Inweekly Dec. 17 2020 Issue

Independent News | December 17, 2020 | Volume 21 | Number 51

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winners & losers

outtakes

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5

news 6, 8

I always believe in letting people tell their own story.

cover story

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publisher Rick Outzen

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contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite

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December 17, 2020

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winners & losers

Allison Jones / Courtesy Photo

winners

losers

ALLISON JONES Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund announced that Jones has been elected shareholder as of Jan. 1. She is a CPA and serves as a senior manager in the firm's Audit and Assurance Service Department. Jones was in the first Inweekly Rising Star class in 2008. She is extremely active in the community and has served on the board of multiple affiliations including Junior Achievement of Northwest Florida, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Creative Learning Academy and Fiesta of Five Flags. She has lent her expertise as treasurer or as part of the finance committees of local organizations including the Escambia County School District, Chain Reaction and Junior League of Pensacola. Jones was a graduate of the Leadership Pensacola Class of 2007.

ASHLEY MOODY The Florida Attorney

KIMBERLY KRUPA The executive direc-

ANTHONY SABATINI The 1st District Court of Appeal has tossed out a challenge

by Leon County Republican Party Chairman Evan Power to a county requirement that people wear face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The dismissal did not address underlying constitutional issues in the case but stemmed from Power's attorney, state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, not filing an initial brief at the appeals court.

Sabatini has yet to win legal challenge to any municipal mask order.

tor of Achieve Escambia received the 2020 Children's Funding Champion Award from Funding The Next Generation and the Washington, D.C.-based Children's Funding Project on Thursday, Dec. 10, during a national conference on children's ballot referendums. Elizabeth Gaines, founder and director of the Children's Funding Project, pointed out Krupa's leadership in leading the effort to create "a children's fund in the face of hurricanes, a pandemic and more, raising $8 million per year for kids in their community." Krupa is the second person in the U.S. to win this award.

She joins Margaret Brodkin, matriarch of San Francisco's comprehensive, many-decades-old children's fund, as winners of the Children's Funding Champion award.

BAPTIST HEALTH CARE Press Ganey

named Baptist Health Care a 2020 Leading Innovator. The Leading Innovators Program honors clients for rapid development and implementation of innovative approaches to addressing challenges facing the health care industry, including those brought about by the spread of COVID-19. In March, Baptist launched virtual safety huddles conducted with team members via Zoom.

Safety huddles are daily leadership discussion platforms to discuss all that may impact patient care. During the huddles, the group reviews and addresses current needs to ensure the highest level of patient care and team member support.

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Ashley Moody / myfloridalegal.com

General joined a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's request that the U.S. Supreme Court overrule presidential election returns in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin and let those states' legislatures decide the outcome. All four states have certified that Democratic President-elect Joe Biden won their state. Florida's Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried nailed it when she denounced Moody's move—"It's embarrassing to the integrity of our democracy and resolution of this election." On Friday, Dec. 11, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Paxton's long-shot lawsuit, saying that the state of Texas didn't have legal standing to bring forth the case—Moody should have known.

RON DESANTIS The CDC ordered a na-

tional moratorium on evictions to protect renters who may have lost work from the pandemic. DeSantis allowed Florida's eviction moratorium to lapse at the end of September, claiming it would avoid confusion over which order was in force. The Tampa Bay Times reports that court records show that the federal order has failed to protect renters in Florida from losing their housing.

JOSHUA MERRITT The 43-year-old consultant based in Dallas was Trump attorney Sidney Powell's secret witness, code-named "Spyder." Powell said Spyder had alleged that server traffic showed that voting systems were "certainly compromised by rogue actors, such as Iran and China." Merritt's name was discovered when the Powell team filed a redacted declaration from its secret witness, but a bookmark in the file uploaded to the court's computer system was visible— "Declaration of JOSHUA MERRITT." inweekly.net

8 LOTS AVAILABLE ALONG LONG STREET IN MILTON

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

MISFIRED ATTACK The PNJ's Sunday, Dec. 13, editorial was a scathing attack on the Escambia Board of County Commissioners but also came as a surprise. A train wreck between the BCC and the DPZ CoDesign had been predictable for months.

The BCC had made clear its goal for the former Navy site near I-10 was to create 1,000 high-paying jobs. The consultant was known for "creating pedestrian-friendly 'New Urbanist' communities." The clash was inevitable, and the BCC would be the winner.

In April 1997, the Pensacola Chamber first mentioned OLF-8 as being ideal for a commerce park. The drawback was the county would have to acquire land in Santa Rosa County near Whiting Field for a land swap. The land swap would take over two decades, with FloridaWest CEO Scott Luth negotiating the final deal.

In 2018, Commissioner Doug Underhill argued the county should scrap the commerce park and build a multi-use residential and commercial town center for Beulah. In a viewpoint in the PNJ, Bergosh, who lives across the road from OLF-8, wrote, "I have skin in the game, and I don't support any residential development on the OLF-8 site and won't support selling this parcel off so residential developers can make a quick buck."

In September 2018, the BCC voted to sell 100 acres of OLF-8 to Navy Federal because 300 additional jobs would be created.

The 300 jobs would move the county closer to its 1,000 high-paying jobs goal for OLF-8.

This was when the PNJ took the stance that Beulah residents should drive the vision for OLF-8, not the rest of the county residents. The view was reflected in the recent editorial that commissioners not accepting the DPZ options was a "brazen insult" to Beulah residents.

Eight years ago, Beulah residents protested the Langley Bell-H Center property's sale to Navy Federal. The Pensacola Chamber lobbied for the deal because the credit union was adding about 400 jobs per year, nearing the capacity at its 65-acre campus. No one called the commission vote a "brazen insult to the citizens of

Beulah" because the board saw the value in adding more jobs.

In 2016, Port Royal residents didn't want the city of Pensacola to build the Community Maritime Park. The city council still voted for the project, and Quint Studer, this newspaper and others fought for a referendum paving the way for the project. No one—other than maybe Councilman Marty Donovan and Charles Fairchild—considered the council vote and referendum a "brazen insult" to Port Royal residents.

Two years ago, citizens of the Tanyard and two Pensacola council members favored a plan to build a fish hatchery at Bruce Beach. The state held public hearings and paid for construction plans. However, citizens who didn't live near Bruce Beach fought the project, and eventually, the state withdrew the hatchery. No one said those opposing the hatchery were a "brazen insult" to the Tanyard.

In all three cases, the community and elected officials had to weigh the nearby locals' wants against the entire county's needs, and the daily newspaper agreed with the decision.

By the end of 2018, Navy Federal offered to pay for the master planner. In mid-2019, DPZ CoDesign was hired. The daily had as its subtitle for the article, "Job creation will be the key priority." There was no mystery what the BCC expected from the DPZ. DPZ ignored the instruction and came back with a plan that contained more residential for the area and stressed retail such as "specialty grocery stores, neighborhood retail shops, food and beverage services and outdoor experiential businesses," according to the PNJ. Rather than job creation, the consultants focused on tax revenue generated.

None of the four options presented had overwhelming support from the 271 respondents. The top vote-getter was a village/town center that received only 35% of the first-place votes.

The PNJ editorial board and DPZ shouldn't have been surprised by their reception. The BCC acted true to its longestablished goal for OLF-8. {in} rick@inweekly.net

No one called the commission vote a "brazen insult to the citizens of Beulah" because the board saw the value in adding more jobs.

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WHEN WILL WE GET SERIOUS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS?

By Jeremy Morrison Homelessness isn't a new problem, and the issue certainly isn't unique to Pensacola. A national 2019 point-intime survey indicated a 3% increase in the homeless population, and on Monday, Dec. 21, the country will observe the 30th annual National Homeless Memorial Day, a recognition of homeless individuals who have died.

But this year has been particularly rough locally. In addition to weathering the realities of the coronavirus pandemic, the local homeless community and the organizations that serve them also saw much of their world turned upside down when Hurricane Sally blew through town.

"COVID slowed 'em down and then along came Sally," said Pensacola Administrator Keith Wilkins. "Flooded Waterfront Mission. Destroyed the Washburn Center."

"I think the best word I can use is 'devastating.' It's just been devastating for the homeless community," said Mike Kimberl, executive director of the Alfred Washburn Center. "It's just one hit after another."

Along with addressing hurricane and flood damage to the off-lined Washburn Center, Kimberl has continued to try to meet whatever needs possible of the local homeless population. That's meant double duty—sawing out soggy sheetrock, as well as "handing sack lunches over the fence."

"We did not want the hit to roll down to the homeless community," he explained.

As always, the local issue of homelessness is being tended to by a collective of nonprofit service providers and contemplated by local government officials. The issue is also being complained about, notably from downtown business owners weary of panhandlers in the urban core.

While municipal efforts have long focused on punitive measures aimed at sweeping the issue from view, a recent conversation buried within the weeds of an advisory board meeting revealed the wriggling of a more progressive municipal philosophy.

While discussing a slate of priorities of Pensacola's Community Redevelopment Area (CRA)—a sphere typically consumed with revitalizing downtown and economic development projects—members of the recently minted Urban Core Redevelopment Board (UCRB) began wondering if CRA funds could be used to develop public restrooms and a day-use center—facilities considered of top importance to the homeless community center—in the urban core.

"I think that needs to be part of the discussion," said Pensacola City Councilwoman Ann Hill.

It's unlikely that such a discussion will bear fruit—Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson has already dismissed the notion— 66

but it's notable that the issue of funding homeless initiatives is even making it onto the CRA's table, where you're more likely to hear talk of fancying up downtown with a public-private partnership and something called the "East Garden District."

"It's symbolic," said UCRB member Drew Buchanan, calling homelessness "one of the biggest issues in the city."

THE HIGH PRICE OF NIRVANA

The needs of the homeless community—shelter, food and a myriad of services—have traditionally been met by a collective of nonprofit organizations or area churches. A homeless individual might grab a bed at the Waterfront Rescue Mission, do some laundry at the Washburn and get some food from a local church or Food Not Bombs.

Local governments have typically operated in the realm of ordinances, enforcing or enacting rules aimed at activities like panhandling or sleeping in the park. But in 2019, officials from the city of Pensacola and Escambia County convened a summit with the local organizations that serve the homeless community in an effort to figure out a way the partnership could address the overall issue.

The need for a come-as-you-are day-use center as well as public restroom facilities were identified as top priorities.

Thus far, local government officials have yet to figure out how best to coordinate with area service providers to realize the day-use center—where it's envisioned some services would be based—or where to locate either a center or the restroom facility. Also, as always, funding has become a key hurdle.

"They're gonna have to workshop it, have discussions," Wilkins said, explaining that the report will likely contain familiar items, like the day-use center and restrooms.

Ideally, the administrator said, the city and county would partner with outside agencies in the realization of a larger dayuse center in the city, as well as smaller facilities farther out.

"That's kind of nirvana," Wilkins said, "that we'd have a central day-use facility and also smaller satellite facilities."

But nirvana, Wilkins admits, will be "a financial stretch," and one that will require as-yet-to-materialize partnerships. The quicker, easier and much, much cheaper recommendations will likely focus on the consideration of certain ordinances.

In the past, the city has run afoul of free speech rights with ordinances aimed at panhandling. Currently, the city's legal department is studying efforts in other areas, such as in Key West where panhandlers have been pushed off Duval Street and onto side streets, but Wilkins has concerns that the rule erected on the island could withstand a legal challenge—"Is that something that is legally defensible, or is it something where everyone looks the other way?"

"Maybe they don't have an ACLU. We do," he said. "We really have to make sure what we do is legal and enforceable."

Recently, city officials met with downtown business owners, who've been making noise about the number of homeless people in the urban core. Wilkins wasn't looking forward to the meeting—"I expected to go in and get skewered"—but after some discussions about not only panhandling but also stuff like the need for a public restroom facility, the city administrator's pretty sure everyone's on the same basic page—"Homeless citizens have a right to exist; they have a right to be in the public spaces."

"We will continue to discuss with the city if a positive program can be identified to alleviate homelessness.

SWEET TENT I wish there was an easy resolution." HOME In Northwest Florida's homeless community, Kimberl wears a number of hats. In Janice Gilley "Homelessness is a topic we discuss with the city, and unfortunately, there are no easy solutions," Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley said in an email statement. "We will continue to discuss with the city if a positive program can be identified to alleviate homelessness. I wish there was an easy resolution. We have looked across the country at projects, and in most instances, they are expensive."

Over at the city, Wilkins said there have been staff-level meetings centered on this issue on a weekly basis. Currently, Neighborhoods Administrator Lawrence Powell is working up a report with recommendations for consideration in January by the Pensacola City Council.

addition to running the Washburn center, he operates Satoshi Forest, a campground for homeless individuals, and also works to provide meals to those in need.

"I'm exhausted," Kimberl said recently, pausing for a moment to catch his breath.

"Some friends are about to drop off some vegan meat that they thought we could use for Food Not Bombs."

Kimberl wasn't wearing any hat at all when he appeared before city council this fall to berate Mayor Robinson about the city's lack of movement when it comes to addressing the issue of homelessness.

"It's all been theatrics," he said.

Kimberl complains that the city recently requested he relocate his meal giveaways from Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza in an

attempt to "pied piper the homeless away from Palafox." And he says that even when he thinks he has made a breakthrough during discussions with city officials, he'll later hear Mayor Robinson broadcast "some weird bastardization of what I said."

"And it's like, 'Ahhh, he didn't get it,'" Kimberl sighs.

During its recent discussion on the homeless issue, the CRA advisory board requested that Kimberl be invited to provide an overview of the landscape and to outline potential solutions. He will obviously nod toward items like the day-use center and public restroom facility, but he might also offer a more direct solution— provide the homeless with homes.

"It's cheaper to house homeless people than do nothing." Mike Kimberl "It's cheaper to house homeless people than do nothing," Kimberl contended.

But that's a pretty progressive concept, and Kimberl knows it's not gonna fly around here.

That's why he continues to stress the importance of campground facilities in the mix of potential services.

"I realize no one here wants to cough up the money for housing, so let's give 'em a tent," Kimberl suggested. "I still think it's better than the wild-wild-west, behind-the-bushes that we have going on now." {in}

WAYS TO HELP

Large-scale local solutions might be slow coming, but if you're in a position to donate or volunteer this season, you can help the local homeless population in some direct and immediate ways.

FOOD NOT BOMBS PENSACOLA

Food Not Bombs is always seeking food donations and volunteers. Email them at foodnotbombspensacola@riseup.net for ways to get involved.

BLESSING BAGS

Opening Doors Northwest Florida is collecting items to put together 150 blessing bags for those who are unsheltered. The bags will be distributed on Monday, Dec. 21, which is National Homeless Memorial Day. Items for the blessing bags include a new pair of shoes, a flashlight, knit hat, gloves, new undergarments, reading glasses, small denomination gift cards, hygiene products and more. Items can be dropped off at 1020 N. New Warrington Road, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Contact Serene Keiek for more information at 741-4616 or serenek@openingdoorsnwfl.org. inweekly.net

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WELCOME TO THE 21ST CENTURY

By Rick Outzen Escambia County operates on a $587 million budget but has a purchase office that uses processes that probably were cutting edge in 1985 when the Macintosh computer ran on Microsoft Windows 1.0.

This year, the Escambia County Commission decided to move its procurement process into the 21st century. In March, the commission hired Accenture Consulting to perform a Strategic Organizational Assessment of County Procurement Processes.

Accenture was the former consulting division of the accounting firm Arthur Andersen. When it split from the accounting firm in 2001, Andersen Consulting adopted the name "Accenture." The word "Accenture" is derived from "Accent on the future," which fits what the commissioners wanted to see happen.

Escambia County's purchasing office had become bogged down with a heavy workload and backlog of procurement requests that had slowed several projects' progress and made it difficult to attract and retain experienced staff. Several commissioners wondered aloud about how much the inefficient department was costing taxpayers.

Accenture did a complete analysis of procurement operations, policies and procedures, staff resources, technology and Small Business and Minority/Woman-Owned Business programs. After analyzing 165,428 lines of payment data for $480 million in expenditures and reviewing 178 vendor survey responses, 187 project timelines and 1,684 88

purchase orders, the consultants presented their report to the county in August.

Accenture found the purchasing office lacked best practices technology and had become mired in paperwork. Requests for Proposal were taking fi ve months on average.

Departments shared comments about the purchasing office with the consultants.

Here are a few from the report: •"Everything they do in this county is with a piece of paper."

•"Purchasing seems to be doing a lot of things manually."

•"A lot of paper, no electronic approval."

On a scale of zero to three, with three being leading in overall procurement capability and zero representing the most fundamental capability, Escambia County ranked 0.87 overall.

The consultants ranked five essential capabilities. None reached the Intermediate level of 1.5.

•Procurement Strategy: 0.75 •Sourcing & Category Management: 0.81 •Vendor Management: 0.56 •Transactional Procurement: 1.37 •Compliance: 0.67 •Organization Workforce & Technology: 1.06 At the Committee of the Whole on Tuesday, Dec. 8, Assistant County Administrator Wesley Hall shared with the county commissioners his analysis of the report.

He said, "To be very, very frank, we're somewhere between 1985 and 1999 in our (purchasing) process. That's where we're at. We're at least 20 to 25 years behind."

Accenture made five observations and

110 recommendations. The key observations were: •There is a lack of integrated technology applications that cover the full Source-to-Pay spectrum, resulting in significant inefficiencies.

•With Purchasing Office's staff focused on executing manual processes and tactical activities, there is minimal time available for strategic planning with Departments to drive efficiencies.

•Purchasing process contains many manual steps, duplicate data entry and poor status tracking.

•Without a Director level position, Purchasing Office does not have presence at leadership levels to support decision-making and strong engagement with Departments.

•Manual approval process with limited approval delegation creates significant workload for the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrators, Purchasing Office and Departments.

"There's a lack of integrated technology applications that cover the full source of the pay spectrum," said Hall. "The purchasing process contains manual steps, duplicate entry and poor status tracking."

He admitted he experienced delays in purchasing. Hall said, "I had an issue where I tried to get an RFP out in September. I got it out about two weeks ago. It's a manual process that's difficult to track."

Hall agreed with the recommendation that the county needed to have a purchasing director.

"In addition to the director, we have to have specialists," he said. "Right now, we don't have any experts on a given subject.

And with most purchasing organizations that are strong and successful, they have experts in certain categories."

The Accenture recommendations were divided into categories. The top opportunities concerning staff were restructuring the purchasing office and proactively developing sourcing strategies for major categories.

The process structure included a purchasing director answering to the county administrator and would: •Set and communicate procurement vision.

•Monitor and manage Procurement KPIs. •Set and maintain procurement policies.

•Manage Purchasing Office budget and staff.

•Manage Sourcing Plan and work assignments.

•Establish and maintain strong working relationships with each Department.

•Address escalated risks and issues.

•Support SBE and M/WBE outreach.

•Conduct quality review of procurement work products.

The director would have four buyers that would cover four specific categories— construction and engineering, facilities and professional services, fleet and fuel and IT, office and administrative. A technology and data specialist would implement and maintain the procurement technologies.

Under process improvements, the top opportunities were to develop a two-year master sourcing plan, create a procurement scorecard, use state term contracts and cooperative agreements when possible, streamline Board recommendation process, set minimum information requirements for procurement and use best value evaluation of solicitations.

Under technology improvements, Accenture had two top priorities. One was to deploy integrated Source-to-Pay technology, including Sourcing, Contract Management, Requisition to PO, Accounts Payable and Inventory Management modules. The other was to create Buyer and Vendor portals for departments and vendors to track purchase orders.

Hall said, "It's going to take us probably a full year to get to all of them because there are some technology and some other pieces that have to be put in place."

The assistant administrator mentioned how critical it was that the county train people who have expertise in various fields.

"Until we do that, if somebody pulls out and they move to another department and they leave, it puts us in a position where we don't have expertise, which slows the whole process down," said Hall. "So that people piece is very, very critical, followed by the technology piece and then the process opportunities."

Commissioner Steven Barry told Hall that he has had issues "either with staff that communicates to us that they're having issues there or with our own projects, trying to get them through purchasing projects that are important to our districts and our constituency."

He said he had recently done a "deep dive" into the backup of several vendor checks and found several consistencies in what was being paid for supplies and services.

"What I found was we were paying for things that preferred customers shouldn't be paying for, even though they're purchase orders," Barry said. "All of our purchase orders, especially the blanket ones, say the county's going to be charged preferred rates that are in the two most valued customers."

He said, "I don't believe most valued customers pay surcharges, pay fuel surcharges, shop supplies—these kinds of things—which are considerable, especially when you're talking about expensive work being done."

The commissioner said he was "very supportive" of moving forward with the Accenture recommendations.

"I think whatever needs to come to the board, let's get it moving," said Barry. "And, if there's something there that that maybe is a concern to the board, we'll take it up then. But I would think that there's going to be a lot of board support for anything that will move the process along to be a more functional department." {in} inweekly.net

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WWW.PENSACOLAOPERA.COM December 17, 2020

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hall for 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the Blue Wahoos Stadium. Attorneys Mike Papantonio and Brian Barr will answer your legal questions, and refreshments will be provided. Visit skanskafi xyourmess.com to learn more about the meeting and the lawsuit.

IDENTITY CRISIS A

Photo by Grand Warszawski / Shutterstock.com

"SCREW OVER" MOTION On Wednesday, Dec. 9, Skanska filed several federal court complaints that attempt to limit its financial responsibility and cap damages caused by its conduct. The complaint claims that Skanska took all reasonable precautions to prepare for Hurricane Sally's approach and had no knowledge of the conditions leading to the destruction of the bridge.

Bridge contractor wants the federal court to limit the damages caused by its barges to the barges' value. If the legal action is successful, the bridge contractor might only have to pay about $1 million to local businesses hurt by the Pensacola Bay Bridge's closure.

Inweekly reached out to Brian Barr. His firm, Levin Papantonio, has been leading the fight to hold Skanska accountable for the damage the company's barges did to the local economy when they broke from their moorings and severely damage the Pensacola Bay Bridge. Based in Sweden, Skanska is a fortune 500 company that generates $18.7 billion in revenue per year and is the largest company in the United States and worldwide.

"It's standard maritime practice," said Barr. "I'm referring to it as "The Screw Over the Pensacola Community" motion because that's what it is. I mean, they clearly know they have responsibilities. I mean, how could they not?"

He explained, "What they're attempting to do through this motion is they actually filed it on behalf of five barges—one of them applies to somebody that had 010 1

their property impacted, but the ones I'm focusing on are the other four. And if you add them up, it's about a million dollars total value, so they're trying to limit their exposure to all Pensacola area businesses to about a million dollars."

Barr said Skanska had "no chance in hell" of being successful in limiting damages to $1 million.

"Because to be successful, they have to show a lack of privy to any knowledge of what was occurring with these barges," said the attorney. "How do they do that? They were building the bridge using their barges. How do they show that they didn't know what was going on with them? And to prove their case, they would almost have to be negligent."

Limiting the damages to the barges' value is a uniquely federal action, which makes Barr believe the Skanska motion is a red herring.

"What they're really trying to do is make all of the Gulf region and Pensacola businesses file a claim in federal court," said Barr. The Skanska motion will move the claims, which have been filed in state court, to the federal level, which will take about 90 days.

"Once all claims are in federal court, then Skanska's attorneys will move for summary judgment," he explained, "basically saying that under maritime law, these businesses don't have a recovery because the barges didn't impact them."

Barr added, "In other words, they're really trying to limit their liability to zero."

Levin Papantonio had scheduled a town

recent poll by the Listener Group for Inweekly revealed at 46% of 2,130 Escambia County likely voters had no idea that Janice Gilley is the county administrator despite being on the job since July 2019 and holding daily press conferences after Hurricane Sally struck the community.

The good news is that of the respondents who knew her, 58.8% were satisfied or very satisfied with her job performance, while 27% were dissatisfied, and 14.2% had no opinion.

The newspaper polled the commissioners' districts and found that District 4 Commissioner Robert Bender had the largest percentage of voters, 45.6%, that didn't know he was the commissioner. District 3 Commissioner Lumon May only had 10.5% that did not know him. District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry had 22.5% that didn't know him, while District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh and District 2 Commissioner Doug Underhill had 12.2% and 12.6%, respectively.

Among voters that knew them, May had the highest satisfaction percentage, 77%, followed by Barry, 71.7%, and Bergosh and Bender, both with 60.1%. Underhill had the lowest satisfaction percentage, 39.4%.

May and Barry were recently elected to their third terms. Bergosh won a hotly contested primary in August to win his second term. Underhill narrowly defeated his GOP primary opponent in August 2018 by 212 votes and went on to win a second term in the general election. That same year, Bender won a crowded GOP primary with only 27% of the votes cast. Underhill and Bender face reelection in two years.

CHECKS MAILED The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program application and verification process began on Sept. 25 and has officially closed. The county approved 5,500 households for the $3,000 grants. Escambia County residents will receive $16.5 million from this appropriation program.

In its four-day application window, the county received a higher-than-anticipated

volume of applications, with 9,558 households submitting information. Only 42% of the applicants did not receive any CARES funds.

"We are pleased to be completed with the certification process for this grant, which is so helpful to the citizens of our county," said Clara Long, director of Neighborhood and Human Services Department.

"Our staff took the time to work with residents who needed assistance in completing the application correctly, and due to federal funding deadlines, we are no longer accepting additional information."

Escambia County received $57.3 million from the CARES Act signed by President Trump in late March. The county only distributed 27.9% to families and individuals, and the majority of the checks were mailed in 60 days before the CARES deadline, Dec. 30.

WARMING TO CLIMATE REPORT What can the city of Pensacola do to plan for and respond to climate change? That question has been pondered extensively already and in 2018 was the subject of a report produced by the city's Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force.

Members of that task force reconvened Tuesday, Dec. 8, to discuss municipal efforts concerning climate change in the two years since they delivered their report. Participating in the virtual forum was city Sustainability Coordinator Mark Jackson, a position created since the report's completion.

Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers, who initially pushed for the formation of the task force, recalled the atmosphere during which she waded into this issue—"I was very nervous even using the word 'climate'"—and told forum participants that she hoped to see the city further act on recommendations contained in the task force's final report.

"My greatest fear is that we would have a report, and it would just sit on a shelf somewhere and never acted on." Sherri Myers "My greatest fear is that we would have a report, and it would just sit on a shelf somewhere and never acted on," Myers said.

Christian Wagley, the coastal organizer for Healthy Gulf, moderated the virtual forum and gave an early nod to one of the recommendations from the task force report that the city has acted on—Jackson's hiring.

"He asks all the right questions," Wagley said of the sustainability coordinator. "He's digging in."

Other task force members also said they were encouraged by the dedicated city position and the city's decision to join the inweekly.net

WAHOOS JOIN MARLINS The Pensacola

International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives-Local Governments for Sustainability, another recommendation from the task force.

"Those are all very positive," said Dr. Haris Alibasic, an assistant professor in the University of West Florida's Public Administration program.

But they also said the city should be doing more—and doing so more aggressively.

The members reiterated points made during a task force reunion in 2019 and stressed the importance of the city getting a baseline measurement of its carbon footprint by conducting a greenhouse emissions assessment of municipal operations and committing to a target date for shifting the city to 100% sustainable energy.

On at least one of those fronts, the city has taken an initial step. Jackson said the city had conducted an initial greenhouse emissions assessment but had not released the report because of data gaps discovered.

"We plan to fill those gaps in the next year (2020) report," explained Jackson in an email later sent to Inweekly, "and address the differences seen year over year as we get better at collecting and refining our data."

There has been no movement on the recommendation to strive for 100% renewable energy. Mayor Grover Robinson has said the city is keen to explore renewable energy sources such as solar but has shown no inclination to commit to any target date.

Wagley suggested that the longer the city waited to incorporate such efforts into municipal development projects, such as the new commercial hangars at the Pensacola International Airport, the more opportunities were slipping by.

"Tremendous solar potential," Wagley said of the hangars.

Myers also has ideas for a solar project the city could get involved in—"I'd like to see solar farms over at Cordova Mall where cars can park under them."

Going forward, task force members suggested the city set targets for meeting the various recommendations contained in the report to better create, as Alibasic put it, "a sense of accountability and transparency."

"I think that we should have a progress report twice a year," suggested Councilwoman Myers. "We need to educate our people about what we're doing and why we're doing it and how they can be involved."

Blue Wahoos received a formal invitation from Major League Baseball to become the Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate on Wednesday.

"We are very excited to be invited to partner with the Miami Marlins," Blue Wahoos co-owner Quint Studer said. "The Marlins franchise, fresh off a trip to the playoffs in 2020, boasts one of the top five Minor League farm systems in baseball. We look forward to completing the process to become an affiliate of the Marlins officially and to put an extremely talented, winning team in front of our fans at Blue Wahoos Stadium."

He added, "Off the field, the Marlins share our commitment to diversity, inclusion and bettering the community, and we look forward to being great partners to them both at the ballpark and away from it."

When the license application processes are completed, the Marlins will have their two highest-level affiliates located within the state of Florida, with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp making the jump from Double-A to Triple-A. "We are excited to invite Pensacola to be the Miami Marlins' Double-A affiliate," Gary Denbo, the vice president of Player Development for the Marlins, said. "Pensacola is widely recognized as one of the top franchises in minor league baseball."

The Marlins will become the third affiliate for the Blue Wahoos franchise.

The team was previously a member of the Cincinnati Reds organization (2012-2018) and the Minnesota Twins (2019-2020).

"Our entire organization would like to pass along our gratitude to the Minnesota Twins for their partnership with the Blue Wahoos over the past two years," Studer said. "On the field, they provided a playoffcaliber team for us. Off the field, they were excellent business and community partners, recently making a generous donation to hurricane relief efforts in our city. We wish the Twins nothing but the best."

In a subsequent announcement, the Beloit Snappers were invited to become

the Advanced-A affiliate of the Marlins.

The Snappers, located in Wisconsin, are also managed by the Studers.

INPUT SOUGHT Escambia County and the City of Pensacola engage the public in transforming Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park into an innovative and iconic urban green space for the community to enjoy.

Residents are invited to participate in two online surveys to guide the future design of the community park. The surveys are available now through the end of 2020 at myhtwpark.com.

The Park User Survey and a Visual Preference Survey request feedback on park programming. Participants will be asked for their feature preferences, such as playgrounds, green spaces and multi-use fields, to be included in the park's leisure and recreation plan and have an opportunity to see how those elements fit within the layout.

The new Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park will serve as a place to play, reflect and connect with the surrounding community while also improving water quality and addressing stormwater concerns in the area. A portion of the runoff from adjacent streets and the I-110 overpass will be captured and treated before being released into Pensacola Bay. The funding source for the design of the project is a RESTORE Direct Component grant.

The Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park will include two separate design and construction phases. The first phase consists of planning, designing, and constructing the skate park, which will be located south of Jackson Street near the existing community garden and will begin construction in 2021.

The second phase will be expanding the existing park, which includes new amenities and is planned to start construction in 2022.

Public engagement opportunities will be provided throughout the project. For details and more information, visit myhtwpark.com. {in}

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In The Markets

By Savannah Evanoff

Photo Courtesy of The Blocks Pop-Up Market

As the holidays approach, many people are in shopping mode, and we really hope you are doing it locally and safely.

If you are, you probably already have a Saturday trip to Palafox Market on your to-do list. But thankfully for all us lastminute shoppers, there are some additional markets happening this weekend, too.

Block Party

Charles Houston, operations manager for the SCI Building and co-organizer of The Blocks Pop-Up Market, can hardly think of a better place to shop than pop-up markets.

"It allows for vendors who wouldn't normally have a place to sell a place to set up and sell without the overhead cost they would traditionally receive if they had a full storefront," Houston said. "It also allows for the community to shop small. You can shop with your local vendors who aren't in the big box stores, who aren't in a Target or a Walmart nationally. You can purchase from one right here at home."

The Blocks Pop-Up Market is the perfect place to accomplish both of those goals.

"It was an idea that came up in regards to bringing some activity into the BelmontDeVilliers area right now and then also a way to help promote some businesses and vendors who may have been hurt by COVID-19 and the bridge closure," Houston said, "and also helping minority-owned businesses."

The location, which can fit as many as 26 vendors, is the perfect space, he explained.

"We have the Savoy Apartments, and that entire first floor is a blank canvas for us right now," Houston said. "It allows us to put something in that area, to host something there while we are waiting to see what's going to happen in the future."

The Blocks Pop-Up Market is closing out a month of shopping opportunities this December 17, 2020

weekend—Friday, Dec.18-Sunday, Dec. 20—with a variety of vendors.

Houston loves the creativity of the vendors, referencing Tia Robbins' Taste of Pensacola booth as an example.

"Her concept as far as her booth goes is really interesting," Houston said. "It's actually products from six other vendors.

She sells a multitude of things, such as hot chocolate bombs—which are really popular right now—to Christmas ornaments. We had a vendor called Visually Laced. She sold handmade purses she made and candles she hand-poured, bonnets and things like that. It's a nice variety."

Artsy Options

Pensacola Arts Market isn't your typical gift market. As the name implies, it's all about the participating artists and their unique one-of-a-kind items, explained founder Marri Salt, who is also an artist.

The first market was held last month, and the next is this Saturday, Dec. 19. After a winter break, the market will restart in the spring with a regular schedule.

Speaking about the November market, Salt was pleased with the turnout and the mood.

"Since COVID happened, so many of them have been inside really working away on their passions," Salt said. "It's provided a lot of beautiful handmade things that people could buy … It was beautiful. Everyone was happy to see some folks. Everyone masked up. It's outside, so we had nice social distancing."

Salt is a self-taught colorist, she said.

"My art is just improvised," Salt said.

"It's kinda like a jazz guitarist, really. I like to take colors, and all of a sudden I have something and it's done. I like really bright, beautiful, perky patterns. That's the vibe of the whole Pensacola Arts Market. I just

want a really nice, happy getaway for everyone to enjoy our city."

She is also the owner of Funky Yet Groovy vintage boutique at New Market Antiques, which explains the market's location.

"There's a nice piece of property right next to where I put my boutique, and I just love Brownsville, and I want people to love it just as much," Salt said. "It's a beautiful place and there's nice businesses, so I asked the owners if I can bring Pensacola Arts Market there."

She and "her person," Gary Seaman, the Gary of Gary's Guitar Lessons, put the event together.

"We had music all day from Gary's Guitar Lessons with his students that played their guitars, and they had bands," Salt said of the last market. "They made student bands of local singer-songwriters. It was really a cool day. He's taught a lot of people in Pensacola."

In terms of vendors, Salt focuses on variety, she said, because she has limited space. Things like sustainable fashion, jewelry and art prints are always on hand from various local creatives.

The market sits right in the heart of Brownsville on Cervantes.

"We're hoping people really take advantage of Brownsville," Salt said. "It's beautiful. It needs life. We had a lot of people in the neighborhood say, 'Thank you for being here.'"

"It's going to be a really nice day," Salt said, looking forward to this Saturday's event.

"We're going to have some more classical guitarists. I think this time we're not going to be holiday themed just to be inclusive, but just cheer. Like, let's be happy," she continued.

Christina Johns, the founder of Life's Natural Beat, has participated and will par-

ticipate in future events for both The Blocks Pop Up Market and Pensacola Arts Market.

"I bring a variety of items with me to the markets, and everything is handcrafted and one of a kind," Johns said. "I hand paint terracotta pots and sell them with a variety of different plants. Each pot is painted with a unique design and carefully planted with a sacred plant for your spaces. I also create one-of-a-kind African-inspired jewelry, crystal necklaces and hemp necklaces. I really just like to create where my energy is leading me."

Johns thinks markets are so important to the community throughout the year, but especially in December.

"We have so many amazing artists and makers right here in our community that we can support instead of big-box retailers," Johns said. "We are able to really showcase the talent that our city holds and help build areas within the community that are growing. Doing these markets has really helped me meet so many amazing individuals and allows me to put a face to the local goods that I see throughout the community." {in}

THE BLOCKS POP-UP MARKET

WHERE: First floor Savoy Apartments, 321 N. DeVilliers St. WHEN: 4-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18; 2-6 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 20 DETAILS: facebook.com/theblockspopup

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET

WHERE: New Market Antiques, 2725 W. Cervantes St. WHEN: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19 DETAILS: facebook.com/pensacolaartsmarket 13

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WEEK OF DECEMBER 17-22

Arts & Encouragement hope, help and other signs of humanity at a time when we really need it...

"Black Citizenship" Exhibit Opens at Voices of Pensacola

By C. Scott Satterwhite

Photo courtesy of UWF Photography

The African American Heritage Society and the UWF Historic Trust recently joined forces to bring an exhibit to Pensacola highlighting the human rights struggles for Black people in the United States. "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibit from the New York Historical Society Museum and Library, is currently on display at Voices of Pensacola.

Voices of Pensacola is part of the UWF Historic Trust, which lent its staff and resources to the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola to help curate the exhibit. The African American Heritage Society (AAHS), formed in 1990, takes an active role in the preservation of Pensacola's unique role in Black history. The mission of the AAHS, according to Executive Director Cheryl Howard, is to "educate, integrate, preserve African American history, heritage and culture in the larger community."

The current exhibit goes even further than the mission, working locally to tell a national story of survival against overwhelming odds.

The concept for "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" came about nearly two years ago with initial plans for the exhibit to be part of a small space in the soon-to-be renamed Pensacola Museum of History. As discussions grew, and more historians and community members joined the project, museum staff soon realized the exhibit would be much bigger than its original planned space.

Early plans were for the exhibit to open in 2020, but with the COVID-19 closures affecting the museum, plans for "Black December 17, 2020

Citizenship" slowed. In-person meetings turned to Zoom meetings, and curators' concepts shifted. What initially was scheduled to fit in one of the smaller rooms of the museum changed to the entire third floor, with additional space provided to showcase the UWF Historic Trust archival photos as part of the creation.

The exhibit at Voice of Pensacola is the first part of the larger plan to highlight Pensacola's Black history, but the main framework comes from the New York exhibit.

The home exhibit's popularity made the New York curators extend its run several times, eventually leading them to share the national aspects with the rest of the country.

According to Howard, the New York Historical Society "made the decision to share the poster exhibit with other smaller museums."

Joined by Rob Overton of the UWF Historic Trust, Howard gave a virtual tour of the exhibit last month.

"I'm so very pleased that they made the decision to reach out to us here in Pensacola," Howard said.

The exhibit in Voices of Pensacola is made up of a series of historical posters, beginning in Africa and ending with the modern Black Lives Matter movement. The first poster, "The Continent of Africa before Enslavement," gives an overview of life on the African continent before the Atlantic Slave Trade.

The next poster discusses Middle Passage, the term used to describe the "transportation" of African people "from the continent to other parts of the world," said Howard. Middle Passage began in the 1500s

and ended in the 1800s and is how most enslaved Africans came to the Americas.

The next posters cover the breadth of slavery throughout the United States, showing that slavery was not simply a Southern institution but widespread throughout the country. Last year marked the 400th anniversary of the introduction of African slavery by the English in the Virginia colony.

Though the first enslaved Africans went to Jamestown, slavery quickly spread throughout the North and South, including the home of the exhibit, New York.

The next section of the exhibit speaks to the singular historical event most associated with the institution of slavery—the American Civil War. Previous exhibits in the local museum dealing with the Civil War largely left the role of African Americans out of the story. "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" turns the focus away from the standard emphasis on Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation by telling the "role enslaved people played towards gaining their own freedom," said Howard.

One panel in the Civil War section of the exhibit shows a painting by Thomas Waterman Wood, "A Bit of War History." Howard described the three-part painting as a demonstration of the sacrifices made for African American freedom; each painting shows a man at different stages of his life.

Pointing to the first painting, Howard said, "This is a gentleman who was enslaved. You see him as a whole person."

Pointing to the second painting, Howard said, "Then you see he has signed up to fight with the Union soldiers." The final painting is of the same man, now a veteran, wearing a tattered uniform and missing a leg. He is on crutches and saluting. "Here he is, back after the war, and he has lost a leg fighting for his own freedom," said Howard.

This painting, as well as the whole exhibit, works to break the image often presented of African American rights as simply granted by presidents, such as Lincoln. Instead, the exhibit demonstrates the immense sacrifices made by African Americans for their rights—most notably the shifting definition of citizenship—and the constant struggle to maintain these same rights.

In an interview with WUWF, Howard said that the goal of the exhibit was to raise awareness and foster pride. Covering a 400-year time span, and dealing with difficult subject matter, "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" is an ambitious

project, which will become even larger in the coming months.

"It's about education, knowledge [and] humanity as we move forward in our understanding of each other," Howard said.

The Community Curator for the overall exhibit is newly elected Pensacola City Councilwoman Teniade Broughton. A local historian who has been with the project since its inception, Broughton plans to continue her work with UWF Historic Trust to see the exhibit come to fruition.

"I had been helping before my election [to City Council]," said Broughton. Despite her new position, she said she has no plans to stop.

"I'll be contributing to the local history portion," she said.

To build the larger exhibit, Broughton has worked with historians across the state to bring a broader focus to the project. Her work, which is better described as a passion, took her to various regional museums and archives.

"The process has showed me how the African American experience is overlooked in the museum because it's missing from the archives," said Broughton.

Broughton hopes this exhibit will bring needed attention to Pensacola's African American history and a more inclusive approach to Pensacola history.

"I'm happy that Historic Pensacola recognized they needed to include the African American community in this process," she said. "That's the only way the end product will be appealing."

While no date has been set for the main exhibit focusing on Pensacola, the "Black Citizenship" exhibit currently on display helps to give a voice to the voiceless and tells a story often left out of most American classrooms.

Broughton said, "I always believe in letting people tell their own story."

"Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" does just that. {in}

"BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW" EXHIBIT

WHERE: Voices of Pensacola, 117 E. Government St. WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays COST: Free DETAILS: africanamericanheritagesociety.org 15

a&e happenings Attending "normal" events might not be happening yet—but that doesn't mean local businesses and nonprofits aren't still keeping the community connected in creative ways.

HOLIDAY CALENDAR

GRAB-AND-GO HOLIDAY MEALS WITH FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ Don't

worry about cooking this holiday season. Just put an order in with Five Sisters Blues Café.

For Christmas, order a full family meal with a 3-pound Creole mustard ham and sides.

Package is $65 plus tax and feeds six people.

Order now-noon on Dec. 21 and pick up Thursday, Dec. 24, 8 a.m.-noon. New Year's Eve dinner includes a smoked brisket and sides. Package is $45 plus tax and feeds six people. Order now-noon on Dec. 28, and pick up on Dec. 31, 2-5 p.m. To place an order, contact Kady Reeves at 293-3148, or email kady@fivesistersbluescafe.com.

HOLIDAY HOURS AT GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS For more information on Great Southern Restaurants—location and menus—visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

CHRISTMAS EVE—Thursday, Dec. 24 The Fish House: Lunch service: 11a.m.–3 p.m.

Dinner service: 3–10 p.m.

Jackson's Steakhouse: Lunch service: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Dinner service: 5–10 p.m.

Five Sisters Blues Café: Lunch service: 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Dinner service: 4–9 p.m.

Angelena's Ristorante Italiano: Lunch Service: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

Dinner service: 5–10 p.m.

CHRISTMAS DAY—Friday, Dec. 25 The Fish House: Dinner service: 5–10 p.m.

Jackson's Steakhouse: Dinner service: 5–10 p.m.

Five Sisters Blues Café: Dinner service: 4–9 p.m.

Angelena's Ristorante Italiano: Dinner service: 5–10 p.m.

JUNIE B. IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS Bring the whole family for this

hilarious holiday tale based on the book series by Barbara Park. Showtimes streaming only through Dec. 21. Purchase tickets online at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

COLLECTION UNCORKED: HOLIDAY EDITION Join PMA Chief Curator Anna

Wall and Wine Specialist Hilary Shaffer for this virtual event as they walk guests through thoughtful pairings between pieces from the Pensacola Museum of Art Permanent Collection and the tasting notes of unique wines included in the special edition wine box. The event is Thursday, Dec. 17, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. This event is hosted via Zoom, and registration is required. For more information and to register for the event, visit facebook.com/ pensacolamuseum.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Shop local artisans at Pensacola Arts Market in Historic Brownsville, Saturday, Dec. 19, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at New Market Antiques, located at 2725 W. Cervantes St.

THE BLOCKS POP-UP HOLIDAY MARKET Support local vendors in a new pop-up market. Businesses include Homebody Essence, Thai 54, Visually Laced and more.

Markets are Friday, Dec. 18, from 4-8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 19, from 2-6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 20, from 2-6 p.m. The market is located on the first floor of the Savoy Apartments, 321 N. DeVilliers St. For more information, visit facebook.com/theblockspopup.

WINTERFEST A re-imagined Winterfest experience will incorporate a number of COVID-19-related changes to ensure guest safety while retaining the magic of Winterfest. Families can choose from two themed tours—The Polar Express Trolley Tour or the Cajun Christmas Experience. Santa will be ready for photographs in a new sleigh designed to allow for social distancing. All Winterfest tours and visits with Santa will take place Dec. 18-24. Tickets are available at pensacolawinterfest.org.

HAPPY WINTER CREATIVE KITS

Through Dec. 19, swing by Century Branch Library, located at 7991 N. Century Blvd., for a

winter jewelry or ornament creation kit of your choice, and pick out a book or DVD from the winter display. Instructions for your creation are located in the kit. Send a photo of what you made to happening@mywfpl.com.

DATES: •Friday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

•Saturday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

THE NUTCRACKER Ballet Pensacola's

annual performance of "The Nutcracker" hits the Saenger stage Friday, Dec. 18, and Saturday, Dec. 19, at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 20, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $36. The classical ballet will enthrall audiences as the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky accompanies the story of Clara and her journey through the Land of the Sweets. The captivating scenes of a battle between toy soldiers and mice, a pas de deux of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier and a serene snow scene have made "The Nutcracker" a Pensacola family tradition. Reserve your tickets at pensacolasaenger.com.

Ballet Pensacola is also presenting "The Nutcracker" on Video On Demand Dec. 24-Jan. 3 for those looking to enjoy the show from the safety of their living rooms. Tickets are available at showtix4u.com/event-details/44105.

DECK THE HALLS LUNCH EVENTS

Jackson's will present its special "Deck the Halls" lunch event on Saturday, Dec. 19. Seatings are at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Jackson's has once again teamed up with the Pensacola Opera to present a lunch filled with holiday cheer featuring costumed carolers singing all of the traditional carols. In abundance of caution, the singers will be socially distanced from the seated guests. The Pensacola Opera singers will serenade patrons with holiday favorites such as "Silent Night," "Away in a Manger" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," to name a few. Jackson's is located at 400 S. Palafox. Reservations are required.

Call 469-9898 or visit jacksonsrestaurant. com to reserve your spot.

CHRISTMAS ZOOBILEE The Second

Annual Christmas ZOObilee at the Gulf Breeze Zoo is Dec. 19 and 21, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with last admission at 3 p.m.

Christmas ZOObilee includes winter-

themed bounce stations, live music and entertainment, and a Candy Cane Market full of gifts, sights, smells and tastes of the season, including unique gifts from local artists and delicious holiday treats. Gulf Breeze Zoo is located at 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway. Visit gbzoo.com for more information.

SOLSTICE MARKET The last market with Asher & Bee is at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 19. Head to Asher & Bee, located at 3014 N. Ninth Ave. and buy local from artisans and makers. For more information, visit facebook.com/asherandbee.

200 SOUTH OUTDOOR MARKET Head to 200 S. Palafox for the last vendor market starting at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at the businesses in the 200 South corridor.

FOR KING & COUNTRY CHRISTMAS DRIVE-IN TOUR Watch For King &

Country's live concert from the comfort of your car, Sunday, Dec. 20, at 6 p.m. at Five Flags Speedway, located at 7451 Pine Forest Road. Tickets are $100-$300 per car.

Order tickets by phone at 1-855-223-1008 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For more information, visit wowradio.org.

ANGELENA'S PRESENTS "CAROLS ON THE COAST" Angelena's will present

three special "Carols on the Coast" brunch event Sunday, Dec. 20, at Angelena's, located at 101 E. Intendencia St. Angelena's has teamed up with the Pensacola Children Chorus to present the best sounds of the season. The carolers will also be taking special requests to perform during each event.

Each Sunday, there will be two seatings for this event at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. In addition to our full brunch menu, Chef James Briscione will offer a special feature presentation.

As Angelena's continues to maintain safety guidelines within the standards of service, please note that seating will be limited. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 542-8398 or visiting angelenaspensacola.com.

BIG JIM BROWN AND THE SPEED KINGS HOLIDAY SHOW Visit Dolce and

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䄀挀挀椀搀攀渀琀 ☀ 䤀渀樀甀爀礀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀猀

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a&e happenings Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for a live holiday show at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ dolcegelatopensacola.

CHRISTMAS-THEMED MURDER MYSTERY AT GARDEN AND GRAIN

Improbable Cause Murder Mystery theatre presents "Ho Ho Homicide" from 7-9:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, at Garden and Grain, located at 50 E. Garden St. Tickets are $50, which includes dinner. Taxes and drinks are not included. Prizes are awarded to the "best detectives." For more information, visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

"ALL I WANT" HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY

Friends of Downtown Pensacola has launched its "All I Want" holiday promotion to support downtown small businesses and will randomly select one winner a day for 12 days from Dec. 13-24. Each winner will receive a $100 gift card. A receipt of at least $10 from any downtown restaurant, bar, gallery or shop dated between Nov. 6-Dec. 2 is all it takes to enter. Participants should submit photos of their receipts online at downtownpensacola.shop, where full rules are also posted. (Restrictions apply)

FIRST CITY LIGHTS FESTIVAL Experi-

ence the holidays under the magical glow of half a million twinkling white lights along the historic streets of downtown Pensacola, through Jan. 16.

BEANSTACK READING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND BINGO CARD Partici-

pate in the Winter Wonderland Bingo Card with West Florida Public Libraries Friday, Dec. 18-Sunday, Jan. 31.

Kids can complete reading-related activities off of the Reading in a Winter Wonderland Bingo card. Once you've completed a Bingo (five activities in a row on the Bingo card), visit any of West Florida Public Libraries' seven branches to collect a prize.

The challenge can be completed using a physical copy of the Bingo Card (available for pick-up at all library branches) or the West Florida Public Libraries' Beanstack App to track your accomplishments.

Register for the Winter Reading Challenge on the West Florida Public Libraries' Beanstack, either on the mobile app or at mywfpl.beanstack.org.

THE HOLIDAY RAMBLE Odd Colony is partnering with two local businesses for a night of holiday jingles and treats. Eric of Revolver Records will be spinning holiday vinyl classics and Chef Jordan of Craft Bakery will be pairing treats with four seasonal beers. The event is 2 p.m.- until on Wednesday, Dec. 23. As a way to give back, Odd Colony is also hosting a food drive and offering $1 off pints for anyone who brings items in. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT: HOLIDAY PAJAMA PARTY Give yourself some December 17, 2020

time off while your little one explores their creative side at PMA, Saturday, Dec. 19, from 5:30-8 p.m. Parents can drop off their children ages 5-12 for an evening in the Pensacola Museum of Art studio. Students will experiment with various media to create a holiday-related craft, watch a holiday movie, snuggle up in their PJs and enjoy some warm refreshments. Cost is $20.

Please pack a dinner. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

JINGLE PAWS 2020 No guests for the holiday season? Why not fill that void with a furfriend that will provide you with company during the winter break. Pensacola Humane Society is calling on fosters to help clear out the shelter this Christmas. Programs like this give dogs and cats a much-needed break from the stress of shelter life.

It's also the perfect time, if you were thinking of adding another member to your family, to give things a trial run. Pick up one of the shelter pets on Dec. 23 and return on Dec. 28.

To sign up as a temporary foster, fill out the Google forms sheet at forms.gle/ eP1D6qEcVcak8sE67, or email Pensacola Humane Society at foster@pensacolahumane.org with any questions.

HELP THE LITTLES OF BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Throughout

holiday season, BBBSNWFL is asking for support to help their Littles take bold steps.

The Bold Steps Campaign will provide additional means to train and support the youth and volunteers as they face numerous issues in a complex and changing world. These issues include changing family structures, mental health issues, homelessness, bullying, poverty and low self-esteem, creating a greater need for bigger, bolder steps to influence positive change.

If kids have a caring adult to turn to when life gets hard, it makes all the difference. That's why programs like Big Brothers Big Sisters are essential now, more than ever. Your gift helps the agency continue to innovate new ways to virtually connect current matches and support the growth of the organization through new matches.

To make a gift, visit bit.ly/bbbsnwfl. All funds raised will go toward the Bold Steps Campaign, and all donors will be recognized on the Defenders of Potential wall in the BBBSNWFL Pensacola home office.

PET PANTRY SUPPLIES CRITICALLY LOW The Pensacola Humane Society's Pet

Pantry is in dire need of cat and dog food. Demand is extremely high due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic impacts in our community. The Pensacola Humane Society Pet Pantry provides dog and cat food, litter and treats at no cost to pet owners who come to the shelter and present an acceptable form of identification, such as a driver's license. The Pet Pantry is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. seven days a week at 5 Q. St. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.

ARTS + CULTURE

NEW EXHIBIT AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "Antarctica" is a new ex-

hibit coming to Pensacola Museum of Art Dec. 19-April 4 at the downstairs gallery.

Other exhibits include "… I Forgot to Laugh: Humor & Contemporary Art" on view through Jan. 10 and "In Memoriam," from Panhandle Slim, which honors the lives of Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and Airman Cameron Walters, who were killed in a terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola. For more information and hours of operation, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

TICKETS ON SALE FOR PENSACOLA OPERA'S "CARMEN" Purchase your

tickets for Pensacola Opera's "Carmen."

Performances will be Wednesday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25, and online streaming options will be available. To purchase your tickets, visit pensacolaopera.com.

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 LIMITED-EDITION POSTER AVAILABLE ONLINE With the cancel-

lation of this year's Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival due to COVID-19, the festival committee invited local artist Kreg Yingst to create a poster for 2020 in his original woodcut print design.

The 250 limited-edition posters are each signed and numbered by the artist. Festival posters have become a local collector's item and are available online this year only.

The posters are available at ggaf.org for $27, including shipping and sales tax.

Yingst, a long-time GGAF artist, received his B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio after attending the University of Texas and his M.A. in painting from Eastern Illinois University. After graduation, he taught art for 13 years and has been a full-time artist since 2003.

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival returns Nov. 5, 6 and 7, 2021, at Seville Square, Fountain Park, Bartram Park and Museum Plaza in Downtown Pensacola.

WILDLY UNNECESSARY FEATURING JJ CURRY Enjoy an evening of comedy

with Georgia comic JJ Curry at Perfect Plain, located at 50 E. Garden St., Wednesday, Dec. 23. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

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DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Bring your singles for live drag shows at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. Dates include Friday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. For more information, visit facebook. com/dolcegelatopensacola

113 Palafox Place

OPERALIVE: THROWBACK THURSDAYS Take a walk down memory lane with

Pensacola

friends of the Pensacola Opera. Learn more about the craft and look back on past productions with live discussions on Facebook

(Across from Saenger Theatre)

(850) 434-2060 17

a&e happenings Live Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Viewers are encouraged to join in the conversation. Tune in at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

FALL CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Per-

forming Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 328, 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 be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling 221-7438.

STAY-IN FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT Visit

the Pensacola Library, 239 N Spring St., on Fridays and Saturdays and check out one of the Family Movie Night Bundles. Bundles include a family-friendly movie, a bag of

818 1

microwave popcorn and a family-friendly activity. Movies can be checked out for seven days, and the rest is yours to keep.

For more information, visit mywfpl.com.

DATES: •Friday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

•Saturday, Dec. 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

•Saturday, Dec. 26, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

a full-length concert series every other Sunday at 3 p.m. on Facebook. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased online at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

PENSACOLA CINEMA ART REOPENS

SINGERS' CINEMA Every Friday after-

Pensacola Cinema Art is now open, showing matinee independent films. Admission is $7. Face masks are required, and there will be 50% maximum seating capacity.

Tickets can be reserved by calling or texting 863-446-7300 or emailing jpncinema@ gmail.com. For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet up with other makers at Studio South. Tuesdays 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.

GALLERY NIGHT PENSACOLA PRESENTS: ARTIST TALKS Join Gallery Night Director Sydney Robinson as she interviews Pensacola area artists about their creative process. The Artist Talks series is a biweekly virtual event available on Face-

book Live. Join in by visiting facebook.com/ gallerynightpensacola.

SUNDAYS ON THE MEZZANINE Enjoy

noon through August, enjoy a movie pick from the Choral Society of Pensacola. Information on each week's movie and where to find it online will be available on their Facebook page, facebook.com/choralsocietyofpensacola. Some can be viewed free; most are available for rent for under $5. Watch the movie over the weekend, and then join the Choral Society Monday evenings for a Zoom session to share your thoughts.

LIVE MUSIC

WAYWARD SISTER AT GARY'S BREWERY & BIERGARTEN Head to Gary's

Brewery & Biergarten, located at 208 Newman Ave., Friday, Dec. 18, from 6-9 p.m. for live music from Wayward Sister. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

CODY COPELAND AT GARY'S BREWERY Singer-songwriter Cody Copeland will be a Gary's Brewery & Biergarten from 6:309:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

PENSACOLA OPERA AL FRESCO CONCERT SERIES Enjoy fresh air and

free performances from Pensacola Opera artists on Saturdays (weather permitting).

All performances begin at 5:30 p.m. at Seville Square. Visit pensacolaopera.com for more information.

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.

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.

inweekly.net

a&e happenings 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.

FITNESS + RECREATION

2021 BLUE WAHOOS SEASON TICKETS AVAILABLE NOW WITH DEPOSIT Season Ticket Memberships for the 2021 Blue Wahoos season are available now at bluewahoos.com, and fans may pick out and reserve their seats easily by making a $100 deposit. A map of available seats can be viewed at the Blue Wahoos team website.

Additional benefits are available exclusively to Season Ticket Members, including access to the Better Homes & Gardens Mainstreet Properties Lounge during games, early access to the stadium to watch batting practice at every game, exclusive meet and greets with players and coaches, discounts at the team store and exclusive gifts. Season Ticket Members also have access to the Blue Wahoos Ticketshare program, allowing them to easily re-sell their tickets to any game they cannot attend.

PENSACOLA SPORTS LAUNCHES HOLE-IN-ONE MILLION DOLLAR SHOOTOUT Pensacola Sports, along with

several area golf courses, announced a new golf program to build excitement in the local golf scene. The program includes Marcus Pointe Golf Club, Scenic Hills Country Club and Tiger Point Golf Club.

All golfers can choose to participate when they sign in at the respective pro-shop before their round. Participating golfers from all three courses will be entered into the same pool, increasing the amount the golfer can win. The entry fee is $3, and that entry is valid for that round only. If a participating golfer hits a legitimate hole-in-one, after proper verification, the golfer will win one-third of the entire pot, with a minimum guaranteed winnings of $200.

Full rules and event information can be found at pensacolasports.org/holeinone.

In addition to the original winnings, all players who hit a hole-in-one during the program will be invited to participate in a $1 million shootout. The date and location of the Pensacola Sports' Million Dollar Shootout will be announced at a later date.

Players who make a hole-in-one must notify Pensacola Sports with their information that day. If multiple holes-in-one are hit in the same day, the prize will be divided evenly. The competition starts over immediately after a qualified winner is determined. There are approximately 144 reported holes-in-one at the Pensacola area courses annually.

The Pensacola Sports' Hole-in-One Million Dollar Shootout is also a fundraiser for Pensacola Sports, a private not-for-profit sports event and tourism company.

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS SINGLE GAME TICKETS NOW ON SALE The Ice December 17, 2020

Flyers are one of five teams in the Southern Professional Hockey League that were able to proceed forward in the upcoming season.

The home opener, which is themed Pensacola Strong Night, is Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Fans can see the full list of theme nights and home dates at pensacolaiceflyers.com.

The team has been approved to have limited capacity in the Bay Center. Due to capacity restrictions, a significantly reduced amount of single game ticket will be available each home game. Therefore, fans are encouraged to purchase the tickets early to the games they are wanting to attend. Other protocols will be released at a later date.

Seating pods consisting of one seat up to six seats are spread out across both the lower and upper seating bowls. Fans will have to purchase all the seats in the desired pod.

For example, if a group of three fans want to purchase tickets, they will need to buy all three seats in one transaction, and they will not be able to purchase three seats within a pod that consists of four seats. In that case, they will have to purchase all four seats.

Single game tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com or in person at the Pensacola Bay Center Box Office, which is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday. Season tickets are still available in multiple packages. More information about season tickets is available on the Ice Flyers' website.

RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mon-

days, Wednesdays and Fridays, release into a yin yoga flow centered around low-stress training for high-stress individuals. The focus will be on the basics of breath and openness in the shoulders, hips and spine.

For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

Cost is $12 per class, and the location is 375 N. Ninth Ave., Ste. B. Limited space available. Ask about membership pricing.

GULF COAST BREWERY RUN Thurs-

days at 6 p.m., join Pensacola Runners Association for a 5K fun run. Enjoy a free beer after the run and complimentary games such as cornhole, ping pong and more. Gulf Coast Brewery is located at 500 E. Heinberg St. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoastbrewery.

BEER GARDEN YOGA Join Coastal County Brewing Company Saturdays at 9 a.m. for the new Yoga in the Garden Series. Classes will be led by Tara Taylor, a highly experienced instructor from Breathe Pensacola.

All skill levels are welcome. Cost is $10 and includes a pint of beer after the class. Coastal County Brewing Company is located at 3041 E. Olive Road. For more information, visit facebook.com/coastalcounty.

SOUL FLOW YOGA AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Every Tuesday at 7 a.m.,

flow and vibe with some soulful music to start the day. This hour-long class will center around engaging the core through smooth yet strong yoga sequences. Cost is $10 per class or $99 for unlimited 30-day 19

a&e happenings pass. Located at 513 W. Intendencia St. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

Funky Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays. And Vinyasa Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org.

SELF-LOVE SUNDAY AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Come show yourself some

love through yoga every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. Self-love Sunday Slow Flow is all about giving yourself the love you deserve through loving kindness meditation, mindful breathwork and slow vinyasa. Cost is $10 per class or $99 for unlimited 30-day pass. Located at 513 W. Intendencia St. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

OCEAN HOUR BEACH CLEAN-UPS

Ocean Hour has picked up its weekly beach clean-ups in the Pensacola area Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own.

For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.

FOOD + WINE

EVERYTHING SUSHI COOKING CLASS

Learn traditional sushi-making skills, creating variations of the basic rolls, including design tips and techniques, with Pensacola Cooks

Kitchen 7-9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 18. Cost is $45 per student. PCK is located at 3624 Barrancas Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolacooks.

Ave. For more information, visit facebook. com/dolcegelatopensacola.

THE MANDALORIAN TRIVIA NIGHT

Co. every Tuesday from 5:30-9 p.m. (or when sold out) to grab dinner from The Tamale Truck. Odd Colony is located at 260 N. Palafox. For more information, visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co., Monday, Dec. 28, at 7 p.m. for trivia night based on the popular Disney+ show. Enjoy happy hour all night, prizes and bonus points to anyone dressed up as their favorite Star Wars character. For more information, visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE OPEN FOR LUNCH Jackson's will be offering its

standard lunch menu Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. As always, during lunch service Wednesday-Friday, the first martini is free.

Enjoy lunch menu favorites, including Chef Irv's jumbo lump crab cakes with red sweet pepper and charred sweet corn-offthe cob relish. Chef Miller has also created some new additions to add to the lunch lineup, including the Ole Hickory's fried chicken sandwich with double-dusted crispy chicken breast. Jackson's Steakhouse is located at 400 S. Palafox. For more information, visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com.

WINE TASTING AT DOLCE AND GELATO Enjoy a wine tasting and homemade

gelato at 6 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10, at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th

TAMALE TUESDAYS WITH THE TAMALE TRUCK Visit Odd Colony Brewing

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL Celebrate hump day by treating

yourself to BOGO wine by the glass at The 5 Barrel, 121 S. Palafox, starting at 6 p.m. every Wednesday. You earned it. Find out more at facebook.com/the5barrel.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back

by popular demand. Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot.

Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook. com/garysbrew.

THURSDAY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE 5 BARREL Gather a group for a weekly

Thursday Trivia Night at The 5 Barrel.

There will be prizes for every round and select drafts for $3 Thursdays, 7-9 p.m., at The 5 Barrel, 121 S. Palafox. Find out more at facebook.com/the5barrel.

PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is

back at its regular location in MLK Jr. Plaza.

In a carefully planned, phased reopening, Palafox Market has launched with about half its regular vendors, showcasing food, farm produce and products geared toward safety and sanitation such as handmade soaps and face masks. For more information, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.

PENSACOLA POSITIVITY'S SUNDAY MARKETS Sunday Markets on Palafox

Street happen each Sunday from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. in MLK Plaza on Palafox. Local makers, growers and creators gather each under the oak trees to sell their goods to the community. Interested vendors can request an application by emailing requeaskmikellah@ gmail.com. For more information, visit facebook.com/palafoxmarkets.

SATURDAYS AT THE MARKET OUTDOOR VENDOR EVENT Located at 5300

Berryhill Road, the outdoor market features artisans and crafters alike from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays. Social distancing guidelines will be in effect. For more information, email saturdaysatthemarket@gmail.com.

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December 17, 2020

21

free will astrology WEEK OF DECEMBER 17 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Temporary gods are deities who come alive and become available for particular functions and are not otherwise necessary or called upon. For instance, in ancient Greece, the god Myiagros showed up when humans made sacrifices to the goddess Athena. His task was to shoo away flies. I encourage you to invent or invoke such a spirit for the work you have ahead of you. And what's that work? 1. To translate your recent discoveries into practical plans. 2. To channel your new-found freedom into strategies that will ensure freedom will last. 3. To infuse the details of daily life with the big visions you've harvested recently. What will you name your temporary god?

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Author Virginia Woolf said that we don't wholly experience the unique feelings that arise in any particular moment. They take a while to completely settle in, unfold and expand.

From her perspective, then, we rarely "have complete emotions about the present, only about the past." With that as your starting point, Taurus, I invite you to take a journey through the last 11 months and thoroughly evolve all the emotions that weren't entirely ripe when they originally appeared. Now is an excellent time to deepen your experience of what has already happened, to fully bloom the seeds that have been planted.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "Wonder

is a bulky emotion," writes author Diane Ackerman. "When you let it fill your heart and mind, there isn't room for anxiety, distress or anything else." I'd love for you to use her observation as a prescription in 2021, Gemini. According to my understanding of the coming year's astrological portents, you will have more natural access to wonder and amazement and awe than you've had in a long time. And it would make me happy to see you rouse those primal emotions with vigor—so much so that you drive away at least some of the flabby emotions like anxiety, which are often more neurotic than real.

By Rob Brezsny

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I'll use

the words of Cancerian painter Frida Kahlo to tell you the kind of intimate ally you deserve. If for some inexplicable reason you have not enjoyed a relationship like this before now, I urge you to make 2021 the year that you finally do. And if you HAVE indeed been lucky in this regard, I bet you'll be even luckier in 2021. Here's Frida: "You deserve a lover who wants you disheveled … who makes you feel safe … who wants to dance with you … who never gets tired of studying your expressions … who listens when you sing, who supports you when you feel shame and respects your freedom … who takes away the lies and brings you hope."

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In 2019, singer

Ariana Grande got Japanese characters tattooed on her palm. She believed them to be a translation of the English phrase "7 Rings," which was the title of a song she had released.

But knowledgeable observers later informed her that the tattoo's real meaning was "small charcoal grill." She arranged to have alterations made, but the new version was worse— "Japanese barbecue grill finger." I offer you this story for two reasons, Leo. First, I applaud the creativity and innovative spirit that have been flowing through you. Second, I want to make sure that you keep them on the right track—that they continue to express what you want them to express. With proper planning and discernment, they will.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): While

sleeping, most of us have over 1,000 dreams every year. Many are hard to remember and not worth remembering. But a beloved few can be life-changers. They have the potential to trigger epiphanies that transform our destinies for the better.

In my astrological opinion, you are now in a phase when such dreams are more likely than usual. That's why I invite you to keep a recorder or a pen and notebook by your bed so as to capture them. For inspiration, read this testimony from Jasper Johns, whom some call America's "foremost living artist"—"One night I dreamed that I painted a large American flag, and the next morning I got up and I went out and bought

the materials to begin it." Painting flags ultimately became one of Johns' specialties.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): I composed

a prayer that's in alignment with your current astrological omens. If it feels right, say it daily for the next ten days. Here it is—"Dear Higher Self, Guardian Angel and Future Me—Please show me how to find or create the key to the part of my own heart that's locked up. Reveal the secret to dissolving any inhibitions that interfere with my ability to feel all I need to feel. Make it possible for me to get brilliant insights into truths that will enable me to lift my intimate alliances to the next level."

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

Herman Hesse observed, "Whoever wants music instead of noise, joy instead of pleasure, soul instead of gold, creative work instead of business, passion instead of foolery, finds no home in this trivial world." I hope you will prove him wrong in 2021, Scorpio. According to my reading of astrological omens, the rhythms of life will be in alignment with yours if you do indeed make bold attempts to favor music over noise, joy over pleasure, soul over gold, creative work over business, passion over foolery. Moreover, I think this will be your perfect formula for success—a strategy that will guarantee you'll feel at home in the world more than ever before.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

According to researcher Nick Watts and his documentary film "The Human Footprint," the average person speaks more than 13 million words in a lifetime, or about 4,300 per day. But I suspect and hope that your output will increase in 2021. I think you'll have more to say than usual—more truths to articulate, more observations to express, more experiences to describe. So please raise your daily quota of self-expression to account for your expanded capacity to share your intelligence with the world.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): "Our thinking should have a vigorous fragrance, like a wheat field on a summer's night," wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. I encourage you to adopt that joyful mandate as your own.

It's a perfect time to throw out stale opinions and moldy ideas as you make room for an aromatic array of fresh, spicy notions. To add to your bliss, get rid of musty old feelings and decaying dreams and stinky judgments. That brave cleansing will make room for the arrival of crisp insights that smell really good.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Have

you heard the term "catastrophize"? It refers to when people experience a small setback or minor problem but interpret it as being a major misfortune. It's very important that you not engage in catastrophizing during the coming weeks. I urge you to prevent your imagination from jumping to awful conclusions that aren't warranted. Use deep breathing and logical thinking to coax yourself into responding calmly. Bonus tip—In my view, the small "setback" you experience could lead to an unexpected opportunity—especially if you resist the temptation to catastrophize.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): My Bud-

dhist friend Marcia says the ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to know that the material world is an illusion and that there is no such thing "I" or "you," no past or future.

There is only the quality-less ground of being. My Sufi friend Roanne, on the other hand, is a devotee of the poet Rumi. The ultimate goal of her meditation practice is to be in intimate contact, in tender loving communion, with the Divine Friend, the personal face of the Cosmic Intelligence. Given your astrological omens, Pisces, I'd say you're in a prime position to experience the raw truth of both Marcia's and Roanne's ideals.

The coming days could bring you amazing spiritual breakthroughs!

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Carry out an act of love that's unique in your history.

Testify at freewillastrology.com.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2020

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news of the weird CREME DE AL WEIRD Kazakh bodybuilder, actor and self-described "sexy maniac" Yuri Tolochko announced his marriage to his beloved, a sex doll named Margo, on Instagram on Nov. 25 and shared with his followers their wedding video, in which the joyous couple, wearing a tuxedo and a full-length wedding dress, exchange vows and welcome friends and loved ones to a reception after the ceremony, The Sun reported. The groom identifies himself as pansexual and able to fall in love with "a character, an image, a soul," and said the two became engaged a year ago, after he rescued her from some unwanted attention in a nightclub. "Couples need to talk less and connect more," Tolochko said.

"Margo and I realized that it takes more than words to have a conversation."

NICE TRY Jin Wu, of Taiwan, told his Facebook followers on Nov. 21 about his good fortune in purchasing a PlayStation 5 the previous day, and marveled at the low price he paid for it, reported Taiwan News. The reason became clear when the seller revealed he had tried to pass the console off as an air purifier, but his wife wasn't fooled. "My wife wants to sell it," the middle-aged gamer told Wu. "It turns out that women can tell the difference between a PS5 and an air filter."

BRIGHT IDEA A Washington State Patrol officer pulled over a motorist on I-90 near North Bend on Nov. 30 after noticing the vehicle's "super dim" headlights, patrol spokesman Rick Johnson told CNN. Closer inspection revealed the unnamed driver had duct-taped flashlights to the front of his vehicle to replace the headlights, which had been damaged in a crash.

Flashlights-as-headlights are illegal in Washington because they don't provide enough brightness, Johnson said, adding that the driver also had a suspended license.

AWESOME! The British Museum on Dec. 9 announced that among the historical finds it has registered this year was a cache of 63 gold coins dating from the reign of Henry VIII, dug up by a family weeding their garden in New Forest. The coins, totaling 24 pounds and equivalent to more than $18,000 in today's dollars, were probably buried around 1540, The Guardian reported. The museum has experienced an increase in garden finds this year, as Treasure Registrar Ian Richardson said people are spending more time in their gardens, "resulting in completely unexpected archaeological discoveries." •French chef Benoit Bruel in Lyon struck a blow for French cuisine by capturing the Guinness World Record for most varieties of cheese on a pizza with 254 cheeses, United Press International reported on Nov. 30. Guinness posted a video of Bruel making and then enjoying the pizza with friends along with its listing of the achievement, noting also that "Benoit took this as a patriotic challenge, as one of the things France is most famous for is its cheeses."

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL Police in Jackson, Mississippi, had little trouble identifying the man who they said passed a threatening note to a teller at a Trustmark Bank on Dec. 3 and got away with an undetermined amount of cash, WAPT reported.

Security cameras in the bank clearly captured images of suspect Richard Jiles, 41, wearing a white shirt and camouflage jacket with a blue face mask pulled down below his chin to reveal his entire face. Jiles was later apprehended.

SUPERFAN Houston Astros fan Darren Johnson in Fort Worth, Texas, posted photos of the chicken coop he built on Facebook in November and was "totally shocked" by the overwhelming response, he told KTRK. The coop, which Johnson estimates took about 100 hours to construct, is an exact 1/60thscale replica of the Houston Astrodome, including details such as an Astros logo and the numbers of all the Astros' retired jerseys, and the chickens who call it home are all named after Astros players. The social media attention "shows my kids that I'm not the only one obsessed with a stadium that's been closed for 20 years," Johnson said.

SCHEMES Residents in upscale neighborhoods of Woodway and Edmonds, Washington, have been visited recently by people carrying official-looking documents who knock on doors, tell homeowners they own the property and "they're there to repossess the home and want the people to vacate the premises," Edmonds police Sgt. Josh McClure told KIRO. The group identifies itself as Moorish Sovereign Citizens, McClure said, who "believe that they own all of the land between Alaska and Argentina." So far, the people have cooperated with police and left after being told they are trespassing.

COPING Seattle dad and self-described travel enthusiast Steve Simao attracted a following after his daughter, Annisa, called him out on her TikTok account for his purchase of a pair of first-class leather seats taken from a Delta MD90 Jetliner, complete with an air safety card. Simao, who is vice president of sales at Windstar Cruises, found the seats on eBay in November, reported The Washington Post, and has had fun scratching his itch to travel with them ever since, sending his daughter videos of her mother "bringing food to the (tray) table and him just sitting there enjoying it," Annisa said. Delta CEO Ed Bastian has taken notice and given the three Simaos round-trip, first-class tickets to anywhere in the United States. Hawaii is high on their list. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird Š 2020 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com December 17, 2020

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