The Summation Weekly Nov 25

Summati n Weekly

USPS Publication Number 16300

THE

T h i s C o m mu n i t y N ew s p a p er is a publication of Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association

Section A, Page 1

Vol. 15, No. 48

Visit The Summation Weekly Online: www.summationweekly.com

November 25, 2015

1 Section, 8 Pages

The Wondrous World of Winterfest

By Dawn Gresko

From poles decked in red ribbons and swirling with evergreen to little elves peeping out at you from around the streets of Downtown Pensacola, there’s plenty of signs that Pensacola’s Winterfest has returned with annual winter festivities.

“We plan all year and start preplanning for next year,” said Denise Daughtry, president of Winterfest of Pensacola, Inc. “We have 300 volunteers helping with Winterfest this year. Together we make our own unique and original designs for props and begin setting up and decorating for events right after Halloween Even if you missed the preview night on Nov. 22, the Snow Princess Tea and Elf Parade celebration will be back on Nov. 27 starting at 3 pm.

Join the snow fairies in sipping tea while you witness the coronation of this year’s Snow Princess, who will usher in a snowy wonderland for Pensacola.

Following the tea event, the Elf Parade will kick off with the Snow Princess accompanied by her escort the Snow Prince.

Parade Grand Marshall Christian Garman of WEAR TV will lead the merry crew of kids, parents, toys and characters from the T. T. Wentworth Museum to Plaza Wonderland at Palafox and Government streets.

Costumed kids of all ages march alongside an alligator, second line brass band with the Snow Princess, Santa and all new Misfit Toys.

The four-block route takes about 20 minutes, and includes a Christmas song battle, tumbling snowflakes, and plenty of cheer. Tickets are $40 for adults and $20 per child.

Choo choo! Did you hear that?

That’s the sound of model trains in action this holiday season with Model Trains on the Move, coming to Pensacola Museum of Art starting on Saturday, Dec. 7. There will be guaranteed fun for the whole family, especially model-train lovers. Enjoy art activities, holiday refreshments, and two scenic railroad systems that will be in operation.

Don’t miss the train, because with museum admission on Dec. 7 you can get a special discount on Performance Tour tickets.

Hop aboard for a jolly ride on Santa’s Holiday Express Tour, a 30-minute trolley tour that takes you to magical, holiday light displays.

Passengers will be joined by Santa and Rudolph for lots of songs and cheer.

Tours for Santa’s Holiday Express are ongoing from Dec. 21-23, and tickets are $7 for kids and $15 for adults.

Winterfest’s premier Performance Tours are boasting “bigger and better” in 2015.

Frosty, Candycane, Gingerbread and Snowflake are the restored red trolleys that serve as the stage during 60-minute tours, which take you through 16 performances on Dec. 5, 11 and 18-20. You have the option of selecting your trolley when you purchase tickets at $20 per adult and $15 per child.

Not only will there be new performances on Palafox, but The Polar Express and Grinch stops are being revamped for trolley tours.

This year, Tiny Tim and his mother will hop on the trolley and there will be a graveyard scene in the final act.

As part of the Island of Misfit Toys, Bumble and Hermey will meet the trolley and help solve the problem of the grouchy Grinch.

The Grinch stop will have a new, junkyard sleigh and 15-foot crooked tree that resembles the movie’s version, which will be located at Brown Thornton Pacenta & Company on Tarragona Street.

In addition, the tree in front of the Escambia County Courthouse on Palafox Place has been redesigned by Jim Rigsby from Duh. Following all Performance Tours are Reindeer Games and photos with Santa.

You don’t have to visit the North Pole to see Santa, because Santa is bringing the North Pole to Plaza Wonderland. Every night of the

Performance Tour, Santa Claus and his sleigh will be waiting in front of the courthouse on Palafox Place for you to come and get a picture with Santa.

The expert elves are great with photography and love to take souvenir photos of children with Santa Claus, and they especially love making the photos into cards for the holidays.

Every Santa photo print comes with free digital delivery, just in case you want more than one copy.

As for Reindeer Games, don’t worry about getting left out of any.

After the trolleys arrive from the Performance Tour, the free Reindeer Games fun in Plaza Wonderland begins at 5 pm on Fridays and 5:30 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

Watch a show on the stage, or follow the dancing reindeers and get groovy with Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Blitzen. There’s also the amazing snow machine for creating snowmen, or tossing snowballs at the Grinch.

If you’re feeling peckish, head over for a cup of gourmet hot cocoa, scrumptious snacks, or visit the hot dog stand. For a full meal, walk over to any one of the Palafox Place strip restaurants open during Winterfest.

Hop aboard for a jolly ride on Santa’s Holiday Express Tour, a 30-minute trolley tour that takes you through a magical version of Downtown Pensacola filled with holiday light displays. Passengers will be joined by Santa and Rudolph for lots of songs and cheer.

Tours for Santa’s Holiday Express run from Dec. 21 to 23, and tickets are $7 for kids and $15 for adults.

If you’re looking for a reason to stay home for the holidays, look no further than the wondrous world of Winterfest.

For more on the wonderful Winterfest happenings, or to reserve your tickets, visit pensacolawinterfest.org.

“One of the great things about Winterfest is it’s an event that allows us to have fun all year,” said Daughtry.

“But bringing happiness to the people of Pensacola is it’s own reward.”

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November 25, 2015

News From The Bar Association

Dear Fellow Members: On behalf of the Executive Council, it is my pleasure to announce that The Summation Weekly has been certified as a periodical by the United States Postal Service, and effective November 19, 2015, can begin accepting legal notices for publication as required by Florida statutes. The Summation Weekly is owned by the Association, but the Association has partnered with Ballinger Publishing to publish The Summation Weekly.

The Summation Weekly is currently circulated to ESRBA members and distributed throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and includes a mixture of community and legal news. The Summation Weekly will continue to be circulated and distributed throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, but beginning with the November 24, 2015 edition, will now include legal notices.

I would urge you to please consider The Summation Weekly for all your legal notices in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. By placing legal notices in The Summation Weekly, you will be directly supporting the Association, as a portion of the revenues generated will go directly to the Association. In addition, the publication charge is less than competing publications, and will save your clients money.

I would like to extend a special thanks to our Executive Director, Mike Doubek, and Malcolm Ballinger for making this opportunity a reality. Without their time and efforts over the last year, this project would not have been possible.

Please refer to the additional information in this edition with instructions for submitting publication requests to The Summation Weekly. If you have questions regarding The Summation Weekly’s compliance with applicable statutory requirements to accept legal notices for publication, please do not hesitate to reach out to me or Mike Doubek.

Sincerely, Matthew C. Hoffman

For legal notice rates and advertising call NaShanda Edwards at 433-1166, ext. 25

The Summation Weekly

APPLICANTS SOUGHT FOR FIVE REGIONAL COUNSEL FOR THE OFFICES OF CRIMINAL CONFLICT AND CIVIL REGIONAL COUNSEL

TALLAHASSEE November 17 -- The Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission is accepting applications for Regional Counsel For The Office of Criminal Conflict And Civil Regional Counsel appointed by the Governor within the five regions of the state.

Region One consists of the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Eighth and Fourteenth Judicial Circuits; Region Two consists of the Sixth, Tenth, Twelfth, Thirteenth and Twentieth Judicial Circuits; Region Three consists of the Eleventh and Sixteenth Circuits; Region Four consists of the Fifteenth, Seventeenth and Nineteenth Judicial Circuits; and, Region Five consists of the Fifth, Seventh, Ninth and Eighteenth Circuits. Applicants must indicate each regional office they are applying for.

Applications may be obtained from The Florida Bar website, wwwfloridabar.org. The original signed application must be provided to the Commission Chair by mail no later than December 16, 2015, and all Commission members are to be served electronically at their email addresses by said date. The application must be submitted in PDF. Applicants who are selected by the Commission for personal interviews will be interviewed January 6 and 7 at The Law Firm of Gray Robinson in Tallahassee, 301 South Bronough Street, Suite 600, Tallahassee, FL 32302.

The names of the applicants, who are selected for personal interviews with the Commission, as well as interview times, will be notified by email.

The members currently serving on the Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission are: Chair, Cynthia G. Angelos, Port St. Lucie, cynthia@jangeloslaw.com; Vice Chair, Jason L. Unger, Tallahassee, Jason. unger@gray-robinson.com; Rutledge R. Liles, Jacksonville, rliles@ lilesgavin.com; Daniel E. Nordby, Tallahassee, dnordby@shutts.com; Fred Karlinsky, Fort Lauderdale, karlinskyf@gtlaw.com; Hala A. Sandridge, Tampa, hala.sandridge@bipc.com; Israel U. Reyes, Coral Gables, Ireyes@ reyeslawfirmpa.com; Jeanne T. Tate, Tampa, Jeanne@jtatelaw.com; Nilda R. Pedrosa, Coral Gables, nildapedrosa@gmail.com.

A description of duties and details of the position can be found in Section 27.511 F.S. The term of the position is three years with an annual salary of $105,000.

Vol. 15, No. 48

November 25, 2015

Executive Director Michael A. Doubek mike@esrba.com Member Services Specialist Michele Kelley michele@esrba.com Bar Office 216 S Tarragona St., Suite B Pensacola, FL 32502 Bar Office Phone: 434-8135 Bar Ofice Fax: 436-8822 Email: esrba@esrba.cm Website: www.esrba.com Published by Ballinger Publishing for the Escambia / Santa Rosa Bar Association.

Owners Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger Publisher Malcolm Ballinger • malcolm@ ballingerpublishing.com The Summation Weekly Administrator NaShanda Edwards, Ext. 25 legals@ballingerpublishing.com Website:

www.summationweekly.com

Editorial Offices 41 N. Jefferson St., Suite 402 Pensacola, Florida 32502 850-433-1166 Fax 850-435-9174 Office Hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Published every Wednesday USPS Publication Number 16300, Authorized August 25, 2015 (Pensacola Fl) Subscription Rates $20/year (All ESRBA Members) $22.50/Year (Escambia/Santa Rosa/Okaloosa County NonMembers) $27.50/Year (other counties within Florida & all other states Non-Members) Postmaster Send address changes to: 41 N. Jefferson St., Suite 402, Pensacola, Florida 32502 The Summation Weekly 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 newspaper represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/or the person idenitified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the ESRBA or the publisher.

This newspaper accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The ESRBA reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. All advertising information is the responsibility of the individual advertiser. Appearance in this newspaper does not necessarily reflect endorsement of any products or services by Escambia/Santa Rosa Bar Association or Ballinger Publishing. © 2015

Community

The Summation Weekly

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November 25, 2015

Two PSC athletes ink deals with Division 1 universities Two Pensacola State College athletes committed to Division-1 universities during a signing ceremony on Tuesday.

Bevia Robinson, a PSC softball shortstop, will play at Mississippi State next fall, while Jamal Thomas, a shooting guard on the Pirates basketball team, will be at Charleston Southern University.

“I’m pretty excited to be heading to a D-1 school in the SEC. It’s not too far from my home and will be a great opportunity for my parents to watch me play,” said Robinson, a Harvest, Alabama, native.

At PSC, Robinson’s overall batting average this season is .597, and she has stolen 44 bases out of 46 attempts. The 19-year-old will graduate next summer with an associate’s degree in general studies.

Thomas, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound Toronto, Canada, native, has always dreamed of playing basketball at a D-1 school.

“I can’t wait to get there, to meet the team and the coaches.

I’ve wanted to play at this level for a long time,” said the 20-year-old who will graduate next summer with an associate’s degree in recreation technology.

The athletes also are exceptional students.

Both

Thomas and Robinson are Florida College System Activities Association’s Academic All-State winners.

Lyndsey Angus, PSC’s softball coach, is not at all surprised at Robinson’s successes.

“She is that talented, that fast, that good of a student. She’s a good kid, hardworking, and is nice to everyone,” said Angus who added Robinson has been redshirted for the rest of this season due to a torn ACL. “The good news is that she will be able to play three seasons at Mississippi State,” the coach said.

A 2014 Sparkman High graduate, Robinson has played softball much of her life and helped lead her high school team to back-to-back state championships in 2013 and 2014. She said she first learned Mississippi State was interested in her after the PSC Pirates hosted the Bulldogs in an exhibition game on Oct. 5.

“Mississippi State’s softball coach, Vann Stuedeman, told me they were looking at me. My mom was at that game and the coach spoke with both of us. Afterward I called my dad. I was pretty excited about the whole thing,” she said.

Pete Pena, PSC’s basketball coach, described Thomas as not only a good player but an

outstanding young man.

“He’s worked hard to put himself in this position to play at a D-1 school and have his education paid for,” Pena said about the 2014 Bill Crothers Secondary School graduate.

Thomas who has been playing basketball since he was 6 years old thanked Pena for the opportunity to play at PSC, and move on to a Big South Conference university.

“He didn’t have to give me a chance to come here but he did,” said Thomas, who added he found a family – not just a team – at PSC. Thomas said he first learned Charleston Southern in North Charleston, South Carolina, was interested in him during the summer – because of former PSC assistant basketball coach Joey Murdock.

Murdock is now Charleston Southern’s assistant men’s basketball coach.

Barclay Radebaugh is the university’s head basketball coach.

“Coach Murdock was really impressed by my stats so the head coach (at Charleston Southern) sent another assistant down to look at me during a showcase in Tallahassee. The head coach later called me,” Thomas said.

For more information, contact Sheila Nichols, at 850-484-1428.

Mayor Hayward Appointed to Volunteer Florida On Friday, Nov. 13, Governor Rick Scott announced his appointments, including Mayor Ashton Hayward, to the Florida Commission on Community Service, otherwise known as Volunteer Florida.

Volunteer Florida administers national service programs like AmeriCorps, which offer Floridians the opportunity to engage in intensive service to their community while increasing capacity for nonprofits and other service organizations. Volunteer Florida’s grantees include schools, educational foundations, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and other community organizations.

Volunteer Florida provides required fiscal and programmatic oversight of these grants so that funds are maximized and ensures grantees are accountable for results. Volunteer Florida also leads initiatives throughout Florida that use volunteerism as a strategy to meet needs. This includes leading Florida’s national days of service, such as the Sept. 11 Day of Service and Remembrance and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

Volunteer Florida is the lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida.

The agency administers $31.7 million in federal, state, and

local funding for national service and volunteer programs across the state. Volunteer Florida is guided by a bipartisan board of Commissioners, who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate.

“I am truly honored about this appointment to the Volunteer Florida Board and to represent volunteerism. I have always been a big advocate for giving back and that’s what community service is about. When you step up and give back you have the opportunity to change the lives of many,” Mayor Hayward said.

Hayward fills a vacant seat for a term ending September 14, 2018.

Former POW Edward Hubbard Presents “Human Potential: A State of Mind” at Tiger Bay Club Nov. 20 Edward Hubbard, a retired Air Force Colonel and former Prisoner of War, spoke on “Human Potential: A State of Mind” at the monthly Panhandle Tiger Bay Club meeting at 11:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 20, at New World Landing.

During the Vietnam War, Col. Hubbard survived six years, seven months, and 12 days of captivity in the Hanoi Hilton and the Zoo, both of which were notorious POW camps in North Vietnam.

After a 28-year career, Col. Hubbard retired from the Air Force in 1990 and is an acknowledged motivational speaker, management consultant, artist, and author. His book, “Escape from the Box: The Wonder of Human Potential,”

was published in January 1994.

The public is invited to the lunch meeting. All persons with a valid Military ID (active duty, reserve, civilian DOD employee, retiree or dependent) will get a discounted guest luncheon rate of $20. Students with a current ID pay $20. Regular guest fees for the monthly luncheons are $35.

The Panhandle Tiger Bay Club is a diverse, non-partisan group of men and women who are interested in public policy issues and politics.

The club brings in speakers who address topical issues and present ideas that are intended to provoke curiosity and provide insight, as well as generate debate and community discussion.

PSC softball shortstop Bevia Robinson committed to Mississippi State University during a signing ceremony Tuesday. She is pictured with her teammates and Lyndsey Angus, PSC’s head softball coach.

Photo Pensacola State College

PSC basketball shooting guard Jamal Thomas committed to Charleston Southern University during a signing ceremony Tuesday. He is pictured with Pete Pena, PSC’s head basketball coach, and his teammates.

Photo Pensacola State College

City Awarded Stormwater Grant for General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Museum City of Pensacola officials were recently notified that the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has approved a grant proposal to develop a low impact stormwater retrofit of the parking area and site of the proposed General Daniel Chappie James, Jr. Museum.

The grant proposal “Stormwater Retrofit Chappie James Home (historic site)” is for a total of $100,000 grant funds and $75,000 match funds for funding consideration from the Short term Section 319(h) grant administered by the Nonpoint Source Management Section.

City Revitalization Coordinator, Helen Gibson said this project will contribute to community revitalization of the Eastside redevelopment district and support tourism development.

“In addition to providing an educational venue for visitors to understand the early history of a historical African-American military man, this grant will also allow the project to be developed as a model for on-site stormwater mitigation,” said Gibson.

The grant will fund the installation of the following Best Management Practices (BMP’s): porous parking surfaces, dry retention pond, rain gardens with bio retention plantings and vegetated swales. It will make a contribution to stormwater management by retaining 100% of stormwater runoff during a 2-year storm event, reducing pollutants flowing to Pensacola Bay and Bayou Texar.

It will simultaneously serve as a demonstration site for Best Management Practices (BMP’s) for low impact developments, showing simple installations that can be made by other property owners and small site developers as a means of contributing to pollution control and stormwater reduction.

PSC Named to 2016 Military Friendly Schools List by Victory Media

Edward Hubbard Get your own copy of Col. Hubbard’s book, Escape From the Box: The Wonder of Human Potential, on Amazon. com, or learn more about the internationally-known Renaissance man on his official website: edhubbardpow.com.

PSC Graphic Design Students Exhibit Works at National Naval Aviation Museum Today through Dec. 31 Pensacola State College graphic design students are displaying their senior exhibit at the National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd., aboard NAS Pensacola today through Dec. 31.

The museum is free and open to the public 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. The public is also invited to meet the artists at a reception at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, at the museum.

The exhibit is part of the 70th year commemoration of World War II and showcases the students’ multifaceted interests in typography, graphic design, photography, digital art, multimedia, book arts and fine art.

Students featured in the show are Danielle Cornejo, Richard Jeske, Katrice Johnson, Kurt Lauw, Patrick Phillips, Carly Stone and Allyson Vega. These students will complete a Bachelor of Applied Science with a concentration in graphic design in December.

For more information, call Graphic Design Program Coordinator Mark Hopkins at 850484-1087.

Pensacola State College has been named a 2016 Military Friendly® School

by Victory Media.

PSC has received this honor each of the seven years it has been awarded.

The Military Friendly® Schools designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.

Military Friendly® provides data-driven survey ratings that capture more than 50 leading practices in supporting military students. The service is available free to thousands of schools approved for Post-9/11 GI Bill funding.

“Currently, more than 2,000 veterans, active duty personnel and their dependents are enrolled for fall classes and play a vital role in our college community,” said Ed Meadows, president of PSC. “We are extremely proud to support our military personnel and their families.”

PSC offers veterans many

benefits including the Dr. G. B. Tamburello E n d o w e d Scholarship; Ross C. Shiver Endowed Scholarship; Purple Heart Waiver; My Career Advancement Account; Veterans Upward Bound; Veterans Student Support Services; Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Service Members; GI Bill and Pell Grant.

For more information about veterans’ programs at PSC, contact Veteran Services at 850-4841670, veterans@pensacolastate. edu; or Veterans Upward Bound at 850-484-2068, vetsupbound@ pensacolastate.edu.

The Military Friendly® Schools survey, methodology, criteria and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent academic advisory board comprised of educators from across the country. Criteria can be found at militaryfriendly.com.

Victory Media is a servicedisabled, veteran-owned business serving the military community since 2001. Their data-driven lists are published in G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse, and STEM Jobs.

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November 25, 2015

Capitol News

SCOTT’S $79.3B BUDGET SEEKS TAX CUTS, ECONOMIC INCENTIVES

By Brandon Larrabee The News Service of Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Monday proposed boosting the state budget by more than $1 billion in the year that begins July 1, saying the additional spending would help Florida prepare to weather the next recession.

Despite calling for slashing $1 billion in taxes, the spending plan Scott outlined in Jacksonville would increase the total price tag for state government to $79.3 billion, an increase from $78.2 billion in the budget year that ends June 30. In a brief speech, Scott touted his plans to cut taxes

and spend on education and services for Floridians with disabilities.

He also pushed again for a plan to plow $250 million into a new “Florida Enterprise Fund” to give the state another tool to draw economic development projects.

Without mentioning them specifically, Scott pushed back against criticism from some lawmakers who have questioned the need for the increased economicdevelopment funding.

“We’re competing. These are all competitive projects. ... If we don’t have the money to invest, we’re not going to win,” Scott said.

SCOTT PROPOSES $80 MILLION FOR TOURISM MARKETING The News Service of Florida The state’s tourismmarketing arm would receive a boost of $6 million from the current year under Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed $79.3 billion budget released Monday.

The proposal comes amid Scott’s drive for Florida to attract 100 million visitors in a single calendar year.

Under his proposal, Visit Florida would receive $80 million during the fiscal

year that starts July 1, of which $30 million would be non-recurring or onetime funds for its marketing efforts. State lawmakers will craft a final budget during the 2016 legislative session, which begins in January. Scott announced last week that Florida saw a record 79.1 million tourists in the first nine months of the year, with the tourism industry now accounting for 1.195 million jobs, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier.

Legislative leaders have also raised question about whether Scott’s taxcut package, which he had already outlined before Monday’s event, was too large given pressures on the budget from areas like health care.

In education, Scott would try to revive a campaign promise to set a new record for per-student spending in public schools. His budget would set aside $7,221 per student, for a total of $20.2 billion. It would break the previous record for perstudent funding, set nine years earlier, by $95.

Education advocates and critics, though, are likely

to note that the new figure doesn’t account for inflation.

Continuing his stance from recent years, Scott’s budget also doesn’t include tuition increases for colleges or universities.

Scott’s administration also highlighted funding for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, saying the budget proposal would get rid of the waiting list for “critical needs” services, though that would still leave thousands of Floridians on a list for lower-priority services.

Lawmakers will begin considering Scott’s budget proposal during the legislative session that begins in January.

SCOTT ASKS FOR $8.5 MILLION TO FIGHT CITRUS DISEASE The News Service of Florida Gov. Rick Scott, in his proposed budget for next fiscal year, matched the $8.5 million that Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam has requested to fight a disease causing massive problems in the citrus industry. The $8.5 million, included in a budget proposal Scott released Monday, would go toward stopping the spread of “citrus greening.” State lawmakers will craft a final budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year during the legislative session that begins in January. Putnam, who has said “Florida’s

citrus industry is in a fight for its life,” is asking lawmakers for $8.5 million to help fight the deadly disease as part an $18.7 million request for the industry. Before the 2015 legislative session, Putnam, who grew up in the citrus and cattle industry in Polk County, asked the Legislature for $18 million, which also was targeted for growing clean citrus stock and planting new trees where diseased trees had been removed. Lawmakers responded by giving him $8 million, which was an increase from the $4 million in 2014.

HOUSE EYES HEALTH-CARE DEREGULATION IDEAS

By Jim Saunders The News Service of Florida Touting the possibility of more choices for patients, a House committee Thursday began a renewed effort to revamp regulations in the health-care industry.

The House Select Committee on Affordable Healthcare Access approved three bills, including a long-debated idea about eliminating what is known as the “certificate of need” process for hospitals. That regulatory process, which often spurs legal fights, requires the state to sign off before hospitals can be built or expanded or before certain programs can be added.

The hospital industry’s focus on the issue was evident during Thursday’s meeting. A coalition of public and teaching hospitals raised concerns about eliminating certificates of need, while the for-profit HCA hospital chain endorsed the proposal (HB 437).

Mark Delegal, general counsel of the Safety Net

Hospital Alliance of Florida, said public and teaching hospitals provide specialty services and care for large numbers of patients who are indigent or who are covered by Medicaid and Medicare. If the certificate-of-need process is eliminated, Delegal expressed concern that profitable, privately insured patients could be drawn away to new facilities in affluent areas.

“We have to be able to find a way to take some of the commercial business and make some profit on that in order to sustain some of the uninsured obligations that our safety-net hospitals have,’’ he said.

But Steve Ecenia, an attorney for HCA, said deregulation of the certificate-of-need process will not reduce access to care, increase costs or “change the matrix of services” that are provided.

“We believe that certificate -of-need deregulation is a concept whose time has come,’’ Ecenia said.

The Republicandominated committee voted

10-4 along party lines to approve the certificate-ofneed bill, which is sponsored

by Rep. Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor.

House leaders have focused heavily during the past year on trying to revamp parts of the health-care system in ways they argue would reduce costs and give more options to patients. That effort also dovetails with a push by Gov. Rick Scott to make health-care changes.

All three of the bills approved by the committee mirror legislation that the House passed during a special session in June. The Senate did not take up the issues during that session.

Along with the proposal to eliminate hospital certificates of need, the committee also voted 10-4 along party lines to approve a measure (HB 85) that would allow patients to stay at ambulatory-surgical centers for up to 24 hours. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers, would eliminate a regulation that currently

prevents overnight stays.

Also, the bill would allow the creation of “recovery care centers,” where patients could stay for up to 72 hours after surgery. Florida does not currently issue licenses to such recovery facilities.

The third bill (HB 37), filed by Rep. Fred Costello, R-Ormond Beach, is aimed at increasing the use of “direct primary care” agreements between patients and doctors.

Under the agreements, which remove the role of insurers in making payments, patients pay monthly fees for services such as annual physicals, routine laboratory tests and vaccinations and then get the services without additional charges. They also buy catastrophic insurance policies for potentially expensive health problems.

The bill, at least in part, would make clear that direct primary-care agreements are not subject to regulation under state insurance laws. The committee voted 13-1 to approve the measure, with only Jacksonville Democrat Mia Jones opposed.

The Summation Weekly SUPREME COURT SAYS STATE NEEDS 24 MORE JUDGES The News Service of Florida

Pointing to issues such as an increase in smallclaims cases, the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday said the state needs 24 more trial-court judges.

The Supreme Court each year sends a report --- known as a “certification of need” --to the Legislature, which then decides whether to add judgeships. The Supreme Court said Thursday that the state has not added trialcourt judges since 2007. “As Florida’s economy gradually improves, we recognize that competing demands for state funding persist across state government,’’ the certification said. “We also note that during the recession and in the postrecessionary period the judicial branch has had no increase in the number of trial court judges since 2007, despite a documented need.

Nonetheless, our judges and court staff continue to work diligently to administer justice, promptly resolve disputes, and ensure that children, families,

businesses, and all who come before Florida’s courts receive the judicial attention their cases require.” The certification calls for one new judge in the 5th Judicial Circuit, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. “The 5th Circuit continues to be one of the fastest growing areas of the state with a corresponding workload increase,’’ justices said in the certification. The remainder of the request was for new county-court judges, mostly in urban areas. The certification called for seven additional county judges in Miami-Dade County, seven in Hillsborough County, four in Broward County, two in Palm Beach County and one each in Duval, Orange and Lee counties.

Among the factors in needing more county judges was that small-claims filings increased 16 percent, according to the mostrecent annual data. The certification does not seek additional judges for district courts of appeal.

SERVICE JOBS HELP LATEST UNEMPLOYMENT REPORT The News Service of Florida Bolstered by increases in service-related jobs, Florida’s unemployment rate inched down from 5.2 percent in September to 5.1 percent in October, according to figures released Friday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. In a news release, Gov. Rick Scott focused on the creation of 36,600 private-sector jobs across the state during the month. Scott called it the “highest month for job growth in 10 years.” The unemployment mark is the lowest for the state since January 2008. The state rate continues to be similar to the federal trend, which went from 5.1 percent to 5 percent month to month. October’s

preliminary figures show an estimated 492,000 jobless Floridians from a workforce of 9.58 million. The jobless total is down 6,000 from September.

The state employment figures came a day after Scott announced that Florida recorded a record 79.1 million tourists in the first nine months of the year, with the tourism industry now accounting for 1.195 million jobs, up 5.2 percent from a year earlier. Across the state, the lowest unemployment marks were found in Monroe (3.4 percent) and St. Johns (3.6 percent) counties. The highest rate was in rural Hendry County on the southwest side of Lake Okeechobee, despite an improvement from 11.6 percent in September to 9.4 percent in October.

LAWMAKER PROPOSES ELECTED EDUCATION COMMISSIONER The News Service of Florida A House Republican on Friday proposed a constitutional amendment that would lead to Florida returning to an elected education commissioner who would be part of the state Cabinet. Rep. Debbie Mayfield, R-Vero Beach, filed the proposal (HJR 767) for consideration during the 2016 legislative session, which starts in January. If passed by the Legislature, the proposal would need to gain approval from 60

percent of Florida voters. The state in the past had an elected education commissioner who sat on the Cabinet, but that ended after voters in 1998 approved a ballot measure to restructure the Cabinet. The 1998 constitutional amendment also created the appointed state Board of Education, which names a commissioner.

Mayfield’s proposal would lead to the governor and Cabinet serving as the state Board of Education, eliminating the appointed panel.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY GETS OFF THE GROUND

By Dara Kam The News Service of Florida Nearly a year behind schedule, Florida health officials on Monday selected five “dispensing organizations” to grow, process and distribute noneuphoric medical marijuana for a select group of sick patients.

But many in the industry believe that the biggest challenge in the drawn-out process is yet to come.

The five winners, who scored the highest of 28 applications, are Hackney Nursery in the Northwest region of the state; Chestnut Hill Tree Farm in the Northeast; Knox Nursery in the Central region; Alpha Foliage in the Southwest region; and Costa Nursery Farms in the Southeast region.

Parents of children with severe epilepsy pushed for a 2014 law to legalize the purportedly non-euphoric marijuana --- low in euphoriainducing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, and high in cannabadiol, or CBD --- and contended that it can end or dramatically reduce life-threatening seizures.

Sen. Rob Bradley, who was instrumental in passing the law,

said he congratulated state Surgeon General John Armstrong early Monday morning. Applications for the licenses were due on July 8, and Bradley and other lawmakers had become frustrated that it was taking the Department of Health so long to pick the five dispensing organizations.

“I think now the attention should be focused on the industry to make sure that they cause no further delays and we move forward getting this product to these suffering families as quickly as possible,” Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said. “The department did its job. And now it’s time for the industry to step up. No further delays. Let’s move forward.”

But legal challenges over the awarding of the licenses are almost a given.

“It has always been anticipated that there will be challenges, and I’ve seen nothing in this process to persuade me that we will not see some of the winners challenged,” said Louis Rotundo, a lobbyist who represents the Florida Medical Cannabis Association and who also has a small ownership interest in at least one of the losing applicants.

Losers have 21 days to file

challenges, but Patricia Nelson, a former director of the Department of Health’s Office of Compassionate Use who served on the three-member panel that graded the applications, said earlier this year that the challenges to the licenses will not hold up the process.

The winners of the licenses have 75 days to request “cultivation authorization” and, once that authorization has been granted, must begin dispensing the low-THC products within 210 days, meaning that the low-THC products could be on the shelves by next summer. The winners also have 10 business days to post $5 million performance bonds.

Meanwhile, losing applicants are trying to make sense of more than 600 pages of scorecards used to grade the applications by the panel comprised of Nelson; her successor, Christian Bax; and accountant Ellyn Hutson.

“I’ve got a number of calls from people trying to figure out how they got scored,” said Jeff Sharkey, a lobbyist who formed the Medical Marijuana Business Association of Florida and is affiliated with two nurseries that didn’t make the cut.

“From that, people will make some

decisions. Going back to growing tomatoes is option one. Option two is, some people have raised concerns about the perception of the nursery rulemaking committee and trying to figure out their scores and whether or not there are grounds for a protest.

That’s kind of a normal review process for folks who’ve lost.”

Implementation of the law has been delayed due to legal challenges and an administrative law judge, who last year rejected the Department of Health’s first stab at a rule that would have used a lottery system to choose the license winners.

The department then held a rare “negotiated rulemaking workshop” --- comprised of industry insiders, including Florida nurseries and marijuana experts from other states --- to craft the regulations for the state’s marijuana industry.

Under the law passed last year and approved by Gov. Rick Scott, only nurseries that have been in business in Florida for at least 30 years and grow a minimum of 400,000 plants at the time they applied for a license were eligible to become one of the five dispensing organizations.

The nurseries teamed up with a variety of consultants, including out-of-state marijuana growers, in the hopes of edging out the competition.

Four of the five winners of the licenses --- Chestnut Hill, Costa, Hackney and Knox --- were represented on the rulemaking committee.

One of the most high-profile losers among the 28 applications was Loop’s Nursery, a Jacksonville grower that teamed up with the Stanley Brothers, a Colorado family that developed the “Charlotte’s Web” strain of cannabis whose name has become almost synonymous with low-THC, high-CBD medical marijuana.

Peyton Moseley, the husband of committee member Holley Moseley, is also part of Loop’s team. Holley Moseley heads up the “Realm of Caring Florida” non-profit organization also linked with the nursery. The Moseleys lobbied fiercely for the low-THC law on behalf of their daughter, RayAnn, last year.

Nearly all of the winners are represented by some of Tallahassee’s most influential lobbyists. Costa is represented

by the Southern Strategy Group, while lobbyist Brian Ballard represents Hackney and Jorge Chamizo is the registered lobbyist for Knox Nurseries.

Alpha Foliage, owned by John and Carolyn DeMott, applied in two separate regions.

The nursery has partnered with Surterra Florida, a limited liability corporation whose officers include two Atlanta investors also seeking to establish a footprint in Georgia’s nascent medical-marijuana industry. Alex Havenick, whose mother Barbara owns greyhound tracks in Naples and Miami, is also one of the officers of the Florida group. The nursery is also affiliated with Surterra Holdings, represented by lobbyists Ron Book and Billy Rubin.

Many of the applicants had applied for the low-THC licenses in the hope of expanding their businesses in the event that a constitutional amendment legalizing full-strength medical marijuana passed.

That amendment narrowly failed last year, but a nearly identical measure is almost certain to go before voters next November.

Business

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FINANCIAL FOCUS Thinking of Adopting?

Be Prepared for Expenses November is National Adoption Awareness Month. If you’re considering adoption, you know that it will change your life in many ways. And you’ll need to prepare for many of these changes – including the financial ones, because adoption can be expensive.

The average U.S. adoption costs between $8,000 and $40,000, while the range for international adoptions is $15,000 to $30,000, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway, a U.S. government-funded adoption information service.

Given these numbers, you might think you’ll have a tough time paying for an adoption. However, you can get some financial help in the form of tax benefits, which include both a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses and an exclusion (from your taxable income) of employer-provided adoption assistance. In 2015, the maximum tax benefit you can claim is $13,400; this amount is reduced if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds

$201,010 and is completely phased out if your MAGI is $241,010 or more. The adoption tax credit is nonrefundable, which means it’s limited to your tax liability for the year.

Here’s an example of how you might use the tax benefits. Suppose you pay $13,400 in qualified adoption expenses in 2015 and your employer reimburses you for $3,400 of those expenses.

Assuming you meet the MAGI guidelines, you can exclude $3,400 from your gross income for 2015 and can claim $10,000 ($13,400 minus $3,400) for the adoption tax credit. (Tax credits reduce your income tax liability on a dollar-fordollar basis.)

Of course, while these tax benefits can reduce your overall cost of adoption, you still have to come up with the money – which, as we’ve seen, can amount to many thousands of dollars – in the first place. How will you do it?

Your first step is to plan ahead – as far ahead as possible. Since the adoption process can often

take a year or more, you will generally have some time to prepare. When you find the adoption agency that best meets your needs, get an estimate of the total costs involved. Once you’ve got this figure, you can determine how you’ll meet these costs.

You might be tempted to take out a loan from your 401(k), but you should try to avoid this move – a 401(k) loan will likely reduce the growth potential of this account, which is designed for retirement. You might also consider a loan from a bank – but debt is debt, even if it’s for the purpose of expanding your family, and it’s always a good idea to keep one’s debt level down.

If you knew you wouldn’t need the money for, say, two years, you could consider putting away a certain amount each month in a special “adoption fund” in an investment that’s highly liquid and offers significant preservation of principal. If the circumstances of your life allow you to plan even

farther ahead, such as three to five years, you can find a savings or investment vehicle that may be appropriate for providing the money just when you need it.

Adopting a child will change your life. Planning ahead, and carefully considering your options for paying for the adoption, can help you reach this major milestone in a manner that makes financial sense – now and in the future.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice.

You should consult your estateplanning attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

Secrecy in the Age of Social Media Six Ways to Keep Trade Secrets and Sensitive Company Info Offline

In today’s “sharing” culture, your employees are used to posting about the minutiae of their lives on social media— and that can mean bad news for your company. Here, James Pooley shares six tips to help you ensure that your company’s sensitive data, proprietary information, and trade secrets aren’t inadvertently leaked on a social media feed.

You can be sure that most of your employees are active on social media. For younger ones, in fact, Facebooking, Instagramming, and Tweeting are as natural as breathing.

But suppose an employee shared pictures of your product prototype? Posted a draft patent application your company was about to file? Messaged a Dropbox link with confidential information (even if only to a fellow employee) over an insecure connection? Crowdsourced a question about a sensitive issue she was handling for a customer?

Do scenarios like these keep you up at night? They should. According to James Pooley, social media and the “sharing” culture it has sparked are very real threats to your organization.

“The Internet—which spawned social media—has changed the way we work and communicate,” says Pooley, author of Secrets: Managing Information Assets in the Age of Cyberespionage. “That change has profound implications for a trade secret system that relies largely on human trust.

“I’m not saying openness is inherently bad,” he clarifies. “Obviously, a certain amount is needed if we’re to collaborate for innovation. Yet there’s a dark side to the comfort level that’s evolved around all this sharing.

Companies need to acknowledge the risks of social media and work to prevent leaks by improving their employees’ knowledge and good judgment.”

Having recently completed a five-year term as deputy director general at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, where he was responsible for management of the international patent system (PCT), Pooley is an expert in the fields of intellectual property, trade secrets, and data security. Secrets, which thoroughly explains how to recognize and mitigate the risk of information loss in today’s electronic business landscape, is a must-have guide for executives and managers, knowledge workers, consultants, security professionals, entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, and accountants—anyone and everyone who works with information.

Here, Pooley shares six tips to help you keep your company’s sensitive information off social media feeds: Understand that you’re asking employees to go against their “digital instincts.” By their very nature, social media platforms encourage users to publicly disclose the minutiae of their lives (usually the more, the better). The so-called Facebook generation is conditioned to casually communicate, swapping files and using the Cloud to store and access photos, music, and more. They are experts at revealing a lot using only 140 characters.

“Making sure that social media doesn’t become a hole through which your company’s secrets leak is an especially challenging task because you’re essentially asking employees to check their habits at the door,” notes Pooley. “They’ll need to learn to operate based on a different set of standards that often contradict how they deal with information in their private lives.”

Put social media policies in writing. Don’t assume that a few informal warnings and cautionary tales will keep all your employees from tweeting and posting what they shouldn’t.

If your company already has general policies about the disclosure of information assets, make sure they become part of the official set of rules that govern employees’ use of social media. These policies will reinforce the need to keep personal and work issues separated and not to post about what is going on inside the company.

Pooley cautions that larger companies need to have these policies reviewed by legal counsel, since typically broad confidentiality restrictions can violate labor laws

that guarantee employees the right to discuss their working conditions.

“Additionally, companies need to decide if social media business contacts belong to them or to their staff,” he continues. “According to recent court decisions, if this isn’t clearly specified in the company’s policies, those contacts and the social media account itself can be claimed by the employee when he leaves.”

Train, train, and then train some more. In many organizations, after initial orientation, data protection policies are left on the shelf and more or less ignored. That’s dangerous, because staff can easily forget about the rules or lose respect for the dangers of noncompliance. Meanwhile, they may be working on collaborative projects, examining acquisition possibilities, receiving development proposals, and more. All of these situations can lead to personal

social media connections, where you will be relying on the knowledge and good judgment of your employees to control risks.

“You can mitigate much of this risk by creating a quality training program that engages your employees as part of the security defense team,” he says. “They’ll make fewer mistakes themselves on social media (and elsewhere), and they’ll also be on the lookout for the mistakes of others. Keep in mind that the best training is continuous, careful, upbeat, and professional, and does not rely on threats. And be sure to include everyone—not just key knowledge workers—in social media security training. That includes contractors, temporary employees, and interns.”

Know which devices might represent a risk. The growing popularity of “BYOD” policies means that many of your employees may well be storing sensitive information on the same laptops, smartphones, and tablets they use to scroll through status updates in the evenings. That’s cause for concern, because cyberthieves can gain access to these devices’ contents and your company’s systems through relatively easy-to-hack social media accounts and apps.

“In addition to establishing clear policies on social media use and providing continuing training, consider technical mitigation measures,” Pooley recommends. “Mobile device management (MDM) tools can remotely configure devices, monitor what’s on them, and even erase their data if lost.

MDM techniques can also include encryption for data stored on or communicated from the device.”

Teach employees to spot social media scams. In addition to using MDM tools, training employees on methods that information thieves often use can help them avoid falling prey to traps on social media. For instance, social media profiles give hackers a lot of information that they can use to compose realistic-looking, customized email phishing messages.

“But beyond that, websites themselves can be used directly to fool people into joining a fake group, survey, or event, sometimes using a money coupon as a lure,” Pooley reveals. “Other traps involve fake ‘like’ buttons, browser extensions offered for download, or compelling offers designed to make the viewer want to share them with friends.

All of these social network scams are grounded on the idea that we are all so used to rapidly connecting, sharing, and exposing that we’ll do it more or less automatically with anything that looks attractive. Teaching employees to think twice before clicking can help secrets stay secret.”

Be aware of your official social media presence. While you may not be able to fully control what your employees post on their personal social media accounts, you can certainly keep a close eye on official company Twitter, Facebook, and other social media pages.

“Have a safety net of trusted employees monitoring and maintaining your company’s presence on social media to stop potentially revealing posts from ever reaching the public eye,” Pooley advises. “Also, regularly change passwords to lock out account thieves who may have successfully procured your company’s login information.”

“Social networking has become a fixture of modern personal and professional life, so embrace its many benefits,” concludes Pooley. “Just be aware of the security concerns social media represent and proactively work to prevent breaches, whether they come from employee use or official company activity.”

About the Author: James Pooley is the author of Secrets: Managing Information Assets in the Age of Cyberespionage. He provides international strategic and management advice in patent and trade secret matters, performs pre-litigation investigation and analysis, and consults on information security programs.

Mr. Pooley recently completed a five-year term as deputy director general at the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, where he was responsible for management of the international patent system (PCT).

Before his service at WIPO, Mr. Pooley was a successful trial lawyer in Silicon Valley for over 35 years, representing clients in patent, trade secret, and technology litigation.

He has also taught trade secret law at the University of California, Berkeley, and has served as president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association and of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, where he currently serves as chairman of the board.

Mr. Pooley is an author or coauthor of several major works in the IP field, including his treatise Trade Secrets (Law Journal Press) and the Patent Case Management Judicial Guide (Federal Judicial Center). He graduated from Columbia University Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar in 1973 and holds a bachelor of arts, with honors, from Lafayette College.

About the Book: Secrets: Managing Information Assets in the Age of Cyberespionage (Verus Press, 2015, ISBN: 978-0-99639100-9, $24.97) is available at bookstores nationwide and on Amazon.

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Family Features

his year, find creative ways to elevate your holiday hosting with a time-smart approach that’s no less gourmet. Look for versatile recipes that can be made ahead, reheated in minutes and served straight from the oven to make holiday entertaining stress-free.

Creative combinations of fresh, seasonal ingredients transform typical casserole dishes from mundane to gourmet fare fit for any holiday occasion.

But delicious time-smart cooking actually starts with the right cookware, such as the Anolon Advanced Umber casserole pan, which seamlessly moves from stove top to oven to table with a unique umber finish that brings warmth to your holiday spread. Anolon’s highperformance, exceptionally crafted cook­ware, bakeware, cutlery and gadgets are offered in a wide selection to satisfy each home cook’s unique style.

Another time-smart way to elevate your holiday entertaining is offering a selection of high quality wines to accompany your meal. Look for wines that consistently exhibit intense layers of flavor with complexity and balance, such as Kendall-Jackson’s Vintner’s Reserve collection. For example, Kendall-Jackson’s 2013 Pinot Noir uses grapes grown in California’s cool coastal vineyards to achieve flavors of ripe strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and dark cherry. Five months of aging in French oak barrels layers on aromatic hints of toast, vanilla and cedar.

Start your holiday menu with a versatile and savory bread pudding, created by Irvin Lin, author of the blog, Eat the Love. This winter dish is ideal for a crowd and offers the flexibility of serving smaller portions as a side item or larger portions for a main course.

“This bread pudding is perfect for a holiday brunch, easy lunch or casual holiday dinner,” Lin said. “It can be made ahead of time for convenience and served at room temperature or warmed up.”

Join @Anolon to discover your kitchen creativity and find more holiday host-ing inspiration on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr, and use the code ANOLONCOOKS (case sensitive) to receive 20 percent off your total order on Anolon. com this holiday season.

Follow Kendall-Jackson @KJWines on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for holiday food and wine pairing tips, recipes and holiday decor ideas. Use the code KJHOLIDAY to receive free shipping on orders of $49 or more on KJ.com.

Recipe

The Summation Weekly

Savory Mushroom, Bacon and Gruyere Bread Pudding

Servings: 6 1/2 pound bacon 1/2 pound (about 1/2 loaf) crusty sourdough bread 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh ground pepper, divided 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 6 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 cups chopped onions 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped red pepper 1/2 pound sliced button mushrooms 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves 2 teaspoons dried oregano 4 large eggs 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese, divided Place bacon in freezer to chill. This will help make it easier to chop. Heat oven to 375 F. Cut bread into 1/2-inch cubes and place in large bowl.

Drizzle olive oil over bread and sprinkle with thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and garlic powder. Toss with spatula to coat evenly, then spread bread evenly in one layer onto rimmed baking sheet. No need to clean bowl yet.

Bake bread for 20 minutes or until bread starts to turn golden.

Remove from oven and lower oven temperature to 350 F. Remove bacon from freezer and finely chop it. In 3 1/2quart oven-proof stovetop casserole pan, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crispy. Use slotted spoon to move bacon pieces to bowl lined with paper towel. Pour bacon grease out, but don’t wipe out pan.

Add garlic to pan and cook over medium heat for 30 seconds or until it starts to smell fragrant. Add onions, celery and red pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add mushrooms and cook until all vegetables are soft, about 5 more minutes. Season with remaining salt and pepper.

Pour toasted bread into original large bowl and add vegetables and cooked bacon. Add parsley leaves and dried oregano, and mix together with large spatula. In medium bowl, whisk together eggs and cream. Pour over bread and vegetables, add 1/2 the shredded Gruyere cheese and mix with spatula. Pour entire contents back into casserole pan.

Sprinkle top of pudding with remaining cheese. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until top of bread pudding has turned golden brown and cheese is melted.

Serve warm.

Recipe Reimagined Eat the Love blog author Irvin Lin offers these variations and tips for a winning dish your guests will love: n Make the bread pudding vegetarian by omitting the bacon, using 1 tablespoon of olive oil to saute the vegetables and adding 1/2 cup of smoked Gouda cheese to the filling. n If you can’t find Gruyere cheese, feel free to substitute Jarlsberg or Swiss. n To reheat the pudding if you prepare ahead of time, bake for 15 minutes in the oven at 350 F.

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The Summation Weekly

Could you be our next cover model?

We’re looking for the perfect wedding model for the cover of Pensacola Magazine: Weddings 2016, and that model could be you!

Submit up to three of your individual wedding photos (high resolution please) to Kelly@ballingerpublishing.com, and you could be featured on the cover of the February 2016 issue. Editorial-style shots by your professional photographer are preferred.

For more information, visit www.pensacolamagazine.com or email us at the address above.

Please send us the photos by January 25, 2016.