Inweekly Aug. 12 2021 Issue by Inweekly

The Pet Issue 2021 Independent News | August 12, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 32

TO ALL THE PETS WE'VE LOVED BEFORE FREE ▶

winners & losers

outtakes

news 6

I love kitty cats.

feature story

buzz 8

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Gina Castro, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, Sydney Robinson, C.S. Satterwhite

calendar 17

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

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August 12, 2021

winners & losers

Rachael Gillette / Studer Community Institute

winners RACHAEL GILLETTE The Chief Leader-

ship Development Officer at Studer Community Institute (SCI) and 2021 Pinnacle Award winner has been promoted to SCI's first president. In the new role, Gillette will oversee the work, strategic planning and financial stewardship for all of SCI, a nonprofit since 2016. Her duties will expand to focus all the core areas of SCI—early brain development, community building, leadership development and entrepreneur support—to enable SCI to achieve its mission to improve the quality of life for all people in the diverse communities they serve.

TERRY KELLEN Over 40 years ago, Kellen

organized the women's tennis group at the Roger Scott Tennis Center that evolved into the Greater Pensacola Ladies Tennis League, which holds nearly 1,000 members. She served as the first president of the GPLTL and the Scott Women's Tennis Association. Kellen later formed an intercity league that became known as the Greater Pensacola Tennis League. In July, the city of Pensacola honored Kellen by naming hard court No. 1 "The Terry Kellen Court."

WILLIAM PAUL BOWERS The Florida

Board of Governors recently announced the appointment of William "Paul" Bowers to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. His term began June 23 and will end on Jan. 6, 2026. Bowers served as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Georgia Power for 11 years before retiring on July 1. Bowers joined the Southern Company system at Gulf Power in 1979 and later served as the Southern Company's CFO. A Pensacola native, Bowers holds a Bachelor of Science degree from UWF and a master's degree from Troy University.

PORT OF PENSACOLA Gov. Ron DeSantis gave the Port of Pensacola over $800,000 as part of the $250 million in funding for Florida's ports from the Biden Administration's American Rescue Plan, which is intended to assist in recovery from decreased revenue in 2020 and to invest in infrastructure at Florida's ports. 44

Andrew Cuomo / governor.ny.gov

losers ANDREW CUOMO A five-month, independent investigation found that the three-term New York governor sexually harassed multiple women and created a "hostile work environment" that was "rife with fear and intimidation." The investigators interviewed 179 people, including Gov. Cuomo, his accusers and current and former administration employees. On Friday, Aug. 6, a woman who accused Cuomo of groping her breast in the Executive Mansion last year filed a criminal complaint with the Albany County sheriff. EMAIL ATTACKS Over the past several years, a slimy political pattern has developed in county government—creating emails that attack one's opponent and can be leaked to the press or released later through a public record. The email then gets published on social media and maybe in a newspaper without any verification of the data's accuracy. The county's medical director files a confidential complaint with a state agency and then places all the info in a memo. A constitutional officer claims she was told a commissioner called her a bad name and put the hearsay in an email without having any audio of the incident. A county director documents an after-hours phone call from a vendor accusing a commissioner of "tanking" the county's defense in a civil lawsuit. All are click-bait that get a jump on the truth and put those targeted on the defensive. JEFF BROWER Volusia County Commission chair wanted his board to pass his resolution declaring Volusia County a "Bill of Rights sanctuary" on Tuesday, Aug. 3. A vote to abandon the proposed resolution passed 4-1, with Brower recording the lone no vote. Carolyn Evans, who lost her husband to COVID-19 in July, spoke out against the resolution. "Nobody in this county needs a reminder of the Bill of Rights. I'll assure you of that. We're not stupid," she told the commissioners. "The lives you'll save (by encouraging vaccinations) will more than make up for the nasty emails you'll receive." inweekly.net

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outtakes By Rick Outzen

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BACK ON RADIO On Monday, Aug. 9, Cumulus and Inweekly launched "Real News with Rick Outzen" at 7 a.m. on NewsTalk 1370 WCOA. We set a pace that local new radio hasn't seen in years—seven guests in 90 minutes covering COVID-19, Coach Bobby Bowden's legacy, the 2022 mayoral race, Escambia County's HR disaster, bed taxes and the ABC Supply Stadium in Beloit, Wis. We tried to fit in a call to Congressman Matt Gaetz, but he failed to pick up the phone. It's fun to be back on the air at the historic WCOA, which stands for "City of Advantages." On Feb. 3, 1926, at 8:30 p.m., City Clerk Johnny Frenkel spoke the first words on Pensacola's municipal WCOA—"Hello, World! This is Pensacola talking. We've just established a fine new radio station here so we can keep closer touch with you." The radio station operated from 8:30 p.m.-midnight. Since many residents didn't have radios in their homes, the city commissioners invited people to visit city hall and hear the opening program. The first show ended with the song "Down Pensacola Way." In 1931, the city sold the station to Pensacola Broadcasting Company, founded by John C. Pace, for $6,500. WCOA was never a money-maker for the city, losing $3,600 a year before it was sold. Pace invested $20,000 in WCOA and moved the studios to the San Carlos Hotel. Pace later sold WCOA to the Pensacola Journal, which continued to broadcast from the San Carlos until 1949. The newspaper sold the station in 1957 to a private company, which Cumulus then bought. Over the years, WCOA has had several popular morning hosts and personalities who have left some big shoes to fill, including John Young, Sally Henderson, Maxine Daniels, Ted Cassidy, Gordon Towne, Don Priest, John Teelin, John Waite, John Richardson, Luke McCoy, Jim Sanborn, Brian Newkirk and Don Parker. Cassidy went on to portray Lurch on "The Addams Family" on ABC in the 1960s.

"Real News" will be my third radio show since 2007. "In Your Head Radio" was part of the start of News Talk 1620. Though I was given the afternoon nap time from 1 p.m.-2 p.m., we created compelling radio that included coverage of the first McCainObama presidential debate on the University of Mississippi campus. Jim Sanborn and Don Parker recruited me to restart "Pensacola Speaks" on weekday afternoons on WCOA. The show with Luke McCoy as host and Parker as his sidekick was the area's most influential radio program for two decades. Our newspaper butted heads with him often, sometimes making McCoy a loser and a winner in the same issue. I accepted the challenge to revitalize the show and succeeded. We broke on the air one of the biggest news stories of the decade—the Newpoint charter school scandal that wound up covering schools in five other Florida counties. The show's ratings were strong, and I loved hearing from callers, though I didn't fit the Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity mold. In 2018, I retired from radio to focus on promoting my first novel, "City of Grudges," and thought my radio days were over. Then, Don Parker became ill with pancreatic cancer and passed away in early May this year. Cumulus and I began to talk. The network committed to updating the equipment, some of which we still don't know what it was doing but was plugged in and still running. We agreed on the format, set the clock and let me handle the content, which reconnects WCOA to its roots. We will let you listen to the newsmakers directly. There will be less puffery and more connecting the dots on local news stories. Soon, we will start taking callers, letting you ask questions of in-studio guests and share your ideas. We are committed to keeping closer touch with you, as Johnny Frenkel said in his first broadcast. And, above all, we will keep it real. {in} rick@inweekly.net

We will let you listen to the newsmakers directly. There will be less puffery and more connecting the dots on local news stories.

August 12, 2021

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WHIPPING & DRIVING

Ron Ellington / Photo Courtesy of Innisfree Hotels

By Rick Outzen During his decade in Pensacola, Ron Ellington left quite a legacy—passage of Pensacola's strong-mayor charter, several winning political campaigns and the formation of Visit Pensacola and Escambia Children's Trust. The retired New Orleans businessman understood street-level politics, marketing and winning votes for his candidates and causes. He passed away suddenly in late July. Inweekly talked with those who worked with him in his many endeavors. "This was a man that came into Pensacola in his 70s, recreated himself and found a purpose here after moving to be with his grandson, Jackson," said Julian MacQueen, founder of Innisfree Hotels. "And by that process, he became this champion of some causes that have affected so many people's lives in Pensacola." Businessman John Peacock introduced Ellington to MacQueen, who hired him in June 2010 to help with Innisfree's BP claim after the Deepwater Horizon explosion. Macqueen remembered his logic in hiring Ellington, "He had a financial background and was willing to get at the grassroots level on issues. I thought Ron would be great at ferreting out this process of getting money back from the BP settlement." In the end, Innisfree Hotels received $13.5 million for its properties. MacQueen said, "It was because Ron knew everybody's name in the process—who their kids were 66

and what baseball league they'd played on and who was having marital problems. All these people would ultimately look to him for fatherly advice. That's how he handled it." He added, "I contribute our success with BP completely to Ron and his ability to navigate a very complex bureaucracy and follow that through. That was a great example of how Ron worked." Peacock met Ellington in 2009 while campaigning for the new city charter that would change the city government to a strong-mayor format. "It seems like a hundred years ago now," Peacock told Inweekly. "Ron approached me and said, 'How can I help?' and I think that kind of epitomized Ron all the time. What could he do to help make the community better?" At the time, Peacock served on the Santa Rosa Island Authority Board and brought up Ellington to MacQueen. "I think one day we're having lunch, and I said, 'Hey, I know this guy that's passionate about the community. I'd love for you to meet him.' And he did, and they hit it off. Julian ended up hiring Ron and saw the same positives in Ron that many other people and I did."

"I think one day we're having lunch, and I said, 'Hey, I know this guy that's passionate about the community. I'd love for you to meet him.'" John Peacock While the BP claim process was being worked out, MacQueen loaned Ellington to newcomer Ashton Hayward's mayoral campaign. Hayward was in a crowded primary and eventually faced incumbent Mayor Mike Wiggins in the general election. "Ron was relentless on working on my campaign from a strategy standpoint," said Hayward, who now serves as president of the Andrews Research & Education Foundation. "He was very big on the minority community in Pensacola and understood that we had to really be inclusive to be successful."

Hayward recalled walking into his campaign office with Lumon and LaRuby May and Travis Peterson after a day of knocking on doors to discover all their campaign strategy boards were off the walls. "I was like, 'Where's all the stuff? Did somebody break into the office?' And we were all looking around, only to find Ron had taken them down. He was so intense about the campaign and didn't want our opponents to look in the windows and see them," said Hayward. Ellington would later work on the successful campaigns of Lumon May and Doug Underhill for the Escambia County Commission. In 2013, MacQueen challenged Ellington to tackle a project he had tried to get done for two decades—moving tourism marketing out from under the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce. "For 20 years before getting Ron involved with it, I beat my head against the wall and tried to extricate that from the chamber because they were pulling $450,000 a year off of that to pay salaries and weren't focused," he shared. "I knew because of my background that successful CVBs (Convention Business Bureaus) are not part of the chambers. We're the only city in Florida of our size with one underneath the chamber."

"He was passionate and willing to get emotional about it and put himself right there on the line. Once he got the bone, he just wouldn't let go." Julian MacQueen MacQueen continued, "The next thing that Ron did after the BP settlement was take that on." Ellington got all the hoteliers and condominium managers to support the formation of an independent tourism authority, Visit Pensacola, Inc. He then lobbied the commissioners for nearly a year to persuade them to vote for the change. Ron did what he called "driving and whipping" to make it happen. "Ron did all the hard work—what he called 'driving and whipping'—and put all that together because of his amazing ability to befriend the right people," said MacQueen. "He had some tough conversations with lots of people because he was that kind of guy. He was passionate and willing to get emotional about it and put himself right there on the line. Once he got the bone, he just wouldn't let go." Filmmaker and historian Robin Reshard served on the first Visit Pensacola board of directors. She told Inweekly, "We became fast friends over the humanity of tourism,

but we developed this kind of secret code that we would say." According to Reshard, the code used when conversations got tough was "we need a heart attack." She explained, "And what we meant was we needed a heart attack of love. We knew that we could say what we needed to say, even if we disagreed. That it was in love, it was a safe place. And we would just have this amazing hug that would kind of connect our hearts, and that's all it was."

"It was like we knew that we were both trying to get to the same place that we thought was best for community and how we wanted to do good and not do harm while we were trying to figure this thing out." Robin Reshard Reshard added, "We didn't always agree, and that was okay. It was like we knew that we were both trying to get to the same place that we thought was best for community and how we wanted to do good and not do harm while we were trying to figure this thing out." One of Ellington's most lasting Pensacola achievements may be the referendum's passage that created the Escambia Children's Trust. He had to get Escambia County voters to agree to raise their property taxes to funding programs that address school readiness, child abuse and other issues affecting local youth and their families. As the campaign coordinator, Ellington and his volunteers got over 150 letters of support, including endorsements from Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, Escambia County School Board and Greater Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce. Fifteen years earlier, voters had overwhelmingly defeated a similar referendum to fund medical care for the uninsured. This time, the people voted heavily, 98,688-63,203, in a landslide for the new tax for children. The trust's board has already begun meeting. MacQueen admitted that he wouldn't have supported the Children's Trust unless Ellington ran the campaign. "Ron became a full-time champion for that cause. I absolutely contribute the success of that campaign to him." Reshard added, "Ron's somebody who made a big difference in his time here, getting involved in a lot of big things." "Ron always was trying to figure out how to make the community better, whether it was Children's Trust or the strongmayor effort," said Peacock, "If we had a lot more people like Ron Ellington, we'd have a much better place." {in} inweekly.net

August 12, 2021

According to County Attorney Alison Rogers, former County Administrator Janice Gilley and her HR director had been "cheering" for a summary judgment dispute conflicting information in the case. She believed Gilley instructed Still and the county's risk manager not to settle with Selover. "Janice was always looking for a summary judgment, but our insurance counsel and our attorneys felt like it wasn't there," said Rogers. "There were factual disputes that would survive summary judgment, and we would therefore be denied. And once you were denied summary judgment, we would have no hammer left to negotiate a lower settlement amount." She added, "You can read the transcripts of the shade meetings and see that was what was recommended. They didn't believe a summary judgment was likely."

IT'S LEGAL Escambia County Clerk Pam

Photo by Tim Bednarczyk

HR STRIKES BACK Commissioner Jeff

Bergosh says a series of emails between the former HR director and a claims specialist was done to cover the director's mismanagement of a former employee's harassment claim that resulted in a $200,000 settlement. The emails were dated June 28-30, nearly two weeks after the commissioners approved the settlement and before HR Director Jana Still was fired by Interim County Administrator Wes Moreno on July 7. "She was trying to cover herself," Commissioner Bergosh told Inweekly. "She knew the walls were closing in. She totally mishandled the Selover case." He explained, "If you watch that string, Still obviously had a phone conversation with Dan Loych (of Glatfelter Claims Management) and then she follows it up with an email. And then when he emails back saying, 'Yeah, summarizing our call, Jeff Bergosh 'tanked the defense' and you're wonderful.' Then she replied back to him and copied a bunch of people that were in Janice's (former County Administrator Janice Gilley) stable." The email string starts with Loych referring to a phone call, as Bergosh said. The claim specialist asserted, "The primary reason we ended up paying so much in the Selover case was due to Commissioner Bergosh's testimony against the county." He later added, "Bergosh made statements that he was really not qualified to make and tanked the defense that we had been working to put forward and damaged our ability to file a motion for summary judgment." Bergosh told Inweekly that he spoke the truth in his deposition. "I was subpoenaed and gave testimony under oath in a deposition. I'm not lying for anyone. I'm certainly not going to lie for the screw-ups of Jerry Maygarden, Janice Gilley and Jana Still." Former State Rep. Jerry Maygarden was hired in 2009 by Gilley to fix the issue 88

in public safety, EMS and the fire department. Bergosh is convinced that Selover was wronged by the county and the county didn't follow its procedures. Bergosh said, "Matt's (Selover) name is just about to be totally vindicated; that's the next step in this process." On June 17, the Escambia County Commission voted 4-1 to approve a settlement agreement with former county paramedic Matt Selover for $200,000 over a federal harassment lawsuit. Selover filed his harassment complaint with the county May 1, 2019, and Dr. Rayme Edler, the county's medical director, filed her complaint against Selover with the Florida Department of Health on May 16, 2019. The paramedic alleged the county violated his 14th Amendment rights and retaliated against him when he was placed on desk duty and failed to follow its own policies for not investigating a harassment complaint. The medical director's complaint against Selover with the Florida Department of Health was supposed to be confidential, but Edler got around it by putting her allegations in a memo to county leadership that became a public record. Edler detailed five separate incidents from July 2018 to March 2019, claiming Selover violated Florida law dealing with patient care. She blamed the paramedic's actions for two deaths. In June 2021, the FDOH found probable cause and filed over seven counts where Selover allegedly violated Florida law in standards of care. The next step is for the complaint to be heard by an administrative law judge at the Department of Administrative Hearings. "I think that it was a little bit unusual to have the HR director communicating directly late at night with the insurance adjuster about our cases," said County Attorney Janice Gilley. Without the attorneys even in the loop, it's just weird."

Childers last month proclaimed the county's 401(a) program was illegal and all the commissioners who selected it must return to the Florida Retirement System The clerk, who is also the county comptroller, provided no document that stated it was legal other than an email that she wrote to herself. Earlier, Childers recommended to Rogers that the county didn't need to seek a legal opinion. Now we know why. The attorneys say the program is legal. On Thursday, Aug. 5, the Escambia County Commission voted to release an outside legal opinion from Michael Mattimore of Allen Norton & Blue that states the county's 401(a) annuity plan is legal for elected officials and senior management. The vote was 4-0 because Commissioner Doug Underhill walked out of the chambers before the discussion and vote. According to NorthEscambia.com, Childers sat silently while the discussion took place. However, she has refused to pay the full invoice to the 401(a) program vendor. A lawsuit between the commissioners and clerk may be necessary to settle the impasse.

MATH SCORES As many predicted, stu-

dents' math scores dropped during the pandemic school year, according to the Florida Department of Education. Statewide, thirdeighth graders had 10% fewer students score Level 3 or higher; Escambia, 8%; Okaloosa, 8%; and Santa Rosa, 5%. In Escambia County, only 42% hit the Level 3 mark or higher. Local charter schools made the top and bottom of the third-grade math scores for Escambia County. Pensacola Beach Elementary had 95% of its third graders score Level 3 or higher, while Jackie Harris Preparatory Academy had none. Escambia had 14 third grades at its elementary schools score higher than the statewide average and 21 below. Seven schools had the majority of their third graders score at the lowest level—Navy Point, 57%; Oakcrest, 51%;

Longleaf, 47%; Ensley, 61%; C.A. Weis 62%; Global Learning, 78%; and Jackie Harris, 82%.

NO GOOD DEED Counter to the daily newspaper's diatribes, County Attorney Alison Rogers did nothing more than help one of her commissioners get an advisory opinion. Midway during his second term, Commissioner Steven Barry learned that county commissioners had the option of selecting an approved 401(a) that had been in existence for two decades instead of the Florida Retirement System. The cost to the taxpayers was the same for both plans, but the 401(a) benefits were much greater. He petitioned FRS to let him opt out but was told he would have to wait until he was reelected. Feeling that he and other senior managers hadn't been informed of the 401(a) program, Barry wanted to discuss with the board the possibility of paying for the difference between the two plans. Rogers told Inweekly, "I advised him that he could not take any item to the board until and unless the ethics commission thought that it was okay within their parameters to A) discuss it and B) to propose anything related to this that might involve money coming to him. That was the gist of this request of the Commission on Ethics." Taking their lead from social media, the PNJ narrative has been Rogers and Barry "colluded" because they attended the meeting without the permission of County Administrator Janice Gilley or vote of the full commission. The daily also argued Rogers then misrepresented to the ethics board that she was there in her official capacity as county attorney because she wrote them using her official county letterhead and started her letter with "I serve as the County Attorney for the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners ..." Rogers explained the advisory process, "Under the Commission on Ethics rules, I'm not the attorney of record. If all you're asking for is an advisory opinion, and I verified this with their counsel twice, under the Florida Administrative Code, I'm not the counsel of record. You don't have the counsel of record when you're just asking for an advisory opinion." The county attorney attended the hearing to answer any legal questions, but the ethics commission had none for her or Commissioner Barry. State Ethics Commission clearly stated on page two of its written advisory opinion that Rogers made the request "on behalf of a member of a County Commission"—not the entire board or county administrator. Even in her request for an opinion, Rogers wrote she was asking on behalf of Commissioner Barry—not the whole board or county administrator. None of the ethics commission or its staff believed the county attorney represented the full county commission. "I was there as a helper," said Rogers. inweekly.net

"Like a county administrator, a city manager, an administrative assistant, any of those kinds of people can be a helper, a liaison to the Commission on Ethics to help an elected official get an opinion." The county attorney added, "I was helping one of my five clients get an advisory opinion from the Commission on Ethics." She said the advisory opinion was limited solely to whether Commissioner Barry could bring an item regarding the 401(a) and discuss and vote it. "It's not within the Commission on Ethics' jurisdiction to figure out if Steven knew about the program, should have known about the program, whether or not a civil settlement makes sense, doesn't make sense," said Rogers. "That's not what they do. And we weren't asking them to bless a settlement. We were asking, 'Can he make a proposal? Can he discuss this with his board? And can he vote on it?'" A review of the video from the meeting showed the merits of the 401(a) program and any possible settlement weren't discussed.

COMMUNITY GRANTS For the 2021-22 fiscal year, United Way of West Florida has awarded $700,000 in Community Investment grant awards to 26 nonprofit agencies in support of 31 programs. These programs provide critical services to individuals and families throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and focus on the areas of health, education and financial stability. The source of these grant funds is undesignated contributions from over 85 area workplace campaigns and individual donors. Health Awards—$305,550 •Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy— Essential Health Access •Center For Independent Living—Mobility Access Project •Council on Aging of West Florida—Senior Companion Program •Council on Aging of West Florida—Nutrition Program

August 12, 2021

•Embrace Florida Kids—Family Preservation and Girls Home •Epilepsy Florida—Epilepsy Services and Resource Center •Gulf Coast Kid's House—Family Advocacy •Health and Hope Clinic—Access to Care •Lutheran Services Florida—Sexual/Physical Abuse Treatment Program •Manna Food Pantries—Healthy Seniors Food Program? •Pensacola United Methodist Community Ministries—Hot, Healthy Meals •Santa Rosa Kids' House—Trauma-Focused Therapy Education Awards—$229,505 •AMIkids—AMIkids Pensacola •Autism Pensacola—Kids for Camp Summer Learning Lab •Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida—Community Based Mentoring •Boys and Girls Club of the Emerald Coast— Academic Success •Capstone Adaptive Learning and Therapy Centers—Behavioral ABC's •Children's Home Society of Florida— Teenspace •Council on Aging of West Florida—Foster Grandparent Program •Escambia County Public Schools Foundation for Excellence—THAT Time: Treating Hygiene Absences Tactfully •Girl Scouts of Gateway Council—Community Development Troops •Independence for the Blind of West Florida—Transition Program for Blind and Visually Impaired Teens •PACE Center for Girls—Girls Earning Diplomas (GED) Program •Pensacola's Promise dba Chain Reaction— Chain Reaction Financial Stability Awards—$164,944 •Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida— Emergency Assistance •FavorHouse of Northwest Florida—Financial Stability Program for Domestic Violence Victims

•Feeding the Gulf Coast—Mobile Pantry Program •Legal Services of North Florida—Independence for Dependent and Homeless Youth •Legal Services of North Florida—Veterans Legal Assistance •Re-Entry Alliance Pensacola—Re-Entry Portal •Waterfront Rescue Mission—Career Development Program

DISASTER RESPONSE United Way of West Florida also raised $406,000 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds were distributed to 18 agencies over two phases to assist with household expenses such as rent, mortgage assistance, utilities, health care, childcare, access to food and more. Gulf Power Foundation was the first corporate partner to provide support, making a generous contribution of $250,000. Additional corporate donations came from Florida Blue, Beach Community Bank, Wind Creek Hospitality, Eastman Foundation and Navy Federal Credit Union. Individual donor contributions totaled over $31,000. United Way of West Florida also led local efforts to recover from the damage wrought by Hurricane Sally. With $100,000 from Navy Federal and additional gifts from the James M. Cox Foundation, Manheim, Publix Super Markets, Regions Bank, Beard Equipment Co., Florida Blue, Gulf Power, Target, Hancock Whitney, Minnesota Twins Baseball Club, Synovus, Shoe Station, The First Bank and Central Credit Union of Florida, more than $500,000 was raised to aid in our community's recovery. The Hurricane Sally Relief Fund is overseen by United Way of West Florida's Community Investment Committee. Funding was approved to support 10 Escambia County and Santa Rosa County agencies for direct assistance to clients in the amount of $266,000 and an additional $72,500 to six agencies for repairs to their facilities and/or equipment. The remaining funds are being distributed collaboratively with the Long-Term Recovery Group

Unmet Needs Committees in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

PTA LEADER TRAINING The Escambia County Council of PTA/PTSAs is hosting their Annual Leadership Training event and Vendor Fair from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 14, at Pensacola State College Library and Arena, 1000 College Blvd. Check-in starts at 7:30 a.m. While the event is geared toward PTAs operating their individual units, Booster Clubs are encouraged to attend so they can learn how to maintain compliance with the school district's Outside Support Organization procedures. Any local nonprofit, community-based organization may also attend to learn leadership skills, such as creating a budget, how to take minutes at meetings, filing your 990 (taxes), simple Roberts Rule of Order, fundraising, creating meaningful programs and advocating for your cause. Daycare is free of charge with registration, and the children must be potty-trained. The event will launch with a light breakfast and a welcome from the state PTA president as well as School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith. Training begins immediately following with over a dozen classes offered with three different class periods and time for break-out sessions as well as brainstorming in between. The kick-off and meetings will take place at Pensacola State College Library, Bldg. 20. Every pre-registered attendee will receive a free information bag with class information as well as goodies from sponsors. After classes end, lunch and the vendor fair will be in the Arena, Bldg. 3. Lunch is free for all pre-registered attendees. The Vendor Fair is also free and will have a variety of vendors from both nonprofits and fundraising companies. The specific class schedule and list of vendors will be updated as the event gets closer. Once registered through Eventbrite, you will receive email updates with all event information, to include the latest COVID protocols in place. For info, contact Samarys Kervin, president, at president@eccpta.org or Michelle Salzman, past president, at michelle@sysctl.net. {in}

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inweekly.net

TO ALL THE PETS WE'VE LOVED BEFORE

The Pet Issue began way back in 2012 the way most things involving pets do—with a few Inweekly staffers who just wanted an excuse to show off their pets. But we had such a good time taking photos of our furry friends that we decided to ask our readers to join in on the fun and submit pics of theirs. To our surprise, they did—and with a level of enthusiasm that we could not only relate to but truly appreciated. Because we couldn't print all the reader submissions we received that first year, we decided to do it again the next summer. Of course, we got even more photos and story pitches from places like local animal rescue groups, and before we knew it, a new annual tradition was born. August 12, 2021

Th e P et I s s ue 2 021

We haven't missed a year since 2012, so that makes this year's Pet Issue our 10th. To celebrate this milestone, we decided to look back at our past cover pets and celebrate their photogenic cuteness one more time, for good measure. Some of them belong to friends and extended Inweekly family members, some were picked from our annual reader submissions and at least one, our inaugural cover pup Tucker, is no longer with us (RIP). We also included some new stuff, like a profile on Animal Allies Florida and an informative Q&A with a dog trainer. So here it is—our 10th annual Inweekly Pet Issue. Enjoy! 11

BE AN ALLY By Savannah Evanoff

Photo Courtesy of Animal Allies Florida

Sharyn Berg is cool with being a "cat lady." In fact, she's dedicated the past 10 years to it. Berg started Animal Allies Florida in 2010 because she was doing a lot of TNR (trap, neuter and return), she said. She came across many stray cats that, if socialized, she knew could be adopted. She has always wanted to help. "I love kitty cats," Berg said. "They make them cute so we'll work very hard to help them, so that's what I do. Kitties are great because they can live together. Everybody thinks of cats being solitary, but they're really not. Cats in a rescue can live together in a room and get along well. They don't need to be walked. They're independent, but they're also very friendly and cuddly. It's really the best of multiple worlds."

PURR THERAPY

Animal Allies Florida primarily rescues cats from the streets, she said. "We don't really take cats in from people because we feel that the cats on the street don't have anybody advocating for them," Berg said. Today, Berg does less TNR and more maintenance of the cats they already have. Some of the organization's cats live in what Berg refers to as "kitty halfway houses," which are foster homes. Volunteers visit in morning and evening shifts. "The kitties get a lot of attention," Berg said. "We've got some great volunteers. We 212 1

have some people that have been coming to the kitty house once a week for over eight years. Their commitment just warms my heart. It's amazing." The organization is always on the hunt for new volunteers, and their time can count toward community service hours for Bright Futures, she said. "For the high school kids, I mean, come on, you get community service hours for playing with kitties," Berg said. "Yeah, you have to scoop a few litter boxes, but that's a pretty good deal, I think." Volunteers primarily scoop litter boxes, change out water, wipe out water bowls and feed the cats. They sometimes administer medication. "Not everybody's willing to medicate a kitty—sometimes it's tough," Berg said. "I never make anybody give shots or anything unless they want to learn. But putting eyedrops in kitties, they don't necessarily sit still all the time. But if they start out scooping to see how it goes and they are interested in training on how to give medications, I'm always willing to train somebody." Plus, it's "purr therapy" for many. "Volunteers can come on days that they don't work," Berg said, "but even when they do work, just to sit in the room and have a kitty climb on your lap and watching the other kitties play. Our kitty houses are completely different daytime and nighttime. At nighttime, they're really active and the cats run around and are very silly. It's fun."

If purr therapy wasn't convincing enough, it's easy to socially distance in the kitty houses, she said. "You don't have to be around somebody, and you get to get out of the house and come play with kitties," Berg said. The cats affect the volunteers, too. Each has their favorite, she said. A main goal is to socialize the kittens so they can be adopted and make great pets, Berg said. It's rewarding, especially with feral kittens that are afraid of you, she said. "When that kitten starts to trust you, it's just affirmation of everything you're doing," Berg said. "It's so special when a kitty that is afraid of people is no longer afraid of you, that they trust you. That kind of trust is just amazing." The organization also needs fosters. Adoptions drop in the summer, Berg said. She isn't sure what will happen this year because of the pandemic. "Last year was just a big adoption year period, and we didn't have many returns, which is great," Berg said. "People stuck at home because of quarantine and things; we had more people looking to adopt. More people had time to adopt and get routines set and all that kind of thing." Other needs are Friskies wet food, Purina One kitten dry food and donations for veterinarian costs. They spent $4,000 two weeks ago, she said.

HOW TO WIN A KITTENS' HEART

Berg has a few tips for how to build human-kitten trust. The first—"Hungry kitties are friendly kitties." "You don't want to starve them, but you want to figure out how much food you can give them when they're out of food and between feedings," Berg said. Another big thing is to keep them in a small room until they come to you, she said. "When I was originally taught how to socialize feral kittens, they said pick them up and pat them, and eventually they get used to it," Berg said. "They don't. That's wrong because they still don't trust you if you have to run around them and catch them. A lot of times, when you catch them, they will start purring so you think you're on your way, but as soon as you let them down, they take off." Playing with them helps, too. "If you can get them playing, like with a laser toy or something where they can run around the room, [they] forget that they're not supposed to be afraid of you," Berg said. "A lot of times, that's a way to get them used to you. I recommend that people go into the room wherever the kitty is and talk to them or read out loud." With kittens, you need to socialize them by three months of age.

"At four months of age, it's really pretty tough to socialize a kitten," Berg said. "You would think eventually they get over it, but a lot of times, they don't. Some do. You know, we have some ferals that we couldn't touch before and we can now, but some of them never do."

CAT EXAMPLES

Animal Allies has faced some new problems with feral cats. Enter, Roscoe. Roscoe was brought to an adoption event with a new problem that has arisen in feral cats—stomatitis, in which they become allergic to their own tartar. When she first started, she stumbled across it once every five years; now it's 10 times a year. "It can get so bad that the cat's mouth hurts so much that they will quit eating and starve to death if they don't die of an infection first," Berg said. "If you pull out all the teeth, then they don't have any tartar and they're fine. The reaction, the inflammation and things, dissipates over time, and they live perfectly long, healthy lives." At $1,000 a pop, that doesn't come cheap. "We also feel that since it's fixable, it's a shame to have to put a cat down for something that we can fix," Berg said. The vet suggested putting Roscoe down. "I said, 'Well, if he's got stomatitis, we can fix that, right?'" Berg said. "She said, 'Well, true.' So we brought him home and, with the vet's help, got his teeth out, and his mouth is perfect now. He's a super friendly kitty." Another common problem is what Berg calls "bottle babies." Meet Lucky. "Her body temperature was already cooling down when we got her, but she's fine now, running around playing with kittens," Berg said. "She needed bottle fed, which was bottle feeding every two hours. We've got some—a few—great volunteers that do that. There's not many people that are willing to do that. One of them is a guy, and he does a great job." Spay and neuter is still a big issue and part of its mission, but no low-cost spay and neuters exist in the area anymore, Berg said. They have to drive to Panama City and Alabama to get surgeries done at a decent price, she said. But Berg has some good news—something much needed these days. "Both Santa Rosa and Escambia County are doing so much better with regards to feral cats, community cats," Berg said. "We call them community cats because not all the cats that are living on the street are feral because of people dumping their animals and things. We have made some amazing strides in the last three years." ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA aaflorida.org facebook.com/animalalliesflorida instagram.com/animalalliesflorida inweekly.net

PET DATES A guide to some regular and upcoming events that either are pet-friendly, benefit pets or give you an opportunity to adopt a pet.

REGULAR/ REPEAT EVENTS

YAPPY HOUR AT BODACIOUS BOOKSTORE AND CAFÉ Sundays from noon-2 p.m. is Yappy Hour at Bodacious Bookstore and Café, located at 110 E. Intendencia St. Pup cups and dog treats are available for all four-legged friends, along with $4 Big Jerk Soda champagne cocktails for the humans. YAPPY HOUR AT RED FISH BLUE FISH Bring your pups to Red Fish Blue Fish Pensacola Beach, located at 5 Via de Luna Drive, every Thursday after 5 p.m. for $3 Chihuahua Cervezas and $5 Spicy Margaritas, and 5% of bar proceeds benefit The Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter. Learn more at redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com/yappyhour.

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS Looking to add a furry friend to your household? Animal Allies will be at Pet Supermarket, 6857 N. Ninth Ave., from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Saturday with plenty of cats and kittens looking for their fur-ever homes. All cats are up to date on shots and tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and flea pill. For more information, visit aaflorida.org. THE FOOD ALLY PET FOOD PANTRY The Food Ally Pet Food Pantry is a program of 400 Paws, Inc. that aids pet owners in Escambia County by providing food and basic items. The pantry is open on the fourth Sunday of every month from 1-3 p.m. or until food runs out. 400 Paws is located at 1147 Creighton Road. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws.

UPCOMING EVENTS

BOW WOW BINGO Get your game on and help support 400 Paws with Bow Wow Bingo on Friday, Aug. 13. The snack bar

will open at 6 p.m., and bingo will start promptly at 7 p.m. Cost is $10 for 10 games with half split between the 10 winners and the other half to 400 Paws. Bottomless mimosas are $12. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws. BARK & BRUNCH Join 400 Paws, Inc. for a relaxing day with homemade brunch and bottomless mimosas Sunday, Aug. 29, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Leashed and well-behaved pets are welcome and will receive a special treat. Brunch is $15 and the bottomless mimosas are $10. Reserve your spot by Aug. 25 by emailing kim@400paws.org. 400 Paws is located at 1147 Creighton Road. 400 PAWS PET ADOPTION EVENT Local animal rescues and shelters will have loveable pets available for adoption at the 400 Paws, Inc. Pet Adoption Event Saturday, Sept. 18, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1147 Creighton Road. The inside event will have more than 6,000 square feet with plenty of

room to socialize as well as a quiet room for cats. There will also be an outside grassy area to walk dogs and a private meet-andgreet room for potential adopters. For more information, visit facebook.com/400paws. BARKTOBERFEST Pensacola Humane Society's Barktoberfest is back. The festival will take place Sunday, Oct. 31, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Vendors interested in joining the fun can contact Pensacola Humane's Jessica at jessica@pensacolahumane.org. A NEW LEASH ON LOVE A HOPE's annual adoption event, A New Leash on Love, will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 13, at Bagdad Mill Site Park. Animal rescues and shelters from all over will be bringing their fully vaccinated and fixed pets ready for their forever home. Interested in setting up a booth as a rescue, food vendor or pet retail? Have a group of interested volunteers to help us out? Please email events@ ahope4src.com for more information.

PARK IT Beulah Regional Park 7820 Mobile Highway Bill Dickson Park 3151 Fenceline Road Lexington Terrace Community Center 700 S. Old Corry Field Road Regency Park 8245 Fathom Road River Road Park 1 14484 River Road, Perdido Key (dog beach behind Lost Key Golf Club)

From the beach to Bayview, here's the scoop on all the best local parks for pups.

CITY OF PENSACOLA

Within the city of Pensacola, dogs are welcome to explore all city parks while on a leash. Dogs are allowed off-leash within the designated dog parks at Bayview Park and Roger Scott Athletic Complex. Bayview Park Dog Park & Dog Beach 2001 E. Lloyd St. (on the south/20th Avenue side of the park) Roger Scott Athletic Complex 2130 Summit Blvd. (between the pool and the tennis center) More information at playpensacola.com August 12, 2021

CITY OF GULF BREEZE

The City of Gulf Breeze operates a dog park for off-leash play as part of Shoreline Park South. Shoreline Bark Park 800 Shoreline Drive (near Colley Cove Drive)

More information: cityofgulfbreeze.us/ parks-and-recreation-department/shoreline-south

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

The county maintains the following dog parks, open daily from sunrise to sunset. Ashton Brosnaham Athletic Park 10370 Ashton Brosnaham Drive

More information: myescambia.com/ our-services/parks-and-recreation/ parks-and-community-centers

PENSACOLA BEACH

Pensacola Beach is home to two dog beach areas where owners are invited to enjoy the beach alongside their pup. Though referred to as "dog parks," the one catch is dogs must remain on-leash while at the beach at all times. Signs are posted to clearly designate the boundaries of these dog-friendly areas. The dog beaches are open sunrise-sunset daily, except during turtle season (May 1-Oct. 31) when open the hours change to 7 a.m.-sunset. Pensacola Beach Dog Park East Located at Parking Lot 28.5, which is the first parking lot past Portofino

Pensacola Beach Dog Park West Located at Parking Lot 21.5, which is the first parking lot past the last condos on the Gulf More information: visitpensacolabeach. com/things-to-do-dog-beach

HIKING WITH YOUR PUP

If you're feeling up for a nice, long walk with your pup, consider the following local trails. Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve and Nature Trail Jones Swamp offers a greenway trail with several trailheads and parking available. The trail culminates on the east at Lexington Terrace Dog Park. 1131 or 198 Patton Drive; 700 S. Old Corry Field Road More information: myescambia.com/ourservices/parks-and-recreation/parks-andcommunity-centers Bay Bluffs Preserve This 42-acre nature preserve along Scenic Highway features trees, walking paths, boardwalks and Bay beach access. 3400 Scenic Highway Edward Ball Nature Trail Explore this half-mile boardwalk through Thompson's Bayou, a hardwood swamp. 11000 University Parkway, UWF Main Campus, trail access behind Building 10

More information: uwf.edu 13

GIFTS FOR THE PET WHO HAS EVERYTHING

ADOPTION OPTIONS

By Savannah Evanoff Dog boots Ever lost a flip-flop walking across the dock after a trip to the beach only to realize your feet are now burning at the temperature of an air fryer? Your dog probably feels the same every time you take him or her on a walk down a concrete sidewalk in the middle of summer in Florida. Do your dog's poor paws a favor and purchase some dog boots. The boots will not only protect their paws but also look pretty dang cute.

FOR CATS

A laser toy or feather teaser In her interview for this very Pet Issue, Sharyn Berg, the founder of Animal Allies Florida, suggested earning a cat's trust by playing with them with a laser toy. In other words, a laser or feather teaser that your cat can chase around the room will only make them love you more. Cats are a low-maintenance animal. These are not only super affordable playthings but also safe bets to ensure that your cat's claws are everywhere in the room besides your thigh. Double win.

Pets have it ruff. Long naps. Constant cuddles. No meowing or barking back. All jokes aside, though, pets do occasionally have to deal with their im-purr-fect humans, which means suffering being left in their crate for an hour too long, waiting to be let out to use the bathroom or being chastised for talking a little too much during the Zoom meeting. No pet owner is perfect. So the next time you want to suck up to your beloved furry friend, consider a-paw-logizing with one of these gifts.

but nowadays, home surveillance cameras are more affordable than ever. And, let's face it, it's an investment into you and your dog's happiness. There are a variety of cameras offered to meet your specific needs—ones that connect to an app on your phone so you can watch your dog while at work, ones with two-way audio so you can speak high-pitched sweet nothings to your dog and remind him or her to stay off the couch and even ones that come with a cube to hold treats. Yep, next level.

FOR DOGS

An embroidered collar Calling all boujee dog owners. Now, does your dog need a collar with its name stitched across it that you ordered on Etsy? No, probably not. Should you get one anyway? Heck yeah. Plus, this is just one more way your neighbors can identify your dog the next time he or she digs a hole under the fence.

A dog DNA test Find out the breed of your dog's parents with one of the many dog DNA tests on the market. While this might seem more like a gift to you than your dog, it can benefit your dog in many ways by giving you some insight on their breed. This can help you better select dog food or grooming styles, assess your dog's behavior and provide valuable information to a potential dog trainer. Plus, it's just fun to see what two dogs united to create your sweet pup. Some of the most popular brands offering a DNA testing kit are Wisdom Health (wisdompanel.com) and Embark (embarkvet.com). Pet camera If you own the kind of dog who gets lonely and decides to chew up half of your sneaker collection, this might be the gift for you. It might sound pricey, 414 1

Gourmet treats Has your dog been extra awesome lately? Instead of picking up a run-of-the-mill dog treat from the grocery store, consider treating your pet to a gourmet treat from a local pet bakery or baker or even making your own at home. Pinterest and Instagram are loaded with recipes. While the treat will probably disappear in your dog's mouth in less than five seconds, he or she will love for you for thinking of them.

Cat carrier Maybe you don't take your cat on every outing, but that doesn't mean you won't need to someday travel with your cat in the car. Maybe you will take your cat to the veterinarian, vacation or to your next home. Buy your cat a cozy carrier that not only makes them feel safe but also keeps their fur from permanently suctioning to the fabric of your car. Self-cleaning litter box Yes, that's right, they now make litter boxes that scoop the poop for you. This technological advancement saves you time and gives your cat that clean bathroom feeling everyone loves. Cat bed Cats can climb anything and everything and always seem to find creative nooks to curl up and sleep. But that doesn't mean your cat doesn't deserve an upgrade. And in this day and age, upgrades are available. Your cat can sleep like royalty—think memory foam, orthopedic cat beds. Consider buying the sleeping chamber your king or queen deserves. Scratching post How many times have you watched your cat scratch the couch cushion or the dining room chairs? Asking as your friend. Give your cat's claws an alternative. The internet is full of scratching posts—some with four pillars that stack up taller than a bookshelf and others in the design of a cactus or sunflower that can blend into the aesthetics of the room. Plus, if working remotely is a thing of the past, your cat needs a cure for boredom while you're gone all day.

If you're in the market for a new pet or just looking to volunteer in some way, here's a round-up of local and regional shelters, rescue groups and animal-centric nonprofits. A Hope 5755 Washington St., Milton ahope4src.com Alaqua Animal Refuge 914 Whitfield Road, Freeport, Fla. alaqua.org Animal Allies Florida aaflorida.org Escambia County Animal Shelter 200 W. Fairfield Drive myescambia.com/community/adoptable-animals Feline Friends of Destin felinefriendsofdestin.org Friends of the Escambia County Animal Shelter facebook.com/ecasfriends Hotel for Dogs & Cats 4110 Creighton Road h4dc.org Junior Humane Society juniorhumanesociety.com Northwest Florida Great Dane Rescue nwflgdr.com PAWS (Panhandle Animal Welfare Society) 752 Lovejoy Road, Fort Walton Beach paws-shelter.org Pensacola Humane Society 5 N. Q St. pensacolahumane.org Phoenix Rising Rescue (Pit Bull Rescue) 40 W. Nine Mile Road phoenixrisingrescue.com Redfox's Animal Rescue facebook.com/redfoxsrescue Santa Rosa County Animal Shelter 4451 Pine Forest Road, Milton santarosa.fl.gov/animals Save Underdogs Rescue, Perdido Key saveunderdogs.com SOCKS (Save Our Cats & Kittens) 498 Carmel Drive, Fort Walton Beach saveourcatsandkittens.com SouthBARK southbarkanimalrescue.org inweekly.net

READER PET PHOTOS Every year, we ask you, our devoted readers, to send us photos of your pets, and, every year, you do. When we started this issue, we had no idea it would become an annual thing, but we’re so glad it did and that you guys still think it’s fun to email us photos every July. Thank you for making The Pet Issue special, year after year, for a full freaking decade.

Atlas Chris Olson

Baxter Terry Cherry

Bomber Quinton Williams

Brad Blake Dailey & Cody Martin

Buster Terry Cherry

Clementine Luna Zepp & Evan Butts

Coco Moose the Destroyer Justin Dahlstrom

Damsel & Kit Renee Smith & Tim Bednarczyk

Dazzle Elli Gentile

Huck John & Leonor Nowak

Issy Tasha Bronson & Nick Fury

Julep Lizzy Chaloupka

Kane Allie Jackson

Laila Ali Amber Stepter

Malone Jamie Ilano & Edwin Agabin

Mango Gloria Deniz

Mason Terry Cherry

Mia & O'Lover Deb & David Jansen

Monet Grey Barona

Olive & Hamilton Mallory & Rick Appleyard

Pepper Terry & Nancy Oseien

Piper Carol Gentry

Rocky Emily Giorlando

Jordan West

Stewie Courtney & Miller

Tequila Marianne & Joey DeGrado

Tuna Sean Mullins

Vegas Darrin Land

Rosina Blake Dailey & Cody Martin August 12, 2021

Scout Lizzy Chaloupka

Rosie

"A TRAINED DOG IS A HAPPY DOG" By Savannah Evanoff

Allison Silk / Courtesy Photo

Allison and Nathan Silk want your dogs to be so well trained that they don't need a leash. The two dog trainers started with Off Leash K9 Training 30A after searching for training options for their own dogs—their "happy goofball," a chocolate lab named Douglas, and their lazy snacker, a blue nose pitbull named Barbara. With a bit of help from their 7-year-old daughter, Olivia, they have trained hundreds of dogs with Off Leash over the course of the past two years. They offer a board and train system, in which the dog stays with them for two weeks while they train and send videos and photos to the owners, and a private lessons program. "What we live for is watching these owners come in and ask their dogs to walk with them and the dog is perfectly at their left and off-leash and listening and checking in on them," Allison said. "It's brilliant. Our YouTube videos that we post, seeing that difference between the day that the dog gets dropped off, and trying to figure out how to follow through with a command and they're usually jumping and pulling on things or chewing on stuff or trying to get away from you on that leash. And then you see them 14 days later, and it's still a happy, hilarious dog, but look at what they're doing. It's just the coolest thing." Allison answered a few questions about their training style, when to seek training for your pup and more. INWEEKLY: How do you decide if your dog needs to be trained? ALLISON: A trained dog is a happy dog. A lot of times, whenever people get their dogs 616 1

and their family pets, they expect the dogs to just have that understanding. Now, in my eyes, any training is better than no training at all, so even just a little bit of effort is going to be the best bet for any dog. You're going to get what you put into it. Like with children, if you don't teach them their ABCs, it's no wonder that they don't know them at the end of the day. With a dog, if you don't ever teach them what their name is, or how to sit, or how to have their manners and mind their business, it shouldn't be a shock when you take them out into a public place. If they lose their minds, it's understandable because there was no guidance. So the more guidance and the more presence that you can have in that dog's life, the better, the happier they're going to be. Ultimately, any owner should be an advocate for their dogs. That's what we work on, as well as not only teaching these dogs how to mind their manners to the best that they can but also teaching the owners how to maintain and follow through with that and keep their dogs just as happy. The best part about owning a dog is being able to take it everywhere with you. Any training at all will help that immensely. INWEEKLY: Tell me about what style of dog training you do? ALLISON: Whenever we work with a dog, our motto is any breed, any age, any size. We definitely stay pretty secure to that motto. A lot of times, you'll see trainers out there working with a dog because it's a German shepherd, but we work the dog because it's the dog in front of us. It doesn't matter what breed it is, that doesn't mean it's gonna have the same issues as every German shepherd or golden retriever. We don't do any kind of forceful submission. Along with our motto of any breed, any age, any size, we also make sure that our number one concern at the end of the day is the dog's safety, their health and their happiness. We don't want a dog to go home militant; we want the dogs to go home meticulously obedient and still the happy goofballs that we know that they are. INWEEKLY: What do you teach the dogs? ALLISON: We do a lot of basic and advanced obedience. Our basics (are) recall, sit, place, down, heel, break, off. We'll do door manners. A lot of it is based off-leash, (like) how to load up into a vehicle safely. With your bigger breeds, sometimes it's

difficult to get a dog to realize that their legs work. Sometimes it can be dangerous for someone to try and lift up their dog and shove them into their vehicle. With the smaller dogs, we don't expect them to jump 5 feet into the air to get into a vehicle, but we still want them to understand there is a way, and a safe way, to do it. We do work with some aggression cases as well. We do work with some dogs who have had some bad manners in the past where they're very reactive, not only with people but also with other dogs. INWEEKLY: What's the most challenging part? ALLISON: I think my most challenging is probably what I enjoy the most out of this. I really like working with any size. Currently, I'm working with a 120-pound, 1-year-old Irish wolfhound who's about as big as a pony. He's definitely an eye-catcher out in public. And the smallest dog I've worked with was 3.4 pounds. My biggest challenge is just seeing what each dog is going to teach me. Every time I pick up a new dog for a board and train, they're going to teach me something different, really pushing the limits as far as, "We can train this. This is amazing." It's one thing to see a golden retriever walking off-leash, but it's phenomenal when you've got a 3-pound fluff ball walking off-leash with you as well. I think those are the biggest challenges because you're not only providing that advocacy for a dog, but you're also gaining their trust and having a bond with them. You do have some dogs that come through who aren't big on affection, and figuring out different ways to bond with them and really get that trust with them is a very good challenge. INWEEKLY: Have you had any dogs that have really stuck out to you in terms of how far they came? ALLISON: Oh, yes. Handfuls, actually. Over the past couple of years, we've definitely had a lot of stories we have heard that have been heartbreaking rescue dogs who have come through where we've immensely helped their families, working canines who have come from working lines that have not only challenged us with volunteer commands, but with their strength and their capabilities to move. We match it and we challenge them. Finding a way to be able to challenge those dogs as well and keep their minds moving to dogs who have come through who have never had affection before and don't understand why we're wanting to pet them or even understanding their name or trying to just figure out what it's like being in the home environment, those are probably some of my

favorites. At the end of the day, when they go home after training with us, those are the dogs that really pull at your heartstrings and still to this day could make me cry just thinking how amazing that transition is. Coming in and you're starting from scratch with a dog who knows nothing but being abandoned and being tied up, and now they have this loving family who wants everything for them, and they want the best. That's what we want to provide them, is the most obedient and well-behaved and loving dog. When you drop them off on that 14th day and a family comes to pick them up and that dog runs into their arms, it's enough to make a grown man cry. INWEEKLY: What are you and your husband's strengths? ALLISON: We really just boost each other up. If I feel not so confident about where a dog is, we can utilize working with one another, where we can swap a dog for a couple of hours and see if that dog is still having the same issues with me as it was with him and vice versa. INWEEKLY: How does Olivia handle the training? ALLISON: She's 100% involved in it. Whenever we have a dog come in for board and train, her first question is, "Are we babysitting or are we training this dog?" If we tell her we're training, she gets a little upset because she knows she's not allowed to touch the dog until we allow her to. Once we feel comfortable and confident with where the dog is, that's when she gets involved. She is full hands-on ready. She knows all of the commands, how to appropriately work with a dog, how to appropriately introduce herself to a dog. She's learned a lot, especially for a 7-year-old. She's got the best impulse control when it comes to fluffy creatures because of what we do. She's very respectful of other people and animals out in public. She does get mildly embarrassing sometimes when someone's walking out in a public area and if their dog is barking and jumping and yapping, she will stop dead center and look at them and say, "My parents are trainers. Your dog really needs some help." We've tried to get her to understand she does not need to solicit for us, but she's very much a force to be reckoned with. I'm very afraid that once she gets to a point where she's old enough, she's going to boot us out of the company and just take over. She has her aspirations of having a rescue ranch and having all of these dogs and breeds of animals and just taking every single one in. We're also active fosters. So when we foster a dog, she's 100% involved. {in} OFF LEASH K9 TRAINING 30A 30adogtrainers.com facebook.com/30adogtrainers inweekly.net

a&e happenings operating support. Funding is intended to meet immediate operational needs in order for organizations to maintain the delivery of public humanities programming and resources in their communities. Funding is available for general operating support, such as salaries for internal staff and contracted employees, rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance and technology. Awards will be up to $25,000 for eligible organizations with annual budgets of less than $2 million. Applications will only be accepted from organizations such as museums, archives, historical societies and cultural centers whose primary mission is humanities-focused or can demonstrate a substantial track record of regularly occurring public humanities work. All applicants must also be able to demonstrate continued financial hardship due to the direct effects of the pandemic. Applications for the Florida Humanities' American Rescue Plan grant are due Sept. 1 at noon. To review the full eligibility requirements and application instructions, as well as register for the virtual informational webinar, please visit floridahumanities.org/arp.

WAYS TO GET TO PENSACOLA BEACH

The Pensacola Bay Bridge is now open, which is perfect timing for beach season. Escambia County reminds eager beachgoers of the various ways to get to the beach. Live Pensacola Beach traffic video and beach conditions are available at myescambia.com.

ECAT BUS Escambia County Area Transit discontinued service for the Route 61 detour across the Garcon Point Bridge with the Pensacola Bay Bridge opening. Normal schedules for Route 61 and Route 64 Beach Jumper will restart. Note the following schedules: REGULAR SERVICE: •Routes: 1, 2, 32, 44, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59X, 60, 61 and 64 Beach Jumper MODIFIED ROUTES: •Route 31, 43, and 63: Runs Monday-Saturday, every two hours (Saturday Schedule) •Route 45: Runs Monday-Saturday, only every hour, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. UWF TROLLEY: •(Summer Schedule) UWF Express Service runs Monday–Saturday Schedules are located on goecat.com and the ECAT Ride guide. FREE TROLLEY SERVICE The Santa Rosa

Island Authority (SRIA) will have free openair trolley service along Pensacola Beach. The service runs Monday-Sunday, 4 p.m.midnight, through Labor Day weekend.

FERRY Pensacola Bay Cruises Ferry Service offers service Friday, Saturday and Sunday between Downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. Ferry trips last approximately 50 minutes, and all-day free parking August 12, 2021

is available at each of the departure sites. To plan your trip and purchase tickets, visit pensacolabaycruise.com.

DRIVE, BIKE OR WALK OVER THE BOB SIKES BRIDGE When you drive over the

Bob Sikes Bridge to Pensacola Beach, there is an electronic toll in place. Cash and coins are no longer collected in person. The county encourages motorists to plan ahead and use electronic toll collection devices (i.e. SunPass, E-Pass, Annual Pass, NC Quick Pass, Peach Pass, E-ZPass), tolling apps (i.e. PayTollo) or TOLL-BY-PLATE from SunPass.

PENSACOLA BEACH TRAFFIC HOTLINE Residents and visitors can report

beach traffic issues via the Pensacola Beach Traffic Hotline at (850) 595-0862 or by emailing traffic@myescambia.com, offered by the Escambia County Transportation and Traffic Operations Division.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

LITTER-ALLY OBSESSED WITH GELATO Meet pets available for adoption from Pensacola Humane Society at Dolce and Gelato on Saturday, Aug. 14, from 5-9 p.m. Dolce and Gelato is located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. For more information, visit facebook. com/dolcegelatopensacola.

FLORIDA HUMANITIES ANNOUNCES NEW EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS FOR HUMANITIES ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED BY COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Florida Humanities is offering up to $2 million in grant funding for general operating support to humanities organizations that continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida Humanities' American Rescue Plan grants will direct funds to eligible organizations for short-term, general

"FRIEND OF FOO" APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN The Foo Foo Festival Committee is

now accepting applications from nonprofit and for-profit entities who are interested in playing a part in this year's events as a "Friend of Foo." Nonprofits in the Pensacola area who recently applied and did not receive a grant for this year's festival but would still like to participate, or local for-profit businesses such as hoteliers, restaurants and bars who are interested in participating and benefitting, are encouraged to apply. To review the application process, visit foofoofest.com. "Friend of Foo'' participants will receive local, regional and national visibility during the 12-day event via the festival's regional marketing campaign. When applying, entrants should be prepared to provide the name and title of their prospective event; the date, time and location for the event; its respective category; and details and imagery to support the concept. The deadline to submit to be a "Friend of Foo" is Friday, Oct. 1, by noon. The Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will take place Nov. 4-15, 2021.

ARTS & CULTURE

SANTA ROSA COUNTY WRITERS' GUILD ANNUAL AWARD All writers are

welcome to submit work for the Santa Rosa County Writers' Guild Annual Award. The award is given to one winner for a poem or book written by a Santa Rosa County resident who submits their writing or book to srcwg@mediacombb.net by Sept. 10. There is no entry fee. The winner is chosen solely in the discretion of the Guild. By submitting, you are granting permission to the Guild to have your writing and/or book's title and the award appear in any publications connected with the Santa Rosa County Writers' Guild, including Issue VI of the Blackwater Literary Journal. All rights remain with the person submitting.

UWF HISTORIC TRUST 9/11 EXHIBIT

An exhibit honoring victims lost and others impacted by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, is now on display on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History. The University of West Florida Historic Trust curated the exhibit, 9/11 Remembered, which runs through January 2022, with items on loan from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York and the History Museum of Mobile. The gallery includes a section of the I-beam from one of the World Trade Center towers and a helmet and other items worn by first responders who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Visitors can also view a video of newsreels from 20 years ago on projectors and a video from NAS Pensacola that features military members who responded to the 9/11 attacks. For more information on UWF's Historic Trust, 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.

BALLET PENSACOLA'S 2021-2022 SEASON IS HERE The Ballet Pensacola

season is here. The season will open at the historic downtown Cultural Arts Center on Friday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. with Artistic Director Darren McIntyre's original production of "Dracula." This haunting and legendary tale is sure to spookily delight your taste and ballet bite as it travels from Transylvania to London in a pursuit of chaotic seduction, lust and frightful encounters inspired by Bram Stoker's original fable. Other seasonal performances include "The Nutcracker," Dec. 17-19, and Wizard of Oz, April 22-24 and April 30-May 1. For more information, visit balletpensacola.org or call (850) 432-9546. Season Tickets are available for purchase for as low as $73 for all three performances, plus applicable facility fees, through the Ballet Pensacola website at balletpensacola.org/ performances/ticket-information.

NEW HOURS AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART PMA is now open from

10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and noon-4 p.m. on Sunday. For tickets and information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 17

a&e happenings N. 12th Ave., for regular drag shows. Next dates are Aug. 20-21. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

SNOW WHITE AND THE PRINCE AT PLT Pensacola Little Theatre presents

"Snow White and the Prince," a Treehouse musical that puts a new spin on a classic fairytale. Show dates are 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 14; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug.15. A Thursday performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 12, where tickets are half price. Tickets are $9$33 with $2 discounts for students, military and seniors 65 and older. For more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

POPULAR LITERARY BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: THE RIVER: A NOVEL BY PETER HELLER Join the Popular

Literary Book Club on Wednesday, Aug. 18, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., for a discussion on Peter Heller's "The River," an exciting action/suspense thriller set in the Canadian wilderness involving two friends, a suspicious stranger and a perilous canoe trip.

PMA EXHIBITION TOURS Join PMA Director Nick Croghan for a brief tour of "A Dead Reckoning: Navigating Contemporary Ceramics" from 1-1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. On Thursday, Aug. 26, from 1-1:30 p.m., PMA curator Anna Wall will host a brief tour of "End of Century" featuring glassware and prints from the permanent collection. Tours are free with museum admission and, as always, free for members. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org. WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART "Queen Bees" will be show-

ing at 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13 and 14, at Pensacola Cinema Art. More information, including links to virtual screenings, is available at pensacolacinemaart.com. All tickets are $8. Reserve your seats by emailing jpncinema@gmail.com or texting (863) 4467300. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St.

PMA OPEN STUDIO: LOUIS COMFORT TIFFANY Participants are invited

to Open Studio between 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

to explore and experiment with a variety of media and art forms inspired by artists and movements. Each project is suitable for all ages and abilities. An art educator will be on site to provide assistance with using tools and the creation of individual art. Cost is $12 for adults and $10 for children under 13. Includes museum admission. On Aug. 14, Open Studio will be inspired by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

RODNEY CARRINGTON: LIVE Co-

median, actor, singer and writer Rodney Carrington will take the Pensacola Saenger stage at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21. Tickets are $52.50-$202.50. For more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

FUNHOUSE: THE CYBER BALL HOSTED BY TERRAH CARD Celebrate

Terrah Card's birthday at her monthly drag show at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., Friday, Aug. 27, starting at 7 p.m. Admission is $10. Visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola for more information.

"A DEAD RECKONING: NAVIGATING CONTEMPORARY CERAMICS" EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "A Dead Reckoning: Navigating

Contemporary Ceramics" is now on view at Pensacola Museum of Art, which asks viewers, "Where is the field of American ceramic art going?" For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

"END OF CENTURY" EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART End

of Century, an art exhibit featuring Art Nouveau glassware and works on paper, is a new exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of Art. This special exhibit includes items from the museum collection as well as the collection of local art supporter and educator Dr. Patrick M. Rowe. Dr. Rowe received his Ph.D. in Art History at Florida State University in 1989 and taught art history at the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College until his retirement in 2010. He has served on the Pensacola Museum of Art Board and on the PMA Collections Committee and has acted as a dedicated supporter and resource for

museum staff throughout the years. In 1988, Rowe began taking an interest in 18th and early 20th century printmaking, which led to his impressive collection of works from the time period, many of which are showcased in End of Century. End of Century will be on view at the Pensacola Museum of Art until Oct. 10. Visitors can learn more about the exhibition, sign up for additional programming opportunities and purchase tickets through pensacolamuseum.org.

NEW EXHIBIT AT BLUE MORNING GALLERY The current Spotlight on Art

is "Serendipity," a collective show featuring potter Tammy Caspersen and photographer Suzanne Tuzzeo. The show promises bold color and unique finds and twists with a fun, carefree feel and is on view starting July 3 at Blue Morning Gallery, located at 21 S. Palafox. Visit bluemorninggallery.com 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.

SEVILLE HAUNTED TOURS Seville Quarter's haunted tours offer a different look at Pensacola's history as guides weave tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more. Choose your experience from three ongoing tours—Seville Haunted Luncheon and Ghost Tour, 11 a.m. every third Tuesday of the month; Seville Haunted Gallery Night Tours, 7 p.m. every third Friday of the month; Seville Sunday FunDay Haunted Tours, 4 p.m. last

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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. STAND-UP COMEDY AT THE REX THEATRE Visit The REX Theatre every

Friday at 8 p.m. for national stand-up acts. Tickets are $26-$35 at the door. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

COMEDY MAGIC SHOW AT THE REX THEATRE Comedy magician Tom Coverly,

known as "The Illusionist," performs Saturday nights at The Rex Theatre, located at 18 N. Palafox. Shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$35. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

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 the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Per-

forming 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 well-being 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

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BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW "Black Citizenship in the Age

of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola, is now on view at Artel Gallery. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

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 of-

fers 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.

LIVE MUSIC

BANDS ON THE BEACH Bands on the Beach is back. The free concert series features shows each Tuesday night, from 7-9 p.m., from April to October at the Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. UPCOMING DATES: •Aug. 17: Crosstown •Aug. 24: Mass Kunfuzion BLUES ON THE BAY The Blues on the

Bay free concert series continues at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Concerts are 6 p.m. on select Sunday evenings. Bring your coolers and lawn chairs and take a spot in front of the Hunter Amphitheater. Last date is Aug. 29 with Modern Eldorados.

YARDLIGHTS AT SOUTH MARKET

The YardLights will be performing 6-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13, at South Market, 232 E. Main St. For more information, visit facebook.com/eatsouthmarket.

PAT MEUSEL AT DOLCE & GELATO

Musician Pat Meusel will be at Dolce & Gelato 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 13. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

THOMAS RHETT AT THE WHARF AMPHITHEATER Thomas Rhett, with

special guests Rhett Akins & Gabby Barrett, will be at The Wharf Amphitheater, located at 23101 Canal Road in Orange Beach, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13 and 14. Tickets start at $15. Purchase yours at ticketmaster.com. August 12, 2021

JAZZ GUMBO Jazz Pensacola takes a jazzy

trip to the past for August's Jazz Gumbo from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, at Phineas Phogg's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. The evening features The Horace Silver & Art Blakey Jazz Trumpet Legacy, performed by Allen Beeson, trumpet; Jonathan Martin, trumpet; Cynthia Domulot, keys; Tom Latenser, bass; Fred Domulot, drums. Cost is $10 for members, $12 for non-members and free to students with ID and military in uniform. Join Jazz Pensacola at the event and admission is free. For more information, visit jazzpensacola.com.

DELTA BLUES Frank Delta will be playing the blues at Dolce & Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., on Saturday, Aug. 20, starting at 5 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola. LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish

Blue Fish for live performances from local bands Fridays and Saturdays all day. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.

SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist

Jim Andrews 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.

CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five Sisters 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

Gallery is open from 5-7 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 Scenic 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.

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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

Society 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.

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free will astrology WEEK OF AUGUST 12 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): "Consecrate" isn't a word you often encounter in intellectual circles. In my home country of America, many otherwise smart people spurn the possibility that we might want to make things sacred. And a lot of art aspires to do the opposite of consecration—strip the world of holiness and mock the urge to commune with sanctified experiences. But filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922–1975) expressed a contradictory view. He wrote, "I am not interested in deconsecrating—that's a fashion I hate. I want to reconsecrate things as much as possible; I want to remythicize them." In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to look for opportunities to do the same. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Anais

Nin wrote, "I don't want worship. I want understanding." George Orwell said, "Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood." Poet Marina Tsvetaeva declared, "For as long as I can remember, I thought I wanted to be loved. Now I know, I don't need love, I need understanding." Here's what I'll add, Taurus—If you ask for understanding and seek it out, a wealth of it will be available to you in the coming weeks.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The English

idiom "playing hard to get" means "pretending to be unavailable or uninterested so as to make oneself more attractive or desirable." Psychologists say this strategy often works, although it's crucial not to go too far and make your pursuer lose interest. Seventeenth-century philosopher Baltasar Gracián expressed the concept more philosophically. He said, "Leave people hungry. Even with physical thirst, good taste's trick is to stimulate it, not quench it. What's good, if sparse, is twice as good. A surfeit of pleasure is dangerous, for it occasions disdain even towards what's undisputedly excellent. Hard-won happiness is twice as enjoyable." I suggest you consider deploying these strategies, Gemini.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Painter

John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) sometimes

By Rob Brezsny

worked alongside painter Claude Monet (1840–1926) at Monet's home. He sought the older man's guidance. Before their first session, Sargent realized there was no black among the paint colors Monet gave him to work with. What?! Monet didn't use black? Sargent was shocked. He couldn't imagine painting without it. And yet, he did fine without it. In fact, the apparent limitation compelled him to be creative in ways he hadn't previously imagined. What would be your metaphorical equivalent, Cancerian: a limitation that inspires?

therefore represented a threat to rational, orderly society. Wow! I'm glad I don't live in a culture descended from Plato! Oh, wait, I do. His writing is foundational to Western thought. One modern philosopher declared, "The European philosophical tradition consists of a series of footnotes to Plato." Anyway, I'm counseling you to rebel against Plato in the coming weeks. You especially need experiences that awaken and please and highlight your feelings. Contrary to Plato's fears, doing this will boost your intelligence and enhance your decision-making powers.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): According to Leo author Guy de Maupassant, "We are in the habit of using our eyes only with the memory of what people before us have thought about the things we are looking at." That's too bad. It causes us to miss a lot of life's richness. In fact, said de Maupassant, "There is an element of the unexplored in everything. The smallest thing contains a little of what is unknown." Your assignment in the next two weeks, Leo, is to take his thoughts to heart. In every experience, engage "with enough attention to find an aspect of it that no one has ever seen or spoken of." You are in a phase when you could discover and enjoy recordbreaking levels of novelty.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): A

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Poet Brigit Pegeen Kelly wrote a poem I want you to know about. She described how, when she was a child, she stayed up all night picking peaches from her father's orchard by starlight. For hours, she climbed up and down the ladder. Her hands "twisted fruit" as if she "were entering a thousand doors." When the stars faded and morning arrived, her insides felt like "the stillness a bell possesses just after it has been rung." That's the kind of experience I wish for you in the coming days, Virgo. I know it can't be exactly the same. Can you imagine what the nearest equivalent might be? Make it happen!

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): During the 76 years since the end of World War II, Italy has had 69 different governments. That's a great deal of turnover! Is it a strength or weakness to have so many changes in leadership? On the one hand, such flexibility could be an asset; it might be wise to keep reinventing the power structure as circumstances shift. On the other hand, having so little continuity and stability may undermine confidence and generate stressful uncertainty. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius, because you're entering a phase when you could be as changeable as Italy. Is that what you want? Would it serve you or undermine you? Make a conscious choice.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Ancient Greek philosopher Plato mistrusted laughter, poetry, bright colors and artists who used bright colors. All those soulful activities influenced people to be emotional, Plato thought, and

biography of Nobel Prize-winning Scorpio author Albert Camus noted that he had two modes. They are summed up in the French words *solidaire* ("unity") and *solitaire* ("solitary"). When Camus was in a *solidaire* phase, he immersed himself in convivial engagement, enjoying the pleasures of socializing. But when he decided it was time to work hard on writing his books, he retreated into a monastic routine to marshal intense creativity. According to my astrological analysis, you Scorpios are currently in the *solidaire* phase of your rhythm. Enjoy it to the max! When might the next *solitaire* phase come? October could be such a time.

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

corn actor Nicholas Browne testifies, "My heart is too full; it overflows onto everything I see. I am drowning in my own heart. I've plunged into

the deepness of emotion, and I don't see any way back up. Still, I pray no one comes to save me." I'm guessing that his profound capacity to feel and express emotions serves Browne well in his craft. While I don't recommend such a deep immersion for you 24/7/365, I suspect you'll be wise to embark on such an excursion during the next three weeks. Have fun diving! How deep can you go?

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In accordance with current astrological omens, I'm calling on author Byron Katie to offer you a message. Is it infused with tough love or sweet encouragement? Both! Here's Katie—"When you realize that suffering and discomfort are the call to inquiry, you may actually begin to look forward to uncomfortable feelings. You may even experience them as friends coming to show you what you have not yet investigated thoroughly enough." Get ready to dive deeper than you've dared to go before, Aquarius. I guarantee you it will ultimately become fun and educational. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In August 1922, author Nikos Kazantzakis wrote this triumphant declaration: "All day today I've had the most gentle, quivering joy, because I'm beginning to heal. Consciously, happily, I feel that I am being born anew, that I am beginning once again to take possession of the light." On behalf of the cosmic powersthat-be, I authorize you to use these words as your own in the coming weeks. They capture transformations that are in the works for you. By speaking Kazantzakis's declarations aloud several times every day, you will ensure that his experience will be yours, too. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Name what you're most eager to change about your life. Newsletter@freewillastrology.com.

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news of the weird SURPRISE! Olympic equestrians competing in the jumping qualifier on Aug. 3 had to overcome a particularly spooky obstacle, the Associated Press reported. The jumps and barriers are decorated in Japanese themes, and next to No. 10 is a lifesize, crouching sumo wrestler that horses and riders approach from behind. "As you come around, you see a big guy's (butt)," explained British rider Harry Charles. Several of the horses in the competition pulled up before the jump, including Vancouver de Lanlore, ridden by Penelope Leprevost of France. Balking at an obstacle earns penalty points, affecting a team's entry into the finals. "You know, horses don't want to see a guy, like, looking intense next to a jump, looking like he's ready to fight you," said Teddy Vlock of Israel. But Scott Brash of Britain was nonchalant: "To be honest, you expect (flashy course designs) in the Olympic Games. If it was just plain old jumps, it'd be just like any other week." UPDATE: On Aug. 6, the AP reported that the sumo wrestler was removed from the obstacle course, along with a nearby patch of cherry trees that riders thought might be spooking the horses. FIXER-UPPER Sara Weaver and her husband found their dream farmhouse in Skippack, Pennsylvania, and bought it in December in a bit of a rush. They decided to forgo an inspection, but they did note that the seller's disclosure mentioned "bees in wall." It wasn't until the weather warmed, however, that the Weavers became aware of the extent of the bees. When Allan Lattanzi, a beekeeper in the area, came to remove them in late July, he eventually ended up with 450,000 bees, comprising three colonies. CNN reported that the Weavers paid $12,000 for the removal, which involved taking slate tiles off the outside wall one by one. Lattanzi estimates the bees had been there for 35 years; he had been called to the residence once before but the owner at that time didn't want to pay for the removal. When the Weavers took ownership, the house "was so dirty," Weaver said, "and now that I'm thinking about it, I originally thought it was dirt on the windows that I cleaned but it was probably honey because there were drip marks." LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGE WXIX-TV reported that Charles Mullins, 65, was arrested on Aug. 3 and charged with arson after a fire at his home in Boone County, Kentucky. According to police, firefighters were called to Mullins' home around 3:15 that morning. Mullins admitted that he started the fire by turning on the gas stove, pouring gasoline around the house and then lighting a piece of paper. Mullins said God had told him to start the fire and leave Kentucky, which he probably won't be doing for some time now. He was held on $25,000 bond.

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BAD BEHAVIOR Frontier Airlines flight attendants and passengers had to resort to duct tape on a flight from Philadelphia to Miami on July 31, ABC6-TV reported. Maxwell Berry, 22, of Norwalk, Ohio, initially brushed his hand against a female flight attendant's backside, then spilled a drink on his shirt. He went to the restroom and emerged without his shirt, the police report said, and an attendant helped him get another shirt from his carry-on bag. Berry then walked around for about 15 minutes before groping the chests of female flight attendants. As a male flight attendant watched over him, Berry punched him in the face, at which point other passengers took matters into their own hands and restrained him in his seat with duct tape. He was taken into custody when the flight landed and charged with three counts of battery.

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•James Lenn Williams, 45, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, faces multiple battery charges after an incident on Aug. 5 at a hotel in Key West, Fox News reported. Williams and three friends were on vacation when things turned ugly, Monroe County sheriff's officers said. One of the women in the party passed out, and Williams was transporting her back to the hotel room in a wheelbarrow, pouring beer on her and berating her on the way. The other man in the group became angry and a fight ensued, during which "Williams ... pushed the male victim to the ground and began choking him. The male victim stated that Williams bit part of his ear off while the others were trying to separate them," the report stated. SEEMS OBVIOUS Milford, Maine, has been fighting a problem with rats for the past several weeks, but the possible solution only came to light during a select board meeting on Aug. 3, the Bangor Daily News reported. According to fire chief Josh Mailman, the town health officer and assistant fire chief Chris Liepold discovered that one resident had been providing a veritable feast for wildlife in her backyard—a pile of corn and sunflower seeds 20 feet wide and about a foot deep. A neighbor installed a game camera near the pile and found that along with deer, coyotes and bears, "a lot of rats" were visiting the spread. Griffin Dill, an integrated pest management professional at the University of Maine, explained: "If there's one person who's not keeping up their end of the bargain (in fighting rats community-wide), the problem is going to be an immense challenge." The generous feeder may be asked to pay for the removal of the pile, but their actions don't appear to break any laws. {in}

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