Inweekly Jan 9 2020 Issue

Independent News | January 9, 2020 | Volume 21 | Number 2

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winners & losers

outtakes

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5

news 7, 8

Our worst fear when we first started out was that politicians would get quietly competent...

buzz

cover feature 13

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contact us info@inweekly.net

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

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

a&e 15

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

“Holding careless drivers accountable makes Pensacola safer for us all.” JOE ZARZAUR BOARD CERTIFIED CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY

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P E N S A C O L A inweekly.net

Quint Studer shares what makes a vibrant community Watch Quint’s CivicCon presentation: www.pnj.com/civiccon

Quint Studer, a local businessman and philanthropist, has been a key figure in downtown Pensacola’s development, and he’s been invited to cities across the U.S. to discuss how he’s helped build a more vibrant community. Watch Quint’s CivicCon talk as he brings his insights back home to Pensacola to discuss how we got where we are, and how we can keep changing for the better.

Great communities begin with civic dialogue Watch video streams from past sessions: pnj.com/civiccon n Tom McLellan on addiction prevention and treatment n Mikael Colville-Andersen on benefits of bike-friendly cities n SCAPE unveils plan to transform Pensacola waterfront n Chuck Marohn crowns Pensacola as ‘Strongest Town’ n Dr. Ron Ferguson discusses closing achievement gap n Charles Montgomery talks about cities can ‘push us apart, or draw us together’ n Ed McMahon on what makes Pensacola special n Peter Kageyama on loving your city

n Tom Murphy on public private partnerships n Michaele Pride talks healthy, beautiful neighborhoods n Emily Talen talks about the ‘good stuff’ n Jeff Speck on making walkable cities n Donald Shoup explains how to get parking right n Andrew Davis on ‘Laws of Attraction’ n Ryan Gravel on building for people n Dr. Marvin Seppala on opioid crisis n Peter Bazeli on good, bad market research

Sign up for the CivicCon newsletter: studeri.org/newsletter-signup CivicCon is a joint project of the Pensacola News Journal and the Studer Community Institute, intended to make our community a better place to live, play, work and invest through smart planning and civic engagement. January 9, 2020

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winners & losers

Richard Fountain

winners

RICHARD FOUNTAIN UWF Provost and

Senior Vice President George Ellenberg announced the appointment of Fountain as dean of the College of Business. Fountain previously served as chair for the Department of Accounting and Finance at UWF since 2017. As dean of the College of Business, Fountain is responsible for oversight and management of six academic departments, as well as the Center for Entrepreneurship, the Center for Supply Chain Management Excellence, Louis Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy and the Florida Small Business Development Center.

PETE SHINNICK For the second time in the

CHEERS PENSACOLA!

last three years, the University of West Florida head coach was named the National Coach of the Year by D2Football.com. UWF finished 13-2 overall in 2019 after winning the program's first national championship, 48-40 over Minnesota State, on Dec. 21. The Argonauts completed one of the most remarkable post-season runs in NCAA history, defeating three number one seeds and four consecutive undefeated teams for the first time and recorded the school's 10th team national championship.

STEPHEN SIMPSON The owner of S2

Group, an asset management company, wrote a check for $2,564 to cover the school lunch debt for families at 19 schools in the Escambia County School District. The district reported the staff in the Food Services Accounting office was shocked to receive the call from Simpson. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas said, "This donation stood out because it is also a gift to so many families—the gift of a little less worry."

losers

USDA During the holidays, people were sur-

prised to see the Kingdom of Wakanda listed as a U.S. free trade partner in a tariff tracker on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's website. But officials soon explained that the nation had only been added as part of a test, and they removed it from the system. Wakanda is an East African country home to Black Panther in the Marvel Universe.

FSU PI KAPPA PHI CHAPTER Last week, the 1st District Court of Appeal said the chapter's president and two other men can face felony hazing charges in the 2017 death of a pledge. In a 2-1 decision, the panel overturned a Leon County circuit judge's ruling that tossed out felony charges against the trio who had been charged in the death of Andrew Coffey, 20, a pledge from Broward County who died in November 2017 after drinking a large bottle of bourbon during a party in which pledges' fraternity "big brothers" were revealed. TERRENCE ROWE The former acting

mayor of Port Richey, Fla., last week was sentenced to probation after admitting to conspiring with ex-mayor Dale Massad to obstruct justice. Massad remains in jail and faces attempted murder charges after he was accused of firing at a Pasco County Sheriff's SWAT team trying to serve a warrant at his home on Feb. 21. In a recorded phone call at the Pasco Detention Center, the pair talked of intimidating a Port Richey police officer who was part of the investigation against Massad.

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

MORE AWARENESS NEEDED Inweekly has written about human trafficking in our community for over a dozen years. The plight of men, women and children being bought and sold touched at the very of heart of our mission to give a voice to the voiceless. In 2007, an Outtakes column caught the attention of Brad Dennis of the KlaasKids Foundation, who brought Shauna Newell to our office. The articulate, intelligent teenager told the staff about being drugged at a friend’s house and waking up tied to a bed, where she was repeatedly raped. The “friend” was an adult, and the man posing as the girl’s father was part of a sex slave operation. Thanks to news reports generated by Dennis and Newell’s parents, the kidnappers released her after four days, dumping her at a convenience store. Dennis gave us our first introduction into the growing problem of human trafficking along the Interstate 10 corridor. He shared how pimps recruited young girls from bus stops, malls and social media and would take them on a circuit of Atlanta to Jacksonville to Miami to Tampa to Orlando to Tallahassee to Panama City Beach to Pensacola to Mobile to New Orleans and back to Atlanta. “That’s a pretty well-known circuit for all of this,” Dennis told Inweekly in June 2007. “They can get more money from these kids than working them somewhere else.” Today, pimps have a new circuit and different scam. In July 2017, the FBI received

two anonymous tips through the National Human Trafficking Hotline that indicated two local massage parlors were possibly using underaged females and offering sexual acts for additional money during the massage sessions. Last August, U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe announced the raids on several massage parlors owned by Pensacola resident David C. Williams. In November, Williams pled guilty to using interstate facilities for purposes of racketeering, transporting women for prostitution, harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain and being involved in a money-laundering conspiracy. During his plea, Williams admitted to the court that he operated Asian massage parlors with Chinese women who offered sexual acts in return for money and who were illegally in the U.S. This Friday, the Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force is hosting a summit to raise awareness of the problem. Our reporter Savannah Evanoff interviewed several of the organizers for this issue. Law enforcement has more tools to deal with human trafficking than it did a dozen years ago. We can be one of those tools if we learn how traffickers are operating in our communities. We can help authorities prosecute the criminals and save the victims. The summit is an important step in curbing human trafficking along the Florida Panhandle. {in} rick@inweekly.net

We can help authorities prosecute the criminals and save the victims.

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CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT WESTSIDE SCHOOL

By Jeremy Morrison

Everyone agrees that a new elementary school is needed on Escambia County's west side. And the Escambia County School District has plans to locate one a few miles away from Pleasant Grove Elementary. The new school the district is planning would replace Pleasant Grove—while retaining the name—and also take in some students from both Hellen Caro and Blue Angels elementary schools. It would also greatly modernize the educational venue available to students in the area. "Similar to A.K Suter in style and modern efficiencies," said Paul Fesko, District 2 representative on the Escambia County School Board. But not everyone is pleased about the school district's plans. Concerns about the project are being raised, regarding both its proximity to Naval Air Station Pensacola and its impact on protected wetlands located on the Sorrento Road property. "I told the school board that I don't know how you're going to get a permit," said Escambia County Commissioner Doug Underhill. "What the school board has currently submitted to the county is not permittable." School district officials, however, don't appear too concerned and are pushing ahead with permitting for the project. "At this point, I'm a little taken aback," Fesko said, referring to such concerns being raised at this point in the process. "We're getting a little late in the game," said Kevin Adams, representing District 1 on Escambia's school board. "We've already spent some money."

FLIGHT PATHS AND WETLANDS

Escambia County School District purchased the property off Sorrento Road in 2015 for just shy of a million dollars. The new elementary school slated for the property is estimated to run around $38 million.

The overall property at the Sorrento Road site is about 60 acres. Half of that is what would be considered uplands, or buildable. "Nice, high and dry. The intent is to build the school up there," explained Keith Wasdin, the school district's construction manager for the project. The other half of the property is considered wetlands. And that's the basis for one of the concerns being raised about the project. In a letter to Escambia County officials in October, Barbara Albrecht, director of the Panhandle Watershed Alliance, stressed the ecological significance of the school district's Sorrento Road property. She pointed out that the property served as a wetland filtration area and disturbing it could negatively impact other restoration efforts, specifically listing the Perdido Pitcher Plan Prairie Mitigation Plan and the Perdido and Pensacola Bay Estuary Program. "This area contains a mosaic of mixed forested wetlands, scrub/titi swamps, hydric pine flatwoods and low-lying uplands, with substantial encroachment and fragmentation occurring," Albrecht wrote, encouraging efforts to circumvent any impact to the wetlands on the property.

"Recognize that spanning wetlands versus filling them is better for the environment." Barbara Albrecht "Recognize that spanning wetlands versus filling them is better for the environment," she wrote. The other primary concern being voiced is in regards to the school's proximity to the airfield at NAS Pensacola. "We just should not be building high risk facilities in the flight path of the Navy base," said Commissioner Underhill. "They'll be flying over this school with F-18s." Underhill said he didn't understand why

the school district was choosing to locate its new school on property located near the base, not only because of the flight path concerns but also due to concerns about the associated noise. "I cannot understand why the school district would want to build a school in the high noise area of the Air Installation Compatibility Use Zone," the commissioner wrote in his response to Albrecht's letter on the issue. Underhill said that the county would be taking these issues of concern into consideration when issuing permits for the development of the property. "It's our responsibility at the county to avoid base conflicts," he said.

WAITING TO MOVE AHEAD

When school board member Fesko sat on a committee that reviewed projects using half-cent sales tax funds, such as a new school, he also wondered about certain issues with the Sorrento Road property. "The committee asked the same question that some people are now asking," he said. Fesko wanted to know about environmental impact particulars, the concerns about its proximity to the base and also concerns about how an influx of school traffic would impact the surrounding roadways, particularly Sorrento Road. Fesko said that all of these concerns have been addressed. As for the traffic concerns, the district is planning to build a new road onto the property for drop-off and pick-up traffic in an effort to minimize the impact to Sorrento. And to mitigate wetland impact— Wasdin said approximately half an acre of wetland will be impacted—the district intends to designate the remaining wetland portion as conservation land. And as for concerns about the proximity to base operations, Fesko said, those are misplaced. This new school will actually be

located farther from the base than the current Pleasant Grove. "In fact, it does not encroach on the flight path of the base," Fesko said of the planned school. "In fact, the current Pleasant Grove is much closer than the new one would be." "If you look at an aerial map of Pleasant Grove, it's within a stone's throw of the runway," Adams pointed out. Currently, the school district is in the permitting stages of this project. Wasdin said he hopes to break ground in the first quarter of next year, but right now, he's waiting on permits associated with the wetland area of the property from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Out at the Navy base, Public Affairs Officer Jason Bortz said that proximity to a flight path was always a concern but that the Navy was "working with the county to ensure concerns from all parties are discussed and addressed." Escambia County Administrator Janice Gilley said that the issue of the new school will be discussed in January at the Board of Adjustment meeting. She noted in an email that there would be "many important things to consider when determining future school locations." At the school district, the plan for a new Pleasant Grove is moving ahead as planned.

"I talked to the superintendent about this, and he said as far as he knows it's moving ahead." Kevin Adams "I talked to the superintendent about this, and he said as far as he knows it's moving ahead," Adams said, brushing off concerns being raised as being driven primarily by Underhill. "The only person I have heard through this whole thing is Commissioner Underhill." "I don't see why we would stop until something came up that has not been addressed or has changed," Fesko said. "And what that could possibly be, I don't know." {in}

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ANDRADE PREVIEWS 2020 SESSION that work in our prisons. They can go find better employment right now in Florida because the economy is doing so well."

MEDICAID IN SCHOOLS

By Jeremy Morrison As Florida lawmakers head back to Tallahassee this month for the 2020 legislative session, they can look forward to the thousands of bills that will be filed and the, perhaps, hundreds they will actually consider. Bills being considered will pertain to hotbutton issues like guns and abortion, as well as education, criminal justice reform and septic tank removal. "The big things are going to be budget issues," said District 2 Rep. Alex Andrade. The Northwest Florida Republican was referring to the legislature's mission to locate the necessary money to fund Gov. Ron DeSantis's stated goals of increasing pay for both teachers and prison staff. Andrade recently took a few a minutes with Inweekly to preview the 2020 legislative session, discussing items such as funding the governor's budget, as well as other efforts he hopes to see move forward this year.

a few million higher than the previous year. Some of the requests in the proposal are new, such as a billion dollars for the governor's initiative to increase pay for teachers around the state to a minimum of $47,500. "It's going to be a really heavy budget year, I think," Andrade said, allowing that questions remain as to how the governor's proposed budget would be accomplished. "I'm confident something's going to be done; I'm just not sure exactly what yet." "You know, it's always kind of tight when we start increasing guaranteed budget line items that are going to have to go forward every single year," Andrade continued, "but I'm confident something's going to get done. I personally believe that something needs to get done." The legislator said that the governor's request regarding teacher pay made sense in market terms. "This, granularly, is market driven. Our economy has done so well we have this incredible unemployment rate right now," Andrade said. "Anyone in Florida who wants a job can find one, and that means that a teacher that hasn't seen a raise in a while can go look for other opportunities for employment. Same for the men and women

"Anyone in Florida who wants a job can find one, and that means that a teacher that hasn't seen a raise in a while can go look for other opportunities for employment." Alex Andrade

WHERE TO FIND THE FUNDS?

Last November, Gov. DeSantis released his $91.4 billion proposed budget, which was 88

One bill Rep. Andrade is sponsoring this legislative session concerns Medicaid school-based services. "I'm probably most excited about that bill," Andrade said. The bill, HB 81, revises provisions relating to reimbursement of medical services so that students eligible for Medicaid may receive such services at school. The bill would allow for federal reimbursement through the American Health Care Act (AHCA). "We as a state right now are leaving approximately between 80 and 100 million dollars on the table from the federal government to provide things like mental health and speech pathology and physical therapy to Medicaid-eligible students in schools," Andrade said. "This bill would not cost the state anything, or local government anything, but it would mean about a 100 million more dollars in services going to students in schools around the state." Last year, the state rep said, his colleagues in the House were supportive, and he's hoping to get a similar reception in the Senate this session. "The Florida House has been incredibly supportive of it, and now we just need to see if the Senate will move it this year and get it across the finish line with us," Andrade said.

ALIMONY REVISIONS

Another 2020 bill that Andrade is attached to as sponsor pertains to alimony. The so-called Dissolution of Marriage bill revises legal provisions relating to alimony. The representative said that the bill will alleviate current restrictions that in certain cases result in individuals not being able to retire upon retirement age.

"Alimony in Florida hasn't really been fundamentally altered in about 30 years." Andrade "Alimony in Florida hasn't really been fundamentally altered in about 30 years," Andrade said. "We're one of eight states that still has what's called 'permanent alimony,' meaning a judge can decide if someone is able to retire when they reach retirement age in Florida." While he said he was confident his alimony bill would find support in the House, Andrade acknowledged it'd likely get revised. "The bill as it stands right now is not probably how it's going to end up, and there's going to have to be some, you know,

not compromises, but adjustments to the policy, and I'm still waiting to see kind of how the Senate feels about it to see if it will actually become law," he said.

IMPROVING CRIMINAL JUSTICE

The issues facing Florida's prisons are many, and Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch is asking for both budgetary and legislative fixes. On the legislative front, lawmakers will be taking a look at reducing the populations in the state's overcrowded prisons. "We have some issues in Florida right now with our prison population," Andrade said. A bill Andrade is sponsoring this session in the House is aimed at helping to reduce the state's prison population. The bill, HB 339, revises mandatory minimum and maximum sentencing particulars related to certain drug trafficking offenses. The bill allows for a court to reassess such mandatory sentencing and depart from adhering to such sentencing. "We're kind of at a point right now where we have to do something in our prison system," the representative explained his rationale for the bill.

PRESERVING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TRUST FUND?

Affordable housing, or, rather, the lack thereof, is an issue in communities across Florida. The state has money set aside to help address this issue in the form of the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund. In his budget this year, Gov. DeSantis has proposed using $387 million from the trust fund on affordable housing efforts throughout the state. Problem is, legislators typically raid the fund to use the money for other purposes. "I believe there was about $100 million swept from the Sadowski Trust Fund last year," Andrade said. "But it was swept for a good reason. It was used to help recovering counties that were hit by Hurricane Michael." When state lawmakers re-appropriate funds from the affordable housing trust fund, it results in less money being available to address the concern at the local level. The Northwest Florida rep said he understood this but also understood the difficulties of funding other needs. "Every single year, the Sadowski trust fund is a discussion and a concern. You know, I know that citizens from Pensacola and Escambia County benefit from funds being left in that trust and being used for its intended purpose. The question is, how do we make ends meet," Andrade said, explaining he was unsure if the legislature would use the money for affordable housing. "It's all going to be part of a balancing act that me as a first-term legislator doesn't have too much say in." {in} inweekly.net

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FIGHT OVER LOCAL GUN LAWS On Thursday, Jan. 2, the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, League of Women Voters of Florida, Equality Florida Institute and the Brady organization filed a brief urging the 1st District Court of Appeal to affirm a lower court ruling that the provisions of a 2011 Florida law that threatens tough penalties if city and county officials approve gun regulations were unconstitutional. The law states local officials "who knowingly and willfully violate the statute shall be fined up to $5,000 and may not be indemnified for the costs of defending themselves." State lawmakers and the National Rifle Association have contended that the preemption authority—when a "higher" level of government (state or federal) eliminates or reduces the authority of a "lower" level over a given issue—necessary to prevent local governments from ignoring state gun laws. However, the brief asserted that "there is no evidence that local governments are ignoring or willfully violating Florida's firearm preemption law. The primary effect of the penalty provisions will be to chill legitimate exercises of local legislative authority." The brief also added, "Most importantly, (the law's) harsh penalty provisions will deter local legislators from experimenting with any solutions directed to the problem of gun violence, depriving Floridians of ordinances promoting their safety and security." Since 1987, Florida has barred cities and counties from passing regulations that are stricter than state firearms laws. In 2011, the NRA lobbied state legislators to strengthen the law by adding the penalties. Cities, counties and local elected officials challenged the penalties after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. They argued that the penalties made local officials afraid to move forward 010 1

with gun-related measures that might not be preempted by the 1987 law. In finding parts of the 2011 law unconstitutional, Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson cited issues related to "legislative immunity," which protects local government officials in their decision-making processes. He also pointed to the constitutional separation of powers, as judges could be asked to rule on penalizing local officials. On the other side of the case are Attorney General Ashley Moody and Gov. Ron DeSantis, who have appealed Judge Dodson's ruling. The NRA filed a brief that argued that the penalties were needed because local officials had "contemptuously" violated the 1987 law. "The penalty provisions are necessary to preserve and protect the Florida Legislature's prerogative to occupy the field of firearm regulation to preempt unlawful local action," the NRA brief said. "Local authority and home rule cannot constrain the Legislature's enforcement of its preemption prerogative because local governments do not have any independent rights or powers beyond those granted by the Florida Legislature."

POINT-IN-TIME VOLUNTEERS Opening Doors Northwest Florida is looking for volunteers for the 2020 Point-In-Time Count on Wednesday, Jan. 22. How many people are currently homeless in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties? How many of them are families, youth or veterans? How many are disabled? The answers to these questions and more are answered by the Opening Doors NWFL point-in-time counts. A point-in-time count is an unduplicated count on a single night of the people in a community who are experiencing homelessness that includes both sheltered and unsheltered populations.

Volunteers will be stationed at meal sites, day shelters, camps and events such as UCount Homeless Connect throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and will complete surveys of people experiencing homelessness. As a volunteer, you can join a survey team to collect data via a mobile app survey tool or a paper form if you prefer not to use the app. All volunteers will be paired with a team leader at your site location with assignments. Requirements—friendly and compassionate personality, attention to detail, ability to fill out written survey documents and reliable transportation, as this survey is conducted in locations throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. Volunteers must be at least 16 years old to participate. Volunteers between the ages of 16 and 18 must be accompanied by a guardian. Training is mandatory for volunteers between the ages of 16 and 18 and available for all age groups. The session will be 10-11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17, and 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, Opening Doors NWFL, 1020 N. New Warrington Road. Training will provide you with an overview of the PIT count and review the mobile app survey tool and paper survey we utilize to collect the required information needed to complete our annual census. To volunteer, send your email information to serenek@openingdoorsnwfl.org, or call 741-4616 to receive a registration form.

BARKER NOT IN DROP The city of Pensacola has provided some clarifications regarding the employment specifics of Dick Barker, current chief financial officer and Mayor Grover Robinson's pick for assistant city administrator. When Robinson announced that Barker would be taking the assistant administrator position once the Pensacola City Council signed off on it, there were references to Barker's participation in a DROP, or Deferred Retirement Option Plan, program. But, apparently, that is not the case. Barker is not in a DROP program and has not been since 2012. "The mayor just misspoke about Dick being in DROP," explained city spokesperson Kaycee Lagarde in an email. After announcing Barker as his assistant admin selection, Mayor Robinson went on to explain how "Dick is still in the DROP program, and at some point, he will be leaving us," and how the CFO has "still got a couple of years until he DROPs.'" Robinson also discussed how the DROP system worked in response to a question. "At the end of your five years, you're gone; you have to leave," he said. "At this particular time, Dick has a date; he's already in DROP. So it's either then or sometime before that or whatever he decides to do. Otherwise, we're happy to have him here. He's a valuable member of the team and he can add to what we do." Barker, who was in the room at the time, also contributed to the conversation. "Mayor, to clarify, that DROP program

was general pension DROP program. I decided to go to FRS when we switched back in '07, I think it was. So, currently, I'm in the FRS program, and my date for retirement is December of '23, is what I'm looking at," Barker said, before also fielding a question concerning the DROP particulars of Keith Wilkins, who was recently named city administrator. "Keith just went in. Keith probably has about four years if he wants it." But, Lagarde clarified, Barker is not actually in the Florida Retirement System DROP program, but rather was referring to the FRS pension program in general. References to Barker currently being in the DROP program, she said, were incorrect. "To be clear," Lagarde wrote in an email, "Dick Barker is not currently in any DROP program." Barker was originally in the city's general pension DROP program beginning in 2007. Also in 2007, Barker and other city employees, as well as all hires going forward, switched to the state-run FRS program. Then, in 2012, then-Mayor Ashton Hayward used the authority granted to him as per city ordinance to allow the CFO to remain on beyond his DROP date. At that time, Barker exited the city's DROP program and pension program and has not been in any DROP program since that time. During his time in the city's DROP, from 2007 to 2012, Barker accumulated retirement benefits and upon exciting the program began receiving his city pension in-service distribution benefits. Since 2007, the CFO has also contributed 3% of his pay to his FRS pension, which kicks in post-retirement.

CITY SURVEY The deadline has been

extended for the City of Pensacola's annual resident satisfaction survey, in order to provide city residents additional time to complete the survey and let their voices be heard. The new survey deadline is Friday, Jan. 10. City residents are encouraged to complete the anonymous survey online at uwf.edu/ haasresidentsurvey. Some residents have also received a postcard in the mail prompting them to complete the survey. The survey asks residents about their satisfaction with a variety of city services and facilities, including street lights, sidewalks, neighborhood safety and more, also prompting participants to rank their top priorities for the City of Pensacola.

JAPANESE NEW YEAR The Japan-America Society of Northwest Florida will usher in the "Year of the Rat" with its 26th annual Japanese New Year Celebration on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Wright Place, 80 E. Wright St. Festivities will take place from noon until 4 p.m. and will include performances by the popular Matsuriza taiko drummers, traditional Japanese dancing, martial arts demonstrations, music, food vendors and other cultural displays. A silent auction will also be held, and

inweekly.net

ticket holders are automatically eligible for door prize drawings. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for students and active-duty military and free for JapanAmerica Society members and children 12 and under. Advance tickets are available from Sake Cafe and Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse. Some vendors may require cash, but credit cards are accepted at the door for admission. For more information or to become a JAS member, visit jasnwfl.org or facebook. com/jasnwfl.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP The University

of West Florida College of Business Executive Mentor Program will host the 2020 Women in Leadership Conference on Friday, Feb. 28. Registration began Monday, Jan. 6. The event, which is free and open to the public, has grown in popularity since it was started in 2014. The conference will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with check-in from 8 to 9 a.m. in the UWF Conference Center and Auditorium, Bldg. 22, on the UWF Pensacola campus. It will offer opportunities to hear from and connect with prominent women leaders who have achieved both personal and professional success. "Our motivation for this highly-regarded Women in Leadership Conference is to edu-

cate the next generation of business leaders who will shape the destiny of Northwest Florida and the state," said Dr. Sherry Hartnett, founder and chair of the conference. "This go-to event for hundreds of women, both very seasoned and just beginning their careers, sells out quickly every year, so register early!" This year's keynote speaker will be Deshauna Barber, a former Miss USA, U.S. Army captain and STEM graduate. Her speech, titled "I Don't Like Being Told 'It's a Man's World,'" aims to empower women and draws on Barber's experiences in two maledominated organizations, the technology industry and the U.S. Army. Barber encourages women to break through their glass ceilings and chase their dreams. For more information about the Women in Leadership conference, visit uwf.edu/ womeninleadership.

CYBER CITY In early December, the city of

Pensacola was hit with a ransomware cyberattack. While the city has been tight with details regarding the attack as a criminal investigation is ongoing, Mayor Robinson has said that no ransom has been paid and that the city was able to recover thanks to sufficient backups of data. At the mayor’s Jan. 6 press conference,

Public Information Officer Kaycee Lagarde said that the city expects soon a final report from an outside cyber consulting firm that will outline potential vulnerabilities and ways to improve security. She also said those eligible for the LifeLock identity protection services the city has offered residents, customers and businesses who may have had sensitive data compromised as a result of the municipal cyberattack should expect to be hearing from the city soon. “The letters that we mentioned should be going out by the end of the week,” Lagarde issued a heads-up. “It’s just under 57,000 letters.” The mayor said that the city had confirmed that those responsible for the attack had possession of some data—describing it as “not exactly critically sensitive”—and described the decision of providing the identity protection services as “prudent and the right thing to do to protect those individuals that we felt like were most exposed.”

CHRISTMAS TREE DISPOSAL The City of Pensacola is offering several Christmas tree collection sites now through Jan. 31. City Sanitation customers can also leave their tree curbside to be picked up on their normal yard waste pickup day. Please remove all decorations before dropping off your tree or leaving it at the curb. Drop-off sites are as follows—Summit Boulevard next to old Fire Station 3, East Maxwell Street underneath I-110 and Bill Gregory Park near the back of the park, 150 N. W St. MARK YOUR CALENDAR Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program Education Committee will meet 3 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 9, 6263 Dogwood Drive, Milton. DIB Parking & Traffic Committee will meet 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, Bowden Building, Room #1, 120 Church St. The last community forums to share their input on the appointed school superintendent will be held 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, in the cafeteria at Tate High School, 1771 Tate Road. The Florida SBDC at UWF offers the

"Starting a Business" workshop noon-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, Synovus, 125 W. Romana St. Attendees will learn the essentials of getting started in business—idea evaluation, legal business structures, regulations & licensing, business plan basics, finding capital and more. Attendance fee is $50 (required, nonrefundable online payment) for the public. To register, visit our website at sbdc.uwf.edu and click on "Training & Events." Architectural Review Board Special Meeting will be held 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, 412 E. Belmont St. Value Adjustment Board will meet 9 a.m., Monday, Jan. 13, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Bldg., 221 S. Palafox. The City of Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board will hold a regular meeting 3:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, Hagler Mason Conference Room, 2nd Floor of City Hall, 222 W. Main St. Following the meeting, the Pensacola City Council will hold an agenda conference. Marine Advisory Committee will meet 5 p.m. Monday, Jan. 13, Escambia County Central Office Complex, 3363 W. Park Place. The City of Pensacola Planning Board will meet 2 p.m. Tuesday, Jan.14, HaglerMason Conference Room, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 222 W. Main St. DIB Finance Committee will meet 4:30, Tuesday, Jan. 14, Bowden Building, Room #2, 120 Church St. Affordable Housing Advisory Committee will meet 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 420 W. Chase St. Studer Community Institute hosts "Essential Leadership Skills for Successful Supervisors" 8:30-11:30 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, Hillcrest Church, 800 E. Nine Mile Road. Cost is $119. For more details, visit studeri.org. Board of County Commissioners Committee of the Whole will meet 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, Ernie Lee Magaha Government Bldg., 221 S. Palafox. John Appleyard talks local history. Free. Thursday, Jan. 16 at 6 p.m., St. John's Episcopal Church, 401 Live Oak Ave. {in}

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inweekly.net

By Savannah Evanoff Alicia Tappan once didn't know she was a victim of human trafficking. How would she? The definition is an ambiguous one. It's been dramatized on TV, left unidentified by law enforcement, misconstrued by the public and—too often—ignored.

"Even the court system I went through, they called it rape and conspiracy because small-town jurisdiction really didn't have a word for human trafficking in 2003." Alicia Tappan "I knew something had happened to me when I was young, but I didn't know what," Tappan said. "Even the court system I went through, they called it rape and conspiracy because small-town jurisdiction really didn't have a word for human trafficking in 2003." January 9, 2020

Human trafficking is as complicated as it is simple—complicated because every case and victim is different but simple, too, because anyone can be trafficked. Tappan was a victim; she knows that now.

TRAFFICKING DEFINED

Human trafficking is "The act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud or coercion." The Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force has the definition, along with the National Human Trafficking Hotline number, printed on post-its they stick in public bathroom stalls and other places victims might see it and seek help. Florida ranks third in the U.S. for calls to that hotline, after California and Texas. Marina Mitchell, a task force member, explained Florida is a hotbed for trafficking because of tourism and easy access to I-10. In 2018, the hotline received 1,885 calls

relating to trafficking from Florida, and 767 were determined human trafficking cases. Fifty-two cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children were reported by the Florida Department of Children and Families for the Panhandle in 2018. The Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force is a state-mandated task force that formed in 2017 and meets quarterly to work toward prevention and awareness in Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton counties. It has four subcommittees—law enforcement, faith and community, training and education and victim services. The task force will host its second Local Human Trafficking Summit Friday, Jan. 10, during Human Trafficking Awareness Month to teach people more about the definition of trafficking and how to be part of the solution. Sara Lefevers, co-chair of the task force, said its number one goal is to demystify the term. "A lot of people will look at Hollywood for their definition of human trafficking,"

Lefevers said. "They'll look at the movie 'Taken' and say, 'Oh, that happens internationally or to girls who get involved with bad guys.' In reality, especially here in the Panhandle, a lot of times you see parents who are addicted to drugs who will sell their children to get drugs ... Human trafficking isn't always being abducted, taken and blindfolded." Human smuggling and human trafficking are two different crimes, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website. Human smuggling is the illegal movement of someone across a border, and human trafficking is the illegal exploitation of a person, according to the site. There are also different forms of human trafficking—sex trafficking, forced labor and domestic servitude—according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's website. Victims might be forced to do manual labor for little to no pay, forced to work as a maid in someone's home with no identification papers or manipulated or 13

threatened to perform sexual acts, according to the site. Under U.S. law, any minor under the age of 18 years old induced into commercial sex is a victim of sex trafficking—regardless of whether the trafficker used force, fraud or coercion, according to polarisproject. org. But trafficking can happen to a person of any age, gender, nationality or socioeconomic status. Mitchell echoed Lefevers' message that people don't always understand what constitutes human trafficking.

"I think it's hard for people to understand. We all need to learn the definition and change our way of thinking. Children are children, and they need to be thought of that way." Marina Mitchell "If you give somebody something, whether it's their nails getting done, hair getting done, a cellphone, and the return is sex, and they are under the age, or you are of age and don't have food or a place to live, then it's human trafficking," Mitchell said. "I think it's hard for people to understand. We all need to learn the definition and change our way of thinking. Children are children, and they need to be thought of that way." The average age girls are brought into human sex trafficking is 14, Mitchell said. Girls are more affected than boys, but underreporting is an issue for both. "It really affects our foster children, runaways, young adults that aren't really supervised," Mitchell said. "Another group of people that are being influenced by this is our LGBTQ group. What they're finding with that group is that if those people are coming out to their parents and they're being turned away, then they don't have a support system, and it makes them vulnerable to human trafficking. They'll turn to anyone, and it's quite sad."

ONE GIRLS' STORY

As a high school junior in a small Michigan town, Tappan didn't recognize the varsity boys' track coach as a predator. He was popular. He was funny. It's often like that with traffickers, Tappan explained. "They're not scary people," Tappan said. "They're actually sly, charismatic, happygo-lucky. They're willing to provide you with anything without asking questions." Tappan later discovered that coach gave preferential treatment or gifts to athletes who did things to make him money, such as selling drugs or fake Rolex watches or letting him record them having sex with other students. Tappan was one of the students victimized by him, when the parents left their children alone at his house after a team barbecue. He took the teenagers downstairs, dimmed the lights, turned up 414 1

the music, opened the bar and had people guard the doors so no one could leave. "You don't know anything bad is happening yet, because he's still nice and funny," Tappan said. "But he knew." The coach first made them watch a pornographic film featuring two of the students. He made another that night, this time featuring Tappan. Tappan was drugged, so the rest of her memory from that night is in fragments. She remembers being dragged through water and later bumping her head against the edge of a hot tub as she was being raped by two of her friends while the coach recorded it from the balcony above. She woke up under a coffee table the next morning and did the only thing she knew to do—went to work. The athletic director found the VHS tape of her being raped—which had been distributed to others—on the school bus, and police were already investigating the coach from previous crimes, but Tappan didn't come forward until six months later. In one horrific night, a high-achieving student with dreams of attending medical school became alienated by her friends and faculty and subsequently turned to drugs and self-harm. The coach faced multiple charges, such as aggravated assault, fraud and battery, and three of the male students involved were labeled as sex offenders. Tappan suspects they escaped harsher charges because prosecutors didn't want to ruin their futures in college athletics. "This is why kids get stuck in this lifestyle," Tappan said. "Even if they try to ask for help, someone tries to rationalize it."

THE SECRET PLACE

Tappan got out of trafficking and, with time, healed. Today, the Pensacola resident voices the needs of her younger self for other girls who can't. As a result, Kristin Lipscomb, the founder and president of The Secret Place, knew Tappan would make the perfect program director. When opened, The Secret Place will be a Northwest Florida home for five girls of the ages 12 through 17 who are survivors of sex trafficking. They will receive their own bedroom and bathroom while undergoing a seven- to nine-month recovery program featuring counseling, education and extracurricular activities to prepare them for their future. Tappan believes it will change their life's trajectory. She cites the ACE score, an evaluation that measures emotional trauma. A higher score indicates a higher risk for health problems later in life. "I heard a survivor say, 'It doesn't matter if you're a one out of 10 or a nine out of 10. Any one of those will derail you,'" Tappan said. "I had a great childhood. I was a zero out of 10 before I was trafficked."

FEARING THE FUTURE

Task force members have seen it in many forms. Human trafficking is a foster child lifting her shirt on Snapchat in exchange for money. It's a young runaway having sex with multiple adults in exchange for food. It's a young girl

holed up in a hotel room making money for someone else by performing sexual acts on the internet or for visitors. Human trafficking exists on a local scale as much as an international one. Gretchen Busbee, a victim assistance specialist for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida, said many victims have been through the Florida Department of Children and Families or Florida Department of Juvenile Justice. "These are people that law enforcement are dealing with pretty regularly but not recognizing them to be actual victims or not seeing it as human trafficking," Busbee said. "That's the biggest thing we're trying to overcome." As chair of the Circuit 1 task force, Busbee's primary goal is to involve more law enforcement. She coordinated a threeday law enforcement training conference about human trafficking and the stages of the investigation. "They were really ignited," Busbee said. "I do think those that came learned a lot." Human trafficking is an industry that's huge and growing. The International Labor Organization estimates that forced labor and human trafficking is a $150 billion industry worldwide, with a large chunk of that in the U.S., according to polarisproject.org. Traffickers can communicate from a leadership position or through video game chats, social media or cellphone apps. Mitchell met someone whose daughter was targeted by a trafficker after posting a status about being unhappy with her parents. "Social media, internet, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat—I know I don't have any idea how unsafe these areas are," Mitchell said. "I'm amazed when I read these reports of fake apps—when parents think it's a calculator on their child's phone and it's an app where they can communicate. Being young parents, you have to stay on top of it. It changes daily now." Traffickers often use the same style of isolating language in their recruitment process. "They'll say, 'I really like you. I'd like to meet you at the mall, but don't tell your friends you're going to the mall, because they're not as mature as you. I just think you're grown,'" Tappan said. "Or, 'Hey, girl, don't tell your parents you're going to the mall, because I'm going to buy you something really special and they're going to think I'm too old for you because they want you to be a baby forever.' They use isolating language, separating the child from their trusted people and using it as a compliment. It's a backhanded compliment." Tappan encourages parents to be aware of their children's whereabouts and in control of their cellphone use. "If you're the one who pays the bills, you can turn it off," Tappan said. "You can plug it in at the bottom of the stairs every night—whatever your control is, it has to happen." Getting victims away from trafficking is as difficult as preventing it. Even when they're not being physically held hostage, they might not know where else to turn. "A lot of these kids don't see themselves as victims—especially teenagers," said Joan Irby, a recruiter for Guardian Ad Litem and task force member. "You have to remember, if that's all you've ever known,

you don't know that everybody doesn't do that—whether that's kids that had sex with somebody so their parents could pay the rent or drug money or whatever that looks like." Trafficking cases are tough to investigate and prosecut because the victims are unique, Busbee said. "They've been through so much," Busbee said. "It's a vicious cycle. Depending on how long they've been trafficked—it could be one time or multiple times—they've been so brainwashed and so physically, mentally and sexually abused, but sadly, that's a constant in their lives, so they know what to expect." Because human trafficking can manifest itself in so many ways, law enforcement and the general public are hesitant to label it as that.

"Then there's people who don't want to think it's happening because that makes it a tainted community, and it's not." Gretchen Busbee "Then there's people who don't want to think it's happening because that makes it a tainted community, and it's not," Busbee said. "I think people are afraid to say it or have cases or us to have that out there because, 'Oh, don't go to Pensacola because you're gonna get trafficked.' We know it happens everywhere." The statistics for the U.S. grow every year, according to polarisproject.org. Mitchell believes it's the next opioid crisis, and the new reality is horrifying. "There was this big human trafficker that got busted, and when they asked him why he was doing this, he said, 'I used to be in guns and drugs; then it dawned on me. I can only sell a gun and drugs once. I can sell a person up to 20 times a day,'" Mitchell said. {in}

LOCAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING SUMMIT

WHAT: The Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force will host its second annual Local Human Trafficking Summit. This year’s keynote speaker is Erin Collins, executive director of the Florida Alliance to End Human Trafficking. There will also be three breakout sessions to kick off the event—Sarah Peacock of One More Child, with “Bridging the Gap with Law Enforcement;” Bradley Lord of Lakeview Center with “Trauma Informed Care and Human Trafficking;” and Brad Dennis of Klaas Kids with “Human Trafficking 101.” WHEN: Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; summit is 7-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10 WHERE: Olive Baptist Church, 1836 E. Olive Road DETAILS: facebook.com/circuit1humantraffickingtaskforce inweekly.net

WEEK OF JANUARY 9-15

Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

Satire in an Age of Absurdity By Jeremy Morrison

Photo by Violet Crown Photo Work

The Capitol Steps never run out of material. But that was the political satire troupe's concern way back when. "Our worst fear when we first started out was that politicians would get quietly competent and solve all the problems and we'd have no song material," laughed founding member Elaina Newport. Turns out, this fear was unfounded, and politics and politicians still make for good laughs. In fact, when it comes to political comedy fodder, we may well be currently living in a day of embarrassing bounty. "This is almost too much," Newport said. "It's kind of terrifying because the news cycle is so fast that one day you write a song about, 'OK, we pulled out of the Paris Climate Accords; that's a huge story,' and then the next day, no one remembers that because the next tweet has gone out at midnight and we're onto the next subject. So, it's a little bit fast for the writers, terrifying for the performers, but it's also a lot of good material." And because that news cycle never stops, the Capitol Steps' show continually evolves. As the production tours the country—the local Pensacola engagement is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 17—material is updated and added to reflect any news of note. "I've been known to text jokes to people while they're waiting backstage," Newport said. "If something huge happens, you have to mention it because the audience is going to know about it." January 9, 2020

The Capitol Steps first began parodying politics in song and skit in 1981. Newport, along with two other congressional staffers, worked up some numbers pairing news-of-the-day with popular music for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee Christmas party. Receiving a positive reception, the Capitol Steps continued to perform, and by 1984 the group released its first album. In the decades since its Reagan-era inception, the satirical production has set its sights on everything from the Iran-Contra scandal to Bill Clinton's sex scandal to Rwanda, performing songs with titles like "Papa's Got a Brand New Baghdad" and "Barackin' Around the Christmas Tree." Newport said it'd be difficult to choose her favorite politicians to lampoon over the course of the Capitol Steps' long run.

"Clinton was a lot fun, because the scandals were pretty funny, you have to admit. You know, she kept the dress and things like that." Elaina Newport "Clinton was a lot fun, because the scandals were pretty funny, you have to admit. You know, she kept the dress and things like that," she said. "But then, of course, now that's been pretty much equaled by the cur-

had a bit about him but shelved the number as more and more material piled up. "He was funny for a few months. People remembered him for a few months," Newport laughed. "Anthony Weiner probably hung in the news a little bit longer." At the moment, the group's hoping Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg stays in the race a while longer—"OK, Pete, hang in there for a while because we like the song!"—but there are also some staples, like a shirtless Vladimir Putin and screaming Bernie Sanders, that should stay relevant through at least the election season. While recent years have been rife with comedic material, they have also been politically stressful, with the partisan divide becoming more bitter. Newport said that it's been interesting performing political satire in such a climate. "Right after the election in 2016, we had people, as you recall, 'fighting at the Thanksgiving dinner table.' Families were divided; people were really angry, on both sides," she said, reflecting on the audience reactions at the time. "We had some people that came up to us after the show around that time and said, 'You know, I wasn't sure I could laugh, but I did and I feel better,' and that was, like, the biggest compliment we could get. Because we were concerned that people would just say, 'Oh, you know, I can't even look at anything about politics.'" Looking ahead, Newport said that she can't say who she'd prefer win the 2020 election—"This administration has given us lots of material, but a new president is always good because it gives you a whole new slew of jokes"—as long as American politics continue to provide fodder for the Capitol Steps' brand of musical satire. "We don't look at the news with a normal viewpoint, which is, 'What's good for the country or bad for the country?'" she said. "We care about what's funny and what rhymes with it." {in}

rent administration in terms of the volume of material we're getting." In the Capitol Steps' current production, the group parodies the Trump administration, as well as the field of Democratic candidates looking to challenge him in the 2020 election. Newport stressed that the group's approach is partisan-neutral. "I think it gives us twice the jokes," she said. Throughout the years, there's been plenty to parody in politics, but Newport said that some territory can be tricky to navigate. For instance, 9/11 wasn't easy for comedy. "We struggled around 9/11. Nobody knew what to do. Even the late-night comedians didn't know what to do," Newport recalled. "Eventually, it was OK to start making jokes about, oh, you know, that color coded alert system that they came up with and things like that. But that was a hard time. But, really, truly, even in a month or so, people wanted to laugh. They wanted to laugh again." The Trump years have thus far provided a wealth of material for the political satirists. But so much has happened so fast that comedy gold can easily become lost in the sands of time. Take Anthony Scaramucci, WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 17 for example, whose brief tenure WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox White House director of commuCOST: $40 nications was objectively sideDETAILS: wuwf.org/capsteps splitting. The Capitol Steps once

CAPITOL STEPS

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calendar 7:35 p.m. $15 and up. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com BIG DEAL BURLESQUE 8 p.m. $12-$35. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Saturday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center, 3200 N. Palafox.

SATURDAY 1.11

PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University

of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/recplexnorth

PENSACOLA BEACH 5K, 10K AND HALF MARATHON 8 a.m. marathons.ahotu.com/

event/pensacola-beach-half-marathon OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UP 9-10 a.m. Two sites—both on Scenic Highway. Bay Bluffs Park at Summit Boulevard and Chimney Park at Langley Avenue. oceanhourfl.com SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road. PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com YOU SELL IT HERE FARMER'S MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission. Every Saturday. 8600 Pensacola Blvd. facebook.com/yousellithere HUMANISTS OF WEST FLORIDA 10 a.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DEBRA COLEMAN JETER BOOK SIGNING

Improvable Cause / Photo by John Lee

THURSDAY 1.9

WORK ON THE FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Every Thursday. Three miles north of Deaton Bridge Road. meetup.com/ftawesterngate YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org COMMUNITY PILATES 9 a.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SOUTHWEST BRANCH BOOKCLUB 10:30 a.m. Southwest Branch Library, 2248 Gulf Beach Highway. mywfpl.com PARASITE 1 p.m. $7 (cash only). Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. pensacolacinemaart.com LOCAL TAXIDERMY SALE 4-10 p.m. Odd Colony Brewing Co., 260 N. Palafox. facebook.com/oddcolony UNCUT GEMS 4 p.m. $7 (cash only). Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. pensacolacinemaart.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. facebook. com/aragonwine YAPPY HOUR 5-10 p.m. Through Feb. 27. 5% of proceeds benefit Escambia County Animal Shelter. Red Fish Blue Fish, 5B Via De Luna Drive. redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WUWF'S RADIOLIVE 6 p.m. $10. Cary Mo616 1

rin, Sugarcane Jane and Grayson Capps. Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. radiolive.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com CAROL AND GOOSE COMEDY 8:30 p.m. Dolce and Gelato, 2050 N. 12th Ave. facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola

FRIDAY 1.10

WHOLESOME, HEALTHY LIVING WITH JORDAN 11 a.m. Ever'man Educational Center,

327 W. Garden St. everman.org

HAPPY HOUR COOKOUT 5 p.m. Seville Quar-

ter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

MEET AND GREET FOR PAINT THE TOWN BALL

6-9 p.m. Dolce and Gelato, 2050 N. 12th Ave. facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola ACOUSTIC SONGWRITERS NIGHT 6 p.m. Every Friday through March 27. Frazier's Country Wines, 3130 Barrancas Ave. fromthegroundupgardenpensacola.com

EVER'MAN COOKS: COMPASSIONATE CUISINE VEGAN COOKING 6 p.m. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

GREAT SPIRIT MOON MEDITATION PRACTICE 6:30 p.m. $10. NiaVana Studio, 904 E.

Scott St. asherandbee.com

ICE FLYERS VS. EVANSVILLE THUNDERBOLTS

Noon-1 p.m. Bodacious Bookstore and Café, 110 E. Intendencia St. facebook.com/ bodaciousbookstore JAPANESE NEW YEAR CELEBRATION Noon4 p.m. $6-$10, free for Japan-America Society members and children under 12. The Wright Place, 80 E. Wright St. jasnwfl.org KITTEN & CAT ADOPTIONS Noon-5 p.m. Every Saturday & Sunday in January. PetSmart, 6251 N. Davis Highway. aaflorida.org FERMENTATIONS SERIES 1 p.m. $15. Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee JEWELRY MAKING 2 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com NATURAL HEALING 2 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org KREWE OF NEREID KING CAKE PARTY 3-7 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via De Luna Drive. boogieinc.com

JEREMY'S TEN: A PEARL JAM TRIBUTE 8

p.m. $12-$30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Saturday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center, 3200 N. Palafox St. TOTALLY '80S RETRO PARTY 10 p.m. Free. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com IMPROVABLE CAUSE 10:30 p.m. $11. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

SUNDAY 1.12

THEMED BRUNCH AT PERFECT PLAIN

10 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco

TRANSMISSION MEDITATION WORLD SERVICE 10:30 a.m. Ever'man Educational

Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BIERGARTEN YOGA WITH BRIANA 10:30 a.m. $12. Gary's Brewery and Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. eotlcafe.com SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15% off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via De Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach KITTEN & CAT ADOPTIONS Noon-5 p.m. Every Saturday & Sunday in January. PetSmart, 6251 N. Davis Highway. aaflorida.org YONI YONI: MOONCYCLE 2-4 p.m. $18. Learn cycle mapping and DIY Yoni steam. Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, 7 E. Gregory St. facebook.com/asherandbee FMW AUDUBON BIRDS & BREW 2-4 p.m. 790 Chippendale Place (private residence). Free. fmwaudubon.org WHAT IS HYPNOSIS, HYPNOTHERAPY WITH GABRIELE POWELL 2 p.m. Ever'man Educa-

tional Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org PROM FASHION SHOW PROJECT GRADUATION 2020 3-5:30 p.m. $5-$7, free to

children 5 and under. Milton High School Auditorium, 5445 Stewart St.

MONDAY 1.13

GARDENING ON THE GULF COAST 9 a.m.

7:05 p.m. $15 and up. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ECUA RECYCLING 3 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org GRAPHIC NOVEL GROUP 5:30 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com EARTH ETHICS 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org MOLINO BOOK CLUB 6 p.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com

PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: BEETHOVEN & BLUE JEANS 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY 1.14

SECOND ANNUAL GAY...LA MASQUERADE BALL 6 p.m.-midnight. $69; $450 for table

for eight. Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. evolventhrive.com DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 workshop, $10 party. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com ICE FLYERS VS. EVANSVILLE THUNDERBOLTS

$23 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com SATURDAY SWING OUTS 8 p.m. $5. Saturdays. Breathe Yoga Studio, 505 S. Adams St.

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org FIRST-PERSON IMPERSONATION OF WILinweekly.net

calendar LIAM BARTRAM 9-10 a.m. Pensacola Visitor

Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St.

EVER'MAN COOKS: FOOD INTERPRETER 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. Bodacious, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com PILATES FUSION 4:30 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SIGN MAKING 5 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com FIBER FREESTYLIN' AT STUDIO SOUTH

5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Open to all knitters, crocheters, weavers and more. Studio South, 955 E. Nine Mile Road. studiosouthon9mileroad.com A CELEBRATION OF TRUFFLES AT ANGELENA'S

6 p.m. $150 per person, $50 optional wine pairing. Angelena's Ristorante Italiano, 101 E. Intendencia St. greatsouthernrestaurants.com

FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. COUNTRY TWO-STEP DANCING 6:30 p.m. $12. Whiskey Runners Saloon, 610 E. Nine Mile Road. dancecraftstudios.com PENSACOLA BAY BALLROOM DANCE CLUB 7 p.m. $5 for members, $10 for guests. Sanders Beach, 913 S. I St.

WEDNESDAY 1.15

COMMUNITY PILATES 10:30 a.m. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org POPULAR LITERARY CLUB 10:30 a.m. "The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com YOGA HOUR Noon. Genealogy Branch Library, 5740 N. Ninth Ave. mywfpl.com

COOKING WITH CHEF IRV MILLER: A NIGHT IN NEW ENGLAND 5 and 7:30 p.m. $45

per person. Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. greatsouthernrestaurants.com

A CELEBRATION OF TRUFFLES AT ANGELENA'S 6 p.m. $150 per person, $50 optional

wine pairing. Angelena's Ristorante Italiano, 101 E. Intendencia St. greatsouthernrestaurants.com VINYASA YOGA 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WEST COAST SWING DANCING 6:30 p.m. $12. Whiskey Runners Saloon, 610 E. Nine Mile Road. dancecraftstudios.com TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 7:15 p.m. Ever'man Education-

al Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WAITRESS THE MUSICAL 7:30 p.m. $58 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

Photo by John Bechtold / On view at PMA

Arts & Culture

≥Events

COLLECTION UNCORKED 6-7

p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. $40, $30 for PMA members. Wine flight and art tour. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org OPEN STUDIO: CHALK DESIGNS

11:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. $8, free to PMA students. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org January 9, 2020

INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN BRUSH PAINTING WORKSHOP 5:30-8:30

p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. $57.50. Quayside Art Gallery, 17 E. Zaragoza St. quaysidegallery.com/ workshops

PMA GALLERY TOURS 2:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free with museum admission. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥Current Exhibits PIGMENT OF OUR

IMAGINATION On view through Jan. 10. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org BEIRUT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN BECHTOLD On view

through Jan. 19. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org 100 FACES OF WAR EXPERIENCE On

view through Jan. 19 at Pensacola Museum of Art. Traveling exhibit from Smithsonian. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jef-

ferson St. pensacolamuseum.org JOHN MARKOWITZ: RECENT WORKS On

view through Feb. 2. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

GALLERY 1060'S GREATEST HITS On

view Jan. 15 through Feb. 28. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

COTTON FIELDS TO CONGRESS: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF EARL HUTTO On

view at the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida

State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org GALLERY DAYS

Noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. Featuring local artists. To be featured, contact Angel at 941-7354586 or call the restaurant at 4770035. TGI Fridays, 1240 Airport Blvd.

Workshops & Classes

POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Six-week

workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon,

Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon 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 Mon-

day 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

17

calendar workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon at First City Art Center. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for nonmembers. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. CLAY SCULPTURE

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

Call for Artists

Jazz Pensacola invites fine artists/ graphic designers to submit renderings for the official 2020 Pensacola JazzFest poster. The commission is $300. 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—2020 Pensacola JazzFest. The submission deadline is Jan. 6, 2020. If selected, the completed art deadline is Feb. 28, 2020. For more information, call Jazz

Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at 433-8382, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.

Bars & Nightlife

≥Live Music

THURSDAY 1.9

JIM ANDREWS 5:30

p.m. The District, 123 E. Government St. districtsteaks.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. fivesistersbluescafe.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com RAZOR HAWK 7 p.m. Hub Stacey's 312 E. Government St. hubstaceys.com OPEN COLLEGE JAM WITH MIKE BOCCIA

Chew and Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. DUELING PIANOS

8 p.m. Rosie O' Grady's Dueling Piano Show. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com OPEN MIC/JAM

8-11 p.m. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. Use our instruments or bring your own. THE FLAVORS 8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com JOHN HART DUO

9 p.m. End O' the Alley Courtyard, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com LIVE DJ: MR. LAO

10 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

7:30 p.m. Goat Lips

FRIDAY 1.10

LIVE JAZZ WITH JOE OCCHIPINTI Noon.

The Drowsy Poet Coffee Co., 655 Pensacola Beach Blvd. LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Bel-

mont St. fivesistersbluescafe.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com RAY 'BIG DOG' COLEY 6-9 p.m.

Cazadores Mexican Restaurant 8183 W. Fairfield.

JOHN RIPLEY 6:30 p.m. The District, 123 E. Government St. districtsteaks.com MIKE BOCCIA 7:45 p.m. Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. DUELING PIANOS

8 p.m. Rosie O'

Grady's Dueling Piano Show. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com MIKE & FRIENDS 8 p.m.-midnight. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. 6 PIECE SUITS 8 p.m. Hub Stacey's 312

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calendar E. Government St. hubstaceys.com MID LIFE CRISIS 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com DOUG AND JIMMY'S MUSICAL CHAIRS 9

p.m. End O' the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com BLUES SOCIETY OF NWFL 9 p.m. Lili

Marlene's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com LIVE DJ: MR. LAO

10 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

MID LIFE CRISIS 9

p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com COLM KELLY 9 p.m. McGuire's Irish Pub, 600 E. Gregory St. mcguiresirishpub.com BLUES SOCIETY OF NWFL 9 p.m. Lili

Marlene's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

DOUG AND JIMMY'S MUSICAL CHAIRS 9

p.m. End O' the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com LIVE DJ: MR. LAO

JAY WILLIAMS BAND 10 p.m. Apple

10 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

SATURDAY 1.11

Annie's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

Annie's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com-

LIVE JAZZ WITH JOE OCCHIPINTI 10 a.m.

The Drowsy Poet Coffee Co., 655 Pensacola Beach Blvd. LIVE MUSIC Noon4 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. fivesistersbluescafe.com AL MARTIN 6-11 p.m. The Piano Bar, Quality Inn, 7601 Scenic Highway. LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com 18 STRING ARMY 6:30 p.m. The District Steakhouse, 123 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com DUELING PIANO SHOW 8 p.m. Rosie

O'Grady's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com OPEN MIC/JAM 8 p.m.-midnight. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. Use provided instruments or bring your own. January 9, 2020

JAY WILLIAMS BAND 10 p.m. Apple

SUNDAY 1.12

LIVE MUSIC 11 a.m.

Apple Annie's Sunday Brunch, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET 11 a.m.

Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. JAZZ BRUNCH WITH AL ALVARADO 11

a.m.-2 p.m. McGuire's Irish Pub, 600 E. Gregory St. jazzpensacola.com LIVE MUSIC Noon4 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com GOSPEL AT GOAT LIPS WITH HOST CLINT DAVIS 12:45-

3:15 p.m. Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse, 11 Copter Road. TRIBE ZION 4-8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com OPEN MIC/JAM

4-10 p.m. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. Use

our instruments or bring your own. LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com DOUG AND JIMMY'S MUSCIAL CHAIRS 9

p.m. End O' the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

MONDAY 1.13

JOE OCCHIPINTI'S JAZZABOUTS 11

a.m.-1 p.m. The Drowsy Poet Coffee Company, 86 Brent Lane. LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com MONDAY NIGHT BLUES 7 p.m. Max

McCann Band. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com HIGH DEMAND DUO 9 p.m. End O'

the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

TUESDAY 1.14

AN EVENING OF JAZZ 7 p.m. Feat.

Noah Hall. Lili Marlene's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com DOUG AND JIMMY'S MUSICAL CHAIRS 9

p.m. End O' the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

LIVE DJ: MR. LAO

10 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

WEDNESDAY 1.8

GREG LYON 4-8 p.m. Hemingway's Island Grill, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. MY FAVORITE JAZZ NIGHT 5 p.m. My

Favorite Things, 2813 Cervantes St. jazzpensacola.com

DENISE D'ANGELO

6:30 p.m. The District, 123 E. Government St. districtsteaks.com

LIVE MUSIC 6-

10 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com FALSE IDENTITY 7 p.m. Hub Stacey's 312 E. Government St. hubstaceys.com TYLER MAC BAND

8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com DUELING PIANO SHOW 8 p.m. Rosie

O' Grady's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

JORDAN RICHARDS

8 p.m. End O' the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

≥Bar Games Thursdays

HAPPY HOUR 4:30-

6 p.m. Half-off house wine, bar drinks and domestic beer. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com LADIES NIGHT 5 p.m. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com MUSIC BINGO AT GARY'S 7 p.m.

Gary's Brewery and Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/ garysbrew

BREW IQ TRIVIA NIGHT WITH JERRELL HENDRIX 7-9

p.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco POKER 8 p.m. The Ticket 1, 7250 Plantation Road. ticketsportsbar.com POOL TOURNAMENT 8 p.m. The

Ticket 2, 2115 W. Nine 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. 19

calendar Fridays

cafesinglefin

HAPPY HOUR AT CAFÉ SINGLE FIN

MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION NIGHT 8

4-7 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. facebook.com/ cafesinglefin HAPPY HOUR 4:306 p.m. Half-off house wine, bar drinks and domestic beer. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com 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 POOL TOURNAMENT 8 p.m. The

Ticket 1, 7250 Plantation Road. ticketsportsbar.com Saturdays

HAPPY HOUR AT CAFÉ SINGLE FIN

4-7 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. facebook.com/

020 2

p.m. Seville Quarter Membership Card Holder Appreciation Night at Phineas Phogg's. 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com Sundays BAR AND RESTAURANT EMPLOYEE (B.A.R.E. NIGHT) 7

p.m. Special prices for B.A.R.E. Card membership holders. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com Mondays PINT NIGHT 4-10 p.m. Purchase any 16 oz. brew and take home a limited edition Perfect Plain glass. (limit two per customer). Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco TEXAS HOLD 'EM FOR FUN AND TRIV-

IA 7 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com TRIVIA NIGHT 7-9 p.m. World of Beer, 200 S. Palafox. wobusa.com/locations/palafox B.A.R.E All day. Culverts, 3102 E. Cervantes. calvertsintheheights.com BAR BINGO 8 p.m. Apple Annie's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com DRAG-O-RAMA TALENT SHOW 9

p.m.-1 a.m. Pelican's Nest, 15 E. Intendencia St.

MONDAY NIGHT TRIVIA 9:30-10:30

p.m. Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. facebook.com/ mugsjugs DRINK AND DROWN

11:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Pelican's Nest, 15 E. Intendencia St. Tuesdays

CROWLER NIGHT

4-10 p.m. Buy three crowlers, get one free. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco HAPPY HOUR 4:306 p.m. Half-off house wine, bar drinks and domestic beer. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com CORNHOLE NIGHT WITH ECC 6 p.m.

Gary's Brewery and Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/ garysbrew

SOCIAL DANCE NIGHT 6:30-10 p.m.

$5 a dance lesson, $10 for three. Free social dance from 8-10 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

GAME ON! DIGITAL TRIVIA NIGHT 8

p.m. Apple Annie's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com TUESDAY TRIVIA 8 p.m. The Bridge Bar and Sunset Lounge, 33 Gulf Breeze Parkway. facebook. com/thebridgebargb BAR BINGO 8 p.m. Ticket Sports Bar, 7333 N. Davis Highway. Play to win up to $100 in gift cards. TICKET TEAM TRIVIA 8 p.m. The Ticket

1, 7250 Plantation Road. ticketsportsbar.com POKER 8 p.m. The Ticket 2, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. ticketsportsbar.com TEAM TRIVIA 9 p.m. Hopjacks. 10 S. Palafox. hopjacks.com Wednesdays WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS 11 a.m.

Half-priced bottles of wine every Wednesday. Jack-

son's Steakhouse, 226 S. Palafox. jacksonsrestaurant.com HAPPY HOUR 4:30-6 p.m. Half-off house wine, bar drinks and domestic beer. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com LADIES NIGHT ON THE DECK 5 p.m. $2

drinks and music. The Deck Bar, 600 S. Barracks St. fishhousepensacola.com TRIVIA NIGHT 7 p.m. Gary's Brewery and Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew SEVILLE SHOWCASE 7 p.m. Open mic night. Sign up at 6 p.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com PUB TRIVIA NIGHT

7-9:30 p.m. Goat Lips Beer Garden, 2811 Copter Road. goatlips.com

WEDNESDAY QUIZ TRIVIA 8 p.m. The

Cabaret, 101 S. Jefferson St. cabaretpensacola.com BLACKED OUT BINGO

8 p.m. World of Beer, 200 S. Palafox. worldofbeer.com/ locations/pensacola PUB TRIVIA WEDNESDAYS 8-10

p.m. O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox. orileyspub.com

TICKET BAR BINGO

8 p.m. The Ticket 1, 7250 Plantation Road. ticketsportsbar.com BAR BINGO 10 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Ste. 200. iplaypensacola.com

≥Karaoke

Thursdays Lili Marlene's at Seville Quarter, 8 p.m. 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com Saturdays Hub Stacey's with Krazy George, 9 p.m. 312 E. Government St. hubstaceys.com Sundays

Sandshaker Lounge, 9 p.m. 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com Lili Marlene's, Seville Quarter, 8 p.m. 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com Mondays The Cabaret, 9 p.m. 101 S. Jefferson St. 607-2020 or cabaretpensacola.com Tuesdays Calverts, 8 p.m., 3102 E. Cervantes St. calvertsintheheights.com Sandshaker Lounge, 8 p.m. 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com Goat Lips Deli with Krazy George, 8 p.m.-midnight. 2811 Copter Road. Play, 9 p.m. 16 S. Palafox, Ste. 200. iplaypensacola.com Wednesdays Ticket Sports Bar with Krazy George, 9 p.m. 7333 N. Davis Highway.

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free will astrology WEEK OF JANUARY 9 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): When

comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, "Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time." I bet you'll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020—only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you'll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You'll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Renowned Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. "I found prison in many ways quite agreeable," he said. "I had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book." The book he produced, "Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy," is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you Tauruses cave out an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I'm confident you can do this. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): It's com-

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mon to feel attracted to people because of the way they look and dress and carry themselves. But here's the problem—If you pursue an actual connection with someone whose appearance you like, there's no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That's because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that's a relatively rare phenomenon. As philosopher Mortimer Adler observed, "Love without conversation is impossible." I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because I believe that in 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you've ever had—and as a result experience the richest intimacy.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Mystic

poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. "I want a trouble-maker for a lover," he wrote. "Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea." In response to that testimony, I say, "Boo! Ugh! Yuck!" I say, "To hell with being in an intimate relationship with a trouble-maker who fights with fate and quarrels with the sky." I can't imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant and serve me worse. What about you, Cancerian? Do you find Rumi's definition glamorous and romantic? I hope not. If you do, I advise you to consider changing your mind. 2020 will be an excellent time to be

By Rob Brezsny

precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn't resemble Rumi's description. (Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand)

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The 18th-century comic novel "Tristram Shandy" has had modern incarnations in TV, film and radio. Then there's the 19th-century satirical novel "Vanity Fair." It's considered a classic even now and appears on lists of best-loved books. The authors of these three books had one thing in common—they had to pay to have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020, Leo—and rise to the occasion with equally good results. Believe in yourself! VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): I'll present two possible scenarios that could unfold for you in 2020. Which scenario actually occurs will depend on how willing you are to transform yourself. Scenario No. 1—Love is awake, and you're asleep. Love is ready for you but you're not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Love changed its name, and you didn't notice. Scenario No. 2—Love is awake and you're waking up. Love is ready for you, and you're making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise. Love changed its name, and you found out. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.) LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Renowned

Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life, Libra—especially if you're willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin. SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Over a period of 74 years, the Scorpio philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendices and indexes. I would love to see you communicate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020, Scorpio. The cosmic rhythms will tend to bring you good fortune if you do.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century. He was also the richest. At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, while Picasso was

turning himself into a genius and creating his early masterpieces, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with twenty people. If there will be ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso's financial transformation, Sagittarius, I'm guessing it would begin this year.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Let's get 2020 started with a proper send-off. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don't appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don't serve you anymore. (There may be others!) Here's an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver—"Said the river, imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going."

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

a poem titled "The Mess-iah," spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, "Fall in love with the mess of your life … the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Mess-iah." I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you'll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Come-

dian John Cleese believes that "sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they've ceased to be of any use to either of you." That's why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. "I'm always meeting new people," he says, "and my list of friends seems to change quite a bit." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with Cleese's approach. You'll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time. (And don't be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Figure out how you might transform yourself in order for the world to give you what you yearn for.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2019

inweekly.net

news of the weird TRUE LOVE Kelly McGraw, 37, of Portsmouth, England, and her husband, James, 40, have enjoyed playing pranks on each other throughout their 24-year marriage. But before Christmas, as James was plotting a way to get back at Kelly for a "dodgy" haircut she'd given him, he came up with a gloriously permanent idea: He had his thigh tattooed with a less-than-flattering photo of Kelly, asleep on a plane with her mouth gaping open, as James mocked her behind her head. "I'm one up at the moment," James told the Sun, "but I'm also scared because I don't know what she's now planning." Kelly was unforgiving: "I was horrified. I couldn't believe it. ... We do mess about anyway, but this is on another level. ... He needs to watch his back." BRIGHT IDEAS A romney ewe living on a farm near Auckland, New Zealand, is getting some relief from an unusual problem, thanks to a clever veterinarian and a brassiere meant for humans. Rose the sheep had suffered damage to her udders when she produced a high volume of milk during her pregnancy with triplets. "When this happens," Dr. Sarah Clews told Stuff, "the udder can hang so low that it can be traumatized on the ground." The condition can sometimes be a cause for euthanasia, but Dr. Clews thought a bra might help lift the udders and allow them to heal. Rose's owners eventually located a 24J maternity bra big enough to do the job, and it worked— after two or three weeks of wearing the bra, Rose's udders recovered enough that surgery was no longer needed. •Justin and Nissa-Lynn Parson of McKinney, Texas, were all in when their son Cayden, 12, asked for a magnifying glass for Christmas. "We thought, 'Oh, he wants to magnify something'" to read, Nissa-Lynn told KDFW. Instead, Cayden and his brother, Ashton, used the glass to light a newspaper on fire on the family's front porch, which soon spread to the yard, eventually destroying the lawn and some of the family's Christmas lights. "We ran inside and started screaming," Cayden said. The family doused the fire with "pitchers of water, blankets smothering it, sprinklers turned on, hose turned on," Nissa-Lynn recounted, adding that now Cayden "will definitely have yard work to do once spring comes." LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL In Jefferson County, Colorado, would-be car thief Todd Sheldon, 36, has finally admitted it's just not the vocation for him, according to police. Fox News reported Sheldon had tried over recent weeks to steal multiple vehicles, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, but each time he was caught in the act—first by a homeowner, then by sheriff's deputies minutes later "just down the street," shocking the deputies by telling them, "I'm trying to steal this truck." He was taken into custody and bonded out, but a week later, deputies responding to a report of someone trying to

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

break into a car again found Sheldon. "I really suck at this," Sheldon allegedly told an officer. Sheldon remained in jail as of Dec. 27. BAH, HUMBUG! Poppy Leigh, 13, of Manchester, England, hoped wrapping her waist-length hair around an empty plastic water bottle and decorating it with lights like a Christmas tree atop her head would bring good cheer to her mates and teachers at Manchester Health Academy on Dec. 20. Instead, school authorities told her she had to either take the decorations off or go home. Her mom, Christie, wasn't happy about it: "It's just a bit of fun and Christmas cheer," she told Metro News. But Principal Kevin Green huffed: "The Academy has the highest of expectations around uniform and teaching and learning, and ... whilst it was a remarkably creative hairstyle, it was, unfortunately, inappropriate for school." ANIMAL SHENANIGANS Police in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, were called Dec. 27 to the parking lot of a CVS pharmacy over a "public menace," according to WKYT. The culprit was a "hostile chicken" that "pecked viciously" at the officers and "made some adept use of vehicles for cover" before they were able to corral it in a plastic milk crate, according to the police department's Facebook page. Officers transferred the foul fowl to "someone who can give him more suitable accommodations," then attended to their wounds with "some doughnut therapy." OOPS! As she enjoyed an Aldi mince pie in early December, caterer Angela McGill, 52, of Glasgow, Scotland, thought one bite seemed particularly "rough and really hard—I thought it was a tough piece of pastry!" she told Metro News. Instead, McGill soon realized she had swallowed her partial dentures with two false teeth. Hospital X-rays confirmed the dentures were caught halfway down her throat, but the staff advised her pulling them out would only cause more harm. It took 72 hours for the plate to pass. "It was ever so funny!" she said. "And I was really enjoying the mince pie, too." •Sandra Smith, 59, of St. Petersburg, Florida, was cited for careless driving on Dec. 29, after crashing her 1994 Oldsmobile Cutlass into a mausoleum at the Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery, damaging the facades of three above-ground graves, WFLA reported. Florida Highway Patrol troopers said Smith was driving in a grass lot at the cemetery when she "failed to avoid a mausoleum on the property." Her passenger, 63-year-old Betty Strickland, went to the hospital with critical injuries. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2019 Andrews McMeel

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