gras, but you can still catch some beads and watch the many brightly-colored and decorated floats as they parade through Downtown Pensacola’s Spring and Garden streets starting at 7:30 pm. Admission to the event is free. For more information visit fiestaoffiveflags.com, or call 433.6512.

IHMC Evening Lecture Series Presents Evolution, Slump, and Comeback Join the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition for the latest edition of its evening lecture series on the second Thursday of each month. On May 20, bicycle designer and founder of Rivendell Bicycle Works Grant Petersen will speak on the topic Evolution, Slump, and Comeback, about the initial bike boom, the ensuing slump and rebirth that followed. The talk is free but reservations are recommended. Doors open at 5:30 pm and the lecture begins at 6 pm. The IHMC is located at 40 S. Alcaniz St. For reservations call 202.4462.

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May 20

Cooking with Chef Irv Enjoy a Cooking Demonstration and Wine Pairing at Jackson’s Steakhouse with Chef Irv Miller. For the May 20 demonstration Chef Irv will present “Fresh From Florida.” Tickets are $45 and there will be two seat+ings from 5 to 6:30 pm and 7:30 to 9 pm. For reservations call 217.2347.

May 23 Palafox Wine Walk The Palafox Wine Walk is an exclusive, one of a kind experience allowing guests to sample

newly released wines from boutique vendors while strolling between some of the best shops on Palafox. Follow your SoGo Saturday with the Wine Walk from 3 to 7 pm. The intimate gathering provides an opportunity for attendees to taste artfully crafted wines and learn about the regions and styles of winemaking. In addition to tasting the variety of select wines, guests will also have the opportunity to preorder wines to be delivered to their home or office at a discounted price. Only a small number of tickets will be sold for each Wine Walk, which the DIB looks forward to hosting quarterly. The Palafox Wine Walk is a self-guided wine tasting tour supported by aficionados at each stop. Tickets are $50 and include parking in the Jefferson Street Garage, which will be the pick-up

A Place for You in Pensacola Business

n

Vacation

n

Extended Stay

location for the wine that people purchase.Tickets at downtownpensacola.com.

May 27

Fiesta Days Celebration at Seville Quarter The Emmanuel Sheppard and Condon Fiesta Days Celebration kicks off the 66th annual Fiesta Celebration with hundreds of guests in attendance May 27. Historic Seville Quarter comes alive with entertainment, decorations and delicious food in five rooms, each saluting our history under the flags of the five governments that have flown over our city.

Be sure to join the Surrender of the City at 7:30 pm where local dignitaries will surrender the City of Pensacola and its citizens to DeLuna and his Queen for the Fiesta season. Admission is $35 per person.

For more information visit fiestaoffiveflags.org.

May 29 – May 31

Loblolly Theatre Presents Rambling Rose and Other Idiosyncrasies of the Garden

Pensacola Downtown

Secure your seat in the garden and attend the revived floral production of Rambling Rose showing at the Opera Center (75 S. Tarragona St.) Friday through Sunday, May 29 through 31.

The play will be presented at 8 pm on Friday and Saturday, and at 3 pm on Sunday. Rambling Rose is a springtime play with a garden setting, where the characters represent various flowers— Rose, Lady Aster, Bramble, Bluebelle, Clover, Palmetta, and Morning Glory. Actual plants that grace the garden will be auctioned off to audience members during the play. There is limited seating, so pre-purchasing tickets is advised. Pre-sale admission is $15 per person, and admission at the door is $20 per person. For more ticket and play information visit loblollytheatre.com, or call 479.4530.

601 East Chase Street 850-432-0202

residenceinnpensacoladowntown.com

700 East Chase Street 850-439-3330

courtyardpensacoladowntown.com

Airport/Cordova Mall

May 30

2187 Airport Boulevard 850-478-1123

Centennial Imports Fiesta Boat Parade

hamptoninnpensacolaairport.com

Be there when Don Tristan DeLuna’s landing at the shores of Pensacola Beach is ushered in by the procession of boats setting sail from the Pensacola Yacht Club at 1 pm on Saturday, May 30. Two hours before the DeLuna Landing Ceremony, the parade of over 25 marine vessels will start at the mouth of the Bayou Chico Bridge and will make its way toward the Quietwater Amphitheater and Portofino Boardwalk on Pensacola Beach. The event is free and the community is encouraged to attend. For more information about the parade visit fiestaoffiveflags.org.

1144 Airport Boulevard 850-479-8900

hiltongardeninnpensacola.com

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

Pensacola Beach May 30

DeLuna Landing Ceremony 16 Via DeLuna 800-934-3301 850-934-3300

daysinnpensacolabeach.com

850-932-9314 • Highpointe.com

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Over 450 years ago, Spanish conquistador Don Tristan DeLuna landed in the beautiful waters surrounded what is now Pensacola, and our city become the first European settlement in the United States. Whether you’re interested in Pensacola’s culturally rich history, or you like admiring massive yachts, consider attending

the DeLuna Landing Ceremony, which is a light-hearted re-enactment of what might have happened when DeLuna landed on Pensacola’s shores. The ceremony will take place at the Quietwater Beach Amphitheater on Portofino Boardwalk at 3 pm on Saturday, May 30.

DeLuna’s yacht will be welcomed by Chief Mayoki, his Queen White Dove, and the rest of the fictitious tribe of Mayoki Indians at the Landing Ceremony. To learn more about the ceremony go to fiestaoffiveflags.org.

Through May 30

Blue Morning Gallery Presents Modern Retro Come down to Blue Morning Gallery to view its newest exhibition, Modern Retro. This collection contains works of pottery, paint, and photography that puts a twist on incorporating the old with the new in what is expected to be a fabulous show. Simplistic, clean lines of pottery by Tammy Caspersen, bold abstract painting by Suzanne Tuzzeo, and dynamic colorful photography by Valerie Aune will be on display at the gallery until May 30. Don’t forget to experience the exhibition and meet the artists for free during Gallery Night on May 22. For more information about the exhibition, visit bluemorninggallery.com.

Through June 13

PMA Presents Between the Layers The Pensacola Museum of Art, in partnership with First City Arts Center, presents a dual exhibition that explores the imagery of artist, Rachael Pongetti, and her creation of the Pensacola Graffiti Bridge Project. A 2011 photographic chronicle of the constantly evolving local landmark, the Graffiti Bridge, located at the 17th avenue train trestle in Pensacola. Photographs include the change of the bridge to artistically abstracted images that convey the order in the midst of chaos between the graffiti. This dual exhibit will feature a variety of events including live graffiti demonstrations, artist-led gallery talks, and more at both the museum and First City Art Center. Pongetti is an MFA photography graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design and former instructor at Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida. She is currently completing a book on the Graffiti Bridge Project following a recently successful Kickstarter campaign that raised $25,000 for publishing. For more information visit pensacolamuseum.org.

May 2015

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Pensacola Scene

Council on Aging Reception for 2015 Rat Pack Sponsor Party at Fred Levin’s Timeless Tanglewood Estate

Jenn Cole and Frances Bryan

Brandi Welk and Rachael Cox

Fred Levin, Collier Merrill, Lumon May, Charlie Switzer and McGuire Martin

McGuire Martin and Nancy Fetterman

Jim and Pamela Homyak

Reception for Honorary Vice Consul of Spain Maria Davis at the Lee House Sponsored by the Merrill Family

Gail Gail Ackerman, Ackerman, Jane Jane Merrill, Merrill, Betty Betty Roberts Roberts and and Glenys Glenys Ballinger Ballinger

Lori and Captain Keith Hoskins with Jane Merrill

Maria Davis and Nina Fritz

After new menu tasting at The Fish House. A very happy and satisfied group

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pensacolastate.edu/danceworkshops Pensacola State College does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, color, gender/sex, age, religion, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or genetic information in its educational programs, activities or employment. For inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Associate Vice President of Institutional Diversity at 850-484-1759, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Pensacola, Florida 32504.

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FLYING ABOVE THE GLASS CEILING

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PROTECTING THE INTERNET WITH CYBERSECURITY

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FLYING ABOVE THE

GLASS CEILING

BY JOSH NEWBY The Blue Angels’ new pilot is taking the beloved Fat Albert transporter to exciting heights—and she’s not afraid to be the only woman to ever do so.

Capt. Katie Higgins, the newest pilot of the Blue Angels—and the first who happens to be a woman—has been taking to the skies as part of the team for over six months now. She has experience flying in both combat and demonstration situations and is beyond proud and humbled to represent the Marine Corps in this way. She has won Air Medals, numerous unit and personal awards, and has accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours. Her journey to pilot the Hercules C-130 transport affectionately referred to as Fat Albert is proof that anyone—man or woman—can live their dreams with the right amount of talent and hard work. Business Climate spoke to her about her life as a Marine and as the first female pilot to represent the jet-fueled pride of Pensacola.

Tell me about your background.

I was born in Jacksonville, Fla. and I moved around my whole life. My father was in the Navy up until I was in college, so I was a military brat.

I even lived overseas in Japan for a couple years.

I attended the United States Naval Academy and graduated in 2008, and then I went on to get my master’s degree at Georgetown University in 2009. I then reported to the basic school, which is a course that all Marine Corps officers have to go through. I finished that in November of 2009 and moved down to Pensacola to start my flight school training.

I was in Pensacola and Corpus Christi for the majority of my training and I got my wings of gold in October 2011. And then I reported to NCAS Cherry Point North Carolina, which is the home of the Second Marine Aircraft Wing where I learned to fly the KC-130J Hercules 50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com 50 | Business Climate | nwflbusinessclimate.com

and I reported to BMJR 252, which is the C-130 squadron on the east coast. I trained there and I deployed twice, once to Afghanistan for seven months from January to August of 2013 and then I turned around and did another deployment that started in Spain but ended up in the Uganda from December 2013 to May 2014.

Then I came back stateside and put in my application to the Blue Angels and got accepted in July 2014. I reported in early September of 2014.

What’s the application process like to be a part of the Blue Angels?

There’s definitely a very long, stringent process. In addition to the paper application that you have to do—which includes a picture, essay, letters of recommendation—you also have to attend two of the shows where you go

to the briefs and social events that they have.

You have to go to at least two shows that are all Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Then if you’re selected as a finalist, they fly you down for the Pensacola Beach show for a week. During that week, you get measured for your flight suit in the event that you’re selected, you take your official picture in the event that you’re selected, and then you also have a formal interview. That’s one of the most intimidating things that you have to do, because you’re in the Blue Angels Ready Room that has all their awards and everything. There’s this big long table with 16 officers and you’re sitting at the end of the table. They’re all asking you very, very difficult questions, as they should be. We’re on the road 300 days out of the year with each other. They’re trying to find the right person for the right job for the right team. So it definitely is very intimidating. And then at the end of that week, you fly back to your fleet job and then you call in to the boss at a certain time and he tells you if you made the team or you didn’t. It’s definitely nerve-wracking.

Did you always want to fly with the Blue Angels?

I was exposed to the Blue Angels at a young age. I was in California off and on for nine years and the Blue Angels came and performed there a couple times for the Wings of Gold air show. So I was exposed to the Blue Angels and I knew what they were and I appreciated their

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dedication, professionalism, precision and flying.

As a Marine and as a C-130 person I thought it was pretty much a long shot to make the team. The guy who was the most influential in me actually applying was Maj. Dusty Cook who is currently on the team and is the head C-130 pilot. He was the one who influenced and encouraged me to apply. He thought that I would make a good fit for the team and it turns out that they selected me, so that long shot wasn’t as long as I thought it was. It’s definitely a great opportunity.

Do you find that flying Fat Albert is a different experience than some of the other planes you’ve piloted?

I’ve flown different planes before including single- and dual-prop aircraft very similar to something you’d see in the civilian sector. And then there’s this C-130 that’s equivalent in size to a 737 and has four prop engines on it. It’s obviously a little less maneuverable than some of the other planes, but it’s so versatile.

What I absolutely love about the C-130 is we can do aerial refueling, aerial delivery, we can land in austere environments like coral, sand or dirt. We can drop battlefield illumination that is basically a really giant flare that comes out and lights up the battlefield for those guys on the ground. In Afghanistan I actually did close air support because we had a modification to the C-130 that fires Hellfire Griffin missiles.

It’s really awesome that it’s so versatile and I get to do all these missions in this one aircraft.

You’ve been officially on the team for seven months. How is the dynamic of the team?

It’s definitely great. These guys are so supportive of me; it’s like I have 16 brothers and sisters in the officer corps and then additionally we have 130 total with our maintainers downstairs.

They’re focused on their job, their work ethic is indescribable, and I think that’s shown in their demonstration. If you have watched that jet demonstration, 52| |Business BusinessClimate Climate| |nwflbusinessclimate.com nwflbusinessclimate.com 52

Photo by Staff Sgt. Oscar Olive, IV

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it’s phenomenal what they can do with that aircraft. Without the maintainers and supply guys, that wouldn’t be possible. So everyone works together to put on this beautiful show for the American people. It’s amazing to be just a small part of that team.

How do you feel being the first female pilot on the team?

Well we have 20 women on the team. I’m not the first female Blue Angel by any means.

I am the first female pilot to perform in a demonstration and it is a really great honor to be a representative of these strong, fully capable professional women on the team—and not only them, but also the women in the Marine Corps in general.

We have women stationed all over the world right now protecting our freedom. In the marine aviation side of things, we’ve had women be pilots since 1993. The female population in the Marine Corps represents about 6 percent. So we’ve been doing this for over 20 years now in the Marine Corps aviation sector. It just so happens that I can represent those women who are actually fighting the good fight and keeping watch right now overseas and there’s no greater honor than that.

What advice do you have for women who are wanting to break into this traditionally male-dominated field?

The Marine Corps has been so supportive of me my entire career. I’ve not faced much adversity. I’ve been supported by my male counterparts the entire way. I would encourage women and men that you need to go out and do it.

Women can do whatever they put their minds to. And men can respect the same thing. My message to both men and women is that women can do whatever they put their minds to.

What does the future hold for you?

I’d prefer to go back to my fleet squadron I was in. And if I can’t get there, I’d like to get back to a C-130 squadron either on the west coast or overseas. I definitely want to go back and fly the C-130 and deploy again. I joined the military to help those guys on the ground and I’d love to get back and do what I’ve trained to do.

I want to just say that the Blue Angels are a team and we can’t function without every single member of this team. I may be getting some attention right now. It’s not about me, though.

It’s about the other females on this team. It’s about the other 130 members total on the team.

It’s about the Marine Corps in general that’s overseas, representing the military might and fighting for our freedom and doing humanitarian work. Beyond the Marines, there’s the Navy, and beyond the Navy, there’s all the military forces over there. I don’t want the real story, which is the military deployed overseas, to be lost in my story. They’re the real focus. They’re the real heroes.

How do you feel about the media attention you’ve received?

It definitely is surreal. I really love the opportunity to talk about the women and the men who are deployed overseas—the ones in Japan and the Middle East and in Spain. It’s nice to be able to tell their story, and that’s essentially why the Blue Angels exist. It’s definitely cool. nwflbusinessclimate.com nwflbusinessclimate.com| |Business BusinessClimate Climate| |53 53

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PROTECTING THE

INTERNET WITH CYBERSECURITY

BY JOSH NEWBY Competitive new programs at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College, coupled with emerging local businesses with national attention are creating an IT hub in Pensacola that promises a talented workforce and high wages.

The Internet has become so much more than anyone expected. It is hard to believe that in the mid-90s, industry experts were expecting the World Wide Web to be mainly a professional and governmental tool, and that pedestrian use would be little more than a fad. Today, of course, it is ubiquitous, as important to our off time as it is to our work lives. The Internet has become nearly as important as electricity, a utility we take for granted.

Access to servers, people and information across the world is not something to take

lightly, though, and as more and more people sign on, there is a greater risk of widespread computer infection and theft. Luckily, national and local organizations are training a new breed of cyber soldier, a career path that simply did not exist a few decades ago. These cyberprotectors see the Internet not as a collection of news and cat videos, but as an assortment of attackers and defenders.

In cybersecurity, the attacker needs to only know one vulnerability, but the defender needs to secure all entry

points. And while the attacker has unlimited time, the defender is often working with time and cost constraints.

Add to that the fact that overly or improperly secured systems can be more difficult to use and that users—and attackers—prefer simple passwords and you can see how the work of a cybersecurity professional is like solving a very important puzzle, one that has far-reaching ramifications.

A cyber attack is launched from both international and national criminals every second, and

most of these attacks are thwarted by defense mechanisms that are in place and professionals who monitor and respond to the world’s cyber traffic.

These cybersecurity practitioners are highly sought-after.

Often with just a two-year degree, these individuals can start out at $70,000 annually and make upwards of $150,000 by the end of their career. Subsequent bachelors and masters degrees promise even more opportunities and compensation.

The University of West Florida’s (UWF) recently launched Center for

Cybersecurity serves as a local hub of research, partnership and educational opportunity. The center even features a state-of-the-art Battle Lab, where students get handson experience in attack simulations, and is even a member of the renowned National Cyber Watch Center.

Susan Cerovsky was recently hired on as the director of the program.

“Cybersecurity is an umbrella, under which are various other fields, such as computer science and information technology,” said Cerovsky. “We are routinely adding

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“The only way to not be at risk is to not be connected.

In today’s world, you’re not going to not be connected.” specializations to keep pace with the everchanging industry.

We focus on threats, vulnerabilities, protection, defense, operation, maintenance and more.”

Relatively speaking, the Internet is still a new frontier, one that has become a necessity yet presents considerable risk.

“The only way to not be at risk is to not be connected,” said Cerovsky. “In today’s world, you’re not going to not be connected.”

An attack on the Internet or a company’s intranet can mean disaster for the power grid, water supplies and financial operations.

There are also social ramifications, such as cyber bullying and cybercrime.

While many attacks occur because of a shortcoming in physical security, which grants criminals actual, tangible access to resting data and servers, much of these attacks originate thousands of miles away over the Internet.

Locally, highwage businesses are snatching up UWF and Pensacola State College (PSC) graduates and even implementing

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software that the students create in classes. Companies like AppRiver and GBSI are well known for their cybersecurity services, and much of their workforce is comprised of young individuals working in the field.

The local Navy and other government facilities also prize these cybersecurity individuals and pay handsomely for their talents.

According to Dan Busse, dean of workforce education and vocational support for PSC, cybersecurity is a popular field for career-changers, 20-somethings who are desiring higher wages and more opportunities in exchange for relatively little schooling.

“We see a lot of philosophy majors and liberal arts majors who went to a big university but find that their skills are not as marketable as they hoped,” said Busse. “That’s when they come here.”

Cybersecurity professionals can work as part of a dedicated company or firm with dozens or even hundreds of other computer

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safety professionals, or they can work on a team of one or two as experts for an organization that specializes in something else.

But how does it all work? According to Robert Pratton, an instructor in PSC’s Applied Technology department, it is nothing like the movies.

“It’s a fastpaced, challenging environment, and a lot of it does involve stopping hackers, but it’s so much more than that,” said Pratton.

“Before you even get started building up a company’s defense, you have to audit the computer systems, and do a quantitative and qualitative analysis.”

Pratton went on to explain that there are many unexpected

effects of a cyber attack. Companies’ stock prices have plunged in the wake of identity theft, a type of cyber attack.

Hundreds of hours in labor have been wasted and people’s money has been stolen as a result of a hacker or virus. In fact, it is estimated that cybercrime is the top risk to 42 percent of the world’s businesses.

“You have to know how to prioritize your vulnerabilities and budget likewise,” said Pratton. “Your company, your customers and their money are at stake.”

To prepare for these real-world scenarios, Pratton puts his students through actual attacks and makes them investigate compromised data

in order to find the culprit for later prosecution.

“I also teach them to hack,” said Pratton.

“You have to know what you’re fighting, so we take them from the street to the machine and make them do in class what they’ll be doing in the workplace.”

Students work with software meant to detect vulnerabilities and attacks, and then work to stop those attacks so they do not replicate. They also use account access controls to confine the data to only those authorized to see it, firewalls to block attacks through packet filtering, and intrusion detection systems to detect and log attacks for forensic purposes later.

Making the job of cybersecurity

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professionals harder is the use of proxies, or fake Internet Provider addresses that bounce the attack across multiple networks and countries. Luckily most attacks—even homebound attacks— are often stopped with virus protection software and computer firewall precautions.

Data in transit, such as confidential emails, is also a concern. Often these messages will be encrypted while traveling through servers to be decrypted only when reaching the destination.

Oftentimes, a hacker can gain control of computer processors and other important parts of a system

by finding a flaw or vulnerability in the coding. The hacker will insert a piece of benign coding that the computer allows, but it secretly contains executions that then cripple the software or grant access to the hacker.

Criminals are working as hard or harder than those protecting against them. The key is to be proactive with defense systems rather than reactive. Nevertheless, attacks do happen, often multiple times a day against even a home-based user, and it is best to delete emails sorted as spam and have strong passwords. These simple tools, designed

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by cybersecurity professionals, are still among the most efficient weapons at foiling an attack.

The field is growing as fast as the Internet itself, and up-todate certifications are necessary to stay abreast of the changes.

Many organizations will pay for their employees to recertify in order to keep their networks secure. If you can hack it, the cybersecurity field is a high-wage, high-demand, exciting though challenging industry that currently sees limitless growth potential.

A live map of all current cyberattacks, available at map.ipviking.com

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Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION

Years of scientific research and conclusive evidence of mankind’s effects on our planet has clashed with a stubborn unwillingness to change, the harsh truths of regulating industry, and a flat-out rejection of inconvenient, complex science, leading to...

the heated debate over climate change

By Josh Newby

To help understand the science and dispel the rumors of climate change, Business Climate spoke with renowned glaciologist and retired NASA scientist Dr. Robert Bindschadler. He has led numerous expeditions to Antarctica and Greenland to study glacier dynamics and ice sheets. He has also received numerous awards and routinely speaks in front of Congress to educate both our leaders and the public about the science behind our atmosphere’s recent changes.

Tell me about your background.

I’m a glaciologist primarily. I study ice on this planet, although many glaciologists study ice on other planets. I had done that for 30-plus years with NASA, doing satellite research and field work primarily in Antarctica. I tied those two data sets together—what we see from space and what we see on the ground. That’s always been satisfying to me, but because of so many changes happening in the polar region, I was drawn into this larger issue of climate change and discussing with the public what we know.

I spent my 30-plus years with NASA and then retired and did part-time work with universities while my wife did her last few years with the government. Then we both retired and moved from Maryland. We now live in the Pacific Northwest because that’s where I did my graduate work and research. College education and outreach is essential, because science isn’t really done until the information is really out there for people to be aware of. Scientists aren’t interested in that,

though, because that’s not what gets you promoted. Promotion comes from getting published and grants and so on. Ultimately, our research is supported by public funds, so we need to parlay our knowledge to the public.

Too often scientists talk about what we don’t know, because that’s scientist-to-scientist. When we talk to the public, though, it’s a different set of talking points that we need. We need to talk about what we know so they can make informed decisions. It really is too often scientists bleeding over into advocacy of certain approaches. But that’s not really where we belong; we belong on the educational side, informing the public of what we know so they can make informed decisions.

Tell me about climate change.

Well it’s really quite straightforward. Human use of fossil fuels is changing the climate by emitting more greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. That story, those facts, surround certain steps that have led us where we are.

The first step is that humans are producing carbon dioxide faster than natural systems can absorb. Natural systems produce a lot more carbon dioxide than humans do, but those natural systems—plants and so on—absorb their own, plus some of the human’s. But natural systems haven’t been able to keep up, so there’s an excess. nwflbusinessclimate.com||Business BusinessClimate Climate||59 59 nwflbusinessclimate.com nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 59

We have good numbers and can demonstrate that. We can measure this increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. That’s really irrefutable.

The second step is the physics of what happens when you do that. It’s called a greenhouse gas because it makes the atmosphere work like a greenhouse. The solar radiation comes through the atmosphere but then it heats up the ground and remits the energy at a different wavelength, which is absorbed by carbon dioxide. So it’s easy in, but can’t get out. It traps that heat. If you put more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, it warms the atmosphere unless you can break physical laws.

The final step is what happens when you heat up the atmosphere. You add energy to the weather system. Climate is just the accumulation or statistical averages of a lot of weather.

What makes weather is the movement of heat in the atmosphere and ocean. If you add more heat, it’s like giving a kid lots of candy on Halloween: you have more extreme behavior. That’s how the weather responds to a warmer atmosphere.

The average global temperate has warmed by a degree in the last 50 years or so, but so what? If it’s 80 degrees or 81, you’re not going to change your clothes or lifestyle. But it’s more about the manifestations on weather and the rubber meets the road with more extreme weather events. That’s where it impacts people’s lives.

The extreme weather events are costly, whether it’s flooding or hurricanes. We will have more of those, as has been predicted.

But sometimes people don’t get that. If you can’t connect people’s commonplace experiences with scientific results, it really doesn’t stick. It’s intangible. I try to focus on where I think my audience is, what they’re familiar with, and try to tie the science to those experiences, like candy on Halloween. This issue is so important that it needs to be communicated effectively and broadly. You don’t get a lot of pushback if you go to Alaska and say, “Things are getting warmer.” They know it, they see it everyday. But in any community, there’s going to be people resistant to it. I want to see where they’re coming from and adapt the explanation to something that connects with where they’re at. It takes effort to do that. If you don’t communicate effectively, what’s the point?

Pensacola will see these changes in increased severity of storms. In Norfolk, Va., Nor’easters will cause as much damage as Category 1 or 2 hurricanes. That’s because of the ocean, which continues to rise. The ocean is the launching pad and it continues to rise. It’s all connected. What is going on in the polar regions matters to the rest of the planet. We do expect a meter rise in sea level by the end of the century.

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“

Unless we start mitigating climate change, we’re going to leave a less secure, less resilient, less attractive world for our offspring.”

Let’s talk about the non-weather effects of climate change.

Within the community, it’s important to have those conversations. The first community that came to us was the Navy. They were concerned about their shore facilities. I mean, all the boats are going to float, so that’s not a problem, but it’s the land-based facilities that are problematic. They wanted to know how fast the sea was going to rise at different port facilities. Whether it’s San Diego or Pensacola, if they’re going to build a facility that has a lifespan of 50 years, they don’t want it to be inoperable after 25 years because it’s no longer dry.

Another community is the insurance industry. They want to get out in front of this, because policies they sell are reliant on quantifiable risks. This is clearly something that is changing the risk structure.

A third community is the intelligence community, because they saw an additional stress on geopolitical stability. They recognize that water shortage and mobility are big deals. Wars have been fought for eons over water availability. So they wanted to get the most expert advice on how that was going to evolve over time so they could incorporate that into their analyses of stability in various regions of the world. US foreign and security polices could probably anticipate that.

I think of business the same way. They want to be out in front of changes so they can plan into them. Many businesses have very long timelines for investment, and the worst thing would be to invest in some facility that then becomes less able to serve its function because of climate change. The smart businesses are ones that are learning about climate change from the experts and incorporating that into their long-term

planning.

Climate scientists are never going to sell reacting and responding to climate change through guilt or doom and gloom. Sustainability is a good thing for just about everybody.

Resilience, which is being able to adapt to changes, is important, too. If you’re not resilient, it becomes more costly. So that’s why we need to communicate it; we need to sell climate change in those terms. There’s more to profit from being proactive than waiting on it to happen.

How do you feel that the whole issue has been framed through a political lens?

It’s unfortunate that it’s been so heavily politicized. That’s not a good thing. That’s one reason scientists need to be very careful about not advocating. It’s very easy for us to give our own individual view about what we think should be done. Once you start talking about what you would do or about what others are doing, then it is very easy for you to start politicizing it. I’m worried about the politicization. It’s so intense in the US. In Europe, they’re a little further down the road as far as planning the changes and planning into them. I am worried that we will get in our own way inside the DC Beltway and have to play catch-up. I wouldn’t want to see this country do that. One reason I speak as often as I do is to get the US to get it so we can move ahead with meaningful solutions. It’s important to have that discussion about how we move forward and how we live and develop into the new normal so we can maintain our leadership. Once the US gets it, we have such resources at hand that we can recover that leadership role if we so choose.

I think it really is up to the public. I’m a firm

believer in the democratic process. I have spoken many times to leaders on both sides of the political spectrum and what they all say is that they acknowledge the scientific fact and give credibility to it, but they’re not doing anything until they hear it from their constituents. It really does come back to grassroots. People have a choice if they choose to exercise it. The global solution to reacting and responding correctly to climate change is not from the top down; it’s from the bottom up. It does matter to the politicians what they hear from their constituents. That’s why I’m working more and more to be a local source of scientific information, rather than giving testimony on the Hill which is like banging your head against the wall.

Do you think there’s already been too much irreversible damage done?

We’re on this trajectory of warming. Even if we didn’t produce another molecule of carbon dioxide, there’s enough in the atmosphere to create another ¾ of a degree warming, which is about what we’ve seen in the last 50 or 75 years. Natural systems are trying to suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, but we’re not. Projections for increased use of fossil fuels have us continuing to produce carbon dioxide, so we’re in for a few more centuries of increased warming. That’s really what the scientists are most alarmed about. Trying to communicate what that means in terms of frequent, extreme weather events is a challenge. Individual weather events aren’t attributable to climate change, but we will see more Katrinas. It’s a familiar face that we’ll see more often. We have centuries of that ahead of us.

The response discussion generally falls under one of two categories. First you have adaptation to what’s already in the pipeline. Then you have mitigation, which is trying to bend that curve of negative consequences down. We’re starting to do that. Green energy is growing and costs are going down. Ultimately, it will be economics that drives this and nothing else. It won’t be scientists jumping up and down; it will be economics, because that’s what drives people’s decisions.

The pocketbook talks at the household, local, state and national level. When people see that connection with their own economics, they will act. Prior to that, there will be some do-gooders and tree-huggers, but the person in the street won’t react until there’s economic incentive for them or their children.

These changes are so slow that some people aren’t motivated to do anything in their lifetime.

But if you talk about children and grandchildren then they come back and realize the importance.

We need to connect with that human emotion and say, “Unless we start mitigating climate change, we’re going to leave a less secure, less resilient, less attractive world for our offspring.”

People don’t want to do that.

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around the region

UWF Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation earns $231,000 grant to continue oil spill research The University of West Florida Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation was recently awarded a grant totaling $231,000 by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, as part of the larger C-IMAGE II consortium, led by the University of South Florida. The grant spans from January 2015 through December 2017, with a total consortium research budget of $20,500,000. As a result of this grant, faculty and students will be able to begin developing new research this summer regarding how oil interacts with the environment and how the changing chemistry affects microbial growth and food webs. University professors Drs. Wade Jeffrey and Richard Snyder will spearhead the research.

“Before the spill happened, not much was known about the oceanographic processes of the coast,” said Dr. Wade Jeffrey, biology professor. “Since we’ve been awarded the grant money, the University has collected an impressive amount of data to discern and track one of the primary concerns people have had since the oil spill: where all of the oil would go.”

The grant will be utilized to continue and expand research involving the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. To date, a blend of interdisciplinary University faculty, graduate students and undergraduate students have conducted research on the response of microbial assemblages to water mass mixing and seasonal change.

“Oil spill research has brought valuable field experience to graduate and undergraduate students who assist in conducting research,” Jeffrey said. “This has included as many as 20 student-involved trips to sea over the past four years where students assisted with collecting samples on board each time. Once we return to UWF, students participate in sample processing and data analysis for invaluable hands-on research.”

The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative was created by a $500 million investment

by BP to create a ten year program to broadly conduct independent research in the Gulf of Mexico related to oil spill issues, overseen by a research board made up of 20 science, public health and research administration experts.

Gulf Coast Kids House celebrates expansion The product of a $1 million capital campaign, the Gulf Coast Kid’s House’s new 3,000 square foot expansion of their current building was unveiled April 27. Impact 100 and Sandy Sansing were among those recognized for their contributions.

An expanded medical examination room, a relocated conference room, and additional space for all services are just some of the additions made that will help the agency with their goal of serving as an advocate for the area’s abused children. The new center can now more easily accommodate wheelchairs, as well as the increased number of cases the center has to deal with. The center services about 2,600 children a year, up from just a thousand when it was founded.

Locals may run for US Senate With news that Marco Rubio will be vacating his Senate seat to run for president in 2016, two possibilities to replace him have emerged from Northwest Florida. Rep. Jeff Miller, long a well-liked advocate of our armed forces in this area, has entertained the notion.

State Sen. Don Gaetz may run as well. He has been instrumental in bringing business to Northwest Florida, shaping the region’s conservative base, and even advocating for some progressive policies, including his son’s Charlotte’s Web medical marijuana legislative last year.

New fluoride standards will not impact ECUA New standards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will not change the ECUA’s fluoride standards. The new lower standards are in line with research that indicates too much fluoride can damage and cause splotches on children’s teeth, and make the standard uniform across all climates. The ECUA has been using the new standard 0.7 parts per million for years.

PSC partners with AppRiver to give students workforce experience Pensacola State College computer science students are getting experience working on a real-world software project in a new capstone course that is built around direct involvement with local companies.

AppRiver email and web security experts stepped up to offer the first partnership with the class. For the past three months, students have been working on two of AppRiver’s log file formats – importing, processing and analyzing the files. Their goal is to create an application with visual appeal that could be used to give real-time feedback on spam and malware activity.

PSC instructor Chad Andrae said he initiated the capstone course because he was aware that local technology companies could not find enough talent to meet their workforce needs. At the same time, he had students who were already demonstrating the potential to be successful software developers.

“I began to focus my efforts on ways to get these students recognized so the local companies could see what I see in them and give them a chance to begin their careers here in Pensacola,” Andrae said. “AppRiver expressed a lot of interest in helping with this project, so we have worked closely with them to develop the project specifications for this semester.”

Andrae says this inaugural class is already showing success and will continue to be offered as a culminating course for PSC students working on an associate’s degree in computer science.

“Each time we offer the capstone course, we want a local business to be involved with defining the project specifications before the course begins,” he said. “This ensures that the students will work on a project that is interesting and beneficial to local businesses.

“This capstone course is like a new approach to traditional internships for students before they graduate. Instead of the students going to the company, the company comes to the students. By the end of the semester, all of the students in this course gain valuable experience and the company sees the potential for new employees.”

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Business Climate SPECIAL SECTION

around the region

Gulf Power solar farm receives approval On April 23, Gulf Power announced that it had received unanimous approval from the Florida Public Service Commission for three solar energy farms that would be built on Navy and Air Force bases across Northwest Florida. Eglin Air Force Base, Whiting Field in Navarre and Saufley Field, the combined output of which will be an estimated 120 megawatts of electricity.

The energy produced via these farms would be enough to power about 18,000 homes for one year.

The solar farms will not replace current generation plants, but will serve to diversify Gulf Power’s already existing capabilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in February 2016.

Northwest Florida continues to boast lowest unemployment in the state According to data released by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, counties in Northwest Florida remain among the best-fairing in terms of unemployment.

Okaloosa County has the third lowest in the state at 4.6 percent.

Santa Rosa’s unemployment rate is 4.7 percent, tied with Franklin County for fourth overall. Walton’s unemployment rate of 4.9 percent is tied with Seminole and Leon counties.

Statewide, Florida added 29,000 jobs in March and the overall unemployment rate is 5.7 percent.

UWF ranks high in robotics at regional competition A team of seven electrical and computer engineering students from the University of West Florida on the Emerald Coast placed fourth overall and first among the Florida State University System at the Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers SoutheastCon Hardware Competition, held April 9-12, 2015, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Environmental manager receives award Mary Beverly, public health services manager for Environmental Health with the Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County is the recipient of the 2014 Environmental Award from Woodmen of the World Chapter 906 Santa Rosa. She received the award for her efforts in assisting residents of Santa Rosa County neighborhoods most severely affected by the April 2014 flood. Jimmie Melvin, Chapter 906 president, presented Mrs. Beverly with the award on March 13. It was the first time Woodmen of the World Chapter 906 had presented the award.

Heavy rains last April caused many septic systems throughout the county to fail and forced contaminated water into homes and some private drinking water systems. “Mary put on boots and waded through the contaminated water to contact homeowners and distribute health and safety information,” said Sandra L. Park-O’Hara, A.R.N.P., DOH-Santa Rosa administrator.

“She went above and beyond. We are all very pleased that she was selected for this award.”

PSC honors six faculty with teaching excellence awards Pensacola State College honored six faculty at the Academy of Teaching Excellence ceremony recently at the Culinary Dining Room on the Pensacola campus.

Established in 1986 by Charles Atwell during his tenure as executive vice president, the Academy of Teaching Excellence recognizes outstanding faculty who exhibit sustained excellence in teaching. Each year, several full-time and adjunct faculty members are inducted into the Academy. In 1994, the Academy also began honoring one outstanding new faculty member.

A selection committee comprised of former Teaching Excellence winners, students and alumni selected this year’s recipients.

The 2015 inductees are Steve Hecht, adjunct instructor, Mathematics; John Holder, assistant professor, History, Languages and Social Sciences; Donna Shumway, professor, Allied Health; Stephen White, assistant professor, Allied Health; and Elizabeth Yelverton, professor, Biological Sciences.

Barbara Reitz, instructor, Biological Sciences, was honored as Outstanding New Faculty Member.

29th Annual Naval Aviation Symposium at the National Naval Aviation Museum The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation will present the 29th Annual Symposium on Wednesday, May 6, through Friday, May 8, at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. The three-day event will host a variety of activities highlighting the unique history and proud heritage of Naval Aviation including a golf tournament, luncheon, banquet and panel sessions. Three distinct sessions will feature a panel of Veteran naval aviators discussing milestones in Naval Aviation history and the people who have made and are currently making that history. The Symposium panel discussions are FREE and open to the general public, active duty and retired military.

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SAVE THE DATES Friday, October 16 Grand Southern Tasting 6pm–9pm Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

Savor an ocean of signature dishes and fine wines featuring the area’s top chefs and special guests.

Sunday, October 25 Celebrity Chef John Besh!

Meet and Greet & Book Signing 1pm–2:30pm SoGourmet

Honorary Event Chairs: Will and Jane Merrill

Featuring Besh Big Easy, the highly anticipated cookbook showcasing his hometown cuisine in simple recipes.

VIP Dinner

Presented by Chef Besh

Jackson’s Steakhouse

Visit wsre.org/wineandfood to learn more.

All proceeds benefit the mission of WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast.

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