Independent News | April 7, 2022 | Volume 23 | Number 14
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winners & losers
outtakes
4
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It kinda made Pensacola look like a happening place for a while.
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publisher Rick Outzen
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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. © 2022 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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winners & losers
Teri Levin / Courtesy Photo
Matt Jarrett / Courtesy of City of Milton
winners
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TERI LEVIN The Gulf Coast Kid's House has
renamed its therapy wing the "Teri Levin Healing Hearts Wing" in honor of one of its most significant champions. At the surprise announcement, GCKH Executive Director Stacey Kostevicki told Levin the renaming was "a huge thank you for everything that you have done for the Kid's House." The children's advocacy center serves over 3,000 kids annually in Escambia County by providing counseling for their experience with child abuse and allowing them access to legal and enforcement professionals in a safe space.
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circuit judge has been the driving force behind Judge Jennifer "J.J." Frydrychowicz behind the First Judicial Circuit's Driver's License Clinic that assists individuals whose licenses have been revoked, suspended or canceled. The clinic provides "one-stop shopping" for citizens to interact with the appropriate state agencies and the court so they can determine how to regain their driving privileges. Staff from the Florida Department of Revenue, Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Escambia County Clerk of Court, Escambia County Sheriff's Office, State Attorney and Public Defender, along with judges and court staff, worked together to assist participants.
LUKE VILSMEYER A Pensacola jury has awarded the U.S. Army veteran $50 million in compensatory damages for severe noise-induced tinnitus and mild-moderate hearing loss suffered during active duty while wearing the Combat Arms Earplug sold by 3M—the largest compensatory verdict to date against the manufacturer. Pensacola attorneys Brad Bradford, Daniel Thornburgh and Jennifer Hoekstra, partners at Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz, co-tried the case with Joe Messa and Caleb Seely. ASCEND PENSACOLA Escambia Westgate
business partner ASCEND Pensacola donated "Go Baby Go" carts to the school to assist special-needs children with mobility issues. "Go Baby Go" is a program that provides modified, ride-on cars to young children with disabilities so they can move around independently. These switch-activated cars were created for the school's younger students.
MATT JARRETT The Milton City Council-
man for Ward 1 has missed more council meetings in 2021 and 2022 than he's attended. Last year, he was not physically present and able to vote on city matters at 29 Milton City Council meetings—making him absent for three out of four sessions. Though he has listened to several meetings via phone, Jarrett hasn't counted toward quorum or been allowed to vote on agenda items. The PNJ reported that the prodigal councilman has said he would resign if he cannot get his situation settled by July 15— possibly leaving his district unrepresented for another two and a half months. Jarrett is paid $6,000 annually to serve on the council and isn't up for re-election until 2024.
IVERMECTIN The anti-parasitic drug for hors-
es was touted by the anti-vax crowd as an alternative treatment for COVID-19. Last August, the CDC issued a health alert reminding clinicians that the drug was not an FDA-approved treatment for COVID and pointing out that increased use of ivermectin had already led to accidental poisonings. A study recently published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that ivermectin showed no sign of alleviating the disease. Researchers compared more than 1,300 people infected with the coronavirus in Brazil who received either ivermectin or a placebo and found the drug had no benefit. Science wins again.
ALAN LEVINE The chairman of the Board of Governors' Strategic Planning Committee criticized the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The accreditation body dared to question how the University of Florida tried to block its faculty from serving as expert witnesses in a highprofile voting rights lawsuit. SACSCOC also was concerned that Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran applied to be the president of Florida State University. As a member of the Board of Governors, Corcoran oversees the university. Levine's criticism provides support for DeSantis' effort to move from SACSCOC. Maybe Florida can join the same group that accredited Trump University. inweekly.net
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outtakes
By Rick Outzen
REMEMBERING THE QUEEN Before the infamous slap at the Oscars, the short documentary "The Queen of Basketball" received an Oscar. For many, what made the award newsworthy was that among the 22-minute film's executive producers were NBA legends Shaquille O'Neal and Stephen Curry. For me, the documentary struck a note because it was about the greatest female basketball player of my teenage years, Lusia "Lucy" Harris. Two years older than me, Lucy grew up in the Mississippi Delta in Minter City, a primarily Black, unincorporated community outside of Greenwood. The second youngest of Ethel and Willie Harris' 11 children, she almost didn't play basketball because her mother wanted her to stay home and help around the house. The T.Y. Fleming Junior High coach had to convince Ethel to let her daughter play. When she reached high school, Lucy became a legend in the gyms around the Delta, several times scoring more than the entire other team. NCAA hadn't yet accepted women's basketball as a sport, so many universities didn't field female teams. The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women governed women's college basketball. Powerhouse teams were Immaculata and Mississippi College for Women. In nearby Cleveland, Miss., Delta State was resurrecting its women's program and recruited the 6-foot-3 Amanda Elzy High School senior as its first Black player. Over the next four years, Delta State won 109 games while losing six. The Lady Statesmen won three consecutive national titles, beating Immaculata in 1975 and 1976 and LSU in 1977. While the school's men's team traveled to games by bus, the women flew by jet to play in arenas around the country. The team played one of the first college women's basketball games in Madison Square Garden, with Lucy scoring 47 points. She was named to the All-American team three times and played on the 1976 USA women's basketball team, scoring the first goal in an Olympic
women's basketball game. The team came home with the silver medal. I did watch the Lady Statesmen play the Ole Miss Lady Rebels in the Tad Smith Coliseum in Oxford before a then-record crowd of 3,147 in January 1977. We had skipped the men's game to watch our girls take on the most dominant team in women's college basketball. Delta State led by five points at the intermission, but Lucy got into foul trouble and had to sit out most of the second half. Ole Miss won the game, 73-72, on a jumper hit with 25 seconds left in the game. Lucy was held to career lows of 13 points and six rebounds. The victory was the first the Lady Rebels had ever had against the Lady Statesmen. Lucy finished her college career averaging 26 points and 14.5 rebounds a game. She graduated holding 15 of Delta State's team, singlegame and career records. In 1977, she won the inaugural Honda Sports Award for basketball and the Broderick Cup, an award for outstanding female athletes in college. Lucy was heralded as the Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell of women's basketball. She was even drafted in the seventh round by the New Orleans Jazz but turned down the offer to try out for the team. Unfortunately, Lucy had no option to continue to play the sport she loved. The WBNA was still about two decades away from being launched. In "The Queen of Basketball," she admits that she had a nervous breakdown and was diagnosed with being bipolar. But the story didn't end there. Lucy married her high school sweetheart, George Stewart, and returned to Greenwood to coach basketball at Amanda Elzy. Lucy and George raised four children—one lawyer, one with a master's and two with doctorates. Sadly, Lucy died two months before the Oscar ceremony, but I'm so happy her basketball career has been memorialized for future generations. If you want to watch "The Queen of Basketball," you can find it on YouTube. {in} rick@inweekly.net
When she reached high school, Lucy became a legend in the gyms around the Delta, several times scoring more than the entire other team.
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BUYING, BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOMES
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By Rick Outzen Last month, Escambia County Commission stepped up its efforts to help citizens find more affordable housing in District 3. On Monday, March 21, Escambia County broke ground on the Infill Affordable Housing Project, an initiative developed in partnership with Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and Northwest Florida Community Housing Development Corporation. A total of four houses will be developed on lots along Gonzalez Street in downtown Pensacola. "Many of the residents who once lived on what we call the 'alphabet streets' in District 3 no longer can live there," Commissioner May told Inweekly after the ground-breaking ceremony. "We realize that people will not be able to afford to have the American dream of homeownership without some intervention by the local government. And so, we have partnered with our developers to take some surplus land that we've dedicated to attainable and affordable housing and launch this project." The Infill Affordable Housing Project intends to provide access for low-income households to secure decent, safe and affordable housing. The quality infill housing will also help stabilize neighborhoods and put vacant land on the tax rolls. "The average home price in those neighborhoods now are going $300,000-$400,000," said Commissioner May. "These four homes will be no more than $189,000, and eligible homebuyers can get up to $40,000 as a second mortgage. And the goal is that mortgage goes away when they satisfy the first mortgage." The county held its first Affordable Housing workshop at the Brownville Community Center on Saturday, April 2. For Commissioner 66
May, the workshops are important because they help citizens do the necessary steps to qualify for the homes. "What's unique about this program is not only are we trying to supplement people with funding, but also with first-time homebuyer training, we're teaching them the necessities of maintaining and caring for their home," the commissioner told Inweekly. "If they're not ready at this point for these first four houses, how do I remedy my credit problems? How do I save for a down payment?" He explained, "What we've found in the past, just to give someone something without the proper training and investment of sweat equity and capital investment, it's not valued as much as it is when you know that you've invested something there." The county's goal is not just to build a house that's one generation. Commissioner May said, "We want to build homes where children can wake up in the morning and realize that my mom and dad worked hard to earn this. And hopefully, we keep children in our community, and they don't have to go away to enjoy their American dream." On Friday, March 25, Commissioner May presided over the announcement of the county's Block-by-Block project, which he initially fostered and developed into a partnership with AMIkids Pensacola. At the ceremony, the commissioner explained his vision for the project. "I recognize that every single young person will not get a Ph.D., will not get a master's degree, but we recognize in this climate that young people that can learn a skill set, can become gainfully employed, can make good money— whether you be an electrician, a plumber, a framer," he told the audience. "And so we had
a vision of buying this property and restoring it to its useful life but not doing it by hiring contractors, but hiring young people so that they'll learn a skill set." Since 1991, AMIkids Pensacola has been dedicated to helping kids discover their potential, transform their lives and strengthen our community. The nonprofit empowers kids and helps break the cycle of failure and poverty. Each year, AMIkids Pensacola provides services to an average of 90 teens, leading to an impressive 77% success rate. The commissioner addressed the AMIKids directly, "Maybe somebody will end up living in this home. Twenty years from now, 10 years from now, 30 years from now, you can pass by this area and say, 'I had a hand in that.'"
"This is just one of several projects in the Block-by-Block program to help young people find their passion and develop skills they didn't know they had." Lumon May He credited Clara Long, who heads the county's Neighborhood & Human Services, and her staff with developing the program. AMIkids will renovate the county-owned Brownsville House, located at 3210 W. Gonzalez St. The renovations include flooring, carpentry, painting, HVAC installation and fencing. Duggins Services will donate time and materials to help teach the ins and outs of construction and supervise work completed in the home. "This is just one of several projects in the Block-by-Block program to help young people
find their passion and develop skills they didn't know they had," said Commissioner May. "Programs like this can change lives. Thank you to our staff and partners who have donated their time and skills to 'pay it forward' to the youth of Escambia County." AMIkids Pensacola's executive director, Torrey Jones, thanked the county and its partners for creating the Block-by-Block program. He said, "This is my third year with the program, and this is the brightest, strongest group that we've had, so we're very excited. They are going to see firsthand what it takes to change something." Jones continued, "Because the house looks one way right now, right? But once you put some of yourself into it, some thoughts, some hard work, we're going to do a great job, developing a home, just like they're doing with themselves—come to school every day, doing the things that will make them great positive citizens because they all are future leaders." City Administrator Kerrith Fiddler offered words of encouragement to the students. He shared how he earned several trade certifications while working on his master's in construction. He has four state contractor licenses and is working on getting an architect's license. "This is something that has been near and dear to my heart," said Fiddler. "I'm looking to do something similar in the city as well and working with Commissioner May and some of our other partners. But this is a great opportunity for you guys to learn some skills. Learn as much as you can." Commissioner May shared one of his consistent themes when he talked with Inweekly about both programs. "The greatest investment we can make in our community is in human capital," he said. "Everyone should have access to safe and affordable housing. The Infill Affordable Housing Project is a stepping stone providing the opportunity for our citizens to achieve their dreams of homeownership." To the AMIkids, the commissioner said, "On behalf of the county, on behalf of Commissioner May, if no one else tells you that we love you, we love you. You are the best. Statistics will have it that you're supposed to be incarcerated or you're going to stay in trouble, and we can't find African American or inner city or poor kids that want to work. You're an example of people that want to do it." He added, "An obstacle is something you see when you take your eyes off the goal. So all you have to do is stay focused on the goal." Homeowners interested in applying for infill affordable housing can visit nwflhousing. org/homeowner-infill to see if they qualify. The application portal opened on Wednesday, April 6, and all applications must be received by May 2. Applicants will be notified by May 13. The Brownsville House project is just one of many initiatives in the Block-by-Block project. For more information on Block-by-Block, please contact AMIkids Pensacola at (850) 453-1910. {in} inweekly.net
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CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
Dr. P. Michelle Grier-Hall / Photo Courtesy of Community Health Northwest Florida
By Rick Outzen and Tom St. Myer February marked the 30th anniversary of Community Health Northwest Florida, the nonprofit community health center that provides quality, comprehensive health care services to the medically underserved people of the greater Pensacola area. In Escambia County, where 40% of the community either lives paycheck to paycheck or below poverty, Community Health is truly their lifeline. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Health helped with the testing, vaccinations and boosters at its five clinics in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and the Brownsville Community Center. "I don't know what we would have done without Community Health," Commissioner Lumon May told Inweekly. "With their help, we piloted the Florida Department of Health's program to give the vaccination to underserved communities. They undoubtedly saved lives during the pandemic." Community Health began as Escambia County Clinics in 1992 when Escambia County faced a budget crisis as costs soared at the county-owned University Hospital at 1200 W. Leonard St. Over the objections of the NAACP, Southern Christian Leadership and several Black ministers, the Board of County Commissioners voted to close the hospital, allowing Baptist and Sacred Heart to absorb University Hospital's 130 authorized beds. The two hospitals agreed to create Escambia 88
County Clinics to provide medical care to those served by the closed facility. "Our story with the hospitals and the county coming together to create Escambia Community Clinic is unprecedented," Community Health CEO and Executive Director Chandra Smiley told Inweekly. "As I meet and talk to colleagues throughout the state, and even the country, our situation is very unique. This doesn't happen in other communities." The clinics struggled with funding during the first 15 years. The game-changer occurred in 2007 when the clinics became designated as Federally Qualified Clinics under President George W. Bush's Health Care Initiative, which qualified the nonprofit to receive larger Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements and lower physicians' insurance. It also allowed the clinics to participate in a lowcost prescription drug program. The Escambia County Clinics received $600,000 annually for its first three years as a federally qualified clinic and applied for other grants, which helped stabilize its finances. Smiley said, "When federal funding started coming into the community, it really gave our organization the position and capacity to open up more portals of access. Each year, we've continued to expand our services in large part thanks to those grant opportunities, and we've branched out throughout Escambia County and into Santa Rosa County." Chief Clinical Officer Anges Rivers, who has been with Community Health for 17 years, remembers what the clinics were like before the federal designation.
"We were one location with a walk-in clinic and primary clinic located within the same building," Rivers said. "We were known as a free clinic at that time with a very small number of employees offering basic health care services to our patients." She continued, "Now we have dental, optometry, behavioral health, laboratory imaging, a cardiologist who volunteers his time, family practice, pediatric and case management services. We have health net navigators located within our hospitals, and we're expanding now to have community health workers." In February 2018, Escambia Community Clinics announced its rebranding— Community Health Northwest Florida—and celebrated the grand opening of a new main health center located at 2315 W. Jackson St., the site of the former Allie Yniestra Elementary School. "The rebranding was really to look at who we are as an organization and our identity, and what really kept coming back as we went through strategic dialogue sessions was community, community, community," said Smiley. "Everything we did was embedded within the community and how important reaching out to the community is for our organization and our mission and purpose." Rivers believes the new headquarters better connects Community Health with the community. She said, "We're surrounded by houses, and our clients are people living in those homes. That's important, being within a distance that our patients can get to us. We look for areas where we're needed where there's a health care gap."
"Sometimes I just have to pinch myself because I can't believe what we're doing and how far our reach has grown, not just the number of clinics but types of services." Chandra Smiley "We were at 2200 N. Palafox in an old bowling alley," Smiley said. "We'd build out, add on, build out, add on. The tile didn't even match. It was flooded there six times. When we were in the design phase of Allie Yniestra, we went into the lobbies and asked our patients what they would like to see in a new
clinic. We had beat-up chairs and dirty floors, and they said, 'This is fine.' It broke my heart. Now, we have a very welcoming, warm and healthy environment. Taking an old school and preserving it is pretty special." Smiley said the decision to move to Jackson Street was important. She said, "We wanted to be in the 32505 ZIP code because 17% of our patients live in that ZIP code and felt that it was important that our main site be located where the majority of our patients resided." Today, Community Health has 17 clinics and a staff of about 400. In 2021, the clinics provided 153,100 visits to 54,800 unduplicated patients, of which 95.2% reported their incomes were at or below 200% of the poverty level and 74.2% either had no insurance or were enrolled in Medicaid. According to the Florida Association of Community Health Centers, the nonprofit's economic impact was $70.2 million last year. Community Health generates $652,569 in local tax revenue annually and an additional $841,911 in state taxes. Most of Community Health's growth has happened since receiving its federal status. Before then, clinics reported that they treated only 17,000 patients a year. According to Smiley, Community Health has handled approximately 1.8 patient visits over the past three decades. "About 79% of those visits happened after the FQHC status was acquired, so really towards the last half of our 30-year history, that's where most of the growth and expansion has happened," said Smiley. "But it continues to be a beautiful story to tell in that the county and the hospitals continue to support us and partner with us. I think what started out as a five-year commitment, 30 years and counting, continues to be at that same level, and that's very special." Last year, Community Health relocated its Milton campus to a renovated building that once housed a call center. Smiley said, "We went from about 9,000 square feet to 24,000 square feet where we can expand pediatrics and add a pharmacy and dental to the service site." Another renovation will be completed in June. Smiley said, "We're relocating from offices at the Midtown Office Plaza on Jordan Street to the old LabCorp building on Palafox Street. We'll move our walk-in services, pharmacy and some primary care services because the new site gives us the space to efficiently and properly care for the number of patients coming to our walk-in clinics throughout the day." Smiley is proud of how far Community has come over the past 30 years. "Sometimes I just have to pinch myself because I can't believe what we're doing and how far our reach has grown, not just the number of clinics but types of services," Smiley said. "I'm very proud of how far we've come. It didn't happen in a vacuum. Support in the community helped us get there." To learn more about Community Health Northwest Florida, visit healthcarewithinreach.org. {in} inweekly.net
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Dude, the hero's inside you. Come on, let's go on in there and get it.' You can only imagine what happens after that." According to Robinson, much of the organization's success comes from its unbiased, universal view. And the children's success in regulating their emotions impacts everything else, too. "We see grades go up 80%," Robinson said. "We see a smiling face, then, 'Super job,' 'Oh man, can't believe it,' student of the month within a matter of months because of how we work on the emotional, psychological, emotional and behavioral components." For more on the Robinson Harris Academy of Music, Inc., visit healthyminds.us.
SCORING TOP RATING
From left to right: Pierre, CJ, Terrance, Teleigha, Jay and Kaine / Photo Courtesy of Robinson Harris Academy of Music, Inc.
BRINGING MUSIC TO MORRIS COURT
Conventional means are left at the door at the Robinson Harris Academy of Music, Inc. The nonprofit that lives in a room in Morris Court is designed to help children through music but in an alternative fashion. "We use music, not as music therapy, but as an apparatus to investigate the human condition," said Pierre Robinson, the executive director. "What I mean by that is how we move through life every day in our environment—emotionally, psychologically, physically. And music was a way to get to the primal nature of human beings … a way of us identifying how we work internally." The longtime bass player and nonprofit executive director has spent more than a decade doing empirical research as a foundation for the organization. Empirical indicates his research is based on observation and experience rather than theory or logic, some of which he acquired while gigging as a bassist. "What we noticed is, if you have a problem with the environment around you and you get upset and get anxiety because of environment that has touched you, it's not coming internally; it's coming from the external," Robinson said. "So we've been giving people internal medication for external problems." Robinson quotes Socrates to explain that he believes music holds the key to our inner 010 1
perspectives. He first began employing his unconventional and philosophical approach to music while teaching privately. "I taught like Bruce Lee would have taught music, like a kung fu master would have taught music, just to see if we can go beyond just, 'Oh, I like to play notes,'" Robinson said. He established Robinson Harris Academy of Music, Inc., as a nonprofit in 2005, but it didn't go into operation until 2014. While Robinson helps people of all ages, he primarily works with disadvantaged children to "regulate self-emotions," or regulate their emotional capacity through a combination of critical thinking and music, he said. "Most of it is they work on their anger, and then they get to see everything else," Robinson said. "We just talk and discuss worldviews and things like that … I have unquestionable dialogue with them. Once they get past anger, they realize that they're capable of more." His method empowers youths in a fresh way. Robinson explained, "The conventional mean says you need mentors and heroes. Well, our empirical research says in the 21st century, you don't need mentors and heroes." He continued, "We teach them how to be their own hero and mentor. And that wakes them way up. I'm looking at a child going, 'Why are you looking at Snoop Doggy Dogg as a hero?
Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson took the occasion of his weekly press conference last week to show off the Pensacola Fire Department's (PFD) new training infrastructure. "We are very excited to have a new maritime fire training simulator at Fire Station 4," Robinson motioned toward the towering structure behind him. "This is the only maritime live fire trainer in this region." Standing three shipping containers tall and painted bright red, the PFD's new maritime fire training simulator is the latest addition to the force's training field located at Pensacola's Fire Station #4. The approximately $400,000 training simulator was funded jointly by a FEMA grant and Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds. Pensacola Fire Department Chief Ginny Cranor said that the new training simulator plays a key role in ensuring the city's firefighters remain at the top of their game. "There's a phrase that said that good firefighters are made on the fire grounds or the emergency scene, but really what's more true is that great firefighters are made at a place just like this, made on the drill grounds, because experience is what you get after you needed it," Cranor said. Having a training simulator such as this, the chief said, was a big advantage for a coastal city, one boasting a port, like Pensacola. Cranor explained, "This simulator is going to better prepare Pensacola firefighters responding to the Port of Pensacola, but also regionally to ship fires in our entire region." She added, "It is definitely a regional asset,
so we will have law enforcement doing some homeland security-type exercises in it and possibly military and then definitely all of our firefighting resources," the chief said. In addition to providing local and regional firefighters with a new piece of training infrastructure, items like this new maritime training simulator also help boost the city's ISO rating, a ranking provided by the Insurance Service Office, which factors into area insurance rates. Effective June 1, Pensacola Fire Department's ISO rating will be a one, the highest rating on the 10-point scale. "The score reflects how prepared a community or area is for fires," Mayor Robinson said. "Less than 1% of fire departments in the United States have a class one rating." Chief Cranor explained that numerous factors played into the ISO rating, ranging from available water supply to department staffing. Ensuring that the force is properly trained, she stressed, was paramount in the calculation. "The largest part of what's measured in the ISO score," she said, "the largest part of it is what Pensacola Fire's doing every day—response to fires, drills and training, pre-fire planning activities, fire safety inspections, construction plan reviews and then also the apparatus and the equipment that we have."
NEW BLUE ANGELS DOCUMENTARY The
U.S. Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron will star in a new documentary produced by director J.J. Abrams. "The Blue Angels" will chronicle a year in the life of the team and is set to be released in IMAX theaters in late 2023. Abrams has directed films such as "Star Trek Into Darkness," "Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens" and "Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker." The documentary will be directed and edited by Paul Crowder, who co-directed and edited "Once in a Lifetime," a documentary about the New York Cosmos pro soccer team in the 1970s.
MORE ACTIVE ROLE At its March 24 meet-
ing, the Escambia County Commission approved Interim County Administrator Wes Moreno's plans to renovate the county's work release center so it can house inmates who have been staying in the old county jail. "We've got a security engineer that we're bringing on board," said Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh. "He's going to tell us precisely what we've got to do with our Fairfield street release center to harden it, to allow us to take 400, perhaps 425 prisoners." He later added, "We will get this problem fixed. It's the thing I think about each day when I get up, when I think about toilets overflowing and people sleeping on the floor … We have people in there that have been there four years waiting for adjudication. No one deserves to sleep in that. You wouldn't put your dog in a kennel that had a situation like that. So it's inhumane, third world, and we're going to fix it." inweekly.net
Bergosh told Inweekly that he plans to spend more time on future county projects. He said, "We will demand more frequent updates. I can't speak for my counterparts, but for my part, I will certainly take a more active role."
least $1.50 in economic activity for every dollar of IRDF funding awarded. Additional requirements and considerations can be found at uwf.edu/irdf and on FloridaWest's website, floridawesteda.com.
CREATING MORE JOBS The Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund (IRDF) program has completed its first year of operations after being relaunched in 2021. The program, managed by UWF's Office of Research Administration and Engagement, approved funding for projects cumulatively projected to add 685 new jobs and resulted in more than $91 million in capital investment in Northwest Florida. In the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Lewis Bear Jr. worked with former Senate President Don Gaetz to have the Florida Legislature establish the $30 million program, originally called the Industry Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Fund. Approximately $10 million in funding remained last year when the UWF reopened the program under its current name. "The reason for this program is to try to bring in new jobs to Northwest Florida, especially in targeted industries," said Dr. Matthew Schwartz, associate vice president of research administration. "Not just new jobs, but new jobs in certain industries that are enhancing and diversifying our regional workforce, which, of course, builds on what UWF has as our core mission, which is to try to enhance the quality and quantity of our regional workforce." The program focuses on helping the eight Northwest Florida counties whose economies and communities were affected most heavily by the oil spill—Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla. The IRDF program makes incentive awards of up to $2 million available to companies that relocate or expand in the eight counties disproportionately affected by the oil spill. The application process is competitive. Participating businesses must commit to creating at least 10 net, new jobs in one of the eight eligible counties, and the proposed project must result in at
CITIZENS ACADEMY Registration for the
2022 City of Pensacola Citizens Academy is now available at bit.ly/3uACOwO through Sunday, April 10. The free, nine-week course provides an opportunity for citizens to get an inside look at Pensacola government. "After a two-year break due to COVID-19, I'm excited to bring back our Citizens Academy and provide an opportunity for residents to have a behind-the-scenes, interactive experience with the City of Pensacola," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "Our employees work incredibly hard every day to serve our citizens, and this is a great way for them to connect with the public and highlight the work we do to keep our city moving forward." The 2022 Citizens Academy will meet every Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m., April 26-June 21. Dinner will be provided to registered participants each night of the academy. Anyone interested in learning more about local government is encouraged to register. Participants must be 18 or older but do not need to live within Pensacola city limits. Limited space is available.
SUMMER YOUTH JOBS Escambia County is seeking youth ages 16-24 interested in an opportunity to receive paid work experience this summer through the Escambia County Youth Employment Program. Applications are due Friday, April 15, by 3 p.m. Qualified youth who are accepted into the program will work up to 30 hours a week, with positions available in various county departments along with the Escambia County School District, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector's Office and Supervisor of Elections Office. Participants will also receive job readiness training prior to job placement as well as post-employment briefings. Limited positions are available. Requirements
for the program and applications can be found at bit.ly/3qOZ9oZ. Applications can also be picked up during normal business hours at Escambia County Neighborhood and Human Services Department, 221 S. Palafox, or Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. De Soto St. Incomplete application packets will not be accepted. Please submit your application via email to Carla Thompson at cmthompson@myescambia.com.
FIREFIGHTER CAREER PATH On Thursday,
March 24, the Escambia County Commissioner approved the Interlocal Agreement between Escambia County Fire Rescue (ECFR) and the Escambia County School District, allowing students to ride with the county's fire companies. Led by ECFR's training division, students from George Stone Technical College, West Florida High School of Advanced Technology and Pine Forest High School interested in pursuing a career in fire rescue can obtain handson experience. Students taking courses that require mandatory clinical hours can obtain those hours through the ECFR partnership. "This partnership between Fire Rescue and the School District allows students the opportunity to gain a hands-on experience while in school," said Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore. "It also can provide career opportunities for students interested in entering the workforce upon graduating high school."
DINNER ON THE GROUNDS Levin Pa-
pantonio Rafferty's Peter Mougey and his wife Katrina are sponsoring a "Dinner on the Grounds" fundraiser event to benefit the Heart of Pensacola program. The event is slated for April 14 from 6-11 p.m. at 5eleven Palafox. Event proceeds will help fund the Heart of Pensacola, a new program co-founded by the Mougeys along with the American Heart Association and other local leaders to create solutions for nutrition insecurity. Based on a Southern Farm to Table gathering that started in the 1930s, "Dinner on the Grounds" is this year's version of the Heart Ball. The strolling supper event will showcase food
from a variety of local chefs set to the score of a live band, Mr. Big and The Rhythm Sisters. The event will also feature a live auction and a Heart Market stocked with goods from local vendors. Individual tickets to the event are $250. For more details about each sponsorship level or to register as a sponsor, purchase tickets or volunteer, visit bit.ly/3tJTjr2. Heart of Pensacola currently provides weekly boxes and backpacks of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy snacks to more than 500 families in our community. Since September of 2021, Pensacola residents have received more than 800 produce boxes, and students received more than 6,000 backpacks full of healthy food items. "We've been putting food into the community for a year," Mougey told Inweekly. "We wanted to start really quiet, really slow and just get the program building. Now we're trying to generate funds to keep the program in gear."
EVENT GRANTS Visit Pensacola is now ac-
cepting grant applications for events between Oct. 1, 2022, and Sept. 30, 2023. The grant deadline is June 1 at 5 p.m. Grant workshops will be hosted at the below dates and times in the Bowden Building, 120 Church St. All grant applicants are required to attend one of the workshops. WORKSHOP DATES •April 8, 3 p.m. - Grant Changes •April 11, Noon - Guidelines •April 20, 3 p.m. - Scoresheet •April 25, Noon - Application The Visit Pensacola Grant Committee will meet to review and score applications on June 14 at 3 p.m. at the Bowden Building, 1st Floor. Applicants are encouraged to attend to present to the committee. Following, the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors will vote to approve grants on June 22 at the monthly board meeting. Mini-grants are available year-round for anyone seeking funds less than $4,999.99. For more information on grant guidelines, scoring and the application process, please contact Nicole Stacey at nstacey@visitpensacola.com. {in}
MOST INVESTMENT LOSSES ARE FROM PRODUCTS WITH CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS PETER J. MOUGEY | Recovered $250 Million on Behalf of over 3,000 Investors SECURITIES & BUSINESS LITIGATION | HOLD YOUR STOCK BROKER ACCOUNTABLE
850.435.7000 | LEVINLAW.COM | PENSACOLA, FL April 7, 2022
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W A HOO S W IND U P WAHOOS WIND UP
Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Blue Wahoos
Team's 10th Season Sees Some Changes By Jeremy Morrison
Kneeling to the ground near home plate, Daniel Venn reaches down and touches the newly laid turf—three-inch ribbons of green, surrounded by tiny, spongy pellets. "It feels and plays like grass," said Venn, Blue Wahoos Vice President, Entertainment and Media. Running up and down the third base line, a tractor churns over the artificial turf, preparing it for the Wahoos' April 8 opening day. The new field is just one change that will greet the team and fans as they arrive for the 2022 season. There are also new lights, a new party deck and a new broadcasting voice. And, of course, some things will remain the same—because you just don't mess around with a good thing. "Mullet night is going to be back and bigger than ever," Venn laughed, nodding toward the team's regular Thursday-night celebrations of the party's namesake hairstyle.
10 SEASONS, 11 YEARS
This year will be the Blue Wahoos' 10th season. It's actually been 11 years since Pensacola's team was established, but the 2020 season was sacrificed to the pandemic. 212 1
In celebration of this anniversary, the Wahoos are releasing a new logo for the season, featuring the team's familiar wahoo wrapped around the iconic Pensacola Beach water tower. This 10th season also sees those aforementioned big-deal changes—the new turf and lights. "It's gonna be really good for us," Venn said of the upgrades. The shift from natural grass to artificial turf accomplishes a few goals for the Wahoos organization. First, it aligns them with the team with its Major League Baseball affiliate, as this turf is the same turf that's used by the Miami Marlins. Second, it requires less maintenance and upkeep than real grass. And also, it could prove safer for the players. "There's not going to be potholes, sprinkler heads you might step on," Venn said, pointing out that the new turf also has the increased lifespan of 10-15 years. "This turf doesn't just fix it, it fixes it for the long term." The move to an artificial turf also has another advantage outside of baseball—it will allow the Wahoos organization to host more events during the offseason such as community events, concerts and other sporting events,
like the 14-day, 29-game stretch of college baseball that just wrapped at the stadium. "You couldn't have done it on grass and bounce back that quickly," Venn said. The next new addition that fans will notice, in spectacular fashion, is the stadium's new lighting system, marking a shift to LED lights. "Less electricity," Venn said. "Better for the environment, straight up." These new lights will have a couple of impacts. For starters, the new lights won't require a cool-down period to turn back on after being shut off—a logistic that has in the past meant fans made their way to their cars in the dark following post-game Saturday-night fireworks displays. Also, these new lights are capable of providing a light show. "Make 'em flash, turn 'em different colors" Venn explained. "From a fan's standpoint, I'm super excited about what we're going to be able to do." Just beyond the centerfield wall is another new addition, still being built as the season approaches—a new party deck. This party deck will be designed to look like a giant pirate ship and can be reserved by larger groups. During games when
the deck is not observed, it will be treated as general admission and open for anyone to enjoy. "The local Mardi Gras krewes are building the ship," Venn said. Another new addition this season will be the Wahoos' new broadcaster, Erik Bremer. "We're really looking to expand our presence, both on radio and on television," Bremer said. As always, the Wahoos' home games will be broadcast, but Bremer said he also plans to travel with the team for the on-the-road dispatches. "That I'll be embedded with the team makes me really excited about covering the team in a unique way," Bremer said. Wahoos fans will also notice a change in ticketing this season. On Wednesday nights, all tickets—from the seats right behind home plate to the grassy patch overlooking the outfield—will be priced at $17, with admission including a hotdog and drink. This one-price-night concept is something the Wahoos picked up from another minor league team, the Savannah Bananas. The Bananas, sporting a carnival-like atmosphere and sell-out season, are viewed by many within Minor League Baseball as writing a wildly sucinweekly.net
cessful playbook. When the team was in the area last year playing a game in Mobile, the Wahoos invited some folks from the Savannah organization over to Pensacola to talk shop. "They're awesome," Venn said. "They do a great job, and we're gonna learn from them." Many of the Wahoos' promotional events will be familiar to fans, like Mullet Thursdays, Fireworks Saturdays and bobblehead giveaways, but others will be new territory for the team. A series of theme nights the team is trying out this year honors Pensacola's Navy baseball history. During World War II, players, including baseball notables, trained and played at Naval Air Station Pensacola for the Navy's baseball team. "Actually, Ted Williams played here," Venn pointed out. "I think that's such a cool part of our history." Another new theme night for the team will be celebrated June 19, as the Wahoos commemorate Juneteenth by donning special uniforms honoring Pensacola native Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James, the first Black four-star general in American military history.
GOOD PROSPECTS
While there's a slate of changes in store for the Wahoos this season, some things will be familiar. In addition to staples like Kazoo sightings, fans will also recognize members of the Double-A affiliate's coaching staff. Kevin Randel will be returning this season as the Wahoos' manager. After spending eight years as a player in the Marlins' farm system, Randel served as hitting coach for five years before working his way up in the system managing teams in various minor league organizations and landing in Pensacola last year. During Randel's inaugural season with the Wahoos, he led the team to a winning 57-54 record. Also returning this season is hitting coach Scott Seabol, who made Major League appear-
ances with both the New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals before shifting to a coaching career. Strength and conditioning coach Joseph Miranda is making a return of sorts, as he worked with the Wahoos in 2018 during the team's affiliation with the Cincinnati Reds. Pitching coach Dave Eiland will be making his debut in Pensacola this season. Eiland pitched 10 seasons in the Majors and is also a two-time World Series-champion pitching coach, having coached with the Yankees as they won in 2009 and then the Kansas City Royals in 2015; his portfolio also includes a stint coaching with the New York Mets. Also new this season is defensive coach Frank Moore, beginning his 12th season with the Marlins organization, and athletic trainer Melissa Hampton, who joined the Marlins in 2017. A week ahead of opening day, the Wahoos still don't know what players will land in Pensacola. Venn doesn't seem too concerned. The Marlins' farm system is brimming with standout players. "We know we're gonna have good prospects here," Venn smiled. Particularly the pitchers, pointed out Bremer. It's the golden-armed pitchers packing the Marlins' system that fans need to keep an eye on when they make it out to the ballpark in Pensacola this season. "We had the best left-handed pitcher, the best right-handed pitcher, the best switch pitcher in the league," Bremer said. {in}
BLUE WAHOOS 2022 HOME OPENER
WHAT: Blue Wahoos vs. Biloxi Shuckers WHEN: 6:35 p.m. Friday, April 8 WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. DETAILS: bluewahoos.com
PROMOTING FUN Sure, baseball is the main reason to make your way to Wahoos Stadium, but there are a few other things you might want to plan your ballpark outings around. Here's a rundown of this season's promotional schedule.
DAILY PROMOTIONS
FAT TUESDAYS Fans can buy a ticket for the Winn-Dixie Party Deck, which includes a Blue Wahoos hat and a 90-minute buffet dinner featuring unlimited Pepsi products for just $26. ONE PRICE WEDNESDAYS All box, reserved and standing room tickets will be the same price ($17) and include a hot dog, chips and a drink. MULLET THURSDAYS The "business on the field, party in the stands" attitude returns to the ballpark with drink specials every Thursday.
Giveaway Fridays The Wahoos will once again offer exclusive giveaway items to fans each Friday throughout the season.
April 7, 2022
FIREWORKS SATURDAYS Win or lose, the Wahoos celebrate every Saturday night with post-game fireworks. MILITARY FAMILY SUNDAYS Active and retired military members receive a discount at the box office each Sunday, and families with kids can take the field, run the bases and play catch in the outfield after the game.
GIVEAWAY SCHEDULE
April 8 10th Season Hat April 22 10th Season T-Shirt May 11 Fungible Token Night May 13 Poster May 27 Jersey Tote Bag June 3 Bucket Hat June 17 Downtown Dave Bobblehead July 1 Hawaiian Shirt July 15 Sue Straughn Bobblehead July 29 Beach Towel Aug. 12 Backpack Aug. 26 Derrick Brooks Bobblehead Sept. 16 Watson & Watson Bobblehead *All giveaways, promotions and event dates are subject to change
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inweekly.net
WEEK OF APRIL 7-13
Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...
Punks Celebrate Pensacola's 1970s Underground Press By Jeremy Morrison
Gulf Coast Fish Cheer member Patricia Bint (second from left) with other Students for Civil Liberties members in 1970 / Courtesy Photo
Before punks published zines, the subculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s blazed a trail with newspapers of the so-called underground press. These publications—represented in Pensacola by the Gulf Coast Fish Cheer—served as both an alternative to mainstream media and a venue for heralding viewpoints on issues such as the war in Vietnam and women's rights. "No one would have really expected Pensacola to have an active enough scene to publish a newspaper like that," recalled Patricia Bint. "We had a collective of people. We didn't have any titles. Nobody was the editor or anything. We had a core group and a lot of sort of floating people who were in and out." Bint, known as "Magic Pat," will be taking part in the 309 Punk Project's "War Against Conformity: Pensacola's 1970s Underground Press" exhibit and discussion series, reflecting on her time putting out the local underground paper. It's a pretty interesting story, populated with radical hippies, FBI surveils and a sleazy stranger in a yellow Corvette Stingray, and it's likely one many people are unfamiliar with. "At the time, if you didn't consider yourself to be a hippie or a radical, it probably wasn't on your radar. I mean, you had the News Journal calling it 'disgusting,' 'filth,' 'children scrawling things on toilet walls and calling it a publication,'" Bint said. "But, you know, within a particular community here, a community that we cared about, it was very, very well received." April 7, 2022
HOORAY FOR FISH CHEER
The Gulf Coast Fish Cheer was born at the end of the 1970 fall semester. A group of local students, banding together under the banner of the Students for Civil Liberties, had already swept the Pensacola Junior College student government elections and starting an underground newspaper seemed like a good next move. "'Underground' meant that you just weren't dealing with the mainstream," Bint explained. "It accepted points of views, things that the News Journal would never publish. The women's movement was really starting to pick up around the country at that time, so we did a lot of women's liberation stuff and, of course, a lot of anti-Vietnam stuff and, you know, it was almost like the resistant movement." Underground newspapers were popular in larger cities across the country, many reprinting articles from each other or the Liberation News Service network. But having one in Pensacola, Bint said, was rather special. "It kinda made Pensacola look like a happening place for a while," she said. "It always seemed like stuff about the Vietnam war and counterculture issues were something that was out there and in other places. You read about it in Atlanta, L.A. and New York and bigger places, and, it's like, 'No, you know, there are people that feel the same way right here in Pensacola.' It wasn't a popular opinion with the mainstream, but, you know, I think it gave
people permission to consider some alternatives to what they were being fed by the mainstream." In total, Fish Cheer published 14 issues, pretty much on a monthly schedule. It sold enough advertising to cover printing costs, and all was well for a while. "It created a sense of community for a period of time," Bint said. "Unfortunately, it wasn't sustainable." There was a confluence of factors that led to the end of the Fish Cheer's run. First, there was the Federal Bureau of Investigation's tiresome surveillance and harassment of the newspaper's staff. Then there was the weird occurrence of the mysterious stranger showing up and providing office space before apparently setting Bint up to take the fall on a postal delivery of LSD and disappearing altogether. Lastly, and probably mostly, people were moving on. "A lot of the people that were in the core group were heading off; they were going to law school, so they had to leave Pensacola," Bint said. "So we lost a lot of really core people who were prime movers on the paper. The FBI kind of wore people down, too." During the first evening of 309's exhibit, Saturday, April 9, Bint will participate in a discussion about the Gulf Coast Fish Cheer. She is also providing a full run of the newspaper to be viewed as part of the exhibition. Bint said she's excited that Pensacola's punk museum has embraced an element of counterculture that predates its namesake movement and appreciates the connection between the underground press and the zines emanating from the punk ecosystem. "I really like the idea of—I hate the term hippies—but the hippies and the punks gathering together," she said. "It makes me feel like there is an actual legacy to the work that we did during that time."
THE PUNK-HIPPIE CONNECTION
The punk-hippie connection doesn't seem too far of a stretch to Aaron Cometbus. "There was a lot more of the '60s and '70s filtering into punk than people realize," he noted. Cometbus, best known as a publisher of zines and also as a member of a number of punk bands in various locales across the country, including a short stint in Pensacola, will be presenting a talk entitled "From Fish Cheer to
Smell of Dead Fish—The Bridge Between Hippie and Punk" on Sunday, April 10, as part of 309's exhibit. Rather than viewing movements as separate, with one ending and another beginning, Cometbus said it might be useful to view them as interconnected, with one flowing into the other. Through this lens, the countercultural underground press and the punk zines to follow are not so much separate but relatable entities but instead a continuation of energy. "There's this idea that social or political movements just start and end in a very concise way. You know, they are placed into history neatly. But the reality is that they overlap and there's a continuum of culture," Cometbus said. "So I don't think that the Fish Cheer paved the way, but the underground press in general and what was happening in the early '70s is generally thought of as completely separate from punk. But the reality is, the two things overlapped a lot, and there were people that were very central to punk in the early '80s and late '70s who were central to the underground press scene in the early '70s ... punk is generally seen as the next generation, but in many ways, it was more like the younger siblings, the younger sister or brother." With its inclusion of Fish Cheer and the underground press as subjects for an exhibition, 309 is simply playing the role of that the underground press played, Cometbus said. The punk museum is chronicling an aspect of local and larger culture that has not been given attention in the area's more traditional museum venues. "I think we're just picking up the slack," Cometbus said. "There's museums in town, and there's other institutions, and I just feel that they're not reflecting the actual breadth of what's happening in Pensacola and what has happened." {in}
WAR AGAINST CONFORMITY: PENSACOLA'S 1970S UNDERGROUND PRESS
WHAT: An exhibit and discussion series WHEN: Exhibit open for viewing 4-7 p.m. Saturday, April 9, Bint discussion at 7 p.m.; exhibit open for viewing 2-6 p.m. Sunday, April 10, Cometbus discussion at 6 p.m. WHERE: 309 Punk Project, 309 N. Sixth Ave. COST: Events are free and open to the public. Donations welcome. DETAILS: facebook.com/309punkproject 15
a&e happenings value and relevance. Members of Emerald Coast Writers can submit a design for free. Non-members can submit for a fee of $5 per logo. To view guidelines and submit your work, visit westfloridaliteraryfederation.submittable.com/ submit. For questions about the contest, email emeraldcoastreview@gmail.com.
FOO FOO FEST APPLICATIONS Applica-
Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival / Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Habitat for Humanity
NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS
ANIMAL ALLIES BINGO NIGHTS Every
Tuesday is Bingo night at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road, with proceeds supporting Animal Allies. Games start at 7 p.m. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS Animal Al-
lies will be at Pet Supermarket, 6857 N. Ninth Ave., and Everett Animal Welfare Group will be at PetSmart on North Davis Highway on Saturday, April 9, from noon-4 p.m. If you can't adopt, you can talk about opportunities to donate, foster or volunteer. All cats are up-todate on shots, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip.
PENSACOLA HABITAT FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL Indulge in local eats for a good cause
with the Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival Friday, April 8-Sunday, April 10, in Seville Square. Trucks include 3-D Eats, Greek Gals Yummies, Melt, The Orange Peel and more. Tickets are $5 a day or $10-$12 for a weekend pass. Visit pensacolahabitatfoodtruckfest.org for more information.
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GULF COAST NONPROFITS ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR EVENT SPONSORSHIP FROM COX Local nonprofits that are planning
fundraising and awareness events in the Gulf Coast market are encouraged to apply for an event sponsorship from Cox Communications. Cox is currently accepting applications for events occurring between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2022. If your nonprofit is planning an event that will take place during these dates and is looking for support, apply for cash or in-kind sponsorships at Cox's Charitable Giving Site. The deadline for applications is Saturday, April 30. Organizations will be notified if their requests are approved in early June. More information is available at ccigiving.com.
CALL TO ARTISTS
REGIONAL WRITERS GROUP OFFERS DESIGN A LOGO CONTEST FOR NAME CHANGE AND REBRAND The former West
Florida Literary Federation is rebranding and introducing its new name —Emerald Coast Writers. The nonprofit organization is seeking a new logo to showcase its name and change and offering a $350 prize in a logo design contest. Submissions are now open and close April 30. Logos will be judged on their originality, aesthetic
tions are open for vendors to join Pensacola's Foo Foo Festival taking place Nov. 3-14. In 2022, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will once again fund top-scoring grant applicants, with the number of grants to be awarded contingent upon the number of submissions. This year, the Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $400,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding. All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to submit their various events (occurring Nov. 3-14, 2022) for consideration to become a "Friend of Foo," receiving visibility as part of the regional marketing campaign and throughout the 12-day event. To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit acepensacola.org. To apply for consideration as a "Friend of Foo," visit foofoofest.com. FOO FOO FEST APPLICATION TIMELINE: •Friday, May 6 - Foo Foo Fest Grant Application Deadline (Noon CT) •Tuesday, May 24 - Public Grant Scoring and Official Announcements
ARTS & CULTURE
WATCH PENSACOLA OPERA'S "WHO'S AFRAID OF THE BIG BAD WOLF?" For the entire month of April, Pensacola Opera is releasing its production of "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf," performed by the 2021-22 AIRs, to watch at home for free. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.
WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART PCA is located at the Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $10 cash donation per person. Face masks are recommended. Reservations are not required. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information and the latest showtimes.
DISNEY'S MOANA JR. AT PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Take the kids to a 60-min-
ute adaptation of the 2016 Disney story. Show-
times are 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 8; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 10. The Thursday performance is April 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$31 and can be purchased at pensacolalittletheatre.com.
BROADWAY BOOGIE: GROWN-UPS Join
this weekly class on the basics of boogie in a fun, easy-going, non-judgmental setting. Classes are Fridays, April 1-May 20, from 5-6 p.m., at The Gordon Art Center, 306 N. DeVilliers St. This class teaches the fundamentals of musical theatre style dancing including jazz, tap, ballet, ballroom, fosse and more. This class is a beginner-level class for teens and adults, ages 16 and up. Registration is open through March 15 at myneighborhoodtheatre.com.
KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL BAG SWAP Bring your plastic bags (no less than 20) and receive a Keep Pensacola Beautiful reusable tote at various dates and locations in April. For more information about the initiative, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org. UPCOMING DATES: •9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, April 9, at Public, 11 E. Romana St. •5-9 p.m., Friday, April 15, at Gallery Night •10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday, April 23, at Earth Day Pensacola, 2001 E. Lloyd St. •4-7 p.m., Wednesday, April 27, at Ever'man, 1000 E. Nine Mile Road
JEFF DUNHAM Comedian puppeteer Jeff
Dunham will be at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St., at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 7. Tickets are $55.50. Visit pensacolabaycenter. com for more information.
TOM SEGURA Actor/Comedian/Writer Tom Segura will have two shows at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, at 7 and 10 p.m., Thursday, April 7. Tickets are $65-105. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information. MICHAEL JACKSON: A THRILLING TRIBUTE Enjoy a tribute to the King of Pop at
7 p.m., Saturday, April 9, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $33-63. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.
OPERA A FRESCO Pensacola Opera's special pop-up series returns with a performance
inweekly.net
a&e happenings on Saturday, April 9, at 5:30 p.m., at Rev. H.K. Matthews Park. Visit facebook.com/pensacolaopera for more information.
WAR AGAINST CONFORMITY: PENSACOLA'S 1970S UNDERGROUND PRESS 309
Punk Project presents a tribute to the ragtag Old East Hill group that published the legendary underground paper the Gulf Coast Fish Cheer over 50 years ago Saturday, April 9, with an exhibition viewing from 4-7 p.m. and a conversation with Gulf Coast Fish Cheer editor at 7 p.m. and on Sunday, 2-6 p.m., with an exhibition viewing, with a conversation with Aaron Cometbus at 6 p.m. For more information, visit 309punkproject.org.
GULF BREEZE HIGH SCHOOL PRESENTS: THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL Gulf Breeze
High School Drama will perform "The SpongeBob Musical" 7 p.m. Friday, April 8, and Saturday, April 9, and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10, at the Pensacola State College Ashmore Auditorium at 1000 College Blvd. Purchase tickets at performingarts.pensacolastate.edu.
UWF DOWNTOWN LECTURE SERIES PRESENTS AN EVENING WITH JAD ABUMRAD Join the UWF College of Arts, So-
cial Sciences and Humanities for "An Evening with Jad Abumrad" as he presents his talk "Island Hopping" on Thursday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m. at The Rex Theatre, 18 N. Palafox. Abumrad is the creator and former host of Radiolab, a public radio program broadcast on nearly 600 stations across the nation and downloaded more than 12 million times a month as a podcast. Visit uwf.edu/downtownlectures for more information and the link to get your free tickets.
THE BACHELOR LIVE ON STAGE Experi-
ence the ultimate Bachelor Nation fan party with this interactive evening, hosted by former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin and starring an alumnus from a recent season as your onstage Bachelor, at 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $43-$185. Visit pensacolasaenger.com.
PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy shopping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 1401 W. In-
tendencia St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolaartsmarket.
EASY GOING GALLERY ART MARKET Every Sunday, Easy Going Gallery and Carter J Studios present a weekly art market Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Vendors can participate for a $20 fee. For more information, contact easygoinggalleryart@gmail.com. 309 ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: MIKE BRODIE
Photographer Mike Brodie is the next artist in residence at 309. Stop by at 309 N. Sixth Ave. Visit 309punkproject.org for more information.
THE MAROON MARINES: ARCHAEOLOGY AT PROSPECT BLUFF A new temporary exhibit
at The Destination Archaeology Resource Center, located at 207 E. Main St., features the story of the largest free black settlement in what is now the United States. This exhibit is sponsored by City of Pensacola Councilmember Teniadé Broughton. During the War of 1812, a fort was built by Black British Colonial Marines and Indigenous people along the Apalachicola River. Called "Negro Fort" by American officials, it eventually became the center of the largest free Black settlement in what is now the United States. When the war ended, the U.S. believed the fort threatened the institution of slavery and must be destroyed. To the Maroon people who lived there, however, the fort at Prospect Bluff was a beacon of freedom worth fighting for. For more information, visit fpan.us.
2022 TAGGED STUDENT ART AND DESIGN EXHIBITION The Art Gallery at the
University of West Florida presents the "2022 TAGGED Student Art & Design Exhibition" March 24-April 15. Artwork will be on display at TAG, located in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway.
GALLERY 1050 MEMBERS SHOW The art-
ists of First City Art Center will be showcasing their work through April 23 at the center's 1060 Gallery, located at 1060 Guillemard St. For more information, visit gallery1060.com.
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MONOCHROMATIC Artel Gallery's latest
juried show is "Monochromatic," where artists created a work of art in any medium using only one color. The exhibit is on view through May 6. Also on display is PanHandle Potters and works from Vivian Spencer. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox. Visit artelgallery.org for more information.
PMA MEMBERS SHOW The PMA Members
Show is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through May 29. View works of art from local artists. For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.
INTO THE MIRROR: CARRIE ANN BAADE 2021 Members Show winner Carrie
Ann Baade describes herself as steward and axman, returning to the haunting moments in art history in order to reclaim them. By using the "bone yard" of Western painting with reverence, she cuts them up into fragments resulting in collage. In their repainting, these are fierce feminist parables. Paintings made of paintings; the old masterworks are infused with the artist's own experience. The exhibit is on view through May 29. For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.
MAPPING NORTHWEST FLORIDA EXHIBIT AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF HISTORY Visualized Landscapes: A Selection
of Northwest Florida Maps is now on view at Pensacola Museum of History. The exhibit explores the shifting topography of Northwest Florida through a series of maps selected from the Trust Archive. Visualized Landscapes: A Selection of Northwest Florida Maps is on view on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History until August. For more information about the UWF Historic Trust or to purchase tickets, visit historicpensacola.org.
VISIONARY APONTE: ART AND BLACK FREEDOM Visionary Aponte: Art and Black
Freedom is from creator José Antonio Aponte, a free black carpenter, artist and former soldier who was also the leader of an ambitious antislavery conspiracy in Cuba in 1812. The exhibit is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through March 27. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for more information.
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2000 MEN: BLACK POLITICIANS DURING RECONSTRUCTION A new exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of History shares the stories and histories of Black politicians during the Reconstruction period. The Pensacola Museum of History is located at 330 S. Jefferson St. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.
FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the UWF
Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago. Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s newspaper. Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola.org for more information.
SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio 400's
and Pensacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.
OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Show off
your talents on the second Thursday of every month at The Gordon's Open Mic showcase from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. The Gordon is located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Visit thegordon.org for more information.
OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY Try out some new jokes or enjoy some homegrown talent every Monday at 7 p.m. for Open Mic Comedy at Big Top Brewery, located at 21 W. Romano St. Everyone gets five minutes depending on the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.
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a&e happenings NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing Arts
(MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstoppers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult. MMPA is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks are required for entry into the building and studio. More information about Mixon Magic Performing Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling (850) 221-7438.
CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet up with
other makers at Studio South. Tuesday is Knit Night 4-7 p.m., and Sit & Stitch is Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Both classes are free. For a full calendar of events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center offers a wide
range of classes and workshops for artists of
all levels. Classes include glass blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.
FOOD + DRINKS
HALFWAY TO OKTOBERFEST Celebrate
the halfway mark to Gary's Brewery's biggest event with German beers, music, food trucks, keg tossing and more on Friday, April 8, from 5-9 p.m. at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave.
2022 GUMBO YA YA COOK-OFF On Sat-
urday, April 9, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. in Phineas Phogg's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St., amateur and professional teams will compete for bragging rights for the Best Gumbo in Pensacola. Your $10 ticket allows you to taste, with proceeds benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida.
PENSACOLA VEGFEST 2022 Enjoy the fourth annual vegan food festival Saturday, April 9, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketleap or day of at the gate. EASY GOING GALLERY CRAWFISH BOIL
Visit Easy Going Crawfish boil and listen to local DJs and producers while enjoying good food Saturday, April 9, at 12:15 p.m. Tickets are $10. Crawfish from 1-4 p.m. and music from noon-midnight. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for more information.
THE PINKNIC Bring your own blanket to this Saturday picnic with DJ Hale and food and drinks from local vendors Saturday, April 9, from 1-4 p.m., at 211 Bayfront Parkway. Call (850) 465-6955 for more information. SPRING FLING FISH FRY WITH ALGA BEER CO. & TWO BIRDS Alga Beer Co. and Two Birds food truck are teaming up for a fish fry Saturday, April 9, from 2-6 p.m., at Alga Beer Co., 2435 N. 12th Ave. Visit facebook. com/algabeerco for more information.
BRUNCH AT BODACIOUS Learn to prepare
the perfect brunch with Chef Abby Cheshire at noon on Sunday, April 10, at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Cost is $49. Visit bodaciousshops.com for more information.
HANDS-ON EGG ROLL CLASS Enjoy this
do-it-yourself eggroll class Tuesday, April 12, at 6 p.m., at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Tickets are $65. Visit bodaciousshops. com for more information.
VINO MAGNIFICO The next Vino Magnifico is Tuesday, April 12, at 5:30 p.m. Enjoy five wines and an appetizer for $12 plus tax at V. Paul's, 29 S. Palafox. Reserve your spots at vpauls.com. EASTER BRUNCH AT AGAPI Visit Aga-
pi Bistro + Garden, 555 Scenic Highway, for a special Easter Brunch Sunday, April 17, from 10
a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations required at (850) 8135683. Visit myagapi.com to see the menu.
EASTER AT GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS Great Southern Restaurants will be
open for Easter Sunday with their standard menus as well as special features. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St., will be open for brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner service from 3 p.m.-until. Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox, will be open for brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner service from 5 p.m.-until. Five Sister's Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St., will be open for brunch from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Angelena's Ristorante Italiano, 101 E. Intendencia St., will be open for dinner service. Menus available at greatsouthernrestaurants.com.
FIVE SISTERS EASTER GRAB AND GO
Great Southern Restaurants will be offering a full Easter Dinner Grab and Go featuring Five Sisters Blues Café. The package is based on six people with additional orders available in increments of six. The menu includes roasted pork tenderloin with sides and white chocolate bread pudding for dessert. The six-person package is $85 plus tax. Orders are being taken now and can be placed until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13. Pickups will be available at The Fish House on Saturday, April 16, noon3 p.m. To place your order and schedule pickup, please contact our events team at (850) 4339450 or email events@goodgrits.com
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a&e happenings MONTHLY WINE TASTING IN AGAPI GARDEN Visit Agapi Garden, at 555 Scenic
Highway, from 5-7 p.m. to sample five wines for $10. For more information, call (850) 813-5683.
SUNDAY FUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE WELL The Well, located at 42 E. Garden St., has expanded its offerings with a Sunday Funday Brunch cocktail menu including items such as Spicy Paloma made with Mezcal, a cold brew cocktail with Irish whiskey, a cucumber-infused spritz and a Bloody Mary spiced with housemade hot sauce and garnished with fresh pickled vegetables. Price range is $9-$12. Brunch hours are Sundays from noon-4 p.m. Other small plate offerings are available ThursdaySaturday from 4 p.m.-one hour before closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/ thewellpensacola.
FIRST FRIDAY FINE WINES Visit The Nest General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, on the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. Visit bluejaysbakery.com for more information. BAYOU BUZZ COFFEE TASTING TOUR
Seville Savories Food Tour will host a coffee tour of downtown Pensacola Tuesdays-Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are available online at sevillesavoriesfoodtour.com.
BURGERS AND BORDEAUX AT UNION PUBLIC HOUSE Every Tuesday night, enjoy
a specialty burger and a glass of Bordeaux for $18 at Union Public House, located at 309 S. Reus St. For more information, visit facebook. com/unionpensacola.
WEEKNIGHT HAPPY HOUR Every weeknight before 6 p.m. at The 5 Barrel, get $1 off all The 5 Barrel pints, $2 wine by the glass and half off hummus plates when you buy a pint of beer. Visit the5barrel.com for more information. TABLETOP TUESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL
Join The 5 Barrel for a special Tabletop Tuesday event at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in March. A wide variety of games ranging from the classic chess to the crowd favorite Catan will be available. Players are welcome to bring their own games.
ARAGON WINE TASTINGS Wine tastings
at Aragon Wine Market are back every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. in store at 27 S. Ninth Ave. For more information, visit aragonwinemarket.com.
THURSDAY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE 5 BARREL Gather a group for a weekly Thurs-
day Trivia Night Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at The 5 Barrel. There will be prizes for every round and select drafts for $3. Find out more at facebook.com/the5barrel.
THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand. Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew. April 7, 2022
PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is back at
its regular location in MLK Jr. Plaza. In a carefully planned, phased reopening, Palafox Market has launched with about half its regular vendors, showcasing food, farm produce and products geared toward safety and sanitation such as handmade soaps and face masks. For more information, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.
EVER'MARKET AT NINE MILE ROAD Visit Ever'Man at 1000 E. Nine Mile Road on the fourth Saturday of each month for the Ever'Market with food, music, giveaways, activities and more. Visit everman.org for more information. 200 SOUTH SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY Every first Saturday of the month, the
businesses at 200 South will host Small Business Saturday to show support for local businesses. Bring a receipt from a purchase from any other downtown business and receive 10% off your bill at Graffiti Pizza, World of Beer, Taco Agave and Blend Lounge.
PENSACOLA POSITIVITY'S SUNDAY MARKETS Sunday Markets on Palafox Street
happen each Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in MLK Plaza on Palafox. Local makers, growers and creators gather each under the oak trees to sell their goods to the community. Interested vendors can request an application by emailing requeaskmikellah@gmail.com. For more information, visit facebook.com/palafoxmarkets.
SATURDAYS AT THE MARKET OUTDOOR VENDOR EVENT Located at 5300
Berryhill Road, the outdoor market features artisans and crafters alike from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays. Social distancing guidelines will be in effect. For more information, email saturdaysatthemarket@gmail.com.
PENSACOLA POP-UP FARMERS MARKET Check out fresh and organic produce, milk, eggs, meat, fresh-baked bread, mushrooms, lumber, grits, cornmeal, pies and plants Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at East Hill Market, located at 1216 N. Ninth Ave. For a list of vendors, visit facebook.com/easthillmarket.
UPTOWN PENSACOLA MARKET Check
out local vendors of art, produce and other local treasures every Saturday at 7201 N. Ninth Ave. from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/uptownmarketpensacola.
TWILIGHT THREE-COURSE SPECIAL The
District's Twilight Three-Course special is back Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m. Guests enjoy three courses for $35 per person. Diners must be seated by 6 p.m. for offer to be valid. To make a reservation, call (850) 332-5224, or go to districtstreaks.com. The District is located at 123 E. Government St.
LIVE MUSIC
BANDS ON THE BLACKWATER The Six Piece Suits will be playing Bands on the Blackwater 7 p.m. on Friday, April 8. Ryan Dyer will perform. The concert is held at Jernigan's Landing, 5158 Willing St., in Milton. 19
a&e happenings ONE STEP CLOSER AND MORE AT EASY GOING GALLERY One Step Closer, Soul
Blind, Her New Knife and Statement Pride will be performing at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St., Thursday, April 7, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for more information.
LIL RÜÜT N FRIENDS Hip hop versus EDM
at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St., Friday, April 8, starting at 7:30 p.m. Visit facebook.com/ easygoinggallery for more information.
BIG AND RICH AT WIND CREEK CASINO Big & Rich featuring Cowboy Troy will be performing at the Wind Creek Wetumpka Entertainment Center, located at 100 River Oaks Drive, on Saturday, April 9, at 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased through ticketmaster.com.
ZACH WILLIAMS The Zach Williams Spring 2022 tour will make a stop at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, Sunday, April 10, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $32.75-$217. Visit pensacolasaenger. com for more information. KOYO Koyo and Burning Strong will be per-
forming at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St., 7 p.m., Wednesday, April 13. Tickets are $10. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for more information.
RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES In celebration of the anniversary of Abbey Road, RAIN
will bring the greatest hits of this epic recording to life, in addition to all your early Beatles favorites, on Wednesday, April 13, at 7:30 p.m., at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets start at $43. Visit pensacolasaenger.com.
SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist Jim An-
MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Blues Society of Northwest Flori-
JAZZ BY THE BOOK Join Joe Occhipinti and
da and Seville Quarter present Monday Night Blues, the longest running weekly Blues Jam in Florida, starting at 7 p.m. with an opening and followed by the Blues Jam at 9 p.m. Seville Quarter is located at 130 E. Government St. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.
JAZZ CONCERTS AT THE PENSACOLA LIBRARY Visit Pensacola Library, located at 239
N. Spring St., for a free jazz concert from 1-3 p.m. on the first and fourth Tuesday of the month through July. The next concert is March 22. Visit jazzpensacola.com for more information.
LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish Blue Fish
for live performances from local bands all day on Fridays and Saturdays. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.
JOE OCCHIPINTI JAZZABOUTS Catch Joe
Occhipinti and guests at Alice's Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1504 W. Intendencia St., Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and at Calvert's Restaurant & Bar, 670 Scenic Highway, Sundays from noon-3 p.m.
drews will be performing at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1504 W. Intendencia St., on the first Friday of every month from 6-9:30 p.m.
the Jazzabouts at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. for classic jazz favorites.
RAY COLEY AT CAZADORES MEXICAN RESTAURANT Ray Coley performs oldies
mix with jazz and blues every weekend with keyboard, horn and flute. Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. and a jazz set on Sundays from 12-3 p.m. on the patio at Cazadores Mexican restaurant, located at 8183 W. Fairfield Dr. Weather permitting.
CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five Sis-
ters Blues Café, located at 421 W. Belmont St., Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and listen to Curt Bol Jazz Quartet. Visit curtbolband.com for more information.
OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel Gal-
lery is open from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays for open jam with Pensacola Folk Music Society. Feel free to visit and listen to music. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.
KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS Sing your heart out Sundays at Mugs & Jugs, 12080 Sce-
! k c a B e Welcom
nic Highway, or just enjoy drinks friends with $4 Smirnoff and $6.50 domestic pitcher drink deals from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/mugsjugs.
LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S Sit back with good food and live music at Hub Stacey's, located at 312 E. Government St. For a full calendar of bands, check hubstaceys.com. MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues Soci-
ety of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District, located at 130 E. Government St. every Monday night in End O' the Alley starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.
TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodious
Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, located at 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.
FITNESS + RECREATION
BLUE WAHOOS SEASON OPENER Baseball is back at Blue Wahoos Stadium, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Single-game tickets and season memberships available at bluewahoos.com. UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •6:35 p.m. Friday, April 8 •6:05 p.m. Saturday, April 9 •4:05 p.m. Sunday, April 10
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a&e happenings CCB DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT Dip,
dodge, duck and dive … it's time to grab life by the balls at the Coastal County Brewing Dodgeball Tournament on Saturday, April 9, from noon-5 p.m., at CCB, located at 3041 E. Olive Road. Sixteen five-person teams will compete. Register online at coastalcountybrewing.com/events.
U.S. CHEER FINALS Watch the best of the best at the U.S. Cheer Finals on Saturday, April 9, with competitions starting at 9 a.m. at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets are $15-$35. Visit pensacolabaycenter.com for more information. GIRL SCOUT DAY AT NATIONAL NAVAL AVIATION MUSEUM The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and STARBASE Pensacola are excited to partner with the Girl Scouts Gateway Council to present Fly Girls! Girl Scout Day on Saturday, April 9, from 10 a.m.-noon, in the National Naval Aviation Museum atrium. For more information, visit navalaviationmuseum.org.
FREE YOGA IN THE PARK SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR 2022 Breathe Yoga and Well-
ness Center in partnership with the City of Pensacola will offer free one-hour yoga classes to citizens on the first Sunday of every month at 9:30 a.m. in Bayview Park, located at 2001 E. Lloyd St., and Community Maritime Park, located at 301 W. Main St. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. Participants must bring their own mat and other accessories they would like to use. Participants are asked to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated, as water will not be provided. UPCOMING DATES: •May 1: Bayview Park
BIKE PENSACOLA SLOW RIDE Bike Pensacola's April Slow Ride will be 4 p.m. Saturday, April 9, starting at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. For more information, visit facebook.com/bikepensacola. CHESS CLUB Learn how to play one of the old-
est games in the world with West Florida Public Libraries. Whether you are a beginner or a master chess player, this is a chance to learn new skills, practice your moves and improve your game in a friendly environment. The library will provide all the chessboards and pieces. UPCOMING DATES: •10 a.m.-noon Saturday, April 9, at Century Library •1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 9, at Southwest Library •1-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 23, at Southwest Library •10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at Genealogy Library
F3 NATION FREE WORKOUTS FOR MEN F3, a national network of free, peer-led
workouts for all men, has expanded its outdoor workouts to Pensacola. The three Fs stand for Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. Classes are free of charge to all men 18 and older or 16 with an adult guardian. Each class ends with a circle of trust. Class times are 7-8 a.m. Saturdays and 5:30-6:15 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Visit f3pensacola.com. April 7, 2022
OVER 50 DANCE CLUB Take part in the Over 50 Dance Club at Sanders Beach Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St., Tuesdays from 6:30-9 p.m. The dress code is dressy; cover is $5-$10. This club is tobacco- and alcohol-free. For more information, call (850) 623-5013.
PENSACOLA PEGGERS CRIBBAGE CLUB LOOKING FOR MEMBERS Pensacola Peg-
gers Cribbage Club 396, the local Grass Roots Club affiliated with American Congress of Cribbage, is seeking new cribbage players for the group. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Sonny's BBQ, located at 6702 N. Ninth Ave., to play six games of cribbage.
WEEKLY FRIDAY DANCE Get moving every
Friday night with a dance sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Enjoy food from 6-7 p.m. Dancing is from 7-10 p.m. A variety of bands and music provide the tunes. Cost of admission is $6. Dances are located at 105 Kenmore Ave. in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 476-5696.
PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pensacola Rec Plex North parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com. WFPL MOLINO TRACK CHALLENGE Put on
your walking shoes and join the walking challenge at the Molino library. Just visit Molino's track, turn on your favorite fitness tracker app to log your progress, dial up your tunes or an audiobook and start walking. When you finish, come into the library and log your progress with staff on our track challenge board. The top walker in this program will win The Coldest Water Bottle. The Molino Branch Library is located at 6450-A Highway 95A. For more information, visit mywfpl.com.
RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mondays, Wednes-
days and Fridays, release into a yin yoga flow centered around low-stress training for highstress individuals. The focus will be on the basics of breath and openness in the shoulders, hips and spine. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online. Cost is $12 per class, and the location is 375 N. Ninth Ave., Ste. B. Limited space available. Ask about membership pricing.
GULF COAST BREWERY RUN Thursdays
at 6 p.m., join Pensacola Runners Association for a 5K fun run. Enjoy a free beer after the run and complimentary games such as cornhole, ping pong and more. Gulf Coast Brewery is located at 500 E. Heinberg St. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoastbrewery.
YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. Funky Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays. And Vinyasa Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org. for more listings visit inweekly.net 21
free will astrology WEEK OF APRIL 7 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): To provide
the right horoscope, I must introduce you to three new words. The first is "orphic," defined as "having an importance or meaning not apparent to the senses nor comprehensible to the intellect; beyond ordinary understanding." Here's the second word—"ludic," which means "playful; full of fun and high spirits." The third word is "kalon," which refers to "profound, thorough beauty." Now, I will coordinate those terms to create a prophecy in accordance with your astrological aspects. Ready? I predict you will generate useful inspirations and energizing transformations for yourself by adopting a ludic attitude as you seek kalon in orphic experiments and adventures.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): I love your
steadfastness, intense effort, and stubborn insistence on doing what's right. Your ability to stick to the plan even when chaos creeps in is admirable. But during the coming weeks, I suggest you add a nuance to your approach. Heed the advice of martial artist Bruce Lee—"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves."
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Gemini-born
basketball coach Pat Summitt won Olympic medals, college championships and presidential awards. She had a simple strategy—"Here's how I'm going to beat you. I'm going to outwork you. That's it. That's all there is to it." I recommend that you apply her approach to everything you do for the rest of 2022. According to my analysis, you're on course for a series of satisfying victories. All you have to do is nurture your stamina as you work with unwavering focus and resilient intelligence.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): In Britain, 70%
of the land is owned by one percent of the population. Globally, 1% of the population owns 43% of the wealth. I hope there's a much better distribution of resources within your own life. I hope that the poorer, less robust parts of your psyche aren't being starved at the expense of the privileged and highly functioning aspects.
By Rob Brezsny
I hope that the allies and animals you tend to take for granted are receiving as much of your love and care as the people you're trying to impress or win over. If any adjustments are necessary, now is a favorable time to make them.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): TV show creator
Joey Soloway says, "The only way things will change is when we're all wilder, louder, riskier, sillier and unexpectedly overflowing with surprise." Soloway's Emmy Award-winning work on "Transparent," one of the world's first transgender-positive shows, suggests that their formula has been effective for them. I'm recommending this same approach to you in the coming weeks, Leo. It will help you summon the extra courage and imagination you will need to catalyze the necessary corrections and adjustments.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): "Find a place
inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain," wrote mythologist Joseph Campbell. I don't think his cure is foolproof. The lingering effects of some old traumas aren't so simple and easy to dissolve. But I suspect Campbell's strategy will work well for you in the coming weeks. You're in a phase of your astrological cycle when extra healing powers are available. Some are obvious, and some are still partially hidden. It will be your sacred duty to track down every possible method that could help you banish at least some of your suffering and restore at least some of your joie de vivre.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): You know who
Jimi Hendrix was, right? He was a brilliant and influential rock guitarist. As for Miles Davis, he was a Hall of Fame-level trumpeter and composer. You may be less familiar with Tony Williams. A prominent rock critic once called him "the best drummer in the world." In 1968, those three superstars gathered in the hope of recording an album. But they wanted to include a fourth musician, Paul McCartney, to play bass for them. They sent a telegram to the ex-Beatle, but it never reached him. And so the supergroup never happened. I mention this in the hope that it will render you extra alert for invitations and opportunities that arrive in the coming weeks—perhaps out of nowhere. Don't miss out! Expect the unexpected. Read between the lines. Investigate the cracks.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Poet Anne
Carson claims that "a page with a poem on it is less attractive than a page with a poem on it and some tea stains." I agree. If there are tea stains, it probably means that the poem has been studied and enjoyed. Someone has lingered over it, allowing it to thoroughly permeate their consciousness. I propose we make the tea-stained poem your power metaphor for the coming weeks, Scorpio. In other words, shun the pristine, the spotless, the untouched. Commune with messy, even chaotic things that have been loved and used.
In other words, shun the pristine, the spotless, the untouched. Commune with messy, even chaotic things that have been loved and used. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sag-
ittarian author Martha Beck articulated the precise message you need to hear right now. She wrote, "Here is the crux of the matter, the distilled essence, the only thing you need to remember: When considering whether to say yes or no, you must choose the response that feels like freedom. Period." I hope you adopt her law in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. You should avoid responses and influences that don't feel liberating. I realize that's an extreme position to take, but I think it's the right one for now. Where does your greatest freedom lie? How can you claim it? What shifts might you need to initiate?
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): I'm glad you have been exploring your past and reconfiguring your remembrances of the old days and old ways. I'm happy you've been transforming the story of your life. I love how you've given yourself a healing gift by reimagining your history. It's fine with me if you keep doing this fun stuff for a while longer. But please also make sure you don't get so immersed in bygone events that you're weighed down by them. The whole point of the good work you've been do-
ing is to open up your future possibilities. For inspiration, read this advice from author Milan Kundera—"We must never allow the future to collapse under the burden of memory."
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Aquarian historian Mary Frances Berry offered counsel that I think all Aquarians should keep at the heart of their philosophy during the coming weeks. She wrote, "The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can't be done." I hope you trust yourself enough to make that your battle cry. I hope you will keep summoning all the courage you will regularly need to implement its mandate. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): What's the
leading cause of deforestation in Latin America? Logging for wood products? Agricultural expansion? New housing developments? Nope. It's raising cattle so people everywhere can eat beef and cheese and milk. This industry also plays a major role in the rest of the world's ongoing deforestation tragedy. Soaring greenhouse gas emissions aren't entirely caused by our craving for burgers and milk and cheese, of course, but our climate emergency would be significantly less dramatic if we cut back our consumption. That's the kind of action I invite you to take in the coming months, Pisces. My analysis of astrological omens suggests that you now have even more power than usual to serve the collective good of humanity in whatever specific ways you can. (P.S. Livestock generates 14.5% of our greenhouse gases, equal to the emissions from all cars, trucks, airplanes and ships combined.) THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: What's the biggest good change you could imagine making in your life right now? newsletter.freewillastrology.com
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news of the weird OOPS! What do you get when you cross spring picture day, a green screen background and St. Patrick's Day? Completely memorable elementary school photos, of course! At Sugar Grove Elementary School in Center Grove, Indiana, picture day happened to fall on St. Patrick's Day, United Press International reported. And no kid wants to get pinched on the saint's special day, so many kids were dressed in green. One problem: Inter-State Photography used green screens, like those used on TV weather broadcasts, behind the kids, so many of them "disappeared" in the initial proofs. Amanda Snow said her son's green hoodie turned into a fence, and "he had a green mohawk, but that is completely gone. ... It ended up being just a hilarious fiasco," she said. The photo company said the issues will be fixed on the final photos, but Snow hopes not: "I might reach out to the company and see if I can get the unedited ones, because honestly, they've brought me so much joy and laughter over the last day," she said. ANIMAL ANTICS Step aside, Punxsutawney Phil. Mojave Max, a 33-year-old desert tortoise, sees your predictions of spring and calls them with a dramatic yearly emergence from his burrow in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to KSNV-TV, Max lives at the Las Vegas Springs Preserve, where he is the official mascot for the Clark County Desert Conservation Program. Every year, he marks the beginning of spring by making his way out of his burrow when his internal clock and the longer daylight hours tell him to do so. This year, Max peered out on March 26 at 12:21 p.m. Of course, Max's interpretation of "spring" is hyper-local: It was 93 degrees in Las Vegas on March 26. RECURRING THEMES At least this wannabe traveler didn't need help with his luggage. On March 29, an unidentified man scaled the barbedwire fence at Midway Airport in Chicago and approached a private jet that had been cleared for takeoff, CBS News reported. As he tried to stall the plane, he removed his shirt, shoes, jacket and pants. Police said he appeared to be intoxicated. He jumped up on a wing of the plane; the pilot, in contact with air traffic control, said, "He's right here at the front of the jet. He's trying to get in. Our door is open here." Chicago police apprehended him and took him to a local hospital for a mental evaluation. The plane eventually took off. LEAST MATURE CRIMINAL In Warren, Ohio, police responded to robbery call with a twist straight out of elementary school. As a 22-year-old man walked along a road late on March 27, a man wearing a ski mask approached him and asked if he was a drug dealer. When the victim said he was not, the robber allegedly pulled out a knife and demanded money, WKBN-TV reported. After the thief got about $80 from him, he made the victim "pinkie promise" that he wouldn't call the cops, then rode off on a bicycle. The police have not located the pinkie promise perp. THE CONTINUING CRISIS Christopher Whetstone, 41, was arrested March 29 after authorities
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
carrying out a search warrant at his home in Temecula, California, found two rocket launchers and a practice grenade in a trash can, National Public Radio reported. He was charged with grand theft, although it's unclear whether the charges are related to the discarded heavy artillery items. Riverside County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Edward Soto said narcotics and a bazooka also were found in the home, which is adjacent to a middle school. SWEET (OR SAVORY?) REVENGE When Alisha Moy, 20, and Jordan Cobbold, 21, broke it off after just a few weeks of dating, Moy was ready to move on. But Cobbold, apparently, was not, Metro News reported on March 31. A couple of weeks after they met, Cobbold suggested he take a key to her flat in Suffolk, England, which raised red flags for her. "I remember calling my mum because I was worried about it," she said. After she messaged him to break it off, she returned home from work to find "something wrong" in her apartment. "He'd pulled my shoes out of the little cloakroom and poured beans and spaghetti in there. There were condiments splattered all over the walls and cooking sauce poured all over my vacuum cleaner," she said. Cobbold had cut the cords to all her brand-new electrical appliances. Damage was estimated at about $2,000; police arrested him a few days later and he was fined, given community service and a restraining order. INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR An unidentified crane driver in Dublin, Ireland, lost his job after he recorded himself dropping a bag of his own excrement from the crane cab onto a rooftop on March 30, DublinLive reported. While flinging the sick sack overboard, the man joked about "the joys of being a crane driver" and laughed, much to the horror of social media viewers who saw the video. The construction company said the driver had been removed immediately and would "not work on any of our other sites in the future." They also asked social media platforms to remove the video. COMPELLING EXPLANATION Kitty Deering of Edmond, Oklahoma, was surprised to learn that students at her daughter's high school were selling "white privilege" cards for $10 around Valentine's Day, KFOR-TV reported on March 31. The white cards read "Trumps Everything" on the front and, on the back, "This card grants its bearers happiness because it's the color of your skin and not the choices that you make that determines your ability to be successful." But Joel Patrick, the creator of the cards (who is Black), said the cards were "created as a joke. If they're saying this in seriousness, that's a personal problem with them. You don't go around telling someone you're better than them." Deering isn't buying it. "There's been years of ongoing issues of segregation here ... between staff, between students, between the community," she said. "We have to change it. That's not how I raise my children." {in} From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2022 Andrews McMeel
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