Independent News | August 22, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 33 | Production Stills from "Sparrow," "Reshaping Beauty: Round in All the Right Places" and "Misdirection"
FREE â–ś
winners & losers
outtakes
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news 6, 8
It started as a fluke, really.
buzz
cover feature 12
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contact us info@inweekly.net
publisher Rick Outzen
graphic designer Michael Daw
editor & creative director Joani Delezen
contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Sydney Robinson
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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
“Holding careless drivers accountable makes Pensacola safer for us all.” JOE ZARZAUR BOARD CERTIFIED CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY
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P E N S A C O L A inweekly.net
Chuck Marohn, CivicCon’s first presenter was back in town on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
Chuck shared:
• Pensacola’s recognition as this year’s “World’s Strongest Town” • His perspective on Pensacola’s progress in the past 2 years • Next steps for Pensacola If you missed it, watch it online at pnj.com/civiccon It’s been a pleasure to watch Pensacola on their Strong Towns journey. Not only were leaders and citizens eager to learn, I was amazed by how many of the ideas we showcased actually came to fruition. That is the real differentiator—many cities embrace big ideas, but the challenge is execution. Pensacola not only talks about making things better for the residents, they have done it. — Chuck Marohn
Pre-order Chuck’s new book coming October 1, 2019
STRONG TOWNS: A Bottom-Up Revolution to Rebuild American Prosperity Pre-order here:
strongtowns.org/strongamerica
WATCH ONLINE pnj.com/civiccon facebook.com/civiccon Terry Horne thorne@civicconversations.org
CivicCon, a joint partnership between the Pensacola News Journal and Studer Community Institute. August 22, 2019
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winners & losers
Courtesy Photo
winners
losers
BLUE WAHOOS Pensacola's professional
JEFF MILLER The Washington D.C. watch-
DONA AND MILTON USRY Pensacola
MILTON HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS Two months ago, the State Attorney's
baseball team continues to show it's a class act. Earlier this month, Blue Wahoos president Jonathan Griffith named Wade Vadakin as the team's new batboy for the 2020 season and presented him a Blue Wahoos jersey at Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium. Vadakin, age 40, was born with congenital brain stem damage and visual impairment and has been battling cancer. He has been "Director of On-Field Operations" for the Mobile BayBears for years but faced losing his connection to baseball when the team relocates to Huntsville next year. Great hire, Blue Wahoos.
State College received a $100,000 donation from the Usrys to establish the Dona and Milton Usry Endowed Accounting Scholarship for full- or part-time Pensacola State students majoring in the field of accounting with a 2.5 or higher grade point average. Recipients must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien. Scholarship funds can be used for tuition, fees, books and other supplies. Preference will be given to students pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field.
MELISSA KEENER The Pensacola All-
state agent convinced more than 27 Allstate teammates to volunteer for a backpack drive. Her group project was a success, with nearly 250 backpacks collected. It also allowed Keener and her fellow Allstate agents to earn a $20,000 Allstate Foundation grant for Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Northwest Florida. Since its inception in 1952, The Allstate Foundation has contributed over $449 million to support community nonprofits.
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Jeff Miller / Courtesy Photo
dog Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Department of Justice that alleged the former Florida congressman violated a one-year ban on aiding foreign entities after leaving the House by working as an agent of the Qatar government in 2017. When he left office, Miller registered under the federal Foreign Agents Registration Act and indicated in the filing he would be only lobbying members of the Executive Branch. CLC claimed Miller wasn't allowed to advise a foreign entity at all in 2017.
office issued a report that found the Milton High School administration had allowed coaches and volunteers in its athletic programs to be paid stipends for sports for which they did little work, if any. School Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick transferred MHS Athletic Director Murry Rutledge to the Exceptional Student Services Department and handed out unpaid suspensions to Principal Tim Short and Assistant Principal Benjamin West.
THERON TOOLE Last week, Rear Adm.
Tina Davidson removed Capt. Toole from his post as commander of the Navy Medicine Operational Training Center in Pensacola, a position that he had held for nearly 14 months. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery spokeswoman Angela Steadman told the media that Davidson expressed a "loss of confidence" in Toole's ability to command the center. Toole is pending reassignment to Rear Adm. Davidson's staff at Navy Medicine Education, Training and Logistics Command.
inweekly.net
outtakes
By Rick Outzen
A PROFOUND SHIFT The Business Roundtable, which represents chief executive officers of America's leading companies, on Monday redefined the purpose of the corporations in a statement signed by 181 CEOs. The statement expanded the purpose beyond benefiting primarily shareholders to include other stakeholders—customers, employees, suppliers and communities. "The American dream is alive but fraying," said Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and chairman of Business Roundtable. "Major employers are investing in their workers and communities because they know it is the only way to be successful over the long term." "This new statement better reflects the way corporations can and should operate today," added Alex Gorsky, chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Johnson & Johnson and chair of the Business Roundtable Corporate Governance Committee. "It affirms the essential role corporations can play in improving our society when CEOs are truly committed to meeting the needs of all stakeholders." The CEOs that signed the statement lead companies like International Paper, AT&T, Amazon, Aflac, Coca-Cola, Ford Motors, Home Depot, Target and Walmart. Unfortunately, three corporations with Pensacola connections didn't sign the statement—State Farm, GE and Gulf Power's new owner, NextEra Energy. "This is tremendous news because it is more critical than ever that businesses in the 21st century are focused on generating longterm value for all stakeholders and addressing the challenges we face, which will result in
shared prosperity and sustainability for both business and society," said Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. The new statement is profound because businesses don't operate in a vacuum. Too many times, large corporations have abandoned the communities that have supported them for higher profit margins elsewhere, leaving huge holes that have become nearly impossible to fill. Over the years, we've seen some of this area's largest employers take smaller roles in our community as their corporate leaders, who are headquartered elsewhere, have taken community service out of the performance metrics for local operations. The Pensacola Chamber, FloridaWest, First Place Partners and other local boards have fewer corporate heavy-hitters serving on them. It wasn't that long ago that all those boards would include the senior leaders of Solutia, International Paper, Armstrong Industries, Air Products, Cox, AT&T, Navy Federal Credit Union, Gulf Power, all three hospitals and every bank. Things got done because business leaders looked beyond their corporate profits. The Business Roundtable statement is an important shift for big business because it proclaims the value in meeting or exceeding customer expectations, investing in employees by paying fair wages, providing benefits and supporting training and education, dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers and supporting the communities in which they work. Let's hope it takes root in Pensacola. {in} rick@inweekly.net
The new statement is profound because businesses don't operate in a vacuum.
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FUNDING SANTA ROSA'S GROWTH "There are ups and downs in the housing market," Lynchard said. The commissioners, instead, point to the county's half-cent sales tax as the proper source to fund the needed work to local roadways. At one cent, the county will see about $13 million annually and about half that at its current rate. "It allows growth to be funded by visitors to the county," Cole said of using the sales tax, explaining that increasing the tax will allow for the needed work to be tackled. "Some of our major congestion areas will be the first thing we attack with this."
SMART MONEY
Santa Rosa County commissioners / Courtesy Photo
By Jeremy Morrison A while back, Elaine Smith was on Nextdoor.com, a neighborhood-based social media site. The Pace resident noticed there was a sharp spike in chatter among neighbors in the Woodbine Road area about development and traffic. "There was a deluge," Smith recalled, explaining how the discussion corresponded with recent housing developments in the area as well as a new strip mall project nearby. Phil Hoffman, searching for a handyman to work on his multiple properties in Woodbine Springs Plantation, also noticed the talk on the website. "Instead of, 'My dog needs walked,' or, 'I need a painter,' it's filled with complaints about traffic on Woodbine Road," he said. Hoffman, too, had noticed a traffic issue along Woodbine—"that rang a bell with me"—particularly on a recent morning when an early-morning dentist appointment drew him out into congested morning traffic full of drivers on their way to start their days. "Normally a two-and-a-half-minute drive, it took me 22 minutes," Hoffman remembered. Hoffman, Smith and other area residents soon organized under the banner Residents of Woodbine Corridor, and then later SRC Voters, to press Santa Rosa County officials to address the strain of increased traffic that an uptick in development had brought to the area's roads. The group's original quest has since expanded. SRC Voters is lobbying for education funding as well and currently finds itself pitted against the area's development community in a fight to enact impact fees as a source of county revenue to alleviate the impact of growth on infrastructure and schools.
WHAT'S AN IMPACT FEE?
One of the first things Hoffman and his neighbors in SRC Voters did was visit with Santa Rosa County commissioners. 66
Commission Chairman Sam Parker told them the county had two sources of revenue when it came to addressing local infrastructure needs—property tax millage and the half-cent sales tax, which stands to be raised to a full cent in October. Then, meeting with Commissioner Don Salter, the group learned about a third potential source of revenue—an impact fee. "Frankly, I didn't know what an impact fee was," Hoffman said. An impact fee is a fee levied by the county on new developments. The fee is for a prescribed amount and goes to fund specific needs, such as infrastructure upgrades. It quickly became apparent that there was a portion of the community with little appetite for impact fees. During a February county commission meeting, a large contingent of people—many with ties to the construction and development—showed up in red shirts to voice their opposition to the concept. "The parking lot was absolutely full with people with red shirts on that said 'homes and jobs' or something like that," recalled Smith. The commission itself doesn't seem to be entirely keen on impact fees either.
"What are you going to do, add 10 or 15 thousand dollars on to buying a new house? People can't afford them anyway." Bob Cole "What are you going to do, add 10 or 15 thousand dollars on to buying a new house? People can't afford them anyway," said Commissioner Bob Cole. "It may put it a little bit out of reach." Commissioner Lane Lynchard agreed—"$5,000 or $10,000 can really impact the affordability of a house"—and also noted that impact fees are an unsteady source of revenue.
Traffic isn't the only growth-related issue facing Santa Rosa County. As more families have moved into the area, county schools have swelled in recent years. Santa Rosa County Schools Superintendent Tim Wyrosdick paints a dire scene concerning capacity. "We are quickly approaching that limit. We may be at that limit," Wyrosdick said of his schools' capacities. "They're all approaching or already there on capacity." If the county's current growth rate holds, Wyrosdick explained, the school district expects to see around 1,500 new elementary students, nearly 800 new middle schoolers and 900 new high school students over the next decade. "Generating the need for at least one new school at every level," the superintendent said. Santa Rosa County School District currently assesses 1.4 mils in property tax ( just shy of its longstanding, self-imposed 1.5-mil ceiling) and levies its own half-cent sales tax, the most amount allowed by law. As such, the school district has exhausted the available revenue sources and is unable to fund the construction of new facilities. "An impact fee is our last and only resort," Wyrosdick said. Without a new infusion of funds via an impact fee assessed to new development, the superintendent said, Santa Rosa's schools will slip. "We want a high-quality school system and schools," Wyrosdick said. "We have to build schools to accommodate that capacity. If schools are overcrowded, that quality diminishes without a doubt." Although county commissioners also appear bullish on impact fees where education is concerned, the school superintendent remains hopeful something can be worked out. "My private, one-on-one conversations—I think there's some support there," Wyrosdick said. "We have yet to formally ask them to put it on an agenda for a vote." Commissioner Lynchard sounded like he may be open to a discussion about an impact fee for education but said it would require further consideration.
"It's something that they have to work through, and we have to work through," Lynchard said. And what if the schools don't get a dedicated impact fee? Where then will the money come from to build new schools? Will the commission cut them off a slice of its own sales tax revenue, which stands to double following October's special election? "That's not something I have thought about," Lynchard said. This concept is something Commissioner Cole has considered. "We have considered that. We haven't put it on the table yet," Cole said. "I don't know statutorily if we can. But that has been discussed by me and the county administrator."
THINGS PEOPLE SAY
When Hoffman first realized how much opposition there was to the concept of impact fees, he was a little surprised. The development community obviously had interests at stake, but why were the commissioners opposed? "The question is—why the hell are they saying no to an impact fee?" Hoffman said. "It doesn't hurt them. Turns out we were wrong; it does hurt them." After requesting information about campaign contributions to each commissioner, SRC Voters identified a number of the donors as hailing from the development community. "When we looked in and got the records on that, it blew us away," Hoffman said. "It stinks. And they're not representing us; they're representing the interest of the developers."
"It stinks. And they're not representing us; they're representing the interest of the developers." Phil Hoffman Cole disagrees—"you're not buying Bob Cole"—rejecting the notion he's acting at the behest of contributors. "They have equal opportunity to donate to a campaign just like any individual or corporation does," Cole said, dismissing the SRC Voters insinuations. "People are going to say what they're going to say." And people, like Hoffman, certainly will—"In simple terms, we're being fucked for money." In addition to continuing to push for a development impact fee, including a pledge to not support a sales-tax increase without also getting the impact fee, SRC Voters has now set its sights a bit higher, with ambitions to shake up the board of commissioners, specifically targeting the two officials they see as being most indebted to the development community. "We've got two candidates we're looking at right now," Hoffman said. "We're going to replace Parker and Cole." {in} inweekly.net
August 22, 2019
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GETTING EDUCATION RIGHT "An A School starts at an F. If you were a student in a classroom and scored at 62%, you would fail, but we call you an A school," he said. "If you take our third-grade reading scores, we went up another point this year. That's statewide 58%. It's horrific." Corcoran said the governor wants him to eliminate the current standards, Common Core, streamline testing, and raise assessment scores—"not with lowering the bar, but by creating additional rigor." The commissioner said his department is reviewing all the standards for each grade and making changes that will lead to more a well-rounded education. He said, "All of those changes will happen, and I think you're going to see that increased rigor, to your point, will ultimately increase our top scores for A, B, C, D and F." The second change that improved education was adding competition, referring to school choice, vouchers and charter schools. "Traditional public schools, charter public schools, private schools, all schools get better where there's competition," said Corcoran. "It's not about protecting status quos or fiefdoms. It's a game-changer when you have a choice." Richard Corcoran / Courtesy Photo
By Rick Outzen Florida's Commissioner of Education Richard Corcoran brought his traveling roadshow to the Panhandle Tiger Bay Club last Friday. The former Florida House Speaker had his pick of positions in Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration. He followed his passion and convictions and sought to head the Florida Department of Education. He has already begun shaking things up. Corcoran began his talk asking the audience about the purpose of education. Someone in the audience shouted, "To get a job," but Corcoran had a more profound, philosophical answer. "Education is to create a great citizen— somebody who can wrestle with the great questions of time; someone who can synthesize large volumes of information and make good sound decisions and can critically think outside the box," he said. He added, "If you find somebody who has been given a world-class education, and they are humble, and they are capable and willing to work hard, they will 100% of the time have a job." The education commissioner is passionate about education and its role in our
republic. He said, "There's only one way that we move forward and save our republic for the next 100 years and next generations, is we've got to get education right." He offered a quote he attributed to ancient Greek philosophers, "If you want to know what the future of your country is, take me, and show me how you're educating your youth, and I'll tell you exactly what your future looks like." Corcoran believes Florida has done three things over the past 20 years to improve public education. "The first and foremost thing we did in education in Florida is we say we're going to measure; we're going to have accountability," he said. "And when we measured, guess what you find out in two seconds? Every single parent cares about the outcome and the education that they're taught. As soon as they had some awareness, some transparency, some knowledge and they could move with their feet, they did, and education started changing." During the Q&A session, Corcoran agreed with what Inweekly and the News Journal have reported on the school grading system being lowered to make schools appear more successful than they actually are.
"If you find somebody who has been given a world-class education, and they are humble, and they are capable and willing to work hard, they will 100% of the time have a job." Richard Corcoran
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"It's not about protecting status quos or fiefdoms. It's a game-changer when you have a choice." Corcoran During the Q&A session, Corcoran had an opportunity to explain more. He said we've experimented on public education over the years and hurt whole generations of kids. "When you go to the House environmental committee and you say, 'Hey, here is a jar of my magic potion. If we put this in Lake Okeechobee, it will clean it up,' and someone would say, 'Get the heck out of here,'" he said. "You go to the road constructions and say, 'Here's my new magical pavement. If you put this pavement down on the road, it'll last 20 years as opposed to concrete or asphalt.' Get out of here, unless you can show me a country that you've done it for 20 years." He added, "In education, we experiment with our kids all the time. And so I always say facts and evidence matter. Can we make education 100% facts- and evidence-based? And if we do, what you will see, unequivocally, is competition always makes everyone better. And that's exactly what we're seeing in the school choice movement." The third element of public education that is still a work in progress—the celebration and elevation of the teaching profession. "I will say that Florida is completely inferior in how we've been doing that, and we've got to get that right," he said. "Nothing is more important to the outcome of a child." Corcoran said billion-dollar capital
funds aren't the answer to improving a child's education. He said, "You can teach Plato under a tree, no building walls, classroom, chalkboards, getting a world-class educator standing in front of them." In 2015, Inweekly broke the story on mismanagement and grade fixing at the Newpoint Charter schools in Escambia County. Last year, Newpoint founder Marcus May was found guilty of robbing the school districts of Escambia and five other counties for a total of $5.2 million. Corcoran wasn't surprised to get a question about holding charter schools more accountable. He said, "Charter schools, if they are financially mismanaging their school, if they are academically failing, they're immediately shut down." He continued, "And I just did this. There was one in Manatee County, financially failing and academically a D. Working with the school board and superintendent, I went in, seized control of the school, kicked out the charter operating company, and it's now being managed by the district school board. What we ought to do, though, is have the same rules apply to traditional public schools." The commissioner discussed vocational training, which has been kicked around in various forums in Pensacola as people look for solutions for those students that aren't good candidates for college. "Governor DeSantis has absolutely led the charge on that," said Corcoran. "Yes, every child deserves that well-rounded education, but, at some point, while they're getting that well-rounded education and they aren't going to go to college, now we have $10 million for apprenticeship programs." He said the Department of Education was evaluating those programs to "figure out which ones are good, which ones aren't and make sure that we're getting kids in a pathway that will lead to long-term success." "All of those grants are now being distributed to the districts to put more emphasis and more opportunities for kids to go out there who are not going to college but have a real professional certification and degree and have a real career," he added.
"People will live selflessly; they will be empathetic, and they will go out there and be great citizens, great husbands and wives and spouses." Corcoran For Corcoran, he sees his mission is to get education right because when we do, "People will live selflessly; they will be empathetic, and they will go out there and be great citizens, great husbands and wives and spouses. They'll be great members in a community." {in} inweekly.net
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also to build up the fire department to the level that it should be." Last year, the city paid $575,000 to settle lawsuits filed by Schmitt and Glover.
WEST CERVANTES WORKSHOP The
Gerald Wingate / Courtesy Photo
CHAMPION FOR JUSTICE Pensacola
City Councilman Gerald Wingate passed away on the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 13, at age 73 after a battle with cancer. His peers saw him as a "voice of diplomacy," "fierce advocate for his district while remaining a gentleman to others on Council," a "kind and gentle man," "the epitome of a gentleman who cared deeply about our community" and "a sweet man with a quiet, dry sense of humor and a playful smile." Councilman Wingate's record shows that he was a champion for justice and fairness. When City Administrator Bill Reynolds proposed three ordinances to outlaw panhandling—one of which banned the use of blankets in city parks—in May 2013, Wingate voted against them. A year later, the city was forced by public pressure to repeal them after the area was hit with a severe ice storm. In December 2013, he spoke out in favor of the city council establishing a domestic partner registry—a legal mechanism that provided certain rights to two unmarried cohabitating people, regardless of gender. He said, "I always used religion as the basis, but I feel this was beautiful tonight—I've been convinced that it's something that would benefit the people of the community, and I'm willing to support it." 010 1
The registry passed on its second reading, 8-1. The councilman was a strong advocate for city employees being treated fairly. When Mayor Ashton Hayward fired Council Executive Lila Cox without first discussing it with the council, Wingate led the charge for a charter amendment that gave the council the power to hire its executive, attorney and budget analyst without interference from the mayor's office. He even used his own money to campaign for the amendment, which passed with 52% of the votes cast. He was also upset with how the mayor handled the firing of interim Fire Chief Matt Schmitt and Deputy Fire Chief Joe Glover. He didn't like that City Administrator Eric Olson prohibited firefighters from attending council meeting when the chiefs' terminations were debated and refused to support the mayor's recommendation to hire David Allen as fire chief. "I'm not going to be supporting this tonight," Wingate said. "I think the fire department needs strong leadership. I think the fire department is probably undermanned, which is one of the things that came out in that report." He added, "I'm in support of a national search to get a strong fire chief here and
West Cervantes safety improvements on display Tuesday, Aug. 13, were slightly different from plans presented during a workshop earlier in the summer. Notably, the revised plans featured red circles at several intersections, where openings had been created in a median running down West Cervantes to allow for through traffic and crossing opportunities. "We've added some additional median openings," said Ian Satter, pointing out the new breaks on an enlarged map of West Cervantes laid out on a table in the gymnasium of the Fricker Community Center. The state is planning to spend $7.5 million on safety improvements for West Cervantes, a route that has proved dangerous to pedestrians and vehicular traffic. The West Cervantes Pedestrian Safety Plan encompasses 2.3 miles of roadway, from Dominguez Street to A Street, and work is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2020. The slated safety improvements include added traffic signals and crosswalks, as well as a median, potentially topped with a fence-like barrier, running down the middle of the street to prevent improper pedestrian crossings and act as a barrier between directional traffic lanes. The improvements also involve reducing lanes from 12 feet to 10 feet. The Fricker center event was the second in a pair of summer presentations FDOT has hosted to allow the public to get a look at the proposed improvements. Plans presented during the first event featured a barrier with far fewer brakes, limiting the cross streets drivers could turn onto and forcing pedestrians to walk blocks to reach an intersection where they could cross the street. During the first meeting, Satter had explained that the unbroken median was key to improving safety, but on Tuesday, he explained that a total of seven new openings in the center median had been added as a result of feedback received during the earlier meeting. FDOT, he said, is attempting to incorporate concerns about access and the number of crossing opportunities while still emphasizing safety. "Safety is always going to outweigh that, but we're trying to find compromises," Satter said. "It's a balancing act." Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, in attendance at the Fricker center workshop, said the city still has issues with FDOT's proposed improvement, such as
the number of added crosswalks and traffic logistics, and is currently working with the agency in hopes of seeing further revisions. "We're working on it, know what I mean?" Robinson said, adding that he'd recently discussed the project with FDOT officials. "We met with them the other day and said, 'We like some things; other things, we'd like some flexibility." While the workshop on Tuesday was the last opportunity for the public to comment directly to FDOT, input may still be submitted via mail or email through August 27. Comments can be emailed to tommy. johns@dot.state.fl.us.
"You are changing access to people's homes, businesses, school." Grover Robinson The public will also have another opportunity to comment on the West Cervantes project later this fall, specifically about the additional median breaks. Satter said FDOT is required to conduct formal public hearings because the revised plan opens up additional breaks in the center median. He explained, "You are changing access to people's homes, businesses, school."
QUALITY PRINCIPALS At last week's CivicCon, Dr. Ron Ferguson attributed the success of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to training its principals. He mentioned that parents get to hire the principals for their schools. What a revolutionary concept! In Escambia County, principals have been selected by Superintendent Malcolm Thomas, and they are seen as primarily his political operatives, ensuring his re-election and quelling in dissent among the ranks. The Escambia County School District has 56 principals, of which 71.4% are white. No surprise there. How principals are hired could change under the new appointed superintendent system, particularly if the school board hires from outside of the school district. In Chicago, most schools have a Local School Council (LSC), which is responsible for hiring and evaluating the school's contract principal. According to the district's website, most LSCs have a multi-step selection process, which includes a resume review, and may include one to three rounds of interviews and a final round "Candidate Forum." During a Candidate Forum, the community has an opportunity to ask questions of each finalist in an open meeting format. An LSC has the authority to award a inweekly.net
four-year performance contract to a principal candidate if a minimum of seven LSC members vote in favor of that candidate. An LSC may only award a principal contract to a candidate who officially applies to their posted advertisement and is eligible under the CPS Principalship Policy. The district has a Department of Principal Quality that works to support Local School Councils in their recruitment and selection efforts. The department facilitates principal job postings, receives and compiles all principal application materials and forwards candidate applications to the Local School Councils. It works closely with LSC Relations throughout the selection process to ensure that LSCs have the information, resources and support they need to complete their principal selections.
REPLACING WINGATE City Council will
hold a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, to make an appointment to the District 5 seat. The meeting will take place in Council Chambers, located on the first floor of City Hall at 222 W. Main St. District 5 Councilman Gerald Wingate passed away on Aug. 13, and his unexpired term ends November 2020. Per the City Charter, the vacancy for the unexpired term of the vacated seat shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining City Council members within 30 days after the vacancy occurs. Reading the qualification requirements of Section 6.03 in conjunction with the language of Section 4.02, the candidate must be qualified to vote in the council district and have been a resident of the district for one year prior to the appointment. The appointment is scheduled to be made at the special meeting on Sept. 4, 2019, thus the candidate must have resided in the district since at least Sept. 5, 2018. Anyone interested in being considered for appointment should submit an ap-
plication of interest or a resume on the city's website and contact a City Council member for nomination. Applications must be submitted prior to Friday, Aug. 23. City Council members have until 5 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 23, to submit their nominations to the City Clerk's office for consideration at the Sept. 4 special meeting.
SALZMAN OUTRAISES HILL Republi-
can challenger Michelle Salzman outraised incumbent Florida House Rep. Mike Hill in July, according to reports filed with the Florida Secretary of State. Salzman brought in $1,966Â in cash from 29 donors and another $4, 476 in in-kind contributions for a total of $6, 442. Meanwhile, Rep. Hill had only four contributors. His largest donor was former County Commissioner Wilson Robertson, who accounted for $1,000 of the $1,150 raised by Hill.
BROXSON, ANDRADE DELIVER
Escambia County will receive $21.8 million from the Florida Division of Emergency Management through Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement, which will go directly toward the county's $145 million correctional facility project. "On behalf of the board of commissioners, I'd like to thank the Escambia County legislative delegation chairman, Sen. Doug Broxson, and Rep. Alex Andrade for their continued support of this project," Commission Chairman Lumon May said. "Sen. Broxson has been working with our county administrator for the past six weeks on these reimbursements, and we appreciate his efforts and diligence in delivering these funds." To date, the county has received over $111
million in funding for the correctional facility project from bond proceeds, Local Option Sales Tax, the State of Florida and FEMA. "These funds get us closer to the completion of this priority project for our community," Sen. Broxson said. "Making sure that Escambia County gets to close the door on a devasting incident and move forward is important, and I am thankful to be able to provide meaningful assistance."
SHOE DRIVE The HER Foundation,
honorher.org, is conducting a shoe drive fundraiser today through Oct. 31 to raise funds for women veterans in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. The HER Foundation will earn funds based on the total weight of the pairs of gently worn, used and new shoes collected, as Funds2Orgs will issue a check for the collected shoes. Those dollars will benefit women veterans in the Pensacola area. Anyone can help by donating gently worn, used and new shoes at the HER Foundation Faith House, 6150 W. Fairfield Drive, and the AMVETS Post 292, 955 Dog Track Road. You may also donate shoes 8 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Aug. 24, at Cordova Mall. All donated shoes will then be redistributed throughout the Funds2Orgs network of micro-enterprise, small business and partners. Proceeds from the sales of the shoes collected in shoe drive fundraisers are used to feed, clothe and house their families.
"These funds get us closer to the completion of this priority project for our community." Doug Broxson
PING PONG ON PALAFOX Zarzaur
Law, P.A. has partnered with the Pensacola Table Tennis Club and City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department to host a community ping pong tournament event 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, at
the intersection of Palafox and Romana streets. All entry fees will go to Gulf Coast Kid's House. "In this day and age of kids and their devices, we figured highlighting the games we 40-somethings played as kids would be good for everyone," said Joe Zarzaur, owner of Zarzaur Law, P.A. "Ping Pong on Palafox" will include a table tennis "ping pong" tournament for all ages and levels, games, refreshments for players and more. The round robin tournament will kick off at 10 a.m. with kids age groups and adult divisions with cash prizes for winners. The first 50 players to sign up for the tournament will also receive a swag bag. Businesses, organizations and groups are encouraged to create teams of four, bring their tent, coolers and signs, and battle for bragging rights and be the tops in team table tennis. Entry fees are as follows—Kids, $10; Teens-Novice Adult, $15; Advanced Adult, $20; and Corporate team of four, $40. For event details and to sign up for "Ping Pong on Palafox," visit zarzaurlaw. com/ping-pong-on-palafox.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Join District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh for the next Coffee with the Commissioner 6:30-7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at Denny's, 4625 Mobile Hwy. Downtown Improvement Board will meet 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at the Bowden Building, Room #1, 120 Church St. Sacred Heart Health System will provide free heart-health screenings 9-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at Ebonwood Community Center, 3511 W. Scott St. Sacred Heart Health System will provide free osteoporosis screenings 9-11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at St. Monica's Episcopal Church, 699 S. Hwy 95A, Cantonment. {in}
MOST INVESTMENT LOSSES ARE FROM PRODUCTS WITH CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS PETER J. MOUGEY
Recovered $250 million on Behalf of over 3,000 Investors
850.435.7000 | LEVINLAW.COM Pensacola, FL August 22, 2019
11
A Weekend at the Movies with Stamped Film Festival
By Jennifer Leigh
"More Than He Knows" / Production Still
The Pensacola LGBT Film Festival—now known as Stamped—could've just been a one-time thing. "It started as a fluke, really," said President C. David Newton. "[ACLU of Florida Northeast Regional Organizer] Sara Latshaw wanted to show a documentary that explored adoption issues in the gay community. But the director told her the film was only shown at festivals, so she started one." The film was "Unfit: Ward vs. Ward," which tells the story of a Pensacola woman who lost custody of her daughter to her convicted killer husband solely on the basis that she's a lesbian. It was the first of many stories the film festival has shared with the community. Now in its eighth year, Stamped is not done sharing films about the LGBTQ experience. In fact, the event just keeps growing. "We have so many good films this year," said Newton. "I probably say this every year, and I always genuinely mean it." What's new this year is more films. For
the first time, Stamped has added a Saturday matinee block with three feature-length films as well as a Sunday family day with short films about coming out, young love and navigating the world as a young trans person. "Our mission is to create a bridge for LGBTQ people and the larger community," said Newton. "These films are very specific to parents and kids and allows for conversations to start between kids and their parents." But Newton said it's always a tough call to say whether the movies shown at Stamped are "familyfriendly." He leaves that up to the parents. But there is plenty of pre-show family fun with face painting, arts and crafts, and free gelato from Dolce & Gelato. The film festival will also host a panel of teachers who will talk about challenges students face in school. This year, not one but two directors will be at the festival. Award-winning filmmaker Fiona Dawson was so excited to be a part of the festival, she chose to fly in for the occasion—proof of the festival's economic benefits, Newton said. Dawson's latest
"Our mission is to create a bridge for LGBTQ people and the larger community." C. David Newton
212 1
diverse in lots of ways. The film committee film, "More Than He Knows," strives to select films that cover "every letter about a married man facing a of the alphabet," Newton said. reality about himself, is showing This year is no different, with movies exFriday night. ploring body positivity ("Reshaping Beauty: And as part of the weekend's Round in All the Right Places") or recording festivities, acclaimed writer, direchistory ("The Archivettes") or mental illness tor, actor and stand-up comedian ("Misdirection"). There are documentaries, Del Shores will show his film "Six short films, feature-length films and even a Characters in Search of a Play" film that requires scratch and sniff cards. Thursday night. Festival-goers will While the four-day festival is about also get the chance to meet Shores art, it's also about education and raising at a special ticketed event to kick off awareness. And Newton gives props to the the opening night of Stamped. Pensacola community and local businesses "Here's a chance to meet a that help ensure the event continues. celebrity," Newton said. "Shores "We always want people to leave with a is very popular and the creator of greater sense of community," said Newton. the cult films 'Sordid Lives' and 'A "We don't stand alone—we're stronger Very Sordid Wedding.' He was also together. We've been in this community for a writer on 'Queer as Folk.' There eight years; this is something Pensacola can will be an open bar, a Q&A and be proud of." plenty of schmoozing." With eight years under their belt, Proceeds from the Shores meet and greet Stamped isn't just looking to next year—but will also benefit the University of West Florida their next big milestone. Gay-Straight Alliance, which has been a part"We're pumped up," said Newton. ner organization of Stamped. "We're already excited about what we're goPreparation for the festival begins ing to do for the 10-year mark." {in} months in advance with the event's film committee watching over 100 films to choose the best ones. In previous years, the festival had a free submission charge. When board memWHEN: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22; 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, bers decided to implement Aug. 23; Noon-9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24; 2:30-4 p.m. a small submission fee, they Sunday, Aug. 25 saw the number of submisWHERE: Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. sions decrease but the quality COST: Free increase. The fees also helped DETAILS: stampedfilmfest.com create a small cash prize for the best films. It's always a struggle to select, or deselect, a film to show, said Newton, which is WHEN: 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22 how one of the committee members—David Diamond— WHERE: Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. decided to expand the festival COST: $35 with the matinee. DETAILS: facebook.com/stampedfilmfestival Like any year, the 2019 Stamped film selections are
STAMPED FILM FESTIVAL
SIPS, SNACKS AND SASS: A MEET AND GREET WITH DEL SHORES
inweekly.net
STAMPED SCHEDULE
"Lukewarm" / Production Still
THURSDAY 8.22
HIDING IN DAYLIGHT
SIPS, SNACKS AND SASS
SPARROW
5 p.m., Meet and greet with Del Shores
COGNITIVE
6:40 p.m., Short Film
6 CHARACTERS IN SEARCH OF A PLAY 7:05 p.m., Feature Film
DISHING IT WITH THE DIRECTOR 8:45 p.m. , Q&A session with Del Shores
FRIDAY 8.23
3:40 p.m., Short Film 3:55 p.m., Short Film
STEAM ROOM STORIES 4:25 p.m., Feature Film
RESHAPING BEAUTY 6:40 p.m., Short Film
MY GRANDSON, CHARLOTTE 6:50 p.m., Short Film
GOLDFISH
7:05 p.m., Short Film
LISTEN
SCARY LUCY
6:40 p.m., Short Film
7:15 p.m., Feature Film
ENGAGED
CANDY'S CRUSH
6:45 p.m., Short Film
7:50 p.m., Short Film
MISDIRECTION
NO FEMS
7:05 p.m., Short Film
8 p.m., Short Film
MORE THAN HE KNOWS
CHAIR AMOUR
7:20 p.m., Short Film
8:15 p.m., Short Film
BEYOND THE SCREEN
LUKEWARM
7:35 p.m., Q&A session with Fiona Dawson
8:25 p.m., Short Film
TELL BY DATE
INFINITE WHILE IT LASTS
7:45 p.m., Short Film
8:35 p.m., Short Film
TOP THREE
SUNDAY 8.25
8:15 p.m., Feature Film
SATURDAY 8.24 THE 2ND LIFE OF JAMIE P 12:15 p.m., Feature Film
THE ARCHIVETTES 2 p.m., Documentary
SAMMY THE SALMON 3:20 p.m., Short Film
TURN IT AROUND 3:30 p.m., Short Film
Family Day, ages 8+
LISTEN
2:30 p.m., Short Film
THESE THINGS TAKE TIME
2:35 p.m., Short Film
I PUT THE BI IN BITTER 2:55 p.m., Web Series
LOLO
3:25 p.m., Short Film
PANEL DISCUSSION
3:40 p.m., Family Q&A session
Go to stampedfilmfest.com for more information on the films. August 22, 2019
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WEEK OF AUGUST 22-28
Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...
Season of the Which: A Fall Movie Preview By Daniel Barnes
Awards season is just around the corner, which means we're about to get deluged with biopics. Tom Hanks as Fred Rogers ("A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood") and Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland ("Judy") lead a parade of awards grubbers into theaters and onto VOD platforms this autumn. Of course, we'll still get the incessant sequels and reboots too, including objectively unnecessary follow-ups to "Maleficent" and "Zombieland," as well as the latest installments in the moth-eaten "Rambo" and "Terminator" franchises. All that and we haven't even mentioned the unleaded nightmare fuel that is the trailer for "Cats." Thankfully, Sacramento-based film critic Daniel Barnes is here to make sense of the release schedule by picking his 10 most anticipated films of the fall. AD ASTRA (SEPT. 20) Writer-director James Gray follows "The Lost City of Z" with another story about an obsessive journey into uncharted territory. Brad Pitt stars in "Ad Astra" as an astronaut searching for his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones) in the farthest reaches of the solar system. It's a rare opportunity for indie darling Gray ("The Immigrant") to realize one of his visions on an immense scale. THE IRISHMAN (SEPT. 27) The shots of Robert De Niro CGI-scrubbed August 22, 2019
to appear several decades younger look like Grand Theft Auto cut scenes. Still, it can't hurt to trust director Martin Scorsese to make it work. This time, the master reunites De Niro and Joe Pesci, while also working with Al Pacino for the first time on this Netflix production. Director Noah Baumbach also debuts his "Marriage Story" on Netflix in September. LUCY IN THE SKY (OCT. 4) More auteurs in space, as Fargo and Legion creator Noah Hawley makes his feature directorial debut with this psychological drama. Natalie Portman plays an astronaut who begins to lose her grip on reality after returning to Earth. Hawley created some of the most ambitious and compelling television of the last decade, so it's exciting to see how he handles the larger canvas. PAIN AND GLORY (OCT. 4) Pedro Almodóvar directs Antonio Banderas and Penélope Cruz in a film about anything. That's enough to get me excited about "Pain and Glory," even if Almodóvar's last two efforts ("Julieta" and "I'm So Excited!") slightly underwhelmed. Banderas stars here as an aging director reminiscing about his life and career. PARASITE (OCT. 11) South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's
"family tragicomedy" took home the Palme d'Or this year at the Cannes Film Festival. More importantly, it looks like a return to "Memories of Murder" form for Joonho ("Snowpiercer," "The Host") after the mixed bag of "Okja." THE LIGHTHOUSE (OCT. 18) A black-and-white two-hander set on a New England island in the 1890s might not hold broad box office appeal. But since Robert Eggers directed "The VVitch," I'm prepared to follow his muse off a cliff. "The Lighthouse" stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as isolated lighthouse keepers succumbing to their nightmares. STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER (DEC. 20) J.J. Abrams returns to direct "Episode IX" after Rian Johnson's "The Last Jedi" bitterly divided the fan base. Honestly, I'm not even all that fired up for this latest piece of Star Wars movie product. However, a lack of firm release dates for upcoming films from directors like Todd Haynes, Steven Soderbergh, Armando Iannucci and Trey Edward Shults opened a spot. That said, I'm still rooting for "The Rise of Skywalker." Just don't screw it up…again. LITTLE WOMEN (DEC. 25) Although writer-director Greta Gerwig adapted "Little Women" from the 1868
novel by Louisa May Alcott, it looks more like a period piece remake of Lady Bird. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Saoirse Ronan once again stars for Gerwig as an ambitious and class-conscious young woman with a crush on Timothée Chalamet and a quirky family to boot. Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Laura Dern and Meryl Streep round out an excellent cast. 1917 (DEC. 25) Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" became a critical and commercial success in 2017, earning numerous nominations and awards, so the knockoffs naturally follow. On the surface, director Sam Mendes' "1917" seems like an attempt to bring Dunkirk-style intensity to a WWI film. The story concerns a couple of fresh-faced soldiers (George MacKay and Dean-Charles Chapman) racing to call off a disastrous charge. UNCUT GEMS (DEC. 25) Director brothers Benny and Josh Safdie made one of the best films of 2017 with "Good Time," so I'm naturally excited to see what comes next. This NYC-set crime film also offers a change-of-pace part for Adam Sandler, which is always refreshing. The eclectic cast of "Uncut Gems" also includes Idina Menzel, Julia Fox, LaKeith Stanfield, Kevin Garnett and The Weeknd. {in} 15
calendar END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9 p.m.
End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ADRON CHAMBERS YOGA 6:30 p.m. Donation-based yoga with Adron Chambers every Tuesday and Thursday. Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee REZA EDGE OF ILLUSION 7 p.m. $35-$55. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com SISTER HAZEL 7 p.m. $15-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com
FRIDAY 8.23
FLORIDA/ESCAMBIA COUNTY HEALTH OUTREACH EVENT 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Visit
Tessa Violet / Photo by Brian Gahan
THURSDAY 8.22
WORK ON THE FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m.-12:30
p.m. Every Thursday. Three miles north of Deaton Bridge Road. meetup.com/ftawesterngate YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org
AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon
Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine GIACOMO GATES IN CONCERT 6 p.m. $45 per person. Reserve your spot by calling 982-7320. 619 N. Baylen St. jazzpensacola.com WINE AND UNWIND 6-7 p.m. $12. Frazier's Country Wines, 3130 Barrancas Ave.
Pensacola Perdido Key Visitor Center, 15500 Perdido Key Drive. ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com EVER'MAN COOKS: KIDS' KITCHEN 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BINGSU & CHILL: A POP-UP EVENT 3 p.m. Every Friday through Aug. 30. Asher & Bee and Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee HAPPY HOUR COOKOUT 5 p.m Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com SCOTT RIGGS LIVE 6-8 p.m. Frazier's Country Wines, 3130 Barrancas Ave. DESTINY HOWARD 6-9 p.m. Dolce & Gelato, 2050 N. 12th Ave. facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola EVER'MAN COOKS: VEGAN COOKING 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSON GENERALS 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin A BROTHER'S REVIVAL 7:30 p.m. $20.50$50.50. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Sat-
urday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center, 3200 N. Palafox St.
SATURDAY 8.24
PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University
of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/recplexnorth SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road. PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com YOU SELL IT HERE FARMER'S MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission. Every Saturday. 8600 Pensacola Blvd., facebook.com/yousellithere OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UPS 9-10 a.m. Sanders Beach at 913 S. I St and Bruce Beach at 601 W. Main St. oceanhourfl.com EVER'MAN COOKS: DEBBY'S KITCHEN 10 a.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org LINEAGE AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES EXPO 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. West Florida
Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. 9th Ave. wfgsi.org
$1 OR LESS END OF SUMMER BOOK SALE 10
a.m.-5 p.m. Open Books Bookstore and Prison Book Project, 1040 N. Guillemard St. facebook.com/openbooksbookstore BACK TO SCHOOL SPLASH 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Gadsden Street United Methodist Church, 901 East Gadsden St. gadsdenstreetmethodist.com/ BEATING INFLAMMATION OF ARTHRITIS AND JOINT PAIN 2-4 p.m. Ever'man Educational
Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org
FIBER FREESTYLIN' AT STUDIO SOUTH 3-5
p.m. Saturdays. Open to all knitters, crocheters, weavers and more. Studio South, 955 E. Nine Mile Road. studiosouthon9mileroad.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSON GENERALS
EATS, DRINKS & SMILES BIG ASS SMILES @THEMAGNOLIAEPH 616 1
inweekly.net
calendar 6:05 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com TESSA VIOLET 7 p.m. $15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com SAENGER CLASSIC MOVIE SERIES: THE PUBLIC ENEMY 7 p.m. $6. Saenger Theatre, 118
S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com
DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 work-
shop, $10 party. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com SATURDAY SWING OUTS 8 p.m. $5. Breathe Yoga Studio 505 S Adams St. For ages 18 and up. No partner required. 8FITTY HIP HOP VOL. 5 8-11 p.m. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola COMEDIANS DERRICK STROUP AND ALAN BROMWELL 8:30 p.m. $15-$20. Casks and
Flights, 121 S. Palafox. stingerscomedy.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Saturday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center 3200 N. Palafox St.
SUNDAY 8.25
THEMED BRUNCH AT PERFECT PLAIN 10 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin $1 OR LESS END OF SUMMER BOOK SALE 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Open Books Bookstore and Prison Book Project, 1040 N. Guillemard St. facebook.com/openbooksbookstore TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man
Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15% off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via De Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach ALFRED HITCHCOCK CLASSIC MOVIE SERIES: DIAL M FOR MURDER 2 p.m. $6. Saenger The-
atre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com SKOPELOS DIAMOND JUBILEE 3-6 p.m. $40. Skopelos, 600 S. Palafox. skopelosatnewworld.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSON GENERALS 5:05 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com
MONDAY 8.26
RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library,
6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CRAZY CUPCAKES CLASS 5:30 p.m. $40. Henny Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson. facebook. com/hennypennyspatisserie BUTTERCREAM TECHNIQUES CLASS 5:30 p.m. $40. Henny Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson. facebook.com/hennypennyspatisserie CRATE COOKING CLASS 6 p.m. $60. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSON GENERALS 6:35 August 22, 2019
p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com
TUESDAY 8.27
YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org JOHN APPLEYARD TALK: TRISTAN DE LUNA, THE STORY OF OUR FIRST SETTLER 9 a.m. Free.
Pensacola Visitor Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. National Naval Aviation Museum viewing area, 1878 S. Blue Angel Parkway. Use West Gate Entrance. TRYON FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 4 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. Bodacious, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com FIBER FREESTYLIN' AT STUDIO SOUTH
5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Open to all knitters, crocheters, weavers and more. Studio South, 955 E. Nine Mile Road. studiosouthon9mileroad.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. ADRON CHAMBERS YOGA 6:30 p.m. Donation-based yoga with Adron Chambers every Tuesday and Thursday. Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee COUNTRY TWO-STEP DANCING 6:30 p.m. $12. Whiskey Runners Saloon. 610 E. Nine Mile Road. dancecraftstudios.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. JACKSON GENERALS 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com BANDS ON THE BEACH 7-9 p.m. Free. ClassX. Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach. visitpensacolabeach.com
WEDNESDAY 8.28
PILATES FUSION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org EVER'MAN COOKS: MEAL PREP 1 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com WAGGY WEDNESDAYS WITH PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY 4-7 p.m. Pet-themed games
and prizes. Through Sept. 18. $1 from every Tito's Vodka sale benefits Pensacola Humane Society. Island Culture Tiki Bar, 17 Via De Luna Drive. pensacolahumane.org VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox AFRICAN DANCE FITNESS 5:30 p.m. Every Wednesday. Henny Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson. facebook.com/ facebook.com/ hennypennyspatisserie YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org for more listings visit inweekly.net 17
free will astrology WEEK OF AUGUST 22 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): It's not
cost-efficient to recycle plastic. Sorting and processing the used materials to make them available for fresh stuff is at least as expensive as creating new plastic items from scratch. On the other hand, sending used plastic to a recycling center makes it far less likely that it will end up in the oceans and waterways, harming living creatures. So in this case, the short-term financial argument in favor of recycling is insubstantial, whereas the moral argument is strong. I invite you to apply a similar perspective to your upcoming decisions.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): African
American slaves suffered many horrendous deprivations. For example, it was illegal for them to learn to read. Their oppressors feared that educated slaves would be better equipped to agitate for freedom and took extreme measures to keep them illiterate. Frederick Douglass was one slave who managed to beat the ban. As he secretly mastered the art of reading and writing, he came upon literature that ultimately emboldened him to escape his "owners" and flee to safety. He became one of the 19th century's most powerful abolitionists, producing reams of influential writing and speeches. I propose that we make Douglass your inspiring role model for the coming months. I think you're ready to break the hold of a certain curse—and go on to achieve a gritty success that the curse had prevented you from accomplishing.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): For 25 years, businessman Don Thompson worked for the McDonald's fast food company, including three years as its CEO. During that time, he oversaw the sale and consumption of millions of hamburgers. But in 2015, he left McDonald's and became part of Beyond Meat, a company that sells vegan alternatives to meat. I could see you undergoing an equally dramatic shift in the coming months, Gemini—a transition into a new role that resembles but is also very different from a role you've been playing. I urge you to step up your fantasies about what that change might entail. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): "The learning process is something you can incite, literally incite, like a riot," wrote author Audre Lorde. As an astrologer, I would add this nuance—although what Lorde says is true, some phases of your life are more favorable than others to seek deep and rapid education. For example, the coming weeks will bring you especially rich teachings if you incite the learning process now. LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The American idiom "stay in your lane" has come to mean "mind your own business" and usually has a pejorative sense. But I'd like to expand it and soften it for your use in the coming weeks. Let's define it as meaning "stick to what you're good at and know about" or "don't try to operate outside your area of expertise" or "express yourself in ways that you have earned the right 818 1
By Rob Brezsny
to do." Author Zadie Smith says that this is good advice for writers. "You have to work out what it is you can't do, obscure it and focus on what works," she attests. Apply that counsel to your own sphere or field, Leo.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Yisrael Kristal was a Polish Jew born under the sign of Virgo in 1903. His father was a scholar of the Torah, and he began studying Judaism and learning Hebrew at age 3. He lived a long life and had many adventures, working as a candlemaker and a candy-maker. When the Red Army liberated the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1945, Kristal emerged as one of the survivors. He went on to live to the age of 113. Because of the chaos of World War I, he had never gotten to do his bar mitzvah when he'd turned 13. So he did it much later, in his old age. I foresee a comparable event coming up soon in your life, Virgo. You will claim a reward or observe a milestone or collect a blessing you weren't able to enjoy earlier.
I think you're ready to break the hold of a certain curse—and go on to achieve a gritty success that the curse had prevented you from accomplishing. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Sailors have
used compasses to navigate since the 11th century. But that tool wasn't enough to guide them. A thorough knowledge of the night sky's stars was a crucial aid. Skill at reading the ever-changing ocean currents always proved valuable. Another helpful trick was to take birds on the ships as collaborators. While at sea, if the birds flew off and returned, the sailors knew there was no land close by. If the birds didn't return, chances were good that land was near. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because I think it's an excellent time to gather a number of different navigational tools for your upcoming quest. One won't be enough.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): What do you want from the allies who aren't your lovers? What feelings do you most enjoy while you're in the company of your interesting, nonromantic companions? For instance, maybe you like to be respected and appreciated. Or perhaps what's most important to you is to experience the fun of being challenged and stimulated. Maybe your favorite feeling is the spirit of collaboration and comradeship. Or maybe all of the above. In any case, Scorpio, I urge you to get clear about what you want— and then make it your priority to foster it. In the coming weeks, you'll have the power to generate an abundance of your favorite kind of non-sexual togetherness. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): As the CEO of the clothing company Zappos, Sagittarius entrepreneur Tony Hsieh is worth almost a billion dollars. If he chose, he could live in a mansion by the sea. Yet his home is a 200-square-foot, $48,000 trailer in Las Vegas,
where he also keeps his pet alpaca. To be clear, he owns the entire trailer park, which consists of 30 other trailers, all of which are immaculate hotbeds of high-tech media technology where interesting people live. He loves the community he has created, which is more important to him than status and privilege. "For me, experiences are more meaningful than stuff," he says. "I have way more experiences here." I'd love to see you reaffirm your commitment to priorities like his in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. It'll be a favorable time to do so.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Medical
researcher Jonas Salk developed a successful polio vaccine, so he had a strong rational mind. Here's how he described his relationship with his non-rational way of knowing. He said, "It is always with excitement that I wake up in the morning wondering what my intuition will toss up to me, like gifts from the sea. I work with it and rely on it. It's my partner." I bring this up, Capricorn, because the coming weeks will be a favorable time to celebrate and cultivate your own intuition. You may generate amazing results as you learn to trust it more and figure out how to deepen your relationship with it.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Aquarian environmentalist Edward Abbey once formulated a concise list of his requirements for living well. "One must be reasonable in one's demands on life," he wrote. "For myself, all that I ask is—1. accurate information; 2. coherent knowledge; 3. deep understanding; 4. infinite loving wisdom; 5. no more kidney stones, please." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, now would be an excellent time for you to create your own tally of the Five Crucial Provisions. Be bold and precise as you inform life about your needs. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): "We may be surprised at whom God sends to answer our prayers," wrote author Janette Oke. I suspect that observation will apply to you in the coming weeks. If you're an atheist or agnostic, I'll rephrase her formulation for you—"We may be surprised at whom Life sends to answer our entreaties." There's only one important thing you have to do to cooperate with this experience—set aside your expectations about how help and blessings might appear. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Poet Muriel Rukeyser said, "The world is made of stories, not atoms." I'd add, "You are made of stories, too." What's your favorite story that you're made of? Freewillastrology.com
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freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2019
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news of the weird THANK YOU, I THINK? The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on Aug. 11 that in the overnight hours, more than 50 old-style television sets had been deposited on the front porches of homes in Henrico County, Virginia. Henrico Police Lt. Matt Pecka said the culprits were caught on several doorbell cameras, with one of the videos showing a person wearing TV-shaped headgear while dropping off the TV. Even more puzzling, a similar phenomenon happened last year in nearby Glen Allen, where 20 sets were left on porches. Pecka said the only crime that might have been committed is illegal dumping: "We don't believe there's any reason for the community to be alarmed." BRIGHT IDEA A Twitter user known only as "Dorothy," 15, was banned from her phone by her mom in early August after becoming distracted while cooking and starting a fire, but that didn't stop her, reported The Guardian. First she tweeted from a Nintendo 3DS gaming device, but Mom caught on quickly and posted that the account would be shut down. The next day, Dorothy tweeted from her Wii U, assuring followers that while Mom was at work, she'd be looking for her phone. Finally, on Aug. 8, with no other options left, Dorothy reached out to Twitter from an unlikely source: her family's LG smart refrigerator. "I am talking to my fridge what the heck my Mom confiscated all of my electronics again," she posted. The post went viral, even prompting LG to tweet about it with the hashtag #FreeDorothy. GOVERNMENT IN ACTION What a relief! The U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Aug. 8 that miniature horses are cleared to fly in all cabins of commercial planes as emotional support and service animals. The agency called "dogs, cats and miniature horses" the "most commonly recognized service animals," Fox News reported. However, other organizations, including the Association of Flight Attendants, have urged a tightening of rules
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
about the animals because of "rampant abuse" of service animal designations. Apparently, the DOT said "neiiiighhhh" to that. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS Was there or was there not a clown? And what exactly is "fancy dress"? In the early hours of July 26, The Guardian reported, a "mass brawl" broke out in a buffet area of the P&O cruise ship Britannia, which was bound from Bergen, Norway, to Southampton, England. Witnesses told staff that the fight started when one passenger became angry that another was wearing a clown outfit, because they had specifically booked a cruise with no fancy dress. Another witness said the clown had crashed a black-tie party. But P&O later said in a statement there was no clown, and Hampshire police confirmed: "There is no information to suggest that a clown or anyone wearing fancy dress was involved in this incident." A number of passengers were injured in the brawl by flying furniture and plates, and two passengers were arrested, then later released. TRUE LOVE For 68 years, Francis and Rosemary Klontz of Sacramento, California, have not just shared the ups and downs of marriage and family. They've cemented their bond by coordinating their outfits— every day!—for almost seven decades. Francis lets his wife pick out his clothes each morning: "She just lays it out for me, and I don't have to worry about a thing!" he told KOVR TV. The couple also sing together, performing at church, hospitals and around the house. They started dating in junior high school in Auburn, Washington, and the dressing alike custom started when Rosemary's mother bought them matching shirts. "We've been matching ever since," Rosemary said. {in} From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2019 Andrews McMeel
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