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Independent News | April 11, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 15

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winners & losers 4

outtakes 5

news 6, 8

It’s like a cockroach. You try to kill it, and it just keeps coming back.

buzz

cover feature

a&e

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Sarah Mc Wilson, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Sydney Robinson

Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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D.R. HORTON The Northwest Florida

PEGGY BUTLER The University of West Florida last week celebrated a $39,593 donation to the UWF Department of Music in support of the Larry Butler Memorial Music Award. The new funds are a result of a fundraising concert featuring Dean Dillon in downtown Pensacola and the Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival, which were both held in November. The Larry Butler Memorial Music Award was created in 2015 by Peggy Butler in memory of her husband, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer and Pensacola native. More than $132,000 has been raised by the Butler family and friends to support the Department of Music.

HENRY HAWKINS NorthEscambia.com last week revealed the Century mayor paid $1,751.70 to fly from the West Coast to his community two potential vendors, Tyson Diaz-Lapham with ADC Energy and Mark Endo of Emesgy Consulting. The men wanted to sell Century $200,000 worth of energy-saving upgrades at three town properties. The town of Century had refused to provide unredacted documents showing the names of the travelers after the town council had reimbursed Hawkins for the trips. Hawkins tried to get out of the problem by reimbursing the town last week.

for Communerosity (J4C) program, the employees raised $15,000 during the first quarter of the year, which will be split between The Secret Place, Children's Home Society and the Santa Rosa Kids' House. Through J4C, the employees have given more than $240,000 since the program began in 2013. By the end of 2019, more than $290,000 will be given back to make a difference.

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club donated $10,000 to the Studer Community Institute to support the Early Learning Project's Brain Bags and Parental Outreach entitled "Millions of Words for Early Literacy." The two-year project resulted in 5,377 Brain Bags being presented in 2018 to new mothers at local hospitals. The Parent Outreach program, which leads parent groups for residents in eight housing campuses with children under 4, helped approximately 270 families last year.

Water Management District fined the homebuilder $24,000 for violations at its Preserve at Deer Run development off of Beulah Road. The fine was issued because its stormwater ponds were not functioning properly, and sediment was allowed to wash into wetlands. The order requires D.R. Horton to address the erosion problems within a week and allows for 30 days for a remedial plan for the wetlands to be developed.

TEXTING WHILE DRIVING The House State Aff airs Committee last week unanimously approved HB 107 that would shift texting while driving from a "secondary" offense to a "primary" offense. Currently, police can only cite motorists for texting behind the wheel if they are pulled over for other reasons. By making it a primary offense, police could pull over motorists for texting while driving. The Senate version would have warnings being handed out to violators from Oct. 1 through the end of the year. Citations would start on Jan. 1.

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Last week, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, Jim Webb, visited Pensacola and invited the media and community leaders to "learn more about offshore energy development," according to the invitations. Webb is the co-chair of Explore Offshore, a project of the American Petroleum Institute (API), the national trade association that represents the natural gas and oil industry, so it wasn't difficult to divine what he would be hawking at the luncheon in the Pensacola Bay Center. The former senator tried to convince the locals that we shouldn't worry about drilling in the Gulf of Mexico near our beaches. He hinted that Floridians were selfish and unpatriotic in our opposition to the expansion of offshore exploration, which he said was a matter of national and economic security. While Congressman Matt Gaetz has been adamant that drilling in the Gulf would have a detrimental impact on the missions of the military bases in Northwest Florida, Inweekly reporter Jeremy Morrison reported that Webb called Gaetz's position "one of the misnomers going around in this community" and said it was more political than strategic. And though API members stand to make millions, possibly billions, if they were allowed to drill in the Gulf of Mexico off the shores of Florida, Webb tried to convince the audience that profits didn't

drive offshore expansion. He insisted he was working for the "national good." Sure, Mr. Webb. Maybe you should also sell a few timeshares as part of your presentation. They, too, were once considered great deals. On April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded about 42 miles off the coast of Louisiana, killing 11. The platform was owned by API member British Petroleum, who told us four days after the explosion that about 1,000 barrels of oil per day were leaking from the wellhead. A week later, the Coast Guard increased the estimate to 5,000 barrels daily. BP misled the public to believe the well could be quickly capped. We reported otherwise. Engineers told Inweekly that the only way to stop the flow was to drill another well. Underwater cameras revealed the BP pipe was leaking oil and gas on the ocean floor. By the time the well was capped on July 15, an estimated 3.19 million barrels of oil had leaked into the Gulf. The actual leak was over 36,000 barrels a day. The first tar balls hit our beaches on May 23. Crews in hazmat suits worked through the night for over two months cleaning the beaches so national television crews would show white sand during their morning broadcasts on Casino Beach. Our economy was wrecked. Mr. Webb, we don't want to go through that nightmare again. Please take your road show elsewhere. {in} rick@inweekly.net

The actual leak was over 36,000 barrels a day.

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STUMPING FOR OFFSHORE DRILLING

By Jeremy Morrison Former U.S. Senator Jim Webb was clearly pissed, his lowering brow locking down into a devastating scowl. As he began to back away slowly, it became obvious the interview would be very brief. Only time for one more question—how much is API paying him to push for expanded offshore oil drilling? "None of your business," Webb growled as he turned and walked out of the Pensacola Bay Center. The former senator—who also served as the secretary of the Navy and had a brief presidential bid under the Democratic ticket in 2016—was in Pensacola Thursday on behalf of Explore Offshore, a project of the American Petroleum Institute (API) aimed at selling both lawmakers and the public on expanding offshore energy exploration in the Gulf of Mexico as well as off the Atlantic Coast. The initiative includes representatives from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Virginia, the state Webb represented in the Senate 2007-2013. As the co-chair of the Explore Offshore coalition for API, Webb had just wrapped his pitch for a roomful of about 50 people dining on cold deli sandwiches at the Bay Center. It was a tough room and his only event in the region, aside from a friendly meeting at the Pensacola Yacht Club with local veterans earlier in the day. He'd made the pitch in Jacksonville, too, but that was different. "It's not like here, where the oil spill 66

was," explained the woman handling publicity for the API events. Webb referenced that very point during his local remarks. "I know I'm in dead center, I'm in the bullseye of the debate, talking to people here in Pensacola," Webb said, before explaining how he was "very impressed by the improvements that had been made since this last oil spill" and how "we're not talking here about the type of environment that produced tar in Santa Monica when I was a kid" but rather something too far out in the Gulf to be a bother—"way over the sightline." Where the Gulf of Mexico is concerned, the API would like to see waters off of Florida's coast opened up to oil and natural gas exploration. While other states along the Gulf Coast allow for offshore drilling, Florida has always abstained, with lawmakers of varying stripes opposing drilling because of either environmental risks or the potential threat it poses to the state's tourism economy. The military has also opposed drilling in that area due to interference with training exercises, with the so-called Military Mission Line protection being enshrined in federal law until 2022. Every five years, the federal government releases an updated leasing schedule for parcels in the Gulf. The most recently released, yet-to-be-approved plan includes parcels off of Florida, though there have been casual assurances from D.C. that the state is safe from drilling. Webb explained that following the release of a proposed drilling plan from the

president, there is typically a process of "debate, discussion, cooperation." As the current proposal undergoes public scrutiny and debate, Explore Offshore is looking to participate in that discussion. "That's why I'm down here now," Webb said. During his presentation, the former senator said that the country needed to expand offshore exploration as a matter of national and economic security. He pointed to increasing global energy demand and contented that viable renewable energy sources were still too far down the road. "This is a reality," Webb said. In addition to assuring attendees at Thursday's luncheon that the oil industry had vastly improved safeguards when it came to offshore drilling, Webb also maintained that the military did not really need the eastern Gulf kept clear of drilling for training exercises. He described the concept of the military mission line as "one of the misnomers going around in this community" and said it was more political than strategic. "There are ways to cooperate," Webb said. Webb also played down any notion of oil companies eyeing expanded offshore energy opportunities for purely profit-driven motives. "You can talk about the money they make—people make money in a lot of different ways—but it's for the national good," he said. Webb may have more luck with his industry pitch in other states, but offshore drilling will be a tough sell in Florida. Both current Gov. Ron DeSantis and the former governor, Sen. Rick Scott, both Republicans, have voiced

opposition. Rep. Francis Rooney (R-Naples) has proposed legislation that would make the eastern Gulf drilling moratorium permanent, with the effort attracting bipartisan cosponsors including, locally, Rep. Matt Gaetz, (R-Fort Walton Beach). Numerous local governments throughout Florida have also passed resolutions formalizing opposition to drilling off of Florida's coast. The city of Pensacola and Escambia County, as well as the city of Fort Walton Beach, have all taken such stances. "No drilling. Period," Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson summed up his position on the issue following Explore Offshore's local presentation. Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill, who serves in the Navy Reserves, attended the luncheon and took to social media to express his feelings afterward. "I couldn't even stay through the entire pitch," Underhill wrote on Facebook. "Star power does not change the fact—offshore drilling in the panhandle is not acceptable." The Florida-Alabama coastal organizer for Healthy Gulf, Christian Wagley, sent a press release after Webb's remarks, pointing out that locals are opposed to oil and gas drilling off Florida. Healthy Gulf, an environmental group based in New Orleans and formerly known as Gulf Restoration Network, works with people, communities and businesses to oppose drilling off Florida and to create a just transition to renewable energy. "While lobbyists from the oil and gas industry appeared in Pensacola today to build support for offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Florida residents, businesses and multiple industries and interest groups remain in strong opposition," said Wagley. He included in the release Mike Pinzone, a Pensacola Beach leaseholder, business owner and operator of the Gulf Pier.

"Florida creates more tourism jobs than anywhere else—we can't afford an oil spill." Mike Pinzone "Florida creates more tourism jobs than anywhere else—we can't afford an oil spill," Pinzone said. "We have the best beaches in the world. As a business owner and one who loves this beach, I can't see allowing drilling closer to our state." Pinzone isn't exactly in the minority in this opposition. In November 2018, nearly 70 percent of Florida voters voted to add a provision to the state constitution that prohibits any oil and gas drilling in Florida waters. That constitutional amendment, however, only applies to state waters stretching a few miles out, while any decision regarding drilling farther out in the Gulf will be made at the federal level. {in} inweekly.net

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THE EDUCATION OF DR. EDLER on, the school board member shared her insights during an April 2 town hall at Englewood Baptist Church in Pensacola entitled "Listening to Concerns, Sharing Ideas for Community Change." In addition to Edler, the event also featured speakers from the local NAACP, Movement for Change and the Southern Poverty Law Center who discussed issues like discriminatory discipline practices and social justice. “I don’t believe you can represent anyone,” Edler opened the evening, “if you can’t find the time to talk with them.”

A DISTURBING PATTERN

Dr. Laura Edler / Courtesy Photo

By Jeremy Morrison She’s only been in office a few months, but Dr. Laura Dortch Edler feels that she has received quite an education during her inaugural year sitting on the Escambia County School Board. “Four months of service—that may be a short while, but for me, it’s been the longest time in my life,” Edler said during a town hall earlier this month. “I believe I have learned a lot and perhaps more than they thought I’d ever learn.” Last November, Edler was elected to represent Escambia’s District 3, which includes schools in predominately African-American neighborhoods. Since taking office, the new board member has attended training sessions in Tampa, met with school district department heads and been in a Mardi Gras parade with her dog, in addition to carrying District 3’s banner in board meetings. “I’m the only board member who voted against closing McMillian,” Edler pointed out. With a few months of service to reflect

Since being elected to the school board, Dr. Edler has made the rounds visiting the schools in her district. She’s been to McMillian Pre-K four times. “All of those times, I was most impressed,” Edler said. “Those children are learning.” In February, Escambia County Superintendent of Schools Malcolm Thomas pushed the school board to approve McMillian’s closure. Although the school was one of the top-performing pre-kindergartens in the district, the superintendent argued that the facility was in danger of losing federal funding. McMillian is hardly the first school in District 3 to be shuttered. Other academically-struggling schools have already been closed—Spencer Bibbs, Allie Yniestra, Hallmark. Ignoring the trend is difficult.

"It’s a pattern, and it has been a pattern for a long time." Laura Edler “It’s a pattern, and it has been a pattern for a long time,” Edler said. When District 3 schools are closed, students are shuffled into other schools. Neighborhoods lose an integral community hub, and students endure logistics like longer bus rides. “Closing neighborhood schools hurts communities,” said Jerry McIntosh, president of Movement for Change.

McIntosh described stretches of landscaped—stretches typically spanning African-American communities—that are turning into educationally-deficient areas. “The closings create educational deserts,” McIntosh explained, “and we’ve seen that with food deserts.”

"The closings create educational deserts, and we’ve seen that with food deserts." Jerry McIntosh The Movement for Change president pointed to the Town of Century in the north of the county, which no longer has any schools. The scholastic absence, he argued, has left Century a “dead city.” “And District 3 is in that category if we’re not very careful,” McIntosh warned. There is a growing sense within the African-American community that these District 3 closings are not merely strategic performance- or finance-based closures. Rather than representing a sad collection of coincidences or geographically-partial happenstances, there’s a feeling that the trend is purposeful, perhaps even conspiratorial. To be blunt, there is a belief in the community that the Escambia County School District is systematically closing District 3 schools with aims of eventually scrapping the need for the district’s seat on the board and with it, any representation from the African-American community. “There will be no need for District 3 representation,” McIntosh said. “I think that’s the direction they are trying to go into.”

BACK HER UP

Dr. Edler still holds out hope for the future of McMillan. “It’s not going away,” the District 3 representative said. During her town hall, Edler asked her constituents for help. She invoked the it-takes-a-village philosophy and urged

District 3 residents to become engaged in discussions about community education. “We have left our children in the village struggling for themselves,” Edler said. “It is time, village people, for you to come back home.” Speaking to local pastors attending the town hall, she requested each convey her message to their flocks. “Encourage your members to get active, to get involved,” she said. “Fill up that school board room.” Rodney Jones, regional NAACP president, stressed the importance of supporting Edler in her efforts to represent African-American interests on the school board. “We have a great advocate in Dr. Edler, but we’re going to have to back her up,” Jones said. “The community’s got to back her up.” Specifically, McIntosh noted, people should pay attention to the upcoming switch from an elected to an appointed school superintendent.

"We have to make sure that superintendent has the best interest of the entire county." McIntosh “We have to be at the table when the appointed superintendent is appointed in 2020,” McIntosh said. “We have to make sure that superintendent has the best interest of the entire county.” For her part, Edler said she’ll continue to fight for schools in District 3. The new representative would like to see a new middle school realized in her district. That’ll be a steep hill to climb. “I’ve asked the question point-blank— what do I need to do to get me a middle school in District 3?” Edler recounted, explaining how she was told such an effort would require 1,000 students to attend the new school. “[I said,] Give me the 1,000 students you took out of District 3 and sent to other schools.” {in}

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FLORIDA’S FIRST & FUTURE Last week, Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson announced a new tagline, “Florida’s First & Future,” and the official image for the City of Pensacola. Instead of a ball surfing a wave, sometimes referred to as the “swave” or “surfing fetus,” the Robinson logo includes the new tagline and incorporates the seal of Pensacola. “We want to remind people that Pensacola is where Florida’s history begins but also that we’re looking toward the future,” Mayor Robinson said. “I think as we get ready for 2021, which is 200 years of Florida being in the United States, we want to be ready and prepared to be part of the celebration.” Mayor Robinson asked Bryan McCall of Duncan McCall to develop the logo using the city seal and the new tagline. McCall tapped the “Showcase Pensacola” team to create the image pro bono as part of their effort to support tourism and the community. Showcase Pensacola is a group of local advertising and marketing agencies made up of Appleyard Agency, EW Bullock, Southern Media, Inc. and Duncan McCall. The new logo will be affixed to city property as items come up for replacement, according to the press release. The previous logo and tagline, “Upside of Florida,” were designed by the Tallahasseebased The Zimmerman Agency (TZA) and unveiled with much fanfare in July 2012. New logos were developed for the Pensacola International Airport, Port of Pensacola and the renamed Pensacola Energy. Public records showed the city paid TZA $484,789 through of July 2018 for the new brand and the “comprehensive marketing campaign.” Six months later, Mayor Hay-

ward announced he would terminate the TZA contract. However, he kept the logos and tagline.

EARTHQUAKES RAISE QUESTIONS

What caused the series of earthquakes along the Alabama-Florida border last month? Researchers with the United States Geological Survey aren’t sure, but they hope to learn more soon. “It’s fairly unusual to have events in this location,” noted Elizabeth Cochran, Ph.D., a research geophysicist with the USGS’s Earthquake Science Center in Pasadena, Calif. The series of five earthquakes began March 6 with a 3.1 magnitude quake registering a few miles northeast of Flomaton, Ala. Another low-magnitude tremor occurred March 11, this time near the town of Century in Florida, with two more following in the region March 13. The last quake, a 2.7 magnitude tremor registering east of Century, happened March 24. That was just a couple of days before USGS installing sensors in the area to better gather data about the local activity. “We’re just sort of playing the waiting game right now,” said Cochran, explaining that four new sensors have been installed in the region and should provide researchers with additional data points the next time an earthquake registers. Cochran works on the USGS’s Induced Seismicity Project. The project’s team studies the relationship between oil and gas extraction and the spike in low-level earthquakes in the U.S. since around 2014. From 1973 to 2008, the USGS reports that there was an average of 25 earthquakes

of magnitude three or larger in the central and eastern U.S. In 2014, that spiked to 600 such events and then jumped to more than a 1,000 in 2015. By 2017, that number had fallen to 364, which is still significantly higher than historical data suggests is normal. Much of this uptick in activity has occurred in locations like Oklahoma. In such Midwest locales, Cochran said, the events have often been linked to oil and gas exploration activity in the area. Such events are labeled “induced” earthquakes. Although such low-level earthquakes are popularly associated with hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the events are more commonly linked to the disposal of wastewater from such processes. “You have to get rid of that fluid. The easiest way to get rid of it is to inject it underground,” Cochran said, explaining that the fluid can in turn cause plates beneath the surface to slip more easily. A map produced by the USGS in 2015 highlighted 21 areas impacted by induced earthquakes, as well as noting the proximity of injection wells. Brewton, Ala. is one of the locations identified on the map. It is unclear whether these most recent earthquakes are related to oil and gas exploration efforts in the area. That’s what USGS researchers are hoping to learn with the installation of the four new sensors in the region. “We are aware there are oil wells, injection wells and saltwater disposal wells in this immediate area,” said Sandy Ebersole, Ph.D., Geologic Investigations Program director with USGS in Alabama. “However, an interpretation of causation based solely on location is not scientific.” Ebersole said the sensors would collect seismic data for three to six months. Once that information is obtained, researchers may be able to get a better idea about the cause of this recent series of local quakes. “The question of whether an earthquake is induced or not can be answered scientifically only after review of all the data is complete,” Ebersole stressed.

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NEAR NORMAL HURRICANE SEASON

AccuWeather forecasters have predicted 2019 will be a near- to slightly above-normal hurricane season with 12 to 14 storms. Of those storms, five to seven are forecast to become hurricanes, and two to four are predicted to become major hurricanes. “This year, we think that there will be a few less tropical storms and lower numbers in hurricanes, but again, the old saying is ‘it only takes one,’” AccuWeather Atlantic Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.

IHMC OPEN HOUSE IHMC celebrates

National Robotics Week with an open house 3-8 p.m. Friday, April 12, in the Levin Center for IHMC Research, 40 S. Alcaniz St. Scientists and engineers from the institute’s robotics lab will be on hand to give tours and talk about their work developing humanoid behaviors and advanced interface concepts that allow robots to do complex work. Some of the robots that will be on display in the Levin Center for IHMC Research include IHMC’s exoskeleton, Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot, NASA’s Valkyrie robot, FastRunner, HexRunner and IHMC’s high-mobility humanoid, Nadia. In addition to hands-on activities, Pensacola MESS Hall and West Florida Public Library will have interactive demonstrations and games for kids of all ages.

ROOFTOP VIEW OF THE BLUES The National Flight Academy (NFA) is now offering rooftop viewing packages during the U.S. Navy Blue Angels practices most Tuesdays and Wednesdays this spring through fall. A maximum of 43 total tickets is available each fly date, regardless of package type. Please note that if any fly date has fewer than five tickets sold, the viewing will be canceled, and refunds will be given. Tickets are available at the Naval Aviation Museum Giant Screen Theater Ticket Counter inside the museum. Tickets may be purchased up to 11 a.m. on each fly date. Visitors will take an elevator to the

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UWF Presidernt Dr. Martha Saunders / Courtesy Photo

fourth floor and will be required to take one flight of stairs to access the NFA rooftop. High-heeled shoes are not permitted on the NFA roof. Three packages are offered—Alpha, $2, Blue Angel practice viewing, seating and a bottle of water; Diamond, $35, Blue Angel practice viewing, seating, lunch including a Chick-fil-A sandwich, bag of chips and two bottles of water; and Delta, $45, Blue Angel practice viewing, seating, lunch including a Chick-fil-A sandwich, bag of chips and two bottles of water, plus an exclusive experience to fly the F-35 in the NFA simulators for 45 minutes. Delta tickets are only available when no students are onboard.

FOUNDERS WEEK For the second year, the University of West Florida will hold its annual Founders Week April 13-18. Founders Week is a weeklong celebration that serves as an opportunity to bring the UWF family together, welcome alumni and visitors to campus and give back to the community. “Founders Week is a young but valuable tradition at UWF, as it calls on students, alumni and friends to celebrate and reflect on their legacy as Argonauts,” said President Martha D. Saunders. “We hope everyone

April 11, 2019

enjoys the week’s events and joins us in celebrating UWF in fine style.” Founders Week will get underway with Day of Play at UWF on Saturday, April 13. Beginning at 11 a.m., members of the community are invited to the UWF Sports Complex for a day of fun-filled activities including the Little Mile and Argo Mile races, bounce houses, laser tag, video games, karaoke, vendor booths and yard games. At 1 p.m., UWF’s softball and baseball teams will play Lee University at Jim Spooner Field and the UWF Softball Complex. UWF’s Day of Giving, a 24-hour fundraising event, will be held on Thursday, April 18. Alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and friends are invited to make gifts online at dayofgiving.uwf.edu or on campus, directing their contributions to any of the 14 featured funds. Last year’s inaugural Day of Giving raised more than $113,000 from over 1,200 people. For more information, visit uwf.edu/foundersweek.

PLASTIC BAG SWAP Keep Pensacola

Beautiful is hosting a series of Plastic Bag Swaps in the Pensacola area in April as a part of their 12-week Great American Cleanup. The public is encouraged to bring 20 or more plastic bags to exchange for a reusable canvas grocery tote. The swap locations are as follows: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 13 at Ever’man Cooperative; 1-5 p.m. Sunday, April 14 at Perfect Plain Brewing Company; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the Earth Day Festival in downtown Pensacola; and 3-5 p.m. Saturday, April 20 at the From the Ground Up Slow Ride. “In 2018, we hosted one Plastic Bag Swap event and collected over 10,000 plastic bags,” said Sigrid Solgard, the executive director of Keep Pensacola Beautiful. “We hope to triple that number this year and continue to recycle while also educating the public on the importance of switching to reusable items.” While the number of plastic bags you can bring is not limited, Keep Pensacola

Beautiful asks that only one canvas bag is taken per person. During the month of April, Keep Pensacola Beautiful will also be collecting plastic bags during business hours, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, at its office, 9 W. Blount St.

IMPACT 100 WORKSHOP In October,

IMPACT 100 Pensacola Bay Area will award project grants of $106,000 each to 11 nonprofit organizations. To assist in preparing area nonprofit organizations to apply for a grant, IMPACT 100 is holding a workshop for area nonprofits that wish to learn about the 2019 grant process, get tips for writing a successful grant, and be inspired to create a winning project. The workshop will be held 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, at the Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto St. Pre-registration is required and must be done by Friday, April 12, at impact100pensacola.org. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. Following the workshop, attendees are invited to stay for a Nonprofit Social from 12:30-2 p.m. During the social, IMPACT 100 board members will facilitate small group discussion among the event attendees and offer an opportunity for participant networking. Lunch will be provided. Letters of Intent to apply for a grant are due by noon on April 30. A Letter of Intent (LOI) must be submitted in order to apply for a grant; however, submitting an LOI does not obligate an organization to submit a grant application. Grant applications must be submitted by noon on June 12.

PLAYING FOR A PURPOSE The local teen leadership organization Chain Reaction will host its 14th annual Playing for a Purpose fundraising event 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at the Pensacola Blue Wahoos stadium from 5:30- 7:30 p.m. The event features life-sized interactive games and prizes, a silent auction, “chemistry” cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. All proceeds benefit Chain Reaction. To attend the event, you must purchase

an individual ticket or sponsor a game, table or teen. Various levels of sponsorship are available. Please contact info@mychainreaction.org for more information or to purchase tickets.

GIRLS IN AVIATION The National Flight Academy will host a STEM Saturday program 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, for 3rd–8th grade students. April’s STEM Saturday topic is “Girls in Aviation Day— Jets in Flight.” All Girls in Aviation Day attendees will receive a free National Flight Academy tote bag, Girls in Aviation Day Magazine, Girls in Aviation Day fun patch and Girls in Aviation Day Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Sectional Chart Segment. Like the National Flight Academy’s other programs, STEM Saturdays are designed to address the serious concerns of declining science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in our country. Visit bit.ly/2UgxT0a to register, as space is limited for each session. Registration closes Monday, April 15, at 5 p.m. Registration is $30 per child and lunch is provided. MARK YOUR CALENDAR The Escambia

County Democratic Women's Club meets 11:45 a.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. The speaker is Doug Landreth, co-founder and past president of Gay Grassroots of Northwest Florida. DIB Parking & Traffic committee meets 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Bowden Building, Room #1, 120 Church St. Ebonwood Homeowners Association hosts its 8th Annual Easter Egg Hunt noon3 p.m. Friday, April 16, at the Ebonwood Community Center, 3511 W. Scott St. Architectural Review Board will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 18, in the Mason Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Pensacola City Hall. City Councilwoman Jewel CannadaWynn will host a community meeting on the Fricker Resource Center design 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at the Fricker Resource Center, 900 N. F St. {in}

THE ULTIMATE HANGOUT RIDE —COMING SOON—

GRAB A BIKE THE WEEK OF APRIL 15TH FOR A CHANCE TO WIN TWO 3-DAY GENERAL ADMISSION PASSES TO HANGOUT FEST ‘19 @RIDESOCIETYPENSACOLA FOR DETAILS

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inweekly.net

By Savannah Evanoff & Joani Delezen Here at Inweekly, Record Store Day (RSD) ranks pretty high on our list of favorite holidays. Most of us have been getting up early, standing in line and geeking out every April for as long as we can remember. But if you’re still a newcomer to the RSD party, here’s a quick rundown on how it all works. For starters, there's the date. RSD is always celebrated in April. This years’ event (which is the 12th

April 11, 2019

annual if you’re curious) will take place worldwide on Saturday, April 13. Then there's "the list." Since it began in 2007, RSD has worked with artists and labels to offer special and limited-edition releases, mostly on vinyl. The details about those releases are published in an official list a few weeks in advance. Those releases are what RSD is all about. RSD only happens at participating independent re-

cord stores—meaning “standalone brick and mortar retailers” that deal primarily in music and not chain stores like Target. Pensacola has two stores that participate annually in RSD—Revolver Records and Music Box. Some of the releases are extremely limited, while others are a little easier to come by. But no matter what, it’s still a toss-up because the stores aren’t guaranteed anything they order. For some, this is annoying, but for most RSD fans, this is what makes it fun.

WHERE IT’S AT

REVOLVER RECORDS REVEALS PLANS FOR THEIR MID-MOVE RECORD STORE DAY (KIND OF)

Eric Jones / Photo by Greg Riegler

Eric Jones doesn’t plan to skip Record Store Day. The owner of Revolver Records is between shops this year—mid-move from his old location downtown on Gregory Street and the new one on 12th Avenue in East Hill—but will still offer a selection of exclusive 2019 Record Store Day releases from a pop-up shop on the big day—which falls on Saturday, April 13, this year. The exact time and location is currently a tad hush-hush, but Jones will announce the details on Revolver Records’ Facebook and Instagram pages soon. Although the Record Store Day event won’t take place in a traditional store, the supply of products will be comparable to that of previous years. The vinyl record holiday is a booster shot for record stores, Jones said, and one he knows his customers don’t want to miss out on. “Record stores are a national treasure I think,” Jones said. “Anything that helps put them in the forefront of people’s minds and gets people in the store shopping is a good thing.”

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Jones aims to open the new location in early May—knock on wood.

‘SWEETS AND BEATS’

East Hill is Jones’ home. After all, he grew up there through 2004. Relocating his record store to the iconic Pensacola neighborhood was partially because of his emotional attachment to it. “The first house I lived in in East hill was on Maxwell Street, a block and a half away from the new store location,” Jones said. “That was around 1966—so a long time ago. I remember The Beatles being played on the radio constantly when we lived on Maxwell Street.” Little has changed in East Hill over the years, but why should it? That’s part of its appeal. The community is still characterized with Victorian homes, high ceilings, wood floors and an allure for businesses and residences alike. “My first shop was there, so I have a long,

long history both emotionally and as a businessman in East Hill,” Jones said. “I was on 12th Avenue for 13 years with my first record store, which was called East Hill CD, so it was named after the neighborhood.” It’s a vibrant neighborhood, Jones said. He hopes to add even more life and diversity to 12th Avenue with a cool record store. Jones has had his heart set on returning to East Hill for a while, but the 12th Avenue location was bigger than he anticipated and came with a higher price tag. Brenda Mader, the owner of Dolce & Gelato, had the same concerns about the space. “We’ve known each other since the early ’90s,” Jones said. “We vibe really well—our personalities— and we thought, ‘Well, we both want to be in there, but it’s way too much square footage for both of us individually. Why don’t we just team up?’ So they did. A partition will separate the two businesses, but they will still be connected with entrances to each other. Jones admits others find it an unconventional pairing. “Some of my friends looked at me, turned their head sideways like a puppy dog when he hears a funny noise, like, ‘Record stores and gelato?’” Jones said. “Why not? People like records. People like ice cream, coffee and wine, so there’s no reason you can’t find symbiosis between the two.” “The official slogan I’ve come up with for the enterprise is ‘sweets and beats.’”

‘SURFACE NOISE’

Jones exemplifies every bit of the record store owner persona—cool, musically knowledgeable and just a touch mysterious. It’s because Jones himself is the product of another of his kind. Jones once had a corporate job in Tallahassee, enslaved to 100-plus hour work weeks and no overtime. He reached his breaking point and moved back to Pensacola. It wasn’t long before he stumbled into the local record shop. “He was the cool record store owner,” Jones said. “He was a British American gentle-

man. I came in and bought a lot of records from him. I heard he was looking to hire someone, and I went in and he hired me on the spot.” That was in April of 1987. Jones fell in love with it, opening his own store in 1995. He has sold records for 32 years this month. “Why sell records? It’s just what I do.” Jones said.

"Why sell records? It’s just what I do." Eric Jones When asked about the appeal of records, Jones pulls out exactly the meaningful explanation you expect. He paraphrases a quote from John Peel, a former English DJ and journalist. “Someone asked him, ‘What’s the appeal of vinyl records? They’re noisy and scratchy,’” Jones said. “The audiophile term for that is surface noise. His answer for that was, ‘Life has surface noise.’” Records elicit a sense of realness, Jones said. They are tactile, sensory and have a long history—dating back to the 1800s. “That’s well over a century and a quarter ago that records came about,” Jones said. “They’re older than the automobile, the wireless telegraph, the radio and the telephone. It’s tried and true technology. It’s like a cockroach. You try to kill it, and it just keeps coming back.” Jones doesn’t dilute himself, he said. “I know a lot of people, including my close friends, don’t listen to vinyl; they listen to Pandora or Spotify,” Jones said. “Even downloading is passé, which says a lot about vinyl. Vinyl has stood the test of time.” {in}

REVOLVER RECORDS

DETAILS: facebook.com/revolverfl revolver_records on Instagram

inweekly.net

RSD RELEASE ROUNDUP

From "Bohemian Rhapsody" to Broken Social Scene, this year's list of RSD exclusives is super long, super diverse and, in some cases, super random (looking at you, "Knight Rider" Soundtrack). By our (unofficial) count, there are almost 400 limited-edition releases this time around. We know a list that long can overwhelm just about anybody, so we went ahead and did a little scanning and sorting for you. Here are 20 highlights we think are worth getting excited about: •"In the Garage: Live Music from WTF with Marc Maron" by various artists •“Bohemian Rhapsody" (picture disc) by Queen

•"Me and Magdalena" by Benjamin Gibbard •"Still Standing" by Goodie Mob •“Weezer” (Teal Album) by Weezer •"The Hi Records Singles Box Set" by •“Body Talk" by Robyn Al Green •“Stax Does The Beatles” by various artists •"Bolden" Original Soundtrack by •“Lost in Translation” Original Wynton Marsalis Soundtrack by various artists •"Poison the Well" by Modest Mouse •“The Fall” by Gorillaz •"Black in Deep Red" by Moses Sumney •“The Alternate Fleetwood Mac” by •"Ray Guns Are Not Just The FutureFleetwood Mac -10th Anniversary Edition" by The Bird •“Disney Songs the Satchmo Way” by And The Bee Louis Armstrong •“The Warfield San Francisco, CA •“Live at Easy Street” by Pearl Jam 10/9/80 & 10/10/80" by Grateful Dead •"Everybody Here Hates You" by Courtney Barnett •"Let’s Try the After Vol. 1 & 2" by To view the complete list, go to recordstoreday.com Broken Social Scene

For Your Specialty

Eye Care Needs! • Color and Bifocal Contact Lenses • True Tear Dry Eye Treatments & Lipiﬂow Dry Eye Treatments • Eyelash Lengthening

RSD "Revival" at Music Box Once again, the record store on the west side of town is going out all for RSD and has ordered tons of the 2019 limited release records. They also have a full day of live in-store sets planned with eight regional and local bands, so make sure you stop in at some point during the day—the earlier the better, of course, if you want a specific record.

April 11, 2019

SCHEDULE: Spearman Brewers 9-9:45 a.m. The Juice Is Okay 10-10:45 a.m. Broke Yokels 11-11:45 a.m. Victrolas 12-12:45 p.m. Tanya Gallagher 1-1:45 p.m. Exformation 2-2:45 p.m. Nik Flagstar 3-3:4 p.m. Marvin 4-4:45 p.m.

MUSIC BOX

3960 W. Navy Blvd., #3 facebook.com/musicboxpensacola

• Luxury & Exclusive Eyeglasses & Sunglasses

113 Palafox Place (Across from Saenger Theatre)

Pensacola

(850) 434-2060 15

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF APRIL 11-17

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

A Bright Light in a Dark Time By Savannah Evanoff

The Bright Light Social Hour / Photo by Sully Sullivan

The Bright Light Social Hour won't ask for anything it isn't willing to give in return. The Austin-based psychedelic rock band's latest album, "Jude Vol. 1," was birthed in the death of Alex O'Brien, the former band manager and younger brother of lead singer and guitarist Jackie O'Brien. On the record, the band explored its most vulnerable side and, in turn, encourages listeners to do the same. "It's OK to be vocal about what you're going through; you're not alone," O'Brien said. "The only way you'll find the people that understand is by being open and sharing. Having the courage to do this difficult thing of being vulnerable and sharing this uncomfortable story—it's looking for help and offering help all at once," he continued. Even the songs that aren't about Alex are about Alex, O'Brien explained. Alex was the band's manager for several years until he developed a sudden, severe case of bipolar I disorder. The band members had a painful front-row seat as Alex suffered through it. "He was super brilliant and such a hilarious, life-living guy and went totally crazy," O'Brien said. "He would be in these manic stages—he paid a taxi driver several April 11, 2019

thousand dollars to drive him to D.C. so he could talk to the director of the CIA and convince him to stop doing things. He would go through these really horrible, depressive states."

"It's OK to be vocal about what you're going through; you're not alone." Jackie O'Brien In January of 2015, Alex committed suicide. "He was very convinced that it was not going to get better," O'Brien said. "He was very open about it, but he ended up taking his own life right outside of our studio." The tragic unfolding took place as the band was starting to write "Jude Vol. 1." "A big theme is wrapping our heads around it all and being able to have the strength to continue without him, who was really like a guide for us, a leader," O'Brien said. "The songs go between being with him in his time of passing and the aftermath as well as life when you're a bit scared to move on." The album cover features a photo O'Brien's mother took of Jackie and Alex as

children in Puerto Escondido, Mexico—where they spent summers with their grandparents. "We found that picture and [Joseph Mirasole], our drummer, really loved it, so he did all the psychedelic overlay on it," O'Brien said. "If you flip it over to the back, Alex is removed from the photo. It's ethereal purple, like something is taking him." In the past few years, the members have found a way to cope. They discovered the SIMS Foundation, an Austin, Texas, organization dedicated to connecting musicians with mental healthcare. "We found an amazing band therapist and personal therapists who helped us grieve," O'Brien said. "And then the music helped us grieve a lot, especially now that we're playing it all live. It feels therapeutic." While the record is still a continuation of the band's earlier album, "Space is Still the Place," they took a few major left turns, O'Brien said. "We'd never really written any music that was really—in any way—personal before," O'Brien said. "This new one is a lot more about our lives, our relationships and our losses." The sound differs, too. "Audio-wise, it's less spacey, less psychedelic," O'Brien said. "There's still a lot of that in there, but there's a lot less effects on the vocals. We wanted it to be a person speaking more directly to you rather than a signal from another planet." Some of the songs, such as "Lie To Me (Große Lüge)" and "Open Borders" give a glimpse into the band's commitment to political activism. "'Open Borders' was written by Curtis [Roush], our guitarist," O'Brien said. "In Texas, we're just a few hours from the border, and all this building is happening really close to us. That's a call out against it." O'Brien loves how music brings attention to real issues. The band's name is based on a quote about activism and its ability to shine bright light in the dark corners of society, he said. "It's very easy to make up our minds beforehand when we hear people speak, about what you think about them and what they might say," O'Brien said. "With music, the message is a lot more sneaky. It can actually be a lot more powerful that way."

They have also lived up to their name in the more literal sense, O'Brien added. Mirasole created an "amazing" new light rig with LED strips and projected animations.

"It's very dynamic. At times softly intense and at other times very explosive." O'Brien "It's very dynamic," O'Brien said. "At times softly intense and at other times very explosive." The band has developed a theme of ending its set with "Give to Me Words." But, again, it won't ask for something it isn't willing to return. "That song itself is a bit of a prayer to the end of times, acknowledging that we are here for a limited time," O'Brien said. "As a writer, it's asking for a message that can help someone else but also to find a message from someone else that can help us not feel so alone in the face of impermanence." {in}

THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR

WHAT: The Bright Light Social Hour with FayRoy WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11 WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox COST: $12 DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com, thebrightlightsocialhour.com

calendar THURSDAY 4.11

Pensacola’s finest for… Vacations & Staycations Weddings & Receptions Corporate Travel, Meetings & Retreats Private Parties & Culinary Events 400 Bayfront Parkway leehousepensacola.com 850.912.8770

TRAIL WORK ON THE FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Every Thursday. Three miles north of Deaton Bridge Road. meetup.com/ftawesterngate YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org PILATES MAT 12:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine HANDS-ON COOKING: GRILLED RIBEYE 6-8 p.m. $64.50. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com SAUSKA WINE DINNER 6-9 p.m. South Market, 232 E. Main St. facebook.com/eatsouthmarket MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com LATIN DANCE CLASSES 6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and more. Professional dance instruction for all skill levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos

Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com

THE BRIGHT LIGHT SOCIAL HOUR 7 p.m. $12-

$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

FRIDAY 4.12

ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola

Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com

EVER'MAN COOKS: 30-MINUTE MEALS WITH BACKYARD BOHEMIAN 11 a.m. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

AUTHOR CAPT. ALLEN COLBY BRADY BOOK SIGNING 2-4 p.m. Barnes & Noble Booksell-

ers, 1200 Airport Blvd.

IHMC ROBOTICS OPEN HOUSE 3-8 p.m.

IHMC, 40 S. Alcaniz. ihmc.us

GARDEN AND GRAIN CRAFT CLUB 5 p.m.

Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco REGGAE FEST 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com PENSACOLA INBLOOM 5-7:30 p.m. Pop-up maker's market. Barkley House, 410 S. Florida Blanca St. facebook.com/pensacolamarket HAPPY HOUR COOKOUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com THE HOPPENING: A GROWN-UP EASTER EGG HUNT 6-8:30 p.m. $25-$30. Spahr Brewing

Company, 3541 W. Fairfield Drive. facebook.com/ecasfriends DATE NIGHT DANCE CLASSES 6:30-8 p.m. $8. Learn several romantic ballroom dance styles in unique group classes. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos

Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com 818 1

OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N.

9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin BALLET PENSACOLA'S CINDERELLA 7 p.m. $37. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. balletpensacola.com SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE 7:30 p.m. $14-$20. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com ISLAND FIGHTS 55 7:30 p.m. $33.50 and up. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com DEARLY DEPARTED 7:30 p.m. $7-$18. Free to UWF students. University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa DEADBUGGS/MODOWN/HEATSEEKER/TWISTED DREAM 8-11 p.m. $5. chizuko, W. Belmont

St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola

DOUBLE FEATURE: SAY ANYTHING AND ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW 9 p.m. Free. Vinyl

Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

SATURDAY 4.13

AWKO JUSTICE JOG/5K 6 a.m. Race begins at

Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, 17 E. Main St. awkojusticefoundation.com

2019 PENSACOLA BEACH FIREFIGHTERS CHALLENGE 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Free for specta-

tors. Casino Beach Bar and Grille, 47 Fort Pickens Road. pensacolasports.org/penbeachfirefighters MULLET MAN MARATHON 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Flora-Bama Lounge, Package and Oyster Bar, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/recplexnorth PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com YOU SELL IT HERE FARMER'S MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission. Every Saturday. 8600 Pensacola Blvd., facebook.com/yousellithere SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road. OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UPS 9-10 a.m. Two sites: Bay Bluffs, 3400 Scenic Highway at Summit and Scenic Highway; Chimney Park at Langley and Scenic Highway. oceanhourfl.com SAIL WITH THE BLUE ANGELS 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Through April 17. $400 for two people, plus $25 per additional person up to six people. Gulf Breeze Sailing, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd. DEBBY'S KITCHEN 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 Garden St. everman.org KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL BAG SWAP 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Bring 20 plastic bags to receive a free KPB tote. Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org PENSACOLA INBLOOM 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Popup maker's market. Barkley House, 410 S Florida Blanca St. facebook.com/pensacolamarket PAWS IN THE PARK 10 a.m.-2 p.m. $4-$6. Big Lagoon State Park, 12301 Gulf Beach Highway. FLORIDA'S FLORA: NATURE TOUR OF ARCADIA MILL 10:30 a.m. $2-$4 admission for kids.

Arcadia Mill Archaeological Site, 5709 Mill Pond Lane. MILTON HIGH SCHOOL BAND BEATS & EATS MUSIC FESTIVAL 10 a.m.-8 p.m. $5 admission,

free for children under 3. Milton High School, 5445 Stewart St. miltonhighschoolband.com EASTER EGG HUNT AT BODACIOUS BREW THROUGH 11 a.m.-1 p.m. For kids 10 and un-

der. The Bodacious Brew Thru, 16 W. Main St. sogourmetpensacola.com ART ON THE GREEN 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Free admission. Pensacola Country Club Tennis Center, 404 Live Oak Ave. BEGINNER'S IMPROV WORKSHOP 1-3 p.m. $20. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. improvablecause.com CURIOSITY DAY: ON THE MOVE 1-4 p.m. $10 per person. Pensacola M.E.S.S. Hall, 116 N Tarragona St. pensacolamesshall.org NATURAL HEALING/CANCER STUDY 2 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org GULF BREEZE SPRING FESTIVAL 2 p.m. Free admission. Gulf Breeze Community Center, 800 Shoreline Drive. REGGAE FEST 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us JUNIOR LEAGUE OF PENSACOLA: EVENING IN WHITE 6 p.m. $40, VIP tables $700 for eight

people. Location TBA on the day of the event. eveninginwhitepensacola.com

BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP 6:05 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos

Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com

OPERAZZI IN THE AMAZON 6:30 p.m. $75-

$150. Skopelos at New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. pensacolaopera.com STORIES UNDER THE STARS: FLOWER POWER

7-9 p.m. Free. From the Ground Up Community Garden, 501 N. Hayne St. fromthegroundupgardenpensacola.com IMPROVABLE CAUSE: HAPPY HOUR 7-8:30 p.m. $10. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. improvablecause.com CRADLE OF FILTH 7 p.m. $28-$32. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10-$20. One-hour workshop followed by a mix of swing, country and ballroom music. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BALLET PENSACOLA'S CINDERELLA 7 p.m. $37. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. balletpensacola.com COUPLES COOK: GET SAUCY IN THE KITCHEN 7 p.m. $60. Pensacola Cooks Kitchen,

3670 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks. rezclick.com SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE 7:30 p.m. $14-$20. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com PENSACOLA CIVIC BAND PRESENTS: A NIGHT OF GERSHWIN 7:30 p.m. $13.

Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com DEARLY DEPARTED 7:30 p.m. $7-$18. Free to UWF students. University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa THE BLOOM ALBUM RELEASE PARTY 9 inweekly.net

JOIN US BEGINNING MAY 7TH EARN YOUR FREE CERTIFICATE FROM THE PEOPLE’S LAW SCHOOL

6:00 - 8:00 PM NEW WORLD LANDING 600 S PALAFOX ST Levin, Papantonio is proud to host another free People’s Law School event! Join us every Tuesday in May, beginning May 7th, from 6 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and earn your People’s Law School certificate. We are delighted to provide an opportunity for our community to have open conversations about laws impacting our families. Come hear from local attorneys, experienced faculty, law enforcement, and the Gulf Coast Kids House. Learn: • • • • •

How products make it to market (and your body) How insurance operates in the real world Tools to help keep your tech savvy kids safe What the Gulf Coast Kids House does for our community Much much more!

RSVP VISIT LEVINLAW.COM OR CALL 850-435-7056

April 11, 2019

calendar midnight. $5. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola

SUNDAY 4.14

WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant THEMED BRUNCH AT PERFECT PLAIN 10 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook. com/cafesinglefin TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational

Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15 percent off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via de Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL BAG SWAP 1-5 p.m. Exchange 20 plastic bags for KPB tote. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSONVILLE JUMBO SHRIMP 1:05 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos

Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com

SACRED GEOMETRY 2-4 p.m. Asher & Bee

Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee

020 2

BALLET PENSACOLA'S CINDERELLA 2:30 p.m. $37. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. balletpensacola.com DEARLY DEPARTED 2:30 p.m. $7-$18. Free to UWF students. University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE 3 p.m. $14-$20. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com SWING DANCE CLASSES 4-7 p.m. $10. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

MONDAY 4.15

RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CULTURES COOK: THE POLISH PIEROGI 6 p.m. $39. Pensacola Cooks Kitchen, 3670 Barrancas Ave, pensacolacooks.rezclick.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com CROHN'S AND COLITIS SUPPORT GROUP 6:30 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, ATREYU 6:30 p.m. $30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

8-9 p.m. $5. Learn amazing moves from professional instructors. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com BUCKCHERRY 7 p.m. $28. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

TUESDAY 4.16

MOUNT LIPTAK SHORT FILM AND TRUE GRIT SCREENING 7 p.m. $5 (cash only). Short film

HIP-HOP & CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASSES

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. Free. National Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org TRYON FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 4 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us LA FLORIDA: THE COASTAL BORDERLAND OF THE NEW WORLD 5:30 p.m. Free. Mu-

seum of Commerce, 201 E. Zaragoza St. uwf.edu FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org HANDS-ON COOKING: SEARED REDFISH WITH OLIVES, ROSEMARY & POTATOES 6-8

p.m. $64.50. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com COUNTRY DANCE CLASSES 6:30 p.m. $10. Country two-step, East Coast swing, competition choreography and more. No partner required. World championship dance

from WWII veteran and Pensacola resident Lester Liptak followed by the 1969 film "True Grit." The Rex Theatre, 18 N. Palafox. pensacolacinemaart.com BANDS ON THE BEACH 7-9 p.m. Free. Touch of Gray. Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. visitpensacolabeach.com COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com

WEDNESDAY 4.17

BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. Free. Na-

tional Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox COOKING WITH CHEF IRV MILLER: ISLAND FLAVORS 5 and 7:30 p.m. $45 per person.

Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. greatsouthernrestaurants.com YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

for more listings visit inweekly.net

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DIFFERENCE MAKERS

IDGROUP ANNOUNCES SEVENTH BRAND ON US WINNER Today, local brand transformation firm, idgroup, announced Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministries as this year’s recipient of its Brand on Us Initiative. Runners up for the award included Pensacola Little Theatre, Chain Reaction and Gulf Coast Kid’s House. Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministries will mark the seventh recipient of the award since the program began in 2013. “We are so very grateful for this gift that will assist our ministry to some of the most needy individuals in our city,” said Henry Roberts, President of Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministry. “Our work with the idgroup team will open many doors for us as we seek to meet the physical, mental and spiritual needs of the homeless and under-resourced in our community,” added Robin Noble, Executive Director. idgroup, who leads the development of the Initiative, along with its network of partners will begin work in March, with an official launch slated for October 2019. About Brand on Us: Brand on Us is an initiative that awards one deserving not-for-profit a free comprehensive and integrated brand makeover valued at over $150,000 in idgroup and partner services. To date, the initiative has donated an estimated $900,000 in services to recipients. Previous winners include: 2018: The Global Corner 2017: Martha’s Vineyard: A Family House (vineyardfamilyhouse.org) 2016: Autism Pensacola (autismpensacola.org) 2015: Pensacola Sports (pensacolasports.org) 2014: Chain Reaction: Teen Leadership Institute (mychainreaction.org) 2013: Humane Society of Pensacola (pensacolahumane.org)

Learn more at brandonus.com. About idgroup: Founded in 1989, idgroup is a brand transformation firm based in Pensacola. The firm specializes in strategic planning, facilitated stakeholder engagements, organization development and strategies, and development and execution of branded marketing communications. Learn more at idgroupbranding.com.

Sponsored by The Studer Family April 11, 2019

free will astrology WEEK OF APRIL 11 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): The Qing

Dynasty controlled China from the mid-17th century to the early 20th century. It was the fifth biggest empire in world history. But eventually, it faded, as all mighty regimes do. Revolution came in 1911, forcing the last emperor to abdicate and giving birth to the Republic of China. I'm inclined to think of your life in 2019 as having some similarities to that transition. It's the end of one era and the beginning of another; a changing of the guard and a passing of the torch. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to be very active in deciding and visualizing the empire you want next.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): I hope that

sometime soon you'll acquire a new source of support or inspiration. Now is a phase of your astrological cycle when you're likely to attract influences that are in alignment with your deep values. This addition might be a person or animal. It could be a vibrant symbol or useful tool. It may even be a fantasy character or departed ancestor that will stimulate vitality you haven't been able to summon on your own. Be on the lookout for this enhancement.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Poet David

Hinton analyzed the Chinese word for "poetry." Its etymological meaning is "words spoken at the fertility altar." Let's make that your theme, even if you don't write or read poetry. I suspect the coming weeks will be a favorable time to take a vow or utter a solemn intention in front of a homemade fertility altar. The oath you speak might express a desire to boost your use of your physical vitality—your lust for life, your adoration of the natural world or your power to produce new human life. Or your vow to foster your fertility could be more metaphorical and symbolic in nature—the imaginative intimacy you will explore or the creativity you'll express in future works of art or the generous effects you want to have on the world.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Christopher

Robin Milne was the son of author A. A. Milne, who wrote the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. He said there are two ways to navigate through life. Either you "take a bearing on something in the future and steer towards it or take a bearing on

By Rob Brezsny

something in the past and steer away from it." So in his view, "There are those who look ahead and pull and those who look behind and push." I'm hoping that in the coming weeks and months, you will make a delighted commitment to the first option—taking a bearing on something in the future and steering towards it. I think that approach will inspire you toward the most interesting success.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The national animal of Finland is the brown bear, the national insect is the ladybug and the national instrument is a stringed instrument known as the kantele. As for the national author, it's Aleksis Kivi, who produced just one novel that took him 10 years to write. He also published a short collection of odes and a few plays, adding up to a grand total of less than 800 pages of work. I think that the efforts you make in the coming weeks could have a disproportionately large impact, as well, Leo. What you lack in quantity will be irrelevant compared to the sheer quality you generate. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): I follow the blogger Evanescent Voyager because she makes me cry with sad joy and exultant poignance on a regular basis. One of her other fans wrote her a love note I could have written myself. It said, "Your emotional brilliance and thoughtful passion break me into pieces and then weave me back together with more coherence than I had before reading you. I revere your alchemical talent for undoing me so you can heal me; for lowering my defenses so I can be open to your riches; for demolishing my habitual trance so you can awaken my sleeping genius." I believe that in the coming weeks, life itself will offer to perform these same services for you, Virgo. I urge you to accept! LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "Love is no assignment for cowards." That's a quote attributed to the ancient Roman poet Ovid. What did he mean? Was he foreshadowing the wisdom of pop singer Pat Benatar, who in 1983 told us, "Love is a Battlefield"? Was Ovid implying that to succeed in the amorous arts we must be heroic warriors prepared to overcome fears and risk

psychological dangers? Probably. But I will also point out that it takes as much courage to create fun, interesting togetherness as it does to wrestle with the problems that togetherness brings. You need just as much bravura and panache to explore the sweet mysteries of intimacy as you do to explore the achy mysteries of intimacy. Keep these thoughts in mind as you marshal your audacity to deepen and expand your best relationships in the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): The lit-

eral meaning of the French term jolie-laide is "pretty and ugly." Bloggers at wordsnquotes.com define it as follows—"It's a fascinating quirkiness that's irresistible, like a face you want to keep looking at even if you can't decide whether it is beautiful or not." Jolie-laide overlaps with the Japanese term wabi-sabi, which describes a person or thing that is lovely because of its imperfection and incompleteness. I bring these facts to your attention because I think you have extraordinary potential to be a master embodier of both jolie-laide and wabi-sabi in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): As

Czech playwright Vaclav Havel (1936–2011) matured, he became a political dissident who opposed the Soviet Union's authoritarian grip on his country. Eventually, he was a key player in the Velvet Revolution that banished Communism. When Czechoslovakia emerged as a new democracy, its people elected him president. Havel later thanked Lou Reed and the band the Velvet Underground for fully awakening his liberationist leadership. He said their unruly music stoked his longing to establish a culture where total creative freedom was possible. I mention this, Sagittarius, because now is a favorable time to identify the music or art or films or literature that might fuel your emancipation in the coming months.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Cap-

ricorn author J. R. R. Tolkien toiled on his masterpiece "The Lord of the Rings" for 12 years. Once he finished, it wasn't published for more than five years. So 17 years passed between the time he launched his precious

project and the time when it reached an audience. I don't think you will need that much patience in shepherding your own venture to full expression, Capricorn. But I hope you'll summon as much faith in yourself as Tolkien had to rouse in himself. To do so will bring out the best in you!

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Released in 1998, "The Prince of Egypt" is an animated film that tells the story of the Hebrew prophet Moses. In the climactic event, the hero uses magic to part the waters of the Red Sea, allowing his people to run across the sea floor and escape the army that's chasing them. To make that seven-minute scene, 28 professional animators labored for 318,000 hours. In the coming months, you could create your own version of that marvel, Aquarius. But you'll need a team to help you, and that team is not yet ready to go. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to get it ready, though. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Piscean businessman Steve Jobs testified that taking LSD was "one of the two or three most important things" he ever did in his life. It opened his mind in ways he felt were crucial to his development. What are the three most important things you've ever done, Pisces? I invite you to revisit at least one of them and see if you can take it to the next step of its power to inspire you. What if it has even more to offer you in your efforts to become the person you want to be? THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: What other sign would you want to be if you could take a vacation from your actual sign? Why?

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

EATS, DRINKS & SMILES BIG ASS SMILES @THEMAGNOLIAEPH NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS 222 2

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com inweekly.net

news of the weird

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

DUMB AND DUMBER Rogers, Arkansas, neighbors Charles Eugene Ferris, 50, and Christopher Hicks, 36, were hanging out on Ferris' back porch on March 31, drinking and enjoying the spring air. Ferris was wearing his bulletproof vest—because why not?—and invited Hicks to shoot him with a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle. KFSM reported the vest blocked the bullet from striking Ferris, but it still hurt and left a red mark on his upper chest. Next, Hicks donned the vest and Ferris "unloaded the clip into Christopher's back," according to the police report, also leaving bruises. That's where it all would have ended had Ferris not gone to the hospital, where staff alerted the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Ferris initially told officers an elaborate story about being shot while protecting "an asset" in a dramatic gunfight, but Ferris' wife spilled the beans about the backporch challenge. Both men were arrested for suspicion of aggravated assault.

at the driver's license office? Not Mr. Tang of Liuzhou, China, who was pulled over for a routine check as he rode his silver motorcycle on March 31. Tang was happy to produce his license, carried in the customary cover, reported Oddity Central. But when officers examined it, they realized it was homemade. "He behaved very calmly as he took out the license," a traffic police officer said. "But I was shocked when I saw what was inside." Tang had simply written all the pertinent information found on a standard driver's license on a piece of lined notebook paper, then glued a photo of himself to the paper. When pressed for an explanation, Tang said he was too lazy to study for the license exam and didn't want to spend the money on driving classes. He thought a handwritten license would be better than nothing at all. "I didn't expect the traffic police to be so serious," Tang said.

WHY NOT? Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, tried a new venue for staging an opera on March 30 and 31: underwater. "Breathe: A Multidisciplinary Water Opera" featured dancers, percussionists, singers, a flute and other orchestra instruments—some above water, some below. Composer and musical director Loren Kiyoshi Dempster told WLUK TV he was skeptical at first. "It's been kind of one of the great surprises of my life that you could play cello underwater," he said. A device used by marine biologists to record underwater sounds delivered the music above the surface for audience members.

•Where others see innocent little girls raising money for educational programs, some see an opportunity to pad their bank account. So it went for Brian Couture, 40, of Forest Grove, Oregon, who is accused of going to elaborate lengths to skim more than $700 of Girl Scout cookie money from his daughter. Forest Grove police responded to a 911 call at Couture's home on March 6, where the man said an intruder had entered his home and struggled with him. When police arrived, according to KPTV, Couture was "unresponsive" and was taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries, while K9 units set out to look for the thief around the neighborhood, alarming residents. Police said Couture later admitted to investigators that he had staged the whole thing, but at his hearing on March 29, he pleaded not guilty to initiating a false report. The money, according to a Girl Scouts spokeswoman, is still unaccounted for.

POLICE REPORT On March 29, in a suburb of Stockholm, Sweden, an off-duty police officer was enjoying a nice sauna when he noticed that another man in the sauna was a fugitive wanted for aggravated assault, among other offenses. They recognized each other, police spokesperson Carina Skagerlind told the Associated Press, and "the naked police officer calmly told the man that he should consider himself arrested." The officer called for backup, and "the arrest was undramatic," she added. AWESOME! The harsh winter left many city streets around the country riddled with potholes, but in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, one 12-year-old boy is not waiting for the slow-moving government to fix them. Monte Scott started filling potholes around his neighborhood with dirt from his own yard in late March. "I didn't want people messing up their cars like my mom did," Scott told WZZM13. They "would have to pay like $600 to $700 to get their car fixed, they would be mad." His mom, Trinell Scott, said, "That's just the type of kid he is. He's a good kid and there are a lot like him in the community." LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Who has time to bother with long lines and bureaucracy

WEIRD SCIENCE In Cachoeira Alta, Brazil, Judge Filipe Luis Peruca handed down an unusual judgment in a paternity case that involved identical twin potential fathers. The mother of a young girl filed a paternity suit against Twin A, who accused Twin B of being the actual father, reported the BBC. DNA tests showed an equal probability for the two men to be the father, so Judge Peruca ordered them both to pay maintenance for the daughter. As a result, she will receive twice as much as she would with only one father. "One of them is acting in bad faith in order to hide the fact that he is the father," the judge wrote. "Such vile behavior cannot be tolerated by the law." {in}

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com April 11, 2019

Independent News | April 11, 2019 | inweekly.net