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Independent News | May 6, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 18

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winners & losers

outtakes

news 6, 7

My neighbors still hate me, but it was worth it.

cover story

buzz 8

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

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

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A S RE AL A S IT TA S TE S 22

4/7/21

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

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May 6, 2021

winners & losers

Courtesy of Pen Air Federal Credit Union

winners PEN AIR FEDERAL CREDIT UNION The

Friends of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization facilitated by Pen Air Federal Credit Union, presented a check for $50,000 to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) of Pensacola. Since 2000, Pen Air has given more than $500,000 to further the mission of NMCRS at Naval Air Station Pensacola. For 21 years, the credit union has hosted an annual charity golf tournament to raise funds on behalf of the society, which cannot solicit its own funding.

GULF POWER FOUNDATION As a long-

time supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida, the Gulf Power Foundation donated $25,000 to the agency to support local mentoring programs that serve over 550 children from Pensacola to Panama City. The Gulf Power Foundation has operated for 30 years as an independent 501(c)(3) not-forprofit organization, partnering and investing in communities throughout Northwest Florida.

RODNEY RICH The Pensacola business

owner donated $20,000 to Feeding The Gulf Coast, and another local person, who wants to remain anonymous, contributed an additional $30,000. The donations were part of a matching challenge that resulted in more than $30,000 of additional contributions for a total of $80,000. The funds will provide 400,000 meals to both children and adults who are food insecure in our area.

CAROLYN APPLEYARD The Appleyard Agency's comptroller has volunteered to be the interim executive director of the Escambia Children's Trust, which will give the board of directors time to hire a full-time executive director while it prepares its first budget. In 2005, Appleyard helped found Rebuild Northwest Florida after the county was devastated by Hurricane Ivan. LORI MILKERIS The National Association of Social Workers-Florida Chapter named the University of West Florida's Lori Milkeris as its Social Worker of the Year. Milkeris serves as the director and veterans counselor for UWF's Military & Veterans Resource Center, a campus advocate that works to ensure needs are met for military members, dependents and veteran students. 44

losers WEST FLORIDA PUBLIC LIBRARIES BOARD Escambia County had to self-

report a Sunshine Law violation by the library board to the State Attorney's Office after the board failed to properly notice the venue for its meeting on Monday, April 26. The meeting was advertised for the Main Library downtown, not Century, where they tried to meet. The law requires that adequate public notice be given for public meetings, including the location. NorthEscambia.com notified the board of the discrepancy in the legal notice, but its members continued the meeting for a short time. No one will be charged, but the board has been put on notice that it's not above the law—even in Century.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS The new positive cases have

increased, while people getting vaccinated have dropped. The New York Times has declared that Escambia County residents have a very high risk for exposure to COVID-19. However, the Escambia County Communications Department has cut back on its updates, eliminating announcements on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

LEILA CENTNER According to the Miami Herald, the co-founder of Centner Academy, a Miami private school, told her staff in an email the school would not employ anyone who had taken the COVID-19 vaccine. Centner later asserted in a Zoom meeting with the faculty that the vaccination was an experiment—"I can't allow us and the kids to be part of that experiment." She later added, "If you want to get it, this is not going to be the right school for you."

ANDREW CUOMO According to The New York Times, the New York governor's office went to more extraordinary lengths than previously known to hide the pandemic death toll in nursing homes. A scientific paper, which incorporated the data, was never published. An audit of the numbers by a top Cuomo aide was finished months before it became publicly known. Two letters, drafted by the Health Department and meant for state legislators, were never sent. inweekly.net

outtakes By Rick Outzen

THE BIG LIE On Monday, I received an email from Donald J. Trump, 45th president of the United States of America—"The Fraudulent Presidential Election of 2020 will be, from this day forth, known as THE BIG LIE!" "The Big Lie" isn't a fraudulent election. No, the lie is the election wasn't valid. The May 3 email marked six months since the election that Biden won by over seven million popular votes and 74 Electoral College votes. Over that period, Trump and his supporters have filed and lost 86 lawsuits contesting election processes, vote counts and the certification process in multiple states, including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, threatening to lynch Vice President Mike Pence and harm House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other lawmakers. More than 140 people were injured, and five people died shortly before, during or after the event. He raised $250 million in the eight weeks after the Nov. 3 election, and the cash has continued to roll into his campaign coffers. Most recently, his campaign raised $27 million over four days to celebrate his 74th birthday. Trump has the money to hire the best attorneys and investigators in the world to provide evidence of election fraud but has yet to do so. Most of the lawsuits filed were either dismissed or dropped due to lack of evidence. They were labeled "frivolous" and "without merit." His campaign did receive one favorable ruling. On Nov. 12, a Pennsylvania judge ruled first-time voters were supposed to confirm their IDs with county boards of election by Nov. 9, rather than Nov. 12. The ballots of those who didn't verify their IDs in time could have been disqualified, but the state Supreme Court later overturned that decision. But even if the decision had been upheld, it would not have affected the Pennsylvania results because the ballots had been segregated pending the judge's decision and had not yet been counted. Trump supporters and network pundits tried to blame voting machine companies

Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic for throwing the election to Biden. The companies threatened legal action, claiming that they were defamed by Trump's lawyers, Fox News, Newsmax and One America News Network (OAN), who pushed conspiracy theories about the election technology companies. Fox News, Fox Business, Newsmax and the American Thinker have since rescinded allegations they had broadcast about Dominion and Smartmatic. In January 2021, Dominion filed defamation lawsuits against former Trump campaign lawyers Sidney Powell and Rudy Giuliani, asking for $1.3 billion in damages from each. After Dominion filed the lawsuit against Powell, OAN removed all references to Dominion and Smartmatic from its website without issuing public retractions. On Friday, April 30, Newsmax formally apologized for spreading baseless allegations that an employee of Dominion Voting Systems had rigged voting machines to sink Trump's re-election bid. The network admitted it had found "no evidence" for the conspiracy theories advanced by Trump's lawyers and others. In March 2021, Dominion filed a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News, which told USA Today the lawsuit was "baseless." The Newsmax announcement may change Fox News' position. This month, the Arizona Senate has hired Cyber Ninjas, a Florida-based technology company with no known experience in election audits, to oversee an audit of nearly 2.1 million Maricopa County general election ballots. A judge had to order Cyber Ninjas to disclose its policies and procedures. The Cyber Ninjas reports will be challenged. The company doesn't have the experience or impartiality to do the task. Arizona's electoral votes have been upheld by the state's governor, secretary of state and Supreme Court chief justice— all Republicans. Yet Trump has high hopes for the recount. In a podcast last week, the former president said, "I think it's going to be incredible. I think it's going to be eye-opening." It won't. And the Big Lie of election fraud sadly will continue. {in} rick@inweekly.net

Most of the lawsuits filed were either dismissed or dropped due to lack of evidence. They were labeled "frivolous" and "without merit."

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By Gina Castro Did you know Florida has the third-highest human trafficking reports in the country? President and Executive Director of The NISSI Project Sara Lefevers believes Florida could soon bump up to the second spot. "With us being an import-export state for goods and services, that allows opportunity. Obviously, our main industries are tourism and hospitality, so that also creates opportunities," Lefevers said. "We also have large events here, such as Daytona 500, WrestleMania, the Super Bowl, in addition to the fact that with the I-10 corridor, our international airports and our international ports, it's very easy to bring people in and out of the state and take them anywhere in the country that they want to go or the world really." Lefevers explained human trafficking looks different in Florida than in cities like Los Angeles. There, sex trafficking is more

visible, while in Florida, it's more hidden. "We are seeing that here, in our area in the panhandle, there is a lot of familial trafficking of minors," Lefevers said Familial trafficking is when a close family member sells sexual access to a victim in exchange for money or drugs. When a close family member is the trafficker, the trafficking is more challenging to spot. NISSI is a global, faith-based organization that's dedicated to fighting human trafficking. The organization was founded by Robert "Bobby" Moffett in Pensacola. NISSI has done work to support safe houses in Cambodia, Ukraine and the Philippines as well as across the United States. Lefevers explained that the founder wanted to start an anti-trafficking organization, but he didn't have an interest in leading the organization. So when COVID hit, Moffett decided to pass NISSI off to Lefevers. Lefevers has a bachelor's in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Pensacola Christian College and serves as chair for the Circuit 1 Human Trafficking Task Force, which represents Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton counties. Lefevers has been working toward anti-trafficking initiatives at a federal level as well as local level for six years. Lefevers, team members and volunteers used the lull in demand due to COVID-19 to access the gaps in services for survivors of human trafficking. The team participated in human trafficking sting operations in Mississippi and areas of the panhandle. "One thing that I kept seeing, and it re-

ally was bothering me, was we didn't really have any solid answers on what happened to survivors once they were either identified as a human trafficking victim or rescued out of that trafficking experience," Lefevers said. It's estimated that 40 million people are entrapped in human trafficking, including labor trafficking, sex trafficking, child soldiering and domestic servitude, but Lefevers said less than 1% of human trafficking victims are rescued. In fact, survivors are more likely to be arrested than rescued.

network of aftercare services to identify, based on the trauma-informed questions that we ask them at intake, where is the best place for this person to go." NISSI hopes to add services for children and men later down the road. Lefevers said NISSI also wants to assist the LGBTQ community because they are the most vulnerable to trafficking. To raise money for the short-term immediate care facility, NISSI is hosting its first fundraiser—Fashioned for More. "We want to show not only women but every individual that they are fashioned for more than just what society or traffickers or abusers may tell them," Lefevers said.

"We see on a global scale that 90.2% of survivors are arrested. Whereas more than 90% of pimps "We want to show not only women and Johns go free." Sara Lefevers but every individual that they are "We see on a global scale that 90.2% of fashioned for more than just what survivors are arrested. Whereas more than society or traffickers or abusers 90% of pimps and Johns go free," Lefevers said. "The statistics are so staggering to me." may tell them." Lefevers Lefevers believes the statistics are due to the fact that there are no immediate sustainable source resources for those victims. So NISSI is working to build its first short-term immediate care facility in the Pensacola area. The facility will be the product of a strategic partnership with law enforcement and health care providers, who human trafficking victims are often in the care of when identified or brought into custody. The short-term immediate care facility will be a space where women trafficking victims can reset after receiving health care. The women will have access to a shower, food and a place to rest, and detox services will also be available. The option to detox is very beneficial for the women because many aftercare facilities won't allow a victim to come into their care until they're able to deal with their addictions to substances. "Our goal is to create this facility where we have that multidisciplinary response team within the community," Lefevers said. "Then our advocacy team just works with our global

The online event will feature glimpses of human trafficking awareness throughout the fashion show. There will be dance performances that have a human trafficking theme to them, and for the first time, NISSI will show a promotional video for it short-term immediate care facility. Fashioned for More ticket holders will also have the option to participate in a silent auction. Sponsorships are also available. NISSI hopes to raise $25,000, which is the estimated cost to rehabilitate one victim of human trafficking. {in}

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inweekly.net

HOW DOES THE CITY GO GREEN? "We need to look at every way possible that we can use renewable energy," said Councilwoman Sherri Myers, about a week after she voted for the 30% goal. For starters, Myers said, the city should be factoring solar into any new projects. "New facilities that we build should definitely be solar now," the councilwoman said, suggesting the retrofitting of existing properties, such as Pensacola City Hall. "It would certainly be difficult to retrofit, and a lot of the space isn't used. I would like to discuss a new city hall." Myers also thinks the city should consider placing solar farms in large parking lots around town, describing the effort as "retrofitting suburbia." She pointed specifically to the parking lots surrounding Cordova Mall in her district.

By Jeremy Morrison To address climate change and reduce the municipal carbon footprint, the Pensacola City Council has set a goal of producing 30% of the city's energy via renewable means, such as solar power, by 2030. The council set the goal on Earth Day, complete with a procession of local children imploring them to consider the environment that future generations will inherit. "I wish we were doing more, but this is a start," Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier said at the council meeting of the unanimous vote. Mayor Grover Robinson later referred to the goal as "accomplishable," and Pensacola City Council President Jared Moore described it as a "pretty sensible thing to do." But what exactly does the council's renewable energy resolution do? They're not quite sure yet. "I have more questions than answers at this point," said Councilwoman Ann Hill. "Of course we support it, but I would have liked to have had some of that data," Moore said, who considers himself a "data person." He explained that without knowing any particulars about the city's energy usage, any target is almost arbitrary and perhaps better read as a signal of where the council's head and heart is rather than a hard-math promise. "I feel like it's just sort of a demonstration to the community." The council members will soon get some data concerning the energy usage of municipal facilities, vehicles and operations when Sustainability Coordinator Mark Jackson presents a report detailing such particulars. Meanwhile, Mayor Robinson May 6, 2021

has indicated that the city will be focusing on renewable energy, particularly reducing the city's carbon dioxide it produces. "I think you're going to see the city, at least on its operational stuff, focus much more on the end goal, which is what I think we really want, is the reduction of greenhouse gasses," Robinson said, which is what he tried to get the council to set as its goal during the April 22 meeting. Environmentalist Christian Wagley, who sat on the mayor's transition team to address environmental issues, told the council at the time that communities around the country attempting to address the effects of climate change tended to focus on the addition of renewable energy as opposed to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Reflecting on this later, Wagley wasn't sure how much this distinction really mattered and wondered if it could be chalked up to semantics. Beyond tightening up or scaling back city operations and output, how else could the city's carbon footprint be addressed but by digging into its energy usage?

"It's all energy. The city's not cutting down rainforests; it's not running a pig farm." Christian Wagley "It's all energy," Wagley said. "The city's not cutting down rainforests; it's not running a pig farm."

RETROFITTING SUBURBIA

Now that Pensacola has a renewable energy goal, how will that goal be met?

"We have such a great opportunity because we have the infrastructure in the uptown area to really do some incredible things using renewable energy." Sherri Myers "To me, that's just an incredible, awesome idea," Myers said. "We have such a great opportunity because we have the infrastructure in the uptown area to really do some incredible things using renewable energy." The city also could pair its renewable energy goal with other ambitions, such as the recently set goal of realizing 500 units of affordable housing in the city within five years. Vacant retail areas, she said, could be developed into housing units featuring renewable energy components. "Taking some of these strip malls and building affordable housing on them, and when we do, doing it efficiently," Myers said.

MORE THAN GOOD INTENTIONS

Mayor Robinson has been consistently leery in his public comments about setting any renewable energy goal. Wagley said it's been pretty much the same in one-on-one conversations, though he said the mayor did eventually warm up to the 30% by 2030 goal, which was included in his transition team recommendations. "He made that commitment to me," Wagley said. Now that the city council has embraced that goal, Mayor Robinson has stressed his focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while painting any meaningful foray into renewables as prohibitively expensive. "I think we will build what we can, but we're only going to be able to do what we can with the money that we have," Robinson said.

He suggested that the city's renewable energy goal could be accomplished by partnering with Gulf Power. "I mean, it'd be easy. We'd just tell Gulf Power, 'Put up more stuff for us, and we'll say we're buying electric power from you that you're doing from your solar farm,'" Robinson said. "We could do that; that would be an easy way to do it. We could celebrate, and we wouldn't have made a tremendous amount of difference in what was going on." Implied in this approach is a sidestepping of intent—a renewable energy goal isn't geared to further enrich a utility company. Such goals, by design, will eventually shrink the reach of such institutions. "The decentralized utility, that's a threat to them," Wagley said, adding that a mix of both utility-based renewable energy and contributions from smaller, regional solar outfits would be needed to meet any significant renewable goal. Wagley plans to present the council with some available options to accomplish its renewable energy goal during an upcoming meeting. Any path forward, though, will require more than good intentions. He said, "If you're not spending money on it, it's not a priority." "Funding will be a key factor in this discussion," said Councilwoman Hill.

OTHER POSSIBILITIES

When the city turns its focus to reducing municipal greenhouse gas emissions, what other efforts might be considered? Some actions might be considered low-hanging fruit, such as performing energy audits on city facilities and sealing up all the proverbial drafts under the doors. Other actions take a longer, farther-reaching approach and could be dismissed as pie in the sky, but few may want to bring them up because the discussion gets awkward very quickly. Can we have a serious environmental conversation without discussing the city owns a natural gas company that contributes millions to the budget but is hardly green energy? "I understand, politically, that's a very difficult conversation to have," Wagley said. "But that's why we elect great leaders to lead us." And what other sacrifices would city officials be willing to consider going forward when addressing environmental concerns? "I know people don't want to hear this," said Councilwoman Myers, "[but] I think we should probably put the brakes on developments on Main Street because of all the flooding." Too far? Too fast? We'll see. Myers thinks this incarnation of the city council may have an appetite for action when it comes to environmental efforts. She said, "It's the first city council I have served with that has been this pro-the-environment." {in} 7

BILL RESTRICTING TRANS ATHLETES PASSES After the Fairness in Women's Sports Act (HB 1475 and SB 2012) stalled in the Florida Senate, Rep. Kaylee Tuck (ROkeechobee) added a last-minute amendment that resurrected the ban on transgender athletes to a bill (SB 1028) dealing with charter schools. The amendment passed mostly along party lines in both chambers. The initial version of the bill, which the House passed 77-40, included a disputed clause that would permit schools to request genital inspections of athletes whose gender is questioned. The Senate amended that aspect from the bill and instead requires the student's birth certificate as proof of the child's gender. Dr. Alexys Hillman of Pensacola Osteopaths, one of the area's few gender-affirming health care clinics, explained to Inweekly last week that Florida legislatures' belief that trans women perform better in sports than cis women isn't medically accurate for transgender people who are taking puberty blockers or antiandrogens, which block testosterone. After the Senate passed the bill, Dr. Hillman said she was relieved genital examinations were removed, but she's still disturbed by the bill. "I'm tired of them constantly picking on these kids," Dr. Hillman said. "They got enough going on in their lives without these strangers making an issue of what's in their pants. I'm so tired of this. I look forward to when we don't have to fight about this anymore." The National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health and The Trevor Project found that in 2020, 48% of LGBTQ+ surveyed engaged in self-harm in the last 12 months. For trans and nonbinary youth, that number increased to 60%. Dr. Hillman along with many other transgender and nonbinary activists have wondered why the bill is necessary since the 88

bill's sponsors and co-sponsors didn't name instances of trans athletes having advantages over cis-gender athletes. Tuck, the state representative who originally sponsored the antitrans sports bill, told the Orlando Sentinel, "We don't need to wait until there's a problem in Florida for us to act." Strive, the local LGBTQ+ advocacy group, stated they are disappointed in the bill's passing, but they are not surprised. "Though laws like HB1475 have been signed and are now enacted, they will inevitably be challenged and thrown out in court. However, this will not stop the feelings of alienation, despair and isolation that transgender youth feel right now," Strive's executive board stated in a two-page-long comment, "those who are both out and those who are not. We send our solidarity to those young transgender people and say, we are still here, we have not given up and we will continue to fight alongside you and, when it calls for it, fight for you, for you to have the right to self-determination and the right to be yourself and safely transition with all the necessary accessibilities." The bill is now awaiting Gov. Ron DeSantis' signature in order for it to become law.

FOOD INSECURITY As the COVID-19

pandemic surged, our community faced increases in food insecurity. Inweekly recently sat in with the League of Women Voters as they conducted a virtual meeting surrounding those topics and heard from Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried and DeDe Flounlacker, Manna Food Bank's executive director. "Over three million Floridians suffer from food insecurity, including 850,000 of our kids," said Fried. She recognizes when food insecurity is present, workforce readiness and children's

inability to focus at school go downhill. Fried shared, "Just to give you a little background and why this is so important to me, growing up in Miami, I started my own soup kitchen when I was in high school." In short, Fried feels passionate that "when people have food and access to food, they succeed." Flounlacker found the agriculture commissioner's attitude "very refreshing " because Fried understands "it's not isolated to just one part of a community or one part of the state, but rather food insecurity can happen in your neighborhood and mine." Flounlacker has been with Manna, a local nonprofit, since 2011. She is grounded in community relief efforts to alleviate hunger and is solution-driven to solve a complex issue right here at home. She understands while someone may come to Manna because they're hungry, "that's really not what lead them to us." "There are many root causes of hunger, whether it's unemployment, underemployment, mental health issues," said Flounlacker. "There could be a number of other issues in the household that's creating a situation where someone finds their way to our doorstep. So there are a lot of different things we have to take into account when we consider why someone needs our help." She continued, "The best way to utilize our precious resource of healthy food is when we collaborate with other organizations who are doing case management or care management working with individuals holistically, addressing other issues that are not food issues." Manna had to make swift adjustments when the pandemic hit our community. The nonprofit went from 85 volunteers to 11 overnight, asking their elderly volunteers to take a break. From March-August, Manna stopped accepting donations with the risk of COVID being too great. With service through their pantries becoming impossible, Manna partnered with other agencies to address service gaps. Flounlacker said, "We worked with 78 organizations at 130 distribution sites. We saw demand increase by 61% in terms of people, distributed 55% more food than we did the previous year." After a difficult year, Manna is thrilled to have its operations returning to normal and has begun to accept volunteers again, particularly in the warehouse sorting food and packing bags. When they open service at their main pantry, they will also need interviewers to sit with clients and see what other resources can be utilized other than Manna. If you're unable to volunteer, donations are appreciated. For more information on Manna Food Bank, visit mannahelps.org.

TOLD YOU SO As Inweekly reported would happen, attorney Stephanie White was elected the new chairman of Escambia Children's Trust at its meeting on April 27.

Carolyn Appleyard, who led Rebuild Northwest Florida in 2005 after Hurricane Ivan, volunteered, without pay, to serve as the trust's interim director as the board of directors puts together its first budget and determines its millage rate by July 1. Last November, voters approved the Children's Trust's formation that will be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mil. The tax is expected to generate $8 million or more annually to help fill gaps in service for area children that may include health care, education and counseling initiatives. The trust's board of directors will hold meetings at 5:30 p.m. on May 11 and 25 and June 22 in the chambers of the Escambia County Commission, with a possible fourth meeting to be scheduled. There might also be subcommittee meetings. Beginning in July, the board will convene on the second Tuesday of each month. The next battles will be over if the board approves borrowing money to fund operations before the tax is collected and what exactly will be the cost of those "operations." Someone has a plan on how they want the $8 million pie sliced, but they haven't told the public or the full board yet. Stay tuned.

GAMING PROCUREMENT The Escambia Board of County Commissioners had a surprise from its administration at its regular meeting on April 22—substantial change orders, sometimes greater than the contract approved by the board, are being signed by senior leaders without the commissioners' knowledge or approval. Commissioner Steven Barry brought up the issue after several attempts to get clarification from staff that went unanswered. As with other problems, County Administrator Janice Gilley sat quietly for most of the discussion while letting her team walk the plank. This time, Facilities Director Cassie Boatwright tried to answer Barry's concerns. "My understanding of the policy is anything that the board votes on that has a change order is going to come back to the board, whether it has money attached to it or not, whether it's administrative or not," said Barry. "Are you saying that policy is different?" Boatwright said, "No, we have many change orders that don't come before the board or purchase orders that don't come before the board that are less than $25,000." "That's not what I asked, Cassie," said the commissioner. "I understand the threshold policy. My question is, when the board awards contracts, changes to those POs do come to the board. That's why we see nonfinancial change orders, especially as they relate to time and other administrative functions." Barry said he reviewed some purchase orders and discovered substantial change orders that did not come back to the board. inweekly.net

"I've been on the board over eight years," said the commissioner. "It's always been my understanding if the board awards a contract and there's an additive change order, that change order is going to come back to the board. Are you saying that's not the policy? "No, sir. That's not the policy," said Boatwright. Deputy Administrator Wes Moreno came to the mic and said the threshold was 10% of the contract or $50,000, whichever is greater. Commissioner Barry said, "Even in those thresholds, we still had a purchase order that was awarded by the board in November or December that had between 25% and 30% additive change order put on that didn't come back to the board. It was still signed off on by the administration, and it was paid out by Madam Clerk." He added, "I would be of the opinion if we have administrative change orders that come back to us that have no financial impact, I would like to see the purchase orders that have additive dollars added to them as well. I mean, I don't think that's unreasonable—" Gilley interrupted, "Are you saying above the 50,000? Or above the 10%? "No, what I'm saying, anything the board votes on it should come back to the board if it's got an additive change order," said the commissioner. Barry had found relatively small contracts that were competitively bid where change orders drove the total cost greater than the higher bids that lost the contract. In other words, it appeared some vendors might be gaming the procurement system by bidding low with the knowledge that they could submit change orders to improve their profits. "That's not transparent and, in my opinion, a fair process," said Barry. "If I hear from people, we have difficulty getting people to respond to bids; maybe that's why." He continued, "I only spent a couple hours looking through this stuff, but it is very concerning when you come across things that don't look like the policy has been followed … I

May 6, 2021

am very concerned about directors, assistant administrators and administration signing off on things that clearly met that threshold. Even that threshold that she gave the narrative to, that didn't come to the board." Despite Barry's revelation, Gilley insisted she has a "pretty stringent" review process for change orders, and her staff was "very, very careful" on bringing orders over $25,000 to the board. She also appeared to try to blame the issue on mathematics. "I do know that we look at every single purchase order, every single change order," said Gilley. "I guess the math needs to happen probably sooner rather than later in terms of when those change orders have that impact." She continued, "I know where there's several policies that we're making sure that we're adhering to those. I'm sorry if there have been some that have happened that did not meet that other threshold that you're talking about." "It's concerning when you have multiple people in leadership signing off on it saying it does meet it," said Barry. "I can tell you this, though—it's not for trying to hide anything from you," said the county administrator. "That is not our intent at all." "That's not the implied intent," said Barry. "The implied intent is effective public service. That's my concern. When you have multiple people signing off on something that doesn't meet a policy, that's concerning. It does make you wonder."

CONTAMINATED WELLS Naval Air Sta-

tion (NAS) Whiting Field had independent contractor officials test 24 private drinking water wells in the designated sampling area surrounding the installation. Three of the wells exceeded EPA Health Advisory levels. The U.S. Navy will step out an additional half-mile from the area where the LHA exceedances were found to conduct additional sampling. All property owners who had their private drinking water well sampled should have received official notice by the end of April.

The Navy voluntarily began testing the private drinking water wells within identified areas around NAS Whiting Field in March as part of its ongoing investigation regarding the Navy's past use of chemicals collectively referred to as PFAS aboard the base. PFAS are manmade chemicals persistent in the environment that are not absorbed well in soil and could migrate to groundwater. The most common historical Navy use of these chemicals has been firefighting foam (AFFF) used on Navy installations. The Navy no longer conducts training using AFFF but does continue to use a newer type of AFFF for emergencies. Anyone living in the initial designated area, or the extended area, who would like to request to have their private drinking water well tested should contact 844-627-9353 to schedule an appointment. Virtual Open House documents and the fact sheet for the initial sampling, along with information on the extended sampling area, can be found at go.usa.gov/xAEQF.

RESTAURANT RESCUE The U.S. Small Business Administration has begun registrations and accepting applications for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The online application will remain open to any eligible establishment until all funds are exhausted. "Restaurants are the core of our neighborhoods and propel economic activity on main streets across the nation," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. "They are among the businesses that have been hardest hit and need support to survive this pandemic. We want restaurants to know that help is here." Established under the American Rescue Plan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides $28.6 billion in direct relief funds to restaurants and other hard-hit food establishments that have experienced economic distress and significant operational losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their

pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Funds must be used for allowable expenses by March 11, 2023. For the first 21 days that the program is open, the SBA will prioritize funding applications from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible at restaurants.sba.gov. Following the 21 days, all eligible applications will be funded on a first-come, first-served basis.

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD SITE The National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom has accepted the Fort Barrancas Area. The Gulf Islands National Seashore manages the 64.06-acre Fort Barrancas Area, located on Naval Air Station Pensacola. Fort Barrancas Area, commonly called the Barrancas during the Civil War, became a destination for freedom seekers in 1863. At the Barrancas, the Union maintained a military post—which included the Spanish Water Battery, Fort Barrancas and Advanced Redoubt—for recruiting, training and staging white and Black soldiers. Some freedom seekers became soldiers in the United States Colored Troops, playing an important role in the fight to restore the Union and destroy slavery. The National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom is a federal program that commemorates the stories of the men and women who risked everything for freedom and those who helped them. It honors, preserves and promotes the history of resistance to enslavement through escape and flight worldwide. The Barrancas joins 16 new listings from the 41st round of Network to Freedom applications, representing sites, programs and facilities in nine states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. {in}

Pensacola High School

International Baccalaureate Program The Pensacola High School IB Program salutes our IB Seniors who have distinguished themselves by achieving special designations based on their performance on National Merit and Advanced Placement exams.

KENDALL FRAZEE

CALLA ENDACOTT

National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction

GEORGE THOMAS PRETTYMAN

MAI TRAN

National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction

National Merit Finalist and National AP Scholar

EMMA BEASLEY

NOELLE DORVAULT

National Merit Commended Student National Merit Commended and AP Scholar with Distinction Student and National AP Scholar

ELIZABETH MOLCHAN

National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar with Distinction

MEI ADCOX AP Scholar with Distinction

GABRIELLE GONZALEZ AP Scholar with Distinction 010 1

GINNEL MORALES

National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar

MAXANTHONY MATEER

ALYSSA PASCOE

National Merit Finalist and National AP Scholar

National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Honor

ASHLEY WU

AMY ZHANG

National Merit Finalist and National AP Scholar

National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction

JAMES LEHMAN

GRACE DUNAWAY

National Merit Commended Student National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar with Distinction and AP Scholar with Distinction

KHUYEN TRAN

National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar with Distinction

JOSHUA WILKINSON

National Merit Commended Student and AP Scholar

DANA AMIN

SAMSON ARNETT

MICHAEL CARTER

CHLOE CATE

AP Scholar with Distinction

CLAIRE LITVAK

LAUREN MCCONKEY

MORGAN GREEN

HIMA HUMEDA

OLIVIA LANGHORNE

AP Scholar with Distinction

LEVI CHEREK

AP Scholar with Distinction AP Scholar with Distinction

KAYLA DUNSON AP Scholar with Distinction

LAURYN MURPHY AP Scholar with Distinction inweekly.net

CAROLINE POLLITT AP Scholar with Distinction

ANNA PRATT

JILLIAN REDMOND

AP Scholar with Distinction

ADELE DORION AP Scholar with Honor

MAIZIE SCHAILL

JAMES SIMKINS

AP Scholar with Distinction

GABRIELLE VINES

EMILY WAGNER

AHKIRA WARE

AP Scholar with Distinction

ALEXANDRA SINKOVICH AP Scholar with Distinction

CHLOE WITKIN AP Scholar with Distinction

SPENCER GARRETT

HADLEY GROOM

ASPEN LINZER

AUDREY LITTLE

KALEB LONG

AP Scholar with Honor

ADAM FARES RIFAI

JONNY TAYLOR

KIRA TULLY

KNEIA WILLIAMS

MAXIM WOODHOUSE

AP Scholar with Honor

KIRSTEN BEDFORD AP Scholar

ONIMA BUSHRA AP Scholar

NOAH CARROLL AP Scholar

BROOKE TYREE AP Scholar with Distinction

NATIONAL AP SCHOLAR avg score of at least 4, score of 4+ on 8+ AP exams

DILLON DISSANAYAKE AP Scholar

AP SCHOLAR WITH DISTINCTION avg score of at least 3.5, score of 3+ on 5+ exams SIDDHI GAVKAR AP Scholar

ANNA GORTON AP Scholar

KYLE KIZILBASH AP Scholar

SAM LAGGAN

TIFFANY LEE

AP Scholar

AP SCHOLAR WITH HONOR avg score of at least 3.25, score of 3+ on 4+ exams AP SCHOLAR score of 3+ on 3+ exams

DECLAN MCGURK CHARLES BRAXTON MIMS MADELYN MOSLEY AP Scholar

GRACE OSBURN AP Scholar

AP Scholar

EVE PARENT AP Scholar

AP Scholar

SHIV PATEL AP Scholar

CALLIE NEUHAUS AP Scholar

MARCO O’CONNOR

AKELAH REEVES AP Scholar

AP Scholar

ISABELLE WEILER AP Scholar

KATE WIGGINS AP Scholar

MATTHEW WRIGHT AP Scholar

We are still accepting applications to the PHS IB Program. Please visit our PHS IB web page (phs-ecsd-fl.schoolloop.com/phsib) to view our Virtual IB Open House, Informational Videos, and find our paper application. Photos by Gulf South Pix and PHS yearbook staff May 6, 2021

SCI is very committed to local entrepreneurship. In addition to training and Accelerate Roundtables, we’ve added these 2 significant investments to grow local entrepreneurship.

The Spring VMS

gBETA Pensacola

Connecting entrepreneurs with teams of carefully selected mentors to help their businesses prosper.

Seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots.

The Spring Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) is based on the successful model used by the renowned VMS program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MIT VMS is tailored specifically to communities looking to bolster entrepreneurship, and we have brought their successful program back to Pensacola. Our program offers confidential, team mentoring services to entrepreneurs across our community. By pairing entrepreneurs with 3-5 highly experienced mentors, their ventures are exposed to a variety of very skilled expertise and advice. This program is offered to entrepreneurs free of charge.

gBETA is a free program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. During the seven-week accelerator program, companies meet with the gBETA team twice a week for an hour each to refine their business model, meet mentors, strategize their growth, gain customer traction and pitch investors. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. Participating companies receive individualized coaching and mentorship from the gBETA team, one-on-one meetings with 25+ mentors, weekly Lunch & Learns, and an exclusive Pitch Night reception during which they have the opportunity to pitch to an audience of entrepreneurs, mentors, investors and community members.

Gracie Price Entrepreneur Coordinator gracie@thespringpensacola.com

Jonathan Kretz Director, gBeta Pensacola jonathan@gener8tor.com

www.thespringpensacola.com

www.gBETAstartups.com/pensacola

MEET THE MENTORS The program offers confidential team mentoring services to entrepreneurs across the community. By pairing entrepreneurs with 3-5 highly experienced mentors, they are exposed to a variety of very skilled expertise and advice. Bob Anderson

Bob Foster

Cover Brooks

Rachael Gillette

Senior Vice President, SunTrust now Truist Financial Financial Advisor, Morgan Stanley

Buddy Cummings

Co-founder & Partner, Cummings Camp Programs, LLC

Nikki Cummings

Co-founder & CEO, Cummings Camp Programs, LLC

Dean Dalrymple

Partner / Principal, Dalrymple Sallis Architecture

Division Manager-CALEA, Apogee Chief Leadership Development Officer, Studer Community Institute

Capt. Sterling Gilliam

Director, National Naval Aviation Museum

Retired Attorney

Ashton Hayward

President, Andrews Research Education Foundation

Chris Heaney

Deputy Supervisor of Elections for Operations, Escambia County, FL

James Hosman

Travis Goins

President, EBI Management Group

Jessica Griffen

Bob Hart

Chairwoman and CEO, The Urban Development Center, Inc.

Market President, Centennial Bank

Jerry Jackson

Retired, GM Deepwater Projects, Royal Dutch Shell

James Mann

CEO, M4 Sciences Corporation and University of West Florida, Mechanical Engineering (courtesy appointment)

Curt Morse

Vice President of Private Banking, The First Private Bank

Mort O’Sullivan

Retired Managing Member of the Gulf Coast Region Warren Averett, LLC CPAs & Advisors

Tom Patterson

CEO, The JETTY IoT

Lloyd Reshard

CEO, Cognitive Big Data Systems

John Rigsby CEO, eduocity

James Waters

Entrepreneur and Co-Founder and Former CTO, Performance Matters

Walker Wilson

Kathy Sandstrom

Retired Senior Partner, Heitman, LLC

Executive Director, Downtown Improvement Board and President/Owner Bay Lumber Trading

Julie Sheppard

Veronique Zayas

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, IHMC

Bert Thornton

Founder and Creative Director, HatchMark Studio, Co-Founder, Emerald Republic Brewing Co.

Retired COO and Vice Chairman Emeritus, Waffle House, Inc.

Studer Community Institute 220 W. Garden St. Pensacola, FL 32502 The Studer Community Institute is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

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Priscilla William / Photo by Natalie Zepp

MOTHERHOOD IN THE NEW NORMAL By Gina Castro

While the world is still deciphering the pandemic's short-term impact, COVID-19's long-term impact is still largely unknown. Scientific research in the years to come will discover the total mental health effects of long-term quarantining, the virus's impact on the lungs and the best practices for preventing another pandemic. One other question that still remains—how is the pandemic affecting new moms? There are a handful of studies providing a glimpse at how the stress and fear of the coronavirus have impacted pregnancy. Prepandemic, one in five pregnant and postpartum women experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety. The American Psychological Association reported an increase in stress levels since the beginning of the May 6, 2021

pandemic. The report attributed the increase to the pandemic and political unrest. Carrying a child in this new normal is quite different, which could increase symptoms of depression and anxiety among pregnant women, especially new moms. Kendal Vaughn, an RN and certified lactation consultant, started on her own as a lactation consultant just 19 days before the shutdown. She experienced a boom in business as a result. Vaughn received a surge in referrals from medical professionals because the hospitals didn't want to risk babies' exposure to the virus for simple tasks like weigh-ins. Vaughn frequently speaks with her clients about postpartum depression and anxiety because mental health can have an impact on the amount of breastmilk the women produce.

"I have some moms that just truly break down on me and just cry their eyes out," Vaughn continued. "Honestly, postpartum depression and anxiety is so popular already. It's just that people are good at either hiding it or not talking about it. It is kind of like a taboo thing, and no one wants to talk about it. But I experienced postpartum anxiety very, very badly." A major aspect of Vaughn's job as an in-home lactation consultant is reassuring moms. Her clients, who are sometimes first-time moms, just need to hear that they're doing well. For doula and birth photographer Natalie Zepp, reassurance and support is a major part of her role in the delivery process, too. Many first-time moms during the pandemic

had to give birth with only their spouse beside them, which for some moms isn't what they imagined. At first, doulas weren't permitted in the delivery rooms due to restrictions, but eventually, hospitals in Pensacola permitted them, making Zepp one of the few birth photographers to be allowed in the delivery room during this time. "Sacred Heart just blew me away with how accommodating they have been as far as loosening up their visitor restrictions and tightening them back up at some point but loosening them whenever they can. They have just been amazing at Baptist, too," Zepp continued. To better understand how the pandemic and its restrictions impacted some first-time moms, Inweekly spoke with a handful of new moms in the city. 13

Hannah and Ben Smith / Courtesy Photo

Hannah Smith When Hannah Smith first heard about the coronavirus, she was three months along in her pregnancy. "I think in the beginning, I thought it was just going to go away. Obviously, it didn't," Hannah said. Hannah, 30, met her husband Ben, 32, in civil engineering school at the University of South Alabama. They've been married for six years. Hannah and Ben were eager to have children, so when the couple found out Hannah was pregnant with twins, they were thrilled. As news about the virus spread and the world shut down, Hannah was experiencing many of the milestones of pregnancy for the first time. Hannah had hoped to share the heartfelt moments of seeing her twin boys on the ultrasound screen with her tight-knit family beside her. Of course, coronavirus restrictions prevented visitors, even Ben, from coming to her appointments. Things changed once doctors found Hannah was having a high-risk pregnancy. The hospital permitted her to have a visitor—but only her husband. Though Hannah was grateful to have Ben by her side, she wishes her family could have been there. "I have a large family. My cousins, aunts and my mom and my dad were all very, very close. We would send videos and have them on speakerphone, but it was definitely disappointing," Hannah continued. "I was very hopeful every time that by the next appointment everything would be back to normal. We'd say, 'Surely, by the time the twins come in August, this will all be in the past.' Oh, how we were wrong." The pregnancy became high risk because she had vasa previa, which is a rare and severe pregnancy complication where the fetal umbilical cord blood vessels are unprotected by the umbilical cord or the placenta, which puts the blood vessels at risk of rupturing. A majority of the time, 56%, that vasa previa goes undiagnosed, it results in stillbirth. But when detected, the survival rate for the fetus is 97%. The chances of vasa previa increase when there are multiple fetuses in the womb. As a result, Hannah spent the last 36 days of her pregnancy in Sacred Heart's Perinatal Specialty Unit (PSU). Her stay at the hospital was during July 2020, which was during the time with some of the highest numbers of COVID-19 hospitalizations locally. "I had a goal, and that was to get my babies here safe. So I just kept pushing through, but it was very hard with COVID," Hannah said. 414 1

At first, the hospital allowed Hannah to have two visitors, one at a time. Her mom and Ben, as well as the Sacred Heart staff, were a major comfort for her during her stay at the hospital. But as the number of COVID hospitalizations grew after the Fourth of July, the hospital's restrictions increased. Hannah's visitors were reduced back to just her husband. Once her sons, William and Gregory, were born, they had to stay in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 10 days. Hannah considers herself and Ben fortunate because they were able to visit the NICU together. "In the NICU, you're only allowed one visitor per baby. We have two babies, so we both got to be in the NICU together, which was a very big blessing because many parents we talked to had to switch off." Hannah said. "I know that it was very hard for a lot of people to be alone and not have their spouse with them." Eventually, Hannah's stay at the hospital came to an end. "We were at Sacred Heart Hospital for a total of 46 days. The happiest day of our lives was the day we finally put Sacred Heart in our rearview mirror," Hannah said. William and Gregory were greeted by Hannah's and Ben's families during cautious porch visits. Hannah said her family was very helpful and supportive, yet her concern for her babies and fear of the virus caused her anxiety. "It was having twins after being in the hospital for so long on top of the pandemic and then being in the NICU," Hannah said. "I had some high anxiety just with making sure they were all right. Watching your children in the NICU is very stressful." Lactation consultant Kendal Vaughn helped put Hannah's anxiety at ease. "Kendal definitely helped that anxiety so much and really turned that around for me. So I'm very thankful for her," Hannah said. Hannah's twin boys are now 9 months old. She isn't sure quite yet if she'll have more children. "But if we do, hopefully, it will not be during a pandemic," Hannah said.

Kaitlin and Mark Blackburn / Courtesy Photo

Kaitlin Blackburn As the only dentist in her practice, Kaitlin Blackburn had a high risk of contracting COVID-19. "It's a little scary. We're right in people's faces," Kaitlin said. Dentists are often in very close proximity to patients, and some dental equipment blows aerosols out, which may contain viral particles from infected patients. "The handpiece blows aerosols out, so it's gonna put all that in the air. You're already

worried about the air that you're breathing and the spit flying out to you," Kaitlin said. "It was a little scary, especially not knowing how it would affect the pregnancy." Kaitlin worked at her dental practice until the day she gave birth in August 2020. "If I'm not there, the practice isn't up and running," Kaitlin said. Although there certainly was a risk of contracting the virus, a study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that because dentists followed CDC and ADA recommendations, the rate of COVID-19 infection among dentists was low. Kaitlin, 32, and her husband, Mark, 35, who also owns a dental practice, upped their sanitary practices and wore N-95 masks. The couple has been married for five years. They met while in dentistry school in Indiana, where Kaitlin is from. Eventually, the couple found their way to Mark's hometown, Pensacola. When things shut down last spring, so did their dental practices. For seven weeks, Kaitlin worried about the future of her practice. "We were okay for the short term, but you just didn't know what the long term was gonna be. You didn't know. Is this going to be a permanent thing? Are we ever going to open again? Even if we open, are people going to be comfortable coming back?" Kaitlin wondered. When she became pregnant, it wasn't quite what she expected her first pregnancy to be like. Kaitlin had two small baby showers, one in Indiana and another here. But many of her friends and family chose not to attend in fear of the virus. "There were just a lot less people than there would have been had there not been a pandemic, and everyone wore a mask, which was, you know, kind of weird," Kaitlin said. "So it's sad because you want that to be normal." Kaitlin envisioned Mark and her mom would support her in the delivery room. So when her water broke suddenly three-anda-half weeks early, she longed for her mom in Indiana. "I always expected my mom and Mark to be there with me," Kaitlin said. Kaitlin and Mark rushed to the hospital at 3 a.m. One of the first things Kaitlin noticed at the hospital was a board with the number of COVID cases in the hospital and ICU. "If you're not already nervous about being here, then there's this big old board that you have to see as soon as you walk in the hospital. So that was a little scary," Kaitlin said. As soon as she made it to her room, Kaitlin felt safe and well taken care of by the hospital staff. She was even grateful that she, Mark and their baby, Brooks, shared three uninterrupted days at the hospital without family. "I don't think that I would trade it for the world how it worked out," Kaitlin said. The first day home with the baby, Kaitlin found herself overwhelmed with fear for her newborn son. Seeing her family hugging and holding Brooks reminded her how vulnerable he was to the virus. "I don't know if I was nervous or if I was just hormonal or what, but I just started crying," Kaitlin continued. "I had this irrational fear that he was gonna get COVID from these people. You know, I don't know where they've been. What if he gets COVID? I just remember crying and just being like, I didn't want anybody here anymore."

Other than some challenges with breastfeeding and a little separation anxiety, Kaitlin said the past eight months have been great. "It's everything I thought it would be. So it's good. I feel like I can juggle work and him," Kaitlin said.

Priscilla William / Photo by Natalie Zepp

Priscilla William Toward the end of Priscilla William's pregnancy, she worried and even dreamed about testing positive for COVID the day of her delivery. For some women, having COVID the day of delivery meant the mom would have to quarantine from her newborn baby. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that newborns be separated from COVIDpositive mothers. The CDC recommends that COVID-positive mothers who want to breastfeed should have an uninfected caregiver feed the baby breastmilk from a bottle. "I definitely did not want them to take away my child. That was one thing that I was just very afraid of. That was one of the biggest dreams I would dream," Priscilla said. "Like, it would just be every single night, I would just sit up and think like, oh, gosh, especially toward the end. I'd be scared to go out just to make sure I don't get COVID." Priscilla is a world traveler. She lived in India until 13. Priscilla went to high school in Peru, college in Chicago and was working for a company in Colombia when she met her husband, Jared. She speaks a total of six languages. The couple found out they were pregnant with Rex in April 2020. One of the biggest challenges Priscilla faced was just how different the pregnancy was from her expectations. "The hardest part is just the normalcy of pregnancy. My parents couldn't come down here. His parents couldn't come down. We couldn't go there," Priscilla said. "We told them that we were pregnant virtually, which is fine. It never was like the ideal thing you ever dream up in your head." Although the pandemic caused her first pregnancy to be different than she imagined, Priscilla felt her adventurous life prepared her for it. Her church planned a baby shower for her, but it was canceled because several guests had COVID. Instead, the church sent gifts and food to her door. Jared's coworkers set up a virtual baby shower for her, too. "I've never lived in one place all my life, so I've always connected with people virtually. It wasn't too much of an adjustment," Priscilla continued. "Our baby shower did look different, but we felt loved." Priscilla didn't take all of the educational classes she wanted, but Sacred Heart did offer inweekly.net

a virtual birthing class that taught her helpful breathing techniques. The day Priscilla went into delivery, the hospital agreed to allow doulas to be in the delivery rooms, so she was able to have doula and birth photographer Natalie Zepp with her. It was important to Priscilla to have a doula support her through the delivery. "I didn't have any problem giving birth in front of the 10 nurses and Jared and the doula there," Priscilla said. "Not having my family in the room wasn't a big deal for me, but not having them in the hospital was really hard because I was in labor for 10 hours, and my parents and his parents were standing outside the hospital just waiting." A couple of days later, Priscilla and Jared introduced their family to Rex in the hospital parking lot. "Both my parents were outside standing there with balloons in their hands and tears in their eyes. I gotta say, though, that was a really cool moment because it felt like we were just alone for three days," Priscilla said. "It was awesome to have time for just the three of us, but we were so eager to show the world our little baby." Priscilla's parents and Jared were really supportive while she was getting the hang of motherhood. She had some anxiety about germs whenever she had guests, and she experienced postpartum hunger, but for the most part, she was just anxious about being a good first-time mom, despite the hardships of the pandemic. "I think the stress really came from taking care of a kid and not knowing how to do that perfectly," Priscilla continued. "I would cry for

happy reasons, like if I saw Rex. Then the next moment, he would wake up crying, and I would just cry because I didn't know what to do. So in a sense, my hormones were out of whack. I'm such a perfectionist. I was also trying to figure out what in the world is going on with my emotions because they were all over the place." She also lost family to the virus. Her uncle passed in India, but because of COVID travel restrictions, neither she nor her parents were able to attend the funeral. Since Rex is just 3 months old, Priscilla isn't quite sure when another child is in their future. But she said one thing is for certain— "We won't let the pandemic dictate when we want to have kids."

Nicole Sanders / Photo by Natalie Zepp

Nicole Sanders For as long as she can remember, Nicole Sanders wanted a big family. She grew up

an only child. Nicole, 32, and her husband, Justin, 35, have been married for two years and counting. Justin had a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old prior, and the couple looked forward to having a blended family. Nicole surprised Justin with the news with a "Future Tiger" onesie after the Iron Bowl in 2019. "He was very surprised and caught off guard a little bit, but once it sunk in, he was excited," Nicole said. Nicole is working on her Ph.D. in Business Administration from the University of South Alabama, and she works full time at her family's environmental company. By the time the shock of the pandemic hit Pensacola, Nicole had only just begun relishing in her first pregnancy. Her mother and Justin saw the baby before the COVID restrictions during an ultrasound. But suddenly, Nicole had to go to all of her appointments alone. "Having to go from being able to share it with everyone to only me, that was nervewracking," Nicole said. "It was sad because all these experiences I'd always wanted and planned on just got shut down. I didn't get to really share it with anybody." The baby, named Carter Cole, is Nicole's side of the family's first grandbaby, so they were eager to celebrate. She had an outdoor, distant baby shower that was not quite what she imagined. "We really didn't get to celebrate me being pregnant and her coming along," Nicole said. She was also fearful of miscarrying due to the virus. Nicole already experienced the fear of losing her baby during a miscarriage scare in December 2019.

"We kept hearing the same thing over and over again in the media. I was scared to go out and do anything because I didn't want to take a chance of losing the pregnancy," Nicole said. Her classes went online, and she started working from home. All of the birth preparation and newborn classes she looked forward to taking were canceled indefinitely. She wasn't able to tour the hospital either. When Nicole researched women's delivery experience during the pandemic, she found dozens of nightmare stories where women had to give birth alone. "That was one of my biggest fears—having to give birth by myself," Nicole said. Nicole had an exhausting 12-hour delivery. Justin stayed by her side. The two surprised the family with a FaceTime after the delivery. "My mom was in the kitchen, and I heard her scream and run to my dad. I think they were more mad that I didn't call them and let them know sooner," she said with a laugh. Nicole wishes her parents could have been there. "I hated it for my parents, not being able to see their first grandchild being born," Nicole said. The Baptist nurses taught Nicole everything from swaddling to breastfeeding. She said the staff was incredible. Carter Cole is now 8 months old. She's met Nicole's stepdaughter, but due to COVID, she hasn't met her brother yet. But amongst all of the challenges, there were several positive outcomes, too. For one, Nicole had more time to research for her Ph.D. She graduates in the summer of 2022. {in}

BRING YOUR STONE AND STAINLESS STEEL SURFACES BACK TO LIFE WITH SIMPLECOAT. Use SimpleCoat any time you want to create a hydrophobic, glossy seal that protects against liquids, stains, and fingerprints while enhancing the look of surfaces everywhere in your home. Easy, one-step application with no drying or curing time. BEAUTIFIES & PROTECTS Instantly restores and protects dull granite and all other stones and removes and repels fingerprints and water stains on stainless steel.

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May 6, 2021

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WEEK OF MAY 6-12

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

Play Ball By Jeremy Morrison

MAJORS & MARLINS

JJ Bleday and Lazaro Alonso / Photo Courtesy of Blue Wahoos

It's been a long off-season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no joy in Mudville, or Pensacola, or anywhere else last year, as Minor League Baseball took a year off. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos last graced the field at the Maritime Park in the fall of 2019. It was a post-season championship series game with the Biloxi Shuckers in what now seems like another universe. A lot's happened since then. "It's been a wild road," team president Jonathan Griffith told Inweekly recently. While there were no baseball games played at Wahoos Stadium in 2020, there was plenty of action for the team. For starters, there were seismic changes within Minor League Baseball, with Major League Baseball absorbing and restructuring the farm leagues. Also, the Double-A Wahoos changed affiliaMay 6, 2021

tions, switching from the Minnesota Twins to the in-state Miami Marlins. And now the long winter—actually, two long winters and a dreadfully long spring, summer and fall as well—appears to be thawing and baseball season is finally upon us, edging cautiously into a late start as COVID numbers decrease and more people get vaccinated. The Blue Wahoos began the season on the road Tuesday, May 4, playing the Mississippi Braves, before returning to Pensacola Tuesday, May 11, to face the Birmingham Barons and kick off a two-week stretch of home games. Griffith said that everyone in the Blue Wahoos organization is excited to be playing baseball again. And he's betting the Wahoos' fans are getting pretty excited as well. "We're expecting sellouts," he laughed.

While the Wahoos were on hiatus, the landscape of the league shifted dramatically. As the contract between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball expired, the MLB took direct control of the minors and went to work whittling the field. Pensacola is fortunate to still have a team, as about a quarter of the communities sporting minor league teams were cut from the roster and destined to the unaffiliated wilderness. Despite protests from officials in the minor leagues, claiming the takeover was profit-motivated, as well as a letter of protest from 100 members of the United States Congress citing the impact to minor league communities, the MLB followed through with the changes, contending that the evolution was necessary to improve league logistics, as well as travel and working conditions for the players. "A lot of it's behind the scenes," explained Daniel Venn, director of communications for the Wahoos. "A lot of it's designed to make sure our players can develop in the best environment possible." But what will this change in the minor league system mean for local fans? Will there be a notable difference in the games? Probably not, according to Griffith, who said there would be changes, but they would be minute—in Double-A, there is a rule change pertaining to "shifting," or how infield players are positioned on the field, and in Triple-A, the bases are growing a few inches, from 15-inch squares to 18-inch squares. "You'd have to be a true, true fan to notice," Griffith said. Other changes involved in this new phase of the minor leagues include a reshuffling of the regional leagues comprising the minors. For instance, the Blue Wahoos were formerly part of the Southern League South Division. That is no more. Now, the team is part of the Double-A South, alongside teams like the Shuckers, Braves and Barons. The more obvious change for Wahoos fans this season will be the team's affiliation. While the Wahoos began their play as a farm team for the Cincinnati Reds, then enjoyed a short stint with the Minneapolis Twins, the team is now feeding into the Miami Marlins system. "The Marlins have a very good minor league system," Griffith said, forecasting some quality play this season. "I think we're gonna see some good players." Other teams within the Marlins' farm sys-

tem include the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and the Single-A Beloit Snappers in Wisconsin, which is partly owned by Wahoos owners Quint and Rishy Studer. This system, with geographical and organizational familiarities, is expected to work well for Miami. "It's great for the Marlins," said Bill Vilona, senior writer for the Wahoos. "This is a smooth flow for the Marlins." Another change this year that fans will likely notice is the structure of the season. With its late start this spring, there will be an abbreviated 60-game season. In an effort to make team schedules and travel more uniform, minor league teams will be pretty much holding to a calendar that has them rotating between six games at home and then six games on the road. Also—and this is kind of weird—there will be no championship playoffs at the end of the season. Because COVID precautions have delayed the season, this will allow for players to get more regular season games in without the realities of the championships cutting some teams' time on the field—and thus, the experience players are receiving— a bit short. "That's a COVID regulation. They plan on having them after this year," Griffith pointed out. "Call it a great year by getting the games in; let's not push it."

'RAH, RAH, RAH' (BUT DIFFERENT)

Speaking of COVID regulations, we asked Griffith what fans returning to the stadium can expect. "It's going to look a little different," Griffith acknowledged. Sporting events, especially minor league baseball games, can be raucous, rowdy, cheering-in-each-other's-faces-as-weaccidentally-sip-from-someone-else's-beer affairs. At Wahoos games, for example, fans sometimes dance atop the dugouts and children are invited to run en masse and in close quarters across the field chasing someone outfitted as a large roach. "Because in baseball it's all about hanging out, getting together, rah, rah, rah," Griffith said. But COVID safety measures being instituted by Major League Baseball will mean a somewhat different environment this season. Griffith points out perhaps the saddest change—"There'll be zero access to the players." That's a pretty big deal in the 17

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autograph-happy minors, where kids can have casual conversations with their heroes warming up in the bullpen. Other COVID-related changes in place this season include stadium regulations. To prevent lines of people gathered at the concession areas, fans will be able to use in-seat concession services. For those that make a trek to the concession area, or to the Bait and Tackle Shop, physical distancing measures are in place. Fans will not be allowed to carry bags into the stadium. In the case of a weather delay, fans will be asked to wait it out in their cars to avoid crowding the concourse when seeking shelter. Wahoos staff will be required to undergo temperature screenings, and the stadium's sanitation protocol is being stepped up. And there's this—everyone will be required to wear a face mask. Yes, even though it's outside. And yes, even though Florida, as a state, has no such requirement. It's a Major League Baseball thing. "Some people don't like that," Griffith said. "But the only way we can get the product of baseball is to follow the rules of baseball. It's what they're doing across the country. They can't have one rule for Pensacola and another for New York City." But all of these COVID-related safety measures could change, depending on the trajectory of the pandemic. If there is a surge in cases, the measures will remain, but if the vaccine distribution continues on pace and numbers decline into the summer, conditions could be relaxed. "Major League Baseball is going month by month," Griffith said. But right out of the gates, the Blue Wahoos are going to enjoy something that other teams are not—opening at near-full capacity. "We went back and forth for months," Venn said, referring to the team's discussion about capacity with the MLB. Initially, the Majors suggested 25% capacity. By the end of the negotiating process, however, the Wahoos managed to work it up to 98% capacity. "We don't have to do pod seating. We don't have tape around seats," Griffith said when announcing the capacity news. So, with the ability to welcome nearly a full house of fans back to the stadium, the Blue Wahoos are looking forward to the longawaited season. And even with COVID restrictions in place and the new arrangement with Major League Baseball, there will still be the loose, fun feel that is woven into the DNA of the minors. The Wahoos, for example, will transform into the partyhardy Pensacola Mullets each week when Thirsty Thursday rolls around. "We're gonna find a way to deliver the same experience; it's just gonna look a little different," Venn assured. "We're still gonna do the silly stuff, the fun stuff." {in}

BLUE WAHOOS 2021 HOME OPENER

WHAT: Blue Wahoos vs. Birmingham Barons WHEN: 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, May 11 WHERE: Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. DETAILS: bluewahoos.com

THE DAILY SHOW Sure, baseball is the main reason to make your way to Wahoos Stadium, but there are a few other things you might want to plan your ballpark outings around. Here's a rundown of the 2021 daily promotional schedule. TASTE OF PENSACOLA TUESDAY For $24, fans will receive a ticket to the Winn-Dixie Party Deck—which includes a ballpark buffet dinner featuring samples from local Pensacola restaurants, unlimited water and soda and an exclusive Blue Wahoos hat. WINNING WEDNESDAY Over the course of the season, the Blue Wahoos will give away $10,000 to fans with a minimum of $1,000 on the line each Wednesday. Each week, any money not won the previous Wednesday will be added to the pot, creating the potential for a massive payday. All adult fans (18+) in attendance will be eligible to register. THIRSTY THURSDAY + MULLET THURSDAY Every Thursday this season will be a double-header—promowise. The team will take the field as their alter ego the Pensacola Mullets each week, and the fan favorite Thirsty Thursday drink specials will also be returning—including $2 draft beer and two-for-one 16 oz. domestic beer. GIVEAWAY FRIDAYS Each Friday, the first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive an exclusive giveaway item. FIREWORKS SATURDAYS Win or lose, the Wahoos celebrate every Saturday night with post-game fireworks. MILITARY FAMILY SUNDAY Active or retired military members will receive a discount at the box office with valid ID, and military families will be honored and recognized each week, sponsored by WKRG and Covenant Care. inweekly.net

a&e happenings FIVE SISTERS BLUES CAFÉ Five Sisters Blues Café will be open for our traditional Sunday Jazz Brunch on Mother's Day Sunday, May 9, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. To reserve your table, call 850-469-9898 or visit fivesistersbluescafe.com. ANGELENA'S RISTORANTE ITALIANO

Angelena's will be open and serving Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 9, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. To reserve your table, call (850) 542-8398 or visit angelenaspensacola.com.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

CLOTHING DRIVE WITH ST. VINCENT DE PAUL Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co.,

GRADUATIONS

UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA The

UWF spring commencement will take place Saturday, May 8, at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Blue Wahoos Stadium, located at 351 W. Cedar St. For more information, visit uwf. edu/offices/commencement.

PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE The

Pensacola State College graduation will be held at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St., Sunday, May 9, at 3 p.m. For more information, visit pensacolabaycenter.com.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS The Escambia County

High School graduations will take place June 4 and 7 at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St. For more information, visit pensacolabaycenter.com. Dates and times as follows: Friday, June 4 •9 a.m. – Booker T. Washington •12:30 p.m. – Pensacola •4 p.m. – Escambia Monday, June 7 •9 a.m. – Tate •12:30 p.m. – Northview •3:30 p.m. – West Florida •7 p.m. – Pine Forest

SANTA ROSA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION The Santa Rosa

County High School graduations will be Saturday, June 5, at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St. For more information, visit pensacolabaycenter.com. •11 a.m. – Gulf Breeze •2:30 p.m. – Pace High •6 p.m. – Navarre

MOTHER'S DAY EVENTS

MOTHER'S DAY FOR MOTHER EARTH RECYCLING DRIVE Sustainable Pensac-

ola, in partnership with the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, is hosting a one-day recycling drive open to all Escambia County residents at the John R. Jones Athletic Complex, located at 551 Nine Mile Road, from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, May 8. Participants will be eligible for discounts at local businesses including Open Books, The Farm Produce Stand, East Hill Pizza and more. May 6, 2021

MOTHER'S DAY PORCH MARKET

Head to Alyssa's Antiques at 4586 Chumuckla Highway in Pace for a Mother's Day Porch Market to find unique gifts for mom. The market is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, March 8. Grab a passport and have vendors stamp it to be eligible for Alyssa's gift cards. For more information, visit shopalyssas.com.

MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH AT H20 GRILL H20 Grill will have a special

Mother's Day brunch buffet experience from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday, May 8. Cost is $75 for adults and $22 for kids. H20 Grill is located at the Hilton Pensacola Beach at 12 Via De Luna Drive.

MOTHER'S DAY MENU AT GRAND MARLIN The Grand Marlin has a special

Mother's Day brunch and dinner menu including strawberry-Nutella French toast for brunch and grouper Oscar for the dinner feature. Reservations are recommended. A limited regular menu is also available. The Grand Marlin is located at 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. Call (850) 677-9153 for reservations.

CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY AT GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANTS

All Great Southern Restaurants will be open Sunday, May 9, for Mother's Day. 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. As we continue to maintain our strict standards of service, please note seating will be limited. Reservations are required at each restaurant.

THE FISH HOUSE The Fish House will be open and serving Mother's Day brunch on Sunday, May 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. with dinner service available beginning at 3 p.m. To reserve your table, call (850) 470-0003 or visit fishhousepensacola.com. JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE Jackson's

will be serving Mother's Day Brunch as well as Mother's Day Dinner on Sunday, May 9. Brunch hours are from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with dinner service at 5 p.m. To reserve your table, call (850) 469-9898. For more information, visit jacksonsrestaurant.com.

located at 50 E. Garden St., on Saturday, May 8, from 2-6 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Alfred-Washburn Resource Center. Donate three items to St. Vincent De Paul and receive a free beer as well as a coupon for the thrift shop and a Koozie or fridge magnet with the St. Vincent De Paul logo. Visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco for more details.

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT ADOPTION

Animal Allies will be at Pet Supermarket on N. Ninth Avenue on Saturdays, May 8 and 24, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., and Everette Animal Welfare Group will be at PetSmart on N. Davis Highway on Saturdays, May 1, 8,15 and 22, from noon-4 p.m. If you can't adopt, ask about opportunities to donate, foster or volunteer. All cats are up to date on shots and tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and flea pill. Visit aaflorida. org for more information.

THE ARC GATEWAY KICKS OFF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE The Arc

Gateway has kicked off its annual Bobby Tronu Membership Drive for the month of April and invites the public to join. The nonprofit agency would like to expand its membership by 500 new members. Membership is a very important aspect of The Arc Gateway organization, increasing awareness which ultimately leads to a better-informed community. Membership is a critical step in creating society-wide acceptance of people with disabilities. The Arc Gateway runs membership drives yearly with the availability to join year-round. The drive honors legendary supporter, Bobby Tronu, who for more than 50 years played a special part in The Arc Gateway's efforts to improve the lifestyles of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The annual membership drive pays tribute to the years of support and service Bobby Tronu provided. To learn more about membership options or to join, visit arc-gateway.org/giving/membership or call (850) 434-2638.

PAINT YOUR HEART OUT WITH KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL Paint Your

Heart Out (PYHO) is a community beautification program from Keep Pensacola Beautiful (KPB) that aims to assist our elderly, disabled, veteran and/or single-parent com-

munity members through a massive service project once a year. PYHO is open to all Escambia County residents and nominated by the public. During the month of May, a team of volunteers will go to the selected property and perform beautification projects such as pressure washing, exterior home painting, light landscaping and outdoor light bulb replacing. KPB needs a community of partners, sponsors and volunteers for this annual project. Email Lauren Doubek, Education & Outreach coordinator, at lauren@keeppensacolabeautiful.org for groups of five or more volunteers. For group sizes of four or less, visit volunteermatch.org to register individually.

CALL TO ARTISTS

KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL PIECES ADRIFT ART SHOW Pieces Adrift is a

community art exhibition and auction that educates viewers about the harmful effects marine litter has on our coastal ecosystem. All pieces submitted to this show are made of at least 50% reclaimed waste material to inspire onlookers to rethink their trash in a creative way. Art that is donated will be open for public auction, and proceeds will benefit Keep Pensacola Beautiful's programming initiatives in 2022. To participate in Keep Pensacola Beautiful's upcoming Pieces Adrift Art Show & Auction as an artist, visit facebook.com/keeppensacolabeautiful for a link to the signup form. Artists of any level are welcome to join.

VENDORS AND CRAFT EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZ PENSACOLA 2021 Jazz Pen-

sacola is calling arts and crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the 2021 Pensacola JazzFest planned for May 15-16 at Seville Square in historic downtown Pensacola. Application forms can be downloaded at jazzpensacola.com. Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/mass-produced products will be accepted. All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10-foot canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the community. For more information, call Jazz Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at (850) 433-8382, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

OPERA AFTER DARK Opera After Dark is a unique, free outdoor concert like no other, featuring professional singers in an exciting performance under the stars. All guests will receive free glow sticks. Refreshments from local food trucks will be available to purchase. Located at the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza. Next date is 8 p.m. Thursday, May 6. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolaopera. VISIT PENSACOLA CELEBRATES NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK Visit Pensacola will be celebrating

National Travel and Tourism Week May 2-8 with a host of virtual and in-person events. For registration links and more information, 19

a&e happenings visit visitpensacola.com/industry/events/ national-travel-tourism-week.

THURSDAY, MAY 6: VIRTUAL TRAVEL & TOURISM WORKSHOP Visit Pensacola

will host a virtual travel and tourism workshop from 10-11:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 6. Hear from both Visit Florida and Downs and St. Germain Research on the Power of Travel.

THURSDAY, MAY 6: INDUSTRY B.A.R.E NIGHT Industry workers, head to Perfect

Plain Brewery, located at 50 E. Garden St., from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, May 6, to celebrate your hard work this past year. The first drink is on Visit Pensacola, on a first-come, firstserved basis until tickets run out. Make sure to bring your business cards to enter to win the week's grand prize.

FRIDAY, MAY 7: PENSACOLA BEACH CLEANUP Visit Pensacola has partnered with

the Santa Rosa Island Authority to host a beach cleanup at the Gulfside Pavilion at Casino Beach, 20 Casino Beach Blvd., from 10 a.m.noon on Friday, May 7. Volunteers will receive a T-shirt and lunch on the day of the event.

FRIDAY, MAY 7: VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER OPEN HOUSE Join Visit

Pensacola Friday, May 7, at the Visitor Information Centers for treats and an inside look at its day-to-day operations. New Insider Guides will be available to take home.

GULF COAST HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL The annual hot air balloon festival is

May 7-9 and is located at 100 N. OWA Blvd. in Foley, Ala., with more than 40 hot air balloons lighting up the green space at OWA. Admission is free. A full schedule of events can be found at gulfcoastballoonfestival.com.

COMING SOON TO PENSACOLA CINEMA ART "Our Friend" will be showing at

Pensacola Cinema Art Friday and Saturday, May 7 and 8, at 1 p.m. "Minari" will come to PCA Friday and Saturday, June 11 and 12, at 1 p.m. All tickets are $8. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St. For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTRY SPELLING BEE Pensacola Little Theatre

presents this hilarious play that tells the story of six mid-pubescents through a spelling bee. Show dates are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, May 7 and 14; 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, May 7 and 15; 3 p.m. Sundays, May 9 and 16. Thursday performance is 7:30 p.m. on May 13. For tickets, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: SHOWTIME Enjoy a Broad-

way-style show with music across nearly every genre. Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 9, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, with live-streaming

tickets available Friday and Sunday. Tickets start at $15. For more information, visit pensacolasaenger.com.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Check out goods from local artisans, music and food at the Pensacola Arts Market, located at New Market Antiques, 2725 W. Cervantes St. The market is Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Admission is free.

"I AND YOU" PenArts presents "I And

You," a play by Lauren Gunderson, at 4 p.m. May 12-14; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 15; and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, May 16, at the Gordon Community Center, located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Tickets are $2 for those 21 and under and $5 for those over 21.

ART IN BLOOM Enjoy floral installations

from designers, local artists, and food and drinks from local vendors at Art in Bloom. An open flower market will also be outside so you can take home a bit of beauty for yourself. The event is Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Fiore of Pensacola, 405 S. K St. A special Flowers after Hours event is set for Friday, May 14, from 8-10 p.m. with complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres with designers and artists. Tickets for Saturday's event are $10, Flowers after Hours is $15, or you can purchase tickets for both events in advance for $20.

PENSACOLA CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS LOVE SONGS: THE LIEBESLIEDER WALTZES OF BRAHMS Join

Pensacola Choral Society for a performance of love songs Saturday, May 15, at 2 p.m. at Pensacola State College, Bldg. 1 patio, located at 1000 College Blvd. Performance is free, but donations are welcome. Masks and distancing are required.

SYNTHESIS AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART The Pensacola Museum

of Art and The Art Gallery at the University of West Florida present SynThesis, a group BFA Exit Exhibition. This exhibition features work by graduating Bachelor of Fine Art students from the Department of Art and Design. The exhibit is on view through May 16. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

CITIZENS SPEAK AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART The "Citizens Speak"

exhibition represents a collection of student work across disciplines based on their engagement with Claudia Rankine's "Citizen." The exhibit is on display through July 3 at Pensacola Museum of Art. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

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music

By Sydney Robinson

Making Magic with nasimiYu

nasimiYu / Photo by Jordan Edwards

Musical artist nasimiYu is the sort of person for whom songwriting seems to come naturally, the sort of artist who speaks in poems even as she laughs about how she simply threw together a music video set or broke a seven-year writing block in just a week. Her new album, "Potions," out Friday, May 7, is a much-anticipated return for the musician. She created the entire album— vocals, instruments and all—alone in her home in the midst of the 2020 pandemic, summer protests and stay-at-home orders. "It's the best thing I've ever made because it's the most me thing I've ever made," said nasimiYu. "It was something that I don't know if I could have done outside of this context of being in quarantine and just the state of honesty I was forced to achieve by having to sit with all of my feelings about everything instead of doing what I would normally do—travel here, go to a party there, hang out with friends, always distracting myself." "Quarantine was a mirror for me, sitting May 6, 2021

with the gunk and the goo," said nasimiYu. "Making this music was like a ceremonial experience of working with that goo, digging my hands into the putty and being like, let's figure this out and dive in instead of letting this hover over me. On top of that, the logistical aspects of doing it by myself without anyone playing a single sound, having any voice or part on it, meant that I didn't have anything to hide behind." nasimiYu says she felt so safe to explore these themes of grief and self-exploration in part because she was doing it right at home, her sanctuary. "It's a place that is charged with what I use it for—meditation, dance, ritual, deep processing. Being able to make music in that setting is so different from making music in a studio. I've received all these offers, 'Come down to the studio,' and I always politely decline because when you can create in the pulpit, the altar of your own church, surrounded by your sacred ephemerals and everything that is available to you in your most safe place … I can't imagine access-

ing such an emotional place in a studio slot with sound engineers." To stay connected to that grounding energy, the music video for the single "Secretsecret" was shot at home. "We started in my apartment and then we spilled out into the empty apartment next door. I've never decorated a set before, but I wanted it to get more and more magical … it was three days of rushing around the fabric district in Manhattan, finding fabric and folding these paper cranes, gluing hundreds of fake flowers to my keyboard, going nuts with it. My neighbors still hate me, but it was worth it." nasimiYu credits an online community of musicians and a quirky challenge for her sudden return to making music. "The only reason I was able to break out of the seven-year writer's block [is because] I had friends invite me to join a Song a Day Challenge, with bands and artists I'm a huge fan of," said nasimiYu. "Somehow I was invited to this group and the rules are that for seven days in a row, you have to submit a brand-new song. You're kicked out if you submit late, and the very next day, everyone listens to your music. Imagine your favorite bands listening to something you made in a day. It was a support group in an email chain. It didn't give me time for self-doubt and criticism. I had to follow my intuition and finish the thing. I didn't think I was gonna make even one song … but every single song made it onto the album. Imagine my surprise when I thought I'd never make music again [and now] I've got an album on my hands in a week." "Every single song is its own little healing tonic, its own little special mashup of ingredients to cast a spell," said nasimiYu. "The spell I was casting when I was making this music was not to make an album; it was to heal from some shit, to grow and face myself and really manifest that as a whole circle of spiritual journey. I think of how as a five-year-old, my favorite game was to grab anything from the pantry or fridge or bathroom and mix it together to try to make the most insane-looking combination. In my mind, I was creating magic." For nasimiYu, an African American woman creating in 2020 amidst a renewed civil rights movement in the face of police brutality, all art is political. "I think in the past, I've made music that tried to be a little more preachy, more me coming at you with a message of what I think, and now I think it's far more powerful for me to just put myself on blast—for me to talk about what I'm struggling with and what I'm learning." "I think that there is so much revolution in each individual's ability to seek truth and healing," nasimiYu continued. "It's already such a transformative process do-

ing it alone in the dark, but you get to really compound upon that when you put it out there and share it with others. The hope is it will aid others and inspire others in their healing journeys."

"Quarantine was a mirror for me, sitting with the gunk and the goo. Making this music was like a ceremonial experience of working with that goo, digging my hands into the putty and being like, let's figure this out and dive in instead of letting this hover over me." nasimiYu nasimiYu's father is an immigrant from Kenya, and she and her family visit his home village yearly, save 2020. In place of this yearly pilgrimage, nasimiYu created "Immigrant," a song from the new album dedicated to her father. "That song is about [my father's] journey and how he sacrificed so much and how unlikely it is that I am able to exist in this way, at this time, at this place, especially when I have so many opportunities," said nasimiYu. As a child of an immigrant, nasimiYu says she felt pressure to live up to the dreams of her father, but along the way, she was dedicated to demanding more from the nation her father worked so hard to bring her to. "As a person who has dedicated so much to fighting this system, trying to break down the institutionalized systems that make America what it is, I could very much be seen as ungrateful, but I have to zoom out and realize that is the ultimate liberation that would be worth sacrificing everything for. If your kids weren't able to think bigger and dedicate themselves toward trying to create a better world, then maybe it wouldn't be a fully realized dream. I realize it could be misinterpreted as a lack of gratitude, but it's the exact opposite. I have every reason to fight to make it better because of how hard the people came before me fought." Now that her writer's block has ended, nasimiYu says she doesn't plan to let herself forget about her magic again. "The biggest lesson I've learned is that it was so foolish of me to think that I could ever lose the music. Now I've learned that it's something that will never be taken from me, even if it feels really far away and hard to access, it's still there and I can get back there." {in} For more with nasimiYu, visit nasimiyu. bandcamp.com/album/p-o-t-i-o-n-s. 21

free will astrology WEEK OF MAY 6 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Created

by Leonardo da Vinci in the 16th century, the Mona Lisa is one of the world's most famous paintings. It's hanging in the Louvre museum in Paris. In that same museum is a less-renowned version of the Mona Lisa. It depicts the same woman, but she's unclothed. Made by da Vinci's student, it was probably inspired by a now-lost nude of Mona Lisa painted by the master himself. Renaissance artists commonly created "heavenly" and "vulgar" versions of the same subject. I suggest that in the coming weeks you opt for the "vulgar" Mona Lisa, not the "heavenly" one, as your metaphor of power. Favor what's earthy, raw and unadorned over what's spectacular, idealized and polished.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Taurus

poet Vera Pavlova writes, "Why is the word yes so brief? It should be the longest, the hardest, so that you could not decide in an instant to say it, so that upon reflection you could stop in the middle of saying it." I suppose it makes sense for her to express such an attitude, given the fact that she never had a happy experience until she was 20 years old and that furthermore, this happiness was "unbearable." (She confessed these sad truths in an interview.) But I hope you won't adopt her hard-edged skepticism toward YES anytime soon, Taurus. In my view, it's time for you to become a connoisseur of YES, a brave explorer of the bright mysteries of YES, an exuberant perpetrator of YES.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In indigenous cultures from West Africa to Finland to China, folklore describes foxes as crafty tricksters with magical powers. Sometimes they're thought of as perpetrators of pranks, but more often, they are considered helpful messengers or intelligent allies. I propose that you regard the fox as your spirit creature for the foreseeable future. I think you will benefit from the influence of your inner fox—the wild part of you that is ingenious, cunning and resourceful.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): "The universe conspires in your favor," writes author

By Rob Brezsny

Neale Donald Welsch. "It consistently places before you the right and perfect people, circumstances, and situations with which to answer life's only question—'Who are you?'" In my book "Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings," I say much the same thing, although I mention two further questions that life regularly asks, which are—1. What can you do next to liberate yourself from some of your suffering? 2. What can you do next to reduce the suffering of others, even by a little? As you enter a phase when you'll get ample cosmic help in diminishing suffering and defining who you are, I hope you meditate on these questions every day.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The poet Anne Sexton wrote a letter to a Benedictine monk whose real identity she kept secret from the rest of us. She told him, "There are a few great souls in my life. They are not many. They are few. You are one." In this spirit, Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to take an inventory of the great souls in your life: the people you admire and respect and learn from and feel grateful for; people with high integrity and noble intentions; people who are generous with their precious gifts. When you've compiled your list, I encourage you to do as Sexton did—Express your appreciation; perhaps even send no-strings-attached gifts. Doing these things will have a profoundly healing effect on you. VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): "It's a

temptation for any intelligent person to try to murder the primitive, emotive, appetitive self," writes author Donna Tartt. "But that is a mistake. Because it is dangerous to ignore the existence of the irrational." I'm sending this message out to you, Virgo, because in the coming weeks it will be crucial for you to honor the parts of your life that can't be managed through rational thought alone. I suggest you have sacred fun as you exult in the mysterious, welcome the numinous, explore the wildness within you, unrepress big feelings you've buried and marvel adoringly about your deepest yearnings.

Sharman Apt Russell provides counsel that I think you should consider adopting in the coming days. The psychospiritual healing you require probably won't be available through the normal means, so some version of her proposal may be useful—"We may need to be cured by flowers. We may need to strip naked and let the petals fall on our shoulders, down our bellies, against our thighs. We may need to lie naked in fields of wildflowers. We may need to walk naked through beauty. We may need to walk naked through color. We may need to walk naked through scent."

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

Scorpio author Margaret Atwood reminds us, "Water is not a solid wall; it will not stop you. But water always goes where it wants to go, and nothing in the end can stand against it." According to my reading of the astrological omens, being like water will be an excellent strategy for you to embrace during the coming weeks. "Water is patient," Atwood continues. "Dripping water wears away a stone. Remember you are half water. If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. Water does."

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): In a letter to a friend in 1856, Sagittarian poet Emily Dickinson confessed she was feeling discombobulated because of a recent move to a new home. She hoped she would soon regain her bearings. "I am out with lanterns, looking for myself," she quipped, adding that she couldn't help laughing at her disorientation. She signed the letter "From your mad Emilie," intentionally misspelling her own name. I'd love it if you approached your current doubt and uncertainty with a similar light-heartedness and poise. (P.S. Soon after writing this letter, Dickinson began her career as a poet in earnest, reading extensively and finishing an average of one poem every day for many years.) CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Now

is a favorable time to celebrate both life's changeableness and your own. The way we are all constantly called on to adjust to unceasing transformations can sometimes be a wearying

chore, but I suspect it could be at least interesting and possibly even exhilarating for you in the coming weeks. For inspiration, study this message from the "Welcome to Night Vale" podcast—"You are never the same twice, and much of your unhappiness comes from trying to pretend that you are. Accept that you are different each day, and do so joyfully, recognizing it for the gift it is. Work within the desires and goals of the person you are currently, until you aren't that person anymore."

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Aquarian author Toni Morrison described two varieties of loneliness. The first "is a loneliness that can be rocked. Arms crossed, knees drawn up; holding, holding on, this motion smooths and contains the rocker." The second "is a loneliness that roams. No rocking can hold it down. It is alive, on its own." Neither kind is better or worse, of course, and both are sometimes necessary as a strategy for self-renewal—as a means for deepening and fine-tuning one's relationship with oneself. I recommend either or both for you in the coming weeks. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): England's Prince Charles requires his valet to iron his shoelaces and put toothpaste on his toothbrush and wash all of his clothes by hand. I could conceivably interpret the current astrological omens to mean that you should pursue similar behavior in the coming weeks. I could, but I won't. Instead, I will suggest that you solicit help about truly important matters, not meaningless trivia like shoelace ironing. For example, I urge you to ask for the support you need as you build bridges, seek harmony, and make interesting connections. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: The Dream of the Month Club wants to hear about your best nightly dreams. Truthrooster@gmail.com

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news of the weird GAMING THE SYSTEM In Taiwan, where companies are required to give newlyweds eight days of paid leave, an unnamed bank employee in Taipei used a loophole in the law to claim 32 days of leave over 37 days last year, reported Agence France-Presse on April 21. The man and his wife got married four times and divorced three times, claiming eight days of leave for each wedding. The bank complained to the city labor department, which sided with the employee and fined the bank about $670 for violating the regulation, sparking public criticism. The labor department later revoked the fine "to recognize a mistake and improve," it said. •An unnamed civil servant in Italy is accused of collecting full pay at his job at Ciaccio hospital in Catanzaro since 2005 even though he never showed up for work. The man is also accused of threatening his supervisor if she filed a report against him; she later retired and none of her successors noticed his absence. The BBC reported authorities discovered the alleged fraud as part of a wider investigation into absenteeism in Italy's public sector, and six managers at the hospital are also under investigation. The truant worker reportedly collected about $650,000 over the years. FINE POINTS OF THE LAW Caron McBride, 52, applied to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to change her name on her driver's license after getting married in November, and was told to call the Cleveland County District Attorney's office in Oklahoma, where she learned she was wanted there on a charge of felony embezzlement for failing to return a VHS tape of "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" to a Norman video store in 1999. "I thought, this is insane," McBride said, but prosecutors accused her of "willfully, unlawfully and feloniously embezzle(ing)" the tape, valued at $58.59, according to court documents. The Washington Post reported McBride had no memory of renting the tape, but guessed the man she lived with at the time must have gotten it for his two young daughters. On April 23, prosecuters in Norman said they would drop the charge and expunge McBride's record. JUNGLE JUSTICE A man suspected of poaching rhinos in South Africa's Kruger National Park was trampled to death by a herd of elephants on April 17, according to park authorities. Managing Executive Gareth Coleman praised the park's "successful weekend in the fight to keep our rhinos alive" as rangers arrested five suspects, carrying hunting rifles and an ax, in a continuing crackdown on poaching, reported The Washington Post. (BONUS: A skull and a pair of pants were all that remained of a suspected poacher killed by an elephant and eaten by lions in the park in 2019.)

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

AWESOME! Police in the Hradec Kralove region of the Czech Republic were stunned when a man turned in a Soviet T-34 tank and an SD-100 artillery gun as part of a nationwide weapons amnesty program designed to legalize guns that had not been registered. Prague Morning reported on April 10 that the man was a collector of historic weaponry and has owned the 1950s-era tank, which had been painted pink, since the 1990s. Authorities checked the tank and gun to confirm they have been properly deactivated, and the man was allowed to keep them in his collection. The amnesty campaign continues until July. CREME DE LA WEIRD Anna Marie Choudhary, 33, of Boone, North Carolina, was sentenced March 31 in West Virginia to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, ending a case McDowell County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Dennie Morgan called the "craziest" his office has ever seen. Choudhary had been arrested, along with her father, Larry Paul McClure Sr., 55, of Pendleton, Kentucky, and her sister, Amanda Michelle Naylor McClure, 31, of Chicago City, Minnesota, in connection with the 2019 murder of John Thomas McGuire, 38, boyfriend of Amanda McClure, reported the Watauga Democrat. According to Morgan, McClure and his daughters "tortured" and killed McGuire on Valentine's Day 2019 and buried his body. Later, convinced McGuire was still alive, they exhumed the body and drove a stake through it before dismembering and reburying it. Larry and Amanda McClure then went to Virginia, where they were married, Morgan said. Larry McClure confessed to the murder after being arrested in Kentucky on unrelated charges. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to life without mercy. Amanda McClure pleaded guilty to seconddegree murder and was sentenced to 40 years. OPPORTUNITY KNOCKED Kelyn Spadoni, 33, of Harvey, Louisiana, was fired from her job as a dispatcher for the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office after she was arrested on April 7 and accused of refusing to return more than $1.2 million mistakenly deposited in her brokerage account by Charles Schwab & Co., said sheriff's office spokesman Capt. Jason Rivarde. According to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Schwab meant to transfer $82.56 into Spadoni's account in February, but instead transferred $1,205,619; when Schwab tried to correct the error the next day, it was told the funds were not available. NOLA.com reported Spadoni is suspected of moving the money and using some of it to buy a new house and an SUV, but authorities have been able to recover about 75% of the money, according to Rivarde. {in} From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2021 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com May 6, 2021

Together Pensacola sponsored an essay contest for elementary, middle and high school students. The theme was “Better Together: Our families, schools, neighborhoods, places of worship, and communities are all better when everyone is respected and included.” The contestants needed to answer three questions in their essays: •What gets better when everyone is respected and included? •How can we make it happen? •How can we be better together? Together Pensacola is a group of concerned citizens who come together to brainstorm and discuss ways to help build connections and strengthen relationships between and among people in the Pensacola Bay area. The group focuses on what unites us rather than on our differences and what separates us. Its goal is to promote and introduce ideas and activities to implement this brand of community building. Together Pensacola’s leadership team includes Jay Ayer, Brunie Emmanuel, Ross Goodman, Mamie Webb Hixon, Kathleen Logan, Juanita Scott and Sue Straughn. Grades 6-8 Winners: First place: $100, Miera Rich, Bellview Middle Schoo Second place: $50, Marcell Thomas, Bellview Middle School Third place: $25, Xa’zayvion Butler, Bellview Middle School “TOGETHER WE ARE BETTER” BY BY MIERA RICH, 8TH GRADE

What gives people the right to judge other people by the color of their skin? People have judged African Americans for years because of their skin color. Black people have been treated with disrespect and no equality. Black people have been suffering and killed because of racism. A black man, Ahmaud Arbery, was killed just for jogging around a neighborhood, and he was killed because of the color of his skin. A neighbor saw him running and assumed he was robbing homes! Really? So is it illegal for a black man to jog? Why is it so hard to treat people equally and with respect? Some people should feel ashamed for what they have said or done to black people. It is wrong to judge others by the color of their skin. How would you feel if you were you black? Just for a moment put yourself in the shoes of a black person. You don’t know, unless you know. But this is what we deal with. It may not happen every day, but it happens too much! Let me share the racist hunting and killing of Ahmaud Arbery. He was jogging in a neighborhood and was accused of robbing a construction site. There is actual footage of him entering the construction site, looking around; then he continues his run. He was hunted down and killed by three white men. They followed him, blocked him in, and shot him with a rifle. And after hunting and killing a black man, they walked away and were not arrested! Do you see what’s going on? They were only arrested 10 weeks later. After that event, they should’ve been arrested on the same day for murder! Things need to change in this country; things need to change here in Pensacola, too. There are too many black people being killed because of racism. If something doesn’t change, then there will be no change. We will be forever in a bad cycle of never-ending racism. So how do we change? What can we do? People can learn to understand, respect, and trust each other. Then we can come to an understanding of each other. If we can do that, there will be no cops killing black people, or white people having more voice than African Americans. When people learn to treat each other right, then we can all be considered equals. The police should be more involved in the community because if something were to happen, it wouldn’t be as violent because the community would know the policemen on a personal level and so would the policemen. If a police officer is afraid or has racist feelings about a certain group of people, he or she does not need to patrol that community. It’s just that simple. Get rid of any police officer that has been known for violence against people of color. It’s just that simple. Police should also go to classes on how to understand people of color, how to solve a problem without violence, and how to talk to people. The community will get to know the police officers, and there won’t be any hostile feelings toward the policemen. The bottom line is that people should be able to understand each other and respect one another. Every white person is not racist, and every black person is not a criminal! That’s how we can get better together by recognizing that racism still exists and by coming up with solutions to make it better for everyone.

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