Inweekly July 15 2023 Issue

Cooking Across America

Send your future chef on a trip across America at Bodacious!

Each day of camp will explore the unique flavors of a different region in the United States. From coast to coast, your young chef will master the art of preparing popular regional meals that have become timeless favorites.

During the five-day camp, our instructors will empower campers with essential skills to foster their success, safety, and creativity in the kitchen. From mastering basic prep techniques to honing knife skills (when applicable), our campers will develop the fundamental tools of a confident chef.

AGES 6-9

July 10 – 14

AGES 10-12

June 19 – 23 & July 24 – 28

SCHEDULE

Monday – Friday 9AM – 1PM

Drop-off at 8:45 AM daily

Graduation ceremony at 12:15 PM on Friday

Every camper gets a chef apron!

winners losers

DR. SUNIL GUPTA His company, Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS), announced the achievement of one million diabetic retinal exams performed. This is a monumental accomplishment for IRIS, as it marks a substantial impact on the company's mission to end preventable blindness. Dr. Gupta is the founder, chairman and chief medical officer at IRIS.

BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU The Better Business Bureau® Serving Northwest Florida Foundation announced the three recipients of the 2023 BBB Student Ethics Scholarships for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties—Olivia Yve Lambert, Pace High School; Landry Carl Locklin, Jay High School; and Ira Woodfaulk II, Booker T. Washington High School. The program was created to recognize high school senior students who personify personal character and integrity and have chosen to lead by following a moral compass. Each student selected will receive a $1,000 scholarship to the school of their choice.

ALISHA LAMBERT Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida named Alisha Lambert the 2023 Escambia County Big Sister of the Year award. This award is given to a Big Sister who goes above and beyond and has shown dedication in ensuring her Little reaches her full potential. Lambert has demonstrated unwavering dedication and commitment as a Big Sister for more than seven years. She is a wonderful role model to her Little Sister Briannah. Her longevity as a Big Sister speaks volumes about her passion for making a positive impact in the lives of others.

ANDERSON SUBARU The Pensacola car dealer presented a check for $22,000 to Pensacola Breast Cancer Association. The money will help the charity provide free services, such as mammograms, screenings, education and support to breast cancer patients. The gift arrives thanks to Anderson Subaru's annual "Share the Love" campaign. During the two-month event, the dealership donates $250 for every car purchase. Since beginning the campaign in 2014, the company has contributed more than $136,000 to the Pensacola Breast Cancer Association.

DONALD TRUMP

A federal grand jury in Florida indicted the former president on 37 counts, including willful retention of classified documents, conspiracy to obstruct justice, corruptly concealing a document or record, scheme to conceal and making false statements and representations. The indictment concerns the classified documents the Department of Justice found at his Mar-a-Lago resort, nearby storage units and at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. At least four of the charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The federal indictment is the second time Trump has been charged criminally this year. In April, the Manhattan district attorney charged Trump with 34 counts of falsifying business. Trump attacked the DOJ and the "corrupt Biden Administration" for the "boxes hoax."

ALABAMA LEGISLATURE

The U.S. Supreme Court shocked the nation when the justices issued a 5-4 ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case from Alabama—a case in which the state legislature had approved a congressional map with one majority Black seat out of seven districts in a state where more than one in four residents is Black. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh aligned with the court's liberals to affirm a lower-court ruling that found the map a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act. The state must now draw a new map for the 2024 congressional elections.

MOMS FOR LIBERTY

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) labeled the group based in Melbourne, Fla., with hundreds of chapters around the country, including Santa Rosa County, an extremist anti-government. SPLC Deputy Director Rachel Carroll Rivas told the Orlando Sentinel, "The public does not support book bans, and they do support the teaching of inclusive history and the accurate teaching about race in this country. The ideas and the agenda of these groups is extreme. It is not in the mainstream, even if their power and influence seek to make it appear that way." SPLC data found 89 active hate groups in Florida—up from 53 in 2021.

Dr. Sunil Gupta / Courtesy Photo

Donald Trump / Photo by Maxim Elramsisy / shutterstock.com

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

WE ARE ALL IMMIGRANTS

My great-grandfathers on my father's side were immigrants from Ireland and Denmark— Andrew Outzen and John Aloysius Cannon.

Cannon immigrated with his Irish parents to the U.S. soon after he was born in 1856. In his mid-twenties, he moved to Greenville, Miss., and was the contractor who built the Mississippi rail line that eventually became part of the Georgia Pacific Railroad Company. He also constructed the levees that held back the mighty Mississippi River when the northern snows melted and raised its levels in the spring.

He found a nice Irish girl in the Mississippi Delta from Belzoni, Maggie Shanahan, and married her in 1880. They had six children— Frank, John Paul, Robert, Timothy, Ann and my grandmother Margaret, who later married George Lewis Outzen from Earle, Ark.

Cannon sold his construction company after 20 years, invested in real estate, held "court" from his office above the Bank of Washington County and got into local politics. At 70, he was elected mayor.

George Outzen's father Andrew was born in 1860 and arrived alone in New Orleans when he was 16. He lived first with a relative in St. Charles, Mo., and the following year, he moved to Texas to help construct the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.

He started his construction company, which became his life's work and in which he achieved such signal success, according to the book "The Mid-South and Its Builders"—which tells the story of the development of the upper Mississippi Delta. He built many of the rail lines in Arkansas and Mississippi and may have crossed paths with Cannon.

In 1910, he bought a plantation on Black Oak Ridge, eight miles north of Earle, Ark. Though he thought he was retired from construction, Outzen took on the task of building levees and a road system to help farmers preserve their crops and get them to the market. He also served as the president of Earle Water & Light Company.

These men came to the U.S. with the dream of a better life. They helped build America and built good lives for their families.

With the help of Grace Resendez McCaffery, I met with several Latino immigrants who have fled horrible situations with the same dreams. I thought of John Aloysius and Andy as I heard their stories. Many came into the country legally, but their papers are no longer valid.

McCaffery said, "Most undocumented immigrants did enter the country properly but lost their status somewhere along the way. And this is part of why this law worries me, because sometimes that's just a missed appointment at immigration court or checking in wherever they're supposed to check in can get you in a deportation status."

President Ronald Reagan understood that immigration was vital to our nation's future. He saw our nation as "the shining city on the hill." In his farewell address in 1989, he defined his vision.

"In my mind, it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, Godblessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity," Reagan said. "And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors, and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here."

The men and women I met last week have the will and heart to be here. They work in the construction, hospitality and agriculture industries—not taking jobs away from Floridians as some Republicans profess, but often doing work that few want.

"Help Wanted" signs dot our community. Early learning centers are shutting down because of the lack of workers. Due to staffing issues, Emerald Coast Utilities Authority suspended its Material Recycling Facility for nearly three months. Immigrants can fill many of those positions.

Rather than vilifying them, we should welcome these people, repeal Florida's anti-immigration laws and pressure the federal government to expedite our documentation process.

{in} rick@inweekly.net

These men came to the U.S. with the dream of a better life. They helped build America and built good lives for their families.

CIVIL RIGHTS ERA BAND RETURNS

Johnson joined the U.S. Army, but he left his mark on the band before departing for the services. He is credited for the song, "Nip It" in which he played a trumpet solo. The song came from his nickname "NIP." Johnson retired the trumpet after joining the Army and switched to the drums. He has played drums in three churches and for two R&B groups since returning from service.

Thornton stayed in the band for nearly five years after Johnson left for the Army. In 1974, Thornton joined the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his service, he earned a degree in business management and marketing. He proceeded to manage three bands and promote and advise other musicians.

Owens served his country, too. He retired after 32 years between active and reserve service, and then earned a degree in human services.

Any time the band lost a member, another up-and-coming musician filled the spot. Melvin Archie and Neal Randall joined the band in 1969. A then 15-year-old Archie sang and played keyboard, and 18-year-old Randall played the trumpet. Randall is the father of Pensacola Police Chief Eric Randall and worked with musical legends including the Four Tops and The Temptations.

Archie secured his spot in the band when manager Charlie East overheard him in the corner hitting the high note to "I'm So Proud" during a rehearsal.

"Just like everybody, I wanted to get in the band so bad," said Archie, who played in the Washington High marching band and already knew several of The Soul Royals. "I was a Soul Royal. You couldn't tell me nothing."

Royal band members Melvin Archie and Harold Griffin. Stories about hopping trains for transportation, sliding down hills on cardboard boxes and driving adventures with Thornton behind the wheel incite their deep, belly-shaking laughs.

The men spend this June morning taking a trip down memory lane, which is fitting considering the name of their upcoming reunion concert. Some 55 years after its debut, The Soul Royals will "Take a Trip Down Memory Lane and Relive the Magic."

The band will reunite for a performance at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 24 at the Pensacola High School Auditorium. Proceeds from the reunion will fund two musical scholarships for deserving high school seniors or college freshmen.

Covers the band will play at the reunion include "Mustang Sally," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," "Sing a Simple Song," "Too Late to Turn Back Now" and "What's Going On."

"We're going to have like in the old days, it's going to be a dance," Thornton said. "You can always sit down in the chair, but we want folks to come in and we want them to get up and dance. We used to dance. And the reason we're doing it at Pensacola High School is Pensacola High was one of our favorite places. We loved the auditorium at Pensacola High."

Washington High School student Willie Johnson invited classmate and fellow Escambia County Junior Deputy League Drum and Bugle Corps member Thornton to play music with him at a Heaven and Hell Party. The 15-year-old teenagers practiced that summer for the party. After a successful performance, they decided to form The Soul Royals.

The Soul Royals formed as the civil rights movement took root in the U.S. The Black teenagers used their voices and musical talents to support the movement.

"The group was formed at the height of the civil rights movement, and as such, we were in that age range and pumped up and ready to go," said Tommy Owens, who played lead guitar for The Soul Royals. "We participated in several events that were centered around that movement, including playing different engagements to raise funds to get people out of jail and things of that nature. I can remember vividly marching in a number of the civil rights marches with H.K. Matthews, who was sort of our Martin Luther King during that time. It was balls to the walls in terms of getting out there and making sure we saw the changes we wanted to see."

The band originally included eight members: Thornton on the trombone, Johnson and Thurman Archie on the trumpet, Owens on

served as the first manager. The first and only booking with English as manager occurred when he scheduled the band for the 1970 Washington High prom. Washington was segregated until the 1969-70 school year.

The white students wanted to hire a DJ, and the Black students insisted on The Soul Royals, English said. English acted as the mouthpiece, and with assistance from a teacher, convinced the student body to let the band play at the prom.

The Soul Royals impressed at the prom and other early performances that sprang the band to 10 successful years playing along the Gulf Coast.

"We were big time," Johnson said. "There was nobody else around that could even stand next to us. We were only teenagers, but there wasn't a band 100 miles around that could even touch us."

BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL

The band withstood losing its co-founders Johnson and Thornton to the military. Other members came and went when the military, college or jobs came calling, but The Soul Royals kept playing until finally breaking up in 1977. Overall, 27 musicians played for the band—19 of whom are still alive.

"We could be called The Soul Royal Orchestra," Owens joked.

A brother-sister act joined the band in 1972. Woodham High School students Harold and Lydia Griffin lent their vocals to the band, which made history in 1973 as the first Black band to play at the Woodham prom.

"It was always fun to just watch the crowd, watch the people react," Lydia Griffin said. "Mr. East always saw to it that we were going to be dressed to the nines. So, you step out on that stage and the light hits you. I always had a grand introduction with lights all on and people clapping."

The Soul Royals will be the headliner with the R Factor as the opening act. The R Factor features former Soul Royal Emil Campbell. Thornton promises everyone in attendance will relive the magic of influential 1960s and 1970s soul and R&B music. {in}

THE SOUL ROYALS REUNION

WHAT: A reunion party with a popular band from 1960s-70s

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, June 24

WHERE: Pensacola High School Auditorium, 500 W. Maxwell St.

COST: $25 advance, available on Eventbrite; $35 at the door

DETAILS: thesoulroyals.com

The Soul Royals / Courtesy Photo

TURNING OFF THE BEACON

county officials that the new law will have a devastating impact on our economy and people's lives when it goes into effect July 1.

She shared with Inweekly how she responds when people confront her about undocumented workers being here illegally.

"I think most people that I've met have done more to be here than any American that I know," she said. "I have heard stories from individuals that have walked from another continent to be here, and I think that that's something that we change that we can make in the law to make it easier for people that want to come and work."

CAUSING PANIC

When she spoke at the Pensacola City Council meeting last month, McCaffery said the law has caused panic in the Latino community, and the rest of the community should be concerned about its impact on our economy, public health and safety.

"The people most at risk are workers in the construction, hospitality and agricultural industries, women and children in need of healthcare services and even some attorneys," she said. "Many of us benefit from their work, whether enjoying a meal at a restaurant, a clean hotel or condo, or a sturdy roof over our heads—a workforce with an incredible work ethic that has gone through things we can never imagine, simply for the opportunity to have a job."

By Rick Outzen

Maria traveled more than 3,000 miles from Honduras to Pensacola to save the life of her 4-year-old son with special needs. With the help of a translator, she shared her story with Inweekly.

"I'm here for a future for my baby," she said. "He would have died in Honduras. I left Honduras with him in my arms and was 24 hours in a shipping container—no air conditioning, no nothing. After they got us out of the container, they took us to a house and made us walk 24 hours nonstop. I walked those 24 hours with him in my arms because he can't walk."

She continued, "A guy had a heart attack, and they forced us to leave him behind. When we swam across the river, they gave us a floaty. And it was like 30 people surrounding the floaty. We thought the floaty would flip, and I had my baby in my arms.

"For the grace of God, we're here and made it. We have accomplished a lot. So for us just to leave after all that…"(she broke down in tears)

The translator, Rosa, shared her experience rescuing a young woman at the border.

"She was the sister of a friend of mine, and I went to bring her from San Antonio, where she had been for three months after crossing the border," she said. "She walked to my car barefooted, only wearing a T-shirt. She had been raped and fed only once a day. Three people were told to share a can of beans for the day. One bottle of water had to last them a whole day and the whole night."

Rosa said, "She came from Guatemala and was so little that I bought her clothes in the kid's section. She hid under a blanket in my car because she feared being arrested and deported. She told me she did that because she didn't want to get me in trouble and didn't want the police to see her."

Fighting back tears, Rosa continued, "I went and grabbed her a cheeseburger from McDonald's. She ate that burger so fast. And she

bless you because you're helping me. You're the first person that actually cares for me.'"

OUR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR

President Ronald Reagan saw the Statue of Liberty as a "beacon of freedom and opportunity" that drew people worldwide to our country. He believed each wave of immigrants, with its hopes and dreams, breathes life into our nation, keeping it from becoming stale by only clinging to the past.

"They believe in the American dream, and over and over, they make it come true for themselves, for their children, and for others," Reagan said in a speech at a Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in the White House.

He said, "They give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. And often, they are entrepreneurs. But their greatest contribution is more than economic because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American.

They renew our pride and gratitude in the United States of America, the greatest, freest nation in the world—the last, best hope of man on Earth."

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican-controlled Florida Legislature have turned off the beacon, seeking to arrest, deport and run the state's estimated 772,000 undocumented immigrants out of the state. The new law invalidates driver's licenses issued to undocumented people by other states, limits social services for undocumented immigrants and requires hospitals receiving Medicaid dollars to ask for a patient's immigration status.

To crack down on businesses hiring undocumented workers, the law requires private employers with 25 or more employees making new hires to use E-Verify, the federal online database that employers use to confirm whether someone is eligible to work in the U.S. Employers who fail to use E-Verify will be fined $1,000 a day. For workers, it will be a felony to use a false ID to get a job.

Grace Resendez McCaffery, the owner and publisher of La Costa Latina Newspaper, agrees with Reagan and has tried to explain to city and

She continued, "Undocumented immigrants all over the world, not just here in the United States. We seem to have this kind of idea that everybody just wants to come here, but there are people all over the world that are just looking for a place on the planet to have some peace. And sometimes that's our next-door neighbor."

McCaffery sees the new law as a political ploy. She said, "It's not going to fix anything. I think a lot of people will agree it's a big mistake. In South Florida, Republican lawmakers have asked immigrants not to leave because the farmers are complaining that they're losing their workers. Construction sites are losing their workers. Things are slowing down."

Alabama tried targeting undocumented workers more than a decade ago with disastrous results. In 2011, Alabama passed a strict immigration law that required the collection of the immigration status of public-school students, immigrants to always carry alien registration cards and allowed lawsuits by state citizens who did not believe public officials were enforcing the law. Immigrants left the state in droves. The University of Alabama estimated the bill shrunk the state's annual GDP by $11 billion.

The Southern Poverty Law Center and a coalition of civil rights groups challenged the law as unconstitutional in federal court. By October 2013, a settlement agreement essentially gutted the law by blocking most of it, including portions federal courts had temporarily enjoined.

Escambia County has seen an exodus of immigrant families in the past month. Rosa shared, "I have helped over 50 people leave, and a lot of people are leaving their belongings behind. They're just taking whatever they can fit in the car and leaving."

She continued, "Do you know what the sad part of it is? Once they settle down, get a job, get a house and put their kids in school, they're not coming back. We'll say maybe 30% will come back. But if it continues like this, then it's sad to say that our state's going to go to dust."

McCaffery added, "And it is devastating to think that they've got to pick up everything that they can fit into their vehicles and find somewhere else to go where they can find peace."

Community Health Northwest Florida CEO Chandra Smiley followed McCaffery at the podium and talked about the law has impacted her organization's Latino patients.

"As an FQHC (federally-qualified health center), our mission and our purpose is to provide comprehensive primary care services to all who walk through our doors regardless of who they are," Smiley said. "We have patients since this bill has been signed that have been calling, concerned about coming in for their appointments in fear that their information will be provided, in fear of losing their children or being deported."

She continued, "We have prenatal patients who are requesting that they be induced before July 1, because they're afraid that after July 1, if they have a baby in a hospital setting, the baby will be taken away, and they would be deported.

"I'm concerned that patients will stop coming to their appointments. We have seen a higher no-show rate. And I'm concerned that they will forgo addressing some chronic care conditions that we could head off at the pass and prevent a hospitalization or an avoidable emergency room visit."

Smiley wanted to assure the council and the Latino community that Community Health would continue to meet its mission.

"We have received no mandate to provide or share patient information," she said. "We follow and are compliant with HIPAA, and that is that the patient's health record is held in confidence. And without explicit approval from the patient, no information will be shared.

Smiley added, "And I just want to impress that. We want to be that primary, comprehensive medical home for all who need it."

McCaffery has asked for compassion. "What we all can do is care for people we come across and live among in our community. That's the one thing that we are charged with on this Earth. Like our current immigrant familia, we all have ancestors that did what they could to find a peaceful space on this earth."

She shared, "This law and others that have come before them demonstrate how the law can be used to make life miserable for others for political gain, but we have a choice to change that." {in}

Photo Courtesy of Latino Media Gulf Coast / La Costa Latina Newspaper

NEW WELCOME SIGN The City of Pensacola has announced the winner of the Pensacola welcome sign contest, Briana Spence of Spence Studios. Her pelican design will illuminate Bayfront Parkway and Gregory Street as drivers exit the Chappie James Bridge.

"Our hope for this contest was to create a design that will greet visitors to the City of Pensacola for decades to come, and I'm excited to see Briana's design come to life and achieve that goal," said Mayor D.C. Reeves. "I appreciate the creativity and effort that went into every submission, but this design just stood out from the rest and has the potential to become an iconic symbol for our city."

Spence's design was chosen from 22 submissions through a blind selection and scoring process. The selection committee consisted of six individuals who did not know the identity of the designers until after the designs were scored and a winner was selected.

Spence, a full-time graphic designer and illustrator, entered the contest thanks to the encouragement of her family and friends, and she was thrilled to find out she was selected as the winner.

"I'm super excited, and I just think it's incredible that it will be an icon for the city," Spence said. "That's the part I can't get over—that this will be up for years and years, and it'll just be a recognizable part of Pensacola."

Originally from Kansas City, Mo., Spence grew up spending her summers in Pensacola visiting her grandmother. She decided to move to Pensacola about eight years ago, which further ignited her love of the area's beautiful waterways and beaches.

Spence said her inspiration for the design came not only from the many pelicans that in-

habit Pensacola, but also from the iconic fiberglass pelican statues that can be spotted throughout Pensacola. She also incorporated lights into the design as a nod to the iconic lightup Pensacola Beach sign, which is loved and recognized by many.

"I really just hope they see it as a friendly welcome to the city, and as something that will be part of Pensacola for years to come," Spence said.

The city is working in partnership with Dalrymple Sallis Architecture for this project, with funding provided in part through a Joint Participation Agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation.

The selected design will be fabricated and installed by the city, to be placed in the area between Bayfront Parkway and Gregory Street facing south-southeast. Please see the project area map for location details.

THE POWER OF 10 University of West Florida President Dr. Martha Saunders spent 10 minutes with Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen on WCOA.

"This has been a good year for numbers," Dr. Saunders said. "I just got word this week that we broke our all-time record. We have 10,000 applicants for our freshman slots, the most we have ever had, and we will close the application process earlier this year just so we can get them all processed."

She continued, "We had our 100th graduation ceremony and broke ground on a 10,000-squarefoot center for our student-athletes, and that is the Sandy Sansing Sports Medicine Center."

SOME, NOT ALL Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh reports that the only gulffront parcels that have public beach easements in

their deeds are the 64 that stretch from the state park to Perdido Sky—roughly about 1.5 miles on the Gulf of Mexico.

"I have been riding the county attorney's office like a horse, and I say that lovingly because I've really worked them," Bergosh said. "I call them morning, noon and night. And God bless them, to their credit, they have worked and done yeoman's work in getting every single title abstract for every single parcel on the Gulf side of Perdido Key in District 1."

In April, Michael McCormick sent a public record request to Commissioner Jeff Bergosh asking for confirmation of an easement he found noted on a 2021 survey.

County Property Attorney Steve West confirmed the language, "Attached is the first of several emails transmitting the original 1957 deeds to the properties along the Gulf of Mexico in Gulf Beach Subdivision. The deeds are in order (Lots 1 through 64), and each has the same language that the southerly 75 feet are subject to a perpetual easement for beach and public use generally."

Further research hasn't found similar easements. Bergosh said, "We have found out there's a giant track to the west of the state park that came directly from the president to a handful of families with no beach access."

The commissioner continued, "From Perdido Sky over to Johnson's Beach, every single one of those parcels has been analyzed. They were all deeded out in 1912 by the State Board of Education. Very interesting. Very fascinating. But no deeded public beach access there."

With the addition of more public beach, the county is looking to add more public parking. Commissioner Bergosh is talking with State Rep. Alex Andrade about the county taking over or leasing the small state park site that was damaged by Hurricane Sally and has remained closed awaiting repairs.

IMPROVING 311 On his list of next steps, Mayor D.C. Reeves listed improving the city's 311 communication service, in which citizens report a non-emergency issue or request service.

"All the departments will probably tell you they're tired of hearing me say that we should focus on what the customer sees, and I feel like 311 is 'customer facing' almost anything that we do," Reeves said.

"My intent is to get an assessment of 311 and see where our strengths and opportunities for improvement are before we start some mass marketing," Reeves explained. "What we don't want to do is market something that has vulnerability, not so much externally. It may work fine for the customer, but remember there's a lot of moving parts to 311."

Mayor Reeves said he has placed the program under Lissa Dees, his parking management director, effective June 1. She supervises the day-today operations of 311. The mayor wants Dees to examine the systems connecting with the service.

He said, "It's not as simple as just looking at the 311 department; it's the spider web that is cre -

ated from 311. We want a citizen to be able to call and then know that they've gotten closure."

CRA MOTEL As this issue was going to press, the Westside Community Redevelopment Agency was discussing the purchase of the Pensacola Motor Lodge, 2305 West Cervantes St., for $855,000. Based on our conversations with council members, the resolution should pass. Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier talked with Inweekly about the motel before the vote.

"First off, you've got to know that this particular motel has hundreds of police calls a year," Brahier said. "The purchase would be twofold. It would clean up something that's taking a lot of resources from the city, and it would potentially create 30 transitional housing."

When pressed on details about the housing units, the councilwoman said, "I'm not sure who exactly will it be for—people who can't find rental units that are on the verge of homelessness or those who are actually homeless. Those kinds of things are not hammered out."

Brahier continued, "But I can tell you that the mayor has been looking at this, hoping to grab something like this, for the months that he has now been serving. I think it's a huge win on his part."

MORE CRA POLICE At his weekly presser, Mayor Reeves announced that two police officers had been identified to patrol downtown and the CRA district on nights and weekends. They're set to begin patrolling Thursday, June 15.

"Those were approved and carried forward," Reeves said. "We will go from two officers in the CRA to four. Our two CRA officers do a great job, but most of their work is done during the day."

He continued, "Obviously, only two officers can't be there 24 hours a day. The intent of this move is to have that additional police presence at nights and weekends when you typically see the population of visitors and tourists pulse up."

HOPE FOR TRANS KIDS

Last week, U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle blocked Florida's ban on the use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy to treat three children diagnosed with gender dysphoria, calling the prohibition "an exercise in politics, not good medicine."

The ruling impacts the group of transgender children and parents who filed a lawsuit challenging rules adopted by state medical boards banning healthcare providers from using gender-affirming care to treat youths, which the Florida Legislature later made Florida law.

Judge Hinkle's 44-page ruling found there was "no rational basis" for the ban on the use of the drugs for transgender girls and boys.

"The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear. The medical defendants, speaking through their attorneys, have admitted it. At least one defense expert also has admitted it," he wrote.

The state asserted puberty blockers and hormone therapy pose risks for patients, which Hin-

New Pensacola welcome sign rendering / By Dalrymple | Sallis Architecture and Spence Studios

kle said could be true. But the judge's ruling attacked the state for relying on a group of experts who oppose gender-affirming care, saying the state ignored the "overwhelming weight of medical authority" supporting the use of such treat ments when appropriate.

"It is no answer to say the evidence on the yes side is weak when the evidence on the no side is weaker or nonexistent … A decision for the three patients at issue cannot wait for further or better research; the treatment decision must be made now," the judge wrote.

The legislation's sponsor, Rep. Randy Fine, RBrevard County, blasted Judge Hinkle, who was appointed to the bench by President Bill Clinton.

"It's clear that Democrat Judge Hinkle is a science-denying wokeist whose radical order will soon be overturned by jurists who actually be lieve in science," Fine tweeted. "We will not stop fighting to defend children from those like Hinkle who support child castration and mutilation."

Gov. Ron DeSantis has frequently referred to the use of gender-affirming care for minors as "child mutilation."

WARRINGTON PARTNERS

dle School is now Warrington Preparatory Acad emy, and Escambia County Public Schools have notified parents that the district is working with Charter Schools USA to make the transition for families as easy as possible.

District officials said in a written state ment, "We are excited to work in partnership with Warrington Preparatory Academy by pro viding a positive educational experience for our students, teachers and parents in the War rington community."

All students zoned to Warrington Middle School will automatically be accepted at War rington Preparatory Academy. Charter Schools USA will hold multiple enrollment sessions at the school and at locations throughout the commu nity to make it easier for parents to enroll their children. Parents will receive updates for the dates, times and locations from School Messen ger and wms-ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com.

Warrington Preparatory Academy students will wear uniforms, which will be provided to all families from Charter Schools USA. Additionally, ECPS will continue to provide transportation for zoned students not residing in the school's walk zone. Charter Schools USA will have a new ven dor for meal service and will provide free and re duced lunches for all who qualify.

MEDIOCRE

RESULTS

Northview High School

teacher Vicky Baggett, who chairs the school's Language Arts Department, has taken her bookbanning message to Santa Rosa County.

She told the Santa Rosa County Commission, "As a 32-year veteran English teacher, I had never seen anything like this, and I actually could not believe what was being purchased and being made available with taxpayers' funds for minor children. Sadly, Santa Rosa County is loaded with these types of books as well."

Last year, Baggett's Northview High School earned a C, and Santa Rosa County has five high schools. Gulf Breeze, Pace and Navarre earned an A, and Jay and Milton received a B. Northview

signed as president and CEO of Visit St. PeteClearwater, and Scott Luth has taken a position with Space Florida.

In 2013, the Greater Pensacola Chamber was under fire. Eventually, tourism and economic development were moved into independent entities, Visit Pensacola and FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. Steve Hayes became the first president/CEO of Visit Pensacola, and Scott Luth headed FloridaWest. Hayes left Visit Pensacola in December 2019, while Luth announced his resignation last February. {in}

According to the good ol' Farmer's Almanac, summer officially starts next week—on Wednesday, June 21 . They are also predicting a "warmer-than-normal" season for most of the country, but that's nothing new around these parts. To help you kick things off and make the most of the sunny, sweaty season, here's a round-up of this summer's best local happenings. {in}

Festivals & Annual Events

Juneteenth: A Family Reunion for the Culture

Saturday, June 17 watsonfamilyfoundation.com

Fish House Craft Beer Fest

Saturday, June 17 fishhousepensacola.com

PensaPride

Saturday, June 24 facebook.com/pensapride

PSO's Symphony Sparks & Stars

Tuesday, July 4 pensacolasymphony.com

Pensacola Beach Air Show

Saturday, July 8 newsairshow.com

Live Musi c & Stage Shows

Bands on the Beach

Every Tuesday through Oct. 31 visitpensacolabeach.com

Blues on the Bay

Select Sundays through Sept. 10 facebook.com/bluesonthebaypensacola

Gangstagrass

Friday, June 16 vinylmusichall.com

Beginning of Summer Beach Bummer

Saturday, June 17 thehandlebar850.com

Glsnr

Friday, June 23 thehandlebar850.com

Liberation Saturday, June 24 facebook.com/easygoinggallery

Ru Paul's Drag Race Werq the World

Wednesday, June 28 pensacolasaenger.com

Benny The Butcher Friday, July 7 vinylmusichall.com

Skating Polly

Saturday, July 15 thehandlebar850.com

Ben Loftin & The Family

Saturday, July 22 bandsonthebayou.com

Art Exhibitions & Markets

X by Halle Castille

On view now-Friday, June 30 facebook.com/easygoinggallery

My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams

On view now-Friday, July 14 artelgallery.org

Hotsy-Totsy-Vrooom-O-Rama

On view now-Sunday, Sept. 17 pensacolamuseum.org

Depth of Field

On view now-Sunday, Oct. 22 pensacolamuseum.org

Gallery Night

Third Friday of each month gallerynightpensacola.org

Palafox Market

Every Saturday palafoxmarket.com

Pensacola Arts Market

Days and locations vary facebook.com/pensacolaartsmarket

Arts & Entertainment

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

Painting, Punk and the Black Art Experience

By C. Scott Satterwhite

INWEEKLY: There's a camaraderie that goes along with working in restaurants. There's also art that happens there, too. HALL: And it got me out of trouble. It saved my life. Punk and food saved my fucking life. It kept me from doing the quirky, dumb shit I shouldn't have been doing.

INWEEKLY: I can see how working in the kitchen could save your life, or at least getting into that world. But tell me more about punk. How did punk save your life? How does that fit into your story?

subject matter to make it make sense to you. Even though it's racial injustice themes, only a certain amount of people can relate to it when I tell them the story, but it's distorted distraction, focused within African American portraiture, which is a really weird thing to say because I don't really make portraits. Figurative art has to tell a story, because it can't be just a bunch of Black faces all the time. That's why I make them distorted, because I'm trying to get you to think of more than just a face. The placement of a body. Make it goofy, punk. Ya know? Total disregard any new direction.

From celebrity chef to up-and-coming artist, Roscoe Hall is no stranger to operating in multiple worlds.

Hall is most known for his stint on the TV show "Top Chef," but he has recently left the spatula behind for a paint brush. His work deals with a multitude of subjects, but largely focuses on racial injustice.

While Hall claims Chicago as his hometown, he has Alabama roots and lives in Birmingham. Having exhibited his works across the U.S., Hall will return to 309 Punk Project for a one-day show as part of Pensacola's Journey to Juneteenth celebrations.

In this interview, Hall talks about the kitchen, punk, Black art and his art in particular.

INWEEKLY: When you look up your work online, the first thing that comes up is "Top Chef."

HALL: TC, baby! First episode! I was there.

INWEEKLY: So what do you consider yourself more—a chef or an artist?

HALL: An aging chef who paints.

INWEEKLY: So what does that mean?

HALL: It means I'm done with this kitchen shit,

for now. My body hurts, and the industry is fucked up—it's racist, sexist, the food's too fucking expensive and I don't have the passion for it. I'm old and I don't know how to change, but painting makes sense right now. Black art. There's a renaissance right now, a moment right now, for any Black artist. Come on out and do your thing. I mean, it's probably a five- to 10-year window, so you gotta get in now. But you gotta make an impression. It's the institutions. You gotta do shit that's made for museums, and it can't be bullshit. It's gotta be distorted a little bit, and I'm into that distortion right now. People don't think about art until they actually need it. I think that's the way it's happened with me and my career.

INWEEKLY: Until they need it or you need it?

HALL: Until they need it. They're like, "Oh, I had no idea that this Black dude was gonna make me feel bad about Black people in jail. I need that."

[laughter] So yeah, I still feel like I'm still a chef, and I will be forever. I love that shit. I've got garlic tattooed on my arm, my grandfather's barbecue restaurant. It's just a lot. [The restaurant industry] taught me brotherhood, companionship, how to be free.

HALL: Yeah, I got horrible press. "The Punk Rock Chef." From Birmingham, Alabama, "The Bitter Chef." But we grow up with this music, this genre. You read into it a little bit more, and you get this posse [of punks]. You get educated on how fucked up everything is, and you all work together. You take that, and once you separate from your old high school buddies that you found punk with, then you go out into the world and experience on your own how they [the punks] roll. You realize you have the same things in common. You fight Nazis. You hate cops. And then you've gotta work. I think the working punk aspect, like getting a corporate job and getting a routine, it sometimes feels like you're selling out to punk. But you have it [punk] inside of you always. People that are around you for like 8 hours a day, they know, 'cuz you'll give them 30 minutes of odd jokes or a stab, and they don't want to fuck with you. And that's the thing that stays with you. Don't forget, motherfucker. [laughter]. But you know, it's ingrained in you, punk, to a certain generation. I don't think kids who grew up listening to Sum 41 think about it in the same way.

INWEEKLY: Yeah, I think that's different.

HALL: I learned more about punk growing up in Chicago, and in the southeast and Alabama. Seeing Propagandhi play naked. Beating up Nazis and seeing The Vomit Spots—that's where I learned it. And being the only Black kid made it super more punk. Here I am, with dreads, getting yelled at and shot at by the Klan. Punk protected me. I had homies that were doing shit. I lost a really good friend. His name was Guy, and he was mixed. He was a badass, and he beat up Nazis in the worst way possible, and they killed him. That was when I was going to a boarding school in Cullman, Ala. They [killed] him. When I moved back to Birmingham, the loft that I got looked down at the actual train tracks where they killed him.

INWEEKLY: So how does that come into your paintings?

HALL: It starts from a place of inspection. Let's put it that way. Always being curious and pushing the

INWEEKLY: You did a show recently in Dallas that had some of these themes. Can you tell me about it?

HALL: It was a year after the (2018) killing of Botham Jean by Officer Amber Guyger. I painted her [Guyger]. I just couldn't get it out of my mind. Amber Guyger walked into Botham Jean's apartment while he was eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream. She walked into what she thought was her apartment, she shot him, killed him. I'd been studying Dallas, and I told the gallery that I was thinking about putting this [painting] here. "Do you think it'll work?" He said, "It's a knockout painting. You should paint Botham Jean, and we'll put them in the booth staring at each other." The wall in the middle was a series I did on the Scottsboro Nine, and those are all in museums now, which is cool. Anyway, it was a very heavy booth. Botham Jean, though. The color palate was really pleasing, copper, pink. It was like a really good outfit. She [Guyger] got locked up, but the case wasn't settled while I was in Dallas. So bringing that painting to Dallas was a total punk move by me. It wasn't insensitive, though. I had good notes on the people and got great reception. The Dallas Art Fair was the most that I've talked to Black people about art and society. At one point, I had 120 Black artists hanging out in my booth, just picking up the vibe. They were like, "I'm so happy you did that. It was deep." {in}

ROSCOE HALL AT 309 PUNK PROJECT

WHAT: Artist and celebrity chef Roscoe Hall will return to Pensacola to share his art, and maybe even his cooking, for a Juneteenth event at the 309 Punk Project.

WHEN: 5 p.m. Saturday, June 17

WHERE: 309 Punk Project, 309 N. 6th Ave.

COST: Free

DETAILS: 309punkproject.org

Roscoe Hall / Image Courtesy of 309 Punk Project

GAYME NIGHT Out Pensacola is hosting its first GAYme night 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at 3000 N. 12th Ave. Board games and light refreshments will be provided. Follow @reachoutpensacola on Instagram for more events.

STAMPED SCREENING Join Stamped, Pensacola's long-running LGBTQ+ film festival, for a free screening of "Portrait of Jason" at 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St., with a cocktail hour before starting at 3 p.m. Visit stampedfilmfest.com for details.

GAYS AND GAMAYS WINE TASTING Say "cheers" to Pride at a social hour and wine tasting Friday, June 23 at The Nest General Store, 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C. The wine sampling event starts at 5 p.m. and is free to the public with glasses and bottles available to purchase. Visit thenestgeneralstore.com for details.

PRIDE BALL Join Terrah Card and a lineup of entertainers 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 23 at Alga

in Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave. Visit facebook.com/pensapride for details.

LIBERATION! PRIDE AFTERPARTY Dance

the night away at Pensacola's premier 18 and older monthly pop-up drag and dancing event for the LGBTQ+ community, hosted by Liberation! starting at 10 p.m. Saturday, June 24 at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. for a $10 cover.

DRAG RACE LIVE RuPaul's Drag Race Werq the World 2023 tour is coming to the Saenger Theatre at 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 28. Attendees can expect to see performances from Asia O'Hara, Bosco, DeJa Skye, Jujubee, Lady Camden, Laganja Estranja, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, and select finalists from season 15 of the show. For details and tickets, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

JUNETEENTH EVENTS

CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH AT FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ Five Sisters' Chef John Huggins is once again offering a selection of Juneteenth features adaptations to honor Afri-

can-American contributions to America's culinary tradition and celebrate Juneteenth. Five Sisters Blues Café will offer special dishes at both lunch and dinner service through Monday, June 19, excluding Sundays, at 421 W. Belmont St. Visit greatsouthernrestaurants.com for menus.

JUNETEENTH THEME ADULT CRAFTING

Make a special Juneteenth door hanger craft at 1 p.m. June 16 at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. Visit mywfpl.com for details.

GALLERY NIGHT: JUNETEENTH From 5-9 p.m. June 16, Gallery Night Pensacola's theme will be "Juneteenth!" As part of the city's "Journey to Juneteenth" celebration statewide, Gallery Night's June event will highlight the federal holiday with special performances, art and food. Visit gallerynightpensacola.org for more information.

A FAMILY REUNION FOR THE CULTURE

The Watson Family Foundation presents the second annual Juneteenth: A Family Reunion for the Culture noon-6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at Museum Plaza, 120 Church St. This free, familyfriendly event will feature a variety of performers, food trucks, desserts, a kids' zone, African clothing, art and many other non-food vendors.

309 VISITING ARTIST ROSCOE HALL Artist and celebrity chef Roscoe Hall will return to Pensacola to share his art, and maybe even his cooking, with our town as we celebrate Juneteenth 5-10 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at 309 Punk Project, 309 N. 6th Ave. While here, Hall will create a giant painting, which he plans to donate after the event concludes. Visit 309punkproject.org for details.

JUNETEENTH GALA Through live entertainment and an incredible catered dinner, the third annual Juneteenth Gala will celebrate Black success and amazing accomplishments in Black history 7 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at the Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. General admission is $50. Preferred seating with dinner is $70. For more information, call (850) 206-0538 or (813) 210-7711.

A TUNE TO JUNETEENTH BRUNCH Join RWR Live 365 for The Tune of Juneteenth Mixtape Journey to Freedom Brunch, featuring local artists and entertainment who will give attendees

a live playlist of freedom while everyone enjoys free soul food and fellowship. Event is noon-3 p.m. Saturday, June 18 at Black Café and Bookstore, 3498 Dr. Martin Luther King Drive.

JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION Celebrate Juneteenth with storytelling, music, poetry, dance, a free multi-course meal and free sketches by Carter J. Gaston (RSVP required) 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 18 at Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. Bldg. 5. The event is sponsored by the Pensacola State College Black History Multicultural Committee, Pensacola State African American Student Association (AASA), the African American Heritage Society and Polimatree. For more information and/or to reserve your seat(s), please call (850) 484-4414.

R&B AND BLUES LAWN PARTY Located at Seville Square, 311 E. Government, this free event will feature live DJs performing classic R&B and blues, two fashion shows, local talent, educational information/skits and food vendors from 2-7 p.m. Monday, June 19. Each segment will pay homage and tribute to the Juneteenth Jubilee celebrating how far we have come as a city. The event will be family oriented, child-friendly and elderly-friendly. It will celebrate unity, diversity and inclusion.

JUNETEENTH UNITYFEST Presented by Levin Papantonio Rafferty, this event features live music, activities for kids and free food at Adoration for a New Beginning, 920 W. Government St. from noon-4 p.m. Monday, June 19.

"GOOD SENSE: A RABBIT TALE" PUPPET

SHOW Enjoy showings of this all-ages puppet performance at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. Monday, June 19 at the 309 Punk Project, 309 N. 6th Ave.

"MY ANCESTORS' WILDEST DREAMS" ART SHOW RECEPTION Enjoy art from local Black artists under the theme of "My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams" at Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. Artists exhibiting include Keith Shaw, Devin Bonner, Ashley Gibson, Tiffany Richardson and STOKESWORKZ. Artwork ranges from ceramics to paintings to mixed media and digital designs. A reception will take place 4-7 p.m. Thursday, June 22. The show will be on view through Friday, July 14. Artel Gallery is open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaySaturday. Visit artelgallery.org for details.

We serve the local community by offering gently used merchandise at bargain center prices while generating financial support for the programs of the Ministry Village.

Looking for a great way to support The Ministry Village Bargain Center?

Bring us your donations!

We are open Monday–Saturday 9-5 92 E. Nine Mile Road * 850.912.8222

Mention this ad for a 10% discount

Juneteenth: A Family Reunion for the Culture / Courtesy Photo

a&e happenings

MOVEMENT FOR CHANGE "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE" BANQUET Join Movement for Change at its 26th "Freedom is Not Free" banquet 5-9 p.m. Friday, June 23 at Pensacola Improv Event Center, 375 N. Pace Boulevard. Wine and cheese social begins at 5 p.m. Banquet begins at 6 p.m. Keynote speaker will be Pastor Brandon Mason of Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church, speaking about the history of African-American voting rights. Tickets are $50. Call Movement for Change at (850) 432-4411.

MOVIES IN THE PARK: "BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER" Bring your blankets and lawn chairs to Community Maritime Park to watch the family-friendly movie, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" (Rated PG-13), at 6 p.m. Friday, June 23 at Community Maritime Park Amphitheater, 301 W. Main St. Free event parking is available at Community Maritime Park and City Hall. Concessions from local food trucks may be available for purchase. Picnic baskets are welcome, but no pets or glass containers. Movies are shown at Hunter Amphitheater with grass seating only. Pre-show activities begin at 6 p.m. Movie begins at sunset.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

STRIVE CLOTHING DRIVE Strive, a local advocacy group for transgender individuals, will host a clothing drive for transgender people (and cisgender friends) at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 27 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Clothes are free, but Strive asks cisgender friends to consider a $5-$10 donation if they shop. You can drop off clothes at Strive meetings at 6 p.m. Wednesdays at End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St., The Bugghouse Library, 238 Cherokee Trail, and 309 Punk House, 309 N. 6th Ave. Needed clothes include masculine clothing, shoes and socks, binders and underwear.

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PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY DOG

GIE BATHE-INS The Pensacola Humane Society Doggie Bathe-Ins will continue 9 a.m.-1 p.m. June 17 at 5 North Q St. Charge is $10 per dog. Bring your own towel. New volunteers and experienced groomers are always needed. Those interested in helping should contact tiffany@pensacolahumane.org.

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal

Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Scenic

Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. A full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for bingo nights. You must be 18 to play. For more information, visit facebook. com/animalalliesflorida.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

and the commercial core route runs from Casino Beach to Grand Marlin with stops occurring along the new access road and at Pensacola Beach Boardwalk.

ens, guests will be taken on a guided tour of the fort. We will then return to the Downtown Ferry Landing.

DRIVE

The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens at 10 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop-top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women and sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 723-3390 for details.

CALL TO ARTISTS

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL 2023

Visitors can access the real-time trolley schedule four ways: at visitpensacolabeach.com/ trolleytracker, call (850) 602-9384 and enter the trolley stop number, text SRIA (space) and the trolley stop number to 41411 or scan the QR code posted at each trolley stop with a smartphone.

To see a map of all trolley stop locations, or for more information, go to visitpensacolabeach. com/trolley-information.

PENSACOLA BAY CITY FERRY EXPANDING SERVICE

The Pensacola Bay City Ferry Service is expanding offerings for the summer season. Ferry service operates Friday-Sunday with downtown sunset cruises Thursday-Sunday evenings and New Mine Storeroom hours from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday.

Pensacola Bay City Ferry's yearlong offerings and seasonal highlights include: Downtown Pensacola – Fort Pickens – Pensacola Beach Ferry

DOWNTOWN AND FORT PICKENS SUNSET CRUISES Enjoy a Gulf Coast sunset cruise with panoramic views of Pensacola Bay and Fort Pickens National Park. These one-and-a-halfhour cruises offer both covered interior and exterior seating, a climate-controlled cabin and onboard restrooms. Sit back, relax and enjoy a cold beverage aboard our clean and spacious catamaran-style vessels. Beer, wine, liquor, soft drinks and water are available for purchase.

For more information on all offerings and to book an upcoming experience aboard Pensacola Bay City Ferry, visit pensacolabaycityferry.com.

For more information regarding private charter and special events cruise packages, please visit pensacolabaycityferry.com/private-events.

ARTS & CULTURE

POSTER DESIGN CONTEST

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival is accepting submissions to its 2023 poster design competition through June 30.

The winning artist receives a $1,500 cash award. The winning design will be featured on posters, T-shirts and other GGAF promotional items for the festival. Posters have become a regional collector's item.

This year's event is Nov. 3, 4 and 5 in Seville Square and Bartram Park in historic downtown Pensacola.

Competing artists can find the complete list of rules and requirements, plus a gallery of past posters, at ggaf.org/poster.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

FREE PENSACOLA BEACH TROLLEY SERVICE THROUGH SEPT. 4 The Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA) launched its free, open-air trolley service along Pensacola Beach. The 2023 Pensacola Beach Island Trolley, operated by Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT), will run daily from 4 p.m.-midnight through Labor Day on Monday, Sept. 4.

Three trolleys will operate concurrently, running three routes. The eastern route runs from Casino Beach to Portofino, the western route runs from Casino Beach to Park West near the entrance gate to Gulf Islands National Seashore,

Take the ferry between downtown Pensacola to Fort Pickens to Pensacola Beach. Pensacola Bay City Ferry operates two 149-passenger, catamaran-style vessels, the "Turtle Runner" and "Pelican Perch," each with airconditioned interior seating, covered exterior seating and restrooms. Imported and domestic beer, wines, soft drinks and water are available for purchase. Bicycle racks and storage areas are also available.

On select trips, National Park Service Rangers speak on a variety of subjects including wildlife and landscapes of the area. This is an all-day pass, so you can board the cruise at any of the landings at their specified departure time.

BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE DEMONSTRATION CRUISES See the famous Blue Angels practice their aerial maneuvers during regular practice sessions throughout the year. This oneand-a-half-hour cruise sails on a variety of mornings throughout the year.

FORT PICKENS HISTORY TOUR A familyfriendly tour exploring the historic Fort Pickens. Depart from the Downtown Ferry Landing and cruise over to Ft. Pickens while a National Park Service Ranger gives an overview of Pensacola Bay's history. Once we arrive at Ft. Pick-

NEW PALAFOX MARKET SOUTH AT PLAZA FERDINAND Palafox Market South will include a blend of familiar Palafox Market vendors, along with a new mix of local farmers, artists and craftsmen and women, who will fill up Plaza Ferdinand on the corner of Palafox and Government streets. Shoppers can navigate between the new market and the always-humming original located on north Palafox at Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday.

For more information about Palafox Market, visit palafoxmarket.com. For information concerning other downtown events, please visit downtownpensacola.com

LIFE'S A DANCE 2023 Event is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 15 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $62-$204. Tickets at $204 include a meet-and-greet access post-show. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for details.

LATE NIGHT CATECHISM Late Nite Catechism is an interactive play that takes the audience back to their youth as the irrepressible sister teaches class to a roomful of "students." Show is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $39-$59. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for details.

By Dakota Parks

Songs Not Soundscapes

reboots and changes she went through with the ones I went through," Stanford said. "It helped me feel less alone in a very weird and unpredictable time in my life."

Armed with his electric guitar and loop pedal, local cinematographer and musician Doug Stanford has made a name for himself creating repetitive, hypnotic ambient music that allows listeners to make nostalgic imprints on the soundscapes. Now, he's ready for a change.

Stanford started making music in 2013 under the name YNICORNS as a solo, ambient, post-rock experimental project. YNICORNS has since evolved into an instrumental post-rock band consisting of Doug Stanford, Destyn Patera, Nick Fury, Mike McDonald and various friends. YNICORNS is preparing to release a new album breaking away from strictly improv, ambient music, aptly titled "Break Break Break."

"YNICORNS started as a solo project for nine years, until July 2022, when we got the offer to open for Noiseheads at Vinyl Music Hall," Stanford said. "I didn't want to go up there alone and improv with my pedal board, so I recruited some really talented musicians. We have four core members and a collective group of additional people who play or fill in for core

members when they're not around. Playing with them made me really excited to start writing composed songs, not just soundscapes."

Stanford's prior albums consist of ambient soundscapes using his loop pedal as an instrument to distort guitar riffs and playing around with experimental techniques, such as strumming a guitar with a screwdriver to create intentionally weird noises that sound nothing like a guitar. After playing a few shows and releasing several albums, Stanford got creatively burnt out on ambient music and started to encounter writer's block.

"I had a few improv shows where the energy in the room was, at its best, thoughtful, introspective intrigue," Stanford said. "But, I wanted to make music that people have fun listening to, while incorporating melody and a hook and all of the challenging ideas that ambient music has. It was a major red flag for me when I realized I wasn't interested in recreating ambient songs or performing them live. So, I dove head-first into composing music."

group of YNICORNS into the writing process to have more creative voices

For Stanford, it's impossible to separate the music from the musician. Much of the YNICORNS discography parallels his personal life experiences—with album covers incorporating his children and tracks capturing nostalgic moments, the loneliness of the pandemic, civil unrest and war. This album ties directly to his family.

idea or a sound heard through a wall and trying to recreate parts of it like

The title "Break Break Break" comes from an Alfred Tennyson poem about a man reflecting upon the loss of someone close to him while watching the water breaking on rocks along the shore. Stanford's elderly father recited this poem to him recently and the time spent together resonated with them.

this record, which are untitled tracks,

"My father is 87, and he has been quite sick recently," Stanford said. "I unexpectedly drove back to Virginia to see him, and that's when he recited this poem to me. It's reflective on death, remembrance and grief, and I know he's dealing a lot with being in his late 80s and being very conscious of his mortality. Toward the end of the trip, it was a beautiful sunny day, and I was sitting next to his wheelchair, and he described the day lovingly using the last line of that poem, 'Today is the tender grace of a day that is dead and will never come back to me.'"

Godspeed You! Black Emperor and

In an effort to capture the essence of this memory on the album cover, Stanford chose an image out of his extensive photography catalogue. The image was taken on Pensacola Beach, using a Holga medium format camera, renowned for its inexpensive construction that often leads to light leaks and distortions. It resulted in a blurry image that reminded him of waves crashing on rocks.

est and fastest track on the album, and I really wanted to write a song like Faux/Fox that would be fun to play, with big percussive moments and drums that sync up heavy with the bass, but still make it a little weird with YNICORNS flair.," Stanford said.

"Another track, 'Kyiv,' was inspired by trying to recreate something my neighbor was playing through his wall, and it progressed into an interpretation of the war in Ukraine with a piano section that explodes into a screaming guitar like an unexpected war."

Another track on the album, "Untitled 1" juxtaposes a voicemail layered into the middle of the song. This voicemail comes from an experiment back in 2019 when Stanford was playing improv ambient shows and leaving prompts on social media for followers to call a Google Voice number and leave a message responding to the prompt.

"A woman I went to college with called and left a voicemail talking about her divorce and break from religion, and I really latched onto what she says—just the parallels between the life

Stanford has photographed all the album art for his music using a 1970s Yashica rangefinder film camera, often incorporating images of his own children—interweaving the personal into his creative expression.

"I can't separate the music I'm making from the point in my life in which I made it," Stanford said. "That's why some of those songs feel like songs from relationships I was in when I was writing them. Similarly, my kids are tied through every bit of it, because I record and practice so much of this with headphones on after they're in bed. They're always there, this present part of my life, so it only feels right to include them [in the album art]. My kids have helped me grow in ways that I was lacking—emotional understanding, compassion, responsibility. Just like music, it's a constant growth." {in}

You can find YNICORNS' music on Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube. YNICORNS is set to release its single "Seiche" on Spotify on Thursday, June 15, followed by the highly anticipated full album "Break Break Break" on Wednesday, July 5. Stay updated and learn more about YNICORNS by following @ynicorns.wav.

YNICORNS / Courtesy Photo

Third-annual Pride festival in Pensacola

June 24 • 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Cordova Square in East Hill 1101 N 12th Ave. Pensacola, FL 32503

Art • Music • Vendors • Food Trucks Performances • Community Joy! Open to all ages.

PensaPride @pensapride

free will astrology

WEEK OF JUNE 15

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries-born Vincent van Gogh's painting "The Potato Eaters" shows five people in a dark room barely illuminated by lamplight. Seated around a small table, they use their hands to eat food they have grown themselves. Vincent wanted to convey the idea they "dug the earth with the very hands they put into their bowls." I don't expect you to do anything quite so spectacularly earthy in the coming weeks, Aries, but I would love to see you get up close and personal with nature. I'd also love to see you learn more about where the fundamental things in your life originate. Bonus points if you seek adventures to bolster your foundations and commune with your roots.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera emerged from his mother's womb in 1886. But some observers suggest Rivera's soul was born in 1920, a pivotal time when he found his true calling as an artist. During a visit to Italy, as he gazed at the murals of 15th-century mural painters, "he found the inspiration for a new and revolutionary public art capable of furthering the ideals of the ongoing revolution in his native land," said art historian Linda Downs. I will be extra dramatic and speculate that you may have a comparable experience in the coming months, dear Taurus: a rebirth of your soul that awakens vigorous visions of what your future life can be.

By Rob Brezsny

iment with a bit more stability and constancy, it may come during the next 11 months. You Geminis are scheduled to engage in deep ruminations about the undiscovered potentials of regularity, perseverance and commitment.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): As religious sects go, the Shakers are the most benign. Since their origin in the 18th century, they have had as many women as men in leadership roles. They practice pacifism, disavow consumerism and don't try to impose their principles on others. Their worship services feature dancing as well as singing. I'm not suggesting you become a Shaker, Cancerian, but I do hope that in the coming months, you will place a premium on associating with noble groups whose high ideals are closely aligned with your own. It's time to build and nurture your best possible network.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): For years, Mario A. Zacchini worked at a circus as a "human cannonball." On thousands of occasions, he was shot out of a cannon at 90 miles an hour. "Flying isn't the hard part," he testified. "Landing in the net is." His work might sound dangerous, but he lived to age 87. Let's make Mario your role model for a while, Leo. I hope he will inspire you to be both adventurous and safe, daring but prudent. I trust you will seek exhilarating fun, even as you insist on getting soft landings.

months. I hope you will soon ruminate on how to carry out such a quest. Here are two suggestions. No. 1: Make a list of qualities you yearn to experience in a dear ally and brainstorm about how to cultivate those qualities in yourself. No. 2: Name three high-integrity people you admire. Meditate on how you could be more like them in ways that are aligned with your life goals.

efforts. For example, if we collaborate with partners on an artistic project or business venture, we must communicate well with them. However, I do suspect the transformative efforts you are currently involved in will benefit from at least some secrecy for now. Cultivate the privacy necessary to usher your masterpiece to further ripeness.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Among her many jobs, my triple Gemini friend Alicia has worked as a deep-sea rescue diver, an environmental activist, a singer in a band, a dog food taster, an art teacher for kids and a volunteer at a sleep lab researching the nature of dreams. Do I wonder if she would be wise to commit herself to one occupation? Not really. I respect her decision to honor her ever-shifting passions. But if there will ever come a time when she will exper-

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): One of my favorite astrology teachers, Stephen Arroyo, notes, "Most people have a strong opinion about astrology, usually quite extreme, even though 95% have never studied it whatsoever." Of course, astrology is not the only subject about which people spout superficial ideas based on scant research. Viral epidemiology is another example. Anyway, Virgo, I am asking you to work hard to avoid this behavior during the rest of 2023. Of all the zodiac signs, you have the greatest potential to express thoughtful ideas based on actual evidence. Be a role model for the rest of us. Show us what it means to have articulate, wellinformed opinions.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Meditation teacher Cheri Huber wrote a book called "Be the Person You Want to Find." This would be an excellent title for your life story during the next 10

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Now is a good time to take stock of how you have fared in the dating and mating games through the years. Why? Because you are entering a new chapter of your personal love story. The next two years will bring rich opportunities to outgrow stale relationship patterns and derive rich benefits from novel lessons in intimacy. An excellent way to prepare is to meditate on the history of your togetherness. P.S. The term "fate bait" refers to an influence that draws you toward the next turning point of your necessary destiny. Be alert for fate bait.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian actor Samuel Jackson loves the color purple. He insists on it being featured in his films, and he often wears purple outfits. In "Black Snake Moan," he plays a purple Gibson guitar. In the animated movie, "Turbo," he voices the role of a purple racing snail. In his "Star Wars" appearances, he wields a purple light saber. Now I am endorsing his obsession for your use. Why? First, it's an excellent time to home in on exactly what you want and ask for exactly what you want. Second, now is a favorable phase to emphasize purple in your own adventures. Astrologers say purple is your ruling color. It stimulates your natural affinity for abundance, expansiveness and openness.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): People who understand the creative process say it's often wise to stay mum about your in-progress work. You may diminish the potency of your projects if you blab about them while they're still underway. I don't think that's true for all creative

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Musician Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was a freaky rebel, iconoclastic weirdo and virtuoso experimenter. Everything normal and ordinary was boring to him. He aspired to transcend all categories. And yet he refrained from taking psychedelic drugs and urged his fans to do the same. He said, "We repudiate any substances, vehicles or procedures which might reduce the body, mind or spirit of an individual to a state of sub-awareness or insensitivity." Zappa might've added that some substances temporarily have a pleasing effect, but ultimately diminish the life force. In my estimation, Aquarius, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-evaluate your relationship with influences that weaken the vitality of your body, mind or spirit. It will also be a favorable period to seek new modes of lasting liberation.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): If you are at a festival or fair where you could win a lot of money by smashing watermelons with your head, I hope you won't do it—same if you imagine you could impress a potential lover by eating 25 eggs in three minutes: Please don't. Likewise, I beg you not to let yourself be manipulated or abused by anyone for any reason. These days, it's crucial not to believe you can succeed by doing things that would hurt, demean or diminish you. For the foreseeable future, you will be wise to show what you do best and express your highest values. That's the most effective way to get what you want.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: What do you wish you could get help to change about yourself? {in}

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© 2023 Rob Brezsny

Cultivate the privacy necessary to usher your masterpiece to further ripeness.

IT'S COME TO THIS In Japan, people who are just being freed from COVID mask-wearing mandates feel they've lost their ability to do a simple thing: smile. Sky News reported that 20-year-old Himawari Yoshida, among many others, has enlisted the help of a "smile instructor," Keiko Kawano. "I hadn't used my facial muscles much during COVID," Yoshida said. Oneon-one sessions cost about $55. Kawano has students stretch the sides of their mouths and hold up a mirror to smile into. "Culturally, a smile signifies that I'm not holding a gun, and I'm not a threat to you," Kawano said.

CAN'T POSSIBLY BE TRUE When Corinea Stanhope, 36, of Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, found a dead deer on her property, she and her grandfather set up a trail camera, hoping to catch some interesting wildlife attracted to the carcass. Instead, Fox News reported on June 6, Stanhope reported capturing something quite different: "two witches holding a carcasseating ritual. ... Grandpa said he'd got naked people on the camera and I said, 'No you didn't.' So he showed me," Stanhope said. She said the two people showed up shortly after sunset and appeared to be wearing long wigs. "You can't really tell from the photos, but the hoof was brought right up to her mouth. I don't know if she was kissing it, smelling it or eating it, but to touch a decaying carcass like that makes me feel sick." Stanhope hopes the incident was a prank; she decided not to contact police because there was no crime committed.

GOING IN STYLE Go As You Please, a funeral company in Edinburgh, Scotland, is hoping to "break the taboo" of talking about final arrangements, Sky News reported, by offering custommade coffins. For instance, general manager Scott Purvis said, the company created a coffin that looked like a Dyson vacuum box for someone whose history included repairing vacuum cleaners. "Most of our coffin designs come from having honest conversations with the person when they are still alive," Purvis said. Other designs they've made include a pint of Tennent's lager and a Greggs sausage roll.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL A phone repair store in Miami Gardens, Florida, was the target of a robbery in the early hours of June 3, NBC6-TV reported. The suspect, 33-yearold Claude Vincent Griffin, employed a brilliant disguise: He wore an ill-fitting cardboard box over his head as he smashed the glass countertop and reached into a case, grabbing 19 iPhones and $8,000 in cash. Naturally, it's hard to see through cardboard, so Griffin at one point removed the box and revealed himself to a surveillance camera. The store's owner, Jeremias Berganza, did some sleuthing around the area after the robber left the store and found him at a nearby liquor store, drinking with friends. Griffin was charged with grand theft, burglary, cocaine possession and resisting an officer.

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

TONE DEAF The Woolshed nightclub in Adelaide, Australia, is in apology mode after running a sketchy promotion offering free drinks based on bra size, 9News reported on June 4. The campaign promised one free drink for an A cup, two drinks for a B cup, etc., and included hanging bras up in the bar. "The bigger the better," a social media post read. Patrons weren't impressed: One woman said she would choose to go somewhere else. The Woolshed apologized and said future promotions would be reviewed by senior management to ensure an "inclusive environment" for all patrons.

THIS IS NOT HOW WE SONIC As the debate about appropriate hot dog condiments (Relish? Mustard? Ketchup?) rages on, a worker at an Espanola, New Mexico, Sonic threw a new hat into the ring when he customized a patron's order a bit more than she liked on May 30. Fox News reported that as the woman bit into her hot dog, she encountered a plastic bag with a white powdery substance inside. She contacted police, who tested the powder and found it to be cocaine. It seems that as Jeffrey David Salazar, 54, was preparing her order, he allegedly dropped his stash; video surveillance showed that Salazar began to frantically search the area "as if he had lost something." He admitted to police that he had bought the coke from someone in the restaurant parking lot.

CLOTHING OPTIONAL At a Lancashire, England, gas station on May 23, Quinn Kelly stepped into the store for a snack and was shocked as he came out to see a man filling up his tank while completely nude—except for boots. Stuart Gilmore, 44, of Manchester was "casual about it," Kelly said. He said Gilmore is a "naturist" and "goes around naked to spread positivity and has been doing it for a few years," according to Fox News. "I don't take any notice when people take photos," Gilmore said. "I don't do it for attention. I'm doing it to promote naturism and the benefits," which he said include improved mental health.

IT'S GOOD TO HAVE A HOBBY Rocketry enthusiasts gathered near Alamosa, Colorado, over the Memorial Day weekend to ... enthuse about rockets, but one person's rocket got away from them in a most inconvenient location: a hotel room at the Comfort Inn, according to the Alamosa News. "There was a malfunction with the motherboard in the rocket which caused the motor to catch on fire," explained Alamosa Fire Department Deputy Chief Paul Duarte. The resulting explosion caused "enough pressure in the room to dislodge the drywall and panels in the ceiling to fall." The 4-foot-8-inch rocket had to be disarmed by firefighters to mitigate any further risk. Duarte didn't believe the guest was injured in the incident. Hotel clerks didn't expect any charges to be filed. {in}