Independent News | January 6, 2022 | Volume 23 | Number 1
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winners & losers
outtakes
4
news
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6, 7
This seemed like such a slam dunk...
feature story
buzz 8
11
publisher Rick Outzen
graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk
editor & creative director Joani Delezen
contributing writers Gina Castro, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, Sydney Robinson, C.S. Satterwhite
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happenings 14
Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2022 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
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winners & losers
Craig Ammons and Robert Bender / Courtesy of Escambia County
winners CRAIG AMMONS On Friday, Dec. 17, Es-
cambia County Fire Rescue Capt. Stephen Craig Ammons was honored after 41 years of faithful and dedicated service as a first responder. Capt. Ammons spent the last 36 years with Escambia County Fire Rescue. He began his career with Escambia County in 1985 as a paramedic with Emergency Medical Services. Capt. Ammons moved to Fire Rescue in 2000, serving as a firefighter, fire lieutenant and fire captain. During his time with the county, Capt. Ammons collaborated with numerous local, state and national agencies on fire suppression and training. He has worked during multiple emergency activations, including mutual aides, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, ice storms, floods, the COVID-19 pandemic and other local disasters.
PEN AIR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION Its
employees presented $5,000 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida last month. The Ronald McDonald House strives to be the best home away from home for families who travel to Pensacola to receive critical medical treatment for their children. Jamie Randle, Pen Air senior financial analyst, said, "Giving this check is just one small way that we can help such an amazing organization. Our employees have also sponsored house cleaning days, made dinners during the week, breakfast on the weekends, and collected pop tabs throughout the year. It's safe to say that the employees of Pen Air love the Ronald McDonald House."
BUFFALO ROCK The Pensacola Blue Wa-
hoos and Buffalo Rock announced a 10-year extension to their partnership at Blue Wahoos Stadium to provide Pepsi products to fans at baseball games and community events. Based out of Birmingham, Buffalo Rock has operated as one of the nation's premier providers of beverages and food products since 1901, manufacturing and selling over a billion products annually. The Blue Wahoos 2022 season will begin Friday, April 8, at Blue Wahoos Stadium against the Biloxi Shuckers.
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losers GULF POWER The utility company based
in Pensacola ceased to exist at the end of December. Gulf Power is now Florida Power & Light (FP&L). FP&L and its parent company, NextEra Energy, purchased Gulf Power in 2019 and got approvals for the merger from the federal government last January. The final step to complete the banishment of the Gulf Power brand was the Public Service Commission approving the company's joint rate request in October. Gulf Power customers will see a rate increase in January—jumping from $139.89 for a 1,000-kWh residential customer to $155.61. GulfPower.com is no longer available. Former Gulf Power customers can pay their bills on FPL.com using their Gulf Power log-in. Customers that have signed up for automatic payments or payments through their bank will not have to reset such services.
SCHOOL MASK MANDATES The battle for school mask mandates between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Biden administration ended before the Christmas holidays after the federal government dropped its ceaseand-desist complaint when Florida school districts canceled mask mandates and the state released the funds it was withholding from the districts with mandates. With COVID-19 surging again, will we see another battle over masks in schools? SCHOOL BOARDS The Republican Party
has declared war on school boards. In a radio interview last week, Sen. Rick Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, predicted that we would see an "unbelievable" shift in school boards in 2022 as the GOP uses critical race theory fears to motivate voters to the polls. Though the theory isn't taught in any Florida public schools, Gov. Ron DeSantis has vowed to "get the Florida political apparatus involved so we can make sure there's not a single school board member who supports critical race theory." The school board elections are supposed to be non-partisan in Florida. inweekly.net
outtakes By Rick Outzen
STORIES TO WATCH Unless you were on an alt-right forum or had high-security law enforcement clearance, you wouldn't have predicted the Jan. 6 insurrection. We thought the COVID-19 vaccines would end the pandemic, only to see over two-thirds of our community refuse the shots after Biden took office. The local economy looked bleak in January, only to finish strong by December. I have seven news stories that may be big in 2022. I can't predict their resolution, but they will be the ones we will be watching.
Battle for Hollice T. Williams Park
The City of Pensacola will begin evicting the campers under Interstate 110 this month. Not all the homeless tenants will leave peacefully. Lawsuits will be threatened. Services will be overloaded. Relocation to other campsites will have opposition from residents. And the weather will be cold and wet. We hope it will end well, but we don't bet on it.
Bye, Bye Baptist
What will happen to North Hill and the West Moreno area when Baptist Hospital leaves the area for its new facility on Brent Lane? We've heard community meetings are being held, but we don't know what has been discussed. Baptist needs to sell the land to help cover its note on the new campus. Nonprofit doesn't mean any profit. Will the community have any input on what replaces the old Baptist Hospital?
County Mayor Referendum
Can John Peacock gather enough signatures to force a referendum on his idea of how to reshape Escambia County government? The commissioners weren't impressed and refused to form a charter commission without him proving he had significant support from the community, not just a handful of people upset with not getting their way.
Gaetz & Seventh Graders
The seventh grade at Creative Learning Academy produces the Pensacola People's Podcast, a collection of interviews of local leaders. The kids have interviewed Democratic congressional candidate Rebekah Jones and want to talk with her opponent, Rep. Matt Gaetz. The class has January 6, 2022
been waiting over two months to get on Gaetz's calendar for the Zoom interview. What is he afraid of? Is he smarter than a seventh grader?
Gulf Power Headquarters
Built on 13 acres overlooking Pensacola Bay, the headquarters of the utility company formerly known as Gulf Power won't be needed by Florida Power & Light. The five-story, 250,000-square-foot office building could go to the highest bidder and become condos, or maybe FP&L will consider holding out for another corporation seeking to relocate to tax-friendly, sunny Northwest Florida. FP&L wants us to believe it will be as civic-minded as Gulf Power. How it disposes of the headquarters will tell if the utility truly will be.
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Public Education
The quality of available public education will be a significant factor in the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Will local business leaders care enough about the possible loss of more commands at NAS Pensacola to pressure the Escambia County School Board? Bay County leaders have already begun meeting to avoid cutbacks at Tyndall AFB. No one is talking about it here. And while Republicans get fired up about Critical Race Theory and mask mandates, the Department of Defense wants to know math, science and reading scores. Achieve Escambia and its dashboard aren't the solution.
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Underhill Hearing
Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill faces an administrative hearing on the state ethics commission probable cause findings regarding his legal defense fund and the release of transcripts from a shade meeting concerning litigation against ECUA over the sewer and water system on Innerarity Island. The commissioner has said he can't wait for his day in court, which will be in February, but will he ask for a delay? If he does, will the daily newspaper deem Underhill's request to be moral? The sad fact is that the Florida Ethics Commission has a history of letting elected officials run out the clock on cases until they are no longer in office. Will Underhill try to run out the clock? {in} rick@inweekly.net
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SKANSKA LOSES
Photo Courtesy of Aylstock, Witkin, Kreis & Overholtz
By Rick Outzen Skanska USA didn't get the Christmas present it wanted from Judge Lacey Collier. The contractor building the Chappie James Bridge across Pensacola Bay wanted the federal judge to rule it had no financial liability for its barges damaging the bridge when Hurricane Sally moved through Pensacola in September 2020. That didn't happen. Judge Collier ruled Skanska was negligent in not following its hurricane plan when the storm loomed in the Gulf of Mexico and the company wasn't entitled to any relief under the Limitations Act, which would have limited any damages to the value of the five barges that stuck the span, about $1.43 million. The 40-page ruling allows the lawsuits filed by the nearly 1,000 businesses and homeowners against the contractor for the damages caused by the barges and from the bridge being closed for almost eight months to proceed in federal and state courts. It also opens the door for other businesses and individuals to sue Skanska. Aylstock Witkin, Levin Papantonio Rafferty, and Beggs & Lane law firms represented the community. They expect Skanska to appeal Judge Collier's ruling, but Brian Barr of Levin Papantonio Rafferty believes it won't be reversed. "Skanska will try and get the 11th Circuit to say Judge Collier is wrong," Barr told Inweekly. "When you read that order, which is a well-reasoned order, it's going to be extraordinarily difficult to get an Appellate Court to say anything other than what Judge Collier said." 66
Aylstock Witkin partner Sam Geisler said, "Skanska will certainly appeal this, and the fight will go on. But we're hoping for a quick decision out of the 11th Circuit— once they do appeal it—so that we can keep this fight moving into state court for the vast majority of claimants and fight out on damages now." Skanska did send a statement to the daily newspaper stating its intention to file an appeal. "Skanska remains adamant that it took all appropriate measures with the information available at the time to prepare for the storm," quoted the News Journal. "Immediately following the storm, Skanska put forth its full resources to address the damage as quickly and as safely as possible and reconnect the communities impacted." In his ruling, Judge Collier laid out the facts of the case. Skanska used 55 barges to help construct the new Pensacola Bay Bridge. In advance of Hurricane Sally, the contractor moored most of them near the bridge, but 27 of the barges broke free during the storm, striking and damaging the bridge as well as properties on Pensacola and Escambia bays. Several bridge segments were destroyed, forcing traffic to use Garcon Point Bridge, which added more than an hour to the commute between Pensacola, South Santa Rosa County and Pensacola Beach. Under the Limitations Act, Skanska sought exoneration and liability limitation from the barge accident. Judge Collier first had to determine what negligent acts, if any, caused the accident. If he found negligence at least partially produced the ac-
cident, then he looked at the limitation of liability based on if Skanska had knowledge of the negligent acts. Skanska's liability would have been limited to the barges' value if it proved the lack of knowledge. Skanska's attorneys argued the contractor demonstrated reasonable care when it secured the barges to piling stations in the bay. Its hurricane plan called for the barges to be taken to Butcherpen Cove when the approach of a tropical system posed a sufficient threat to the job site, but Skanska contended they would have fared no better there. Butcherpen Cove is an area near the bluffs of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, east of Gulf Breeze. Judge Collier didn't buy that argument, pointing out if the cove wasn't a safe harbor during a storm, then why was it included in the hurricane plan. The piling stations were not designed for anything resembling a safe harbor. He wrote, "It is therefore clear to the Court that Butcherpen Cove was a far superior location for the barges, and the failure to utilize it, absent any other excuse, constitutes negligence." Skanska also argued that the storm conditions and its path changed too quickly to do anything but moor them to the piling stations. Collier disagreed, "Its executives tried to get by doing less, and that gambit backfired." Geisler thinks the contractor didn't relocate the barges to Butcherpen Cove for several reasons. He told Inweekly, "They were behind schedule. They were over budget. They were in a fight with FDOT over past storm claims. In fact, the day the first advisory regarding Hurricane Sally was issued, their claim for Hurricane Marco was
denied over a technicality. They were late in filing that claim." He continued, "Every time that they moved those barges, they had insurance that would pay them to do that because it's been good business. Also the state of Florida would pay for the cost of moving them. So it really makes no sense why they would do that, other than they just figured, 'You know what, we're going to gamble on this because some of our claims are getting denied.'" Skanska also argued that Hurricane Sally was an inevitable force that caused the barges to break away. The company could not have prevented the accident. Judge Collier refused to accept that assertion. "Skanska had available an offsite location for its barges, Butcherpen Cove, that would have been significantly more protective, and Skanska's attempts to convince the Court that Butcherpen Cove would not have kept the boats secure are unavailing," wrote the judge. "Skanska received ample warning about Hurricane Sally's approach, and thus its negligence is—at the least—a contributing factor to the damages caused by its barges." Judge Collier also denied Skanska's attempt to limit the liability because "Skanska was indeed found negligent, and that negligence sprung wholly from executive decision-making that resulted in the failure to take reasonable measures to protect its barges from the impending storm." Barr wasn't surprised by the ruling. He said, "This seemed like such a slam dunk; their conduct was so reckless with everything they did and every decision they made. We were just sitting there going, 'What are we missing? What is their actual defense? They've got to have something.' Then we went through the trial, and it was just more the same—nothing. Their story never changed." He added, "When you put on the vice president of your company and he tries to argue that the hurricane plan didn't apply to Hurricane Sally because when the time came to execute it, Sally was a tropical storm, not a hurricane … when you see somebody reaching like that, you know they're desperate, and they don't have anything." Both Barr and Geisler were pleased with the order. "I was just so happy to see the court didn't buy all of the stuff they were spinning," said Barr. "The court called Skanska out—'You didn't follow your own plan. You didn't take the steps you were supposed to take, and this community paid the price.' Now we're on the road to recovering for people that have had to pay that price." Geisler said, "This is a huge, huge step in the right direction. And we're in it for the long haul. We're going to see this through and move as fast as we can." {in} inweekly.net
NOTABLE LOCAL DEATHS nonprofit that raised money to give financially challenged children the opportunity to play in their schools' orchestras. He also served as president of the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra board of directors.
SUE HAND, 79
The guiding force behind FavorHouse, the area's only certified domestic violence center, Hand dedicated her life to helping survivors of abuse. As FavorHouse's executive director, she saved thousands of lives serving as "a voice for those who have lost their voice." Under her leadership, the facility grew from a YMCA program to an independent shelter and counseling center. FavorHouse's interim executive director, Marsha Travis, told Inweekly, "I tell you, for me, Sue was a no-nonsense person, a fighter for the underdog. She did not back down if she thought what she thought was correct. She had no problem going against anyone for the fight for survivors of domestic violence, always there 24/7—the first to arrive at work and the last to leave."
DOUG HALFORD, 78
Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Mardi Gras
By Rick Outzen We lost so many people in 2021. The newspaper wrote more articles honoring those who passed than probably any year in its history. The names of some of our losses might not be as familiar as others because they may have faded from the spotlight, but they made their mark on Pensacola. We felt their lives deserved one more remembrance.
T. BUBBA BECHTOL, 76
The Southern storyteller made his mark in Nashville, Tenn., and Pensacola. A successful businessman, whose many ventures included being the first to import tanning beds to Florida, was elected national Jaycees president, a speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan, a much sought-after public speaker and a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry. He served on the board of the Pensacola Little Theatre and was sergeant of arms for the McGuire's Irish Politicians Club. His son Terryl told Inweekly, "My father didn't really tell jokes. He delivered his story in a funny way because of his enthusiasm and passion for what he was doing. He loved being on stage and connecting with people."
ED CHADBOURNE JR., 87
For decades, Edward M. Chadbourne,
January 6, 2022
Inc. was Northwest Florida's top paving and road construction, completing numerous FDOT, Escambia County, City of Pensacola, Navy, Air Force and Army Corp. of Engineers projects. In 1958, he took over the family business when his father died of a heart attack and became a civic leader that mentored Pensacola's next generation of business leaders. He served on the boards of Citizens and Peoples National Bank, Bank South and West Florida Hospital. He also served as Fiesta of Five Flags president and was the organization's youngest Don Tristan DeLuna in 1971. The Chadbourne Foundation continues to assist local charities.
BILL DOLLARHIDE, 74
Dollarhide's Music Center was a fi xture in downtown Pensacola until 2016, when Bill Dollarhide and his wife, Margaret, decided it was finally time to retire. The son of a high school band director, Dollarhide created a place to foster and support young musicians, music educators and an entire musical community in Pensacola. With Jackie Bell and Kathy Holmes, he launched Pensacola Springfest in 1991 that brought tens of thousands of people to downtown. Though he eventually handed the reins over to a board, Dollarhide fronted many of the expenses in the early years and donated the proceeds to the Alzheimer's Foundation. Along with Denis McKinnon, he started Bravo for Kids, a
The first wave of downtown Pensacola's revitalization began with Halford. The onetime owner of the popular Machine Gun Kelly's founded the commercial real estate and consulting firm, The Halford Company (THC), in 1982. He was a founding officer of Pensacola Five Flags Rotary and served on the Pensacola City Council. DeeDee Davis, who owns NAI Pensacola, the successor of THC, told Inweekly, "Doug taught me so much about business and, of course, gave me my start in real estate all those years ago. He saw the potential in Pensacola and didn't sit on the sidelines. He jumped right in and changed downtown forever."
CECIL HUNTER, 96
As treasurer of the local NAACP branch, Hunter paid the filing fee to launch a lawsuit seeking to desegregate Escambia County schools. After graduating from Florida A&M University, he spent more than three decades as a local schoolteacher. He pushed thenArchbishop Joseph Toolen to integrate Pensacola Catholic High School. In 1983, Hunter was one of three black residents elected to the Pensacola City Council since Reconstruction. Four years later, he became the city's first black mayor pro tem. During his first term, he convinced his fellow council members to approve funds to build a swimming pool under Interstate 110. In 1993, the city renamed the facility the Cecil T. Hunter Pool.
DR. WILLIAM HENRY LANGHORNE, 89
A cardiologist and gifted writer, Dr. Langhorne co-founded Baptist Hospi-
tal's coronary care unit. He later formed Cardiology Consultants, which provided cardiology services at Baptist, Sacred Heart and Gulf Breeze hospitals. He also served as president of the Baptist Hospital medical staff. He was a fellow of the American College of Physicians, University of the South trustee and associate fellow of the American College of Cardiologists. From 1999-2009, Dr. Langhorne served as Northwest Florida's Poet Laureate, writing many of his poems late at night after a full day with his practice. He had 13 poetry books published.
GLENN MCDONALD, 84
In 1978, the owner of McDonald Marine and Contracting was pushing a crane across Escambia Bay to a job site on a foggy night. National Airlines Flight 193 crashed near his barge. He and two crewmen saved all but three passengers. The city of Pensacola gave McDonald a key to the city, and he received the U.S. Coast Guard's Silver Lifesaving Medal, U.S. Maritime Administration's Meritorious Service Medal for Heroic Actions and the United Seamen's Service's Admiral of the Ocean Sea Award. He became one of Pensacola's legends.
MARILYN DENISE WESLEY, 65
Starting in 1988, the Atmore native rose through the ranks of Escambia County government to become the first Black female to hold a director position as head of the Department of Community Aff airs. She helped reorganize Escambia County Human Relations Commission as its interim director from 2019 until her death. Commissioner Lumon May told Inweekly, "For many, many, many years, Marilyn was the only African American female director for the county. Beyond her responsibility as an employee, it was just her community. She started the summer feeding programs and helped me program the Brownsville Community Center. She even worked on the COVID grant response. Marilyn was just a great giver."
LAFANETTE SOLES-WOODS, 63
The Air Force veteran fought for her Wedgewood community, refusing to sit quietly when she saw her friends and neighbors battle cancer and other diseases that she believed were linked to the landfills that surrounded her neighborhood. Woods had gotten tired of reading the obituaries of her neighbors. She, too, battled heart disease and breast cancer. Her efforts led to the Department of Environmental Protection closing the Rolling Hills C&D Recycling Facility. Woods continued to fight. Last August, she appeared before the Escambia County Commission protesting a new facility that wanted a permit to operate on nearby Longleaf Drive. {in} 7
Josh Newby / Photo Courtesy of Council on Aging
NEWBY FOLLOWS CLARK When John Clark began at Council on Aging in 1974, it was a small community agency with a handful of employees and a budget of just over $10,000. Since then, the organization has added dozens of staff and a score of programs and services and has an operating budget of over $6 million. All that success and growth can be at least partially attributed to President/CEO John Clark, who retired in December. Josh Newby has been named his successor. Clark told Inweekly he has no grand plans for his retirement. He said, "I hope I'll be able to spend more time with people who over the years have been my friends that I have drifted away from because I've been working. For example, I just got back from Memphis for Christmas, visiting some good friends of mine up there. So I hope I can do more of that kind of thing and just have some time to decompress." Throughout Clark's tenure at Council on Aging, the agency has survived more than a few hurricanes, budgetary challenges, regulatory changes, a pandemic, political upheaval and more. Through it all, Clark kept a steady hand and often found a way to add clients when they were at their most vulnerable. "It's about the people that I've met over the years," he shared about his 47 years with the agency. "I've met some wonderful clients. And I met wonderful volunteers who became really good friends of mine. So it's been the people I've been associated with and working with over the years. I mean, that's my fondest memories." In November 2021, the board selected Josh Newby, then-marketing/communica88
tions director, to take charge of the Council on Aging of West Florida. Newby has been with the organization for five years. In his time, he has overseen recordbreaking public exposure, fundraising, new community awareness and building initiatives, winning multiple state-level awards. He has a master's degree from the University of West Florida and is an Inweekly Rising Star and a graduate of the Pensacola Chamber Foundation's Leadership Pensacola program. He also serves on the board of the Florida Public Relations Association, the Florida Association of Aging Services Providers and Five Flags Rotary. "Josh is bright, creative, young," said Clark. "I think he's the right person at the right time. I'm very happy for him, and I'm very happy for the Council on Aging. I know he's going to do a great job."
APPRIVER SOLD AGAIN On Dec. 23,
OpenText™ announced that it had completed the closing of the previously announced acquisition of Zix Corporation, a leader in SaaS-based email encryption, threat protection and compliance cloud solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Two years ago, Zix acquired the Gulf Breeze-based Appriver, the leading cloudbased cybersecurity solutions provider, for $275 million. "I would like to welcome Zix customers, partners and employees to OpenText. Combined, we will be able to provide our customers a powerhouse SMB platform for data protection, threat management, email security and compliance solutions," said OpenText CEO & CTO Mark J. Barrenechea in a press release. "Zix meaningfully expands our distribution capabilities with MSP partners, enhances our SMB offering and deepens our go-to-market relationship with Microsoft." The tender offer for all outstanding Zix common stock (including shares of common stock issued upon conversion of Zix's Series A Preferred Stock) for $8.50 per share in cash is now complete. Zix is now a wholly owned subsidiary of OpenText. Total purchase price was approximately $860 million, inclusive of Zix's cash and debt.
INNISFREE HOTELS LAUDED Green
Key Global Eco-Rating Program recognized all four Innisfree Hotels properties on Pensacola Beach for their ongoing commitment to improving their environmental and fiscal performance. The Green Key Global Eco-Rating Program is a first-of-its-kind "eco-audit" that awards hospitality and tourism enterprises up to five "Green Keys" based on their sustainability practices and diligence when it comes to eco-friendly operations. The Green Key Program is recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, an international accreditation body that manages sustainability standards in travel and tourism. Of the four Pensacola properties, Hilton, Hampton and Holiday Inn Resort have each received a rating of four Green Keys, while the Surf and Sand was awarded three Green Keys. These initial keys demonstrate the hotel operator's commitment and responsibility to sustainability and community engagement. "As we step away from one of the most challenging years in hospitality, we're humbled that guests have chosen to return to the Gulf Coast and excited to introduce to them a better, greener Innisfree," said company CEO Ted Ent. "We hope to set a new standard for sustainable travel and tourism, and these newly awarded Keys represent only the beginning of Innisfree's commitment to environmental responsibility." This recognition comes after the recent appointment of Brittney Barnett as Innisfree's new director of Sustainability. With over seven years of experience in community development and sustainability program implementation, Barnett joined Innisfree in October 2021 to pilot a new program focusing on climate action, resource preservation, ecological balance, and health and wellbeing. Under Barnett's leadership, Innisfree will continue to pursue the highest standard of sustainable operations. Although each hotel has unique achievements, Innisfree's Sustainability efforts include LED lighting upgrades throughout the hotel, boiler upgrades, installing an energy management system, procuring Energy Star certified appliances, low-flow showerheads, water-saving aerators faucets in each guest room and EV charging stations. Additionally, the hotel operator established new employee engagement practices that include developing sustainability action plans for each property, conducting sustainability training for staff, and establishing a platform for employees to share sustainability ideas. Bonus points were awarded for Innisfree's strong community involvement by leading social initiatives such as their "From the Ground
Up" community garden, participating in "The Bail Project" and "Parent University."
BROADBAND BACKBONE Before
Christmas, the daily newspaper published a guest viewpoint questioning the Board of County Commissioners working on a system that would allow providers to offer highspeed internet to residents in Escambia County's rural areas. The newspaper failed to tell readers the viewpoint was pushed by a consulting firm that includes AT&T and Florida Power & Light among its clients. Commissioner Steve Barry explained to Inweekly that the county has taken a methodical approach to discover the gaps in broadband service and then develop a business plan to create a backbone for private providers, like AT&T, Verizon and Frontier, to offer high-speed internet at a reasonable price. "We used CARES Act money last summer to undertake an assessment of exactly where our gaps were as an overall county," said Barry. "I knew from just anecdotal evidence that I had thousands of my constituents that didn't have access to what you would consider reasonable internet access, some being no access at all, and some just not being what you could use to do anything, whether it's academic or work." He continued, "The assessment came back and showed what I think many of us suspected. We did have huge coverage gaps in Escambia County, largely on the north end and then additionally on the west side of the county, which included a portion of Commissioner Bergosh's area, which I was a little bit surprised about, but it clearly showed that as kind of an internet desert as well." Barry explained that the next step was to conduct a feasibility study of the county building the broadband network. He said, "Very soon there's going to be a report done or completed that's going to make some type of a business assessment for what it would look like for the county." The commissioner added, "If there's a way after the build-out to produce revenue, whether minor or major revenue from it, that's fantastic. But the purpose of undertaking the whole endeavor is to bring service to our constituents, to bring service to those that have no service, and those that are greatly underserved. It's providing a service that the private sector has not deemed with a high enough return on investment to warrant in their business models." He doesn't want the county to compete with the private sector. Barry said, "The intent is to offer access to high-speed internet for every home, not necessarily delivering that service to them. That's going to take partners. I think it's very likely that we're going to end up with probably multiple inweekly.net
partners in Escambia County because we have providers that have large footprints in the urban core of the county."
NEW DASHBOARD The Haas Center at the University of West Florida has developed an online dashboard that provides easy access to key indicators of community success. "The Achieve dashboard, located at achievedashboard.org, is a unique tool that is free and available to the community," Haas Center Executive Director Nicole Gislason told Inweekly. "We provide data visualizations relative to various social determinants like health and social wellbeing, education, quality of place, economic vitality, as well as workforce and demographics." The Haas Center developed the site with Achieve Healthy EscaRosa, Achieve Escambia and several community collaboratives. The center curated the economic and workforce components, while Claire Kirchharr of the Escambia County Healthy Start Coalition handled the other indicators. "One of the things that sets this dashboard apart is just how comprehensive it is in looking at all those different social determinants, on both an individual and a systematic level, that's going to impact someone's ability to live and thrive in our community," said Kirchharr. "It's looking at things like the primary care physician rates, our Baker Act rates, as well as things like racial neighborhood segregation. So really tackling, across the board, what are those different concerns, but also successes, we have in our community." The Achieve Dashboard is intended to supplement other existing data dashboards and will be updated routinely and improved to meet the growing and changing needs of the community. Users can navigate and search the site for specific data sets and download and utilize the graphics in their own reports and presentations. "One of the dashboard's core strengths is the use of streamlined graphics to
January 6, 2022
communicate yearly changes on various metrics in the Pensacola Metro Area," said Kirchharr. "Each partner curated different sections of the site and will work to keep the metrics and the story of the data updated over time." She added, "I think it's incredibly comprehensive, and it's also going to be continuous and accessible to all, so the data will be updated as time goes on. New indicators will be added as the community tells us what they're interested in and as we see what data's available to us." To learn more about the UWF Haas Center, visit uwf.edu/haas. For more information about the Achieve Dashboard, visit achievedashboard.org.
MORE HOSPICE CARE The Agency for Health Care Administration announced preliminary approval of five new hospice programs across the state to launch in January 2023. Health care regulators announced approval for hospice programs in Escambia, Marion, Polk, Indian River and Palm Beach counties. The new provider for Escambia County is Peoples Hospice and Palliative Care of Florida, LLC. OMNI Home Health-District 1, PruittHealth Hospice-West Florida, St. Joseph Florida Panhandle and Transitions Intermediate Holdings had their applications denied. The decisions can be challenged in state administrative court and therefore are not final. Hospice care is provided to people nearing the end of life. The goal is to maximize comfort and ease treatment for underlying medical conditions causing death. Medicare, Medicaid and commercial health insurance provide coverage for hospice care. The certificate of need program (CON) regulates hospice. Hospice programs have two CON "batching cycles" annually. AHCA determines whether there is an additional need for the regulated service in each
region. After the fixed need is published, interested entities must file what is known as a letter of intent. The letters are not binding but must be submitted by all entities interested in providing the services. An official application follows the letter of intent. Health care regulators competitively review the applications. The state makes an initial decision after the review and publishes its decisions. Those initial agency decisions can be, and often are, challenged.
NEW ENERGY CUSTOMER This year, Pensacola Energy will get a new customer— the International Paper mill in Cantonment. The city of Pensacola's natural gas utility will see its revenues increase, and the paper mill will have cost savings. "Pensacola Energy offered natural gas at competitive rates, and we look forward to our relationship with them," Whitney Fike, IP communications manager, told NorthEscambia.com. "It's not often that a gas utility gets to add a major industrial customer like that, and we are fortunate to be able to secure a supply of gas that is costing them less than their current supply," Pensacola Energy Director Don Suarez said. "That addition of International Paper will increase our throughput, our sales, next year by about 14%." Pensacola Energy can offer IP a lower natural gas price because of a discount from a prepaid gas agreement. Plus, area residents won't have to deal with infrastructure changes to roads in Cantonment since the municipal utility will use the same pipes used by the mill's current supplier. SUPERFUND CLEAN-UPS The U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accelerate the cleanup of five Superfund sites in the Pensacola area with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Nationally, a $1 billion investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be used to initiate cleanup and to clear the
backlog of 49 previously unfunded Superfund sites and accelerate cleanup at dozens of other sites across the country. "This work is just the beginning; with more than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans living within 3 miles of a Superfund site, EPA is working to serve people that have been left behind," said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. "Approximately 60% of the sites to receive funding for new cleanup projects are in historically underserved communities." Superfund cleanup projects in Pensacola include American Creosote Works, which has been listed on the Superfund program's National Priorities List (NPL) since 1983 because of contaminated soil and groundwater resulting from facility operations, and Escambia Wood, which made the list in 1994 because of contaminated groundwater and soil resulting from waste handling practices at the site. EPA is committed to carrying out this work in line with President Biden's Justice40 Initiative by advancing environmental justice and incorporating equity considerations into all aspects of the Superfund cleanup process. This will help ensure that historic and ongoing impacts of contamination on overburdened communities are fully considered and addressed. The funds will supercharge the Superfund program to address the toll contaminated sites have on communities. EPA is finalizing cleanup plans and preparing funding mechanisms to get construction work started as soon as possible. More information about funding for backlogged sites and accelerated cleanup sites will be available in the coming weeks. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation investment that will create millions of jobs modernizing our infrastructure, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity, and put us on a path to win the economic competition for the 21st century. For more information about EPA's Superfund program, please visit epa.gov/ superfund. {in}
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inweekly.net
We know there's a lot of uncertainty in the air right now—thanks primarily to the Omicron variant. But we're still choosing to start 2022 off on an optimistic note, at least when it comes to entertainment. Here are some of the local events, TV shows, movies, books and music releases we're excited about going into the new year. Of course, all these dates are subject to change. But no matter what happens, Mardi Gras officially kicks off this week, which means it's king cake season. Nothing can take that away from us.
January 6, 2022
11
LOCAL EVENTS Mardi Gras Season
The Pensacola Mardi Gras Kick-Off Celebration is Jan. 7; local parades are scheduled for Feb. 25, 26 and 27 pensacolamardigras.com
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra
Presents "Beethoven & Blue Jeans: Poetry, Prose & Verse" Jan. 15 pensacolasymphony.com
Pensacola Opera
Presents the "The Magic Flute" Jan. 28 and 30 and "The Barber of Seville" March 11 and 13 pensacolaopera.com
Pensacon
Feb. 18-20 pensacon.com
Hangout Music Fest
May 20-22 hangoutmusicfest.com
P3 Comedy Fest
May 27-29 facebook.com/p3comedyfest
2022 Elections
Aug. 2 (Primary) Nov. 8 (General Election) escambiavotes.gov
Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Mardi Gras
TV Black-ish
The final season is airing now on ABC
Search Party
The fifth and final season will start streaming Jan. 7 on HBO Max
Euphoria
Season 2 will premiere Jan. 9 on HBO
Cheer
Season 2 will drop Jan. 12 on Netflix
Janet Jackson Documentary
Night one of the two-part documentary will air Jan. 28 on Lifetime
Pam & Tommy
The limited series will premiere Feb. 2 on Hulu
Atlanta
The first two episodes from Season 3 will air March 24 on FX; the next day, the entire season will be available to stream on Hulu
MOVIES Scream
The fifth installment of the "Scream" film series opens in theaters Jan. 14
Nope
Jordan Peele's next movie, which stars Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer and Steven Yeun, is scheduled to be released July 22
Don't Worry Darling
A psychological thriller, directed by Olivia Wilde and starring Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, is scheduled to be released Sept. 23
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
The sequel, directed by Ryan Coogler and staring Letitia Wright, is scheduled to be released Nov. 11 MORE MOVIES •The Batman (March 4) •Top Gun: Maverick (May 27) •Jurassic World: Dominion (June 10) •Thor: Love and Thunder (July 8) 212 1
•Mission: Impossible 7 (Sept. 30) •Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Oct. 7) •Avatar 2 (Dec. 16) •Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (Dec. 16) inweekly.net
BOOKS Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life by Delia Ephron April 12
Hello, Molly!: A Memoir by Molly Shannon April 12
Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop by Danyel Smith April 19
Fiona and Jane by Jean Chen Ho Out now
This Time Tomorrow
You Don't Know Us Negroes and Other Essays by Zora Neale Hurston, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Genevieve West Jan. 18
by Emma Straub May 17
Either/Or
by Elif Batuman May 24
The Candy House
Rest is Resistance
by Jennifer Egan April 5
by The Nap Ministry Release date TBD
Young Mungo
Untitled Prince Harry memoir Release date TBD
by Douglas Stuart April 5
MUSIC The Weeknd "Dawn FM" Jan. 7
The Lumineers "Brightside" Jan. 14
Earl Sweatshirt "Sick!" Jan. 14 Animal Collective "Time Skiffs" Feb. 4 Spoon "Lucifer on the Sofa" Feb. 11
Beach House "Once Twice Melody" Feb. 18 Superchunk "Wild Loneliness" Feb. 25
Jack White "Fear of the Dawn" April 8
"Entering Heaven Alive" July 22 MORE MUSIC New music from the following artists has been announced (or at least teased) and is expected sometime in 2022: •SZA •Kid Cudi •Death Cab for Cutie •Cardi B January 6, 2022
•Chloe Bailey •Father John Misty •Arcade Fire •And as always, we're hoping for something, anything really, from Frank Ocean, Rihanna and/or Beyoncé this year {in} 13
a&e happenings contacted following the selection process and receive technical specifications for the production file.
REGIONAL WRITING CONTEST SEEKS "IN FOCUS FLASH MEMOIR" ENTRIES
CALL TO ARTISTS
COMPETE IN CHORAL SOCIETY'S "YOUNG VOICES" High school and col-
lege students are invited to participate in Young Voices 2022, the Choral Society of Pensacola's third singing competition, on Saturday, Jan. 29, in the Ashmore Auditorium at Pensacola State College. Winners will receive cash prizes, as well as an invitation to perform in the Society's Feb. 20 concert, "Stage and Screen." All singers between the ages of 14 and 30 who are currently enrolled in a high school (or home school) or a college in Florida or Alabama are eligible to compete in one of four categories—High School Level 1 (freshman or sophomore), High School Level 2 (junior or senior), College Level 1 (freshman or sophomore) and College Level 2 (junior or senior). Competitors must prepare two selections—an art song or aria and a musical theatre number. Both selections must be memorized. Singers will be assigned specific competition times and perform on stage in the auditorium of the Ashmore Fine Arts Center at Pensacola State College (Bldg. 8, 1000 College Blvd.). An accompanist will be provided on request. This year's judges are Dr. Sheila Dunn (Director, Dr. Grier Williams School of Music, University of West Florida), Dr. Laura Moore (Director of Choral Activities, Department of Music, University of South Alabama) and Mr. Michael Dye (Executive Director Designate, Florida Vocal Association). The public is welcome to attend the competition free of charge. Entry deadline is Friday, Jan. 21, at 5 pm. For further information, visit the Choral Society website at choralsocietyofpensacola.org or email youngvoices@choralsocietyofpensacola.org.
PMA MEMBERS SHOW The Pensacola
Museum of Art invites artists, makers, designers and creative thinkers from its member community to submit artworks for The Members Show. This annual juried exhibition seeks to generate community dialogue, foster creative expression and recognize the support and talent of our members. Artists 414 1
can win cash prizes with $150 to first place, $125 to second place, $100 to third place and $75 to people's choice. The Members Show will be extended through the month of May. The exhibition is open to PMA members working in all media and subject matter. The submission deadline is Sunday, Jan. 30, at 11:59 p.m. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for details and submission form.
2022 PENSACOLA JAZZFEST POSTER
Jazz Pensacola invites fine artists and graphic designers to submit renderings for the 2022 Pensacola JazzFest. The commission is $500. The Jazz Pensacola Board of Directors will consider all renderings and make a selection. Initial drafts are due by Jan. 18. If selected, the completed submission deadline is Feb. 24. The poster design should reflect the deep, rich, diverse jazz music heritage of Pensacola and communicate a sense of place. Submissions should conform to a vertical orientation using a ratio that will fit, with margin, on a final poster size of 18 inches wide by 24 inches high. All content must be the submitter's original creation and must be unpublished. The submitter must have all rights to images and graphics used in the final artwork and during the design process. The poster must include the name of the festival, 2022 Pensacola JazzFest. The festival event information, including date, location, sponsors and any additional information, will be added to the poster in the graphic production process. There is no need to include this information within the artwork. Any mixed media suitable for twodimensional mechanical reproduction is allowed, including both hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics. Submissions must be in low-res (72 PPI) JPEG format and emailed to info@jazzpensacola.com. There is no limit to the number of entries by a single artist. Each entry must include the artist's name, address, email and telephone number. The selected artist is responsible for the preparation of the art for highresolution reproduction. The artist will be
West Florida Literary Federation is sponsoring "In Focus: A Contest for Flash Memoir," a creative nonfiction contest with cash prizes and an opportunity for publication. Luke Wallin, professor of creative writing, former editor of The Louisville Review and award- winning author of national acclaim who lives in Rhode Island, will serve as a guest judge. The judging panel will be looking for entries that distill a personal experience and share the heart and essence of it in order to impact readers with a keepsake take-away. Contest entries will be read with the name of the writer concealed. Contest Facilitator Claire Massey asks writers to "share your moments of truth, the crossroads and rest stops on your journey, the images that define who you were and who you are." Contest entries will be accepted electronically in January. Any resident of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton or Bay counties in Florida or Baldwin, Mobile and Escambia counties in Alabama, 18-years or older is eligible to participate. Members of West Florida Literary Federation and the Florida Writers' Association are also eligible to enter. Non- members pay a $10 submission fee. For more questions email Massey at westfloridaliteraryfederation@gmail.com or visit wflf.org.
ARTS & CULTURE
PENSACOLA MARDI GRAS KICKOFF CELEBRATION The official kick-off
will begin inside Seville Quarter at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 7, and will honor T. Bubba Bechtol, Pensacola Mardi Gras Town Crier. For information about anything and everything Pensacola Mardi Gras, including this event, and krewe rules and applications, visit pensacolamardigras.com.
FOURTH ANNUAL WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT VISION BOARD BRUNCH The "New Year, Elevated You:
Women's Empowerment Vision Board Brunch" is an annual event that's goal is to strengthen women through helping them build community with others and, of course, create a vision to transform their lives. This year's event will feature guest speaker LisaRaye McCoy and will take place Sunday, Jan. 9, at Sanders Beach from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Attendees must preregister by Friday, Jan. 7. For more information, email mia@miaboldencoaching.com or visit facebook.com/miabolden10.
WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART "The French Dispatch" will
be playing Thursday, Jan. 6. On Sunday, Jan. 9, will be a special showing of "Belfast" ($10 donation suggested). Starting Jan. 14, "Spencer" will be playing at the theater. All showtimes are at 1 p.m. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $8 cash only.
Now streaming, "Hive," based on the true story of a wife whose husband goes missing during the war in Kosovo. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information.
KPB'S SECOND ANNUAL TRADE-ATREE Keep Pensacola Beautiful would like
to help you go carbon neutral this holiday season. Bring them your live Christmas trees and they will give you a free 3-gallon live oak sapling and instructions on how to plant it. The Trade-A-Tree event will take place at Floral Tree Gardens, 9235 Pine Forest Road, on Saturday, Jan. 8, from 9 a.m.-noon. For questions, email volunteer@keeppensacolabeautiful.org or call (850) 438-1178.
BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS BRIDAL EXPO The "Beautiful Beginnings" Expo
will be Sunday, Jan. 9, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. Wedding professionals will be on site with displays, information, samples and more. Tickets are $10, cash only. Visit pensacolabaycenter.com for more information.
EARTH ETHICS The next Earth Ethics meeting is 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, at Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/earthethics for more information. AN EVENING IN IRSRAEL The Global Corner will celebrate "An Evening in Israel" featuring an authentic Israeli food and wine at Pensacola Opera Center, 75 S. Tarragona St., from 6-7:30 p.m. Tickets are $60-$70. Proceeds benefit the Global Corner's educational in-school passport program in elementary schools. For more information, visit theglobalcorner.org/gc_event/an-evening-in-israel. BOOTLEG BALL: SPIRITS OF THE SPEAKEASY Don your Glad Rags and Fox
Trot down to the Museum of Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 15, or the Bootleg Ball: Spirits of the Speakeasy, a fundraiser for the University of West Florida Historic Trust. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $200 per person. Get yours at historicpensacola.org/ support-membership/bootleg-ball.
11TH ANNUAL KREWE OF BLUES PIN AND BEAD FESTIVAL All krewes are
welcome to promote their favorite charity and krewe memberships. There will also be a diaper drive for Gulf Coast and Santa Rosa Kids' House, 50/50 drawings and prize raffles. The event will be 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 16, at Historic Seville Square. For more information, visit facebook.com/ kobpinandbeadfestival.
PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy
shopping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The next date is Saturday, Jan. 15, at 1401 W. Intendencia St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/ pensacolaartsmarket. inweekly.net
a&e happenings EASY GOING GALLERY ART MARKET
Every Sunday, Easy Going Gallery and Carter J Studios present a weekly art market Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Vendors can participate for a $20 fee. For more information, contact easygoinggalleryart@gmail.com.
FIRST CITY ART HOLIDAY EXHIBIT
Enjoy works of art from Paint Out Group at First City Art's 1060 Gallery's "So Chill" exhibit through Jan. 17. First City Art is located at 1060 N. Guillemard St. Visit firstcityart.org for more information.
MATT & BEN Before "The Office," Mindy Kaling co-wrote the play "Matt & Ben" with Brenda Withers about Matt Damon and Ben Affleck before they were famous. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, Jan. 21 & 28; 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, Jan. 22 & 29; 2:30 Sunday, Jan 23; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27, at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $14-$20. For tickets, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com. JOAN FULLERTON WORKSHOP Palette Productions Pensacola presents a workshop with artist Joan Fullerton on Jan. 24. You can claim a place in her class with a $100 deposit with the application form found online at paletteproductions.net. For more information, call Diane Goeller at (850) 384-3652 or Pat Page at (850) 293-5414. PENSACOLA PSYCHIC, METAPHYSICAL AND HEALING ARTS FAIR This
annual psychic fair brings speakers, tarot readers, mediums, healers, metaphysical gifts and UFO enthusiasts. The event is Wednesday, Jan. 29, from 1-5 p.m. at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Readers and vendors can sign up by calling (850) 941-4321. For more information, visit pensacolapsychicfair.com.
VISIONARY APONTE: ART AND BLACK FREEDOM Visionary Aponte: Art and Black Freedom is from creator José Antonio Aponte, a free black carpenter, artist and former soldier who was also the
GRAPHIC NOVELS
leader of an ambitious antislavery conspiracy in Cuba in 1812. The exhibit is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through March 27. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for more information.
2000 MEN: BLACK POLITICIANS DURING RECONSTRUCTION A new
exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of History shares the stories and histories of Black politicians during the Reconstruction period. The Pensacola Museum of History is located at 330 S. Jefferson St. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.
UWF HISTORIC TRUST 9/11 EXHIBIT
An exhibit honoring victims lost and others impacted by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, is now on display on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History. The University of West Florida Historic Trust curated the exhibit, 9/11 Remembered, which runs through January, with items on loan from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York and the History Museum of Mobile. The gallery includes a section of the I-beam from one of the World Trade Center towers and a helmet and other items worn by first responders who responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Visitors can also view a video of newsreels from 20 years ago on projectors and a video from NAS Pensacola that features military members who responded to the 9/11 attacks. For more information on UWF's Historic Trust, visit historicpensacola.org.
FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the
UWF Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago. Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s newspaper. Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola. org for more information.
KIDS BOOKS
pensacolapopcomics.com January 6, 2022
Reimagined provides a new look at the real and imagined stories told in Alejo Carpentier's 1949 historical novel "The Kingdom of This World," which recounts the Haitian Revolution in his signature literary style—lo real maravilloso, or the marvelous real. This exhibit will be on view at the Pensacola Museum of Art through Jan. 9. The PMA is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sundays from noon-4 p.m. For more information about exhibitions, programming or support, visit pensacolamuseum.org.
SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio
400's and Pensacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.
OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Show off your talents on the second Thursday of every month at The Gordon's Open Mic showcase from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. The Gordon is located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Visit thegordon.org for more information. OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY Try out some new jokes or
enjoy some homegrown talent every Monday at 7 p.m. for Open Mic Comedy at Big Top Brewery, located at 21 W. Romano St. Everyone gets five minutes depending on the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.
NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Per-
forming Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class
schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstoppers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult. MMPA is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks are required for entry into the building and studio. More information about Mixon Magic Performing Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling (850) 221-7438.
GENDER PORTRAITS Gender Portraits
is a project from artist Drew Riley of the Austin Creative Alliance. The nonprofit organization supports sex and gender minorities using art as a foundation for education, activism and advocacy. The exhibit is on view at Voices of Pensacola, located at 117 E. Government St., through January. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.
BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW "Black Citizenship in the Age
of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola, is now on view at Artel Gallery. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.
CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet
up with other makers at Studio South. Tuesday is Knit Night 4-7 p.m., and Sit & Stitch is Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Both classes are free. For a full calendar of events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center offers a wide range of classes and workshops for artists of all levels. Classes include glass
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a&e happenings SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist Jim An-
blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.
drews will be performing at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1504 W. Intendencia St., on the first Friday of every month from 6-9:30 p.m.
LIVE MUSIC
KANSAS Kansas' "Point of Know Return" anniversary tour will have a Pensacola stop at 8 p.m. Jan. 7, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $68-$118. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information. THE STEELDRIVERS The SteelDrivers
will be performing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, on Saturday, Jan. 15. Doors open at 7 p.m. and show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30-$100. Get yours at vinylmusichall.com.
PENSACOLA SYMPHONY PRESENTS: BEETHOVEN AND BLUE JEANS Dress
up or down for PSO's annual celebration of the composer Beethoven. Other selections include Northwest Florida's former Poet Laureate. Poets Jamey Jones and Charles McCaskill read their poems aloud as the orchestra performs musical selections from George Walker and Tobias Picker. Soprano Halley Gilbert will perform "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" with prose by James Agee set to the music of Samuel Barber. Selections from Leonard Bernstein's evocative "On the Waterfront" complement the program. The show is Saturday, Jan. 15, at 7:30 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre, located at 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com.
MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Blues Society of Northwest
Florida and Seville Quarter present Monday Night Blues, the longest running weekly Blues Jam in Florida, starting at 7 p.m. with an opening and followed by the Blues Jam at 9 p.m. Seville Quarter is located at 130 E. Government St. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.
LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish
Blue Fish for live performances from local bands Fridays and Saturdays all day. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.
RAY COLEY AT CAZADORES MEXICAN RESTAURANT Ray Coley performs oldies mix with jazz and blues every weekend with keyboard, horn and flute. Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. and a jazz set on Sundays from 12-3 p.m. on the patio at Cazadores Mexican restaurant, located at 8183 W. Fairfield Dr. Weather permitting.
CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five 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 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays for open jam with Pensacola Folk Music Society. Feel free to visit and listen to music. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.
KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS Sing your heart out Sundays at Mugs & Jugs, 12080 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.
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.
TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Me-
lodious Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, located at 130 E. Government St.
Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.
FITNESS + RECREATION
PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS GAMES The Pensacola Ice Flyers home games are at Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets start at $15. Purchase yours at pensacolabaycenter.com. UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •7:05 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7 •7:05 p.m. Friday, Jan. 14 •7:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 15 F3 NATION FREE WORKOUTS FOR MEN F3, a national network of free, peer-
led workouts for all men, has expanded its outdoor workouts to Pensacola. The three Fs stand for Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. Classes are free of charge to all men 18 and older or 16 with an adult guardian. Each class ends with a circle of trust. Class times are 7-8 a.m. Saturdays and 5:30-6:15 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Visit f3pensacola.com.
OVER 50 DANCE CLUB Take part in the Over 50 Dance Club at Sanders Beach Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St., Tuesdays from 6:30-9 p.m. The dress code is dressy; cover is $5-$10. This club is tobacco- and alcohol-free. For more information, call (850) 623-5013. PENSACOLA PEGGERS CRIBBAGE CLUB LOOKING FOR MEMBERS Pen-
sacola Peggers Cribbage Club 396, the local Grass Roots Club affiliated with American Congress of Cribbage, is seeking new cribbage players for the group. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Sonny's BBQ, located at 6702 N. Ninth Ave., to play six games of cribbage.
WEEKLY FRIDAY DANCE Get moving every Friday night with a dance sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Enjoy food from 6-7 p.m. Dancing is from 7-10 p.m. A variety of bands and music provide the tunes. Cost of admission is $6. Dances are located at 105 Kenmore Ave. in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 476-5696.
PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pen-
sacola Rec Plex North parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com.
BREATHE AND READ AT BODACIOUS BOOKSTORE AND CAFÉ Recenter
yourself at this monthly event at Bodacious Bookstore and Café, with an instructor-led beginner yoga class and a group book discussion at 9 a.m. on the first Saturday of every month. Bodacious Bookstore and Café is located at 110 Intendencia St. For more information, visit bodaciousbookstore.com.
WFPL MOLINO TRACK CHALLENGE
Put on your walking shoes and join the walking challenge at the Molino library. Just visit Molino's track, turn on your favorite fitness tracker app to log your progress, dial up your tunes or an audiobook and start walking. When you finish, come into the library and log your progress with staff on our track challenge board. The top walker in this program will win The Coldest Water Bottle. The Molino Branch Library is located at 6450-A Highway 95A. For more information, visit mywfpl.com.
RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on 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.
Winner Best Late Night Eats & Runner Up Best Bar–West Pensacola/Perdido Key, Best Bar Ambiance, Best Bar Food & Best Bar for Games
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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.
PINTS, PUPS & PAJAMAS Join Perfect Plain Brewing Co., located at 50 E. Garden St., for a pajama-themed pup costume contest 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15. Cash prizes are up for grabs for the top three pups. For more information, visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco.
SOUL FLOW YOGA AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Every Tuesday at 7 a.m.,
COOKING WITH CHEF IRV MILLER: THE BUTCHER AND BAKER The next
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 an unlimited 30-day 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. 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. On Saturday, Aug. 28, volunteers will be at Philip A. Payne Bridge. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.
FOOD + DRINKS
TWELFTH NIGHT AT JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE In celebration of the Twelfth
Night, the start of Carnival season, Jackson's Steakhouse will be offering special features for dinner service through Sunday, Jan. 9. During these dates, Jackson's will offer a special menu including Oysters Rockefeller Soup, Miko's king cake and a special king cake cocktail in addition to its standard dinner menu. Jackson's Steakhouse is located at 400 S. Palafox. For reservations, call (850) 469-9898. To view the full menu, visit jacksonsrestaurant.com.
VINO MAGNIFICO The next Vino Magnifi-
co at V. Paul's, 29 S. Palafox, is Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 5:30 p.m. Cost is $15 per person. Reservations are required. Make yours at vpauls.com.
A CELEBRATION OF TRUFFLES, BAROLOS & BARBARESCOS AT ANGELENA'S Visit Angelena's for a special
dinner celebrating truffles, Barolos and Barbarescos. The dinner will be held in the main dining room on Thursday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. located at 101 E. Intendencia St. Savor the last of the season's truffles and the "king" and "queen" of Italian wines, Barolo and Barbaresco, with Chef James Briscione and Wine Director Brooke Parkhurst. Max Rowe, Fine Wine Specialist of Breakthru Beverages, Aspect Division, will share his knowledge of Piemontese wines. Event cost is $250 per person (plus January 6, 2022
tax and gratuity). Reservations are required and can be made by calling (850) 542-8398.
cooking demonstration with Chef Irv Miller is Wednesday, Jan. 19, at 5:30 and 7 p.m. Classes are $55 per person and cover the food demonstration, tasting, wine pairings and a take-home recipe booklet. Reservations are required. Make yours by calling Jessica Edwards Ryberg at (850) 686-3149. Jackson's is located at 400 S. Palafox.
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SUNDAY FUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE WELL The Well, located at 42 E. Garden
St., has expanded its offerings with a Sunday Funday Brunch cocktail menu including items such as Spicy Paloma made with Mezcal, a Cold Brew Cocktail with Irish whiskey, a Cucumber-infused Spritz, a Bloody Mary spiced with house-made hot sauce and garnished with fresh pickled vegetables. Price range is $9-$12. Brunch hours are Sundays from noon-4 p.m. Other small plate offerings are available Thursday-Saturday from 4 p.m.one hour before closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/thewellpensacola.
FIRST FRIDAY FINE WINES Visit The Nest General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, on the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. Visit bluejaysbakery.com for more information. BAYOU BUZZ COFFEE TASTING TOUR Seville Savories Food Tour will host a coffee tour of downtown Pensacola Tuesdays-Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are available online at sevillesavoriesfoodtour.com.
BURGERS AND BORDEAUX AT UNION PUBLIC HOUSE Every Tuesday
night, enjoy a specialty burger and a glass of Bordeaux for $18 at Union Public House, located at 309 S. Reus St. For more information, visit facebook.com/unionpensacola.
WEEKNIGHT HAPPY HOUR Every weeknight before 6 p.m. at The 5 Barrel, get $1 off all The 5 Barrel pints, $2 wine by the glass and half off hummus plates when you buy a pint of beer. Visit the5barrel.com for more information. TABLETOP TUESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL Join The 5 Barrel for a special Tabletop Tuesday event at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in March. A wide variety of games ranging from the classic chess to the crowd favorite Catan will be available. Players are welcome to bring their own games. for more listings visit inweekly.net
Tired of suffering from droopy eyelids? Uplift your eyelids with the once daily eye drop, Upneeq. Call now to schedule your appointment with the eye care specialists at Terrezza Optical: 850-434-2060 17
free will astrology WEEK OF JANUARY 6 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In the fantasy tale "The Wizard of Oz," a tornado lifts the hero Dorothy from her modest home in rural Kansas to a magical realm called Oz. There she experiences many provocative and entertaining adventures. Nonetheless, she longs to return to where she started from. A friendly witch helps her find the way back to Kansas, which requires her to click her ruby slippers together three times and say, "There's no place like home; there's no place like home." I suspect, Aries, that there'll be a different ending to your epic tale in 2022. At some point, you will decide you prefer to stay in your new world. Maybe you'll even click your ruby slippers together and say, "There's no place like Oz; there's no place like Oz." (Thanks to author David Lazar for that last line.) TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Fifty-five percent of the people who live in Toronto speak primarily English or French. But for the other 45%, their mother tongue is a different language, including Portuguese, Tagalog, Italian, Tamil, Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin. I wish you could spend some time there in the coming months. In my astrological opinion, you would benefit from being exposed to maximum cultural diversity. You would thrive by being around a broad spectrum of influences from multiple backgrounds. If you can't manage a trip to Toronto or another richly diverse place, do your best to approximate the same experience. Give yourself the gift of splendorous variety. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): One of your primary meditations throughout 2022 should be the following advice from "The Laws of Human Nature," a book by motivational author Robert Greene. He writes, "In ancient times, many great leaders felt that they were descended from gods and part divine. Such self-belief would translate into high levels of confidence that others would feed off and recognize. It became a self-fulfilling prophecy. You do not need to indulge in such grandiose thoughts but feeling that you are destined for something
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By Rob Brezsny
great or important will give you a degree of resilience when people oppose or resist you. You will not internalize the doubts that come from such moments. You will have an enterprising spirit. You will continually try new things, even taking risks, confident in your ability to bounce back from failures and feeling destined to succeed."
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I would
love to unabashedly encourage you to travel widely and explore wildly in 2022. I would rejoice if I could brazenly authorize you to escape your comfort zone and wander in the frontiers. It's not often the planetary omens offer us Cancerians such an unambiguous mandate to engage in exhilarating adventures and intelligent risks. There's only one problem—that annoying inconvenience known as the pandemic. We really do have to exercise caution in our pursuit of expansive encounters. Luckily, you now have extra ingenuity about the project of staying safe as you enlarge your world.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): I suspect that
your life in 2022 might feature themes beloved by Leo author Emily Brontë (1818– 1848). "No coward soul is mine," she wrote, "No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere." I suggest making that one of your mottoes. Here's another guiding inspiration from Emily, via one of her poems—"I'll walk where my own nature would be leading: / It vexes me to choose another guide: / Where the grey flocks in ferny glens are feeding; / Where the wild wind blows on the mountain-side." Here's one more of Brontë's thoughts especially suitable for your use in the coming months—"I'll be as dirty as I please, and I like to be dirty, and I will be dirty!"
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): What reversals and turnabouts would you like to experience in 2022, Virgo? Which situations would you like to transform dramatically? Are there imbalances of power you would like to rectify? Contradictions you'd love to dissolve? Misplaced priorities you could correct? All these things are possible in the coming months if you are creative and resourceful enough. With your dynamic
efforts, the last could be first, the low could be high and the weak could become strong.
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "Every-
thing good I've ever gotten in my life, I only got because I gave something else up," wrote author Elizabeth Gilbert. That has often been true for me. For example, if I hadn't given up my beloved music career, I wouldn't have had the time and energy to become a skillful astrology writer with a big audience. What about you, Libra? In my reckoning, Gilbert's observation should be a major theme for you in 2022.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Author C. S. Lewis wrote that we don't simply want to behold beauty. We "want to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it." If there were ever a time when you could get abundant tastes of that extravagant pleasure, Scorpio, it would be in the coming months. If you make it a goal, if you set an intention, you may enjoy more deep mergers and delightful interactions with beauty than you have had since 2010. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian singer-songwriter Tom Waits began his career in 1969. He achieved modest success during the next 11 years. But his career headed in an even more successful direction after he met Kathleen Brennan, who became his wife and collaborator. In a 1988 interview, Waits said, "She's got the whole dark forest living inside of her. She pushes me into areas I would not go, and I'd say that a lot of the things I'm trying to do now, she's encouraged." In 2022, Sagittarius, I'll invite you to go looking for the deep dark forest within yourself. I'm sure it's in there somewhere. If you explore it with luxuriant curiosity, it will ultimately inspire you to generate unprecedented breakthroughs. Yes, it might sometimes be spooky—but in ways that ultimately prove lucky. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Capri-
corn-born Muhammad Ali was far more than a superb professional boxer. He was an activist, entertainer and philanthropist who gathered much wisdom in his 74 years. I've chosen one
of his quotes to be your guide in the coming months. I hope it will motivate you to rigorously manage the sometimes pesky and demanding details that will ultimately enable you to score a big victory. "It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you down," Ali said. "It's the pebble in your shoe."
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): At a pivotal moment in his evolution, Aquarian playwright Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) swore an oath to himself. I'll tell you about it here because I hope it will inspire you to make a comparable vow to yourself about how you'll live your life in 2022. Author Robert Greene is the source of the quote. He says that Chekhov promised himself he would engage in "no more bowing and apologizing to people; no more complaining and blaming; no more disorderly living and wasting time. The answer to everything was work and love, work and love. He had to spread this message to his family and save them. He had to share it with humanity through his stories and plays." PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Here's
what Piscean author Anais Nin wrote in one of her diaries: "When I first faced pain, I was shattered. When I first met failure, defeat, denial, loss, death, I died. Not today. I believe in my power, in my magic, and I do not die. I survive, I love, live, continue." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, you could claim her triumphant declaration as your own in 2022, with special emphasis on this—"I believe in my power, in my magic. I survive, I love, live, continue." This will be a golden age, a time when you harvest the fruits of many years of labor. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: What problem are you most likely to outgrow and render irrelevant in 2022? newsletter.freewillastrology.com.
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freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021, 2022
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news of the weird WAIT, WHAT? Ever watched a cooking show and wished you could sample the finished product? A professor in Japan has created a prototype TV screen that you can lick to taste a particular food. It works by spraying flavors on a film that rolls over the TV screen, Reuters reported. While such a product might seem misguided during a global pandemic, Meiji University professor Homei Miyashita sees it differently: "The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home," he said. Miyashita said a commercial version could be made for about $875. SCROOGE IS REAL Gina Sheldon of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, arrived home from Europe and opened her luggage to find $3,000 of gifts gone, WMUR-TV reported on Dec. 24. The items were "replaced with dog food, an old T-shirt, a shaving cream bottle," Sheldon said; she believes those items were used because they look like a "real luggage product" when scanned. She had spent 11 days in Italy and a few in Paris and believes the switcheroo happened in the baggage area of Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris. Sheldon had bought a leather jacket for her teenager and "these really cute leather wristlet band purses" for other family and friends. Delta Airlines and their partner Air France are looking into the incident.
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
that preceded Santa Claus as a bringer of gifts, the Associated Press reported. But in what has become an adjunct to the town's tradition, the goats have been torched dozens of times during the past 55 years, including this year on Dec. 17. Police arrested a suspect in his 40s who had soot on his hands and matched a description from witnesses. THANK YOU, I THINK? According to the Associated Press, Suyin Ting, collections manager for vertebrate paleontology at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, is retiring, so researchers in Alabama and South Carolina honored her with a unique gift: They named a prehistoric shark species after her. Carcharhinus tingae lived 40 million years ago and was identified using fossilized teeth in the museum's collection. "I am very honored to be recognized by my peers for my work," said Ting on Dec. 23, her retirement day. LOVIN' IT McDonald's locations in Guangdong and Shanghai, China, are testing new in-store seating: exercise bikes. A spokesperson said the bikes are part of McDonald's Upcycle for Good initiative, which promotes sustainability, United Press International reported. They generate electricity, which customers can use to charge their devices. Oh, and they help customers stay healthier while gobbling a Big Mac and fries.
•In this story, Scrooge is a hyperactive rodent with a bushy tail: The vendor who usually installs holiday lighting at Mears Park in St. Paul, Minnesota, declined to take the job this year after squirrels chewed through the wires in 2020, Lee Ann LaBore, co-chair of the Friends of Mears Park, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "Our vendor reuses the lights, and they can't afford to ... have the squirrels destroy them again," she said. Instead, this year organizers used a projector with kaleidoscopelike moving images of snowflakes. People "want to see the twinkly lights," LaBore said. "Well, we can't have twinkly lights. It was probably this or nothing."
THE CONTINUING CRISIS On Dec. 26, as bad weather kept Kristin Livdahl and her 10-year-old daughter inside, they looked for some fun challenges to do: "... laying down and rolling over holding a shoe on your foot," for example, Livdahl explained on Twitter. But when the child asked Amazon's Alexa for a challenge, Fox News reported, it suggested she plug a charger cord about halfway into a wall, then hold a penny against the exposed prongs. Fortunately, Livdahl was there with her and yelled, "'No, Alexa, no!' like it was a dog," she said. Later, Livdahl received an email from Amazon, apologizing for the incident and promising to follow up.
VIRTUAL REALITY Pinellas County (Florida) sheriff's deputies stopped a car at 4 a.m. on Dec. 18 for driving without its lights on, The Smoking Gun reported. They arrested the driver, Darius Owens, 27, for DUI and marijuana possession, but the real payoff came when they searched the car and passenger, Patrick Florence, 34. Under the Florence's seat, they found a gun; wrapped around his penis, they discovered baggies holding methamphetamine and cocaine. Florence, who has many felony convictions, denied that the drugs were his, but he wouldn't say who they belonged to. So many questions.
•It appears that red-winged parrots in Australia can't hold their liquor, according to Broome Veterinary Hospital in Kimberley. It's the end of mango season, and the ripe fruits are falling to the ground, where they ferment in the sun. The parrots indulge in the boozy treat—sometimes to their demise, ABC News reported. "A lot of them, unfortunately ... don't make it to the clinic because they pass away before people find them," said veterinarian Paul Murphy. It's not just the alcohol that kills them, but drunken behavior; Murphy said they fly into windows and sit on the ground, where they're vulnerable to predators. {in}
WEIRD CHRISTMAS TRADITION Since 1966, the city of Gavle, Sweden, has erected a huge straw goat in its downtown square at Christmastime. The goats are pagan symbols
From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2021 Andrews McMeel
Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com January 6, 2022
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Find your community. The Center serves as downtown Pensacola’s cultural and artistic hub. It is home to local theatre, ballet, education, events, community organizations and more. As we look to the future, we plan to reimagine our space, and we invite you to join us on the journey. learn more at findyour center pensacola.com
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Independent News | January 6, 2022 | inweekly.net