Inweekly dec 7 2017 issue by Inweekly

Independent News | December 7, 2017 | Volume 18 | Number 48 | inweekly.net

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winners & losers 4

outtakes

news

6, 7

Might need a little tweaking, but the bones are good.

buzz

cover story

calendar

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Duwayne Escobedo, Jennie McKeon, Jeremy Morrison, Shelby Nalepa, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp

Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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winners & losers

winners

losers

ARGIE The University of West Florida has

SIMPLY HEALTHCARE PLANS The managed-care plan made too much money from Florida's health-care program that treats the poor, elderly and disabled and was required to return nearly $1.8 million to the state. It was the first time that such a plan participating in Florida's statewide Medicaid managed-care program had to return money to the state. The Legislature in 2011 passed a law that requires most Medicaid patients to enroll in managedcare plans, and the law had measures to prevent excess profits. Simply Healthcare Plans' pre-tax incomes exceeded the threshold.

GOLDEN SPOON WINNERS Best of the

MICHAEL FLYNN The retired U.S. Lieutenant General, who briefly served as National Security Adviser to President Donald Trump, last week pleaded guilty to one count of lying to the FBI, a felony, about contacts he had with the Russian government during Trump's presidential transition. At the Republican National Convention, Flynn rallied the audience with chants of "Lock her up," referring to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. It appears he used the incorrect pronoun.

launched the first college virtual assistant in the state of Florida, Argie. The virtual assistant, named after UWF's mascot, engages admitted students in two-way conversation through text messaging to support them on the path to enrollment. Developed by Boston-based edtech company AdmitHub, Argie guides students through key enrollment processes, connects them to campus counselors and acts as a 24/7 resource to answer questions about UWF, student life, campus services, financial aid, housing and more.

Coast winners Global Grill, The Grand Marlin and Restaurant IRON were recognized as some of Florida's best places to dine with Florida Trend's 2017 Golden Spoon award. The Golden Spoon awards recognize individual achievement and distinctive contributions to the Florida restaurant scene. Jackson's Steakhouse and McGuire's Irish Pub were Hall of Fame winners. Union Public House was named to the Best New Restaurant list.

BRUCE BEACH Brantley & Associates Real

RadioLive

Estate Appraisal Corporation assessed the fair market value of the city-owned waterfront land at $7.7 million. The figure represents the most probable price the firm concluded the 44.6-acre property would generate from a private developer in a competitive market. Three years ago, the city council was told the land was virtually worthless because of possible contamination. Subsequent soil tests have debunked that claim.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY Based on a Priceonomics report published this month by Forbes, Escambia County ranked as the heaviest disposer in Florida, with about 34 million pounds of toxic materials released in 2016. The study listed the 50 counties across the United States responsible for discharging the most hazardous chemicals. Escambia County ranked 11th, while no other Florida county made the list.

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3130 WINDEMERE DR.

outtakes

by Rick Outzen

BIG NEWS WEEK Traditionally the week after Thanksgiving is a slow news week. Reporters usually have to dig for interesting stories but not last week. On Wednesday, Nov. 29, a routine public record request revealed a letter from attorney Nix Daniel stating the federal grand jury investigation into Mayor Ashton Hayward had concluded and no wrongdoing was found. The records showed that the taxpayers had picked up the tab for Hayward's legal counsel. In 2014, the mayor said he would pay at least some of the costs. For two days, Inweekly and the News Journal tried to get a comment from the U.S. Attorney on the conclusion of the probe. The U.S. Attorney's office refused, and Daniel told Inweekly his letter was based on a phone call conversation between an attorney with his firm and U.S. Attorney Christopher Canova. Then Friday, Dec. 1, news came from all directions. The State Attorney's office announced that Gulf Breeze Mayor Matt Dannheisser, former city manager Buzz Eddy and Bien May had not violated Sunshine Law because the board on which they serve, Fairpoint Regional Water System, is not subject to the statute. State Attorney's Office sent a letter to the Escambia Board of County Commissioners notifying it that Sheriff David Morgan had filed a complaint that the BCC improperly held a "shade meeting" to discuss his budget appeal. The Opinions Division of the Florida At-

torney General's office rendered an opinion on whether the BCC should pay for the legal defense of Commissioner Doug Underhill in lawsuits filed by his predecessor. Senior Assistant AG Teresa Mussetto wrote that although the BCC ultimately must decide whether to use county funds, she believed that the facts and context of the complaint met none of the factors most agencies use to reimburse such expenses. Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointment of Lee Hansen, a white Republican and founder of the Global Corner International Learning Center, to the Escambia County School Board. The District 3 seat was created over 30 years ago when black leaders sued to eliminate the area's at-large voting system. An African-American had held the board seat since Dr. Elmer Jenkins was elected in 1986. We also heard and later confirmed that President Donald Trump would hold a "Make America Great Again" rally on Friday, Dec. 8, in the Pensacola Bay Center. However, we could not confirm whether the decision to come to Pensacola instead of Mobile, Ala. was based on a 2008 Inweekly April Fool's Day article that said Escambia County had been annexed into the state of Alabama. Fortunately, the news rush slowed down over the weekend, but the lull won't last with President Trump coming to Pensacola. {in}rick@inweekly.net

The District 3 seat was created over 30 years ago when black leaders sued to eliminate the area's at-large voting system.

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Through a public request of Beggs & Lane law firm's billings to the City of Pensacola, Inweekly learned that the three-year federal bribery investigation of Mayor Ashton Hayward has concluded and no criminal charges would be filed. The invoices showed that while he had been notified by Beggs & Lane attorney Greg Miller in late June on the conclusion of the federal probe, the mayor made no mention of it to the Pensacola City Council or the public. On Sept. 21, Nix Daniel, the managing partner of Beggs & Lane, wrote City Attorney Lysia Bowling to inform her of a conversation his partner, Greg Miller, had with U.S. District Attorney Christopher Canova. "That investigation proved to be without merit," wrote Daniel. "All of the matters which were the subject of the investigation were within the scope of Mr. Hayward's responsibilities as mayor. There was no finding of any wrongdoing on his part." The Beggs & Lane's billings for the representing the mayor totaled $43,684.23. Daniel asked that the mayor be reimbursed $13,500 for the installments he had paid from Dec. 31, 2014 to Oct. 6, 2016. He requested the city pay the balance due, $30,184.23. On Sept. 28, Bowling sent City CFO Dick Barker a memo: "The Florida Supreme Court and the state courts of appeal have long established a common law right of public officials to receive legal representation at public expense to defend themselves against charges arising from the performance of their official duties while serving a public purpose." She told Barker that the city was legally obligated to pay the fees. The Pensacola City Council and citizens were not notified that the taxpayers paid the mayor's legal fees. Inweekly emailed the public information officer for United States Attorney's Office for Northern District of Florida, Amy Alexander, and asked for confirmation of Daniel's statements.

"Mr. Canova advised Mr. Miller that the investigation was concluded with no finding of wrongdoing and that no criminal charges would be filed." Nix Daniel Alexander replied, "We have no public information to provide regarding this inquiry." The newspaper asked Daniel for the documentation that supported his letter. He said the Sept. 21 letter was based on a 66

conversation between Miller, a former U.S. Attorney, and current U.S. Attorney Canova. Daniel said, "Mr. Canova advised Mr. Miller that the investigation was concluded with no finding of wrongdoing and that no criminal charges would be filed."

PROBE LAUNCHED

On Aug. 26, 2014, Interim City Administrator Dick Barker notified the City Council that the U.S. District Attorney was investigating the city and staff members were being questioned. Inweekly obtained the subpoena, which requested city documents be presented to a federal grand jury scheduled to convene on Sept. 3, 2014, in Tallahassee. The subpoenaed records concerned the Main Street Rehabilitation Project, the city's investments, agreements with Jerry Pate Design, city's insurance broker and the expenses of former Chief of Staff John Asmar and Hayward. In a written statement issued when the subpoena surfaced publicly, Mayor Hayward said, "I am aware of the subpoenas which have been issued this week to several City employees, and I have instructed staff to immediately make available to the City Council and public any and all documents which we can legally release." He added, "Furthermore, I have asked employees to fully comply with this process as it moves forward, and my administration will make any new information available to the public as quickly as possible. Everything we do on behalf of citizens is rightfully open to review and scrutiny, and I look forward to a swift and satisfactory resolution to this inquiry." Mayor Hayward turned down three interview requests from Inweekly but did speak with News Journal reporter Rob Johnson. He said the probe concerned possible bribery. He acknowledged that "he had awarded city contracts to a friend, Jerry Pate, without competitive bids, but he asserted that no wrongdoing has occurred as a federal bribery investigation looms." Inweekly requested to be allowed to review the documents gathered to comply with the federal subpoena. The city initially refused to release the information saying the Florida Attorney General had advised the records were "exempt from the disclosure requirements of Ch. 119 F.S. as long as they are part of an 'active' criminal investigation or intelligence gathering operation being conducted by the Grand Jury." Inweekly went to the State Attorney's Office for help. Chief Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille later called to say that the City of Pensacola would fulfill our public record requests. They were delivered to the media and published. After that, the newspaper heard very little from the mayor about the federal grand jury.

GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES Two Beggs & Lane invoices, which were obtained last week, provide the first glimpse

into how the mayor dealt with the federal probe. Both invoices—Invoice 70984, dated Sept. 26, 2014, and Invoice 85188, dated Sept. 21, 2017—were made out to Ashton J. Hayward, III. The older invoice begins with attorneys David McGee and Nix Daniel meeting with City Engineer Derek Owens on Aug. 21, 2014, and covers work done through Sept. 25, 2014. The total of $42,115.50 was discounted $6,045.50 "to reduce to City of Pensacola Rates." This is the invoice Mayor Hayward made installments through October 2016. The invoice shows the attorneys holding meetings and discussions with Hayward and his staff, Jerry Pate and his office staff, attorney Bob Kerrigan, Skip Hunter, who donated funds for the amphitheater at the Community Maritime Park, and Tim Baker of Data Targeting, the Gainesville, Fla.-based consulting that worked on his re-election campaign. On Sept. 1, 2014, David Magee met with the mayor and "friend Carl Lietz" for an hour. Lietz is with the Atlanta, Ga. based firm, Kish & Lietz. According to its website, the firm "aggressively represents the accused against charges in criminal defense and federal crime defense cases." The Sept. 21, 2017, invoice covered from Oct. 9, 2014-June 26, 2017. McGee reviewed a notice of warrant, discussed the mayor's Yahoo emails and took a phone call from Lietz on Oct. 23, 2014. In January 2015, Beggs & Lane reviewed bank and insurance records of the mayor. They called the Florida Ethics Commission. From June-August 2015, they met with the mayor and had several discussions with the U.S. District Attorney's office. U.S. Attorney Pamela Marsh resigned in September 2015, and current interim U.S. Attorney Canova took over the office. There were no entries for 2016. On May 24, 2017, Hayward called Beggs & Lane attorney Greg Miller. The next day, Miller met with Canova. On June 23, Miller called Canova. The last entry on the invoice is a brief phone conversation with the mayor, which appears to be when he was told the case had concluded. After Inweekly last week published the mayor was cleared and taxpayers paid his legal fees, Hayward sent a written statement to the News Journal. "Three years ago, my administration was investigated," he wrote. "That case has now been closed. There was no finding of wrongdoing – there was no wrongdoing. A person in public office will inevitably face accusations from time to time. It is unfortunate when this happens, and I am pleased that the matter has been resolved." Inweekly has requested to review the case files to understand better what the U.S. Attorney investigated. We will report on our findings. {in} inweekly.net

PORT PUZZLE

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Closing Date: 5/19/17

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AN OPEN CANVAS

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Councilman Spencer wants to reframe the conversation concerning the port, really redefine the vocabulary. He doesn't like the term 'port' and its associations or implications. "So we no longer even call it 'the port,'" Spencer said, suggesting instead using the description "50 acres of waterfront property." He views the port in its current state as a drag on the city's downtown. He doesn't like its industrial noise and emissions and sees warehouses as "metal, pre-engineered, oversized blemishes on our city's waterfront." "I think we'll always be in direct conflict with a desirable mixed-use downtown," Spencer said of the port. The councilman sees the property as an opportunity waiting to be fully realized, and city asset not fully capitalized on. The councilman also noted that the port is public property and assured that public access would be a feature of future discussions. "This is such an opportunity to ensure that the public would have access to this 50 acres, [with] greenways and promenades," Spencer said. "I do not see one foot of that water's edge being for private use. Great cities allow access to the water's edge." As for the rest of it, who knows. "I think it's an open canvas," Spencer said. {in} CW:

Last year, the Pensacola City Council seemed poised to jump on another of the port advisory committee's recommendations. The council went so far as to allocate $100,000 to hire a consultant to explore the port's potential but never followed through. "I tried to get the council to hire a consultant to give us an idea of what is the highest and best use of these 52 acres," Myers recalled. "They decided they didn't want to continue down that road." More recently, talk about the port has centered on the notion of possibly relocating a Florida Fish and Wildlife fish hatchery planned for Bruce Beach to the port. City administration, meanwhile, has been promoting the concept of partnering with the Institute for Machine and Human Cognition and pursuing a high-tech research facility, which is an exciting concept but hinges on a grant from Triumph Gulf Coast. "I think these are good ideas to explore, but there again, you have to think, 'Are these the highest and best uses for that?'" Myers asked. "Maybe it is. That is something that needs to be explored more in depth." The councilwoman said that she doesn't intend to breach the subject of hiring a consultant to assess issues at the

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IT NEEDS A PLAN

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The 2011 port advisory committee's mission was pretty straightforward: to study the facility and make recommendations about how best "to maximize the Port property's benefit to the community." A few things were apparent from the get-go. Pensacola was not positioned to compete well—lacking the geographical advantage and comparable infrastructure— with Florida's 14 other ports, or the one next door in Mobile, Ala. "It was never going to be a full-on container port," Myslak said. And the port's status quo of servicing industrial tenants sporting neither impressive lease fees or payroll numbers probably wasn't going to cut it either. "Your piles of gravel, cement or asphalt," Myslak said, "that wasn't the highest and best use." The committee's assessment was clinical, if grim. Port operations were eating up its meager revenue, and capital improvement commitments exceeded any reserves. No improvement was visible on the horizon. The advisory committee made a number of recommendations. For starters, leases with current industrial clients, like Cemex, needed to be renegotiated "to accommodate new opportunities for the city should they arise." The city should actively pursue the high-tech industry and offshore industry servicing oil

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THE BONES ARE GOOD

port again. Council didn't seem to have the appetite for the discussion. "Not unless somebody else brings it up," she said. "I feel like I've already tried." Councilman Brian Spencer recalls the council taking a pass and kicking the $100,000 back to the mayor's office to handle hiring a port consultant. "We never tapped into it," Spencer said, adding that he had yet to hear anything out of the mayor's office. Both Spencer and Myers painted a picture of a city administration who had yet to communicate their vision for the port. "We need some leadership of some kind," Myers said. "I'm just not seeing it." While Inweekly's requests to interview Hayward or Port Director Amy Miller for this article went unanswered, Assistant City Administrator Keith Wilkins did offer some insight into Pensacola's current calculus concerning the port. "At this point, the mayor's office is going to do a study that's really geared toward 'what's the best use of that land?'" Wilkins said. As for the IHMC-prospects, Wilkins called it a "great opportunity" but cautioned against viewing that thread as tea leaves for the port. "The IHMC thing, at this point, is separate from any overall port planning," he said, allowing that the path was one to be explored. "Obviously, we'd love for the whole port to turn into a giant high-tech research facility." Wilkins said that the mayor is acutely aware that the port is in need of direction. "It needs a plan," Wilkins said. MUST INITIAL FOR APPROVAL

Pensacola's port looks about the same today as it did a few years ago when Mayor Ashton Hayward convened an advisory committee to study the facility. That is to say, it remains a rectangular slab of untapped potential at risk of becoming an industrial ghost haunting an otherwise revitalized downtown district. Or, in the parlance of the 2011 mayoral advisory committee report: "Current Port activity is one of lagging economic performance given the size and location of the land area." "Our findings were generally that it was a very much underutilized public asset," explained John Myslak, who chaired the committee. "You know, 50 acres of prime waterfront real estate." Six years later, fortunes have not improved for the port. It has suffered financially — revenues have effectively been cut in half, dropping more than a million dollars since 2012 — and well-intended attempts to find a niche have fallen flat. This has some folks, like Pensacola City Council Vice President Sherri Myers, concerned. "There's just no vision being implemented for the port that I can see," Myers said. "We need to come up with a vision for the port, a strategy for operating the port."

rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. And also it should streamline the processes required to execute leases or agreements. There were other suggestions, too. Like securing alternative sources of funding for infrastructure needs and hiring a consultant to explore viable options for the property. The committee also suggested that city staff consider "overall community benefit, enhanced quality of life issues, historical and tourism significance, and revenue spin-off and multipliers" when negotiating future leases. The recommendation that city officials ran with involved pursuing clients working the oil fields in the Gulf. For a while, it looked as if the port's main tenant, Offshore Inland, was partnering with Houston-based DeepFlex in a deal that would net Pensacola 200 jobs and $50 million in capital investment, but that dream fell through as the global oil market tanked. "Lessons learned from that. You don't want to tie yourself to a commodities market," Myslak said. "That's not what we want. We want the private industry that's employing a lot of people at a decent wage and paying a decent lease fee." When Myslak looks at Pensacola's port today, he sees a facility suffering from some of the same ills his committee noted in 2011. "The bottom line is, it could certainly be doing better," the committee chairman said. And while the committee's report is six years old, he still views it as a relevant template. "Might need a little tweaking," Myslak said, "but the bones are good."

By Jeremy Morrison

MAKE THE RIGHT CALL. DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

She concluded that Underhill’s request did not answer any of the questions affirmatively. Mussetto opined, “Although the Commission must ultimately decide whether it can legally authorize the use of County funds to reimburse the Commissioner for attorney’s fees incurred in his defense against the subject defamation action…, none of the Thomber factors authorizing payment of such fees at taxpayer expense facially appear to be met in this case.”

SCHOOL BOARD ALL WHITE On Dec.

Alex Andrade / Photo by Grant Tyson

Sheriff David Morgan / Courtesy Photo

SHERIFF ON WARPATH On Friday, Dec.

1, State Attorney Bill Eddins notified the Escambia Board of County Commissioners that Sheriff David Morgan had filed a complaint alleging possible Sunshine and Public Records violations. The sheriff is objecting to the BCC holding a “shade meeting” regarding his appeal of the FY 2018 budget the commissioners approved for his agency and refused to provide him the minutes from the meeting. The reason the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office reportedly was given for the refusal was the meeting concerned settlement negotiations or strategy sessions related to litigation expenditures. Gerald Champagne, ECSO general counsel, wrote in the complaint, “We do not see this meeting could possibly have been held for either of these reasons, because there were and are no ‘settlement negotiations’ ongoing, and there do not appear to be any ‘litigation expenses’ because the reply (to the appeal) was handled by in-house counsel.” Chief Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille requested a response from county within seven days.

AG OPINES ON LEGAL FEES Opinions Division of the Florida Attorney General’s office has rendered an opinion on whether the Escambia Board of County Commissioners should pay for the legal defense of Commissioner Doug Underhill in lawsuits filed by his predecessor Gene Valentino. The most recent lawsuit asserts that Ray Guillory posted allegedly defamatory 88

material regarding Valentino on Facebook consisting of emails purportedly exchanged between Guillory and Underhill. Senior Assistant AG Teresa Mussetto wrote that since alleged statements were made before Underhill became a county officer, section 111.07 of the Florida Statutes, “Defense of civil actions against public officers…,” would not, on their face, appear to apply. Mussetto reviewed the applicability of the common law principle regarding the reimbursement of fees for public officials who successfully defend against unfounded allegations of official misconduct set forth in Thomber v. City of Ft. Walton Beach (Fla. 1990) –the same case Pensacola City Attorney Lysia Bowling used to justify the city’s payment of Mayor Ashton Hayward’s legal fees in his federal bribery probe. Thomber v. City of Ft. Walton Beach established the acts involved in the lawsuit must purportedly arise from the performance of his official duties. However, a public official is not entitled to taxpayerfunded reimbursement simply because an allegation of misconduct arises in the course of his public duties. The alleged misconduct must also serve a public purpose. Mussetto wrote the relevant questions are: 1) Was the official’s successful defense against the charges undisputed? 2) Did the challenged acts arise out of the official’s performance or public duties and serve a public purpose? 3) Is the substance of the litigation of interest to the administration of the business of the prospective payor (here, Escambia County)? 4) Did the prospective payor (here, Escambia County) authorize the challenged acts?

1, Gov. Rick Scott announced the appointment of Lee Hansen to the Escambia County School Board. Hansen, 59, is the founder of the Global Corner International Learning Center and a 26year United States Navy Veteran. She served as the Commanding Officer of Training Squadron Four and was the first woman to Command an Air Wing in the Navy. She received her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Florida State University and her master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Hansen is appointed to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Linda Moultrie, for a term beginning Dec. 1, 2017, and ending Nov.20, 2018. The reaction within the African American community is one of shock and disbelief. The District 3 was created after Elmer Jenkins, the first African American instructor at Pensacola Junior College, and others filed a lawsuit in 1977 that led to the elimination of the area’s at-large voting system. The old system allowed all county residents to vote for all seats on the county commission, city council and school board, which insured that citizens in predominately black areas could never garner enough votes to elect black officials to represent them. Jenkins was elected in 1986 as the District 3 representative on the Escambia County School Board. He held the position until 2002. An African-American has held the seat for the past 30 years.

TERM LIMITS On Nov. 27, the Education

Committee of the School board members Florida Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) unanimously approved a measure that would impose an eight-year term limit on school board members, who now serve four-year terms without limits on running for re-election. By a 6-2 vote Monday, the panel also adopted another measure that would require all school districts to appoint their superintendents rather than have them elected. Currently, 26 districts, including all of Florida's major metropolitan areas, appoint their superintendents, while 41 districts, representing largely smaller,

more rural counties, elect superintendents. Escambia County has an elected superintendent. CRC Commissioner Don Gaetz, who does not sit on the Education Committee, told Inweekly he supports the term limits but not mandatory appointment of school superintendents. “As you know, I was an elected superintendent for two terms in Okaloosa County, but I was the only non-educator in the County's history ever elected superintendent, so I probably would not have had the credentials to be appointed,” he said. “I was just a business guy and a parent. We tried to step in as the school district was sinking.”

"I was just a business guy and a parent. We tried to step in as the school district was sinking.” Don Gaetz He added, “I'd probably be a little reluctant on the elected superintendent, but I'd be strongly in favor of term limits for school board members.” The 37-member Constitution Revision Commission, which meets every 20 years, has the power to place proposed constitutional amendments directly on the 2018 ballot. If amendments clear the committees and are taken up by the full commission, they will need support from 22 of the 37 members to be placed on the November 2018 generalelection ballot. The commission has a May 10 deadline for finishing its work. Any proposals that go on the ballot would need approval from 60 percent of voters to change the Constitution.

CARPENTER CREEK CELEBRATION

Emerald Coastkeeper and Escambia County will host a groundbreaking cleanup event on Saturday, Dec 9, at 9 a.m. at the headwaters of Carpenter Creek, 715 Olive Road. In April, Escambia County purchased this 8.5-acre property, vital in the effort to restore the Carpenter Creek/Bayou Texar watershed. Emerald Coastkeeper has been working for over a year to restore Carpenter Creek through environmental awareness, initiation of code enforcement violations, and organized cleanups. Laurie Murphy, the executive director of Emerald Coastkeeper, told Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen on “Pensacola Speaks” on News Talk 1370 WCOA, “It's absolutely a stunning piece of property. We're so excited that Grover and his staff decided to purchase this property back in April to protect this watershed, especially with the RESTORE project inweekly.net

that he chose. It would be in vain without having this very intricate piece, instrumental in the complete restoration and protection of the watershed.” The Saturday celebration will have special guest appearances by Escambia County commissioners Grover Robinson and Lumon May and Councilwoman Sherri Myers, all instrumental in the restoration efforts. “We are looking for active volunteers who would like to help us clean up,” Murphy said. “We're going to be catering food from the Sake Café. We're going to provide gloves and trash bags and beverages, and we're looking for some men and women who don't mind getting a little dirty or a little wet to get out there and pull out tires and mattresses and tarps and other kinds of garbage.” If you are interested in volunteering for the cleanup, please contact Murphy at laurie@emeraldcoastkeeper.org.

TWO PROJECTS SUPPORTED The Pensacola-Escambia County Promotion and Development Commission (PEDC) won the Escambia County Commission’s approval for two projects to be presented to Triumph Gulf Coast for funding. Both projects also have the support of the board of directors of the Greater Pensacola Chamber. The first grant application is for $8 million for the construction of a new industrial boulevard for the northern Beck's Lake Road segment of The Bluffs of Northwest Florida, a 6,000+ acre master-planned industrial campus suited for energy-intensive industry. To date, the PEDC has received $8.4 million from the State of Florida for the Bluffs master plan development, site connectivity and infrastructure improvements. The second is the University of West Florida’s application for $27.5 million to develop programming and facilities to cultivate emerging high-tech industry sectors of cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and robotics tied to a new UWF Innovation Network. The center piece of the Network will consist of a new Cybersecurity Innovation Center and Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory located on the Pensacola Technology Campus. The other Triumph Gulf Coast projects supported by the chamber board are the Northwest Center for Dynamic Ocean Technologies to be placed in Warehouse 4 of the Port of Pensacola and the Escambia County School Board Workforce Development Program. Todd Thomson, the chamber’s vice president of public affairs, explained his board’s vote for the four projects. December 7, 2017

“Our focus was will they create good quality jobs or will they train the workforce that we need to fill those jobs,” he told Inweekly. “If you look at these four that were selected, I think each one of those projects answers those questions, training workforce or creating jobs that are good, high paying jobs that we need here in Escambia County.”

WATER BOARD CLEARED On Dec. 1, State Attorney Bill Eddins announced his office had completed its review of a complaint alleging a Sunshine Law violation by members of the board of directors of Fairpoint Regional Water System, Inc. Chief Assistant State Attorney Greg Marcille determined that Fairpoint is not subject to the Sunshine Law, and therefore no violation occurred. The regional water system was a private, nonprofit entity formed in 1999 by Midway Water System, Inc., Holley-Navarre Water System, Inc. and the City of Gulf Breeze to be a wholesale provider of water in Santa Rosa County. The complaint alleged that board members Matt Dannheisser, Bien May and Buzz Eddy met to discuss a multimillion dollar bank refinancing program for Fairpoint privately and violated the Sunshine Law. Marcille found that Fairpoint had not been delegated a governmental function, a key factor in determining whether a private entity is subject to the Sunshine Law. He also reviewed whether if the City of Gulf Breeze’s membership of the utility made Fairpoint obligated to comply. He wrote, “The Attorney General in Opinion 98-47 concluded that a private nonprofit corporation, whose members included both public and private entities, was not subject to the Sunshine Law.” MARK YOUR CALENDARS On Dec. 11,

Escambia County Legislative Delegation will hold at public meeting at 5:30 p.m. to consider local bills, hear presentations from government entities, and take public testimony on proposals for the 2018 Legislative Session. The Escambia County Legislative Delegation consists of Sen. Doug Broxson, Rep. Clay Ingram and Rep. Frank White. The hearing is in Pensacola State College Jean and Paul Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd. Any member of the public is welcomed to attend. On Dec. 14, Escambia Board of County Commissioners regular meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in the Ernie Lee Magaha Government Building, 221 S. Palafox. On Dec. 14, Pensacola City Council meets at 5:30 p.m. in City Council Chambers at Pensacola City Hall, 222 W. Main St. {in}

TALCUM POWDER ALERT Did you or a loved one regularly use talcum powder and later develop ovarian cancer?

OVARIAN CANCER FROM TALC Medical studies show that women who use talcum powder in the genital area face an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Talcum powder lawsuits allege manufacturers knew of the risk and chose not to warn women about the danger. We are reviewing these cases now at no cost to you. Call us today to find out if you have a claim. 212 W. Intendencia Street Pensacola, FL 32502 | 850-444-0000 www.stevensonklotz.com 9

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inweekly.net

100 Things To Do Before 2018

1 2 3 4

Whether you’re a master planner or professional procrastinator, we can all agree that December is a great month to totally and completely overwhelm yourself. From party invites to visiting relatives, it really is the most wonderful and busy time of the year.

Treat yourself to a Salted Caramel Tart from Bluejays Bakery 11-E S. Palafox

Shop local at the Holiday Makers Market Dec. 15 leaderfineart.com

And the Little Spruce Market Dec. 16 facebook.com/pensacolafestivities Spicy miso > regular miso prove this theory by ordering Dot’s Miso at Khon’s 34 S. Palafox

December 7, 2017

But even in the midst of all those things you have to do, there’s tons of good stuff happening that you really should want to do—like seeing a festive cultural performance or celebrating the fact that comfort food is finally in season. To help you find that good stuff and make the

most of what’s left of 2017, we put together this handy to do list. We tried to cover all the bases and not leave anybody out—including kids, pets and people who hate the holidays. So whether you’re looking for live music, cooking classes or sandwich recommendations, we’ve got you covered. {in}

Journey through the Land of Sweets at The Nutcracker Dec. 15, 16 and 17 balletpensacola.com

Watch an eggnog chugging contest IRL Dec. 15 facebook.com/kittygetajob

Get weird with Of Montreal Dec. 14 vinylmusichall.com

Take a trip Milton and see the Sowell's North Pole Christmas Light Display facebook.com/sowellsnorthpole

Try a Ginger-Curry Cookie from Five Foxes Bakery at Palafox Market facebook.com/fivefoxesbakery

And eat dinner at Boomerang Pizza Kitchen while you’re in the area 5227 Willing St.

See “Ladybird” if you haven’t already

And “Coco” just make sure you bring tissues

Go green with the Brussel and Apple Salad from Two Birds Street Food twobirdsstreetfood.com

Buy a toy and donate it to Gulf Coast Kid’s House facebook.com/GCKidsHouse

Get messy with a Double Decker PB&J at chizuko 506 W. Belmont St.

Chill with AF THE NAYSAYER Dec. 16 facebook.com/afthenaysayer

“Namaste for the Beer” with Beyond Barre Pensacola at Perfect Plain Dec. 9, 16 and 23 facebook.com/beyondbarrepensacola

Confirm that the kids alright (and way more talented than you) at Christmas on the Coast Dec. 8, 9 and 10 pensacolachildrenschorus.com

Bike for a good cause Dec. 16 onbikespensacola.org

Read “Call Me by Your Name” by André Aciman before you see the movie

21 22 23 24

Catch some beads and the holiday spirit Dec. 9 coxpensacolachristmasparade.org

Sing along with the Choral Society of Pensacola Dec. 17 choralsocietyofpensacola.org

Try your hand at a Victorian era holiday craft Dec. 19-22 pensacolamuseum.org

Order some Yeti Cakes (and some vegan macarons too) from Pretty Baked facebook.com/prettybakedinpensacola

Get nostalgic watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” at The Rex Dec. 19 pensacolacinemaart.com

Gobble up a Jive Ass Turkey sandwich at The Magnolia 2907 E. Cervantes St.

Localize your caffeine buzz with Mrs. Jones Cold Brew facebook.com/mrsjonescoldbrew

Get a booty-shakin' dose of holiday cheer by downloading “A Very Big Freedia Christmazz”

Learn to make chocolate cake with peppermint fudge mousse Dec. 18 at End of the Line Cafe 610 E. Wright St.

Bake some homemade holiday cookies

Go all in and order the 24" pie at Sky’s Pizza Pie 5559 N. Davis Highway

And if you fail, buy some from J’s Bakery and Cafe 2014 N. 12th Ave.

Make a Thursday night a cocktail night at Restaurant IRON 22 N. Palafox St.

Get saucy with the Drunken Noodles at Sabai Thai 4104 Gulf Breeze Parkway

Bring your pup to see ‘Santa Paws’ Dec. 14 at Gulf Coast Brewery facebook.com/pensacolahumane

Give a gift of fresh Florida citrus florabamafarms.com

Start with the Steelhead Tartare at Nom Sushi Izakaya 410 S. Palafox

Go vegan (at least for one lunch) with the Mushroom Reuben at Skopelos at New World 600 S. Palafox

Have brunch with a side of opera Dec. 9, 16 and 23 at Jackson’s Steakhouse greatsouthernrestaurants.com

Get yourself a copy of “Farewell My Dudes: 69 Dystopian Haikus” by Johnathan Rice

And “The Last Black Unicorn” by Tiffany Haddish

Try the Crack-a-roni & Cheese at The Elbow Room 2213 W. Cervantes St.

Shake it off at a holiday style tea dance Dec. 10 at The Vineyard facebook.com/pensacolavineyardbistrowinebar

Talk a friend into splitting a Bodacious Shake with you at The Bodacious Brew 407-C S. Palafox

Save room for “S’mores” at Union Public House 309 S. Reus St.

Plan a day trip to Seaside seasidefl.com

Mix sweet and sour with the Lobster Wontons at Global Grill 27 S. Palafox

Make sure you see “Every Christmas Story Ever Told” while you’re there lovetherep.com

31 32

And that you eat a 100-layer doughnut from the Five Daughters Bakery Airstream fivedaughtersbakery.com

Warm up with a bowl of Saigon Pho at Saigon Oriental Market & Deli 604 N. Pace Blvd.

Have yourself a scoop of Blue Christmas at Dolce & Gelato 221 E. Zaragoza St.

Go nuts at Renfroe Pecan Company 2400 W. Fairfield Dr.

Savor the Savory Bread Pudding Benedict at George Artisan Bakery & Bistro 1124 W. Garden St.

Try a Fatal Shore stout at Perfect Plain 50 E. Garden St.

Don’t miss the Chicken Adobo on Ever'man’s hot bar 315 W. Garden St.

45 46 47 48 49

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Or Santa if that’s more your style Dec. 17 at Seville Quarter sevilleqaurter.com

Indulge with the ParmesanCrusted Grouper at The Fish House 600 S. Barracks St.

Admit that you actually love “Love Actually”

Get cheesy with the Spanish Pepper Poppers with Lump Crab at Carmen’s Lunch Bar 407-B S. Palafox

Take some time for a little exercise and self-care with Pure Barre Pensacola’s Walking Club Dec. 10, 17, 24 and 31 facebook.com/PureBarrePensacola

Send more snail mail it really will make someone’s day

inweekly.net

Drink an extra beer or two on Pint Night (aka Tuesday night) at Pensacola Bay Brewery 225 E. Zaragoza St.

Watch a hockey game pensacolaiceflyers.com

Go “Glamping” for a night coldwatergardens.com

Try the Tortilla Soup (and make sure you order it “hot” if you like your comfort food with a dash of spice) at Cactus Flower Cafe 3425 N. 12th Ave.

Plan a Monday night pizza night at O’zone Pizza Pub 1010 N. 12th Ave.

Support the local music scene at the Jimmy and the Jimbos EP Release Show Dec. 22 pensacolahandlebar.com

And the Christmas night show with Luckily I’m The Hunter, Precubed, Acorns and BLSSR Dec. 25 facebook.com/chizukopensacola

Have a Surfer Burrito for lucnh at End of the Line Cafe 610 E. Wright St.

Attend the holiday edition of Hot Glass Cold Brew (bonus points if you wear an ugly sweater) Dec. 8 at First City Art Center facebook.com/firstcityartcenter

Try the Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cheesecake at Chrisoula's Cheesecake Shoppe and Cafe 236 W. Garden St.

December 7, 2017

Party with a purpose at the M.A.G. Block Party benefiting Manna Food Pantries Dec. 10 facebook.com/themagnoliaeph

And at the Pop Up for Autism Dec. 27 facebook.com/unionpensacola

Get a Mojo Chicken Rice Bowl from Nomadic Eats 222 W. Main St.

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Be inspired by “The Fine Lines of Fashion” exhibit on view through Jan. 6 at Artel Gallery 223 S. Palafox

Get your Hangout Fest tickets before they sell out hangoutmusicfest.com

83 84

One idea if you’re into dressing up and getting cultured is Pensacola Symphony Orchestra’s annual show at The Saenger pensacolasymphony.com

Or if you’re looking for something a little more funky, check out chizuko’s NYE Booty Drop party hosted by Cookies and Cake facebook.com/chizukopensacola

And if kid-friendly is the vibe you’re going for, try Kazoo’s New Year’s Celebration at Blue Wahoos Stadium bluewahoos.com

Get a cinnamon roll with your coffee at Bon Beans Organic Coffee, Tea, & Juice 875 E. Nine Mile Road, Ste. 3

Binge “She’s Gotta Have It” on Netflix

Listen to Miguel’s new album “War & Leisure”

and “Mindhunter” if you haven’t yet

Go big with Nathan McGuire’s Supreme Nachos at McGuire’s Irish Pub 600 E. Gregory St.

Try some authentic Filipino food at Ruby-Gin 2 N. Old Corry Field Road

Watch Michelle Wolf’s new comedy special “Nice Lady” on HBO

Try the eggnog latte at The Leisure Club 1151 Office Woods Dr., Ste. A

Volunteer at Waterfront Rescue Mission’s annual Christmas Banquet Dec. 25 waterfrontmission.org

See “Fear and Folly: The Visionary Prints of Francisco Goya and Federico Castellon” and “Rebels With a Cause: American Impressionist Women” before they close Dec. 30 at Pensacola Museum of Art 407 S. Jefferson St.

Plan ahead for New Year’s Eve seriously you’ll have way more fun if have you some kind of game plan, maybe even reservations made in advance

Get a poinsettia from the Arc Gateway Plant Nursery 1112 E. Fairfield Dr.

92 93

Order a side of corn pudding at VooDoo BBQ & Grill 1741 E. 9 Mile Road

Go ice skating Dec. 18-23 and 27-28 at the Bay Center pensacolabaycenter.com

Satisfy your sweet tooth with a red velvet donut from Maynard's Donut Co. 875 E. 9 Mile Road, # 9

Take the obligatory Palafox Street pretty white lights photo

And the beachy “this is our version of a white Christmas” one

Order a family style take-out meal from Hot Spot Barbecue 901 E. La Rua St.

Bring fresh bread to a holiday party from Joe Patti’s Seafood Company 524 S. B St.

Or some mini cheesecakes from Szotski's Cheesecakes 2600 W. Nine Mile Road

100

Brave the Polar Bear Plunge We know this event technically happens in 2018, but you’ll need time to plan and talk yourself into it so we decided to include it Jan. 1 pensacolabeachchamber.com

The Ultimate Cheatsheet for

Critical Thinking

Want to exercise critical thinking skills? Ask these questions whenever you discover or discuss new information. These are broad and versatile questions that have limitless applications!

Who

What

Where

When

Why

How

… benefits from this? … is this harmful to? … makes decisions about this? … is most directly affected?

… have you also heard discuss this? … would be the best person to consult? … will be the key people in this? … deserves recognition for this?

… are the strengths/weaknesses? … is another perspective? … is another alternative? … would be a counter-argument?

… is the best/worst case scenario? … is most/least important? … can we do to make a positive change? … is getting in the way of our action?

… would we see this in the real world? … are there similar concepts/situations? … is there the most need for this? … in the world would this be a problem?

… can we get more information? … do we go for help with this? … will this idea take us? … are the areas for improvement?

… is this acceptable/unacceptable? … would this benefit our society? … would this cause a problem? … is the best time to take action?

… will we know we’ve succeeded? … has this played a part in our history? … can we expect this to change? … should we ask for help with this?

… is this a problem/challenge? … is it relevant to me/others? … is this the best/worst scenario? … are people influenced by this?

… should people know about this? … has it been this way for so long? … have we allowed this to happen? … is there a need for this today?

… is this similar to _____? … does this disrupt things? … do we know the truth about this? … will we approach this safely?

… does this benefit us/others? … does this harm us/others? … do we see this in the future? … can we change this for our good?

SPONSORED BY THE STUDER FAMILY 414 1

globaldigitalcitizen.org inweekly.net

calendar HAPPY HOUR COOK OUTS 5 p.m. Drink

specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com GAY GRASSROOTS 6 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DATE NIGHT DANCING 6:30-8 p.m. $15. Learn the basics of several romantic ballroom and country dance styles in group classes that keep partners together. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Single Fin Cafe, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/singlefincafe ICE FLYERS VS. KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS 7:05 p.m. $15-$29. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com AFTER GAME SKATE 9:30 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

SATURDAY 12.9

AUDUBON SOCIETY FIELD TRIP 7:30 a.m. Free.

THURSDAY 12.7

LA LECHE LEAGUE 10 a.m. Free. Ever’man Edu-

cational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com A.B.C. BEVERAGE TASTING 5 and 7 p.m. $20 per person. The Deck, 600 S. Barracks St. greatsouthernrestaurants.com RADIOLIVE 6 p.m. $10. Jonathan Byrd and the Pickup Cowboy, Corin Raymond, Rod Picott. Museum of Commerce, 201 E. Zaragoza St. radiolive.org SELECT LATIN DANCE LESSONS AND PARTY

6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Cha Cha, Bachata and more. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com CUTTHROAT 7 p.m. $10-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com MOVIE NIGHT: STAR WARS: RETURN OF THE JEDI 7 p.m. The Vineyard at 12th Avenue, 1010

N. 12th Ave. Ste. 111. facebook.com/pensacolavineyardbistrowinebar

FRIDAY 12.8

PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave.

December 7, 2017

Meet at the Visitors' Center at the north end of the Pensacola Bay Bridge. fmwaudubon.org SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road, Pace. PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com OCEAN HOUR CLEAN UP 9 a.m. Chimney Park and Bay Bluffs. Pensacola Beach. Bring your own buckets and gloves. oceanhourfl.com JUNIOR HUMANE SOCIETY ADOPTION 12-4 p.m. PetSmart, 6251 N. Davis Highway. pensacolahumane.org AROMATHERAPY 2 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ICE FLYERS VS. KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS 7:05 p.m. $15-$29. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com BUSTOUT BURLESQUE: BAD GIRLS OF BURLESQUE 8 p.m. $15-$60. Vinyl Music Hall, 2

S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

DANCE PARTY 8-midnight. Partner dancing

on the best wood dance floor in the area. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com AFTER GAME SKATE 9:30 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com IMPROVABLE CAUSE 10:30 p.m. $11. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

SUNDAY 12.10

WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant. GROUP MEDITATION 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org PUBLIC SKATE 1:30-4:30 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com SOUTHEASTERN TEEN SHAKESPEARE COMPANY: SHENANIGANS 4-5 p.m. Free. 1010 N.

12th Ave. setsco.org/first-city-shakespeare

MONDAY 12.11

PILATES MAT 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 5:30 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com BALLROOM DANCE LESSONS 6:30-8 p.m. $10. Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and more. Professional dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com CROHN’S AND COLITIS SUPPORT GROUP

6:30 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SONGWRITERS AND POETS OPEN MIC 7-9 p.m. Goat Lips, 2811 Copter Road. goatlips.com HIP-HOP DANCE LESSONS 8-9 p.m. $10. Learn hip-hop moves from professional instructor. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com

TUESDAY 12.12

COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. SoGourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com

VINO MAGNIFICO 5:30 p.m. $12 per person.

V. Paul’s Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com FUNKY YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org O’RILEY’S PINT RUNNERS 6-7 p.m. Tuesdays through Jan. 30. O’Riley’s Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox. orileyspub.com POETRY OPEN MIC 6-8 p.m. Constant Coffee & Tea, 615 Scenic Highway. facebook. com/pensacolapoetry ALL ABOUT BODACIOUS OLIVE OILS & VINEGARS 6-8 p.m. $64.50. SoGourmet, 407-D

S. Palafox. sogourmet.com

COUNTRY DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. $10.

Country Two Step, East Coast Swing, Competition Choreography and more. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com UWF LAMBDA COALITION MEETING 7 p.m. Building 36, room 191. University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway. COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com HEALING CLINIC AND MEDITATION 7:158:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

WEDNESDAY 12.13

PILATES & PINOT 6-7 p.m. $12. Pure Pilates Downtown, 426 S Palafox. purepilatespensacola.com WATERBOYZ SLOW SKATE 6-7 p.m. Every Wednesday. Skate starts and ends at Waterboyz, 380 N. 9th Ave. waterboyz.com FUNKY YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SWING DANCE LESSONS AND PARTY 6:3010 p.m. $5-$10. Professional west coast swing instruction for all levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com MEDITATION 7:15-8:30 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org PUB TRIVIA 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays through Jan. 2018. O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox. orileyspub.com FREE DANCE LESSONS 8-8:30 p.m. Free beginner west coast swing dance lesson. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com

calendar

Arts & Culture

≥Events

PMA GALLERY TOURS

2:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free with museum admission. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

THE FINE LINES OF FASHION RECEPTION

6-8 p.m. Dec. 7. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org

HOT GLASS COLD BREW 5:15 p.m. for

members, 6 p.m. general admission. Dec. 8. $20-$25. First City Art Center, 1060 Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

≥Current Exhibits

SYNTHESIS: A GROUP BFA EXHIBITION On

view through Dec. 8. TAG, 11000 University Parkway. uwf.edu

FEMINIST ICONOGRAPHY On view

through Dec. 11. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org FEAR AND FOLLY: THE VISIONARY PRINTS OF FRANCISCO GOYA AND FREDERICO CASTELLON On view

through Dec. 31. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

REBELS WITH A CAUSE: AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST WOMEN On view

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through Dec. 31.

Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org FINE LINES OF FASHION On view Dec.

5 through Jan. 6. Fashion illustrations by Julie McGrath. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org EYE CANDY On view through Jan. 5. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org PSC ART FACULTY AND STAFF EXHIBIT

On view through Jan. 12. Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. pensacolastate.edu CROSSING BOUNDARIES: ART AND THE FUTURE OF ENERGY

On view through Jan. 14. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org CONTAINED PLAY

On view through Feb. Artists from the University of West Florida Advanced Sculpture: Public Art course— Katie Carff, John Davis and Michael Stewart—created this accumulation of orbs and light as part of their coursework. Main Street Façade Sculpture Garden at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org DOCUFLORIDA On view through Feb. 4. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

PHILATELY & FRIENDSHIP: THE ART OF ACE

On view through Feb. 27. Exhibition of 50 illustrated envelopes created by members of Art Cover Exchange. T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org

p.m. at First City Art Center. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for nonmembers. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. CLAY SCULPTURE

Cultural Center, 400 S. Jefferson St.

Six-week workshops held Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at First City Art Center. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for non-members. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

≥Workshops & Classes

Bars & Nightlife

PENSACOLA CULTURAL CENTER ARTIST IN RESIDENCE: NINA FRITZ Pensacola

POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Six-week

workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for non-members. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Every

Monday from 6-8:30 p.m. at First City Art Center. Classes are $40. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. CLAY HAND BUILDING Six-week

workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m.-12

≥Bar Games Thursdays

LADIES NIGHT 5 p.m. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com POKER 8 p.m. The Ticket 1, 7250 Plantation Road. ticketsportsbar.com POOL TOURNAMENT

8 p.m. The Ticket 2, 2115 W. 9 Mile Road. ticketsportsbar.com COLLEGE NIGHT 10 p.m. Drink specials, beer pong tournament starts at 10 p.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com. Fridays WINE TASTING

5-7 p.m. Informative wine tasting in Seville Quarter Wine and Gift Shop. No charge for the tasting. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

for more listings visit inweekly.net inweekly.net

THURSDAY 12.7

WONDERLAND OF LIGHTS View elaborate holiday light displays, visit Santa and enjoy holiday treats. It's open 6-9 p.m. daily through Dec. 30 (except Dec.4-5 and 11-12). $20 per vehicle and up. Pensacola Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. thewonderlandoflights.com A CHRISTMAS CAROL: A GHOST STORY OF CHRISTMAS The University of West Florida presents the 11th annual production of the Charles Dickens classic tale. Tickets are $7-$18 per person. UWF students are admitted free with Nautilus cards. University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82. uwf.edu

FRIDAY 12.8

HOLIDAY PARTY Get into the holiday spirit at Susan Campbell Jewelry's party from 4-8 p.m. They are also hosting a trunk show with Suzy Landa Dec. 7, 8 and 9 and complimentary champagne for shoppers from 3-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays all December long. Susan Campbell Jewelry, 420 S. Palafox. SANTA'S PHOTO PARTY Hop on Santa's sleigh outside Artel Gallery and get your annual holiday photo. 5-9 p.m. Free. 223 S. Palafox. pensacolawinterfest.org REINDEER GAMES Watch Winterfest performers, play in the snow, enjoy holiday snacks and play reindeer games. 5-9 p.m. Free. 223 S. Palafox. pensacolawinterfest.org WINTERFEST PERFORMANCE TOURS Climb on the Winterfest trolley and get immersed in Christmas stories re-told live in action. Tours run from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $16-$35 for adults and $9-$19 for kids. For more information, visit pensacolawinterfest.org

INFUSION HOLIDAY BASH Get into the holiday spirit with food, fellowship and live music from Infusion. The price of admission is a donation at the door. 6-9 p.m. UU Church of Pensacola, 9888 Pensacola Blvd. uupensacola.org HOLIDAY LANTERN TOURS See Historic Pensacola in a new light. The Holiday Lantern Tours will include tours of the Lavalle House, the Dorr House and the Lear/Rocheblave House. Each house will be decorated for the holidays and participants will learn about holiday traditions of the past. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children. Tours start at the Tivoli House, located at 205 E. Zaragoza St. at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org. PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST A family tradition for more than 25 years. Enjoy song and dance performances of your favorite holiday songs by young, local talent. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$41. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

SATURDAY 12.9

2017 BODACIOUS GINGERBREAD HOUSE CONTEST See the entries get judged at The Bodacious Family of Shops. Judging begins at 10 a.m. and the winners will be announced at 3 p.m. The Bodacious Family of Shops, 407 S. Palafox. sogourmet.com JACKSON'S PRESENTS: DECK THE HALLS Enjoy a delicious lunch while listening to Pensacola Opera perform Christmas classics such as "Silent Night" or "Away in a Manger." Seatings are for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. To reserve a table, call 469-9898. greatsouthernrestaurants.com

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

www.radiofreepensacola.com December 7, 2017

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

MEET SANTA AT MILES ANTIQUE MALL Get your photo with Santa and do a little shopping. Santa will be around from 1-5 p.m. Miles Antique Mall, 5109 Bayou Blvd. milesantiquemall.com 'THE POLAR EXPRESS' PAJAMA PARTY Kids are encouraged to wear their pjs for a special screening of "The Polar Express" every weekend through Dec. 17. Tickets are $7 each. Infants one and under are free. Each child will receive a free cup of hot cocoa and a cookie. Be sure to check out the Flight Deck Gift Store for a special treat while supplies last. Movie starts at 3 p.m. National Naval Aviation Museum, 1750 Radford Blvd. navalaviationmuseum.org SANTA'S PHOTO PARTY Hop on Santa's sleigh outside Artel Gallery and get your annual holiday photo. 5-9 p.m. Free. 223 S. Palafox. pensacolawinterfest.org REINDEER GAMES Watch Winterfest performers, play in the snow, enjoy holiday snacks and play reindeer games. 5-9 p.m. Free. 223 S. Palafox. pensacolawinterfest.org WINTERFEST PERFORMANCE TOURS Climb on the Winterfest trolley and get immersed in Christmas stories re-told live in action. Tours run from 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $16-$35 for adults and $9-$19 for kids. For more information, visit pensacolawinterfest.org COX PENSACOLA CHRISTMAS PARADE The not-to-miss Pensacola Christmas Parade will begin at Spring and Garden Street in downtown Pensacola as more than 50,000 watch from the streets. The parade boasts around 90 entries and eight bands from Escambia County, New Orleans and Mississippi. The fun starts at 5:15 p.m. coxpensacolachristmasparade.org

HOLIDAY LANTERN TOURS See Historic Pensacola in a new light. The Holiday Lantern Tours will include tours of the Lavalle House, the Dorr House and the Lear/Rocheblave House. Each house will be decorated for the holidays and participants will learn about holiday traditions of the past. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children. Tours start at the Tivoli House, located at 205 E. Zaragoza St. at 6:30, 7 and 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org. PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST A family tradition for more than 25 years. Enjoy song and dance performances of your favorite holiday songs by young, local talent. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$41. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com BARS>BULLSH!T: THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS EDITION Hip hop returns to chizuko with The War on Christmas Edition of Bars > Bullsh!t. Everyone is encouraged to come out in their favorite holiday attire. The most festive get up will even win a $25 prize. The December showcase features SilaS, Artisan P and DJJEDTHVSLOTH plus local support from Big Lo, Raspy Rapz, Cyborganics and Ty Delpra. DJ Slim (formerly Bodyslanga) will be on the wheels. Admission is $5-$8. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola

SUNDAY 12.10

PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST A family tradition for more than 25 years. Enjoy song and dance performances of your favorite holiday songs by young, local talent. 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $25-$41. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

Let’s Wine!

Free Wine Tasting Every Thursday AWM 5pm - 7pm

27 S. 9th Ave. | 850•433•9463 AragonWineMarket.com 17

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news of the weird PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM US Chengdu, China, street barber Xiong Gaowu offers a most unusual service at his roadside location in Sichuan province. For $12, Xiong will scrap the inside of his customers' eyelids using a straight razor, according to Reuters. Xiong suggests being "gentle, very, very gentle" when performing eyelid shaving, or "blade wash eyes," as the technique is known in Mandarin. A Chengdu ophthalmologist, Qu Chao, says shaving may unblock moisturizing sebaceous glands along the rim of the eyelid, leading to a more comfortable and refreshed feeling. "If he can properly sterilize the tools that he uses, I can see there is still a space for this technique to survive," Qu added. UNCONTAINED EXCITEMENT Traffic slowed to a crawl on I-95 in Palm Beach County, Florida, on Nov. 21 as President Trump's motorcade arrived for the Thanksgiving holiday. Author and sportswriter Jeff Pearlman was among the delayed drivers, but things turned weird when "these people (kept) getting out of the car dancing," he posted in a Twitter video. WPTV reported that Pearlman recorded the people two cars in front of him emerging from their car and twerking on the highway, then jumping and dancing around enthusiastically before getting back in the vehicle. COMPULSION A 35-year-old Indian man employed a unique method for dealing with his depression: swallowing metal. Maksud Khan was rushed to surgery at Sanjay Gandhi Hospital in Satna, Madhya Pradesh, India, after developing severe abdominal pains, according to Metro News. An endoscopy showed that Khan had "coins, nails and nut-bolts in his stomach," said Dr. Priyank Sharma, who led the surgical team. In late November, surgeons removed 263 coins, 100 nails and other metal items, including razor blades and dog chains, from Khan's stomach. His family had no idea he had been ingesting metal, and Khan promised doctors he would never eat metal again. UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT In Iowa, autumn is breeding season for deer, when the animals can get a little wacky and try to cross roadways. It's also the time of year when the Iowa Department of Transportation begins fielding questions from drivers asking why deer crossing signs aren't erected at safer spots for deer to cross. "This sign isn't intended to tell deer where to cross," the Iowa DOT helpfully posted on its Facebook page on Oct. 24, according to the Des Moines Register. "It's for drivers to be alert that deer have been in this area in the past." State Farm Insurance reports that Iowa drivers have the fourth-highest likelihood in the U.S. of hitting a deer. Coincidence? •Rocky, an enterprising 7-month-old border collie in Devon, England, took the com-

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mand "bring the sheep home" a little too literally in early November when he herded nine sheep into his owner's kitchen. "I was in the kitchen and heard a noise," Rocky's owner, Rosalyn Edwards, told the BBC. "I turned around and the sheep were just standing there. It was funny at the time, but then there was quite a lot of wee, poo and mud everywhere." The sheep stood around for a few minutes, then allowed themselves to be shown out the front door. IRONY As elder members of the First United Methodist Church in Tellico Plains, Tennessee, gathered on Nov. 16 to discuss the recent church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas, one of those present asked if anyone had brought a gun to church. One man spoke up and said he carries a gun everywhere, reported WATE-TV, and produced the gun, emptying the chambers before passing the weapon around. When the owner got the gun back, he replaced the magazine and recharged the chamber—accidentally squeezing the trigger and shooting himself in the hand and his wife in the abdomen. Both victims were taken by helicopter to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. LAST WISHES On Oct. 10, Richard Lussi, 76, of Plains Township, Pennsylvania, succumbed to heart disease. But before he died, he made sure his family knew there was one thing he wanted to take with him: a cheesesteak from Pat's King of Steaks in Philadelphia. "No onions because they'll come back to haunt me!" Lussi told his family. So the day before Lussi's funeral, his son, John, grandson, Dominic, and two friends drove to Philly, where they ate cheesesteaks and bought two extra for Lussi's casket. John told The Philadelphia Inquirer that the funeral director advised not putting the sandwiches in the coffin until after the viewing, "because people would take them." Pat's owner Frank Olivieri Jr. said he was flattered and proud that his cheesesteaks were held "so dear" by someone. "Maybe it's a bribe for St. Peter," he added. IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD Lisa Cramps moved into a new home in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire, England, this fall and quickly discovered a mysterious manhole cover in her backyard. Rather than ignore it, Cramps dug up the cover and unearthed a World War II-era bunker underneath. Neighbors informed Cramps that the shelter pre-dates her house and originally had two stories, with the upper level partially above ground. "It's very exciting to find this in our garden," Cramps told Metro News. "I love Second World War history, and my mission now is to find out exactly why it's here." {in}

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com December 7, 2017

Independent News | December 7, 2017 | inweekly.net