"HE WAS A GOOD-HEARTED PERSON" An Interview with Kimberly Henderson, Partner of Tymar Crawford
Independent News | July 2, 2020 | Volume 21 | Number 27 | Kimberly Henderson / Photo by Natalie Allgyer
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winners SAVANNA CHRISTY The Board of Directors for Keep Florida Beautiful (KFB) recently announced the appointment of Christy as executive director. She came to KFB from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission in February 2019 and served as program coordinator, assisting with the daily operations of KFB. With a background in oceanography and environmental science, Christy has a great passion for the conservation of Florida's natural environments and the overall ecoimprovement of our state. Christy replaces current Executive Director Mary Jean Yon, who will be assisting Keep America Beautiful as a National Trainer. PEN AIR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION The
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Friends of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization facilitated by Pen Air Federal Credit Union (Pen Air), presented a check in the amount of $50,000 to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) of Pensacola. Since 2000, Pen Air has hosted an annual charity golf tournament that has raised more than $580,000 to further the mission of NMCRS at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The funds given will be used to support the emergency financial needs of our local military and help fund programs like the Visiting Nurse Program in addition to Quick Assistance Loans, Budget for Baby workshops, Emergency Travel Loans, Education Assistance, Health Education and PostCombat Support, Disaster Relief and Financial Assistance and Counseling.
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Gulf Coast awarded $182,000 to the Santa Rosa County facility to implement fast-track training programs in high-demand, skilled areas to include pipefitting and HVAC. The proposed project will be located on the campus of Locklin Technical College (LTC) and will run from July–December 2020. Through the "Fast Track Training" program, LTC will train up to 30 program participants across the HVAC and pipefitting occupational areas on an open enrollment basis during the designated time period. Proctored industry certification exams will be included as a key outcome measure and aligned the certifications needed for participants to enter the workforce.
Pam Bondi / Courtesy of State of Florida
losers
PAM BONDI The Florida Attorney
General went after former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, for his stance on mandatory face masks, which the CDC, White House COVID task force and the state of Florida have highly recommended when social distancing isn't possible. On Fox News' Hannity, Bondi said, "What's it similar to? In Cuba, where Castro makes all schoolaged children wear a Pioneer Scarf." She is a lobbyist for Ballard Partners and serves on the host committee for the 2020 Republican National Convention in Jacksonville.
MAYOR MARK CHAMBERS The mayor of Carbon Hill, Ala., turned in a resignation letter last weekend after he posted online he would no longer support the University of Alabama football program—"(W)hen you put Black lives before all lives, they can kiss my ass." Last summer, two Carbon Hill council members resigned because they were so embarrassed by Chambers' online comments about "killing out" gay and transgender people and "baby killers." University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and his team posted a video last week that promoted the Black Lives Matter movement—which must have led to Chambers' meltdown. BARS Bars are once again being singled out. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Department of Business and Professional Regulation is "trying to figure out a way forward" for bars, nightclubs and craft breweries to serve alcohol on their premises, but "widespread noncompliance" led to the order to shut them down again. Bars were supposed to limit indoor capacity to 50% and only serve seated customers. DBPR Secretary Halsey Beshears said violations were "so widespread and the infected demographic so clear, we needed to grab this forcefully and immediately. Am going to consider this daily moving forward." The order doesn't impact restaurants that derive 50% or less of their gross revenue from alcohol sales. Many bar owners complain restaurants also haven't been in compliance and believe they're being treated unfairly.
inweekly.net
outtakes By Rick Outzen
FREEDOM FOR ALL Matt Gaetz is an intelligent man and considered one of the brightest rising stars among conservative Republicans. Since his high school days, he has been a skilled debater. In Tallahassee, he proved his skill in nuts-and-bolts lawmaking and was a fierce advocate for his causes. In the nation's capital, Gaetz has become a close confidante of President Donald Trump, riding on Air Force One and warming up the crowd at his rallies. He is a frequent guest on the top shows of Fox News and the most popular conservative radio talk shows. Matt Gaetz is an intelligent man. When I was in my 30s, I had the good fortune to sit on a few boards with some brilliant and talented lawyers—a few may have been as intelligent and skilled as Gaetz. Maybe. I observed from the board discussions that the attorneys always tried to reconfigure my points into positions that suited them—not my viewpoint. If they disagreed, the lawyers would diminish my statements in absurd reconstructions that barely hinted at my position. Over time, I learned how to argue my points and won a few debates. Matt Gaetz has a problem with Black Lives Matter Since the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer, the Black Lives Matter movement has been reinvigorated. Started in 2013 after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the movement has advocated for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality against Black people. Locally, the phrase has been a rallying cry for the Pensacola Dream Defenders and other civil rights groups seeking justice for the family of Tymar Crawford and reform in the Pensacola Police Department. Mayor Grover Robinson approved a Black Lives Matter mural on A Street between Cervantes and Garden streets that was completed last weekend.
The Black Lives Matter movement has upset some. We've seen on social media posts for "All Lives Matter" that suggest every human life is vital while dismissing the fact that racism exists. Former President Barack Obama said the phrase Black Lives Matter wasn't intended to suggest that no one else's lives matter— "rather what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in the African American community that's not happening in other communities." Matt Gaetz sees it differently. Recently, he touted on social media, "Black Lives Matter is about making us hate America so we can replace America." As the lawyers did years ago in my board meetings, Gaetz is out to restate the meaning behind Black Lives Matter to suit his agenda and diminish the fight for racial justice and equality. It also earns him more flights on Air Force One and appearances on Fox News. Maybe I'm too cynical of his agenda, after all Matt Gaetz is an intelligent man. I don't see Black Lives Matter as a hateful phrase. It's a call for us to reconnect to fundamental principles upon which our nation was founded and apply them to all citizens, regardless of race, sex, national origin or religious beliefs. For too many centuries, before and after the Civil War, Black lives only mattered as chattel—lives that could be bought, sold and ended without consequence. I'm not sure whom Gaetz meant as "us." All Americans or only those look like him? To want the inevitable rights espoused in the Declaration of Independence applied to all our citizens isn't hating America. No, it's the exact opposite. Black Lives Matter isn't about replacing America; it's making it the nation that it was meant to be for all races and creeds. We should want Black lives to matter because it means we love freedom and want it for all our people, not just a few. {in} rick@inweekly.net
To want the inevitable rights espoused in the Declaration of Independence applied to all our citizens isn't hating America. No, it's the exact opposite.
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The hospital leaders read from prepared notes, about two minutes each, that praised the governor's leadership, thanked their staff for their efforts during the pandemic and reiterated the guidelines. The statements were followed by Gov. DeSantis asking them a series of questions in a mock roundtable. The handful of media present was then allowed to ask one question each. During his slideshow, DeSantis said that the 25-34 age group was less likely to have significant clinical outcomes, much less likely to be hospitalized and "way, way less likely to suffer a fatality." He said the percentage of positives among young adults was "pretty close to 20%." "I know not everyone has been Ron DeSantis / Photo by YES Market Media / Shutterstock.com following all the different rules," said DeSantis. "Some of the folks here may talk about it, but they'll say, 'What did you do? Oh, we got a big graduation party Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says that for all. All my friends were over.' Well, and young adults and bar owners not followthen you ended up having a bunch of them ing the CDC guidelines are primarily regetting infected." sponsible for the recent rise in COVID-19 He talked about the need for more cases and the positivity rate in the state. testing—"It's important to identify who Noting the percentage of positive may be carrying this so that, even if they cases had jumped from 5% a month ago to aren't significantly ill from this, they don't over 12% during the previous three days, pass it to somebody else who may be more DeSantis said, "That positivity increase is vulnerable to a serious illness." really being driven by a big increase over the last three weeks in individuals testing positive throughout the state of Florida in "This pandemic has been unlike anyyounger age groups, particularly 18 to 44. thing any of us have seen in our lifetimes," And if you look at that 25 to 34 age group, said Rudolph. "I want to emphasize this—if that is now, by far, the leading age group for you feel sick or have come into contact with positive tests in the state of Florida, and someone with COVID-19, go get tested and that's something that's pretty new." quarantine until you get negative results." From Thursday, June 25, through SatDr. Jennings added, "No matter your urday, June 27, the Florida Department of age or health status, everyone needs to Health reported 29,957 new cases statetake this virus seriously. It can be unprewide, with a positivity rate of 13.98%. For dictable and impact people of all ages." the same period, Escambia County had 258 "One common misconception about new cases, with a positivity rate of 14.62%. COVID-19 is the notion that the virus only The governor stressed that COVID-19 affects the older populations or that it's outbreaks have occurred where the CDC and only those people who are at risk of dying," state guidelines have not been maintained. Dr. Foland said. "This is simply not the case. "We've not had a single problem with While the virus does appear to impact older any institution or business that just follows individuals in more and different ways, the the guidelines," said DeSantis. "I mean, if reality is that we've seen younger people you follow the guidelines, we've been fine. contract the virus and die from it as well." It's only when those have been departed He continued, "Even if you get the virus from that, you start doing things that are a and do not show symptoms, you can still little bit different." pass them along to your parents or grandThe governor spoke at a staged press parents or any other loved ones who are in event held at Ascension Sacred Heart on more vulnerable groups or have preexisting Sunday afternoon. He gave a slide preconditions. Wearing a mask protects somesentation that ran for nearly 18 minutes. body's grandma and grandpa." He was followed by Ascension Florida's Rudolph said its drive-through testing CEO Tim VanOsdal, Ascension Sacred sites had been overwhelmed. She said, Heart Hospital Pensacola President Dawn "We've had to institute new processes just Rudolph, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Pete to get people through, so we weren't backJennings and Pediatrician-in-Chief Dr. ing up on Bayou Boulevard. So it's been Jason Foland.
By Rick Outzen
UNPREDICTABLE VIRUS
young kids in the early part of the week. And then if they go home, maybe parents are coming in, and so, yes, we've seen families coming together to get tested." Gov. DeSantis said, "The number one vector that we've seen throughout this is the home because those are the people that you're closest in contact with. And if you're in a situation where you have multigenerational family housing, that presents risks, particularly if you have an elderly resident of the home." Dr. Foland said the virus has been mutating since it first appeared in China and is "less aggressive." He said, "We're seeing maybe a less virulent or less strong virus spread throughout the community and a population that doesn't have a lot of symptoms, such as the 18- to 30-year-olds." When pressed by Inweekly, the doctor backtracked, "The less aggressive strain seems to be a theory that exists, and we need science to really do the studies to back up that theory. It's just what is circulating in the medical community." However, a less aggressive virus can spread faster. "If you get sick very quickly with an aggressive strain, you're not out in the community. You're in your room; you're not spreading it," said Foland. "If you have symptoms much like the common cold, you're spreading it all over the place. And so that's what other viruses, that's how they behave."
WIDESPREAD NONCOMPLIANCE
During the Q&A with reporters, Gov. DeSantis said half the recent new cases have been in their early 30s—"It's been a real significant shift in terms of who's testing, who's testing positive and who's testing positive at the higher rates." He explained that the Florida Department of Professional and Business Regulation shut down on-premises sale of alcohol at bars on Friday, June 26 because of "widespread noncompliance." "When folks have followed the guidelines, you haven't had problems," he said. "Most of the restaurants have done a really, really good job. Obviously, we've had people out and about the whole time in grocery stores and other things. So we know it can be done safely if you have the proper precautions." DeSantis said his agency is trying to figure out a way forward to ensure bars operate safely and follow guidelines. He added, "But you had so many examples where those guidelines were just tossed aside, and in the instances where we've seen outbreaks tied to establishments like that, it has invariably been because they've packed so many people in and created the type of environment that we're trying to avoid." {in} inweekly.net
July 2, 2020
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office/residence hall room, a work area separated by six feet from others or in an outdoor area separated by at least six feet from others. UWF will provide one reusable cloth face covering and a bottle of hand sanitizer for every student and employee. Accommodations will be provided for individuals whose disabilities may prevent them from wearing face coverings. "We have stayed with and monitored the best advice we can from the CDC, and we're drawing our guidelines from the guidance that we get," UWF President Martha Saunders shared with Inweekly. "And one of the simplest ways of inhibiting the transmission of COVID-19 is for people to wear face masks. It is an inexpensive precaution, one that's widely advocated and one that we think makes sense for us for now until we learn more."
POOR CITY KIDS According to data
Grover Robinson / Photo courtesy of City of Pensacola
SUPPORT FOR MASKS In one of the
most conservative counties in the state, Escambia County voters believe face masks should be mandatory throughout the county. According to the latest Inweekly/ Political Matrix poll of 865 Escambia County residents, 72.4% support the county mandating the wearing of face masks, with 27.6% being against the idea. Support for mandating masks is across all five county commission districts. The districts of Doug Underhill (District 2), Lumon May (District 3) and Robert Bender (District 4) had over 70% in favor of mandatory face masks. The poll found that 69.1% said they always wear a face mask when they can't social distance. Additionally, 12.1% said they wear them most of the time, and 8.6% said some of the time they wear the mask. The telephone poll sampled Escambia County registered voters during the hours of 5-8 p.m. between June 26-28. The margin of error for this study was +/ 3.5% with a confidence level of 95%. The mayors of Pensacola, and Gulf Breeze last weekend issued emergency orders mandating face masks inside businesses. Commissioner Bender wears a mask in public and shops at places that follow the CDC guidelines, but he doesn't think a mandatory mask requirement would work in Escambia County. "With making an ordinance, one, I don't want to do anything that would send 88
somebody to jail over it because we're trying to keep the numbers in the jail down to prevent the spread of it," said Bender, who represents east Pensacola and Pensacola Beach. "So I don't want to introduce someone that doesn't have to go to jail over it." He added, "And then again, who's going to enforce it, and if there is no enforcement, then what good is an ordinance?"
"We have laws banning smoking inside buildings that deputies don't enforce, but they still work. We need to stand behind the guidelines." Lumon May Commissioner May isn't worried about the sheriff's office not enforcing the order. He told Inweekly, "The requirement will help businesses protect their employees and customers. We have laws banning smoking inside buildings that deputies don't enforce, but they still work. We need to stand behind the guidelines."
UWF MASKS UP The Florida Board of
Governors approved the University of West Florida's Fall 2020 Reopening Plan during its meeting on Tuesday, June 23. The plan requires all individuals, including visitors, vendors and volunteers, on campus to wear a face covering except when in a private
released Florida Chamber Foundation's Prosperity Initiative last month, more than a third of the city's children under the age of 18 live in poverty. Even the more affluent zip codes, 32504 and 32503, have 26.5% living in poverty. The state average is 21.3%. The city of Pensacola's zip codes range from 21.2% to 47.7%, with 6,522 children. Not a single zip code looks like it will meet the Chamber's goal of having less than 10% living in poverty by 2030.
TATE DROPS CONFEDERATE FLAGS
Walmart and NASCAR have banned the Confederate flag. Former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and the Escambia County Commission replaced the Confederate flag in the five-flag display with Florida's state flag in the summer of 2015. Last month, families at the Tate High School graduation were handed programs with a Confederate flag included in a fiveflag display. One attendee sent an email to the principal protesting the decision. He wrote, "I was disappointed you chose to display the Confederate flag on your graduation program. I felt this was tone-deaf and inappropriate." He added, "I do not feel you are serving our graduates or community well by continuing to use this "five flags" Confederate logo. By implicitly supporting an offensive logo, it makes changing an oppressive status-quo seem that much more difficult for graduates." J.M. Tate was a Civil War veteran and minister who taught in the Escambia County public school system for 35 years, mostly as principal of the school that later was named for him after he retired in 1913, who would tell his students that the textbooks were wrong about the Civil War. According to the Pensacola News Journal archives from 1913, Professor Tate graduated 107 students,
married over 200 couples, baptized over 100 infants and buried more than 300. After Inweekly published the complaint about the flag, the school's principal called the parent and said the high school would discontinue the "five flags" Confederate logo immediately, using a "T" temporarily.
GAETZ APPOINTED Florida Senate
President Bill Galvano last week announced the appointment of former Senate President (2012-2014) Don Gaetz to the Florida Commission on Ethics. President Gaetz is appointed for a term beginning July 1 and ending June 30, 2022. "For President Gaetz, raising the ethical standards applied to those in public office is a lifelong commitment," said Galvano. "During his decade of service in the Florida Senate, President Gaetz authored numerous pieces of transformational ethics reform legislation that strengthened Florida's laws to ensure public officials at all levels of government are held accountable to the people they represent." Gaetz spearheaded reforms that strengthened ethical standards within Florida's Legislature, implementing lobbyist compensation audits and formalizing residency requirements for lawmakers. "In 2018, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment authored by President Gaetz, which cements several significant reform measures as part of our State Constitution," said Galvano. "I am honored to appoint President Gaetz to represent the Florida Senate in this important role." For more than three decades, Gaetz dedicated his life to expanding Floridians' access to quality health care services as a hospital administrator and co-founder of a Florida-based national company providing hospice care in 23 states. As a school board member and later as superintendent, he led Okaloosa County to become the highest performing public school system in Florida, winning numerous national awards for academic excellence. First elected to the Senate in 2006, and re-elected subsequently, in 2012, he was unanimously elected by his colleagues to serve a two-year term as president of the Florida Senate. "It is the capstone of my public life to represent the Senate on the Ethics Commission," said Gaetz. "I look forward to playing a part as our state implements the high ethical standards voters have added to our Constitution." He added, "I won't be satisfied, and neither should our citizens, until Florida is known as having the nation's most honest and most transparent government, from city hall to the courthouse to the state house."
COVID & THE BLACK COMMUNITY A goal of the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber
inweekly.net
of Commerce (GCMCC)) is to increase the local small and minority businesses' involvement in the community. In an email to the Escambia County Commission, GCMCC CEO Brian Wyer wrote, "As part of this goal, it is essential that we understand areas where underserved citizens may encounter significant challenges. Once we identify a baseline, we can work together as a community to identify possible solutions to address the issues." Using 2018 data from DataUSA, Wyer pointed out that 22% of county residents were Black. However, the Black community has made up 37% of the county's COVID-19 cases, 52% of its hospitalizations and 31% of its deaths. Escambia County's percentage for its Black residents ranked in the top 10 of all three categories for all Florida counties. When contacted by Inweekly, Wyer said, "I would like the county and Department of Health to assist in bringing awareness to the entire Pensacola community. This would include following many of the CDC recommendations."
"I would like the county and Department of Health to assist in bringing awareness to the entire Pensacola community." Brian Wyer He wants the county and health department to dedicate some of their COVID-19 resources to our minority community. "I recently joined the 'Wait—Don't Congregate' task force," Wyer told Inweekly. "With Phase II, the Task Force is being renamed 'Wait—Congregate Safely.' It has created flyers for businesses, obtained face masks to distribute to at-risk communities and is working on media pushes."
POB CHAMBER Greater Pensacola Chamber, which was founded in 1889, no
longer has a brick-and-mortar office, at least temporarily. When it returns, the office will only have four staff members there. The remaining five employees will work remotely in the age of COVID. From the Chamber—"Your Pensacola Chamber has moved office locations. We are no longer at the 890 S. Palafox, Ste. 202 location. Due to COVID-19, we have been working remotely and are now close to signing a short-term lease at a new office building. However, for the foreseeable future, most of our staff will continue to work remotely." The new office will only house four of nine staff members. The mailing address is P.O. Box 550, Pensacola, FL 32591. The office number remains the same, 850-438-4081.
FLIGHT ACADEMY PLANS FOR 2021
Due to the circumstances surrounding COVID-19, the National Flight Academy (NFA) has suspended all 2020 summer programming. The decision was made due to several factors—most importantly, the safety of the potential attendees and the staff for the camps. "Suspending all programming was the safest decision since our facility is designed to accommodate 200 students per week plus staff," said retired Marine Lt. Gen. Duane Thiessen, president of the National Flight Academy. "Families were given the option of refunds or to secure a spot in next year's programming." Since 2012, more than 17,000 students from 50 states, 29 countries and four U.S. territories have attended the program. The aviation adventure begins on a landlocked, virtual aircraft carrier, AMBITION (CVT11). Students live aboard for six days in a high-tech virtual world surrounded with realistic sights, sounds and smells of an aircraft carrier. "The challenge of suspending the 2020 summer programming necessitated a reduction in force," Thiessen said. "These are difficult decisions, but like many organizations,
we continue to be hopeful and are looking forward to next year," Thiessen added. For more information, connect with the National Flight Academy through email at info@nationalflightacademy.com or on social media.
PETS BILL SIGNED The ASPCA (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) commended Gov. Ron DeSantis for signing C.S./S.B. 1082, which keeps owners and pets together by ensuring family pets can be included in orders of protection from domestic violence. The law went into effect on July 1. "This lifesaving law now makes it clear that courts may include family pets in temporary restraining orders, and we thank Gov. DeSantis for signing this bill to help domestic violence survivors and their pets reach safety," said Jennifer Hobgood, senior director of state legislation for the ASPCA, Southeast Region. Research indicates that up to 89% of pet-owning women entering domestic violence shelters report that their abuser threatened, harmed or killed a family pet. Additionally, as many as 48% of domestic violence survivors with pets delay seeking safety, fearing what would happen if they left their pets behind. "Under normal circumstances, adults, children and pets living in an abusive home often face major obstacles to escape harm's way," said Hobgood. "Unfortunately, the necessity of staying at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19 has made this situation substantially more dangerous for both people and pets." STUDER TEAMS HIRE DIVERSITY EXPERT The Pensacola Blue Wahoos
and Beloit Snappers have jointly hired V. Randolph Brown Consulting, an organization that specializes in helping companies evaluate their diversity, inclusion and equity. Brown will evaluate the inclusive-
ness of the organizations, identify areas for improvement and develop action plans to help both teams eliminate bias and become more equitable to fans and staff. "We do many things well. We measure employee engagement, provide lots of development opportunities, are transparent, include peers in staff selection and did not lay off any staff during the ongoing pandemic," Quint Studer, owner of the Blue Wahoos and managing partner of the Snappers, said. "However, I am convinced we can and must be better in the areas of eliminating bias and becoming more diverse and inclusive." He continued, "Beloit is one of the most diverse cities in Wisconsin. As we expand the team's staff in preparation of the new ballpark opening in 2021, we need to be sure that our hiring and training processes are correct. We will not window dress this. We will dig in and do this right." V. Randolph Brown Consulting, based in Cincinnati, provides companies across America with strategic consulting, advisory, education and training services on topics including diversity, equity and inclusion. Their portfolio includes advising the National Basketball Association and NCAA. The firm will work with both teams to identify and eliminate possible bias in their organizations, educate and train the team's fulland part-time staff and improve the teams' hiring and staff development processes. The Studer Family of Companies, which includes both the Blue Wahoos and Snappers, has established a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force to work alongside V. Randolph Brown Consulting to advance the organization's efforts to promote a culture of inclusiveness and embrace its diversity. The task force will provide training to Studer Family of Companies staff and to the local community, identify causes and charities to receive fundraising dollars and implement changes within the organization based on the firm's recommendations. {in}
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"HE WAS A GOOD-HEARTED PERSON" An Interview with Kimberly Henderson, Partner of Tymar Crawford By C. Scott Satterwhite On July 5, 2019, Tymar Crawford was shot to death by Officer Daniel Siemen of the Pensacola Police Department. An unarmed Black man, Crawford was killed after a traffic stop in front of his home with his family watching, including his partner, Kimberly Henderson. Since the shooting, the City of Pensacola fired Siemen, but a grand jury declined to indict him for killing Crawford. The one-year anniversary of Crawford's death, as well as the global Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the death of George Floyd, have brought renewed and new attention to Crawford's case. Local protestors say his name alongside other victims of police brutality, and a memorial mural with his likeness was painted at Graffiti Bridge. Recently, Henderson sat down with Inweekly in the office of her attorney, Joe Zarzaur, to talk about Crawford, her relationship with him and the events surrounding the shooting. This interview was one of the first Henderson has granted to the media since immediately after Crawford's death last summer. Zarzaur joined the interview at July 2, 2020
times toward the end. We made the editorial decision to present this feature story as a question-and-answer interview because we wanted Henderson's story to be told in her words. As we began the interview, Zarzaur asked a receptionist to bring in a box of tissues. With a strong, but occasionally trembling, voice, Henderson told her story. Frequently stopping to catch her breath and cry, she remembered her partner, the day he was killed, the city's response and how her family continues to cope. INWEEKLY: Can you tell me a little bit about Tymar? HENDERSON: Tymar was a people person. We went to church every Sunday. We fed the homeless. Tymar even gave out roses for Valentine's Day and Mother's Day to all the mothers. Tymar was really a heart-giving person. He'd actually give you the shirt off of his back. INWEEKLY: What church did y'all go to? HENDERSON: We went to Top of the Bottom. INWEEKLY: Top of the Bottom Ministries, OK. So how long have you known Tymar?
HENDERSON: We actually knew each other throughout our childhood years, but we actually got together in December of 2016. INWEEKLY: How did y'all meet? HENDERSON: We met in Pensacola Village. INWEEKLY: What was your last memory of Tymar before the shooting? HENDERSON: He picked me up from work that day. [She pauses for a long time, takes a deep breath and continues.] He showed up at my job at about 2:30. I actually clocked out around 3:05 or 3:10. He went to a funeral that day ‌ one of his friend's mom's funeral. So when I got out of the truck, we were basically talking about the funeral. The kids had called to ask him to bring some milk home once he picked me up from work. But he wanted to get out of the church attire that he had on, so we went home and changed clothes. He kissed me four times and told me he'd be right back with the milk. INWEEKLY: That was the last time you saw him alive? HENDERSON: [She reached for tissues, wiped away tears and nodded her head.] Yeah.
INWEEKLY: I know this will also be hard, so forgive me, but can you tell me about the shooting? HENDERSON: [Henderson paused for a long time. Again, she took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes.] After he dropped the milk off [long pause] I don't know when he pulled out of the yard because we was at the house, but as soon as he pulled up, you heard the police sirens. INWEEKLY: You heard the sirens? HENDERSON: [She nodded her head.] So I picked my phone up, and I called him. He said, "The police are behind me." I told him to pull over because I can hear the sirens, so I know he wasn't too far away. So I just told him to pull over. By the time I went to the front door, I'd seen the truck come in towards the house. He wasn't going fast, probably not more than about 15 [miles per hour]. He wasn't going fast. He stopped at the stop sign. He turned on his blinkers. He pulled in the yard, and by the time he made it around [the house]—by the time he made it around, me and my 13-year-old son was standing in the grass when the truck came to a complete stop. Tymar threw his 11
INWEEKLY: Why did you need to go to the hospital? HENDERSON: I couldn't breathe. I just, I just couldn't breathe. It was just too much to just see. For him to be up, for them to just do him like that. And he told them that they had him. They had him. I don't understand why, what that officer … I just don't understand. I don't know, why did he have to shoot him eight times? [She begins to cry hard.] The first shot should've been good enough. It's like it just wasn't good enough for them. It's like they wanted Tymar dead. That officer hunted my baby. He did everything he could to get him. He said he wasn't going to stop until he got him, and he got him. You [Officer Siemen] took him to jail a year before, and then you come back and you killed my baby. Why? INWEEKLY: The same officer? Officer Siemen knew him from before? HENDERSON: The officer? Yeah. You targeted my baby like you did. ZARZAUR: They called him Tymar. They said "Tymar, get out of the car." [Zarzaur added that neither the truck nor home were registered in Crawford's name.] They knew exactly who he was. HENDERSON: They knew who he was. That truck wasn't in his name. Nothing in that house or in that truck was in his name. Nothing connects him, legally. He was just a target.
Kimberly Henderson
hands up. Then the officer opened the door. [Henderson started to cry heavily at this point in the interview.] They start beating him. They was punching him. There was two of them. They were on his back. They were just all over him. INWEEKLY: Take your time. HENDERSON: After he got out the truck, I told my son, "Let's go back on the porch." Because it was more of them [police] coming, and I didn't want nothing to happen to my baby. We got on the porch. And the next thing I know, I heard the first gunshot. I grabbed my daughter and I took her in the house with me. By the time I made it out the back door to make it around, we got the phone, and they were sitting on the side [of the car]. I'd seen Tymar on the ground. He was on the ground. They had a green towel trying to stop the bleeding, and I asked them if I could help them. They told me, "No." [Henderson sobs harder.] But I'm CPR-certified. If there was a chance, to let me help. Or even if they would've tried to do something. [She cries heavily and takes a long pause to catch her breath.] And that was it. He was gone. He died in the ER. He looked at us and took his last breath. INWEEKLY: You said he looked at you? HENDERSON: [She nodded her head, wiping tears away from her eyes.] Once he looked at us, he looked down, so I guess he was in shock. He gasped one more time, and that was it. [She continued crying as we paused the interview.] 212 1
INWEEKLY: How did your children take seeing Tymar killed? HENDERSON: Not good. We're still not taking it good. With the one-year anniversary, they're even more scared. INWEEKLY: Did they understand what happened? HENDERSON: They're all old enough. They understand. INWEEKLY: Y'all were a pretty close family? HENDERSON: Yeah. INWEEKLY: How did the kids react that night? HENDERSON: I can't … I know for me, I was in the hospital. INWEEKLY: With Tymar? HENDERSON: They actually put us in two separate ambulances. They took Tymar to Baptist, and they took me to Sacred [Heart Hospital]. INWEEKLY: Why did they do that? HENDERSON: I don't know. They told my family that they was going to take me to Baptist. They didn't know I was at Sacred until I called them. Because when I was in the back of the ambulance, I was like, "Which hospital am I going to?" And they said, "You're going to Sacred." I was like, "Why?" when [Baptist] was the closest hospital to me, but they never took me to Baptist.
[Henderson then discusses an August 2018 drug charge in which Crawford was arrested by Officer Siemen. This case was pending at the time of Crawford's death. According to Zarzaur, the charge would likely be thrown out as a violation of the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits illegal search and seizure. The court officially closed the case three days after Crawford's death.] INWEEKLY: So immediately afterward, what was the government's response, the city? Did they call to check up on you? Tell you about services? HENDERSON: I never got an apology. I haven't heard from nobody. Nobody. Nobody reached out. Even if they did reach out, I haven't talked to none of them. INWEEKLY: So no one? The city, the police, the mayor, no one? HENDERSON: I don't know if they contacted Joe, but me? No. [Zarzaur shakes his head and says no.] INWEEKLY: Right after the shooting, Dream Defenders helped organize several protests. People were marching in the streets. I saw you speak in front of the police department. You must've had a lot of mixed feelings at that moment. What was that like for you? HENDERSON: Yeah, because it was like Tymar's life got taken to save everyone else. My whole thing is to not promote violence. We all have to stick together—no matter what color we are. We all bleed the same. I just want the world to know that just because we are this color don't mean we are bad. I don't care about color. Color don't make us nothing. We are human beings, and I just wanted them to treat my baby like he was a human being.
So if I have to go out there and stand up and scream his name, that's what I'm going to do. He wasn't that predator like they're trying to make him out to be. That was not Tymar. I just wish that they can just know who he really was so that they could just quit saying that he was a bad guy because he wasn't that person. INWEEKLY: How have you felt about the community support around this? HENDERSON: Mixed emotions, but I really do thank the ones that have been there for me and my family and have spoken up and all that. I do thank them for that. INWEEKLY: Specifically with the Dream Defenders, how did you feel about their response? HENDERSON: They're sweet. They do go over and above and beyond. They're a nice group of people. INWEEKLY: With the recent events surrounding the murder of George Floyd, I'm sure this brings up a lot of emotions. How have you reacted on a personal level to these events? HENDERSON: I don't watch the news because it do hurt. No one wins in a situation like this, no one, not even the officer. His family don't win. Everybody loses. I wish that they would see that no one is winning when they hurt someone. They kill someone. Everybody is losing—even their family. Their family's going to lose, too. I mean they're hurting. It's a different type of hurt, but it's like no one is winning. I just wish all this would stop. Everybody has to come together, and if we don't, then the world's going to stay divided. INWEEKLY: Do you see the recent awareness around Tymar, connected to George Floyd and the anniversary, helping your case? HENDERSON: I don't know. I just hope that we get justice. [long pause] I just pray. I just pray that we get justice. It's like this fight is a fight that I have to put into the Lord's hands because it's bigger than me. I can't touch it. It's bigger than me. So I have to sit back and wait, and there's nothing I can do, except promote no violence … This fight is bigger than me. I just keep praying. I just leave it in God's hands that I'll get justice for Tymar because this is bigger than me. INWEEKLY: How are you feeling about that possibility and about the case right now? HENDERSON: My gut feeling is that I know that we're gonna get justice. I mean, it may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. It may not be next week, but I'm never gonna lose faith. I know that's why everything is going on now because this has to be talked about. I don't see how they'd seen that video and they didn't say nothing? INWEEKLY: The video of Tymar? HENDERSON: Yeah. He [Officer Siemen] got fired, but I guess to them, that was good enough, but no … but one way or the other, it's still going to be talked about. It's getting talked about now. And one way or another, like I said, we're going to get justice. I promise you that. The Lord is working it out. Where we are now, I didn't think we'd be where we inweekly.net
are at now. We've come a long way, and I'm not losing faith … Even for the police. I mean, they're there to protect us. All officers are not bad. They're not. One bad one do spoil the bunch, but I mean, all of them aren't bad. I'm not going to sit here and say all of 'em are bad, because all cops are not bad. It was just that one. There might be several more, but that's for them to deal with, not for me to sit here and judge no one and none of that. He [Officer Siemen] did what he did. One way or the other, he's going to pay for it. Even not here, he's got to deal with the Lord. I just gave it to God. INWEEKLY: You told me about being concerned about the way Tymar has been portrayed in the public. Can you tell me what you want people to see when they think about Tymar—the Tymar that people don't see in the media, the Tymar that you know? HENDERSON: For people that know Tymar, Tymar people was helpful. Tymar was just a people person. Y'all couldn't sit in the room without him saying something. I mean, he was going to have something. He was going to have everyone laughing. You'd swear you knew him your whole life. That's the kind of type of person he was. He was just a giver. He don't never want nobody to do nothing for him. It was just like, "I'm going to do for everybody. I'm going to get up. I'm going to get me some money." He'd get up, go to work. Even when I had to go to work, he'd help [get] the kids on the bus. That's just something that we can't get back, something that they took from us—not even from me and the family, but the community. Every time you'd see him, he'd just have a smile on his face. He never was sad. Nothing ever made him mad. I don't know. I just wished that everybody would've got the chance to meet him and to know what type of person he was before they just start
to paint this picture of him. He wasn't that person. He was a good-hearted person, very good-hearted. INWEEKLY: Since Tymar's death, you've been in the spotlight. How does that feel for you to be in this particular spotlight? HENDERSON: I actually came out of the [health care] facility to do home health care because it was too much. Everywhere I go, people are still saying "How are you?" I ain't going to say that I'm not a people person, but I'm more to myself, conservative. It's like going from secretive to now, it's like "Boom." I don't like it, but I know that I have to do it for Tymar. I don't like it. INWEEKLY: A year later, how are your kids doing now? HENDERSON: When Tymar was alive, it was just us and him. Even though my family stayed here, it was just us. So it was just like their best friend's gone. Their stepdad's gone. ZARZAUR: Those kids were torn up. They were torn up, all of them. Those kids are all sharp as tacks. Every one of them, stellar kids. They all make great grades. They're in sports. They're well-rounded. You both [speaking to Henderson] did a good job with those kids. They're great kids. They're really top notch. HENDERSON: Even my daughter, this is her first year of high school. We've done got over 10 offers for colleges already. They all play sports. My baby plays sports. My oldest two play basketball. But it's different now. ZARZAUR: It's also tragic that these kids had to see that kind of violence against someone that they love at their home. It's just devastating on so many different levels. INWEEKLY: So are they in counseling? HENDERSON: Everybody's in counseling, even me. I'm actually now in trauma counseling. I have my good days and my bad days, but I have more bad days than good days. But I
LEGAL UPDATE As summer rolls into July and the one-year anniversary of Crawford's death approaches, the civil litigation side of the case is set to finally see some movement. Pensacola Attorney Joe Zarzaur is expecting to file a lawsuit against the city in the coming weeks. "The family wants justice in the sense of they want validation of their position that Tymar was not treated fairly and that his life was taken unfairly," Zarzaur told Inweekly recently. Crawford was pulled over in his front yard, just outside of the house he shared with his partner, Kimberly Henderson, and her children. The incident, which has led to calls for reforms within the police department, was captured on a PPD body cam. Zarzaur is representing both Henderson and her children, as well as Crawford's estate, which consists of his parents. Henderson is also acting as the representative for the estate. Throughout this past year, Inweekly has asked on multiple occasions about the status of any civil lawsuits related to the Crawford case. Answers have consistently stressed that the city has yet to be sued, but this month, July 2, 2020
still try to push through because I know that's what Tymar would want, but this is hard. INWEEKLY: Do you think about him a lot? HENDERSON: Every day. He took me to work, picked me up, brought me lunch. It was just like Tymar was just in my life—in my life, throughout my whole day. And then for him to just be up and gone—no goodbyes, no nothing. He looked at us, and that was it. That's the hardest part. Then to be a citizen, I get up and go to work. I pay my taxes. I do right. I don't break laws. I don't do none of that. So I don't know why. It just feels like the city hates me. [She starts to cry.] I didn't do nothing to nobody. ZARZAUR: The first thing the city did was hire a PR firm. Before Tymar was even picked up out of the hospital, they were on the phone with a PR firm. Their interest was clear from the beginning. INWEEKLY: Has the mayor reached out at all to you or to the kids? ZARZAUR: They don't care. HENDERSON: They don't. They [the police] still ride through our neighborhood like we did something. I mean, I don't know … No one is in our neighborhood. Our neighbors don't come outside. We don't come outside, but when we do, the first thing we have to see is the police. That's like a kick in the face. INWEEKLY: Do you have a really good memory of Tymar that you have to get you through the hard times? HENDERSON: Actually, it was the Sunday before Tymar died. We went to church. We got up that morning, and he was like, "Y'all better get up. We're going to church." The kids were like, "We're not going." He was like, "Yes, y'all is. This is our last Sunday." And I was like, "What you mean this is our last Sunday?" Well, I gotta work the next Sunday, so that's probably what he was talking about. So
we go to church. After we go to church, we go to the beach. Me and my daughter was sitting on the side, and he said, "Come on and get in the water." And I was like, "No, I'm not going to get my hair wet." And he said, "Well, you're going to wish you got in the water." Then we had a picnic. It's just leading up to that day. He took the kids up to get fireworks that Tuesday for the Fourth of July. He pulled up to my job, and he brought me some lunch. He said, "Will we still get the fireworks?" I said, "OK." Then he was like, "Be ready when I come back." We went home. Then on the Fourth of July, I took off that day. I never take off of holidays. I work every holiday. I took off that day … We all went to my mama's house, did fireworks. We cooked out. We had a ball. Tymar was just so happy. I don't know. We just thought it was because the Fourth of July, because he always be hyped on the holidays. He was like, "I'm not going out. I'm staying home with you tonight." [She went on to talk about more Tymar playing with her kids, shooting fireworks and her memories of the food from the cookout.] That was the whole evening that led up to that. That just keeps playing in my head, beside all the other images of everything else that I had to see. I just try to remember the good things. INWEEKLY: Is there anything else you want to add? Things that no one asks but you wish they would? HENDERSON: We're OK. I mean, it's a daily process. I'm not going to say daily, but second by second. Minute by minute. Hour by hour. Because I've been changed. We've all been diagnosed with PTSD…but we're OK. If everybody could keep praying for us, praying for the situation. But other than that, we're OK. Later that day, I received a text message from Kimberly Henderson that asked me to add one more line to the interview—"I won't be OK until the man that took Tymar is in jail."
By Jeremy Morrison
the city confirmed it had received a notice of claim letter in January. According to Zazaur, the city has actually received two notice of claim letters—one in November on behalf of Henderson and a second in January on behalf of the estate. The letters are necessary prior to filing a lawsuit in either state of federal court. The notice of claim letters must be sent six months prior to any such filing. Notice of claim letters are intended to alert entities to potential litigation, as well as give a chance for responding outside of a courtroom. In this instance, Zarzaur said, the letters have yet to elicit a response from the city. "Of course, there's been complete radio silence from them," the attorney said. "It's almost as if the city wants to pretend like this doesn't exist." Well, not complete silence. There has apparently been a mystery intermediary. While Zarzaur declined to identify the individual, the attorney said that a local government official not associated with the city has reached out on the city's behalf. "Basically saying, 'The city is interested in
talking with you about settling these claims, but they didn't want to reach out to you directly,'" Zarzaur explained the third-party communication. "And I'm not sure why that is. It's like they're playing like third graders." The attorney declined to work through the go-between and says that he intends to attempt to make contact with the city again prior to filing any lawsuit. "Because the last thing I want to do, if they're willing to negotiate with my clients, is subject any party to unnecessary litigation, expenses and costs if there's a way to work it out," Zarzaur said. But, frankly, the attorney's expectations are not especially high. He cites the city's actions since Crawford's death—actions including the hiring of a public relations firm in the wake of the incident—as indicative of the fashion in which the city intends to handle this matter. "It just seems, I don't know—these folks just don't seem very proactive in any respect, to be honest with you," Zarzaur said, wondering aloud why Mayor Grover Robinson did not speak directly with Crawford's family following
the incident. "I seem to think that if this would have happened in Cordova Park, Grover would have gone and met with the family and would have apologized, would have said something consoling to the family directly, right?" Other than revealing the notice of claim letter, the city has not responded to further questions on this subject—on the issue of that third-party go-between, the lack of response thus far or regarding any legal strategy going forward. And so, barring city officials jumping into settlement negotiations at the eleventh hour, the attorney for Crawford's family intends to file a lawsuit in July. It has yet to be determined if the suit will be filed in state or federal court. Asked what it was that Crawford's family was seeking, Zarzaur did not discuss anything as vulgar as a dollar amount but instead said his clients wanted "acknowledgment." "They don't feel like Tymar was treated fairly, OK, number one. Number two, they feel like Tymar was murdered," the attorney said. "They want acknowledgment that they were unfairly treated." {in} 13
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a&e happenings Attending "normal" events might not be happening yet—but that doesn't mean local businesses and nonprofits aren't still keeping the community connected in creative ways.
FOURTH OF JULY EVENTS
BIKE PENSACOLA FOURTH OF JULY RIDE Start Independence Day with a
bike ride to Veteran's Park. There will be five ride groups starting at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, July 4. Choose your own adventure with rides from 12-67 miles. To join, sign up through the links at facebook.com/ bikepensacola.
FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION AT BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM The annual
PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS: LET FREEDOM SING Watch the Pen-
sacola Children's Chorus perform "Let Freedom Sing," a patriotic special airing on WEAR on July 4 at 4:30 p.m. Sing along as chorus members sing and dance their way through Pensacola during this star-spangled event. "Many of our community's Fourth of July festivities have been canceled," says Alex Gartner, artistic & executive director. "We are excited to help fill that void and celebrate our country and its people. If you've not been to one of our mainstage concerts, here's your chance to experience the wonder and excitement of a PCC production from the comfort of your living room." For more information on this event and other Pensacola Children's Chorus happenings, please visit pensacolasings.org.
Independence Day celebration at Blue Wahoos Stadium will return in 2020 as part of the Blue Wahoos Movie Night. The movie is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 4, with fireworks following immediately FOURTH OF JULY BLUES, BREWS & after. Gates will open at 5:30 p.m. BBQ RIBFEST Good food and brews from General admission tickets are on sale for 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, July 4 at $10. A limited number of tickets will be sold Coastal County Brewing Company, located to ensure proper physical distancing can be at 3041 E. Olive Road. Enjoy a half or full is one. safely maintained throughout the event, and rack of ribs smoked now: Thand seasoned all day k o t d e guests are encouraged to secure their tick- st yowhile u ne enjoyingblive out. from A Drunker abymusic F li is h O t T ll S fi E ets in advance, as a sell-out is eB s and of Green. Carry-out is also available. onanticipated. orkShade re's only to sit tually w To make reservations, call 741-2975. hewelcome cthe Guests willTbe in a t a h t a p en stands at the ballpark So, findor the field itself to enjoy the movie and fireworks. Fans may FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION bring blankets and pillows, but chairs, AT AMERICAN LEGION POST 340 strollers and wagons are not permitted The party begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, July inside the ballpark. Concessions will be 4. Enjoy chicken wings, burgers, hot dogs available throughout the stadium. and sides while they last for a $5 donation An upscale experience featuring a surfwhile playing biker games and listening to and-turf menu prepared by Blue Wahoos live music. The event is open to everyone. Executive Chef Travis Wilson will be held American Legion Post 340 is located at in the Hancock-Whitney Club overlooking 8890 Ashland Ave. the Bay. Tickets are available for $55 and include admission, the meal and nonTHE FISH HOUSE CELEBRATES alcoholic beverages. Fans can also enjoy FOURTH OF JULY Let Fish House do an all-American buffet experience at the your holiday cooking as you enjoy the stadium's Winn-Dixie Party Deck, featurfireworksishow e s over Pensacola Bay. The r v cwill s eHouse ing hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, Fish be n open for indoor and air Salo st Hdining, e B e coleslaw, fruit and other items, along with outdoor serving from their standard r tylist c u l t ufor $35. & Hair Sall t a s non-alcoholic beverages, i dinner menu evening. In addition to the e B d rist y , me air Colo can choose the special m u n i t Tickets to both exclusive dining experi- standard Best Hmenu, you hop wine dinner with ber Sand tences must be purchased in advance and five-course rfood n-Profi st B est Ba air Styli are prime waterfront nt available alongside general admission 's Hseating. e n v e E M y t it ar Bes reservations are for 7 p.m. with no tickets Table ork at bluewahoos.com. Blue Wahoos y Spa ace to WStadium is located at 351 W. Cedar St. B e s t Da time restrictions. Fish ge House will continue
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to practice all safety measures, including spacing, sanitation and more, for this event. Downstairs dining is available for two-hour reservations, which can be made by calling 850-470-0003 or visiting fishhousepensacola.com. Fish House is located at 600 S. Barracks St.
FOURTH OF JULY AT PERFECT PLAIN BREWING CO. Celebrate the Fourth with
drinks to go. Buy three get one free crowlers of beer or buy three get one free crowlers of Garden & Grain margaritas. Perfect Plain Brewing Co. is located at 50 E. Garden St. For more information, facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco.
RED, LIGHTS AND BLUE LIVE IN THE BEER GARDEN Celebrate Fourth of July
own towels, or you may rent a towel for a $1 donation. Pensacola Humane Society is located at 5 N. Q St. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.
KITTEN KARNIVAL Join Pensacola Humane Society for the Kitten Karnival and enjoy an afternoon of games, food and, of course, kittens. Adoption fees will be $10 or waived with a cat-related donation such as food, toys, litter and KMR. The Kitten Karnival is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, July 3. Pensacola Humane Society is located at 5 N. Q St. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.
ARTS + CULTURE
MUSEUMS UPDATES+NEW EXHIBITION
Starting this week, the T.T. Wentworth and Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) are now open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with live music all day long, Saturday, July from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. 4, at Emerald Republic Brewing, located at Both museums are operating at limited 1414 W. Government St. Yard Lights takes capacity. In order to ensure social distancing the stage from 3-6 p.m., and Jesse Wayne . pe . l easnighttime envelo must reserve a Hatch takes ▶ over from e aguidelines 25 rufor cepted areekept, pershow t o thanvisitors ll a b ill b c e w few r online. n s o h e it x ly a w f $5 timed ticket The tickets are good 7-10 p.m. Wacked Pensacola s r t o •On Out Weiner o s ll opie s. Ba photocwill be2out tegorie for both museums for one day only. and Frostyworld afront c 5 •NoGelato t s lea 19. just opened a new exhibiin atice PMA20also serving up hot•dogs cream from Vote and nte d . July 31, u o y c b e d b e rk tion—"A Question of When." It responds to 3-until. Crowlers one l notbuy threeeget mafree wilare b p os t s mustat emeraldrethe changing world during the COVID-19 July 3 & 4. MakeByour order t o ll a • l o t t oglobal pandemic. Throughout history, art l publicbrewing.smartonlineorder.com. a b r ekly, l you played a unique and crucial role in times ▶m a i e Coast c/o Inwe 3has 91 25change. L of h t F , f Featuring works by Marc Chagall, FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS OVER o la t o s c e B e ns a 2, Pthe 208not 1 Walker Evans, Joan Miró and other artists SANTA ROSA ISLAND It's x o B PO from the museum's permanent collection, Fourth of July without a firework display. o f n i ired "A Question of When" is a visual represenPensacola Beach Boardwalk ▶r e q u fireworks will tation of the collective grief and ongoing be from 8:30 to 9:30 ap.m., and Navarre e N m sense of hope felt by many as this situation Beach fireworks will begin shortly after il E-ma unfolds. The show represents over 100 years dusk following the children's parade and of art-making across a variety of media. live concert at the Sand Crab Pavilion. FesOther exhibitions on display at PMA intivities on Navarre Beach begin at 6 p.m.s s Busine n clude Poppy Garcia's "Bless Your Heart," the e e r G B est annual Members Show, and "DocuFlorida 3" usiness B w e N st BeRESUME and "Lessons in Ink" at T.T. Wentworth. DOGGIE BATHE-INS The Penn e s sYou can also still enjoy virtual tours of l l e sacola Humane Society 2020 Doggie Bathew al t h &going to exhibitions and collection highlights. For In season has begun, with h eproceeds Gym supplies. er more information on both, visit pensacolafund its foster program B and estkitten ain onal Tr and Smuseum.org dio and historicpensacola.org. Bathe-ins offer low-cost Persbathing t Bes dog e s s tu ue Fitn iq t flea dips during the warm weather season. u o B B est Events are held the third Saturday ARTEL GALLERY'S EXHIBITIONS ON a the ogof Best Yand month, April through October, continue tructor DISPLAY Artel's latest exhibition is titled s In a g o est Y19 as follows: July 18, Aug. 15,BSept. and Oct. 17 "Keep it 100." In the award alcove are works ilates P t s e dog's Charges are based onBthe weight es from artistslaRandy es New, and in the vault is s Class s C ss Fitnesyour Fitnesfrom and range from $8-$11. Please pottery Larry Manning. Dates of the y it Bestbring n u m
NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS
a ss a t B est M herapis s s a ge T a M t s Be dicure Best Pe anicure B est M a xing B est W cial Best Fa n theticia B est E s Overall e r a in C B est Sk nk B est Ba ion edit Un B e s t Cr dvisor ancial A Best Fin g Firm cy countin e A ge n B e s t Ac a l E s t at e R l ia t A ge nc y siden l E s t at e a B e s t Re e R l ia m m e rc B est C o A ge nt E s t at e l a e R t n B es Hotel/In utique e ach B la B est B o o Pensac l– e t o B est H nsacola otel–Pe B est H omplex me nt C t r a p A B est mpany Spa C o & l o o B est P irm
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a&e happenings show are now through July 23. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.
COLLECTION UNCORKED: AT HOME
The Pensacola Museum of Art has teamed up with Wine with Hilary Shaffer and Pot Roast & Pinot to bring their popular "Collection Uncorked" wine tasting into your home. Collection Uncorked invites visitors to learn more about our permanent collection through curated wine and art pairings. Chief Curator Anna Wall and Shaffer, a certified specialist of wine, are collaborating to match works of art with wines whose flavor profile or origins complement the art, artist or subject matter. This limited-edition curated box of three wines allows you to recreate the experience at home. Inside, you'll find reproductions of the works of art with narratives to guide you on your journey. Each box is $65. Order by noon on Wednesday of each week and pick up at Pot Roast & Pinot the following Saturday. For more information, visit potroastpinot. com/product/collectionuncorked.
BALLET PENSACOLA VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING The Ballet Pensacola Virtual Programming Series gives ballet fans a look at performances in the comfort of their own homes—or anywhere their devices take them. Utilizing a new soundstage built by the ballet's technicians, the artists will reimagine, repurpose and relaunch two beloved ballets from the Ballet Pensacola repertoire—"Alice in Wonderland" (a 2017 premiere) and "The Matrix " (a 2013 premiere). For more information, visit facebook.com/balletpensacola.
PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA "VIRTUALLY TOGETHER" Be sure to follow
Pensacola Symphony Orchestra on Facebook to see videos of orchestra musicians performing special works from their homes. To watch, visit facebook.com/pensacolasymphony.
OPERALIVE Pensacola Opera is keep-
ing patrons connected through their new online series OperaLIVE. Episodes typically include things like interviews and performances with artists, plus appearances by Pensacola Opera staff.
For updates on new episodes or to watch past ones, visit facebook.com/ pensacolaopera. You can also subscribe to their channel on YouTube.
WORKSHOPS AT STUDIO SOUTH
Face-to-face workshops have resumed at Studio South. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road, Ste. 101. For more information and to see a complete list of June events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com.
SINGERS' CINEMA Every Friday after-
noon through August, enjoy a movie pick from the Choral Society of Pensacola. Information on each week's movie and where to find it online will be available on their Facebook page, facebook.com/choralsocietyofpensacola. Some can be viewed free; most are available for rent for under $5. Watch the movie over the weekend, and then join the Choral Society Monday evenings for a Zoom session to share your thoughts.
CALL FOR ARTISTS
POSTER COMPETITION FOR 2020 GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL
The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is accepting submissions to its 2020 poster design competition through Aug. 7. The winning artist receives a $1,000 cash award. The winning design will be featured on posters, T-shirts and other GGAF promotional items for the festival. This year’s event is Nov. 6, 7 and 8 in Seville Square and Bartram Park in historic downtown Pensacola. Competing artists can find the complete list of rules and requirements at ggaf.org/poster. Entries need to be mailed or delivered to Duncan McCall Advertising, 4400 Bayou Blvd., Ste. 11, Pensacola, FL 32503.
PIECES ADRIFT ART SHOW Keep Pensacola Beautiful is recruiting artists to participate in their Pieces Adrift Art Show and Silent Auction. Pieces Adrift is a Keep Pensacola Beautiful programming fundraiser and pollution awareness event. Artists are welcome to participate with any level of experience, whether hobbyist or professional. Each piece submitted should be comprised of at least 50% litter. Due to COVID-19, KPB recommends using your
discretion when picking up litter off the ground. Art pieces may also be created using trash from your home. Artists may also pick through sorted bins of trash at the KPB office left over from last year. "Pieces Adrift is a creative and unique way to unite the community in achieving a common goal—making Pensacola a beautiful place to live, work and play. It brings awareness to the perpetuating issue of litter and ocean pollution on our beaches and roadways. By repurposing trash as art, we hope to inspire our community to be mindful of what and how they throw it away," says Madelyn Newton, Marketing and Development, VISTA. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 1. For more information, please email marketing@keeppensacolabeautiful.org.
FITNESS + RECREATION
PERFECT PLAIN RUN CLUB Perfect Plain now has a weekly running club. Tuesdays at 6 p.m., meet up at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St., for a 5K run through downtown Pensacola. All runners will receive free beer at the end of the run. For more information, visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco. YOGA CLASSES AT EVER’MAN Stretch
your muscles with this Beginner Yoga at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 2, and 11:45 a.m. 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. Funky yoga is at 6 p.m. (eight-person limit) on Tuesday, July 7. All classes at Ever’man, located at 327 W. Garden St. For more information, visit everman.org.
MEDITATION CLASSES AT EVER’MAN Twin Hearts & Healing Energy is at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 2, and Transmission Meditation World Service is at 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, July 8. Both are located at Ever’man, located at 327 W. Garden St. For more information, visit everman.org.
YOGA WITH ADRON CHAMBERS Yoga with Adron is back on Thursday and Saturdays with Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House. Classes are 6 p.m. Thursdays and 9 a.m. Saturdays. Cost is $11. Classes are open to everyone including beginners, novices and masters. Asher & Bee is lo-
cated at 3014 N. Ninth Ave. To register for classes, email 11adron56@gmail.com.
THUNDER MOON GUIDED MEDITATION Start a new month off with a guided
meditation 6:30-8 p.m. Sunday, July 5, at Asher & Bee Apothecary and Tea House, located at 3014 N. Ninth Ave. Bring your precious stones and join Marni for the mediation practice. Cost is $11. For tickets, visit asherandbee.com.
WEEKLY NOCHE TROPICAL LATIN NIGHT Get in step with Latin night at
Phineas Phogg’s. Bring your dancing shoes to learn salsa, bachata and merengue music. Dance lessons begin at 6:15 for $5. No partner required. Every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to midnight, put your lessons to the test with a live DJ playing the best Latin pop. Phineas Phogg’s is located inside Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.
BLUE WAHOOS AND BUBBA WATSON OPEN STADIUM DISC GOLF COURSE
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos and team co-owner Bubba Watson have partnered to bring disc golf to Blue Wahoos Stadium. The course covers the entirety of the stadium and is open to the public from noon-8 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is $5 per player per round. Children ages 6-12, seniors, military members and first responders will receive a $1 admission discount. Children 5 and under receive free admission with a paid adult. To ensure the safety of participants and in adherence with COVID-19 guidelines, new groups will be allowed to begin playing the course every 15 minutes. Players are encouraged to bring their own discs or to purchase a three-disk starter pack from the Blue Wahoos for $25. Disc rental is not available in accordance with safety. Go to Wahoos Stadium and visit the Bait & Tackle Store behind home plate to register. A scorecard and course map will be provided to each player. For more information, visit bluewahoos.com. for more listings visit inweekly.net
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July 2, 2020
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free will astrology WEEK OF JULY 2 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries
author Marge Piercy writes, "The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows." The Aries people I love best will do just that in the coming days. Now is not the right time to wait around passively, lazily, hoping that something better will come along. Nor is it prudent to procrastinate or postpone decisions while shopping around for more options or collecting more research. Dive, Aries, dive!
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Calvin and Hobbes is a comic strip by Bill Watterson. It features a boy named Calvin and his stuffed tiger Hobbes. In the first panel of one story, Calvin is seated at a school desk looking perplexed as he studies a question on a test, which reads, "Explain [Isaac] Newton's First Law of Motion in your own words." In the second panel, Calvin has a broad smile, suddenly imbued with inspiration. In the third panel, he writes his response to the test question—"Yakka foob mog. Grug pubbawup zink wattoom gazork. Chumble spuzz." The fourth panel shows him triumphant and relaxed, proclaiming, "I love loopholes." I propose that you use this scenario as your victorious metaphor in the coming weeks, Taurus. Look for loopholes! And use them to overcome obstacles and solve riddles. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "It is a fault to wish to be understood before we have made ourselves clear to ourselves," wrote philosopher and activist Simone Weil. I'm hoping that this horoscope of mine can help you avoid that mistake. In the coming weeks and months, you will have a stronger-thanusual need to be seen for who you really are—to have your essential nature be appreciated and understood by people you care about. And the best way to make sure that happens is to work hard right now on seeing, appreciating and understanding yourself. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Some
readers wish I would write more like Cormac McCarthy or Albert Camus or Raymond
By Rob Brezsny
Chandler—with spare simplicity. They accuse me of being too lush and exuberant in my prose. They want me to use shorter sentences and fewer adjectives. To them I say, it ain't going to happen. I have feelings similar to those of bestselling Cancerian author Oliver Sacks, who the New York Times called, "one of the great clinical writers of the 20th century." Sacks once said, "I never use one adjective if six seem to me better and, in their cumulative effect, more incisive. I am haunted by the density of reality and try to capture this with 'thick description.'" I bring these thoughts to your attention, my fellow Cancerian, because I think it's important for you to be your lavish, sumptuous, complex self in the coming weeks. Don't oversimplify yourself or dumb yourself down, either intellectually or emotionally.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Travel writer Paul Theroux has journeyed long distances by train—once from Britain to Japan and back again, and then from Massachusetts to Argentina. He also rode trains during part of his expedition from Cairo to Cape Town. Here's one of his conclusions—"It is almost axiomatic that the worst trains take you through magical places." I'd like to offer a milder version of that counsel as your metaphor for the coming weeks. The funky, bumpy, rickety influences will bring you the best magic.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Philosopher Miguel de Unamuno declared, "Everything that exalts and expands consciousness is good, while that which depresses and diminishes it is evil." This idea will be intensely true for and applicable to you in the coming weeks, Virgo. It will be your sacred duty—both to yourself and to those you care about—to enlarge your understandings of how the world works and to push your awareness to become more inclusive and empathetic. What's your vision of paradise-on-earth? Now is a good time to have fun imagining it. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): What do you
want to be when you grow up, Libra? What's that you say? You firmly believe you are already all grown up? I hope not! In my vision of your destiny, you will always keep evolv-
ing and transforming; you will ceaselessly transcend your existing successes and push on to accomplish further breakthroughs and victories. Now would be an excellent time to rededicate yourself to this noble aspiration. I invite you to dream and scheme about three specific wonders and marvels you would like to experience during the next five years.
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): U.S.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has advice that would serve you well in the coming weeks. She says, "Keep a little space in your heart for the improbable. You won't regret it." In accordance with your astrological potentials, I'm inclined to amend her statement as follows: "Keep a sizable space in your heart for the improbable. You'll be rewarded with catalytic revelations and intriguing opportunities." To attract blessings in abundance, Scorpio, be willing to set aside some of your usual skepticism and urge for control.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Author Malidoma Somé lives in the U.S. now, but was born in the West African country of Burkina Faso. He writes, "In the culture of my people, the Dagara, we have no word for the supernatural. The closest we come to this concept is “Yielbongura,” 'the thing that knowledge can't eat.' This word suggests that the life and power of certain things depend upon their resistance to the categorizing knowledge that human beings apply to everything." I bring Somé's thoughts to your attention, Sagittarius, because I suspect that in the coming weeks, you will encounter more than the usual number of experiences that knowledge can't eat. They might at times be a bit spooky or confounding but will mostly be interesting and fun. I'm guessing that if you embrace them, they will liberate you from overly literal and materialistic ideas about how the world works. And that will be good for your soul. CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Pio-
neer Capricorn scientist Isaac Newton is often hailed as one of history's greatest geniuses. I agree that his intellectual capacities were sublime. But his emotional intelligence was sparse and feeble. During the time he taught at Cambridge University, his talks were so af-
fectless and boring that many of his students skipped most of his classes. I'll encourage you to make Newton your anti-role model for the next eight weeks. This time will be favorable for you to increase your mastery of three kinds of intelligence beyond the intellectual kind: feeling, intuition and collaboration.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): When future writer (and Aquarius) Charles Dickens was 12 years old, his parents and siblings got incarcerated in a debtors' prison. To stay alive and help his family, he took a job working 12 hours a day, six days a week, pasting labels on pots of boot polish in a rotting, rat-infested warehouse. Hard times! Yet the experiences he had there later provided him with rich material for the novels that ultimately made him wealthy and beloved. In predicting that you, too, will have future success at capitalizing on difficulty, I don't mean to imply you've endured or will endure anything as harsh as Dickens' ordeal. I'm just hoping to help you appreciate the motivating power of your challenging experiences. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Maybe
you feel that the ongoing pandemic has inhibited your ability to explore and deepen intimacy to the degree that would like to. But even if that's the case, the coming weeks will provide openings that could soften and remedy your predicament. So be extra receptive and alert to the clues that life reveals to you. And call on your imagination to look for previously unguessed and unexpected ways to reinvent togetherness and tenderness. Let's call the next three weeks your Season of Renewing Rapport. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Decide on three special words that will from now on serve as magic spells for you. Keep them secret! Don't even tell me. realastrology.com.
freewillastrology.com
freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2020
夀漀甀爀 䴀漀琀漀爀挀礀挀氀攀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀⸀
䴀䤀䌀䠀䰀䔀匀 䈀伀伀吀䠀
䄀挀挀椀搀攀渀琀 ☀ 䤀渀樀甀爀礀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀猀
ⴀ㠀 ⴀ㐀㌀㠀ⴀ㌀㘀 㘀 簀 䘀漀爀吀栀攀嘀椀挀琀椀洀猀⸀挀漀洀 倀攀渀猀愀挀漀氀愀 ⴀ 䘀漀爀琀 圀愀氀琀漀渀 䈀攀愀挀栀 ⴀ 䌀爀攀猀琀瘀椀攀眀
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inweekly.net
news of the weird COMPLAINT DEPARTMENT Car buyer Da Tong Yang of Richmond, British Columbia, became so frustrated with his local Mercedes-Benz dealership that in January he flew to the company's headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, to seek help. Yang bought his wife, Guifang Huo, a brand-new S550 in 2017, partially because he believed the $155,000 car to be one of the safest vehicles available, but a year later, the couple claimed, the steering wheel locked, causing the car to nearly crash into a concrete wall. MercedesBenz said an "internal electrical issue" was at fault and assured the couple it was fixed. Yang wasn't convinced, demanded his money back or a replacement car, then sued the company when it declined. The case has languished in court, prompting Yang's trip to Stuttgart in early June "to find justice, not only for him but also for other drivers," he told the Richmond News. Despite his personal appearance, litigation is still underway. NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED An unnamed 66-year-old woman in Ewing, New Jersey, gave $1 to a man begging in a drugstore parking lot on June 18 and became the victim of a carjacking, according to the Associated Press. Ewing police said Tomasz Dymek, 31, of Queens, New York, "was not satisfied with the dollar, so he forced his way into the victim's vehicle and drove from the lot, sitting on top of her in the driver's seat." Witnesses alerted police, who followed Dymek into Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, where the car broke down and officers arrested him. BRIGHT IDEA Bradley Bell, head writer for "The Bold and the Beautiful," told the New York Post the show is experimenting with using blowup dolls in love scenes as the daytime soap, in hiatus since March, resumed taping on June 17. Challenged to adhere to COVID-19 protocols, Bell said, "We put our heads together trying to figure out a way to make these scenes work without breaking the 8-foot (distancing) rule ... and we brought out a doll we used years ago as a corpse." The result, he said, "was very convincing ... We'll be using her with hair and makeup as a stand-in to match some of our leading ladies." The show has also recruited some of the actors' spouses as body doubles. "We've had stunt doubles before," Bell said, "but this is the first time we've had kissing doubles." LEAST COMPETENT, MOST AMBITIOUS CRIMINALS Donnovan Russell Jester, 28, of Largo, Florida, was arrested on June 18 for grand theft of a vessel -- a $900,000, 46-foot-long yacht. The Tampa Bay Times reported the theft took place March 20 at Thunder Marine, where Pinellas County deputies said the 2019 Jeanneau Leader was stolen and driven into four channelmarker pilings, doing about $60,000 worth
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
of damage, before being abandoned to drift in an oyster bed. Investigators found Jester's thumbprint on a cabin door; he was held at the Pinellas County jail on $50,000. •At 1:28 a.m. on June 20, airport air traffic control in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, contacted police about a distress call coming from an aircraft. Officers already at the airport trying to locate a car they believed had been stolen from Daytona Beach found Robert Stienstra, 22, of DeBary, Florida, sitting in the airplane on the airport apron, according to an arrest report. Stienstra asked an officer whether he knew how to fly a plane, the report stated, then explained that he had recently purchased the aircraft (valued at $1 million) for $20,000 and needed to fly to California to take marijuana and meet his girlfriend. The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that along with a bag of weed, Stienstra had in his possession a glass pipe with remnants of methamphetamine and other drug paraphernalia. New Smyrna Beach police charged Stienstra with grand theft over $100,000; he was also wanted by Daytona Beach police on charges of grand theft of a motor vehicle. IRONIC Researchers at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, have made an unexpected discovery in their study of the endangered night parrot, one of only two nocturnal parrot species in the world: It has poor night vision. The night parrot lives in Australia's outback and differs from the other nocturnal parrot, New Zealand's kakapo, which has lost its ability to fly, ABC reported. "The night parrot still flies, and there lies the problem of the bird running into things," said Dr. Vera Weisbecker, which may be contributing to its decline. CREME DE LA WEIRD Koji Ishii, 39, of Tokyo, admits his passion is sometimes more like a "curse": He is compelled to document every lost glove he sees on the streets of his city. He photographs and records details about each one, whether they're stuck in drains or washed up on a beach, but never touches or removes them. Over 15 years, he's curated more than 5,000 stray gloves, including children's mittens, heavy workingman's gloves and lacy ladies' accessories. "I live with the constant fear that there might be a glove right around the corner," Ishii told AFP. He even gets off buses before his stop if he sees a glove on the ground. For him, the attraction is thinking about how the glove got there and who once wore it. "Lone gloves are a constantly changing, dynamic phenomena," Ishii said. {in}
From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird Š 2020 Andrews McMeel
Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com July 2, 2020
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Independent News | July 2, 2020 | inweekly.net