PLANTING GREENS IN A FOOD DESERT

The backpack program that initially fed 25 students now feeds about 525 at 17 schools, according to Tiffany Clark, director of operations for the Backpack Project. That equates to approximately 2,200 backpacks per month. Before the partnerships, the average cost of food equated to $2.25 per backpack. The average is up to $5.50 per backpack this school year. The program offsets the cost by buying in bulk at a local organic farm, Manna Food Bank supplementing grains and raising money through fundraising events.

The Heart of Pensacola has raised over $1.2 million between money and in-kind donations. Levin Papantonio Rafferty contributed $200,000 in seed money to launch the program, and the nonprofit then raised almost $500,000 last year during the fundraiser, Dinner on the Grounds. The Mougeys expect to raise hundreds of thousands more on May 11 when the Heart of Pensacola hosts Dinner in the Gardens at 5eleven Palafox.

By Tom St. Myer

The heart-aching sight of hungry children sluggishly moving about their day motivated maintenance employees at O.J. Semmes Elementary School to take action. In 2011, the maintenance crew formed Backpack Project USA and began filling backpacks with food and passing them out to underprivileged students on Fridays. Their generosity ignited a movement in the Escambia County Public Schools, and today, the backpack program is reaching unprecedented heights through a partnership with the Heart of Pensacola, feeding students a healthy and balanced menu that includes protein, vegetables, fruit, grains and dairy instead of carb-heavy foods such as Pop-Tarts, crackers, and macaroni and cheese.

Backpack Partnership

Peter and Katrina Mougey initiated the program two years ago after the COVID-19 global pandemic halted the annual Heart Association

Gala that they were set to chair. The philanthropic couple turned their attention from the gala to enhancing the amount of nutritious food the school district puts in its backpacks by planting greens in what is otherwise a barren food desert for thousands of Pensacolians.

"Over 70% of kids in schools receive free or reduced lunches," said Peter, an attorney who is a shareholder and the chair of Levin Papantonio's securities and business litigation department. "When you examine where some of them live, sometimes there's not a grocery store within miles and you couple that with folks who don't have reliable transportation, a lot of the grocery shopping is being done at Dollar General, fast-food restaurants or places like 7-Eleven."

The Mougeys appreciated the efforts made to feed children but sought to streamline the process by joining forces and putting the resources under one umbrella. They found an ally in Superintendent Tim Smith, who paved the path for a partnership that benefits hundreds of students and potentially thousands in the near future.

The Heart of Pensacola fundraiser compliments the Backpack Project USA Family Fishing Rodeo, which raises thousands of dollars annually for the program. The 10th annual rodeo will be Sept. 7-9 at Grand Lagoon Yacht Club. The Pensacola Big Game Fishing Club is the primary sponsor.

"When you have an idea that grows from great hearts for kids, you get a great foundation," Smith said. "The community has come on board over the years with those who started the program, and we have all these individuals and entities who are of the same mindset."

The all-volunteer program saves families money as prices continue to soar at grocery stores, markets, restaurants and other food providers. A recent poll commissioned by the public-private coalition No Kid Hungry Florida found that over 75% of Floridians said buying food now is more difficult now than 12 months ago due to the rising costs of food and other essentials.

A significant percentage of Escambia County residents struggled to pay for food long before the prices skyrocketed. Feeding America reported in 2018 that 42,380 county residents qualified as food insecure and that

34% of the population met or surpassed the 200% poverty threshold.

Backpack Project USA depends on someone identifying a student as at risk for hunger on weekends, and organizers believe hundreds slip through the cracks, particularly at the upper-grade levels. Only three of the 17 schools involved in the program teach middle and high school students.

Clark and the Mougeys agree that extending their outreach to middle and high school students is imperative. The challenge they encounter is teenagers prefer to fit in, not stand out. Few will admit they come from families without the resources to properly feed them.

"If you were hungry in elementary, the circumstances might not have changed just because you went to middle school," Clark said. "We want to make sure we're following the kids that need it."

Adding Nutritious Food

Another challenge is a significant number of students grow up unaware of what qualifies as nutritious food. The Heart of Pensacola is creating a messaging platform that encourages students and their families to understand that eating nutritious food improves their intellect. The goal is to impact over 50,000 households.

A portion of the education outreach by the Heart of Pensacola includes partnering with the University of West Florida Haas Center, the school district, Manna and the American Heart Association, among others, to quantify health and nutrition data. The group plans to establish metrics that show the positive impact of the program on the well-being of students.

The Heart of Pensacola outreach extends beyond students to patients through its Produce Rx program. The nonprofit partners with Baptist Health Care, Community Health of Northwest Florida, Health and Hope Clinic and Ascension Sacred Heart to deliver boxes of produce and whole grains to 200 patients, 50 from each facility, every other week. The Mougeys envision doubling the number of participants in the RX program.

"Food is the foundation for a healthy lifestyle," Katrina Mougey said. "That's where we have to start—from the ground up." {in} three primary insulin providers collaborated to raise rates at the expense of diabetics. the flights shipping migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard and several other controversial issues.

MORE CMP PROSPECTS Over 10 years since the Community Maritime Park officially opened, two mayors—Ashton Hayward and Grover Robinson—have sought developers to build on the remaining parcels. The most recent potential developer has been Inspired Communities of Florida, which the Pensacola City Council gave a year to reach an agreement on a $110 million apartment and retail development proposal that the council approved in February 2022.

Mayor D.C. Reeves shared with Inweekly that other prospects have been waiting in the wings since Inspired sent a letter to the city last November that it would not meet the February deadline.

"Once it's public that that letter came out, we've actually had a surprising, large amount of people inquire—kind of saying, 'Well, if it doesn't work out with them, we might want to take a look,' which given interest rates and given where we are right now, that's a pleasant surprise," Mayor Reeves said.

Inspired, in partnership with former Florida Gator and Dallas Cowboy star Emmitt Smith, has proposed to build up to 600 apartment units, a 900-space parking garage and up to 50,000 square feet of retail space on parcels 4 and 5 at the park—which is currently a parking lot and grassy knoll. Their November letter said the projects had become "financially infeasible" and asked for an extension until market conditions improved. The council extended the option until August 2023.

"We'll wait and see and continue to have conversations with Inspire," the mayor said. "As of right now, the property is under their control. However, regardless of what happens from here, we certainly are in a better position than I thought we might be, given the economic climate."

He added, "We do have urgency to get something done, to get property tax generated there and start to get some return on our investment from so many years ago.

INSULIN PRICE BATTLE CONTINUES Two of the three primary insulin providers announced substantial price reductions in March, but personal injury attorney Troy Rafferty says the reductions amount to a mere pittance considering the corporations jacked up the prices of insulin by over 1,000% since 2003.

Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi produce 99% of insulin. The Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm filed a mass tort against the three insulin providers for gouging customers through price fixing. The case is in the discovery phase and still proceeding even though Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk announced price reductions.

"It's actually kind of just a facade or putting a Band-Aid on a compound fracture," Rafferty said. "It's not really going to change anything, what they're doing right now."

Diabetes ranks as the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. Depression, heart disease and stroke occur at a two to three times higher rate among diabetics. The number of Americans with diabetes tops 37 million and 8.4 million use insulin to control their blood sugar.

One in four insulin-dependent diabetics ration their intake due to the extraordinary costs. Rationing insulin intake results in high blood sugar and leads to complications, including headaches, frequent urination, increased thirst, exhaustion, blurred vision, unintentional weight loss and recurrent infections. Long-term complications include loss of vision, kidney failure, stroke, heart disease and amputation of lower extremities.

"All these executives sitting in these offices and these boardrooms have been preying on the sick and the ill, and it's just atrocious what they've done," Rafferty said. "… Parents are having to ration out insulin to their children because they have to have it and they can't afford it. And yet, these companies just kept year after year after year increasing the prices, and it's atrocious."

"We're going to find out exactly what we already know and that is that these companies in lockstep decided to just keep increasing the prices to increase their profits so they can buy more Armani suits and Gucci loafers and all this stuff," Rafferty said. "… In essence, they knew they had a captive market that absolutely needed the insulin; they drove up the price knowing that this would be something that they could get away with."

The cost for a vial of insulin is hundreds of dollars. On March 1, Eli Lilly announced price reductions up to 70% for commonly prescribed insulins and an expansion of its Insulin Value Program that caps patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 or less per month. Novo Nordisk followed suit two weeks later, announcing plans to slash the price of insulin drugs by up to 75% in the U.S.

"We have been working to develop a sustainable path forward that balances patient affordability, market dynamics and evolving policy changes," Steve Albers, Novo Nordisk senior vice president of market access and public affairs, stated in a press release. "Novo Nordisk remains committed to ensuring patients living with diabetes can afford our insulins, a responsibility we take seriously."

Both providers are drastically reducing prices, but Rafferty said insulin costs pennies to produce and that companies could turn a "hefty profit" by charging a mere $2 a vial. Instead, diabetic families spend 40% of their post-subsistence income on insulin.

Rafferty further questioned why the U.S. charges substantially higher rates for insulin compared to other countries. Americans comprise only 15% of the global insulin market yet account for almost 50% of insulin-related revenue. Even with the reductions by the two providers, U.S. rates will still dwarf those of other countries.

"Many of these people have been suffering for decades over the cost of their insulin, and so to sit here and now go, 'Oh, well, we'll cut it. We'll cut down some,' is honestly despicable," Rafferty said. "It's a step in the right direction, I'll say that. But it's not nearly enough. It's got to keep going."

Rafferty is confident the discovery phase will reveal what he and others long suspected. The

Public Record Lawsuit

The News Service of Florida reported that a Washington, D.C.based group filed a lawsuit on Thursday, March. 16, alleging that the Florida Department of Education has not complied with a series of public records requests about high-profile issues.

The group American Oversight filed the lawsuit in Leon County circuit court, alleging that the department has not provided records sought in eight requests since May 2022. The group, at least in part, is seeking records related to a controversial 2022 law restricting the way race-related issues can be taught in classrooms and a state decision this year to reject a proposed Advanced Placement African American studies course.

"To date, DOE has failed to produce a single record that is responsive to any of the eight requests at issue in this complaint," the lawsuit said. "The first and second requests at issue in this complaint have been pending for over 10 months now; the third request has been pending for over two months; and the fourth through eighth requests have been pending for more than one month at the time of the filing of this complaint. Each of these delays is beyond the limited reasonable amount of time allowed for retrieval, redaction and production of records."

On its website, American Oversight describes itself as a nonprofit watchdog that uses public records requests to "fight corruption, drive accountability and defend democracy."

Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration has developed a reputation for dragging out replying to public record requests. The South Florida SunSentinel reported earlier this month that the governor's office has subjected certain requests for public information to an extra review, delaying media and citizen access to records showing how government policy is formulated and public money is being spent. A favorite tactic has been to release information shortly before major holidays so it doesn't get much attention because people are busy with other things.

Barbara Petersen, the executive director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, a nonpartisan public interest organization, told the Sun-Sentinel that the extra review was "an effort to control the story, and the timing of the story, and I think that's pretty obvious. And I don't think anybody wants a government official deciding what gets told and when."

DeSantis has slow-walked requests for information on COVID data, his education policies, his recommendations concerning abortion restrictions,

Leap For Change

Since the beginning of their project in October 2022, the Leadership Pensacola Class of 2023 has received a total of 21 sponsorships at levels $500 and above and 10 in-kind donations at various levels towards their project, LeaP for Change. In addition, they have had 98 donations at $499.

The LeaP for Change project is an initiative that will benefit the Children's Home Society Care Closet at C.A. Weis Elementary School and Feeding the Gulf Coast. This initiative will provide and build Feeding the Gulf Coast food pantries in Ebonwood, Wedgewood, and Brownsville community centers and a Children's Home Society hygiene closet at C.A. Weis Elementary School.

The press release included a quote from an anonymous source—"These kids have no chance to learn or develop as an individual when their tummies are empty. It is hard not to feel sad for those students in your classroom who are suffering. I want to take them home and feed them a warm meal and give them a nice bed to sleep in."

The major sponsors are at the Platinum level are Dominguez Design-Build, Inc. and Closets By Design; Diamond, Andrews Institute and Cat Country Radio; Gold, Navy Federal Credit Union and Innisfree Hotels; Silver, Quint Studer, Clark Partington Attorneys at Law, State Rep. Michelle Salzman, Fiesta Pensacola, Visit Pensacola, University of West Florida-Office of International Affairs, Marcus Pointe Baptist Church, Meador & Johnson, Innisfree Hotels, Business Interiors, Cox Public Affairs, Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund, Catalyst Healthcare Real Estate, Florida Blue, Baptist Health Care and Florida Power & Light.

Leadership Pensacola 2023 is actively seeking both monetary and in-kind donations to help reach their goal. In addition to monetary and in-kind donations, the class is seeking donations such as nonperishable food and personal hygiene items as well as educational books for elementary-school-aged children and their families. By implementing these pantries and closet, it will help underserved communities have direct access to these resources.

All checks can be made out to the Pensacola Area Chamber Foundation with a reference to "LeaP Class 2023 Project." For mailing, send to Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce at P.O. Box 550, Pensacola, FL 32591. For more information, visit leapforchangepensacola.org.

Roger Scott Improvements

The city of Pensacola will begin construction on improvements to Roger Scott Tennis Center on Monday, March 20, including replacing 12 hard courts to significantly improve the tennis playing experience at Roger Scott.

Construction will begin with the demolition of 12 existing hard courts, which will be replaced by 12 asphalt tennis courts.

During the construction of this project, 10 clay courts and five asphalt courts will remain open. All other asphalt courts will close starting Mon- day, March 20. In addition to replacing the hard courts, the project will include new sidewalks, drainage enhancements, electrical and lighting upgrades, new fencing and new grass.

Construction is expected to be completed by fall 2023, weather permitting. The approximately $3.86 million project is funded by a variety of Local Option Sales Tax funds, along with a $1.3 million contribution from Escambia County.

Owned and operated by the City of Pensacola, Roger Scott Tennis Center is Northwest Florida's largest tennis facility, featuring 18 hard courts and 10 clay courts. Roger Scott Tennis Center offers a variety of recreational tennis activities, including adult clinics, leagues, junior tournaments and more.

To learn more about Roger Scott Tennis Center, visit rogerscotttennis.com.

NEW THRESHOLD District 4 County Commissioner Robert Bender expects Pensacola Beach, which is part of his district, to have another robust tourism system based on the recent traffic count at the toll on the Bob Sikes Bridge. The beach had two 20,000-plus car weekends in March.

"The one before was just shy of 19,000 and some change," the commissioner. "Definitely, we're starting to see the traffic come in. We've seen a steady increase over the last few years in both volume and the number of days at 20,000car threshold. Four years ago, that was considered a big day for the beach. We probably need to set a new threshold."

NEW CITY PARK The City of Pensacola invites the community to a ribbon-cutting event at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, to celebrate the completion of a new musical sensory garden at Kiwanis Park, located at 1801 W. Romana St.

The new musical garden provides inclusive, interactive play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities to create music and explore their surroundings. It features a soft rubber play surface with a variety of outdoor instruments, including harmonic chimes, percussion, flower chimes and more. For more information about city parks, visit playpensacola.com.

FAVORHOUSE FACELIFT FavorHouse of Northwest Florida has received state funds to use toward improvements to their Escambia County Emergency Shelter. Grantarenaus LLC, a local Pensacola company, won the bid for the project, which includes all new flooring and paint throughout the facility. During the renovations, Escambia County shelter residents will be temporarily housed at the Santa Rosa shelter. Programs and services will not be interrupted. Anyone experiencing intimate partner violence should call the 24/7 hotline for crisis intervention at (850) 434-6600.

"We are excited by the opportunity to give our emergency shelter a much-needed facelift. The shelter hasn't had any major renovations since Hurricane Ivan and things are definitely outdated," FavorHouse Executive Director Tracie Hodson said. "The survivors we serve in shelter are escaping from abuse and processing their trauma. We want to provide a fresh space for them to begin to build their new independent lives."

FavorHouse is actively seeking volunteers to help with additional mini beautification projects in conjunction with the remodel to round out the project. If anyone is interested in volunteering, sign up at favorhouse.org.

ECSO BLAZER ACADEMY The Escambia County Sheriff's Office's next Blazer Academy is set to begin in May. The Sheriff's Blazer Academy immerses young men ages 13-15 in an environment that will provide mentoring and instruction on many topics such as courtesy, responsibility, empowerment and respect. The academy accepts 25 students per session, and completed applications should be sent to Delarian Wiggins at dcwiggins@escambiaso.com. Check the ECSO Facebook page for more details.

PATIENCE REQUESTED City of Pensacola

Sanitation crews are working diligently to collect an increasing amount of yard waste as peak season begins for yard waste collection in the spring and summer months. Due to an increase in yard waste being placed curbside for pickup, some city Sanitation customers may see a slight delay in their collection schedule.

Customers who do not receive yard waste collection the morning of their usual pickup day can expect to receive service either later that morning or by the following day. All customers will continue to receive weekly yard waste collection, even if they experience a slight delay in service.

The public's patience is appreciated during this time, and crews are working to provide yard waste pickup service to customers as efficiently as possible. This is only impacting yard waste pickup for sanitation customers. Garbage and recycling pickups continue to run on schedule. {in}