Inweekly March 11 2021 Issue

Independent News | March 11, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 10 | Photo Courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation

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winners & losers

outtakes

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I think that’s the magic of the Panhandle.

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publisher Rick Outzen

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

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

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March 11, 2021

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winners & losers

Kathleen Logan / Marquis Who's Who

winners

KATHLEEN LOGAN Marquis Who's Who has presented Kathleen Vestal Logan with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors individuals based on such factors as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility and prominence in a field. An award-winning author, Logan has been involved with the Council on Aging of Northwest Florida for a decade as a board member and as its chairperson. She and her husband received the Community Service Award from United Way of Escambia County, Fla., in 2007. They were chosen Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year by the West Florida Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2009.

BARBARA SCOTT PAYNE Studer Family

of Companies has named Payne as the chief of staff, a vacancy created when D.C. Reeves became chief entrepreneur officer for The Spring Entrepreneur Hub. Payne has been with the organization since June 2017 and previously served as Administrative Services manager. As chief of staff, she leads the internal professional development for staff and plans and directs all administrative and operational activities for the ownership and executive team.

GUS SILIVOS Silivos' Skopelos permanently closed its doors in downtown Pensacola recently, unable to recover from Hurricane Sally after 62 years as one of Pensacola's dining treasures. Fortunately, Silivos hasn't vanished from the restaurant scene. He has opened a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, Agapi Bistro + Garden, in East Pensacola Heights.

BRETT BERG The University of West Florida gift officer was named the National Association of Athletic Development Directors 2021 College Fund Raiser of the Year.

Berg serves on the leadership teams for both University Advancement and Intercollegiate Athletics. He oversees all fundraising activities for the UWF athletics program and manages football gameday development operations.

PAMELA A. SMITH The 23-year law

enforcement veteran has taken command of the U.S. Park Police, the first time a Black woman will lead the federal agency in its 230-year history. The USPP is the country's oldest federal law enforcement agency.

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losers SKANSKA Last week, the Florida De-

partment of Transportation announced the bridge contractor would not complete the repairs to the Pensacola Bay Bridge by March 22, the date announced earlier for the opening of two lanes. Skanska's barges took out the bridge during Hurricane Sally.

The bridge closure has impacted small businesses on both ends of the span. According to sources, one of the bridge's trophy pieces was unstable and needed to be replaced.

When placed atop piles, trophy pieces constitute bridge piers mounted at the end of each span to support the superstructure and transfer loads to the foundations. Remembering how BP misled the public about capping the Deep Horizon well in May 2010, locals wonder whether Skanska ever expected to make the March 22 deadline.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY PUBLIC SAFETY

Interim Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore has his hands full with the fire rescue and emergency management services. The debate over paid and volunteer firefighters has raged since this newspaper's first issue in July 1999. Internal and external politics have made it difficult to put together a county management team to oversee both operations. Janice Kilgore supposedly investigated the problem two years ago and came back with no solutions. County Administrator Janice Gilley hired her former boss, Jerry Maygarden, to whip the departments into shape, and the county got nothing from it.

The new public safety director, Jason Rogers, didn't last a year. Gilley needs to come up with solutions and quit throwing her commissioners under the bus.

REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE

Former President Donald Trump sent a cease-and-desist letter to the Republican National Committee, as well as the national committees for GOP House and Senate campaigns, demanding they no longer use his name and likeness to raise contributions. Politico reported that Trump has been angry that those groups could use his name to support Republicans who voted to impeach him a second time. According to federal filings, Trump pulled in $255.4 million in political donations from his supporters in the eight weeks following the 2020 election. inweekly.net

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

CIVICCON 2.0 The Pensacola CivicCon was launched in September 2017 by the Studer Community Institute and the Pensacola News Journal to bring speakers to share their ideas and best practices on topics such as urban planning, walkability, homelessness, stormwater management and public education.

According to the daily newspaper, what separated the lecture series from past ones hosted by the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition and University of West Florida was the public's involvement.

"We want everyone to come together to one table, for one ongoing conversation with the goal of taking action," wrote the News Journal, with the conversation revolving around six pillars—"Good Planning, Building Prosperity, Civic Engagement, Quality of Life, Community Caring and Infrastructure."

Inweekly has supported the effort, and the CivicCon events have been very popular. And the citizenry has become better informed on issues, and the level of participation in local government has increased. The defeat of the hatchery on Bruce Beach and the passage of the referendums for an appointed school superintendent and the Escambia Children's Trust can be attributed to discussions started at CivicCon. Maybe it's time we take CivicCon to the next level. Maybe we're ready to reopen the discussion on racism and discrimination in Pensacola. The challenge is the topics have so many facets and layers that don't fit the regular CivicCon format that allows about 45 minutes for the speaker and 15-30 minutes for questions and answers from the audience. Racism and discrimination will require true dialogue, trust and the acceptance that there are no quick, easy solutions.

Speakers alone aren't going to move the needle. In February 1997, Fred Levin brought Muhammad Ali to Pensacola as part of his Healing tour that celebrated tolerance, understanding and unity. Fred invited 7,600 high school students to the Pensacola Civic Center. Ali wasn't able to

speak because of his Parkinson's disease, but his wife Lonnie, local boxing legend Roy Jones Jr., Gov. Lawton Chiles and author Thomas Hauser, who co-wrote with Ali "Healing: A Journal of Tolerance and Understanding," did.

A few years ago, I got Fred to talk about the event. He said, "Looking back on the history of Pensacola, this probably was one of the most significant events that ever took place here because he was trying to do something that I don't think ever took off, and that was healing and trying to bring the races together."

If the one of the most popular people in the world, Muhammad Ali, couldn't get tolerance, understanding and unity to take off, who can?

It's not that we haven't had opportunities to restart the discussion. The Confederate Monument in Lee Square, T. T. Wentworth Jr. Florida State Museum, W.D. Chipley's obelisk located in the center of Plaza Ferdinand VI and the National Lynching Memorial in Montgomery that lists eight confirmed lynchings in Escambia County have prompted brief discussions on race, but not much has happened since beyond a few meetings or headlines.

COVID-19 restrictions have made it difficult to hold meetings so that people can talk freely face-to-face, but as crowd limitations are lifted, we can move the dialogue on race and discrimination to the top of civic conversations—not one massive event but, rather, a series of smaller discussions held in community centers, schools, libraries and churches. Facilitators will need to be identified and trained and processes created to disseminate the discussions in each group. The goal would be to strengthen trust, understanding and lines of communication so that we can have a better Pensacola.

We need this CivicCon 2.0—a public conversation that takes place in several venues for months, not days. The lift is a heavy one, but Inweekly is willing to do its part. Let's make it happen. {in} rick@inweekly.net

Racism and discrimination will require true dialogue, trust and the acceptance that there are no quick, easy solutions.

March 11, 2021

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BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Massachusetts Amherst in 1995 and later participated in the organization's mentorprotege program.

AMC, the firm Canty owns, began working demolition on the old bay bridge in November 2019. The company—considered a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, or DBE—had a contract for $3.8 million.

"Our contract was to go 7 feet above the water to all the way 2 feet below the mud line," the engineer explained.

Almost immediately, Canty's team realized something was off—"within a week or so, we were like, 'There's something wrong here'"—with a subsequent underwater survey filmed by divers revealing that the lay of the land differed from information provided to AMC. Essentially, the contractor was not made aware that the bridge's fender system, barriers erected to protect the old bridge, contained a waterproof filling called "cold tar."

"They didn't say it on the drawings, and they didn't say it on the specs," Canty said.

"It made it way more difficult and way more dangerous. Highly dangerous—now you're burning against the steel, and you're getting tiny little explosions because the tar is holding oxygen bubbles."

AMC brought this issue up to Skanska, but according to Canty, the company rebuffed the concerns.

"They tell us, 'You don't know what you're talking about; you're just doing a bad job,'" the engineer recalled. "I thought it was very strange."

Kenneth Canty

By Jeremy Morrison The day before Hurricane Sally rolled through the area last September, Kenneth Canty and his crew drove across the recently-opened Pensacola Bay Bridge and noticed something strange— ghosts of the former Three Mile Bridge, decapitated concrete footing—which Canty's Atlantic Meridian Contracting Corp. had been contracted to demolish—still lurked near the waterline.

"They hadn't removed hardly any of our work," Canty reflected. "So they'd kicked us off for being behind schedule, but then they didn't do any of the work."

And there was another thing that the AMC crew found odd. There appeared to be an abundance of barges tending to the demolition work.

"The day before the hurricane, they were like scurrying around it," Canty said. "We were like, '… don't they know a hurricane's coming? Why are all these barges here?'"

On the other side of the storm, Canty got a phone call—the new bridge had been knocked out. At first, he didn't believe it.

"Then we saw it, and we were like, 'My 66

God, those guys didn't move their barges," Canty said.

The presently offline bay bridge, and all the associated direct and indirect economic and logistical consequences, are not Canty's primary concern. The engineer's company, AMC, is currently engaged in dueling lawsuits with Skanska, which has the contract for the new bridge and is now working to repair the structure. The subcontractor's primary concern awaits in the courts.

But Canty does believe that Skanska's decision to scuttle AMC's demolition contract led to delays and, ultimately, too many barges in the bay to move before a hurricane.

"Those are our structures that we were tasked with removing; they're all still there," he said. "This is the day before the hurricane.

This is five months after we were terminated.

All that work should have been done—that's why all those barges were out there; that's why they couldn't move them all."

This is why Canty believes Skanska is screwing him. There's a lot at stake. If a connection is made between delays in demolition—delays the engineer claims are ultimately rooted in a racist and shady

working environment—it could recast the bridge accident's context into dangerous legal territory for Skanska.

"At a minimum, gross negligence," Canty reckons.

The engineer said this is not a unique story, submitting that most catastrophic accidents begin in some faint, embryonic form —a faulty o-ring, a malfunctioning blowout preventer—and eventually end with an attempt to minimize blame and thus economic consequences.

"At the bottom of every issue that affects something, there's always two things—a pile of money and a bunch of greedy men," Canty said. "Every single problem, if you dig far enough, you will find that. That's what you're seeing here, a group of greedy men who are trying to protect themselves and a pile of money."

Awaiting resolution in the courts, Canty sat down with Inweekly recently to discuss his experiences with Skanska. This is his story.

VERY STRANGE

Canty is no stranger to Skanska. He began working with the company shortly after graduating from the University of

OUT THERE ON YOUR OWN

According to Canty, the misleading site description—making the work more dangerous, costly and time-consuming—wasn't the only storm AMC weathered upon arrival on the bay bridge job. Working conditions were awash in racist undertones.

"There was a lot of things going on that job site in terms of racial harassment and just overall harassment that had been going on," Canty said.

Working in the heavy construction industry, specifically in bridge work, Canty said that he has become familiar with this environment. It's one that's allowed to sometimes fester on the fringes of the frontier, where hardened men are less given to complaining.

"This industry is unlike a lot of industries that people are used to. Bridge building and bridge working, heavy construction, it's almost akin to wildcatting," Canty said.

"Bridge building, especially. You're kind of out there on your own; you kind of do what you want to do; no one's really out there; no one really wants to be out there—does anyone else want to be out there when it's 30 degrees and the winds blowing? No." To avoid professional pitfalls—like getting blackballed in the industry for raising inweekly.net

concerns about racism—this sort of working environment is sometimes ignored.

"I just try to bully my way through it, but I could see it all day long," Canty said.

"For example, they had a tugboat named after one of the founders of the KKK. But stuff like that is like all the time, so you just kind of get used to it, ignore it."

While he had encountered this racist environment before, Canty said that he was surprised to experience it working for Skanska, a company he had worked for on numerous occasions in other parts of the country without incident.

"None of this stuff that we were experiencing insofar as racism was from anybody in Pensacola; it was from Skanska," the engineer pointed out, saying that he eventually did voice some racism-related concerns to the company. "I was like, man, I was told if I came down here to this part of the country … I was going to have to watch out for this. But the people of Pensacola are treating me great, very friendly, very sincere. I ask for help, I get it. It's like back home, like Charleston. I said this isn't a problem; they're not projecting that on me, but Skanska was."

WELCOME TO THE TEAM

In addition to the alleged racist environment and misleading site plans, Canty is also claiming that Skanska intentionally damaged his equipment in acts meant to intimidate and delay, with the delays cited in AMC's eventual dismissal.

The harassment, Canty claims, started from the get-go. And that's, again, he said, somewhat typical.

"It actually started as soon as we got on the job," he said. "And sometimes, with these jobs, you're like, 'OK, that's just a prank.' That's just how they welcome you.

They haze you a little bit. It's a little joke— welcome to the team."

Canty said he didn't immediately catch on that it was anything more significant— Not until after his boat sunk at the dock in Gulf Breeze.

"Then I realized that's why they had sabotaged the equipment," the engineer said. "Because we were catching up with them, and they needed to slow us down, so they could have a reason to get rid of us."

The boat-sinking incident occurred because someone tied off to AMC's rig in a way that would not allow the vessel to rise with the waves, Canty said.

"Everybody's boat would go up and down, and ours wouldn't; it would only go down," he explained. "We confronted them on it, and they were like, 'Ken, boats sink all the time out there. You've just got to be more careful.'"

This was after the incident—captured on a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) camera—during which a piece of equipment needed for an upcoming phase of work was damaged.

"We saw that someone from their crew had come off the tugboat and gotten that

piece of equipment, took it around to the place, right after we left, crunched it up and took it back," Canty said. "So we took that as a sign of intimidation."

LAWSUITS AND THE LARGER QUESTION

Throughout this time, rolling into the COVID-dominated spring of 2020, AMC continued to demolish the bridge. Also, Canty continued to raise concerns about this collection of issues.

Finally, Canty said he went straight to FDOT with the concerns about the misleading site plans, which resulted in a virtual meeting between AMC, the state and Skanska.

"The FDOT says, 'None of what you told us is a surprise because we gave all these drawings to Skanska that detail what you found,'" Canty said. "That's when Skanska literally pulled down like a shade almost, like put a cover on the camera."

That day, the engineer said, AMC's contract was canceled.

"They threw us off the job," he said.

"Basically, we had to leave town with our tail between our legs."

According to FDOT District 3 Public Information Officer (PIO) Ian Satter, the agency didn't really participate in the virtual meeting—"we were there just to observe"—and, as a matter of practice, doesn't get involved in disputes between contractors and subcontractors.

"As far as our role in it, it was minimal at best," Satter said.

The PIO did confirm that FDOT had fulfilled several public records requests for AMC related to the bridge job. Satter also said that the state is following up on Canty's claims regarding racism.

Insofar as any resolution between AMC and Skanska, each is suing the other and awaiting a court hearing. In the interim, AMC's subcontractors wonder if they'll ever get paid, and Skanska works to get the damaged bridge back online by the tourist season.

In response to a request for comment on AMC's dispute, Skanska provided Inweekly with a statement describing Canty's accusations as "unfounded" and the company as "highly disappointed."

"When AMC demonstrated difficulties completing the contracted work, which would have led to project delays, Skanska offered to reduce AMC's scope, which it declined," the statement read. "AMC failed to perform its required obligations, defaulting on its subcontract and leading to its removal from the project."

But Canty sees it differently. He views his story as a strain in a larger fabric, as an integral backstory to what he likes to call "barge-ageddon." Eventually, the engineer said, other people will pick up on this thread as well.

"Somebody is going to eventually tie it, whether it's my evidence that helps them or somebody else, to 'this wasn't just an accident,'" Canty said. {in}

"Because we were catching up with them, and they needed to slow us down, so they could have a reason to get rid of us."

Kenneth Canty

March 11, 2021

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HOW IS GROVER DOING?

Grover Robinson / Photo Courtesy of City of Pensacola

By Rick Outzen Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch loved feedback from the public. His catchphrase was the question "How am I doing?" that Koch asked repeatedly of everyone he met on the streets of the Big Apple.

Inweekly asked Mayor Grover Robinson to share how he's doing two years into this administration. When he was elected mayor in November 2018, Robinson made an unprecedented move of creating an independent 12-member transition team that spent 90 days in the "sunshine" evaluating city operations.

On March 4, 2019, the transition team, chaired by Quint Studer, delivered an 84page report with input from over 900 citizens. At the time, the mayor called the 55 recommendations "more than a simple list of suggestions but a true strategic plan that will allow my administration to make each and every part of our community better."

On the second anniversary of the report, Inweekly sat down with the mayor and City Administrator Keith Wilkins to discuss how they were doing on implementing some of the recommendations.

NEW STRUCTURE AND CULTURE Mayor Robinson felt his administration had made a "lot of headway" on several of the recommendations.

"We've effectively addressed a lot of these," he said, pointing to the report.

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"There are a few of them that we're still in the middle of, and there are a couple that we didn't quite get to."

In the report's overview, Studer focused on creating a strategic plan built on the city's mission, vision, values and a code of ethics for employees. The strategic plan has been completed and is available online, and the code of ethics is included in the new HR manual.

He also stressed updating the city organizational structure and creating a city dashboard with measurable goals across all departments.

"In the prior administration, there was the city administrator; all departments reported to him," explained Wilkins. "I came in as the assistant several years prior to that, but I had no direct reports, no organizational responsibilities. It was special projects only. I personally didn't like that. I didn't want to inherit that either."

With the help of Robinson's first administrator, Chris Holley, a new organization structure was developed with two deputy administrators—former CFO Dick Barker over enterprise operations, such as the Port of Pensacola, Pensacola International Airport and Pensacola Energy, and Kerrith Fiddler over community development, which includes planning, inspections, parks and similar functions. Wilkins oversees administration and public safety, which includes finance, HR, police and fire.

The city has 22 departments, and 10 have new department heads.

Robinson and Wilkins have worked on developing more management depth and succession plans for the departments.

"We didn't have any identified deputies—anybody trained up even to step in as an interim in a lot of those cases," said Wilkins, pointing out the city was probably down 150 positions from the 2010 recession. "So that was part of the succession planning, and also, it was to create that depth in each department."

Studer wanted the city to pioneer annual employee engagement surveys—a strategy that he had seen used effectively in health care—in Northwest Florida. The city has conducted two surveys and has a third scheduled for the summer. Leaders have been trained on how to create action plans based on their survey results.

"Chris (Reilley of Sperduto, who conducts the surveys) said we were the largest improvement he had seen with anybody between year one and two," said Robinson. He said the second survey showed the employees were much more engaged the way they responded, "and at the end of the day, overall, it showed us the things we were doing were working."

Wilkins added about the surveys, "It's really enabled employees, I think, to gain the trust of the management and administration and their supervisors also all the way down the chain."

"It's really enabled employees, I think, to gain the trust of the management and administration and their supervisors also all the way down the chain." Keith Wilkins Studer was also concerned about the city's lack of investment in training its employees. Robinson has addressed it. All leaders have a goal of 64 hours of training every year, which is a component of their merit plan. Also, all City employees have a personal growth goal as part of their evaluation.

"We increased our training budget by about 75%," said Wilkins. "Trying to control costs there, we did buy a new system for HR that has training components to it. So within the purchase price of that system, there are 1,500 different training modules."

HOT SPOTS

The report pointed out three areas that needed immediate attention—HR, legal and transparency. The previous administration had eliminated its human resources manual, an independent review process for grievances and an objective employee evaluation system. The legal work was farmed out to outside firms, averaging over $1.45 million the last three years of the previous administration. Few press conferences were held, and most communications were done by email or social media.

Of HR, Robinson said, "That was the place we knew we had the biggest hole."

The city has a new HR manual and has reviewed pay and classification for employees. Wilkins said, "There were inequities; classifications had gotten askew over the years. And so we took all that on and reclassified everybody. Got rid of 80 contracts that we had from before, which all went into the employee manual."

He continued, "Everybody's pretty much equitable now, and some of that pay adjustment has been made through the merit increase that was instituted to try to equate out for the good employees that are eligible for that 2%."

The merit pay is tied back to employee evaluations, the citizen survey and training goals for all employees, which Wilkins said, "We've never had before."

The city has also established a personnel board to hear grievances similar to the county's process. The three-member board is comprised of one chosen by the mayor and another picked by the employees, and those two decide the third member. Former city manager Al Coby is Robinson's appointee.

According to the mayor, the legal department has changed completely under City Attorney Susan Woolf, adding more depth and independence.

"I hired Susan and didn't expect to hire somebody that I was looking to always agree with me, and Susan has not disappointed," said Robinson, with a smile. "We don't always see eye to eye, but overall, I couldn't be happier with what Susan's doing with her team. I think they've managed to make us much more in the model of we're able to handle the regular citizen demands on a daily basis without having to go pay for somebody else."

While the department's personnel costs are up, the total legal expenses are down over $544,000 annually since 2008. The mayor said, "I think having a shop of lawyers has been good for us at the city to have that option, also for our departments, our citizens and everybody else."

Robinson has taken pride in his administration's transparency. He said, "We've tried to be transparent in every way. We meet with the press every week; we close out our press conference when you're done asking questions." inweekly.net

The mayor also holds live Facebook events for citizens. He said, "We meet with the public and try to answer as much as we can."

He has changed how he introduces initiatives to the city council. Under the old system, an item was presented at a meeting and the vote was expected immediately.

Robinson explained, "We're taking one meeting before to kind of set the whole parameter, tell the council, tell the public what it is we're doing and then coming back the next week and actually doing it."

Public records have been moved back under the city clerk. The Public Records Center homepage allows citizens to submit requests anonymously, and every department has someone designated to handle requests made of their area.

CHALLENGES

The city's growth has created challenges and shifts in processes. The inspection services department has been swamped.

Wilkins said, "(New construction) went up to a record peak, and it stayed at that peak even through COVID." In addition to hiring more people, Robinson is reviewing the new CRA overlay district that appears to be one reason for the bottleneck.

"A lot of people want to come into the CRA," he said. "We knew the overlay would say the big things we wanted to do, but the nitty-gritty, you can't anticipate that sometimes when you're building legislation. So the problem is we've gotten down to the nittygritty, and it's bogging a lot of things down."

March 11, 2021

His administration is looking at creating an implementation policy "based off the things we've learned, because we've got to come in and amend what we have." Robinson said, "The CRA overlay is problematic right now, and we're trying to work through that."

Wilkins injected, "People also are adjusting some responsibilities around to help try to relieve some of that bottleneck. Because I think part of the builder's complaints was turnaround time, and yeah, things are getting hung up, no denying that. So we're looking at changing the review process a little bit."

"I try to remind everybody that part of the problem is just volume," said Robinson.

"It's a great problem to have. I love the fact building is happening everywhere in Pensacola. That's great, but it has created problems for us."

In June 2009, Robinson hired Mike Ziarnek to be his transportation planner for Complete Streets, another transition recommendation. However, he and Wilkins realized that placing him in the engineering department wasn't working. Ziarnek now works under David Forte, the capital improvements project manager—a new department created by Robinson.

"Part of that thing was to get the (Complete Streets) ordinance passed that we're in the process of doing and then really begin to look at some of these initiatives so we can begin to implement some of these things better," said the mayor.

Wilkins explained, "David is more a project manager, and Mike is more of the concept consultant kind of guy, internally."

Robinson added, "The ideas would originate, and then they'd go to die in engineering. So we told David, 'Your job is not to let these die; it's to actually implement them and get something done.'"

Forte's position is unique for the city.

In the past, outside engineers and contractors would be hired to the city's contractor representative on projects.

"All our projects were typically over budget and over schedule," said Wilkins.

"It'd take too long to get them done. They were just languishing, and there wasn't anybody that would wake up that morning, and their job was to see that these projects progressed."

Robinson added, "It's a little bit different way to do it, but I think we've improved our efficiency in some ways that are helping us get these things done.

THE ELEPHANT

The transition report recommended Robinson create a committee to address panhandling with a solution by June 15, 2019. Panhandling remains the "elephant in the room" for the city and county.

Robinson credits Wilkins and his neighborhood services director, Lawrence Powell, for putting together the team to work on homelessness. He said, "It was their discussions first with those individual providers that led people like John Johnson (Opening Doors NWFL) and Connie Bookman (Pathways for Change) to come together for a homeless reduction task force."

"We have to figure out some things to

do and help people that are truly homeless," Robinson said. "I think the city is going to have to have the county's assistance, and it's going to have to be a team approach to this process."

He admitted that he has been frustrated with the panhandling in the city, and he understands there are several sides to the homelessness and panhandling issues.

"I don't have a silver bullet for panhandling, but I do believe if we're going to get over those issues, we've got to, at least as a community, provide some service to the homeless in what we're going to do, and we got to do a better job at how we're integrating."

Also, he appreciates that people may not get everything they want in the solutions developed.

"I think too often we want things that everybody likes. Everybody's not going to get what they want."

Grover Robinson "I think too often we want things that everybody likes," said Robinson, "Everybody's not going to get what they want.

You can't get 100% your way. You've got to compromise somewhere. I tell people all the time, I can get you probably 75% of what you want, but I can't get you 100% percent of what you want."

The 2019 transition report can be found on the City of Pensacola website, cityofpensacola.com. {in}

9

and interconnect with them and not trying to create our own. I mean, I think that's a terrible strategy. I mean, if we all had our own economic development strategy, we'd all be fighting each other every day."

He said COVID has slowed the construction of the second hangar for ST Aerospace Engineering at the airport, but he expects work to start soon. While flights at Pensacola International Airport dropped during the pandemic, the decrease hasn't been as severe as in other cities.

"Pensacola airport has still been able to be a leader in airports all around," said Robinson. "We've dropped, but we're operating at 65%, and the national average is more about 35%."

The transition report recommended the city adopt the Covenant for the Community, which mandates construction projects and capital improvements over $100,000 that the vendor must have 70% local participation, and 70% of its workers must be local residents.

Mayor Robinson signed the policy this past November, and it went into effect on Jan. 1. City Administrator Keith Wilkins added, "We've had two or three projects under the covenant."

WEAR LAY-OFFS Sinclair Broadcast Doug Underhill / Photo Courtesy of myescambia.com

BYE, FELICIA Escambia County's District

2 Commissioner Doug Underhill last week told the daily newspaper that he would not seek a third term next year. There was not a wet eye in the county government when the announcement was made.

NEW TANK IMAGE ECUA conducts comprehensive evaluations of its ground and elevated water tanks every five years on a rotating basis. The utility has begun the work associated with a full coating replacement of its East Tank, overlooking Interstate 110 near Cervantes Street. The work includes the removal of the existing internal and external coatings and any corrosion through sandblasting, then reapplication of the coatings.

The East Tank was last painted in early 2004. At that time, ECUA painted three logos on it. One was the old ECUA Shield logo. A second logo was for the Blue Angels Classic, a golf tournament that was only held in Pensacola one year and then moved on to other locations. The third is a set of aviator wings with the phrase "Cradle of Naval Aviation" written under them.

The recommended painting scheme for the current contains the new ECUA logo adopted in late 2004 and is consistent with other tanks in the ECUA system.

"We've heard the community's desire that we consider other options on the 010 1

graphics and welcome your input and suggestions," said ECUA officials in a written press release. "It is important to keep in mind that whichever design is adopted be timeless, as it is going to be on the tank for 15-20 years."

The window to act without incurring additional costs is narrow, so please send any comments, suggestions or images by Sunday, March 14, to customer.service@ ecua.fl.gov. This will give ECUA staff time to summarize and prepare the presentation of ideas to the Citizens' Advisory Committee at their meeting at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 16, which is open to the public.

CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

When Inweekly sat down with Mayor Grover Robinson to discuss the 2019 transition report, he talked about how he relies on FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance and the Pensacola-Escambia Economic Development Commission to handle economic development. City Neighborhoods Administrator Lawrence Powell is working on workforce initiatives, and Waterfront Development Coordinator Rebecca Ferguson handles grants and serves on the FloridaWest board.

"We should be an extension of what is happening for a team and collaborative approach," said the mayor. "Our goal has been to look at how to better utilize our assets

Group, the owner of WEAR-TV, laid off about a dozen employees last week from its Pensacola station, including April Baker, Steve Nissim and Kathryn Daniel. All were given two-week notice but are no longer allowed on air effective immediately. Nissim and Daniel have each been with Channel 3 for about two decades. They were not given a chance to say goodbye to viewers.

NINTH AVENUE CLOSURE Beginning Thursday, March 11, the north and southbound left lanes of Ninth Avenue over Carpenter's Creek will be closed as bridge work begins. The right lanes will remain open. Traffic is expected to continue in this configuration through late April. All construction activities are weather-dependent and may be rescheduled in the event of inclement weather.

North Ninth Avenue is the focus of a $4.3 million construction project that is replacing the existing bridge over Carpenter's Creek. Construction crews will also resurface the roadway between Royce Street and Bayou Boulevard, along with a portion of Carpenters Creek Drive. The project is estimated for completion in mid-2022.

CPAC'S FIREWORKS As the Pensacola Citizen Police Advisory Committee approaches the deadline to submit its report, members pondered the committee's future and reflected on its origins.

Pointing back to the 2019 grand jury re-

port stemming from the fatal police shooting of Tymar Crawford, CPAC Chairman Drew Buchanan went through prescribed recommendations during its meeting Tuesday, March 2, pointing to one outlining a citizen advisory body aimed at improving relations.

"In my view, that is why we exist," Buchanan said, contending the CPAC should be an ongoing municipal committee. "According to the grand jury, they have every expectation that this committee exist in perpetuity."

Mayor Grover Robinson, who convened CPAC, has not confirmed the committee's fate beyond a report of recommendations the committee is due this month. Buchanan laid the issue on CPAC's table Tuesday and insisted members weigh in.

"Do you think we should be dissolved?"

Buchanan asked. "I think we kind of have to clear this up right here and now."

Hale Morrissette, who actively pushed for the formation of CPAC as a Pensacola Dream Defender leader and was later seated on the committee, said she would consider shelving CPAC "completely backward."

"This was a huge win for our community," she said.

Kyle Kopytchak didn't think the issue was the concern of members but rather up to the mayor. He said, "I don't think it comes from this board."

For now, the only sure thing in CPAC's future—beyond two more meetings and a community survey—is its final report.

Buchanan envisions something similar to the mayoral transition team's 2019 report, which he also sat on.

"Stuff that's very trackable," the chairman said, explaining that he wanted to be able to look back in five years and take stock of the progress made toward implementing the recommendations. "Basically, like a report card."

CPAC delayed discussing its slate of recommendations. Instead, it went over the grand jury report and ultimately decided to request the Pensacola Police Department report on how each recommendation contained in the report has been addressed.

This conversation covering details of the event that led to CPAC's formation opened up some divisions within the group. For example, Kopytchak pondered what Crawford could have been thinking when he grabbed a police officer's taser. At the same time, fellow committee member Vin Durant couldn't fathom how anyone could miss the inappropriateness of handcuffing a man who had been shot multiple times at close range.

Clearly upset, Morrissette brought the discussion to a close, letting her fellow members know she was frustrated with some CPAC members' approach thus far.

"I am absolutely fed up with implicit bias and micro-aggression because that inweekly.net

is something that has shown itself on this committee," she said, urging CPAC members to "step back and stop kissing ass to this police department, and let's talk about stuff that needs to change."

"I am absolutely fed up with implicit bias and micro-aggression because that is something that has shown itself on this committee." Hale Morrissette CPAC's next meeting is scheduled for March 16.

BALLPARK UPGRADES The city of Pensacola will soon be doing some work over at Maritime Park's baseball stadium. At his Monday, March 1, presser, Mayor Grover Robinson said the work was part of the new lease with the Blue Wahoos and the minor league team's new association with the Miami Marlins.

"There are about 40 cities with stadiums that no longer have teams since Major League Baseball took over Minor League Baseball," the mayor said. "We're very fortunate that Pensacola is one of the sites that Major League Baseball wants to continue to stay, and we're excited that we think this lease structure that we've got with the Wahoos really allows us to do that."

One aspect of the work involves upgrading the field's turf. Robinson noted that the upgrade had been needed for a couple of seasons already.

"Now we're going to the Miami Marlins who also have a desire for all of their minor league players to experience the same field, the same turf that if they make it all the way up to Miami that they'll have," the mayor explained.

Another part of the work involves changes to the stadium's lighting. This

March 11, 2021

upgrade is an MLB request, with the league preferring a uniform lighting experience across its collection of fields. Robinson said, "The batters, the pitchers, the players—they all experience the same lighting."

Finally, the city also intends to relocate the ballpark's bullpens to a safer location.

The mayor said, "I think Major League Baseball has been very focused on safety, and they want us to do the same thing."

In total, all this work at the Blue Wahoos' ballpark will run about $2 million. The Wahoos will be paying for it, with the city's Community Redevelopment Area reimbursing via a cut in rent cost.

"We may not be able to move the bullpens this year, but if we can get the lights and the turf done by the time they're looking to start in May, this will be a very good thing," Robinson said.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has hired Marlene Santos as executive vice president and chief customer officer effective March 15.

For the past two years, Santos served as president of Gulf Power Company, a NextEra Energy subsidiary (NextEra).

Before that, she served as NextEra's Chief Integration Officer for its acquisition of Gulf Power and two other acquisitions.

At Gulf Power, Santos led the work that improved safety by over 90%, reduced operating costs by almost 30%, reduced carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 20% and improved reliability by 50%.

"I am excited to have Marlene join our team and bring her deep experience in delivering outstanding, industry-recognized customer service that is known for its innovation and customer centricity," said Patti Poppe, PG&E CEO. At PG&E, Santos will be responsible for the customer contact centers; programs supporting energy efficiency, electric vehicles, rooftop solar, demand response and low-income customers; billing, meter-

ing and account services; marketing and communications; and Regional Leadership Teams that PG&E will form as part of its regionalization efforts.

VIRTUAL EDCAMP WSRE invites PreKfifth grade teachers in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties to take part in a virtual PBS KIDS Edcamp for Florida Educators from 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, March 27. Registration is free at wsre.org/ education.

Participants of this Zoom conference will join other teachers from across the state for peer support and sharing ideas that improve classroom practice and positively impact student learning. This will be the first statewide PBS KIDS Edcamp offered to teachers.

PBS KIDS Edcamp is a gathering of educators connecting through shared experiences and peer-led conversations with a PBS twist. Teachers conceived Edcamp, and the model was initially sparked by informal conversations on social media, which later inspired participant-driven, peer-led gatherings. In partnership with Edcamp, PBS now uses this model to support educators of young children as a platform for teachers to connect, share, and help others who face the same challenges.

DISTRICT 4 NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP North Davis residents will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Wednesday, March 17.

Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected.

Residents in the cleanup area will simply leave eligible items at the curb to be disposed of free of charge by Escambia County and partnering agencies.

All debris must be at the curb directly in front of your residence by 7 a.m. on the day of the cleanup. The cleanup will run

until noon. Please keep tires and paint cans separate from all other debris. Do not place piles under low-hanging lines or near poles, fences or mailboxes. For more details, visit myescambia.com/cleanup.

MARCH MATCHNESS Big Brothers Big

Sisters of Northwest Florida (BBBSNWFL) has launched their March MATCHness recruitment campaign. Throughout March, BBBSNWFL aims to recruit 30 Bigs in 30 days to help fill their bracket and match new mentors with local youth from Pensacola to Panama City.

"March is one of our favorite months at Big Brothers Big Sisters," says BBBSNWLF CEO and president Paula Shell. "To be able to recruit new volunteers in a fun and creative way makes sharing our message even better. Fill our bracket and be one of 30 new Bigs to dribble into a relationship with a Little. They need us now, more than ever!"

"To be able to recruit new volunteers in a fun and creative way makes sharing our message even better." Paula Shell To play off the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) March Madness basketball tournament, BBBSNWFL has created this fun campaign to recruit mentors for its life-changing mentoring programs. This is the perfect time to ramp up volunteer recruitment efforts as there are almost 100 children who are currently waiting for their Big Brother or Big Sister.

Approximately 70% of the waiting list are boys, so there is a critical need for strong, caring and supportive male mentors, as many of the boys come from a single-parent household.

Anyone interested in becoming a Big can visit the BBBSNWFL website at bbbsnwfl.org/get-involved. {in}

11

Congratulations Each year, the PACE Awards are presented to outstanding individuals in the community who have made significant contributions to Greater Pensacola’s overall economic progress.

BUSINESS LEADER Norris Ayvazian

Peaden AC, Plumbing & Electrical

SPIRIT OF PENSACOLA Dave & Mary Hoxeng ADX Communications

LEADER IN EDUCATION Shannon Nickinson Studer Community Institute

PROFESSIONAL LEADER David Josephs Lakeview Center

EMERGING LEADER D.C.Reeves

Studer Community Institute, The Spring Entrepreneur Hub Perfect Plain Brewing Co.

COMMUNITY LEADER Lisa Lyter Red Iron Design House

ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR Brian Wyer Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce

Founded in 1889, the Greater Pensacola Chamber is driven to create a climate of growth and success, to ensure economic prosperity and to enhance the quality of life in Greater Pensacola. The Pensacola Chamber Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

For additional information, please visit www.pensacolachamber.com Brought to you by the Studers 212 1

inweekly.net

WEEK OF MARCH 11-17

Arts & Encouragement hope, help and other signs of humanity at a time when we really need it...

40 Years of Informing, Engaging and Entertaining

By Savannah Evanoff

Pat Crawford, 1983 / Photo Courtesy of WUWF

When Pat Crawford started at NPR, some people didn't even know what the acronym stood for.

National Public Radio was a relatively new concept then—especially in Pensacola.

Crawford, the current executive director, began in 1982, just a year after WUWF aired via FM 88.1 for 100 miles in almost every direction, serving people from Baldwin County, Ala., to the city limits of Panama City, Fla. Half of his job then was just letting people know they existed … and why.

"The hallmark of NPR is that it is factbased journalism," Crawford said. "And that says it right there in a nutshell. With what's been happening in our country and in the world, particularly in the last decade, more than ever, that's something people really want to know they can listen to and know they'll get some mixed viewpoints."

And they aren't just shouting platitudes at each other, he said.

"It's people disagreeing philosophically on things, but they do it in a really civilized manner," Crawford said. "I think civility and fact-based journalism are the hallmarks of what NPR stands for. I'm proud to have made this my career and proud to have been with this station for almost 40 years because of that."

March 11, 2021

As WUWF celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2021, Crawford recalls how much the station has grown … the community, too.

When WUWF first aired, it was formatted like a traditional NPR station—a morning edition in the a.m., "All Things Considered" in the afternoon and classical music filling the spaces in between. If graphed, listenership would look like a hammock between two tentpoles, Crawford said.

The station has always had a commitment to jazz music, too. It's one of the three organizations that started Pensacola JazzFest.

Digital radio changed everything.

Suddenly, they had three channels to fill, with one completely devoted to classical music—still is. The third channel turned into SightLine, a radio reading service for the vision impaired.

Because of that change, they were able to focus more on the news. What makes WUWF special is how in tune it is with the community, Crawford said.

"Our news people are out there pursuing stories that we hope have an impact on the local audience," Crawford said. "We are all about the community. We can rely on NPR to do the national news and international news, but for us, the people who are actually here at the station, our focus is on the local. What can we do to improve the community? How

can we use what we have to help community organizations who are maybe struggling?"

Every quarter, the station picks a nonprofit to promote for its Community Spotlight.

Crawford started RadioLive in 1988, and it's been his baby ever since, he said. It's also another chunk of what sets the station apart.

He started the live performances with exclusively local musicians but expanded later when his perspective changed.

"There's some great artists out there around the country that people in Pensacola are never going to hear of if we don't let them hear from them," Crawford said. "I've been very fortunate to get many of them to come on the show live. Hearing them live, that's what it's all about. You can play their records all day long, but you have to actually experience some of these people."

Crawford credits the audience for keeping the program alive.

"It's like a giant hug to all of the artists who come on here," Crawford said. "The reason we stage it like we do, with the audience on three sides, is because it is … it's like they're surrounded by love. All of the artists tell me the same thing. I haven't had an artist come on the show that hasn't said, 'When can I come back? I love this audience; I wish this audience would come with me on the road.'"

It's a tribute to Pensacola, Crawford said.

"That's the kind of feeling I had when I moved here with everybody that I encountered in terms of the radio station," Crawford said. "That's a big thing about Pensacola. It's warm; it's welcoming; it's inviting. We get a lot of bad press nationally for weird things that happen in Pensacola, but I've never found a community that is more loving and welcoming to people coming in from outside."

Audience is everything, too. WUWF has to rely on its listeners because it has to raise half of its budget from sources other than the university, Crawford said.

"Listeners are amazing," Crawford said.

"They come through. And during the last year where a lot of people have suffered and a lot of businesses have suffered, we have seen our listeners steadfast. They've stayed right with us. And some of them have even increased their support. That is so heartening to all of us here to know they truly value what we do."

The University of West Florida and its administration have also been nothing but supportive, Crawford said.

"We often say, we are probably one of the most visible parts the university's outreach," Crawford said. "People know that because every hour when we do our station ID, we always say, 'From the University of West Florida.' It's been a great relationship."

When Crawford looks to the future, he hopes to stay on the forefront of technology. He wants to have as strong of a digital presence and a social media presence as they do on the air.

"That would be my dream that people would wake up in the morning, they'd have their clock radio set to Morning Edition," Crawford said. "And when they have time to sit down for breakfast, they'd immediately go online to wuwf.org and find out more about what's going on and what stories we're doing."

Crawford is the heart of the station. His interest in radio dates back to childhood, when he ran wires to his neighbor friends' houses to broadcast music to them. He later started a real radio station at a small liberal arts college in Virginia. It's still there.

"That's when I was hooked," Crawford said.

The first broadcast of "All Things Considered" coincided with his senior year of college. He thought he would do commercial radio.

"The first time I heard NPR, a light bulb went off in my head, and I said, 'No, that's what I wanna do,'" Crawford said. "I don't want to do this other stuff. I want to do what these people are doing. That's what I did from that point on and never looked back."

People often point out how close he is to retirement age. The truth is, he is past retirement age, he said.

"I don't even think about that because I look forward to getting up every day and coming to work," Crawford said. "There hasn't been a single day when I haven't wanted to come into the job. I have a staff that is amazing. It's very much like a family here."

The station is his life, Crawford said.

"Everywhere I go, people say, 'Oh, you're from WUWF? We love WUWF,'" Crawford said. "And they mean it when they say love.

That's just great. That's different from some other public stations. We're a little different than a big urban market, and I like it that way. I like being where we are. I think that's the magic of the Panhandle." {in} WUWF can be heard on the air in Northwest Florida and Southwest Alabama at 88.1 FM. Visit wuwf.org for more information.

13

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.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

PENSACOLA HABITAT FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL RETURNS IN MARCH Pen-

sacola Habitat for Humanity will be hosting their fifth annual award-winning Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has been working hard to plan a safe, unique event during these difficult times in order to continue raising funds to support their mission of building homes, communities and hope in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Each week, Pensacola Habitat will release a "habi-hint," or clue, to the public regarding exciting, new elements of the festival. Participants will be entered into weekly drawings to win various prizes. Visit Pensacola Habitat's Facebook page, facebook.com/pensacolahabitat, for more information.

UNION PUBLIC HOUSE LIVESTREAM FUNDRAISER FOR KRIS NAGLE

Union Public House Pensacola is hosting a livestream benefit Sunday, March 14, starting at 1 p.m. to raise funds for 28-year-old Kris Nagle who has been in the hospital for weeks fighting complications from Guillian Barre Syndrome. Five bands, including Hello Crescendo, Guts, True Blue, Exophagy and NoCo, will be performing a live stream from UPH. Watch online at facebook.com/unionpensacola. Funds can be donated online through Venmo at @UPHFundraiser and Cashapp at @$UPHFundraiser. Donations will be accepted through March 31.

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS IN MARCH Animal Allies will be at Pet Super-

market at 6857 N. Ninth Avenue on Saturdays, March 13 and 27, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Come by and find your fluffy BFF or talk to Animal Allies about opportunities to donate, foster or volunteer. All cats are up to date on shots, tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and flea pill. Minimum donation fees are $85 for kittens up to one year and $75 for adults. For more information, visit aaflorida.org.

CALL TO ARTISTS

KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL PIECES ADRIFT ART SHOW Pieces Adrift is a

community art exhibition and auction that educates viewers about the harmful effects marine litter has on our coastal ecosystem.

All pieces submitted to this show are made of at least 50% reclaimed waste material to inspire onlookers to rethink their trash in a creative way. Art that is donated will be open for public auction, and proceeds will benefit Keep Pensacola Beautiful's programming initiatives in 2022.

To participate in Keep Pensacola Beautiful's upcoming Pieces Adrift Art Show & Auction as an artist, visit facebook.com/keeppen414 1

sacolabeautiful for a link to the signup form.

Artists of any level are welcome to join.

EMERALD COAST REVIEW SEEKS REGIONAL WRITER, ARTIST SUBMISSIONS The Emerald Coast Review is

collecting quality fiction, nonfiction, poetry, contemporary, emerging and experimental works along with the best of art, graphic design and photography. Residents from the following counties are encouraged to submit—Escambia, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa and Bay (Florida); Mobile, Escambia and Baldwin (Alabama).

To view guidelines and submit work, visit wflf.org/ecr. Submissions close April 30. Accepted submissions will be announced and writers will be notified that their piece(s) will be published in the ECR in Fall 2021.

Choral Society's Comeback

By Jennifer Leigh

VENDORS AND CRAFT EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZ PENSACOLA 2021 Jazz Pen-

sacola is calling arts and crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the 2021 Pensacola JazzFest planned for May 15-16 at Seville Square in historic downtown Pensacola.

Application forms can be downloaded at jazzpensacola.com. Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/ mass-produced products will be accepted.

All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10-foot canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the community. For more information, call Jazz Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at (850) 433-8382, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.

FOO FOO FEST GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Pensacola's Foo Foo Festival

officially announced its plans for its seventh annual events, taking place Nov. 4-15, 2021.

In 2021, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will once again fund top-scoring grant applicants, with the number of grants to be awarded contingent upon the number of submissions. This year, the Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $315,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding. All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to participate as "Friends of Foo," receiving visibility at the 12-day event. To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit foofoofest.com.

The Foo Foo Fest team will continue to monitor developments surrounding COVID-19 leading up to November's events and will fully cooperate with any instructions heeded for Escambia County by local and state officials and the CDC. The Foo Foo Fest grant application is Friday, April 30, 2021. On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, there will be an announcement of the public grant scoring.

For more information, visit foofoofest.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

STUDENT MASK SHOW AT ARTEL GALLERY View the Student Mask Show

at Artel Gallery, located at 223 S. Palafox, March 2-11. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.

After months of research, Zoom meetings and strict safety protocols, the Choral Society of Pensacola will be performing this weekend. But it won't look like any performance you've been to before.

"Well, it's certainly the Choral Society's first performance in a parking garage," said Charlie Smoke, executive director of the Choral Society of Pensacola.

This Saturday, the Choral Society will perform "Songs of Ireland," a program of traditional and contemporary Irish songs as well as music from Scotland and Wales in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. While choruses were labeled COVID "superspreaders," the Choral Society has been working to provide a safe environment for both the singers and audience. They started with Zoom meetings in September and then in person with safety protocols developed by Interim Artistic Director Dr. Peter Steenblik, who is also the director of choral activities at the University of West Florida.

"Dr. Steenblik kept abreast of the research on the virus and its spread, studied the guidelines from the CDC and other health organizations, and researched the procedures being followed by other choral organizations," explained Smoke. "Our protocols include rehearsing outdoors, wearing specially designed masks for singers and standing 6 feet apart."

Choral Society members are asked to carefully monitor their own health and follow safety procedures outside of rehearsals. Everyone has been "completely cooperative," said Smoke.

"These adjustments have allowed the Choral Society to maintain our continuous reputation," he added. "The only known

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PLT will present a family-friendly

version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 7:30 p.m. on, March 11-12, and

break in musical activity during our 86year history was during WWII." Saturday's half-hour performance will be masked and distanced—for both singers and audience. The audience will also need to bring their own seating, if they choose. It's a less-than-ideal situation, said Smoke, but singers were willing to make that sacrifice to perform. "(They want) to grow as musicians and maintain a sense of community," said Smoke, "and to offer some entertainment and inspiration to our audiences."

And while the parking garage is no music hall, Smoke said it will provide some "cathedral-like acoustics." More importantly, the venue allows air to circulate, which is a key safety protocol.

"One might feel overwhelmed by the amount of active sound," said Smoke.

So while we haven't yet returned to "normal"—whatever that may be—Saturday's performance is a welcome sign of progress.

"One thing is certain—our organization has learned a lot through this experience," said Smoke. "Although we might return to 'normal' next season, we are certain to incorporate some of the tools and procedures we have developed. Our group is stronger having had this experience."

SONGS OF IRELAND

WHEN: 2 p.m. Saturday, March 13 WHERE: Parking garage at 316 S. Baylen St. COST: Free, but donations welcomed DETAILS: choralsocietyofpensacola.org

March 18-20 and 3 p.m. on March 14 and 21 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $16-$31. On Thursdays, tickets are half price. Streaming is also available. For more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com. inweekly.net

a&e happenings GALLERY 1060 MEMBERS' SHOW First City Art's annual Members Show will be on display March 18-May 1 featuring works of art from past, present and future FCAC members and staff. A virtual reception will take place in April. For more information, visit gallery1060.com.

PENSACOLA OPERA: H.M.S. PINAFORE Pensacola Opera's latest production

will debut Friday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre with a matinee Sunday, March 14, at 2 p.m. Due to social-distancing measures, limited seating is available for our mainstage shows this season. In-person performance tickets are only available for this event by calling the Pensacola Opera office at 433-6737.

A special Director's Champagne Brunch will be 11:45 a.m. Sunday, March 14. Tickets available online.

Unable to join in person? Purchase tickets for the live stream experience. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

THE CHORAL SOCIETY OF PENSACOLA PRESENTS: SONGS OF IRELAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES Just in time for

St. Patrick's Day, the Choral Society presents a program featuring traditional and contemporary Irish songs, as well as music from neighboring Scotland and Wales. The performance is set for Saturday, March 13, at 2 p.m. in the parking garage of 316, Inc. (316 S. Baylen St.).

Admission to the half-hour program is free, but donations are welcome. Bring your own seating. Masks and distancing are required for audience members. For more information, visit choralsocietyofpensacola.org.

THE DUTCHESS MODEL CASTING CALL AND DANCE CLASS The Dutchess

will be hosting a model call from 7-8 p.m. Saturday, March 20, and a dance class from 8-9 p.m. with live DJ Frose' at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/dukexdutchess.

PENSACON RESCHEDULED FOR MAY 21-23 After extensive consultation with

partner venues, Pensacon organizers have announced the convention will now take place May 21-23.

To ensure safety, attendees will be required to wear face coverings while on all Pensacon grounds and within all Pensacon venues, outside of designated, distanced eating spaces. Among other precautions, handsanitizing stations will be set up throughout the convention, and social distancing policies, including seating/capacity limitations at some venues, will be employed.

For those who have already purchased tickets for the original February dates, your tickets are already rolled over to the new dates. For those who are unable to attend in May, your unused tickets will be rolled over to Pensacon 2022, which is expected to return to the convention's usual February timeframe.

Those who still need tickets can get them at pensacon.com. Weekend passes, which include admission for all three days of the convention, are $80. Single-day tickets are available at a cost of $35 for Friday, May 21; $45 for Saturday, May 22; and $40 for Sunday, May 23. VIP Experience weekend passes are $155 and include early admission to the Pensacola Bay Center, preferred seating at panel venues, front-of-line privileges for celebrity autographs and photo ops, and exclusive T-shirt, space-available parking and other perks. Additional taxes and fees apply to all tickets.

For a complete list of guests scheduled to appear, visit pensacon.com.

which honors the lives of Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and Airman Cameron Walters, who were killed in a terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

For more information and hours of operation, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

STAND-UP COMEDY AT THE REX THEATRE Visit The REX Theatre every Friday at

DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO

8 p.m. for national stand up acts. Tickets are $26-$35 at the door. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

COMEDY MAGIC SHOW AT THE REX THEATRE Comedy magician Tom Coverly,

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 LIMITED-EDITION POSTER AVAILABLE ONLINE With the cancel-

lation of this year's Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival due to COVID-19, the festival committee invited local artist Kreg Yingst to create a poster for 2020 in his original woodcut print design.

The 250 limited-edition posters are each signed and numbered by the artist. Festival posters have become a local collector's item and are available online this year only.

The posters are available at ggaf.org for $27, including shipping and sales tax.

Yingst, a long-time GGAF artist, received his B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio after attending the University of Texas and his M.A. in painting from Eastern Illinois University. After graduation, he taught art for 13 years and has been a full-time artist since 2003.

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival returns Nov. 5, 6 and 7, 2021, at Seville Square, Fountain Park, Bartram Park and Museum Plaza in Downtown Pensacola.

Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for regular drag shows. Drag Bingo is Friday, March 12, and Drag and Gelato will be Friday, March 26. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola

known as "The Illusionist," performs Saturday nights at The Rex Theatre, located at 18 N. Palafox. Shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$35. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

PENSACOLA OPERA AL FRESCO

ON VIEW AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "Antarctica" is another new

OPERALIVE: THROWBACK THURSDAYS Take a walk down memory lane with

exhibition on view through April 4 at the downstairs gallery. Other exhibitions include "Pretty/ Ugly" the UWF BFA exit show of Madisen Pooton and "In Memoriam," from Panhandle Slim,

Pensacola Opera's outdoor live concerts are Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

friends of the Pensacola Opera. Learn more about the craft and look back on past productions with live discussions on Facebook Live Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Viewers are

encouraged to join in the conversation. Tune in at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing

Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstoppers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult.

MMPA is dedicated to the safety and well-being of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks are required for entry into the building and studio. More information about Mixon Magic Performing Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling 221-7438.

BRETT HALEY FILMS AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART PCA and the Pensacola Film

Festival have teamed up to show three films directed by Pensacola native Brett Haley this weekend. The screening lineup is "I"ll See You In My Dreams" Friday, March 12; "The Hero" Saturday, March 13; and "Hearts Beat Loud" Sunday, March 14. All showings are at 1 p.m. and are free, compliments of the Pensacola Film Festival. For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW On view at Voices of Pensacola

is "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Voices of Pensacola is located at 117 E. Government St. and open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet up with other makers at Studio South.

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a&e happenings Tuesday is Knit Night 4-7 p.m., and Sit & Stitch is Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Both classes are free. For a full calendar of events, visit studiosouthon9mileroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center offers a wide range of classes and workshops for artists of all levels. Classes include glass blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.

SUNDAYS ON THE MEZZANINE Enjoy a full-length concert series on select Sundays at 3 p.m. on Facebook. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased online at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

LIVE MUSIC

PAT MEUSEL AT DOLCE AND GELATO

Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for live music from Pat Meusel at 4 p.m. on Saturdays, March 27 and April 3 and 17. For more information, visit facebook. com/dolcegelatopensacola.

ST. PATTY'S PRE-FUNK Enjoy some pre-

funk tunes at Gary's Brewery and Biergarten starting at 5 p.m. Friday, March 12. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

616 1

MOTHERS NEED LOVE TOO MUSIC EVENT Enjoy live tunes for local artists

while enjoying handmade gelato at Dolce and Gelato, Saturday, March 13, starting at 6 p.m.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ dolcegelatopensacola.

BIG JIM BROWN AND THE SPEEDKINGS Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at

2050 N. 12th Ave., on Sunday, March 21, for Big Jim Brown and the Speedkings. Show begins at 3 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

JOHN FOWLER LIVE Visit Gary's Brewery

& Biergarten, located at 208 Newman Ave., for live music from Gary Fowler Friday, March 26, at 6 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

PENSACOLA TRIBUTE FEST Pensacola Tribute Fest's 11 tribute bands from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Bon Jovi will be performing Saturday, March 27, from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday, March 28, from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. at Community Maritime Park Amphitheater, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Single-day tickets are $35, and two-day tickets are $60. Limited VIP tickets are $150. Military/First Responder discounts available. Tickets can be purchased online at pensacolatributefest.com CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five

Sisters Blues Café, located at 421 W. Belmont

St., Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and listen to Curt Bol Jazz Quartet. Visit curtbolband.com for more information.

OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel

Gallery is open from 5-7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays for open jam with Pensacola Folk Music Society. Feel free to visit and listen to music. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS Sing

your heart out Sundays at Mugs & Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway, or just enjoy drinks friends with $4 Smirnoff and $6.50 domestic pitcher drink deals from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/mugsjugs.

LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S

Sit back with good food and live music at Hub Stacey's, located at 312 E. Government St. For a full calendar of bands, check hubstaceys.com.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues

Society of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District, located at 130 E. Government St. every Monday night in End O' the Alley starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodious

Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, located at 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.

FITNESS + RECREATION

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS HOME GAMES Pensacola Ice Flyers 2020-2021

season has begun. Tickets are sold in groups of two starting at $18. Tickets for groups of three or more are also available, and prices vary. To purchase tickets, go to ticketmaster. com. Home games are at the Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. For more information, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 13, vs. Knoxville •4:05 p.m. Sunday, March 14, vs. Knoxville •7:35 p.m. Friday, March 26, vs. Macon •7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 27, vs. Macon

MCGUIRE'S 5K RUN McGuire's St. Patrick's Day 5k Run begins 9 a.m. Saturday, March 13, outside McGuire's at 600 E. Gregory St. COVID safety protocols will be in place, including social distancing while on restaurant property, face masks at all times except for the run and no water stops during race. Admission is $25. For more information, visit mcguiresirishpub.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

inweekly.net

March 11, 2021

17

free will astrology WEEK OF MARCH 11 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Artist

Richard Kehl tells this traditional Jewish story—God said to Abraham, "But for me, you would not be here." Abraham answered, "I know that Lord, but were I not here, there would be no one to think about you." I'm bringing this tale to your attention, dear Aries, because I think the coming weeks will be a favorable time to summon a comparable cheekiness with authorities, including even the Divine Wow Herself. So I invite you to consider the possibility of being sassy, saucy and bold. Risk being an articulate maverick with a point of view that the honchos and experts should entertain.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Spiritual

author Ernest Holmes wrote, "True imagination is not fanciful daydreaming. It is fire from heaven." Unfortunately, however, many people do indeed regard imagination as mostly just a source of fanciful daydreaming.

And it is also true that when our imaginations are lazy and out of control, when they conjure delusional fears and worries, they can be debilitating. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I believe the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to harness the highest powers of your imagination—to channel the fire from heaven—as you visualize all the wonderful and interesting things you want to do with your life in the next nine months.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "I'm always waiting for a door to open in a wall without doors," wrote Gemini author Fernando Pessoa. Huh? Pessoa was consistently eccentric in his many writings, and I find this particular statement especially odd. I'm going to alter it so it makes more sense and fits your current needs. Here's your motto for the coming weeks—"I'm always ready to figure out how to make a new door in a wall without doors and call on all necessary help to make it."

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): You

can't drive to the Kamchatka Peninsula. It's a 104,000-square-mile area with a sub-Arctic climate in the far east of Russia. No roads connect it to the rest of the world. Its major

GRAPHIC NOVELS

By Rob Brezsny

city, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, is surrounded by volcanoes. If you want to travel there, you must arrive by plane or ship. And yet Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky has long had a thriving tourist industry. More so before the pandemic, but even now, outsiders have come to paraglide, hunt for bears, and marvel at the scenery. In this horoscope, I am making an outlandish metaphorical comparison of you to the Kamchatka Peninsula. Like that land, people sometimes find it a challenge to reach you. And yet when they do, you can be quite welcoming. Is this a problem? Maybe, maybe not. What do you think? Now is a good time to re-evaluate.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Biting midges,

also known as no-see-ums, are bloodsucking flies that spread various diseases.

Yuck, right? Wouldn't the world be a better place if we used science to kill off all biting midges everywhere? Well, there would be a disappointing trade-off if we did. The creepy bugs are the primary pollinators for several crops grown in the topics, including cacao. So if we got rid of the no-see-ums, there'd probably be no more chocolate.

I'm guessing that you may be dealing with a comparable dilemma, Leo—an influence that has both a downside and an upside.

The central question is, can you be all you want to be without it in your life? Or not?

Now is a good time to ponder the best way to shape your future relationship.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): According to my analysis of your imminent astrological potentials, you already are or will soon be floating and whirling and churning along on an ocean of emotion. In other words, you will be experiencing more feelings and stronger feelings than you have in quite some time. This doesn't have to be a problem as long as you do the following—1. Be proud and appreciative about being able to feel so much. 2. Since only a small percentage of your feelings need to be translated into practical actions, don't take them too seriously. 3. Enjoy the ride!

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Poet Wen-

dell Berry says, "It's the immemorial feelings" he likes best—"hunger and thirst and their

satisfaction; work-weariness and earned rest; the falling again from loneliness to love." Notice that he doesn't merely love the gratification that comes from quenching his hunger and thirst. The hunger and thirst are themselves essential components of his joy.

Work-weariness and loneliness are not simply inconvenient discomforts that he'd rather live without. He celebrates them, as well. I think his way of thinking is especially worthy of your imitation in the next three weeks.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Famous

and influential science fiction novelist Philip K. Dick relied on amphetamines to fuel his first 43 novels. Beginning with "A Scanner Darkly," his 44th, he did without his favorite drug. It wasn't his best book, but it was far from his worst. It sold well and was made into a movie featuring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. and two other celebrity actors. Inspired by Dick's success without relying on his dependency— and in accordance with current astrological omens—I'm inviting you to try doing without one of your addictions or compulsions or obsessions as you work on your labor of love.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

Ninety percent of all apples in the world are descended from a forest of apple trees in southeast Kazakhstan. Most of us have tasted just a few types of apples, but there's a much wider assortment of flavors in that natural wonderland. You know how wine is described as having taste notes and aromas?

The apple flavor of Kazakhstan's apples may be tinged with hints of roses, strawberries, anise, pineapples, coconuts, lemon peels, pears, potatoes or popcorn. Can you imagine traveling to that forest and exploring a far more complex and nuanced relationship with a commonplace food? During the coming weeks, I invite you to experiment with arousing metaphorically similar experiences.

In what old familiar persons, places, or things could you find a surprising wealth of previously unexplored depth and variety?

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19):

Author Andrew Tilin testified that he sometimes had the feeling that his life was in pieces—but then realized that most of

the pieces were good and interesting. So his sense of being a mess of unassembled puzzle parts gave way to a deeper contentment—an understanding that the jumble was just fine the way it was. I recommend you cultivate and enjoy an experience like that in the coming weeks, Capricorn.

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

poet Meena Alexander (1951–2018) was born under the sign of Aquarius. She became famous after she moved to the US at age 29 but was raised in India and the Sudan. In her poem "Where Do You Come From?," she wrote, "Mama beat me when I was a child for stealing honey from a honey pot." I'm sorry to hear she was treated so badly for enjoying herself. She wasn't committing a crime! The honey belonged to her family, and her family had plenty of money to buy more honey. This vignette is my way of advising you, in accordance with astrological omens, to carry out your personal version of "stealing the honey from the honeypot," dear Aquarius. Take what's rightfully yours.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): The bad

news is that the narrow buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea is laced with landmines. Anyone who walks there is at risk for getting blown up. The good news is that because people avoid the place, it has become an unprecedented nature preserve—a wildlife refuge where endangered species like the red-crowned crane and Korean fox can thrive. In the coming weeks and months, I'd love to see you engage in a comparable project, Pisces—finding a benevolent use for a previously taboo or wasted part of your life.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: If you have a question whose answer might be interesting to other readers, send it. Maybe I'll address it in the column. Truthrooster@gmail.com

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

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news of the weird

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

WAIT, WHAT? On Feb. 23, Siriporn Niamrin, 49, discovered a large, waxy, oval-shaped lump that smelled of fish and weighed about 15 pounds along the beach near her home in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand, and was excited to learn it may be a rare substance called ambergris, or vomit produced by sperm whales. The Mirror reported ambergris is highly prized in making perfume, and it might be worth as much as $260,000. "If I really have the genuine ambergris, I can help my community once I find a buyer for it," Niamrin said. "I'm keeping it safe in my house" as she waits for expert confirmation of its authenticity.

the group and their baggage on train tracks over the Tumen River, where they were met

by Russian officials at the border station.

MULTITASKING Northern California plastic surgeon Scott Green surprised officials in Sacramento Superior Court on Feb. 25 when he appeared for a traffic trial via videoconference from what appeared to be an operating room, the Sacramento Bee reported. As clicks and whirs of medical equipment and suctions could be heard in the background, a courtroom clerk questioned his whereabouts, and Green, dressed in hospital scrubs, admitted, "Yes, I'm in an operating room right now. I'm available for trial. Go right ahead." Despite Green's repeated assurances, Court Commissioner Gary Link was skeptical: "I do not feel comfortable for the welfare of a patient if you're in the process of operating ... I don't think that's appropriate." The trial was rescheduled for later in March. California's Medical Board said in a statement it was investigating the incident.

INEXPLICABLE Natasha Harris of Lillian, Alabama, called the Baldwin County Sheriff's office on Feb. 28 after her granddaughter's pet goat, Billy the Kid, returned home from one of his frequent adventures around their rural neighborhood painted from head to toe. Harris told Fox 10 News she suspected local teens had stolen and abused the goat, but investigators followed the goat's trail to Erica Farmer, who was visiting relatives nearby, and arrested her for theft of property and animal cruelty.

Farmer has since apologized for dying the goat with colored shampoo and food coloring, and Harris now wants the charges dropped, telling the district attorney's office, "I'm really sorry for wasting your time."

CRIME REPORT Sharon Carr of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was arrested by officers responding to a residential burglary call on Feb. 26 when she stepped from the shadows in front of the victim's house. Investigators found a window screen removed and a window open, where they allege Carr entered the home but quickly left, leaving behind an empty Cheetos bag and a water bottle. Cheetos residue on Carr's teeth linked her to the crime, reported KTUL-TV, along with testimony from the victim. Carr was charged with first-degree burglary.

THE FOREIGN PRESS Diplomats and their families from the Russian embassy in Pyongyang, North Korea, worked around extreme COVID-induced travel restrictions by pushing themselves across the border in a rail trolley to reach their home country on Feb. 25, the BBC reported. The group of eight, including children, traveled 32 hours by train and two hours by bus to reach the Russian border, but trains and wagons cannot enter or leave North Korea, so the embassy's third secretary, Vladislav Sorokin, completed the last half-mile of the journey by pushing the trolley filled with

ANIMAL ANTICS EuroWeekly reported that on Feb. 24, a routine Sudanese Tarco airline flight from Khartoum to Doha, Qatar, was forced to turn around about a half-hour after takeoff when a stowaway cat caused a midair emergency. The cat gained entry to the cockpit and became aggressive, attacking the crew, who were unable to restrain it, prompting the pilot to return to the airport. Officials believe the cat got onto the airplane while it was parked overnight in a hangar in Khartoum.

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JUST DESSERTS In late February, Thangulla Satish, 45, was killed in Telangana state in southern India when the rooster he was preparing for an illegal cockfight panicked and slashed him with the 3-inch blade strapped to its leg. Police inspector B. Jeevan said Satish was "hit by the rooster's knife in his groin and started bleeding heavily," the Associated Press reported. He died on the way to the hospital. The rooster was removed to a poultry farm nearby.

OOPS! Mates Jackson Perry and Noah Palmer of Mandurah, Western Australia, planned a leisurely float offshore, drinking beer on a blowup air mattress on Feb. 27, but they wound up stranded in the Indian Ocean for nearly three hours after the wind blew them out to sea. "We couldn't paddle against the wind, and we just kept going further and further out," Perry told 7News, but they did manage to call a friend, who reached them on his jet ski just before their cellphones died. "We were kind of getting worried at that point," Perry said, but the beers helped with the anxiety. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2021 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com March 11, 2021

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