Inweekly May 5 2022 Issue

H.K. MATTHEWS' STORY: IN HIS WORDS

Independent News | May 5, 2022 | Volume 23 | Number 18 | Photos Courtesy of University of West Florida Historic Trust

FREE ▶

winners & losers

outtakes

4

news

5

6, 7, 8

Anxiety itself has become its own pandemic.

10

publisher Rick Outzen editor & creative director Joani Delezen

Open 7 days a week

15

12

contributing writers Gina Castro, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, Sydney Robinson, C.S. Satterwhite, Tom St. Myer

BLUE MOON ANTIQUE MALL 3721 W. Navy Blvd.

Pensacola, FL 32507 (850) 455-7377

a&e

feature story

buzz

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SPECIALIST

contact us info@inweekly.net

GRAPHIC NOVELS

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. © 2022 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

KIDS BOOKS

Voted Best Real Estate Agent

Mid Century • Antiques Affordable Furniture Vintage Clothing Home Decor • Collectibles Mention this ad for 10% off a $25 or more purchase Follow up on FB and IG 22

SIMONE SANDS, Realtor © cell 850-293-2292 office 850-434-2244

909 N. 12th Avenue

pensacolapopcomics.com inweekly.net

10 YEARS OF

THANK YOU PENSACOLA! We couldn’t have done it without you.

2012 -2022

~ 10 Y E A R S O F B O DAC I O U S ~

CELEBRATE WITH US • Giveaways Every Hour

MAY 7 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M.

• Deals on Bodacious Favorites • Food and Drink Specials all Day

• Cooking Demos, Chef Phil of Chef Phil’s BBQ Sauce and Geneva Collection.

• Free Samples including champagne, popcorn, pasta salad, bread and olive oil, and gourmet cheeses.

4 0 7 S PA L A FOX S T

May 5, 2022

BOD0694_INW 5/5 Bodacious 10 Year Full pg.indd 1

3

4/28/22 2:41 PM

winners & losers

NAS Pensacola / Photo by Joshua Cox, Courtesy of DVIDS

Alex Andrade / Photo Courtesy of myfloridahouse.gov

winners

losers

NAS PENSACOLA The base has been named

the Commander, Navy Installations Command's Installation (Large) of the Year for 2022. According to a press release, the award recognizes the top Navy shore commands for their installation management, program excellence and community outreach during fiscal year 2021. Bases are evaluated on several categories, including facilities management, quality of life, environment, energy, public relations, safety and mission support. Among these criteria, NAS Pensacola completed over 50,000 mishap-free operations, 8,000 combat training activities, 7,600 radar/instrument approaches and 12 large force exercises. NAS Pensacola's Port Operations supported 50 port calls, 110 movements and homeporting for five U.S. Coast Guard Cutters.

EILEEN BEARD The owner of a downtown Pen-

sacola institution, The Scuba Shack, presented the Escambia County Commissioners with a check for $500,000 to preserve and add more artificial reefs to the Pensacola area. She told the board that she wanted $100,000 to go toward making a perpetual memorial reef. The Scuba Shack closed two years ago, but Beard has promoted marine tourism for decades. She was an early supporter of sinking the Oriskany to create an attraction for divers. The commissioners named the county's southeast artificial reef area after her.

PETE MOORE CHEVROLET The Pensacola car dealership donated two Chevrolet Colorado fourwheel drive pick-up trucks to the Pensacola Beach lifeguards as part of the "Safe Shores" initiative, a multi-level public awareness campaign designed to increase safety while decreasing swimming accidents on Pensacola Beach.

PENSACOLA SPORTS The organization has

landed the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Lacrosse Invitational through 2023. The event was previously hosted in Savannah, Ga. This year's tournaments are set to take place at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex. Eight teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament starting Wednesday, May 11. The championship game will be Saturday, May 14. Tickets are on sale now at pensacolasports.org/naia.

44

ALEX ANDRADE The state representative for the most diverse district of Northwest Florida delegation tried to convince us that changing how Florida Power & Light credits homeowners for the excess electricity created by solar panels on their roofs was done to reduce our electric bills. We see solar energy as an issue worthy of offsets to encourage more usage. Rep. Andrade said he studied the issue and knew better than most of his constituents what was best for them. He got the majority of state lawmakers to agree. However, Gov. Ron DeSantis didn't, and the bill was vetoed.

Citing inflation, he explained, "The state of Florida should not contribute to the financial crunch that our citizens are experiencing." Alex, we are all learning that state politics has become pleasing an audience of one—Gov. DeSantis.

MITCHELL "CHAD" BARRETT The Gulf

Breeze man, who moved here from Clinton, Miss., was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to repay more than $25 million for being the mastermind behind a nationwide fraud scheme involving high-priced pain creams and other medications. Barrett pleaded guilty last summer to conspiracy to commit money laundering in a $182.5 million health care fraud. He was licensed as a pharmacist in Mississippi and a coowner of various compounding pharmacies. As part of the scheme, Barrett adjusted prescription formulas to ensure the highest reimbursement without regard to efficacy.

PENSACOLA POLICE DEPARTMENT Since

the early days of Inweekly, concerned citizens have called for a citizens panel to review complaints concerning local law enforcement. The call may resurface after the announcement that the Pensacola Police Department's Internal Affairs investigation determined no laws or policies were violated in the serving of a high-risk search warrant that led to shots fired and a child being hurt when placed in a police vehicle. The mayor created a Citizens Advisory Committee after a police officer shot and killed Tymar Crawford during a traffic stop. The committee was dissolved a year ago without recommending a citizen review committee, though many hoped it would have.

The CAC report sits on a shelf, gathering dust. inweekly.net

AVAILABLE NOW 1709 ST MARYS BAY DR. • MILTON New Price $624,000 | MLS #600352

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

GRASSROOTS HELP A month ago, President Joe Biden announced that the United States would accept up to 100,000 refugees fleeing Ukraine. While the White House said it expected most refugees to remain in Europe close to family and their homes in Ukraine, the administration pledged to welcome those fleeing Russia's aggression with the full range of legal pathways, including the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and to expand and develop new programs with a focus on welcoming Ukrainians who have family members in the United States.

When the announcement was made, there were three million people, primarily women and children, that had fled Ukraine. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the number has swelled to an estimated 5.5 million. And Biden has yet to announce his plan on how we would accept the refugees.

I've spoken to people who have traveled to the refugee centers in Poland. They shared that there is no system to track what is happening with the women and children.

Many are concerned that the situation is ripe for human trafficking. Men with no credentials have shown up, cherry-picking the prettiest of the women, promising them food, jobs and safety in the United States.

Last week, I met with Dr. Krish Kandiah and Donniya Davies of the Sanctuary Foundation, a charity based in the United Kingdom that has mobilized individuals, businesses, civic groups, universities and churches to help their government accept 200,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Davies' family owns Bradbeers, the oldest chain of retail stores in Great Britain. Their Smith Bradbeer Charitable Trust has helped bring food, clothing, medicine and other supplies to the refugee centers. Kandiah is the founder of Home For Good, a young charity seeking to make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children in the foster system by finding loving homes for them. He also has

helped his country accept refugees fleeing oppression in Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

Davies has visited Poland. She described the women and children in the centers as stoic and resolute. However, the centers are packed. Kandiah believes the best strategy to take in refugees is a community-to-community approach that sets up a support system in the areas that accept them. He has successfully used the same approach to getting children out of the foster care system into loving, safe homes.

The Sanctuary Foundation is lining up potential sponsors, assisting the British government in the roll-out of the "Homes for Ukraine" initiative, and recruiting individuals, community groups, churches, schools and businesses to build safe havens for Ukrainian refugees. They have asked people and organizations to pledge their help.

As of Sunday, May 1, the Sanctuary Foundation had received 31,571 pledges from 27,238 individuals, 2,132 churches, 819 neighborhoods, 688 community groups, 528 businesses, 130 schools and 36 universities.

"With such an extraordinary surge of public commitment to help refugees in the U.K., we want to do all we can to ensure vulnerable people are safely cared for," said Kandiah. "The response from the nation has the potential to be a global game-changer in the way refugees are welcomed into communities."

Kandiah and Davies want to work with the British government and show the politicians that the British people are ready to help. Why can't we do the same thing here? What if every house of worship in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties offered to shelter a Ukrainian family? Our businesses are begging for employees. Ukrainians have the reputation of being hard workers and could help us deal with our labor shortage.

I fear that if we wait for the Biden administration to figure out how to handle the refugee crisis, we will still be talking about it a year from now. We need a grassroots effort like the Sanctuary Foundation is creating. Stay tuned; we will have more on this soon. {in} rick@inweekly.net

I fear that if we wait for the Biden administration to figure out how to handle the refugee crisis, we will still be talking about it a year from now.

May 5, 2022

Secluded waterfront community two-story home.

3 Beds, 2 Baths, 1 Partial Bath • 3,329 Sq. ft. • 37,026 Sq. ft. Lot

Call or text Cheryl Young at 850-712-4742 to see today!

SEVILLE SQUARE REALTY, LLC Cheryl Young Licensed Real Estate Broker

308 E. Government St. • Pensacola, Florida 32502

(850) 712-4742

Licensed in

www.sevillesquare.net • cheryl@sevillesquare.net Florida & Alabama

Practicing Since 1974 INJURED? (ALL TYPES OF ACCIDENTS)

ARRESTED? (ALL FEDERAL & STATE COURTS)

WHITE COLLAR CRIMES (HEALTH-CARE FRAUD • DRUG OFFENSES & D.U.I.s)

FREE CONSULTATION ON INJURY / DEATH CASES & CRIMINAL CASES NO RECOVERY - NO FEE / COST ON PERSONAL INJURY & WRONGFUL DEATH CASES

24 HOUR SERVICE

433-9922

304 E. GOVERNMENT STREET 5

BRUCE BEACH’S POOP PROBLEM

Bruce Beach / Photo Courtesy of City of Pensacola

By Jeremy Morrison There's a problem in the waters off Bruce Beach. With the city of Pensacola waist-deep in plans for major improvements at what it's billing as an idyllic strip of municipal beach adjacent to downtown, officials are now grappling with a nasty bit of reality—the waters are unsafe due to the presence of human waste.

Last week, Pensacola City Council members received a preliminary report on the possible cause of this contamination at Bruce Beach, which has gained in popularity since the city began developing improvement plans for the site, which include trails, an overlook area, kayaking facilities and early learning and play features.

"We became concerned about a year, year and a half ago that there was a lot of public activity at the beach—which is really great—but at that point and time, there was no sampling by the Department of Health, and we were concerned about water quality at Bruce's Beach," said Jane Caffrey, a professor within the University of West Florida's Center for Environmental Diagnostics and Bioremediation.

Over the course of last year, Caffrey and her students, along with Barbara Albrecht of the Bream Fishermen Association, conducted water sampling and testing. Initially, tests were conducted at three sites at Bruce Beach, with sampling later expanded to the areas downtown within the stormwater drainage area.

The water sampling conducted by the UWF team tested for enterococci, which are indicators of the presence of fecal material. If enterococci are detected, that indicates the possible pres66

ence of disease-causing bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Such pathogens can sicken swimmers or other people enjoying the water recreationally.

The Florida Department of Health threshold for healthy conditions is 70 MPN of enterococci per 100 milliliters of water (70 MPN/100 mL).

"Try to keep that number 70 in your mind," Caffrey told the city council before flashing a graph that mapped out the testing results from the team's initial three sites on Bruce Beach.

Near the bottom of the graph, a dotted red line indicated DOH's 70 MPN/100 mL threshold. Most of the results from the beach's sandy shoreline, Washerwoman Creek and mitigation wetlands logged well above the threshold.

"So you can see that very often, levels were above the healthy beach threshold," Caffrey said, pointing out levels spiking well above 1000 MPN/100 mL. "So people should not have been getting in the water whenever the levels were that high."

Based on these initial findings, collected via the original three Bruce Beach sites from February-August of last year, the team suggested, and the city obliged, further study to determine the source of these contaminants at the beach.

"We know that at the water at Bruce's Beach, Washerwoman's Creek, there is some connection to the Corrine Jones stormwater, to other stormwater, outfalls," Caffrey said, explaining that the team designated 29 additional locations in the area, popping manhole covers and conducting stormwater sampling from the end of AugustFebruary of this year.

During this testing period, there were stretches of wet weather, as well as drier periods. While the team found some high numbers following

rain events, they also found that some locations tested high for enterococcus regardless of the weather. Really high.

"Sometimes it was so high we could not actually measure how many bacteria there were because there were too many for the analysis.

OK? So very, very high," Caffrey said. "It was high when it was wet and when it was dry."

Some locations were throwing higher enterococcus numbers than other locales. The intersection of Reus and Zaragoza streets consistently measured above 24,000 MPN/100 mL. The northwest corner stood out as the worst when compared to the other three corners.

"It goes up to this level so high we can't really even measure it," Caffrey said. "It shows that at this northwest site, even 11 days after a rain, we sometimes have these crazy high values. So this is a concern."

"It shows that at this northwest site, even 11 days after a rain, we sometimes have these crazy high values. So this is a concern.”

Jane Caffrey The professor said that the team was not sure why a specific corner of a particular intersection was faring worse.

At the intersection of Spring and Garden streets by the SCI Building, the team found cleaner test results. Caffrey said this may be due to the sites being located on higher ground.

Washerwoman Creek might help flush it out.

The UWF team sent some samples to a professor from the University of Central Florida, who conducted further, more specific tests on the samples, to determine what exactly was fouling the water.

"Two samples were sent to her to look for particular indicators of what's in the water. Are there human biomarkers? Are there dog biomarkers? Are there bird biomarkers?" Caffrey explained. "And it was very unequivocal, her study showed, that it was human material in that stormwater. So there was no dog material or bird material in that runoff in those two samples."

In addition to creating unhealthy swimming conditions off Bruce Beach, this contaminated stormwater runoff, which can back up under heavy rain conditions, is also an issue for residents living within the low-lying drainage area.

"So what I think is important is that it's not just that residents are getting exposed to stormwater. If they're out there, they are being potentially exposed to stormwater with these bacterial contaminants," Caffrey said.

The presence of human waste in stormwater, and by extension the bay, is a pretty good indicator of an issue with the sewage infrastructure.

"I mean, obviously, the idea is that they should be totally separate, your stormwater and your sewer, but the system is old," noted Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson, who said the city had communicated with the Emerald Coast Utility Authority about the need to address contamination issues. He added the agency had responded with "at least conversational buy-in."

"This is the time to do it when we make the actual improvements to Bruce Beach, to go ahead and do those things and figure out where those solutions are so we can tie up and improve what's coming into the water there," Mayor Robinson said.

City Councilwoman Teniade Broughton suggested that the city post signs advising the public to the health concerns at Bruce Beach, but Professor Caffrey informed her that the health department had already posted a sign.

Dr. Gloria Horning, a Tanyards resident and member of the city's Environmental Advisory Board, has long railed against what she considers to be unacceptable stormwater issues. Following Caffrey's presentation, she said she was glad to see the city addressing the issue.

"ECUA has ignored this for more than 20 years, and I've been asking for six years, and I thank you, President Hill, for finally biting the bullet on this; our health and welfare of our environment is at stake here," Horning said.

The city is keeping a better eye on stormwater quality issues as it looks to make significant improvements to Bruce Beach area that will enhance its recreational use and provide better downtown waterfront access and walkability. It's also part of the streetscape project dubbed "Hashtag." The projects are being funded with approximately $18 million the city secured through refinancing bonds associated with Maritime Park. {in} inweekly.net

THE BAIL PROJECT

By Tom St. Myer An absence of "justice" in the pretrial justice system motivated hotelier Julian MacQueen to call on Robin Steinberg after hearing her presentation at the 2018 TED Talk in Vancouver.

A public defender and activist from the Bronx, Steinberg captivated MacQueen when she spoke about addressing injustices in the bail process through her nonprofit startup, The Bail Project.

"We started dogging her to come to Pensacola and caught her in a weak moment two years later," said MacQueen, Innisfree Hotels chairman and founder.

The Bail Project collects donations and pays bail for people financially incapable of paying the amount themselves. The nonprofit organization has paid bail for over 2,200 people nationwide.

Pensacola is one of 32 branches nationwide and among two in Florida. Orlando is the other location, and The Bail Project is set to open a branch in Jacksonville soon. The Pensacola branch launched this year and has paid bail for six people through mid-April.

Florida requires defendants to pay bail for their release pretrial. The court sets the bail amount and is determined based on factors including the crime the defendant is accused of, the evidence against the defendant, past convictions, ties to the community, whether they pose a flight risk and their financial resources.

If defendants can pay cash bail for the full amount, they walk out of jail and will someday recoup their money as long as they make all of their court appearances. But if they cannot pay the full amount, the situation becomes dicey.

May 5, 2022

"If you have financial means, you have your freedom—not because of the crime but the ability to pay an arbitrary amount," said Rusty Branch, vice president of community engagement for Innisfree.

"If you have financial means, you have your freedom—not because of the crime but the ability to pay an arbitrary amount." Rusty Branch One option for those without enough money to pay the full amount is to work with a bail bond agent, but that comes at a price, too. The defendant pays the agent 10% of the amount to post bail. For example, if the bail amount is $10,000, the defendant pays the agent $1,000. The defendant will never recoup that $1,000, but the system allows the bail bond agent to recoup the full amount paid.

A bail bond agent is only an option if the defendant has enough to pay the 10%. If financially strapped, the defendant either lingers in jail throughout the pretrial process or agrees to a plea deal.

"It's a situation where, do you want to go home tonight? Then just say you did it," MacQueen said. "There is a cascade of things that can happen once you're incarcerated. For example, you lose your job because you don't show up to work the next day because you've been in jail, and you don't have $2,000 freaking dollars."

MacQueen and Branch cited a 22-year-old Pensacola woman arrested for a misdemeanor

and spent two-and-a-half months in jail because she could not afford $200 to post bail as an example of why The Bail Project is so important to the community. The Pensacola branch eventually paid for her bail.

Beau Rudder, South Regional director for the East, said The Bail Project's mission is to restore the presumption of innocence and level the playing field for paying bail. Nearly half a million people are in jail cells in the U.S. each day, waiting for their criminal cases to move forward. American taxpayers pay about $14 billion each year to incarcerate people pretrial. The economic cost is estimated to approach $140 billion annually when factoring in the impact of pretrial detention on families, communities and social services.

"We do this because cash bail creates a twotiered system of justice that undermines the presumption of innocence and does not meaningfully protect public safety," Rudder said.

Pensacola native Reginald Robinson Jr. serves as the operations manager for the Pensacola branch. He is seeking funding sources other than Innisfree to ensure the branch succeeds in its mission to support people incapable of supporting themselves financially.

"We have a lot of people who are incarcerated and take a plea deal because they can't afford a $100 bond," Robinson said.

Robinson found an ally in the overcrowded Escambia County Jail. Each Monday, the jail provides him with a list of people on a $10,000 bond. Robinson then meets with Melissa Snow, personal assistant to directors at the Escambia Board of County Commissioners, to review the list of people and research their backgrounds.

After candidates are identified, Robinson conducts interviews to better evaluate if they are the right fit. His primary concerns are whether they are nonviolent, have somewhere to live and have a support system in place. Robinson said he identifies nonviolent defendants to minimize risks of any future incidents involving those they bail out.

The Bail Project also provides an array of pretrial services. The organization primarily focuses on ending cash bail, limiting pretrial detention, and returning people to their communities with proper support in place.

"As an organization, we believe there is a better way to support people pretrial, which includes developing a robust network of community-based pretrial services and supports," Rudder said. "We do this by working with local stakeholders to advance community and statewide priorities that not only improve public safety but can lead to significant taxpayer savings."

The Bail Project's argument for ending cash bail is that judges release people on a promise to return to court in only a fraction of the cases. Barriers to the nonmonetary option include concern that people will not return to court, and there are few incentives for judges to grant release due to fears of public blame and media coverage if the person released is rearrested. The Bail Project's remedy is to use a national revolving bail fund. This requires setting aside money to pay the bail for people living in poverty. The bail returns to the fund at the end of the client's case and then is used to free the next person on the list.

Pretrial detention includes curfews, mandatory testing for alcohol and drugs, home incarceration and electronic monitoring. The Bail Project calls to limit those restrictions to the least necessary, claiming those conditions recreate the harms of cash bail and lead to unemployment, childcare issues and obstacles in seeking medical treatment.

Ideas for returning defendants to their communities with proper support include investing in court reminders, free or subsidized transportation to court, childcare assistance and developing effective systems of voluntary referrals to social service and community-based organizations.

"Not having childcare and a car to get there stop them from showing up to court," MacQueen said. "There should be calls to remind them that the trial date is coming up and Uber transportation to make sure they can get there."

Addressing pretrial services is a long-term goal for the Pensacola branch. The short-term focus is ensuring that defendants aren't spending months in jail because they're short a few hundred dollars.

"It tugs at my heart," Robinson said. "I feel like everybody deserves a second chance, and I feel like the less fortunate in this world we live in are not given the same second chance as wealthy people. By doing this, I think we're giving people the second opportunity they deserve." {in} 7

YES, BURNOUT IS REAL

By Abby Hall Over the course of the past two years, the nation has seen a massive shift in employment rates. Multiple factors have contributed to the current state of things, including a rise in mental health issues, many stemming from burnout.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2021, over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs. Like most generational shifts, this workforce shakeup has even been given a clever name by the media—"The Great Resignation."

Many different sectors are suffering staffing shortages, including the restaurant, hospitality, transportation, health care, customer service and construction industries. Some businesses have even had to reduce their hours or close completely due to a lack of employment.

There are many reasons why people have chosen to leave their jobs. However, one of the most prominent is a realization of the importance of mental health and work-life balance. For many, this awareness and understanding were set in motion during the early isolated days of the pandemic.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic.

Suzanne Kaschak, a counselor at Lakeview

Center, saw firsthand how the isolation period affected the rise of anxiety and depression.

"Anxiety itself has become its own pandemic," she said. "As people were forced to work and teach children from home, many became more aware of mental health because they began to see the physical symptoms present, like heart palpitations and shortness of breath."

Because of this, many people began to evaluate and are still evaluating whether the negative mental result from their working conditions, pay rate and overall job dissatisfaction is enough to outweigh any positive benefits they experience from their career.

Burnout, as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), is a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress that usually involves a reduced sense of accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

Although burnout existed before the pandemic, it has become more understood and discussed in society than it was a few years ago. Many people experienced it significantly while trying to work during the pandemic and re-entering the career world after adapting to a completely different routine.

One area where burnout may not have been fully understood is the psychology field.

With the rapid rise of anxiety and depression, more people than ever were seeking out professional help. While this is amazing and shows societal progress, the mental well-being of the therapists was not nearly as addressed as other health care workers during this time.

"The therapist field had burnout because we couldn't meet the need," Kaschak said. "Lakeview

was also experiencing staffing shortages while the demand for therapy was on the rise. We had to make sure that we were taking care of ourselves and pushing through, but it did make me question if this field was for me."

Given that therapists even experienced and still deal with burnout regularly shows that it has affected different people across different careers.

Local writer Stephanie Leal came to her own realization during the pandemic that caused her to reevaluate whether her marketing and public relations career was fulfilling her desire to create.

After receiving her college degree and entering the world of PR, she quickly learned that her true passions and values were not being reflected in her position.

"I ran the gamut extremely fast," Leal said. "I started as a paid intern at an award-winning PR agency in Tallahassee, worked my way up and eventually accepted a management position and put together a team to work underneath me. I was in it for about six years when I started to really question my path."

On paper, Leal had her dream job. However, she couldn't ignore the signs that it wasn't how she wanted or needed her reality to look.

"It got to the point where I didn't think I could keep doing it anymore," she said. "Not only was I having to put out an insane amount of creative output that I needed to strategically plan and adapt to, but I was reporting to people who didn't care about what I was doing, and I couldn't do it anymore."

Leal has had an intense passion for creativity and writing for a large portion of her life but was held back by society's view of the starving artist mindset. During this time, she realized she was not motivated by money and cared more about whether she was working according to her values.

"I couldn't work in a high-stress, results-driven environment with people that don't share my values, because values are important right now," she said. "It made me question what I wanted my life to look like. I asked myself what I could do with my gifts and talents that I once only looked at as skills that paid the bills."

She asked herself a very important question in the middle of the pandemic—"Do I care to sell things to people?" The answer was, absolutely not.

In 2019, Leal was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) at 27 years old. This diagnosis shook many areas of her life, but it also allowed her to make connections as to why she operated in specific ways at her job and became one of the reasons why she chose to switch paths.

"Burnout seems to happen quickly in those with ADHD," she said. "It's almost like a roman candle career. It's amazing at first, but you realize that you have additional responsibilities within and outside of your career that are hard to juggle."

She is now able to work with people who have similar values and a common goal that is aligned with what she believes is important.

"I can provide care and support for families every single day, and even though I have taken more than a 50% pay cut since leaving my previous role, I am able to write and do creative projects that matter to me," she said.

She says that her mental health has been amazing ever since she decided to switch careers, but she also recognizes that not everyone has the ability or luxury to switch paths at any point in their lives.

In Leal's situation, leaving her job not only benefitted her mental health and overall happiness, but she had the financial means to do so.

However, there are circumstances where this is not always possible or even the right decision.

There are adjustments and boundaries that can attempt to be set inside a workplace if necessary.

While Kaschak experienced questioning her career field and felt the weight of the world on her shoulders as she navigated a challenge she never prepared for, she acted on the areas she could control.

"I had to focus heavily on self-care," Kaschak said. "If you don't look at your own mental health as a therapist, you will end up doing harm. During this time, I really had to make sure that I was taking care of myself so I could continue to show up for my clients." {in}

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com 88

Tired of suffering from droopy eyelids? Uplift your eyelids with the once daily eye drop, Upneeq. Call now to schedule your appointment with the eye care specialists at Terrezza Optical: 850-434-2060 inweekly.net

Thank You To Our Winning Team!

Pensacola Blue Wahoos Stadium, April 2022

Administrative Professionals’ Day 2022

Committed. Collaborative. Responsive. Proven.

Find your community.

The Center serves as downtown Pensacola’s cultural and artistic hub.

It is home to local theatre, ballet, education, events, community organizations and more. As we look to the future, we plan to reimagine our space, and we invite you to join us on the journey. learn more at findyour center pensacola.com

AD DESIGN COURTESY OF BRAND ON US ™, AN IDGROUP INITIATIVE.

May 5, 2022

9

nez told Inweekly. "I guess he didn't understand that First Amendment rights are there to protect you when you're at odds with the administration because you aren't always going to be working perfectly and agreeing with the administration."

Martinez and his fellow students disagreed with the use of "unauthorized" and preferred the use of "disruptive" instead.

"If the principal just says no, then he'd just killed (the petition) right then and there," he said. "But more importantly, it just needs to be removed because it doesn't add anything to the rights and responsibility handbook that isn't already covered by their articles."

Martinez would like to see the handbook state that students do have the right to protest and petition in schools, so long as it's not disruptive. While the school board agreed to amend the proposal, he plans to monitor it until it comes back to the board for a vote.

"I've been watching pretty diligently, just looking every morning at the school board schedule," said Martinez. "And so far, at least, I don't think there's going to be anything in the month of April, just looking at the schedule. But supposedly, there is a full hearing in June regarding the rights and responsibility handbook. And we'll definitely be launching a lot of students to go speak at it."

GROVER'S TRAVELS Having recently returned

Photo Courtesy of FloridaWest

PEGASUS EXPANDS Pegasus Laboratories is expanding its footprint and increasing the number of high-paying jobs in Pensacola after a creative and collaborative effort from organizations invested in economic development.

Headquartered in Pensacola for the past 37 years, Pegasus is leasing a facility in Ellyson Industrial Park. The company partnered with the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development, FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance and Triumph Gulf Coast to purchase the property previously owned by Hitachi Cable America for about $8.5 million. Pegasus is investing another $9 million in renovations to the facility.

Pegasus produces animal health products and pharmaceuticals distributed under their PRN Pharmacal brand in the veterinary market. The company employs 140 people and plans to add 60-70 laboratory and life-science manufacturing jobs over the next five years. The average salary of the new positions is expected to be close to $70,000.

"We have a meaningfully large pipeline of new drug opportunities we're prosecuting to get drugs in a position that they're commercially saleable," said Steve Clifford, president and CEO of PBI-Gordon Companies, the parent company of Pegasus. "Our expectation is that we're going to hit on a meaningful percentage of those, and if we do, our expectations—we're north of $50 million in revenue today, and our hope is to be more than twice that over the next five-seven years."

010 1

Clifford said the facility at 9100 Ely Road will house clean rooms, labs, production and packaging, among others. The 172,000-square-foot facility is adjacent to other Pegasus operations and expands its footprint in Pensacola to 300,000 square feet. That is a drastic increase for a company that operated out of a 10,000-square-foot facility about 20 years ago.

Pegasus began collaborating with FloridaWest on how to acquire the property last June. The company is leasing the property from PEDC in an unusual transaction that permitted Triumph Gulf Coast to award the project $2.5 million.

Triumph only awards funding for publicly owned assets that promote job creation. Pegasus is privately owned, so the company loaned PEDC about $6 million to complete the purchase from Hitachi.

"It's exactly what Triumph is supposed to be doing—helping people expand," said Collier Merrill, Triumph Gulf Coast vice-chair. "This is kind of what we want to do. It's not all about bringing in new businesses. It's helping the ones that are here expand. This is a great example of that—a company moving forward, bringing in more people."

FloridaWest CEO Scott Luth said the deal between Pegasus and PEDC includes a 10-year initial term with options to then continue the lease or potentially acquire the property once all the job creation commitments are met.

"In essence, the company's making lease payments to us, we're covering all our costs in

taxes and insurance and all those types of things, and then we turn around and make a loan payment back to the company," Luth said.

"The big part about the company doing it is it significantly reduces everyone's risk," Luth added.

"It reduces Triumph's risk. If something were to go wrong, well, then we have a partner. The money is borrowed from the company, so they have a vested interest in making sure they meet all of their obligations."

BATTLE NOT OVER While the once-daily newspaper has declared victory, a Pensacola High sophomore believes the freedom of speech regarding a proposed change in the school district's handbook hasn't been settled.

At Escambia County School Board's meeting on April 19, students spoke out against a rule change that would make concerns about a proposed new rule that would make unauthorized demonstrations, petitions, possession and/or distribution of unauthorized publications punishable offenses.

While the board attorney and superintendent appeared to be sympathetic to the students' position, some of the board members were negative, according to student organizer Tristan Martinez.

"One of the responses stated that schools aren't set up to be 'independent democracies' and that removing the article would essentially just mean that students work against the administration rather than with the administration," Marti-

from a municipal scouting mission to Savannah, Ga., Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson was abuzz recounting the trip during his press conference on April 25. City Administrator Kerrith Fiddler and deputy administrators Amy Miller and David Forte joined the mayor on the trip hosted by the Greater Pensacola Chamber.

The team explored the coastal city's port and airport operations, particularly its downtown area, with the intent of learning lessons to carry back to Pensacola. The mayor acknowledged that Savannah differed from Pensacola in some significant ways. Its port is bigger, tourism effort more established and the infrastructure of hotels and parking garages more complete. However, the city could still offer Pensacola a roadmap toward growth in these areas.

"A lot of it was kind of learning things they had done, steps they had taken, so we could kind of prepare ourselves, put ourselves in the right position to take advantage of those things," Mayor Robinson said, adding that he felt Pensacola was a city blessed with sturdy bones and one that had already made meaningful gains in recent years.

"You know, we have great parks, too. Certainly, they have great parks, the way they were designed, but I would stack up Plaza Ferdinand, Bartram Park, Veterans Park, Plaza de Luna, Maritime Park and put those competitive with anybody. We just haven't found a good way to connect them all together."

He continued, "You build the kind of place that people want to live. You're going to build the kind of place that people want to visit. And we're seeing that already here; I think they're just a little bit ahead of us." inweekly.net

Mayor Robinson and the team from Pensacola saw how vital Savannah's airport has been to the city's growth. He told reporters, "Having an airport that can reach an increasing number of destinations is going to be critical to Pensacola going forward."

Robinson was also focused on the airport during a recent trip to Washington D.C., where he's keeping a close watch on federal funding opportunities. He said that growing the airport's capacity is essential in providing adequate business and leisure travel options to and from the area.

"It's incredibly critical to have that way you connect to the outside," the mayor said. "I'm just amazed at where we've gotten to, but we've got a lot further to go."

Robinson said that he expects federal funding opportunities to open up soon with the possible expansion of the airport with the next five-seven years.

"We're positioning ourselves for when those monies start flowing and are there and can be applied," said the mayor. "That would be a fast approach, but I think we all want to move it fast."

BRINGING SHOP CLASS The Home Builders

Association of West Florida is working with local school districts to encourage more students to consider the construction trades. Executive Director David Peaden told Inweekly that they have met with the district leadership of Escambia and Santa Rosa about bringing back shop classes.

"If you want to be a millionaire, you can be a plumber. It's true. The trades pay really well," Peaden said. "I think we've gone from thinking your kid has to go to college to parents thinking that trades allow a kid to get out and get a job in the workforce without a lot of college loan debt as well."

He continued, "There's an avenue for everybody in their individual way in life, and we're hoping to get more young people involved in the construction industry."

Peaden said the Home Builders Association has scholarship money available for students looking to go to the Pensacola State College (PSC) carpentry program or other construc-

tion trade programs at PSC, University of West Florida and George Stone Technical College.

"If they're going to apply for a class, we have scholarships available," he said. To learn more, visit westfloridabuilders.com.

FRED'S WAY At the Fred Levin Way unveiling

yesterday, Martin Levin talked about his father's love for Pensacola and how much he would have enjoyed having the portion of Zaragoza that runs in front of the firm's offices named after him.

"Dad had his endless critics, but he never let it back him down," said Levin. "When he perceived injustice, he would speak out, and he didn't care if people didn't like his voice. He didn't mind if they booed him, if they tried to shut him down, if they tried to destroy him. He wasn't going to back down."

He continued, "Like Roy Jones Jr., if you knocked him down, he is getting back up and ain't leaving that ring. It ain't happening. And at the end of dad's fighting career, the critics faded. They actually started to admire dad, respect him, love him and even create a street."

Levin recognized his sisters, Marci Goodman, Debra Dreyer and Kimberly Brielmayer, who had been planning the celebration for nearly a year.

"I can promise you that none of this would be possible without them," said Levin. "Like dad, everyone knows I'll take all the glory and do nothing, and I am damn good at it. But the truth is, it was their face, concept and hard work. They are tremendous siblings, children, parents, and I love you."

Levin also talked about the future of Levin, Papantonio, Rafferty, Proctor, Buchanan, O'Brien, Barr & Mougey, citing the leadership of Mike Papantonio, Mark Proctor and Troy Rafferty. He said if he were still alive, Fred Levin would talk about how proud he was of Papantonio's impressive legal career.

"He would talk about his dear friend, Mark Proctor, who he always said was the greatest leader and grounded person he ever knew and was so proud he was his partner," said Martin Levin. "Then he would talk about his little buddy.

All he wanted to do was spend time with Troy.

He couldn't believe Troy had come to this firm.

My brother-in-law Ross is the one who brought him out of law school and to rise where he is.

Now, he would remind Troy that Troy still owes him chicken wings for eternity."

He added, "But he would also like all of you to know that Troy will be taking over after Pap's ready to step down and take over the reins for the next 20 years. He'd want me to talk about Virginia Buchanan. He said that she was the most compassionate, competent lawyer he ever met, and her ability to bond with clients and present their losses was stunning."

Levin also praised the young attorneys on the masthead—Brian Barr, Tim O'Brien and Peter Mougey—calling them the "future of Pensacola."

He ended his comments, "It's at this time, I would like to introduce the newest street in downtown Historic Pensacola. And as everyone who knew Fred Levin, this name is very significant because throughout his life, he did it the Fred Levin Way. Thank you, everybody."

BAPTIST SECRETS North Hill, Morris Court

and most of District 7 are concerned about what will happen to the Baptist Hospital campus when the hospital relocates to Brent Lane. Pensacola Councilman Delarian Wiggins has sat in on the private discussions. While excited about the plans he has seen, Wiggins wasn't ready to share details when he appeared on WCOA's "Real News with Rick Outzen."

"I'm hearing a lot of great positive things, especially coming from Baptist," said the councilman who represents District 7. "They hadn't released the things that they want to do to it yet, so I don't want to put the wagon before the horse, but I can guarantee you that it's going to be a great project."

He continued, "I was really intrigued by the amount of thought they gave to developing the old campus into something that's going to be new, something that's going to be great and beneficial for the community. Baptist Hospital has definitely listened to a lot of people in the community. And so they're making some major invest-

ments there. Hopefully, they will be coming out with their plans soon."

THE RISING SEA At a CivicCon event on Monday, May 9, Dr. Rob Young will share what existing coastal cities need to do to prepare for the future while balancing economic and environmental interests. The event is from 6-7:30 p.m. at The Rex Theatre and is free and open to the public.

Young is Director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines, which studies sea-level rise at coastal cities in Florida, the Carolinas and Georgia and advocates for responsible strategies to promote the long-term sustainability of the nation's coastal ecosystems. He co-authored "The Rising Sea," which chronicles what is projected to happen based on scientific predictions of dramatic sea-level rise between now and the end of the century.

Dr. Young is a professor of coastal geology at Western Carolina University. In addition, he does work with the National Parks Service to develop vulnerability assessments for infrastructure in coastal parks to guide resilience policies.

You can RSVP to attend the event in person at tinyurl.com/2z49dce4.

AWARD DEADLINE EXTENDED The Studer Community Institute extended the application deadline for its inaugural Five FastestGrowing Businesses Awards to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 15.

Companies, corporations, partnerships and sole proprietorships must operate a business in either Escambia or Santa Rosa county. The business must be for-profit and privately held.

Franchises and subsidiaries or divisions of another company are not allowed. Applicants must be in business for three years or more as of Jan. 1, 2022. They also must have had verifiable, average annual top-line revenue of $100,000 or more every year since and including the calendar year 2019 or for the past three full fiscal years.

To apply online, visit thespringpensacola. com/5-fastest-growing-businesses. For more information, email Entrepreneurial Manager Gracie Price at gprice@studeri.org. {in}

MOST INVESTMENT LOSSES ARE FROM PRODUCTS WITH CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS PETER J. MOUGEY | Recovered $250 Million on Behalf of over 3,000 Investors SECURITIES & BUSINESS LITIGATION | HOLD YOUR STOCK BROKER ACCOUNTABLE

850.435.7000 | LEVINLAW.COM | PENSACOLA, FL May 5, 2022

11

Rev. H.K. Matthews / Photo Courtesy of University of West Florida Historic Trust

H.K. MATTHEWS' STORY: IN HIS WORDS

By Rick Outzen

The foxes were tired of dealing with Rev. H.K. Matthews, tired of his boycotts, protests and refusal to let them run things the way they had done for decades. How dare he believe Black people should have the same quality of life they enjoyed. The foxes had tried threats and bribes, but Matthews, who led the local chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, wouldn't go away.

In 1975, they finally found a way to get rid of him, and it almost worked.

"During those days, Black people like us were the chickens," the civil rights icon told Inweekly. "If we went to court, the arresting officer, first of all, was a fox. Before we went to court, the jailer was a fox. When we did go to court, we find that the judge was a fox. We look in the jury box, and there were 12 foxes in the jury box. What chance did we think a chicken had with all those foxes?"

Not much.

In February, the retired pastor celebrated 212 1

his 94th birthday. And as far-fetched as it might seem, Escambia school children might never be taught about his courage and struggles thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

We've already seen the Osceola County School District cancel a presentation by his biographer, Dr. Michael Butler.

Inweekly wanted to have Rev. Matthews share the story of his arrest, trial and pardon, lest it be forgotten.

Something to Get H.K.

In February 1975, Matthews and Rev. B. J. Brooks organized daily protests at the Escambia County Jail, demanding an investigation of a deputy who had shot and killed a Black man. The protestors shouted, "Two, four, six, eight, who should we incarcerate?" and they named the deputy and the sheriff. After a few days of protests, a business owner asked Matthews to visit him.

The pastor shared, "He called me down to a

store here downtown and said that 'H.K., y'all have gone as far as you can go. Why don't you just let it go, lighten up? You can't do anything further. And I've been authorized to make it worth your while; just back off.'"

The businessman insisted he wasn't asking Matthews to sell out. The civil rights organizer replied, "If you're not asking me to sell out, what are you asking me to do? Because every morning, when I get up and look in the mirror, I know what I would've done. I'd have to look at those young people who joined me for the protests, and they would know what I did."

He turned down the bribe, and the next night, 70 deputies armed with clubs plowed into the crowd of protestors. They arrested 34 adults and 13 juveniles who were ultimately charged with unlawful assembly and malicious trespass.

Three days later, Matthews and Brooks were charged with felony extortion and put in jail. Law enforcement claimed the men had the protestors

shout "assassination" instead of "incarceration" in the chants.

When he was arrested, Matthews told Inweekly, "I thought they had finally come up with something to get me. That had been the intent all along, to remove me from any activity related to civil rights in this community. They tried everything they could, including physical intimidation and all kinds of threats. Finally, on that particular night, they came up with a reason to really get Matthews out of circulation."

Neither Matthews nor Brooks led the chants the night of the mass arrests. Brooks was home battling the flu, but those facts didn't matter.

"The cheer that they said was sang but was never sang, I did not even lead it," said Matthews.

"As you look back on it now, it was mind-boggling, but it also shows the depth of stupidity and ignorance of those who were so hellbent on getting me out of circulation until they would go to any length. They just made up something, and they inweekly.net

didn't care, as long as it was something that they felt would stick in a court of law."

The trial was a farce.

"The judge, Kirk M. Beale, was not one of my biggest fans," said Matthews with a smile. "The shotgun tape recording was audible to a point because it clearly showed that the chant was 'Two, four, six, eight, who shall we incarcerate?'

And it clearly showed that it was not my voice leading the chant."

At the trial, a young minister, Jimmie Lee Savage, testified that he, not Matthews and Brooks, always led the chants. Using only the deputies' testimony, the two ministers were convicted of the extortion charges by an all-white jury. Brooks cut a deal and was sentenced to five years' probation. Matthews refused to cooperate and received a sentence of five years of hard labor.

Why didn't Matthews accept a plea deal?

Matthews didn't hesitate to answer—"Because the charges were false."

Dodging Another Bullet

While awaiting sentencing and free on bond, Matthews held a press conference. He told the media, "Pensacola is gearing up for the biggest demonstration that it has ever had. Ralph Abernathy is coming to town, and we are going to shock Pensacola."

The next day, two deputies showed up at his home, saying that his bond had been revoked.

Matthews recalled, "Judge Beall had issued a statement to the press that a judge would be a damned fool to let a man run loose for threatening to do the same thing he was locked up for."

Early the next morning, the pastor was awakened and transported with a white prisoner to the state prison. One of the deputies in the cruiser had been one of those that had arrested him.

"We got down to Chattahoochee, at one of those all-night, backwoods, good-old-boy cafes," said Matthews. "The deputies got out to go in to get something to eat and opened the back door of the cruiser, with me and this young white fellow sitting in there. And he kept saying to me, 'Come on, H.K., let's run.' I said, 'Well, if you go, you're going to go by yourself. You'd catch hell carrying me because I'm not going anywhere.' I don't know. I just had an intuition, and that didn't smell quite right."

Matthews later found out the white man wasn't a prisoner but a plant trying to get him to make a run for it. According to the pastor, the man told him, "They had me handcuffed to you to entice you to run so that they could shoot you and say you were trying to escape."

Matthews told Inweekly, "I dodged another bullet."

At Matthews' sentencing hearing, Judge Beale said he couldn't find anyone who had a nice word to say about him. From 1956–1971, the FBI surveilled civil rights groups and built files on the leaders. Judge Beale read Matthews' FBI file during the hearing, bringing up arrests and charges from the 1950s when he first got out of the military.

"He brought up my when," Matthews explained. "I tell people all the time, even preachers who start out preaching, 'Everybody does not wish you well because people remember you when, and everybody's got a when.' Anything that the judge could come up with that was slanderous, he did. He threw the book at me."

He appealed the conviction, and Gov. Reubin Askew got the Florida Cabinet to commute May 5, 2022

his sentence to time served. But he would not pardon Matthews.

Gov. Askew told him, "I don't want to give you a pardon because if I move to give you a pardon, it's going to render your case moot. I want your case to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court because it smacks of denial of freedom of speech."

Unfortunately, Matthews lost his appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear his case.

However, his attorney, Paul Shimek, found a tape recording of the chant and petitioned the court for a new trial because it clearly proved the word used was not "assassinate" but "incarcerate."

"Judge Kirke Beall, bless his heart, said, 'I don't care whether he said assassinate, incarcerate, castrate. New trial denied,' which meant that I was still a convicted felon," said Matthews. "But then Bob Graham succeeded Askew. Gov. Graham made the move to give me a complete pardon."

No Bitterness on His Plate

When Matthews got out of prison, the businessman who had offered him the bribe asked to see him. The pastor told Inweekly, "He said, 'Well, H.K., $18,000 doesn't look so bad now, does it?'

Well, here I am, a poor Black man, couldn't find employment and everything going wrong in my life. In 1975, $18,000 looked like a lot of money. He smirked and had to rub that in."

Matthews was also disavowed by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and abandoned by many of the Black ministers.

"Even those I was out there fighting for and defending, even most of them deserted the island and left me out there," said Matthews. "They put on their little life jackets and hopped on the lifeboats, and they swam to shore, leaving me on that lonely island by myself."

"I'm 94 years old. I'm not going to live 94 more years. I don't need to put bitterness on my plate."

Rev. H.K. Matthews

Was Pensacola that frightening for Black people? The pastor nodded, "It was just that frightening. Even to the point that there were a lot of Black people who even denied knowing me."

He admitted that he was bitter for a time. He said, "But then, as I grew older and reflected more on that situation, I said, 'You know, really, I've got a right to harbor a lot of bitterness.' But I really shouldn't because everybody just didn't have the stamina I had. I'm 94 years old. I'm not going to live 94 more years. I don't need to put bitterness on my plate."

Matthews added, "Coming up in Wilcox County and Snow Hill, Ala., way back then, that's how the Lord had called my life out to be. And to this day, God does not make mistakes. So whatever happened to me, it happened for a reason. In God's providence, I went through the things that I went through. I continue being haunted by some of the memories but not haunted to the extent that I dwell on them."

To learn more about Rev. H.K. Matthews and the civil rights movement in Escambia County, read these two books by Dr. Michael Butler—"Victory After the Fall" and "Beyond Integration: The Black Freedom Struggle in Escambia County, Florida, 1960-1980." {in} 13

TRUST YOUR MOM WITH MICHELLE.

“

MICHELLE H.

“The people I care for aren’t just our clients. They are my friends. I prepare meals, keep their homes clean and safe.

I help with walking and I give baths. But what I love most is listening to the stories of their lives. Older folks have so much to share. I’m a former teacher and I love history so I love to listen to their stories.”

ONE-ON-ONE PERSONAL CARE TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES AT HOME Contact us 24/7

850.857.0920 TLCCAREGIVERS.COM Our caregivers are drug tested, background checked, and vetted.

Trusted by NW Florida for 30 years. Licensed and insured. AHCA #5703.

414 1

inweekly.net

WEEK OF MAY 5-11

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

One Love Surf Collective Returns

By Jeremy Morrison

Tom Stack / Courtesy Photo

Some years ago, Tom Stack stepped onto the Key West beach his boat had washed up on and everything was blue.

"Everything in the boat turned blue—all my tools, my didgeridoo was blue—everything," Stack recalled.

Hurricane Katrina had ripped through the island and turned the contents of Stack's sailboat upside down and inside out, including drenching everything with blue paint. It was another good story within a trip full of them, capping a return voyage from Cuba and a foiled plan to offer Cuban surfers instruction on shaping surfboards.

"I had 30 surfboard blanks, had about 15 gallons of resin and everything you needed to make those into surfboards," the Pensacola surfer said recently, sitting on his sailboat docked at a local marina.

May 5, 2022

Stack had gotten to know the local surfing community during a previous trip to the island and thought he could pass along the skills of a viable trade—one that he loves—to his new friends. The Cuban government felt differently.

"I thought it was OK for me to do this," Stack explained. "When I got there, I found it was not OK for me to do this."

While those Cuban surfers didn't get to enjoy the fruits of Stack's knowledge, his hometown would soon benefit from the notion that fueled that mission.

In 2007, the surfer launched One Love Surf Collective in a Belmont-DeVilliers workshop soon adorned with a mural of a rolling wave, where for a few years he made and repaired surfboards and taught others to do the same.

"I enjoy sharing knowledge," Stack said.

After a years-long hiatus, Stack has now brought One Love back. This is the work he enjoys, the work that fulfills him—the work that earns smiles from his customers.

"I like to do things for other people that make them happy," Stack said. "That's how I get happy."

LOVING WHAT YOU KNOW

For nearly as far back as he can remember, Stack has been drawn to the water by the waves and the thought of riding them.

"When I was younger, all I wanted to do was surf," he said. "I didn't care about money; I didn't care about material possessions."

By the late 1970s, Stack was learning to

shape surfboards. He spent time learning the craft in California and later New York.

"When I was younger, all I wanted to do was surf. I didn't care about money; I didn't care about material possessions." Tom Stack "When you want to learn how to shape surfboards, there's no school; you have to do it," Stack said.

By the early '80s, Stack had joined the Army, where he'd spend the decade in places like Korea and Germany.

"I had always wanted to be a tanker," the surfer said.

In 1990, Stack left the military and began putting out surfboards in Pensacola with his brother Steve under the name Stack Surfboards.

After a few years, he traveled on to work again in California and also Mexico, where he lived on the beach and repaired boards.

"I can go anywhere in the world where I want to be and repair surfboards," Stack said, explaining how this trade has afforded him the adventures of his life.

KNOWING WHAT YOU LOVE

In 2015, Stack's path took a turn. The surfboard shaper decided to give long-haul trucking a try.

"Which kinda sucks," Stack laughed. "The food available at truck stops will just kill you; it's just crap."

But it wasn't the food that got him. It was a freezing night in New York in 2019 and a busted heater.

"I woke up frozen," Stack said, explaining how the event sent his health spiraling. "I coughed so hard I tore the valves in my heart."

Over time, Stack's condition worsened, until eventually, he found himself in the hospital on oxygen. But by then, the world was in the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, and he felt that he was being isolated and ignored in the hospital.

"So I got a garbage bag, filled it up with oxygen and put a straw in it," Stack recounted his exit from the hospital. "It went alright."

About a year later, the surfer found he couldn't breathe well. A trip to the hospital confirmed an enlarged heart and the need to operate. Relief was immediate.

"As soon as they did it, I felt better," Stack said.

Beyond the medical particulars, Stack knew what had put him in the hospital. He'd stopped surfing, his source of exercise. And he'd stopped making surfboards, a source of joy. It was time for changes.

"I decided I'm not gonna drive trucks anymore," Stack said. "I know how to make surfboards and do fiberglass work."

So One Love is back. Stack's path to this place has not been easy—recent challenges include the hassle of stolen tools and the heartbreak following the death of his brother—but he's ready to get to work.

"I'm healing. I feel so much better than I have in a long time," he said. "I'm ready to go back to work and do what I know how to do—that's when you're doing the best you can do on this planet, in this life."

"I'm healing. I feel so much better than I have in a long time. I'm ready to go back to work and do what I know how to do—that's when you're doing the best you can do on this planet, in this life." Stack This incarnation of One Love will be located on the west side of Pensacola, where Stack has set up his new shop. A more intimate affair than the former digs in Belmont-DeVilliers, the concept is much the same—shaping quality surfboards, with an added focus on fiberglass repair work.

Stack will also be incorporating that teaching spirit into his new venture.

"If you order a surfboard, you can come watch me make it, and in doing, so you're learning," he said. "And if you really want to, you can get your hands dirty."

Not everyone would be interested in that sort of offer. They just want that beauty of a new board—or a quick ding repair. But for those who seek that deeper knowledge, Stack understands why and is happy to pass it along.

"It kinda expands your knowledge of surfing," he explained, "to know how that board is made, why it moves like it does, how to fix it."

Besides, where else are you gonna learn?

"You can't go to the 'College of Surfboard Building,'" Stack laughed. "There isn't one."

Well, now there kind of is.

To contact One Love Surf Collective, email onelovesurf@hotmail.com. {in} 15

a&e happenings and up. Registration is open through March 15 at myneighborhoodtheatre.com.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy shopping

for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Market Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 1401 W. Intendencia St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolaartsmarket.

EASY GOING GALLERY ART MARKET Every Sunday, Easy Going Gallery and Carter J Studios present a weekly art market Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Vendors can participate for a $20 fee. For more information, contact easygoinggalleryart@gmail.com.

THE MAROON MARINES: ARCHAEOLOGY AT PROSPECT BLUFF A new temporary exhibit

"The Allegory of Bad Government" by Carrie Ann Baade / Currently on view at Pensacola Museum of Art

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

ANIMAL ALLIES BINGO Animal Allies Florida is hosting Bingo at Scenic Hills Country Club, located at 8891 Burning Tree Road, twice a month.

Proceeds go to help local animals. The fun starts at 7 p.m. $10 gets you 30 cards. Winners share the pot. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

You must be 18 years old to play.

PAINT YOUR HEART OUT WITH KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL Take part in a com-

munity beautification event restoring a heavily utilized park and boardwalk with Keep Pensacola Beautiful, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, May 7, at Bay Bluffs Park. RSVP using KPB Volunteer Match.

Please wear work clothes and comfortable shoes.

KPB will provide a painting shirt, reusable water bottles, snacks and lunch. For more information, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org.

PAWS ON PALAFOX On Saturday, May 21, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m., hundreds of animal lovers will take to the streets of historic downtown Pensacola for Paws On Palafox, a family friendly 3K dog walk to support the Pensacola Humane Society.

This event is truly the most dog-friendly event in the community because it is hosted your dog in mind. Each registered walker receives a bandana for their pet. Along the route will be water and cooling stations for you and your four-legged friends. As you cross the finish line, you will be back in Phineas Phogg's for a one-of-a-kind celebration. Pre-registration rates end on Saturday, May 14, at 4 a.m. Day-of registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 9:40 a.m. For more information, visit pensacolahumane.org.

GRADUATIONS

UWF COMMENCEMENT CEREMONY The

UWF Spring Commencement will take place Saturday, May 7, at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. At 9:30 a.m.—Undergraduate students only—Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering (HMCSE), Usha Kundu, MD College 616 1

of Health (UKCOH); at 1:30 p.m.—Undergraduate students only—College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CASSH), College of Business (COB), College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS); at 5:30 p.m.—Graduate School (Masters, Specialists, Doctorates).

PENSACOLA STATE COMMENCEMENT

The Pensacola State College Commencement is Sunday, May 8, at 3 p.m. at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St.

ARTS & CULTURE

GALVEZ DAY The Pensacola Heritage Founda-

tion will be sponsoring Galvez Day on Friday, May 6. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Galvez Monument on the corner of Wright and Palafox streets. Dignitaries from Spain, the DAR and the SAR will be present. The street will be closed for this event, and Mayor Grover Robinson will open the ceremony.

PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: SHOWTIME Showtime is a Broadway-

style extravaganza featuring music from nearly every genre, ranging from classical to contemporary, pop to musical theatre and much more.

Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6 & 7, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 8, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $15-41. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.

IMPROVABLE CAUSE The next Improvable

Cause show is Saturday, May 7, at 10:30 p.m. at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Palafox. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN See the

Oscar-winning film come to life on the stage at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 10, and Wednesday, May 11, at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $53-$78. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.

2022 TROUBADOUR ISSUE RELEASE Art and literature contributors to the 2022 issue of Troubadour will read from and discuss their work at the issue release event Thursday, May 12 at the Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. The reading will begin at 7:30 p.m. and a reception will precede the event at 7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. A limited number of copies of this year's issue will be available for free to attendees. Visit pensacolamuseum.org.

OPERAZZI UNDER THE BIG TOP Operazzi,

Pensacola Opera's annual spring fundraising event, is heading under the big top this year on Friday, May 13, from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at Sanders Beach– Corinne Jones Resource Center, 913 S. I St. Tickets are $150. The evening's main attraction features a live auction of unique items and experiences in support of the Artists in Residence program. Visit pensacolaopera.com for more information.

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART PCA is located at the Studer Com-

munity Institute, 220 W. Garden St. "Death on the Nile" will be playing Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14. Tickets are $10 cash donation per person.

Face masks are recommended. Reservations are not required. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information and the latest showtimes.

KWM MOVIE NIGHT: MARY MAGDALENE (2018) Watch a free screening of the 2018 film

"Mary Magdalene" on Saturday, May 14, at 9 N. J St. BYOB. Cost is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/diypensacola.

BROADWAY BOOGIE: GROWN-UPS Join

this weekly class on the basics of boogie in a fun, easy-going, non-judgmental setting. Classes are Fridays, April 1-May 20, from 5-6 p.m., at The Gordon Art Center, 306 N. DeVilliers St. This class teaches the fundamentals of musical theatre style dancing including jazz, tap, ballet, ballroom, fosse and more. This class is a beginner-level class for teens and adults, ages 16

at The Destination Archaeology Resource Center, located at 207 E. Main St., features the story of the largest free black settlement in what is now the United States. This exhibit is sponsored by City of Pensacola Councilmember Teniadé Broughton.

During the War of 1812, a fort was built by Black British Colonial Marines and Indigenous people along the Apalachicola River. Called "Negro Fort" by American officials, it eventually became the center of the largest free Black settlement in what is now the United States. When the war ended, the U.S. believed the fort threatened the institution of slavery and must be destroyed.

To the Maroon people who lived there, however, the fort at Prospect Bluff was a beacon of freedom worth fighting for.

For more information, visit fpan.us.

SYNTHESIS, A GROUP BFA EXIT EXHIBITION The Art Gallery at the University of West

Florida (TAG) and the Pensacola Museum of Art (PMA) present "SynThesis, a Group BFA Exit Exhibition." This exhibition will be on display at the PMA through May 15. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

MONOCHROMATIC Artel Gallery's latest ju-

ried show is "Monochromatic," where artists created a work of art in any medium using only one color. The exhibit is on view through May 6. Also on display is PanHandle Potters and works from Vivian Spencer. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox. Visit artelgallery.org for more information.

NEW BEGINNINGS Gallery 1060's newest ex-

hibit, "New Beginnings," runs through June 11 with a show reception to be held the evening of May 6 to coincide with First City Art Center's resumption of it's Hot Glass/Cold Brew series.

The show is free and open to the public during normal Gallery 1060 open hours. More information can be found at gallery1060.com.

PMA MEMBERS SHOW The PMA Members

Show is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through May 29. View works of art from local artists.

For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.

INTO THE MIRROR: CARRIE ANN BAADE 2021 Members Show winner Carrie Ann Baade

inweekly.net

a&e happenings describes herself as steward and axman, returning to the haunting moments in art history in order to reclaim them. By using the "bone yard" of Western painting with reverence, she cuts them up into fragments resulting in collage. In their repainting, these are fierce feminist parables. Paintings made of paintings; the old masterworks are infused with the artist's own experience. The exhibit is on view through May 29. For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.

group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud?

This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.

MAPPING NORTHWEST FLORIDA EXHIBIT AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF HISTORY Visualized Landscapes: A Selection

OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Show off your talents on the second Thursday of every month at The Gordon's Open Mic showcase from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. The Gordon is located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Visit thegordon.org for more information.

of Northwest Florida Maps is now on view at Pensacola Museum of History.

The exhibit explores the shifting topography of Northwest Florida through a series of maps selected from the Trust Archive. Visualized Landscapes: A Selection of Northwest Florida Maps is on view on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History until August.

For more information about the UWF Historic Trust or to purchase tickets, visit historicpensacola.org.

2000 MEN: BLACK POLITICIANS DURING RECONSTRUCTION A new exhibit at the

OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY

Try out some new jokes or enjoy some homegrown talent every Monday at 7 p.m. for Open Mic Comedy at Big Top Brewery, located at 21 W. Romano St. Everyone gets five minutes depending on the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing

FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the UWF Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago. Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s newspaper.

Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola.org for more information.

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 wellbeing 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 (850) 221-7438.

SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio 400's and Pen-

CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet up with

Pensacola Museum of History shares the stories and histories of Black politicians during the Reconstruction period. The Pensacola Museum of History is located at 330 S. Jefferson St. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.

sacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the

May 5, 2022

other makers at Studio South. 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 calen-

dar 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

Big Brew Day starting at 11 a.m. The Brewpub will open noon-5 p.m. SUT-SHI food truck will be set up at 5 p.m., and live music with Troy Martin starts at 6 p.m. Visit facebook.com/garysbrew for more information.

FOOD + DRINKS

MOM'S NIGHT OUT AT ODD COLONY From 6-11 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, enjoy a dance party with DJ dad, photo booth, champagne specials and karaoke. Open to everyone. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for more information.

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.

SECOND ANNUAL CINCO DE MAYO WITH TACOS MEXICANOS Join Perfect Plain for the Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Party with Tacos Mexicanos Thursday, May 5. The party is from 4-close with $6 Margaritas, $5 Tequila Shots, Birria Tacos and more. Live Music from Tyler Livingston and the Absolutes from 6-9 p.m.

Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for more information.

COASTAL COUNTY BREWING CINCO DE MAYO Coastal County Brewing will be celebrat-

ing Cinco de Mayo with a Taqueria theme, Mariachi Music and food Thursday, May 5, starting at 4 p.m. Coastal County Brewing is located at, 3041 E. Olive Road. For more information, visit facebook. com/coastalcounty.

ATLAS BEVERAGE CLASS The next Atlas Beverage Class is Thursday, May 5, with classes at 5 and 7 p.m. at Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St. This event will have a special Cinco de Mayo theme featuring Cantina Especial including watermelon margarita tequila soda paired with shrimp ceviche, grapefruit paloma tequila soda paired with fish tacos, ranch water tequila soda paired with chicken tinga and Props Dos Pilotos paired with tres leches cake con bionico. Cost is $25.

Seating is limited, and reservations are required.

Be sure to make yours by emailing Taylor Dawson or calling (850) 287-0200.

PLANT BASED JUNK FOOD AT ODD COLONY Visit Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, on Saturday, May 7, from noon-4 p.m. for Vulture Food plant-based junk food. Visit facebook. com/oddcolony for more information.

BIG BREW DAY AT GARY'S BREWERY Join

the local Homebrewers club at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave., on Saturday, May 7, for the

MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH AT AGAPI BISTRO + GARDEN Agapi will have a special Sun-

day Brunch on May 8 for Mother's Day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Reservations required. Make yours by calling (850) 813-5683. Reservation cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior.

CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY WITH GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS Spend Mother's

Day at Great Southern Restaurants. Each restaurant will offer their standard menus, as well as special features created by Chef de Cuisine John Huggins, Executive Chef Irv Miller, Executive Chef Billy Ballou and Executive Chef James Briscione.

•The Fish House, located at 600 S. Barracks St., will have Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner service from 3 p.m.-until •Jackson's Steakhouse, located at 400 S. Palafox, will have Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner service from 5 p.m.-until.

•Five Sisters Blues Café, located at 421 W. Belmont St., will have Sunday brunch from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

•Angelena's Ristorante Italiano, located at 101 E. Intendencia St., will have Sunday service from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

PENSACOLA BAYS WATER LEGACY AT ODD COLONY Join UWF to discuss how water

shaped the history of Pensacola and how that legacy has shaped the water quality of our bays and can inform future management on Tuesday, May 10, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The seminar will take place at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for more information.

VINO MAGNIFICO The next Vino Magnifico

is Tuesday, May 10, at 5:30 p.m. at V. Paul's, 29 S. Palafox. Cost is $15 per person. RSVP is required.

Make your reservation at vpauls.com.

17

a&e happenings MONTHLY WINE TASTING IN AGAPI GARDEN Visit Agapi Garden, at 555 Scenic Highway,

St. For more information, visit facebook.com/ unionpensacola.

man Ave. For more information, visit facebook. com/garysbrew.

gmail.com. For more information, visit facebook. com/palafoxmarkets.

PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is back

SUNDAY FUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE WELL

WEEKNIGHT HAPPY HOUR Every weeknight before 6 p.m. at The 5 Barrel, get $1 off all The 5 Barrel pints, $2 wine by the glass and half off hummus plates when you buy a pint of beer.

Visit the5barrel.com for more information.

SATURDAYS AT THE MARKET OUTDOOR VENDOR EVENT Located at 5300 Berryhill

from 5-7 p.m., to sample five wines for $10. For more information, call (850) 813-5683.

The Well, located at 42 E. Garden St., has expanded its offerings with a Sunday Funday Brunch cocktail menu including items such as Spicy Paloma made with Mezcal, a cold brew cocktail with Irish whiskey, a cucumber-infused spritz and a Bloody Mary spiced with housemade hot sauce and garnished with fresh pickled vegetables. Price range is $9-$12. Brunch hours are Sundays from noon-4 p.m. Other small plate offerings are available Thursday-Saturday from 4 p.m.-one hour before closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/thewellpensacola.

FIRST FRIDAY FINE WINES Visit The Nest

General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, on the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m.

Visit bluejaysbakery.com for more information.

BAYOU BUZZ COFFEE TASTING TOUR

Seville Savories Food Tour will host a coffee tour of downtown Pensacola Tuesdays-Fridays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are available online at sevillesavoriesfoodtour.com.

BURGERS AND BORDEAUX AT UNION PUBLIC HOUSE Every Tuesday night, enjoy a

specialty burger and a glass of Bordeaux for $18 at Union Public House, located at 309 S. Reus

818 1

TABLETOP TUESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL Join The 5 Barrel for a special Tabletop Tuesday event at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in March.

A wide variety of games ranging from the classic chess to the crowd favorite Catan will be available. Players are welcome to bring their own games.

ARAGON WINE TASTINGS Wine tastings at

Aragon Wine Market are back every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. in store at 27 S. Ninth Ave. For more information, visit aragonwinemarket.com.

THURSDAY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE 5 BARREL Gather a group for a weekly Thurs-

day Trivia Night Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at The 5 Barrel. There will be prizes for every round and select drafts for $3. Find out more at facebook.com/the5barrel.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand. Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 New-

at its regular location in MLK Jr. Plaza. In a carefully planned, phased reopening, Palafox Market has launched with about half its regular vendors, showcasing food, farm produce and products geared toward safety and sanitation such as handmade soaps and face masks. For more information, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.

Road, the outdoor market features artisans and crafters alike from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Social distancing guidelines will be in effect.

For more information, email saturdaysatthemarket@gmail.com.

PENSACOLA POP-UP FARMERS MARKET

Ever'Man at 1000 E. Nine Mile Road on the fourth Saturday of each month for the Ever'Market with food, music, giveaways, activities and more. Visit everman.org for more information.

Check out fresh and organic produce, milk, eggs, meat, fresh-baked bread, mushrooms, lumber, grits, cornmeal, pies and plants Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at East Hill Market, located at 1216 N. Ninth Ave. For a list of vendors, visit facebook. com/easthillmarket.

200 SOUTH SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

UPTOWN PENSACOLA MARKET Check out

EVER'MARKET AT NINE MILE ROAD Visit

Every first Saturday of the month, the businesses at 200 South will host Small Business Saturday to show support for local businesses. Bring a receipt from a purchase from any other downtown business and receive 10% off your bill at Graffiti Pizza, World of Beer, Taco Agave and Blend Lounge.

PENSACOLA POSITIVITY'S SUNDAY MARKETS Sunday Markets on Palafox Street happen

each Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in MLK Plaza on Palafox. Local makers, growers and creators gather each under the oak trees to sell their goods to the community. Interested vendors can request an application by emailing requeaskmikellah@

local vendors of art, produce and other local treasures every Saturday at 7201 N. Ninth Ave. from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit facebook. com/uptownmarketpensacola.

TWILIGHT THREE-COURSE SPECIAL The

District's Twilight Three-Course special is back Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:30-6 p.m. Guests enjoy three courses for $35 per person. Diners must be seated by 6 p.m. for offer to be valid. To make a reservation, call (850) 332-5224, or go to districtstreaks.com. The District is located at 123 E. Government St.

inweekly.net

a&e happenings LIVE MUSIC

TAKING MEDS AT EASY GOING GALLERY

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Blues Society of Northwest Florida

Taking Meds will be playing at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St., on Thursday, May 5, with Patch, Mr. Monroe and Dalton Wright. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery.

and Seville Quarter present Monday Night Blues, the longest running weekly Blues Jam in Florida, starting at 7 p.m. with an opening and followed by the Blues Jam at 9 p.m. Seville Quarter is located at 130 E. Government St. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

RAISING APPALACHIA & HOLY RIVER: GATHERING UNDER THE STARS Watch

JAZZ CONCERTS AT THE PENSACOLA LIBRARY Visit Pensacola Library, located at 239 N.

Rising Appalachia in concert on Thursday, May 5, at 8 p.m. at Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. Doors open at 4 p.m. Opening Acts include Holy River & Interstellar Soundscapes with Brynne Heatley and Stacey Vann.

Get tickets at eventbrite.com.

CHRISTOPHER'S CONCERTS Bring your

folding chair, favorite beverage and dancing shoes to enjoy the great music Thursdays at 3200 N. 12th Ave. Reunion Band will be playing on May 5. Visit scpen.org/christophers-concerts.html for more information.

BANDS ON THE BLACKWATER Nobius will be playing Bands on the Blackwater at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 6. The concert is held at Jernigan's Landing, 5158 Willing St., in Milton.

Spring St., for a free jazz concert from 1-3 p.m. on the first and fourth Tuesday of the month through July. The next concert is March 22. Visit jazzpensacola.com for more information.

SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist Jim Andrews will be

the Jazzabouts at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. for classic jazz favorites.

JAZZ BY THE BOOK Join Joe Occhipinti and

RAY COLEY AT CAZADORES MEXICAN RESTAURANT Ray Coley performs oldies mix

BANDS ON THE BEACH Join Santa Rosa Island

with jazz and blues every weekend with keyboard, horn and flute. Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. and a jazz set on Sundays from 12-3 p.m. on the patio at Cazadores Mexican restaurant, located at 8183 W. Fairfield Dr. Weather permitting.

BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY PRESENTS: POLICE'S SYNCHRONICITY The Black

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.

SURROUNDER AT 309 Surrounder will be performing at 309 Punk House, 309 N. Sixth Ave., Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 28. Visit facebook.com/diypensacola for more information.

SUNDAY SHOW AT EASY GOING GALLERY See Evelyn Gray, Heaven Slept, Oddly Ginger and Connr on Sunday, May 15, at 8 p.m., at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. Show is $15. Visit facebook. com/diypensacola for more information.

TICKET PRESALE FOR PARKER MCCOLLUM Tickets for Parker McCollum with special

guests Corey Smith and Frank Foster at The Wharf Amphitheater on Labor Day Weekend, Friday, Sept. 2, go on sale Friday, May 6, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

May 5, 2022

genemitchell.org

JOE OCCHIPINTI JAZZABOUTS Catch Joe Occhipinti and guests at Alice's Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1504 W. Intendencia St., Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and at Calvert's Restaurant & Bar, 670 Scenic Highway, Sundays from noon-3 p.m.

LUKAS NELSON & POTR Lukas Nelson &

Jacket Symphony will perform The Police's Synchronicity Thursday, May 12, at 8 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $30-$35. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.

11 East Romana Street | Pensacola, Fl 32502

for live performances from local bands all day on Fridays and Saturdays. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.

performing at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1504 W. Intendencia St., on the first Friday of every month from 6-9:30 p.m.

Authority for free weekly concerts every Tuesday night from 7-9 p.m. at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. On Tuesday, May 10, True Blue Band will be playing.

Hire a lawyer who is a former Merril Lynch stock broker.

LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish Blue Fish

BOOMBOX Boombox will be playing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, on Friday, May 6. Doors open at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit vinylmusichall. com for more information.

POTR will be playing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, Saturday, May 7. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $25. Visit vinylmusichall.com for more information.

Stock Market Losses?

OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel Gal-

lery is open from 5 to 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 SATURDAYS AT THE WELL

Visit The Well, 42 E. Garden St., on Saturdays from 4-7 p.m. for live music. Visit facebook.com/ thewellpensacola for more information.

LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S Sit back with

good food and live music at Hub Stacey's, located 19

a&e happenings 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 So-

ciety 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

BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM TO HOST FAN KICKBALL LEAGUE Join the Blue Wahoos

Stadium Kickball League, a co-ed adult league (18 years and up). The league will play on Monday evenings at the ballpark weekly from June-August.

Team rosters can consist of up to 18 players, and each team will play a minimum of 11 games throughout the season. Every player will take home an exclusive league T-shirt to wear during games, and an on-field bar will serve drinks (21 years and up) each night.

Official league rules are available at bluewahoos.com. The entrance fee per team is $500 ($27.75 per person on an 18-player roster) and in-

020 2

cludes a T-shirt for each player, equipment and umpires, and a full season of fun.

Teams can register to play at milb.com/pensacola/events/kickball. Registration will remain open until May 11. Fans with questions may reach out to Jordan at jmorrow@bluewahoos.com or call the Blue Wahoos office at (850) 934-8444.

The Brewpub will open at noon that day and will be serving food from the kitchen until 5 p.m.

SUT-SHI food truck will be set up at 5 p.m., and live music with Troy Martin starts at 6 p.m.

VENUS RISING Asher and Bee Apothecary is

hosting Venus Rising retreat on Santa Rosa Beach Friday, May 6- Sunday, May 8. Tickets are $111.11.

For more information, visit asherandbee.com.

PENSACOLA BIKE-PED UPDATE WITH CAITLIN CERAME City of Pensacola trans-

portation planner Caitlin Cerame will talk about the upcoming active transportation master plan, the city's first protected bike lane, road diets and more on Tuesday, May 10, from 7-8 p.m. on Facebook Live at facebook.com/bikepensacola.

2022 NAIA MEN'S LACROSSE INVITATIONAL COMING TO PENSACOLA Pen-

sacola will be home to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Lacrosse Invitational through 2023.

This year's tournaments are set to take place May 11-14 at the Ashton Brosnaham Soccer Complex in Pensacola. Eight teams will compete in a single-elimination tournament starting Wednes-

day, May 11. The semifinals will take place Thursday, May 12, and the championship game will be Saturday, May 14.

Tickets are on sale now at pensacolasports. org/naia. Individual tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, which includes college students with a valid university ID. All tournament passes are $20 for adults and $10 for students. This pass grants access to all seven games played during the tournament.

For more information about the Lacrosse Invitational and hotel accommodations, visit pensacolasports.org/naia.

FLORIDA GATORS HEAD FOOTBALL COACH BILLY NAPIER AT UFAA EVENT

The Northwest Florida Gator Club and the University of Florida Gator Nation welcomes Head Football Coach Billy Napier on his 2022 spring speaking tour-stop in Pensacola on Thursday, May 12, at Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Center, 913 S. I St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail hour that includes light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar, followed by Coach Napier's presentation around 6:45 p.m. Program begins at 6 p.m.

UFAA members and Gator fans of all ages are welcome and encouraged to attend. Admission for all ages is $10, and dress code includes a heavy suggestion of including Orange and Blue. Attendance will be limited to the first 350 tickets sold.

For more information and a link to purchase tickets, visit facebook.com/northwestfloridagatorclub.

COMPUTING BASICS: THE INTERNET, EMAIL AND SOCIAL MEDIA Join Pensacola

Library, 239 N. Spring St., on Friday, May 6, from 10:30 a.m.-noon to demystify the use of computers, the internet and more. Feel free to bring your portable personal devices for a question-andanswer session at the end of the class. Computers will be provided for the class.

BEACH HIKE OFFERS LESSONS IN COASTAL ECOLOGY Join Healthy Gulf for a beach

ecology walk along the shifting sands and waters of Santa Rosa Island at Pensacola Beach at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 7. The hike will be along both the Gulf and Sound side of the Island, exploring the changing plant communities and life along the shoreline.

The hike is a total length of about 4 miles and will take about two hours to complete. The exact meeting location at Pensacola Beach will be provided upon registration. Space is limited in order to ensure a quality experience, so to reserve a spot or for more information, please email christian@healthygulf.org or call (850) 687-9968.

BLUE WAHOOS GAMES The Blue Wahoos

are back in season at Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. Tickets are available at bluewahoos.com.

Upcoming home games: 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, May 10 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 6:35 p.m. Thursday, May 12 6:35 p.m. Friday, May 13

inweekly.net

a&e happenings FREE YOGA IN THE PARK SCHEDULE RELEASED FOR 2022 Breathe Yoga and

Wellness Center in partnership with the City of Pensacola will offer free one-hour yoga classes to citizens on the first Sunday of every month at 9:30 a.m. in Bayview Park, located at 2001 E. Lloyd St., and Community Maritime Park, located at 301 W. Main St. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. Participants must bring their own mat and other accessories they would like to use.

Participants are asked to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated, as water will not be provided. The next date is June 5 at Community Maritime Park.

CHESS CLUB Learn how to play one of the

oldest games in the world with West Florida Public Libraries. Whether you are a beginner or a master chess player, this is a chance to learn new skills, practice your moves and improve your game in a friendly environment. The library will provide all the chessboards and pieces. The next dates are 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, May 14, at Century Library, located at 7991 Century Blvd., and 1-3:30 p.m. at Southwest Branch Library, located at 12248 Gulf Beach Highway.

F3 NATION FREE WORKOUTS FOR MEN

F3, a national network of free, peer-led workouts for all men, has expanded its outdoor workouts to Pensacola. The three Fs stand for Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. Classes are free of charge to all men 18 and older or 16 with an adult guardian. Each class ends with a circle of trust. Class times are 7-8 a.m. Saturdays and 5:30-6:15 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Visit f3pensacola.com.

OVER 50 DANCE CLUB Take part in the Over 50 Dance Club at Sanders Beach Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St., Tuesdays from 6:30-9 p.m. The dress code is dressy; cover is $5-$10. This club is tobacco- and alcohol-free. For more information, call (850) 623-5013.

PENSACOLA PEGGERS CRIBBAGE CLUB LOOKING FOR MEMBERS Pensacola Peggers

Cribbage Club 396, the local Grass Roots Club affiliated with American Congress of Cribbage, is seeking new cribbage players for the group. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Sonny's BBQ, located at 6702 N. Ninth Ave., to play six games of cribbage.

WEEKLY FRIDAY DANCE Get moving every Friday night with a dance sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Enjoy food from 6-7 p.m. Dancing is from 7-10 p.m. A variety of bands and music provide the tunes. Cost of admission is $6. Dances are located at 105 Kenmore Ave. in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 476-5696.

PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pensacola Rec Plex North parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com.

May 5, 2022

WFPL MOLINO TRACK CHALLENGE Put on your walking shoes and join the walking challenge at the Molino library. Just visit Molino's track, turn on your favorite fitness tracker app to log your progress, dial up your tunes or an audiobook and start walking. When you finish, come into the library and log your progress with staff on our track challenge board. The top walker in this program will win The Coldest Water Bottle. The Molino Branch Library is located at 6450-A Highway 95A. For more information, visit mywfpl.com.

RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mondays,

Wednesdays and Fridays, release into a yin yoga flow centered around low-stress training for high-stress individuals. The focus will be on the basics of breath and openness in the shoulders, hips and spine. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online. Cost is $12 per class, and the location is 375 N. Ninth Ave., Ste. B. Limited space available. Ask about membership pricing.

GULF COAST BREWERY RUN Thursdays

at 6 p.m., join Pensacola Runners Association for a 5K fun run. Enjoy a free beer after the run and complimentary games such as cornhole, ping pong and more. Gulf Coast Brewery is located at 500 E. Heinberg St. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoastbrewery.

BEER GARDEN YOGA Join Coastal County Brewing Company Saturdays at 9 a.m. for the new Yoga in the Garden Series. Classes will be led by Tara Taylor, a highly experienced instructor from Breathe Pensacola. All skill levels are welcome. Cost is $10 and includes a pint of beer after the class. Coastal County Brewing Company is located at 3041 E. Olive Road.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ coastalcounty.

SOUL FLOW YOGA AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Every Tuesday at 7 a.m., flow and vibe

with some soulful music to start the day. This hour-long class will center around engaging the core through smooth yet strong yoga sequences.

Cost is $10 per class or $99 for an unlimited 30day pass. Located at 513 W. Intendencia St. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. Funky Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays. And Vinyasa Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org.

OCEAN HOUR BEACH CLEAN-UPS Ocean

Hour has picked up its weekly beach clean-ups in the Pensacola area Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. On Saturday, Aug. 28, volunteers will be at Philip A. Payne Bridge. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net 21

free will astrology WEEK OF MAY 5 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Poet Jennifer Willoughby writes, "I am so busy. I am practicing my new hobby of watching me become someone else. There is so much violence in reconstruction. Every minute is grisly, but I have to participate. I am building what I cannot break." I wouldn't describe your own reconstruction process during recent months as "violent" or "grisly," Aries, but it has been strenuous and demanding.

The good news is that you have mostly completed the most demanding work. Soon the process will become more fun. Congratulations on creating an unbreakable new version of yourself!

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Rapper and

entrepreneur Jay-Z tells us, "Don't ever go with the flow. Instead, be the flow." Here's what I think he means—if we go with the flow, we adjust and accommodate ourselves to a force that is not necessarily aligned with our personal inclinations and needs. To go with the flow implies we are surrendering our autonomy. To claim our full sovereignty, on the other hand, we are wise to be the flow. We should create our own flow, which is just right for our unique inclinations and needs. I think this is the right approach for you right now, Taurus. Be the flow.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The Italian lan-

guage used to be a dialect spoken in Tuscany.

That area comprises less than eight percent of the country's territory. How did such a dramatic evolution happen? Why did a local dialect supersede other dialects like Piedmontese, Neapolitan, Sicilian and others? In part, it was because three potent 14th-century writers wrote in the Tuscan dialect: Dante Alighieri, Francesco Petrarch and Giovanni Boccaccio. Another reason: Because Tuscany is centrally located in Italy, its dialect was less influenced by languages in France and other nearby countries. I offer this as a metaphor for you in the coming months. One of your personal talents, affiliations, or inclinations could become more influential and widespread—and have more authority in your life.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): "Always strive to be more interested than interesting," said actor and activist Jane Fonda. That may not be easy for you to accomplish in the near future,

By Rob Brezsny

dear Cancerian. Your curiosity will be at peak levels, but you may also be extra compelling and captivating. So I'll amend Fonda's advice—Give yourself permission to be both as interested and as interesting as you can imagine. Entertain the world with your lively personality as you go in quest of new information, fresh perceptions and unprecedented experiences.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): "When in doubt, act

like God," proclaimed Leo singer-songwriter Madonna. I wouldn't usually endorse that advice.

But I'll make an exception for you Leos during the next three weeks. Due to a divine configuration of astrological omens, you are authorized to ascend to new heights of sovereignty and selfpossession—even to the point of doing a vivid God impersonation. For best results, don't choose an angry, jealous, tyrannical deity to be your role model. Pattern yourself after a sweeter, funnier, more intimate type of celestial being.

To go with the flow implies we are surrendering our autonomy.

To claim our full sovereignty, on the other hand, we are wise to be the flow.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): My Virgo friend

Amanda told me she felt tight and overwrought.

She was overthinking and on the verge of a meltdown. With a rueful sigh, she added, "I adore anything that helps me decompress, unwind, simmer down, stop worrying, lighten up, compose myself and mellow out." So I invited her to take deep breaths, close her eyes and visualize herself immersed in blue-green light. Then I asked her to name influences she loved: people, animals, natural places, music, books, films, art and physical movements that made her feel happy to be alive. She came up with eight different sources of bliss and together we meditated on them. Half an hour later, she was as relaxed as she had been in months. I recommend you try a comparable exercise every day

for the next 14 days. Be proactive about cultivating tranquil delight.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Author Anne La-

mott is renowned for her tender approach to expressing her struggles with addiction, depression and other tribulations. One of her supreme tests was being a single mother who raised her son Sam. In this effort, she was her usual plucky self. Anytime she hosted playdates with Sam's young friends at her home, she called on the help of crayons and paint and pens and clay and scissors. "When we did art with the kids, the demons would lie down," she testified. I recommend a comparable strategy for you in the coming days, Libra. You will have extra power as you tame, calm, or transform your demons. Making art could be effective, as well as any task that spurs your creativity and imagination.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "My heart has

developed a kind of amnesia, where it remembers everything but itself," writes Scorpio poet Sabrina Benaim. If you suffer a condition that resembles hers, it's about to change. According to my astrological analysis, your heart will soon not only remember everything; it will also remember itself. What a blissful homecoming that will be— although it may also be unruly and confounding, at least in the beginning. But after the initial surprise calms down, you will celebrate a dramatic enhancement of emotionally rich self-knowledge. You will feel united with the source of your longing to love and be loved.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

"Just because things hadn't gone the way I had planned didn't necessarily mean they had gone wrong," writes Sagittarian author Ann Patchett.

Her thought may be helpful for you to meditate on. My guess is that you will ultimately be glad that things didn't go the way you planned. God or your Higher Self or the Mysterious Forces of Destiny will conspire to lead you away from limited expectations or not-big-enough visions so as to offer you bigger and better blessings.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Novel-

ist Jane Austen (1775–1817) confessed she was a "wild beast." Really? The author who wrote masterfully about the complex social lives of wealthy British people? Here's my theory—the

wild beast in her made her original, unsentimental, humorous and brilliant in creating her stories. How is your own inner wild beast, Capricorn? According to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to give it fun, rich assignments. What parts of your life would benefit from tapping into raw, primal energy?

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

poet Jack Gilbert wrote, "I lie in the dark wondering if this quiet in me now is a beginning or an end." I don't know how Gilbert solved his dilemma. But I suspect you will soon be inclined to pose a similar question. In your case, the answer will be that the quiet in you is a beginning. Ah! But in the early going, it may not resemble a beginning. You might be puzzled by its fuzzy, meandering quality. But sooner or later, the quiet in you will become fertile and inspirational. You will ride it to the next chapter of your life story.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): The genre of poetry known as haiku often relies on unexpected juxtapositions. Critic R. H. Blyth observed, "In haiku, the two entirely different things that are joined in sameness are poetry and sensation, spirit and matter." I suspect your life in the coming weeks will have metaphorical resemblances to haikus. You will be skilled at blending elements that aren't often combined, or that should be blended but haven't been.

For inspiration, read these haikus by Raymond Roseliep. 1. in the stream / stones making half / the music. 2. horizon / wild swan drifting through / the woman's body. 3. birthcry! / the stars / are all in place. 4. bathwater / down the drain / some of me. 5. grass / holding the shape / of our night. 6. campfire extinguished, / the woman washing dishes / in a pan of stars.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: You can now make a change that has previously seemed impossible.

What is it? newsletter.freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2022

NICK'S PICKS

TUESDAYS

6-8 PM CENTRAL ON RADIO

FREE PENSACOLA streaming world wide www.radiofreepensacola.com 222 2

Facebook/NYN'sBADLANDS NYNBADLANDS.COM

23 PALAFOX PL. 850-43-BRUCE

An Official Florida Lottery Retailer Home of the

D.D.D.

(Downtown Day Drinkers)

Open: 11am-3am Every Day inweekly.net

news of the weird THE PASSING PARADE On April 25, the Oklahoma Election Board ruled that state Rep. Sean Roberts, who is running for labor commissioner, cannot be listed on the ballot as "The Patriot," as he had hoped to be, KFOR-TV reported. "I'm not surprised they ruled I had to change my name," Roberts said.

"Back in my area, in the grassroots, I'm generally known as The Patriot." He claimed between 200 and 600 people know him by that name. Roberts' opponent and current labor commissioner Leslie Osborn said Roberts has appeared on seven previous ballots as Kevin Sean Roberts or Sean Roberts, and that he is not generally known as The Patriot.

Roberts is considering appealing the decision.

CRASH COLLECTOR Everyone needs a hobby. Christina Warren is a busy software developer, but in her free time, she collects the swag of epic corporate failure: from Enron to Fyre Festival to her latest acquisition, a PopSocket branded with the CNN+ logo. NPR reported that Warren isn't interested in milquetoast meltdowns. She wants stuff from the companies that made a big splash and then sank to the bottom of the barrel.

"I'm looking at the ones that were flying high, too close to the sun," she said, which "makes it funnier to be out someplace wearing a shirt from one of those things." But she doesn't want to spend more than $75 on any one item. She avoids counterfeit merchandise, and said her "white whale, the thing I haven't been able to obtain yet, is something officially from Theranos. I would even take a pen, you know, like a ballpoint pen."

SQUIRREL! A 78-year-old man in Slidell, Louisiana, was unable to get a good grip on a squirrel that was attacking him on April 26, possibly because the squirrel was "eating his hand," according to Slidell police. KATC-TV News reported that the man was trying to choke the squirrel, who inflicted "significant injuries" on the victim. (He is expected to make a full recovery.) Police said the man was walking around outside when the varmint came at him from the direction of the roof without any provocation. In a prescient pre-scold, police said while the story might sound funny, the incident was serious. So stop laughing.

ALL IN THE FAMILY April 18 was a tough day for Franklin County (Florida) Sheriff A.J. Smith, the Miami Herald reported. His deputies conducted a "controlled buy" that day involving Smith's 38-yearold daughter, Kristen Kent, who was charged with trafficking methamphetamine. The sheriff, whose office features a sign saying "We don't meth around," admitted that this case "hit him in the face." When his deputies arrested a different woman for trafficking, she told them she had gotten the drugs from Kent. "My daughter?" he asked. "Yes, sir," she answered. He called it "gut-wrenching."

Still, he said Kent would receive the same treatment he recommends for others who are caught up in meth's effects. "Methamphetamine does not discriminate and neither do we," he said.

THE KING OF PTO In January 1938, Walter Orthmann started work in the shipping department

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

at Industrias Renaux S.A., a textile company in Brusque, Brazil, at the age of 15. Eighty-four years later, he still works there, now as a sales manager, Oddity Central reported. Orthmann turned 100 years old on April 19, but he has no plans to retire: "I like working here at the company," he said. He noted that everything is easier now, with mobile phones and internet connections, but he no longer travels like he used to. "You have to like to work.

You can't just do any job to say that you are working," Orthmann advised.

BRIGHT IDEA Deborah Hodge, 49, of the Sidcup area of London, has been forced to rehome three pets because previous landlords wouldn't allow them, but she couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her current cat, India, Metro News reported. So Hodge came up with a plan: She would marry India, making it more difficult for a landlord to separate them. India wore gold lame and Hodge donned a tuxedo for the big event, where a friend presided over the wedding vows in a London park. "We cannot be separated under any circumstances, as she is as important to me as the children," Hodge said. "I refuse to be parted with her."

FORE! Erik and Athina Tenczar bought their home abutting the Indian Pond Country Club golf course in Kingston, Massachusetts, for the beautiful views. However, they ended up suing the club over the 600+ golf balls that have left dents and shattered windows in their home over five years, NBC News reported. The couple said they've long since stopped repairing shattered windows, instead covering them with plastic. "When it hits, it sounds like a gunshot," Athina said. "We're always on edge," Erik added. A Plymouth County Superior Court jury sympathized and awarded them $4.93 million. The club is now launching an appeal and has worked with the course's architect to find solutions for the errant projectiles.

OOPS Darbi Boddy, a Lakota School Board member in Butler County, Ohio, was asked to resign on April 27 after she apparently mistakenly directed visitors on her "Boddy for Lakota" Facebook page to a pornographic website, WLWT-TV reported.

On April 26, she created a post about topics being taught in classrooms and included a link, but she spelled it wrong. Other school board members recognized that it was a mistake but said she was negligent; board president Lynda O'Connor called the error "absolutely unacceptable." In response, Boddy said, "This is a ruse, a political ruse. I did nothing wrong," and called the meeting a circus designed to shut down conservatives. Before the website incident, Boddy had been the subject of a petition, signed by 1,500 people, seeking her censure for "continued disrespect and aggression toward Superintendent Matt Miller." She said she will never resign. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2022 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com May 5, 2022

23

Your Personal Injury Lawyers In Pensacola, Florida Since 1955 850-432-1111 | LevinLaw.com | Google Us Independent News | May 5, 2022 | inweekly.net