Independent News | November 21, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 46
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winners & losers 4
outtakes 5
news 6
I wrote it in the bathroom.
buzz
cover feature 11
8 publisher Rick Outzen
graphic designer Michael Daw
editor & creative director Joani Delezen
contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite
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Upcoming Events & Ways to Get Involved
Y2B a PYP Location: SCI Building, 220 W Garden St, Pensacola When: 11/21 @ 5:30 - 7pm Cost: FREE Details: Join us to learn more about our awesome organization and why we think YOU should be involved with PYP! Registration requested.
Holiday Happy Hour Location: Duh/Jo’s as Always, 501 N 9th Ave, Pensacola When: 12/5 @ 5:30 - 7:30pm Cost: FREE to members, $10 to non-members Reminders: Registration required. Details: There will be $5 raffle tickets. All raffle proceeds go to benefit Gulf Coast Kids House
Membership Drive Annual PYP memberships will be on sale for $99. (That’s 20% off regular price) When: 11/18 - 12/5 How: pensacolayp.com/join & select "Membership Drive Special - $99" Reminder: Students, military & military spouses all qualify for discounted memberships too! Get involved Pensacolayp.com • membership@pensacolayp.com • facebook.com/pensacolayp THIS AD IS SPONSORED BY THE STUDER FAMILY November 21, 2019
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winners & losers
Joseph T. Spaniola / Photo by Michael Spooneybarger
winners
SANTA ROSA ARTS & CULTURE FOUNDATION
losers
JOSEPH T. SPANIOLA Dr. Spaniola, UWF professor and director of music theory and jazz studies, received the 2018- 2019 American Prize in Composition third-place honors in the Instrumental Chamber Music–Larger Ensemble Category for his composition DREAM, a Euphonium and String Quartet. The American Prize celebrates American Excellence in the Arts. DREAM is included on Spaniola's recently released album ESCAPADE: Music for Large and Small Ensembles.
ROGER STONE Jurors found the longtime
HOLLINGER AWARD RECIPIENTS The Baptist Health Care Foundation announced the 2019 Hollinger Award recipients for outstanding service contributions to Baptist Health Care—Volunteer of the Year, Edna Moore; Women's Board Volunteer, Monica Sherman; Health Care Professional, Tammie Stefanko; Human Services Professional of the Year, Edna Williams; Physician of the Year, Michael Dolister, M.D.; and Lifetime Achievement, W. Luther Taylor. The award is named in memory of longtime supporters of Baptist Health Care, Pick and Alberta Hollinger.
FARM SERVICE AGENCY The U.S. Justice Department charged 29 people in the Florida Panhandle, including a federal official, after an investigation into "widespread public corruption" over misused federal farm money. According to the indictment, a county-level director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency, Duane Edward Crawson, led "a broadbased conspiracy" that allegedly defrauded taxpayers of more than $373,000 intended for drought-stricken farmers.
RAT PACK REUNION The Council on Aging
Judge Mark Walker struck down a state law that requires candidates who are in the same party as the governor to be listed first on the ballot. Judge Walker ruled the law unconstitutional because it "imposes a discriminatory burden on plaintiffs' voting rights, which is not of the same magnitude as entirely denying plaintiffs the franchise but is not negligible either." He added the Constitution does not allow "a state to put its thumb on the scale and award an electoral advantage to the party in power."
of West Florida event raised over $200,000, making it among the most successful in the nonprofit's history. More than 350 individuals attended the black-tie gala that roasted and toasted four community leaders—Ashton Hayward, Michael Murdoch, Michael Riesberg and Brenda Vigodsky. The monies raised go directly to the programs and services provided by Council on Aging of West Florida, such as Meals on Wheels, adult day care, respite, inhome services, companionship and more.
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Roger Stone / Photo by Lev Radin / Shutterstock.com
friend and campaign advisor of President Donald Trump guilty on seven counts, including five counts of lying to Congress, one count of witness tampering and one count of obstruction. Stone had pled not guilty and vowed he would be "vindicated" at trial. His sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 6, 2020. Stone faces up to 50 years in prison according to the statutory maximum, but the actual sentence is likely going to be much lower.
STATE BALLOT ORDER Chief U.S. District
inweekly.net
outtakes
By Rick Outzen
IN PLAIN SIGHT Escambia School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas and his administration once again have turned a blind eye to providing oversight of a charter school while precious dollars were siphoned out of the classroom. In 2015, we broke the news of financial and management issues at two charter schools run by Newpoint Education Partners. The story led to a State Attorney investigation that uncovered how NEP founder Marcus May had stolen over $5.2 million from charter schools in Escambia, Bay, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. May and co-defendant Steven Kunkemoeller reportedly used shell companies to sell Newpoint school's furniture, supplies and technology for as much as triple the market rate and kept most of the proceeds. Assistant State Attorney Russell Edgar told jurors, "It was self-dealing, and he did it over and over and over again." May was found guilty of racketeering and fraud. At his sentencing, Judge Tom Dannheisser said the crime could have been avoided if the Escambia County School District had dedicated the effort "upfront to provide basic rudimentary checks and balances." "There was evidence that the local school district, after even experiencing a previous massive financial fraud with the charter school, continued to grant millions of dollars in public funds to charter schools with next to no oversight," said Judge Dannheisser. This week, we report on how the founder of Jacqueline Harris Preparatory
Academy, Celestine Lewis, has profited by taking a gift of the McReynolds school property and putting it in her for-profit company instead of letting the school's nonprofit corporation buy the property. The result of the switcheroo was taxpayers paid her and Durga Das Trust, which later bought the site from her, over $2.3 million to rent the facility and get out of a lease. Had the deal been done as the school board intended, the charter school should have owned the school for $654,043 after it paid off the mortgage. It's little wonder the school has struggled financially. The sad thing is the district knew about the switcheroo. Auditors pointed it out in 2004 and in every audited financial statement since then. In 2009, the district had the school sign a new charter agreement that had a conflict of interest clause that clearly stated the school couldn't do business with its employees and board members. That should have forced a correction of the problem. Instead, Superintendent Thomas never enforced the clause. When we asked district officials about the Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy, they found little out of place. No one had complained about the conflict, so they weren't concerned. Millions were siphoned out the classrooms at Newpoint and Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy in plain sight. Why did no one at the school district care? {in} rick@inweekly.net
Instead, Superintendent Thomas never enforced the clause.
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THE PORT'S PATH evolve. And that's what Miller was keen to show off during the port tour.
A DANGEROUS QUESTION
Photo Courtesy of City of Pensacola
By Jeremy Morrison The environment enveloping the Port of Pensacola is just about perfect. It looks a little like the quasi-industrial waterfront of paradise, with the sparkling blue water of Pensacola Bay fading seamlessly into a sunny-day sky. That blue is especially piercing. "It's the most vibrant blue I've seen in a long time," notes Amy Miller, director of the city's port. "I mean, that is just gorgeous." Miller's right. That blue is insane—more appropriate, perhaps, for a splashy brochure full of Caribbean-resort glossies. But it also looks nice on the image of the port displayed on an easel during a recent tour of the facility offered to local media and others interested in the site's current state of affairs. In sharp contrast to the blue warmth conveyed in the image, the actual landscape of Pensacola's port was bitterly windswept and chilly during the city's second annual tour of the facility. The tour is designed to highlight the port's current operations, to provide a picture of what the municipal facility looks like today, as well as an indication of what its future may look like. "It's an opportunity for you to hear from the businesses that operate here," Miller told the assembled invitees—a
shivering collection of press, government officials and members of the business community—as they warmed themselves with a lunch of fried chicken and banana pudding.
A QUICK HISTORY LESSON
Pensacola's port has a long and storied history. The city lists 1743 as the year cargo—consisting of pine and pitch products, as well as wood masts and spars for sailing vessels—was first exported from the port. Over the centuries, the port has seen a lot of change. It has been ravaged by hurricanes, burned multiple times— once by the Confederate Army as they retreated—and held both privately and publicly. And it has facilitated the flow of a myriad of goods, like lumber, cotton, bricks, grain, tobacco, flour, turpentine, pig iron, peanuts, coal and creosote-soaked poles. By the 1950s, following a series of fires, the modern port was starting to take shape. The site was redeveloped in phases, and by the late 1970s, the Port of Pensacola was christened as a municipal department. In more recent years, the port has shifted from an operational facility focused on imports and exports to one catering to long-term industrial tenants. This variety of tenant used the port to store frozen meat or asphalt or bulk lime. Today, Pensacola's port continues to
"It's the most vibrant blue I've seen in a long time. I mean, that is just gorgeous." Amy Miller
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Earlier this year, the city of Pensacola released a survey detailing the community's assessment of the port and how they viewed its future. As the facility's director, Miller didn't consider the exercise to be particularly safe. How did city residents feel about their port? How did they think it should operate going forward? Such questions can be dangerous. "It was a bit of a calculated risk to ask that question," Miller explained. As it turns out, the survey indicated that the public's perception and assessment lined up pretty well with the roadmap already being drawn up at the port. They viewed the facility as continuing to evolve, this time to serve clients perhaps not considered traditional for the port, like those involved with technology or marine research or aquaculture. While still maintaining a whiff of its industrial waterfront past, the port is currently home to a number of tenants that bring a new, niche flavor to the site. And it is this new variety of tenant that city officials believe provides a template for the future and a path forward for a facility operating in a competitive and fluid climate. "We found ways to be successful in niches that are profitable to us," said Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson. "And we found opportunities to expand in the future."
"We found ways to be successful in niches that are profitable to us." Grover Robinson One example of such a niche client is the American Magic sailing team. The team— which is competing in the America's Cup sailing competition—will be holed up in Pensacola for the winter. Boasting multiple boats and utilizing multiple port facilities, the team is practicing in Pensacola Bay until next March. Other examples of this new-age stripe of port tenant involve an oyster company and a billionaire-fueled ship overhaul. The Pensacola Bay Oyster Company uses the port as an aquaculture site, while Amazon's Jeff Bezos is busy retrofitting his Blue Origin ship in hopes of eventually landing a rocket on the vessel.
THE CRUISE SHIPS AREN'T COMING
Mathew Pate has been in the family business all his life. He is, in fact, five generations deep with Pate Stevedore. A stevedore, Pate explained to a small group of tour attendees huddled around him on the port tour, is one of the oldest, most basic types of jobs to be had on a port. "It's an occupational name for loading and unloading," he said. Like the Port of Pensacola itself, Pate's family has experienced the varying evolutions of the site. They have tended to all variety of cargo over the years, and the shifts in cargo reflect the facility's broader change. As Pate details his family's business, a row of large, wrapped equipment components are lined up behind him. A woman on the tour inquiries about the items. "A lot of wind turbine components from GE," he said, explaining how the company imports the parts from Brazil and then ships them out to the Midwest. "GE really likes the Port of Pensacola." In addition to the GE equipment, Pate said he also sees a lot of forest products come through the port. At least, he did prior to recent tariffs being imposed. "A majority of the forest products were going to Turkey," Pate shrugged. After listening to Pate's presentation on the local stevedore game, one of the tour attendees had a question:"Will the port ever get cruise ships?" This question wasn't in Pate's wheelhouse, but it is one that inevitably gets asked whenever the community engages in a port-soulsearching exercise. Why aren't cruise ships unloading boatloads of tourists with pockets full of cash into the city's downtown streets? This question cuts to the philosophical heart of a question the city has been struggling with for years—What is the port's purpose? How can the facility best be utilized? The cruise ship question comes with subtext, too, and serves as shorthand for another question—do we want a working port, or will that muck up the urban dreamscape championed by downtown revivalists? Mayor Robinson sees less of a conflict between these two paths and more of an opportunity for engineering something at the port that is uniquely Pensacola, something that nurtures niches and also allows for a pedestrian-friendly downtown that is connected to its waterfront.
"We can make a port work and be able to walk downtown. We can do both things well." Robinson "We are a maritime city, and we are going to have a port," the mayor said. "We can make a port work and be able to walk downtown. We can do both things well." {in} inweekly.net
November 21, 2019
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MRF ARREST On Nov. 4, the former man-
ager of the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority's Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) was arrested for stealing over $510,000 worth of recyclables from ECUA and allegedly funneling the proceeds to a shell company he owned. According to the arrest report, Jarrell Lamar Reynolds was hired by ECUA in September 2018 to run the MRF at the Perdido Landfill—"ECUA believed that hiring Reynolds would increase the efficiency of the recycling operation and increase their revenues through the introduction of new customers for their recyclable material." On Dec. 5, 2018, Reynolds chartered JAT Recycling in Georgia. He allegedly used the company, of which he is the sole officer, according to the report, to receive funds from three ECUA customers and converted the sales to his personal use. From the report, it appears the management of two of the vendors were "led to believe that JAT was acting as a broker between ECUA and their companies." Instead of keeping a commission for its work, JAT kept all the proceeds. Reynolds left his position suddenly in January 2019 after an ECUA auditor began to ask questions. Reynolds/JAT promised to make payments to ECUA in emails. Bank records showed the three vendors paid $510,685 to JAT Recycling from Oct. 15, 2018, to Feb. 20, 2019. The payments were for recyclable materials taken from the ECUA facility. Reynolds withdrew $482,330 from the account up to March 4, 2019. He made a down payment on a 2016 Porsche during that period. When the ECUA assistant director of finance sent an invoice to JAT Recycling in March 2019, the utility got his reply— "Payments are pending due to the criminal investigation of Jarrell Reynolds. All commodities were legally sold to JAT Recycling, and we take full accountability of funds due. Please cease and desist all criminal actions against Jarrell Reynolds so we can move forward with getting this paid." That was the last correspondence be-
tween ECUA and JAT Recycling, according to the arrest report. Reynolds posted a $100,000 bail bond and was released Nov. 5. ECUA issued no press release about the arrest.
ECUA RESPONDS Inweekly reached out
to ECUA and several of its board members after we posted the arrest report. ECUA Executive Director Steve Sorrell said, "This is a criminal matter, so any comments must be restricted at this point. I will say that we are strongly and actively pursuing criminal prosecution in this matter, in order to protect our ratepayers' interests. The ECUA staff swiftly found the concern and communicated with law enforcement officials in order to seek justice. A confidential internal audit was initiated by the ECUA staff, at which time Mr. Reynolds quickly and unexpectedly left his employment. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities in this matter and assist in any way we can." District 4 ECUA board member Dale Perkins called Inweekly and said that ECUA staff had told him that an auditor had caught irregularities and the utility had kept quiet about the issue because it didn't want to interfere with Escambia County Sheriff's Office's investigation.
"I was very happy to hear they had arrested him last week, and I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest for what he has done to the utility and others." Vicki Campbell District 1 ECUA board member Vicki Campbell said, "The administrator has kept us abreast of the case as it has unfolded. It appears (Reynolds) was doing this with others besides ECUA. Thankfully, our ECUA finance auditor figured it out and started asking questions and thwarted any further theft from the ECUA or its vendors…I was very happy to hear they had
arrested him last week, and I hope he is prosecuted to the fullest for what he has done to the utility and others." Campbell added, "Our recycling program has had its fill of trouble this year, but the market went up for the first time this year in October. Let's pray that trend continues."
HUMAN TRAFFICKING Last week, U.S. Attorney Lawrence Keefe announced that David C. Williams pled guilty to using interstate facilities for purposes of racketeering, transporting women for prostitution, harboring illegal aliens for commercial advantage or private financial gain and being involved in a money-laundering conspiracy. "Human trafficking is high on the list of the most heinous crimes because its perpetrators treat people as property to be abused and monetized," stated Keefe. "Consequently, this office, and all of our law enforcement partners, will be vigilant and diligent in the prevention, pursuit, prosecution and punishment of human trafficking." Williams was arrested by the FBI in August in connection with his operation of multiple Asian massage parlors in Florida, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Along with the arrest of Williams on these federal charges, over a dozen search warrants were executed at massage parlors linked to Williams in these three states. This included multiple federal search warrants in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze and Gainesville, all of which are located in the Northern District of Florida. Over half a dozen seizure warrants were also executed on bank accounts linked to Williams. During his guilty plea, Williams admitted operating Asian massage parlors that maintained Chinese females illegally present in the United States who were offering sexual acts at the parlors in return for money. The investigation revealed that Williams was using the now-defunct website backpage.com to run tens of thousands of dollars' worth of advertisements for his illicit businesses. Records obtained from financial institutions and airlines also confirmed that
Williams paid for the travel of the Chinese females throughout the United States and, particularly, to locations where he maintained illicit massage parlors. The records from financial institutions also revealed that Williams and his conspirators laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars through bank accounts that were opened in nominee names in an effort to distance Williams from the illegal activity. "Human trafficking is a crime that happens all around us, often in plain sight, impacting the safety of our neighborhoods and our quality of life," said Rachel L. Rojas, special agent in charge of the FBI Jacksonville Division.
"When human beings are treated as commodities, they are not only being abused physically, but emotionally and financially as well." Rachel L. Rojas "When human beings are treated as commodities, they are not only being abused physically, but emotionally and financially as well," added Rojas. "The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to collaborate at every level to disrupt and dismantle organizations responsible for this illegal activity." Williams faces up to 10 years imprisonment on charges related to transporting females for purposes of prostitution and harboring them for financial gain. He also faces up to five years imprisonment for racketeering conduct and up to 20 additional years of imprisonment for engaging in a money-laundering conspiracy. As part of his guilty plea, Williams will also forfeit over $125,000 in currency that was seized from his massage parlor locations and related bank accounts. Sentencing has been set for 1 p.m. on Feb. 7, 2020, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola.
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UWF FOUNDATION OPENINGS The University of West Florida Foundation, Inc. nominating committee announced openings on its Board of Directors beginning in Summer 2020. Individuals with fundraising and leadership talents and an interest in supporting the university and making a difference in the community are invited to apply for membership on the UWF Foundation Board of Directors. Applications will be accepted online until Feb. 1, 2020. "Our board members are passionate UWF advocates whose partnership we rely on to support our interests on campus and in the community," said UWF President Martha D. Saunders. "Our members' fundraising skills are vital in bolstering UWF's new and existing programs. The culmination of their individual support moves UWF forward." Currently, the board is comprised of 28 dedicated alumni and friends who serve as advocates for the university, encourage philanthropic support and manage the investments and business affairs of the foundation. If you're interested in nominating yourself or someone else for the UWF Foundation, Inc. Board of Directors, fill out the online application prior to Feb. 1, 2020, for an appointment beginning in July 2020. All directors are elected by the full board and approved by the UWF president and Board of Trustees. If you nominate another individual for membership on the board, the foundation staff will contact the applicant to confirm availability and willingness to serve. All applications are received and reviewed by the president of the UWF Foundation. For more information about UWF Foundation, Inc., visit uwf.edu/foundation. CAST IRON CELEBRATION On Nov. 8,
Pensacola Energy celebrated the completion of a large-scale underground pipeline replacement project that spanned three years of construction and five project areas around downtown. In September 2019, Pensacola Energy replaced the last of its centuries-old cast iron piping system under Pensacola. Cast iron pipe installation began in the late 1800s around Pensacola, primarily for natural gas lighting. Installation continued into the early 1900s, until bare steel piping became the norm. By the early 20th century, a total of 88 miles of low-pressure cast iron gas main was installed, supplied by seven regulator stations. In September of 2016, Pensacola Energy began the first of five project area gas main upgrades in the downtown area. Over the next three years, Pensacola Energy replaced the remaining 80.2 miles of main; 3,527 services; 3,419 residential customers; and 108 commercial customers with new, leak-free, highpressure service. All upgrades were installed in compliance with the Department of Transportation's Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and completed in September 2019. November 21, 2019
AMERICAN MAGIC RETURNS New York
Yacht Club American Magic, U.S. Challenger for the 36th America's Cup, has returned to the Port of Pensacola for its winter training. American Magic is bringing back the Mule, the team's 38-foot test boat, along with its full-size AC75 boat. The team was formed in 2017 to win the America's Cup, the highest prize in sailing and the oldest trophy in international sports. The Port of Pensacola offers a wide and deep channel, plenty of dockage space, indoor and outdoor storage, direct rail access and a full range of cargo handling equipment . The 36th America's Cup match will take place in Auckland, New Zealand, in March 2021. Prior to the America's Cup, American Magic will compete in several America's Cup World Series events and the Prada Cup, the Challenger Selection finals. The Challenger who wins the Prada Cup in early 2021 will earn for the right to face the current defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the America's Cup match.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Women for Responsible Legislation will hold their monthly meeting from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 21, at Pensacola City Hall, 222 W. Main St. This month's speaker will be Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers, who will be addressing the issue of pesticide effects on human health, particularly on children. WRL meetings are always open to the public. Refreshments served at 11:15 a.m. Architectural Review Board will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Pensacola City Hall, 222 W. Main St., Hagler-Mason Conference Room, Second Floor. Community forums on expectations of appointed school superintendent will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at the Pensacola High School cafeteria, 500 W. Maxwell St. The 42st Annual Christmas Creation Arts & Craft Show will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at the First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St. Over 50 handmade vendors will be there, including pottery, monogramming, silk, jewelry, soaps, Christmas decor and much more. Lunch served both days. Santa will be there 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday. Downtown Improvement Board will meet 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Bowden Building, Room #1, 120 Church St. The Santa Rosa County Writers' Guild seeks poems for Issue IV of the Blackwater Literary Journal. For a limited time, the Guild is looking for poems from residents of Santa Rosa County. To be considered, the poems should be pasted onto the body of an email and sent to SRCWG@mediacombb.net. The Pensacola MESS Hall will be open for extended hours during the upcoming school vacations. During the week of Thanksgiving, November 25-30, the museum will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., except for Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. To learn more, visit pensacolamesshall.org. {in}
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By Rick Outzen and Jeremy Morrison
Teaching is seen by many as a dedicated profession whose motive is not profit. However, charter schools in Florida have been very profitable for some. A highly critical report released last year from Integrity Florida outlined a number of issues haunting the state's charter schools, among them painful lease agreements with corporate affiliates. It appears Escambia County was home to a mom-and-pop version of just such a scenario tethered to the recently demolished McReynolds school building in East Hill. In February 2001, Celestine Lewis incorporated the nonprofit New Road to Learning, Inc. to operate the Jacqueline Harris Pyramid School of Learning located at 615 N. W Street. Under Florida law, charter schools must be organized as, or be operated by, a nonprofit organization. She named the school in memory of Jacqueline Watson Harris, a respected educator who worked in the Escambia County School District as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, elementary principal and director of the Chapter 1 program. Harris had passed away in 1998. From the beginning, the charter appeared to have issues. According to its 2002 audit report, the school had a problem with relatedparty transactions during its initial year, 200102. A related-party transaction is one that takes place between two parties who hold a pre-existing connection before the transaction occurs. The school paid $7,000 rent per month November 21, 2019
to Pensacola Family Care for Youth, a nonprofit that had Lewis as its president and the school's accountant and secretary as its other directors. However, related-party transactions didn't deter the Escambia County School Board from selling the McReynolds school property at 1408 E. Blount Street to the new charter school. The board chose not to put the site out for bids and approved the sale for its appraised value, $520,000. Ted Kirchharr, the assistant superintendent of operations, told the News Journal at the time that if the property had gone to bids, it likely would have been demolished and the land used for residential purposes (PNJ, "School building sale 'win-win' situation," 8/22/02). School Board member Gary Bergosh called the deal a "win-win for the district." He told the daily newspaper, "Ms. Lewis is a pretty sincere lady and has done remarkable things for that school. And it is a fair deal." According to the article, Lewis thanked God daily for the gift the Escambia County School Board gave the Jacqueline Harris Pyramid School of Learning.
SWITCHEROO AT CLOSING
Unfortunately, the school never received that gift. The "present" went to a for-profit company formed by Lewis the day before the closing. In October 2002, Lewis' Creative Projects, Inc.—instead of the nonprofit New Road to Learning—bought the McReynolds
property. School district records stated it appeared Creative Projects had no assets on Oct. 4, 2002, the date of the purchase. New Road to Learning, the charter school, paid the down payment and closing costs, $79,147, as a security deposit for the lease and later for improvements to the building, $295,782—even though the school didn't own the property. Creative Projects borrowed $480,000 to complete the purchase. New Road to Learning signed a 10-year lease with Creative Projects for the McReynolds school and agreed to pay $10,000 per month, beginning Nov. 1, 2002, and ending Oct. 1, 2012. When the school district's internal auditor questioned the lease, Lewis provided a letter from Robert Smith of John S. Carr & Company that stated the $10,000 monthly rent was "very reasonable for a renovated building with the central location it has." Smith's letter was dated July 21, 2003, after the renovations were completed. Smith didn't state what the rent should have been for the building before the renovations or whether it was unusual for the tenant to pay for renovations and then be charged a higher rent because of the improvements. The district's internal auditors were concerned because the property wasn't sold to "the nonprofit corporation controlling the charter school (New Road to Learning) as per the Board's request discussed in meeting minutes of Aug. 7, 2002."
In May 2003, they met with the school district's attorney, Francisco Negron, who said he wasn't happy the transaction was "rushed through" without his department having time to provide oversight. The attorney said he expressed his displeasure with then-board chairman Dr. John DeWitt. He agreed with the auditors' concerns with Creative Projects. Dr. Dewitt signed the documents on behalf of the school district. A significant concern of the auditors was that if the charter school ceased to function, the McReynolds property would not have reverted to the school district but would remain with Creative Projects. This particular concern was among those highlighted in last year's Integrity Florida report, as well as a 2015 Associated Press report that pegged the amount shuttered schools in the state had spent to lease facilities at $70 million. In 2004, an internal audit report was produced and discussed by the district's audit committee. No action was taken on Creative Projects being substituted for New Road to Learning as the buyer of the McReynolds property. Based on the school district's calculations, had New Road to Learning bought the building as the Escambia County School Board intended and took out a $480,0000 mortgage for 10 years at an interest rate of 6.5%, the monthly payments would have been $5,450. By September 2012, New Road to Learning would have paid $654,043 in principal and interest 11
and owned the building free of any debt. Instead, the school paid over $2.3 million to rent the property, including a lump sum payment to get out of the lease this past May— depriving students and teachers of almost $1.7 million that could have been spent on classroom instruction and salaries. The renovations of the McReynolds school were done by Hudson Construction, whose owner sat on the school's board of trustees. The company was paid $70,000 in cash, and a note was issued for the balance—another related-party transaction. Three years after her Creative Projects began collecting rent from the charter school for the McReynolds property, Lewis was able to move from her modest home on 13th Avenue to a mansion on Bayou Boulevard.
FINANCIAL PROBLEMS
Meanwhile, the school had financial issues. In July 2004, it borrowed $30,000 from Creative Projects, which the school paid back two years later. Creative Projects reduced the monthly rent to $7,756 per month from October 2004 to November 2006. In 2008, the school was warned it could be penalized for failing to meet Florida's class size reduction requirements. The state Board of Education recommended a $10,825 penalty against Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy, which was slightly more than one month's rent paid to Lewis' company. Lewis told the daily newspaper that the $10,825 coming out of her budget could be better spent (PNJ, "Charter schools' classes too big," 2/6/08). She said, "I'd love to be able to put that money towards hiring a teacher, but we can't do that." Budget issues came up again when the school received a failing grade in 2011. Lewis told the News Journal that she had to cut back on staff because of budget constraints (PNJ, "Prep school at a critical crossroads," 7/12/11). Charter school board chairman David Alexander presented a school improvement plan to the Escambia County School Board. He laid out plans for possible budget cuts that could save up to $132,000 per year that included cutting some positions and decreasing some salaries (PNJ, "Charters safe for now," 7/15/11).
NEW MCREYNOLDS OWNER
Two years later, the school renewed its lease with Creative Projects, increasing it to $11,000 per month for 10 years. Apparently, the lease without a buy-out or termination clause made the property very attractive to potential buyers. In March 2014, Durga Das Trust bought the McReynolds School from Creative Projects for $1,305,000—$830,000 cash and a note for $475,000 due to Creative Projects. New Road to Learning would continue to pay rent to Durga Das Trust, including the three years after the charter moved to Pensacola Boulevard. In March 2016, Lewis sold the Bayou Boulevard residence and began construction on a home in the Nature Trail subdivision. The Escambia County Property Appraiser shows an assessed value of $489,184 for the new house, which is 4,000 square feet less than the Bayou Boulevard mansion. On Dec. 30, 2016, New Road to Learning bought the school property formerly used by Newpoint on Pensacola Boulevard from 212 1
GCLC Investments for $2,900,000. The mortgage with Beach Community Bank was for $3 million. Board Chairman Alexander signed the mortgage. Had the school owned the McReynolds property, it would have received the proceeds from the sale, used the funds to make a substantial down payment on the Pensacola Boulevard property and reduced the monthly mortgage by $5,000 or more. According to meeting minutes obtained through a public records request, the school board of New Road met only once in 2016, on May 26, even though charter school boards must meet twice a year according to Florida law. No minutes were provided that showed the board voted to purchase the Pensacola Boulevard property or agreed to the mortgage. The school had a history of incomplete board minutes. An internal audit report, dated June 14, 2004, found the board minutes didn't reflect the board ever voted on the contract for the renovations of the McReynolds property or an amendment to the contract. The auditors recommended the board take a more active role in oversight of the school and meet on a more frequent basis. They also stated that major purchase and contractual obligations made by the director first be approved by the board, and the vote be reflected in the minutes. Lewis responded to the recommendations in writing—"We believe that our procedures for obtaining Board approval of major purchases and contractual obligations is proper. We admit we have not provided the proper documentation to Board decisions and approvals, and we will work to improve our documentation." Unfortunately, the school didn't improve its documentation. Inweekly's review of the board minutes for 2013-2019 didn't show any board votes for the purchase of the Pensacola Boulevard property or the mortgage with Beach Community Bank. From August 2017 through April 2019, the school paid every month $11,000 rent on a vacant McReynolds building and a mortgage payment of $15,992.21—a total of $26,992.21 per month. According to the school district's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2018, 35% of the school's expenses went toward the physical plant operations, maintenance and interest on long-term debt. The district's other charter schools spent an average of 15% on their physical plant. In the March 13, 2019, board minutes, there is a reference to the lease—"Old building, 1408 E. Blount Street, we contacted Mr. Sonny to discuss a Buy-Out. Waiting on a response." On May 30, 2019, the school paid $350,000 to end the Durga Das Trust lease. The school borrowed $300,000 to cover the payment. The monthly note payments of $7,032 began on July 1, 2019, and will continue through June 2023. No board minutes were provided that showed the board voted on the lease pay-off or approved the new loan. After its March meeting, the board didn't meet again until Sept. 11. On June 6, Durga Das Trust filed a notice of satisfaction of mortgage with Creative Projects. It's unknown how much of the $350,000 went to Creative Projects. The City of Pensacola issued a demolition permit for the 1408 E. Blount Street building on Aug. 29. The Escambia County School Board re-
newed the school's charter for 15 years on Sept. 17 under its consent agenda.
GOVERNANCE
Florida law requires that a charter school have a governing body. Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy's board of trustees includes retired Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander, E.J. Hudson of Hudson Construction and Cindy Andrews-Bess, the former office manager of the school who replaced Georgia Smith in 2017. Ms. Smith's last board meeting was June 17, 2015. The governing board of the charter school must annually adopt and maintain an operating budget and exercise continuing oversight over charter school operations. The board must establish and maintain internal controls that prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse. Under Florida law, "abuse" means behavior that is deficient or improper when compared with behavior that a prudent person would consider a reasonable and necessary operational practice given the facts and circumstances. The term includes the misuse of authority or position for personal gain. "Fraud" means obtaining something of value through willful misrepresentation, including, but not limited to, intentional misstatements or intentional omissions of amounts or disclosures in financial statements to deceive users of financial statements, theft of an entity's assets, bribery or the use of one's position for personal enrichment through the deliberate misuse or misapplication of an organization's resources. "Waste" means the act of using or expending resources unreasonably, carelessly, extravagantly or for no useful purpose. Board members must adhere to the state's standards of conduct. F.S. 112.313 (3) states, "No employee of an agency acting in his or her official capacity as a purchasing agent, or public officer acting in his or her official capacity, shall either directly or indirectly purchase, rent or lease any realty, goods or services for his or her own agency from any business entity of which the officer or employee or the officer's or employee's spouse or child is an officer, partner, director or proprietor or in which such officer or employee or the officer's or employee's spouse or child, or any combination of them, has a material interest." The 2004 internal audit report pointed out the initial renovations to the McReynolds school were done by a board member's company without a vote by the board. In her response to the audit, Lewis said the renovations had been approved by the board, but "we failed to document the approval." She added, "We will continue to work to improve our documentation of Board matters." Inweekly reviewed the audited financial statements for 2012-2019 and found several related-party transactions that the auditor pointed out to the board. In 2012 and 2013, the school outsourced its Pre-K program to Adoring Additions, which was run by Lewis's husband. The 2014 audit reported the McReynolds property had been sold, and Lewis had personally guaranteed the school would continue to make the $11,000 monthly rent payments for four years. For 2013-2015, the school employed Lewis's relative as a building manager. Hudson Construction, owned by board member Hudson, did minor repairs at the school.
Florida law required the school maintain a website. The 2014 audit reported the school didn't have one that met the requirement. Lewis created a corrective action plan that stated, "We are evaluating vendors to provide training to staff that will assist in updating our website. We anticipate that we will have our website fully updated during the upcoming year." However, the audits for 2015, 2016 and 2017 continued to point out the school didn't have the legally required website. The board minutes don't show that the board of trustees ever discussed the website. Inweekly interviewed board of trustees chairman Alexander in mid-October. He didn't offer many details about the board's real estate decisions. The newspaper offered him opportunities to gather any info he thought would be relevant to the conversation and call back, but he declined. "I don't go around with Jaqueline Harris information just sitting on the top of my head," he said. "Am I walking around with a file in my brain?" Alexander said the school moved from the Blount Street property to Pensacola Boulevard because they had a plan to expand. He said, "We pretty much had outgrown the property on Blount Street." The board saw the Pensacola Boulevard property as "an opportunity that wasn't going to sit and wait." Alexander told Inweekly paying the mortgage and lease was a real burden on New Road to Learning. He said, "It was a real strain on the school, on running the school." The board wanted to get out of the lease on Blount a lot sooner than they did. "The guy wouldn't let us out," said Alexander. "We wanted out of that lease, but that was not something he was interested in. He said that he needed to make money."
"We wanted out of that lease, but that was not something he was interested in. He said that he needed to make money." David Alexander He didn't remember how much they owed on the lease or how much of a break the $350,000 pay-off was. He said, "I think we were looking for something less than that but decided to do it." All decisions are discussed by the board, according to Alexander. He said, "Any move that the school makes, the board has a discussion about it." He described the board as a group of folks just trying to act in the best interest of the school; they're volunteers. Alexander said, "You're not talking about a lot of hardnose analyzing."
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
New Road to Learning renewed its charter school contract with the Escambia County School District in June 2009. Alexander signed for the school, and School Board Chairman Patty Hightower signed for the school district. The contract had a Conflict of Interest clause that prohibited the school from using funds to purchase or lease property, goods or services from a director, officer or school employee or any business in which an officer inweekly.net
or employee had an interest. The board and school employees also had to comply with the state statutes regarding the code of ethics for public officers and employees, which also had a conflict of interest clause. Failure or refusal to comply with the conditions would "constitute good grounds for termination/non-renewal of this Charter." Per the 2009 charter contract, Lewis had three choices. She could dispose of her interest in Creative Projects, sell the McReynolds property or resign as the executive director of the school. If she refused to end the conflict of interest, the board of trustees had to relocate the school, according to its charter agreement. Nothing changed, and the school district did not enforce the clauses, even though the related-party transactions were highlighted in the annual audit reports given to the district.
CHECKERED CHARTER PAST
This year, the Escambia County School District has five charter schools—Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy, Pensacola Beach Elementary, Byrneville Elementary School, Beulah Academy of Science and Capstone Academy, which is designed for developmentally delayed students. Pensacola Beach Elementary has been an A school since it was formed. Byrneville Elementary earned a B this past school year. Beulah Academy is a middle school and was a C last year but earned more points than six other middle schools in the district. Jacqueline Harris is an alternative charter school and is allowed to opt-out of the grading system. The school was given a "maintaining" designation last year. Jacqueline Harris Preparatory Academy ranked among the worst elementary schools in Escambia County with its Florida Standard Assessment Test scores. Less than a third of the fifth (31%), fourth (25%) and third graders (31%) read and write on their grade levels. The math scores were similar for the fifth and fourth graders, and only 13% of the third graders scored on their grade level. The Escambia County School District has had some of the state's biggest charter school scandals. In 2004, Escambia Charter School, the district's first chartered high school, faced organized fraud charges for taking $140,000 from the state to educate at-risk students who actually were working on road crews in Northwest Florida, for which FDOT paid the school $250,000. The school pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of grand theft of between $20,000 and $100,000 and agreed to pay $20,598 in restitution to the state. In 2008, Life Skills Center of Escambia County closed after its management company, White Hat Management, pulled out because the school owed it more than $580,000, according to news reports. John H. Wyche, the president of the not-for-profit Escambia County Community Land Trust, Inc., and O.J. Rembert, its treasurer, were charged with taking more than $480,000 intended for the charter high school. Wyche ran the school and was found guilty of racketeering and unlawful financial transactions. November 21, 2019
In March 2015, Inweekly broke the news that Escambia County School District's award-winning charter schools operated by Newpoint Education Partners weren't as good as they seemed. The state attorney's investigation uncovered a scheme that covered charter schools in six counties that involved NEP founder Marcus May and two of its vendors. Last year, May was sentenced to 20 years in prison for stealing $5.2 million from the school systems. According to the Florida Department of Education, the Escambia County School District has closed nine charter schools since 2001.
DISTRICT SUPERVISION
Inweekly contacted Norm Ross, deputy superintendent for the Escambia County School District, and Vickie Mathis, director of Alternative Education for the district. Neither district official seemed to be concerned about Jacqueline Harris Academy or Lewis' conflicts of interest over the years. Mathis spoke a bit about the district's relationship to charters in general, how the district is a "sponsor" of a charter and how it also provides some services to charters, such as mental health services and security. Insofar as checking in on the charters, making sure everything is up to snuff—in this case, conflict of interest matters—the district monitors the board meetings of a charter and also the minutes of those meetings. Also, they sometimes visit the campus. "We listen, and we read their board meeting minutes that are required to be turned in quarterly," said Mathis. She wasn't concerned that the minutes appeared to leave out details, such as the purchase of the Pensacola Boulevard property—"They don't have to report word for word." She told Inweekly that she had not heard any concerns about the Jacqueline Harris Academy charter. Ross wasn't very talkative when contacted by Inweekly. He referred the newspaper to the board's counsel, Donna Waters, who had not returned the call as of publication deadline. When asked about the initial sale of the McReynolds property to Lewis, the deputy had nothing to say— "I can't respond to that. I wasn't part of the transaction." Ross was appointed deputy superintendent in 2001, the year before the sale. Pushed about the switch from New Road to Learning to Lewis' for-profit Creative Projects for the sale, Ross agreed it wasn't standard practice—"It doesn't happen every day"—but he said he was really just speculating about a theoretical. He wouldn't comment about the case specifically. The deputy superintendent said that if concerns are raised about a charter, the district checks them out. He added, "If there are things that come up, we try to address them as expeditiously as possible," However, he said that the district had not heard any concerns regarding this charter—"No, I'm not aware of them anyway." Inweekly tried to contact Ms. Lewis for this article. She did not return the call. {in}
@VOLUMEONESALON
The public records that support this article are available with the online version at Inweekly.net. 13
Congratulations Award Winners
Presented by
Emerging Business of the Year
Non-Profit of the Year
Runner Up: The MotoDoll LLC Runner Up: In Her Physique Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy & Wellness
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Micro-Business of the Year
Minority-Owned Business of the Year
Runner Up: Trek Bicycle Store Pensacola Runner Up: Salz Studio
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Winner: Vivid Bridge Studios
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Small Business of the Year
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Runner Up: IMS ExpertServices Runner Up: AppRiver, a ZIX Company
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Award for Excellence in Mentorship
This award recognizes a person who has dedicated themselves to helping others through mentoring. Their level of experience affords them the ability to have a significant impact on the professional development and career advancement of those they mentor.
Winner: Bert Thornton
The John Myslak Award for Servant Leadership
This award is given to a leader who enriches the lives of others, builds better organizations, and ultimately helps create a more just and caring world. That is what our friend and colleague John Myslak did in our community, and we honor his memory by recognizing others who live their lives as fully as he did.
Winner: Peter Mougey
The Studer Community Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
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WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21-27
Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...
Not Your Average Jims By Savannah Evanoff
He's a Jim. You're a Jim. Everyone's a Jim when you're talking to the band Jimbo. They started out as The Nobodies; now everyone is a Jim(bo). Ryan Post, a drummer and vocalist, said the name of their pop/indie group started as an inside joke back at Gulf Breeze High School. "In our friend group, we call each other Jimmy and Jimbo like calling someone dude or bro," Post said. "We figured it would be the most true to ourselves if we did something like that for a band name." They performed first as The Nobodies, their former name, once in Tallahassee and were the only band to get a standing ovation. The response encouraged them to
form Jimmy and the Jimbos in 2017, which they later shortened to Jimbo. Really anyone could take on the Jimmy identity. The band fluctuates with anywhere from two to eight members and a variety of instruments, even the viola, trumpet and saxophone. The band's songs are like a pitstop on a road trip—they get in, get out in two minutes on average, but you still get everything you need. "We just want to present all the ideas really fast so you get a good idea of what you're in for, catchy all the way through," Post said. "A lot of the reason we make our music so straightforward is so it's easy for members to just drop in and play, so we can throw different people in. It's all about having fun." Jimbo might have a fluid nature, but it has something concrete in the works—a debut album. The seven-song record "Epic" will release soon from Hummingsound Studio. Like their band name, the album title came from their high school friend group, said AJ Atkins, guitar and vocals. "'Epic' was a word we said back when it was a thing in 2012 or so, and then it died off and no one really says it anymore, but our friend group kept saying it," Atkins said.
"People think we're goofy when we say it, but it's coming around again." They're all in college and working now— hence the flexible tendencies—but high school was when they first bonded over shared musical tastes. They cite Belle and Sebastian as their main source of inspiration.
"A lot of the reason we make our music so straightforward is so it's easy for members to just drop in and play, so we can throw different people in." Ryan Post
of us actually ended up acting in the movie. That was a lot of fun for all of us involved." Three Jimbo songs are in the film. "Hell Hole" is the main track featured in the movie and the debut single from their upcoming album. "That's about watching the world crumble around you—something like that," Post said. "It's about facing existential dread but with a really catchy pop song. The album is about growing up in the internet age and embracing what the 21st century throws at ya." When writing, music usually comes first, but pairing it with catchy lyrics is a priority. Atkins wrote the song "Home" while he was drunk at his friend's party, he said. "I wrote it in the bathroom," Atkins said. "I took my friend's guitar or his mom's guitar— whoever's it was. Most of the songs start off as us having some sort of idea and recording it onto a phone really quick." "Then we get together and flesh them into full songs," Post said. It's safe to say the group has a hoard of voice memos saved onto their phones. They already have enough songs for their second album, Post said. {in}
"We were like nerdy guys but also kinda cool," Post said. "We played Magic the Gathering, listened to really weird music no one else really did, played Super Smash Bros. Good times." The band released its first EP in December of 2017. Their upcoming show at Vinyl Music Hall—featuring eight Jims— will mark a comeback of sorts. They were inspired to record high-quality versions of their songs for their friend Peter Mahaffey's coming of age film "Wasted Hours," which is entered in multiple film festivals. WHAT: A local band showcase with Brave New "He's a really talented filmmakWorld, Shuggy, The Juice is Okay and Glazed Eyes er," Post said. "He hit me up asking WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22 me if we wanted to put any music in WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox the movie because he's a big Belle COST: $5 and Sebastian fan too and got the DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com vibe of what we were doing. Some
JIMBO
夀漀甀爀 䴀漀琀漀爀挀礀挀氀攀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀⸀
䴀䤀䌀䠀䰀䔀匀 䈀伀伀吀䠀
䄀挀挀椀搀攀渀琀 ☀ 䤀渀樀甀爀礀 䰀愀眀礀攀爀猀
ⴀ㠀 ⴀ㐀㌀㠀ⴀ㌀㘀 㘀 簀 䘀漀爀吀栀攀嘀椀挀琀椀洀猀⸀挀漀洀 倀攀渀猀愀挀漀氀愀 ⴀ 䘀漀爀琀 圀愀氀琀漀渀 䈀攀愀挀栀 ⴀ 䌀爀攀猀琀瘀椀攀眀
November 21, 2019
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OPEN 11 A.M. UNTIL MIDNIGHT. TURKEY DINNER SERVED TILL 5. SERVING OUR REGULAR DINNER MENU ALL DAY. IN ADDITION, FROM 11:00 A.M. UNTIL 5:00 P.M., WE WILL BE SERVING A TRADITIONAL TURKEY PLATE FOR $24. Slow-roasted garlic and herb turkey breast served with Southern applewood-smoked bacon cornbread dressing, green bean casserole, apple and cranberry chutney, whipped garlic mashed potatoes, and finished off with homemade giblet gravy.
600 s. Barracks St. • downtown Pensacola • On the water www.fishhousepensacola.com • 850-470-0003 616 1
inweekly.net
calendar THURSDAY 11.21
WORK ON THE FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m.-12:30
p.m. Every Thursday. Three miles north of Deaton Bridge Road. meetup.com/ftawesterngate YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org BAPTIST HEALTH CARE: COOKING WITH CRUZ Noon. Ever'man Educational Center,
327 W. Garden St. everman.org PARTY ON THE PLAZA 4 p.m. Live music from Nobius. Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. facebook.com/studerproperties VETERANS' MEETING 4 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org YAPPY HOUR 5-10 p.m. Through Feb. 27. 5% of proceeds benefit Escambia County Animal Shelter. Red Fish Blue Fish, 5B Via De Luna Drive. redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. facebook. com/aragonwine PARROT HEAD CLUB MEETING 5 p.m. Apple Annie's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com FLAVORS OF THE GULF COAST: NEW ORLEANS TO PENSACOLA 5:30-10 p.m. $75
per person. Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. greatsouthernrestaurants.com NETWORKING SOCIAL HOUR 5:30 p.m. Gary's Biergarten & Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew TOAST OF THE COAST: HIGH ON THE HOG, A WHOLE BEAST FEAST 5:30 p.m. $45 per
person. The Fish House, 600 Barracks St. greatsouthernrestaurants.com
EXPERIENCE UWF DOWNTOWN WITH DR. DONNA YATES: STOLEN ANTIQUITIES AND WHITE COLLAR CRIME, THE CASE OF THE PERSIAN GUARD 5:30-6 p.m. (reception).
Lecture begins at 6 p.m. Museum of Commerce, 201 E. Zaragoza St. uwf.edu LADIES NIGHT CHARCUTERIE 6 p.m. $60. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com MISS SNOWBALL DERBY PAGEANT 6 p.m. Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org END OF THE LINE THURSDAY DINNER 6-9 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. sevillequarter.com THIRD THURSDAY MEDITATION 7 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org IMPROVABLE CAUSE HAPPY HOUR 7 p.m. $11. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com POETRY SLAM AND COMPETITION 7-10 p.m. Dolce & Gelato, 2050 N. 12th Ave. facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola DUMPSTAPHUNK 7 p.m. $15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com RUNGE STRINGS CONCERT 7:30 p.m. University of West Florida Center for Fine and November 21, 2019
Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa STINGERS COMEDY WITH JEFF D. 8 p.m. $20. Imogene Theatre, 6866 Caroline St. stingerscomedy.com
FRIDAY 11.22
42ND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CREATIONS ARTS & CRAFT SHOW 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 50 homemade
vendors; lunch served both days. First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St. ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com SUBSTANCE USE AND THE MARCHMAN ACT: HOW IT WORKS 10 a.m. Ever'man Educational
Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org HONEYLAND 1 p.m. $7 (cash only). Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. pensacolacinemaart.com HAPPY HOUR COOKOUT 5 p.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com
SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m.-1
p.m. Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road. PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com YOU SELL IT HERE FARMER'S MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free admission. Every Saturday. 8600 Pensacola Blvd., facebook.com/yousellithere 42ND ANNUAL CHRISTMAS CREATIONS
ARTS & CRAFT SHOW 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 50
homemade vendors, lunch served both days. Meet Santa from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St.
10th ANNUAL HOLIDAY CRAFT AND VENDOR FAIR 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Pensacola State
College Milton Campus, 5988 US-90. pensacolastate.edu EVER'MAN COOKS: KID'S KITCHEN 10 a.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SEWING 101 - THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $25. Studio South, 955 E. Nine Mile Road. studiosouthon9mileroad.com DOG DAY ADOPTION EVENT 11 a.m. Red Fish
WHERE TO EAT ON THANKSGIVING
RELATIONAL COMMUNICATION WITH ESPERE METHOD 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational
Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ACOUSTIC SONGWRITERS NIGHT 6 p.m. Every Friday through March 27. Frazier's Country Wines, 3130 Barrancas Ave. fromthegroundupgardenpensacola.com FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT AT PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE: SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME 6:30 p.m. Free to PSC students,
staff, faculty and family. Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd., Hagler Auditorium, Bldg. 2. pensacolastate.edu PAELLA POP-UP 6-7:30 p.m. Gary's Biergarten & Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew CODY COPELAND 6-9 p.m. Gary's Biergarten & Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew GULF COAST CHORALE: HAPPY HOLIDAYS, A CELEBRATION THROUGH THE YEAR 7:30
p.m. $12. First Baptist Church, 555 Fairpoint Drive, Gulf Breeze. gulfcoastchorale.org FIRST DATE 7:30 p.m. $12-$18, free to UWF students. Center for Fine and Performing Arts, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa BRAVE NEW WORLD, SHUGGY, JIMBO, THE JUICE IS OKAY, GLAZED EYES 8 p.m. $5. Vinyl
Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Saturday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center, 3200 N. Palafox St.
SATURDAY 11.23
PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/ recplexnorth WEST FLORIDA JAGUARS BASEBALL INAUGURAL FALL GOLK CLASSIC 7:30 a.m. reg-
istration; 9 a.m. shotgun start. $100-$400. Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. FMW AUDUBON BIRDWALK 8:30-11:30 a.m. Start at Fort Pickens - Gulf Islands National Seashore, 1400 Fort Pickens Road. fmwaudubon.org/event/birdwalk-ft-pickens-2 OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UP 9-10 a.m. Quietwater Beach, 400 Quietwater Beach Road (meet at the Seashell), and Sanders Beach, 913 S. I St. oceanhourfl.com
Don't want to cook Thanksgiving dinner? Don't worry, you won't have to go hungry. Here are some dining options that will be open and serving up good stuff around town.
TRADITIONAL THANKSGIVING AT THE DISTRICT 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Traditional
Thanksgiving dinner and limited regular menu. The District, 123 E. Government St. districtsteaks.com
THURSDAY 11.28
THANKSGIVING AT JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Traditional Thanks-
THANKSGIVING DINNER AT FIVE SISTERS
THANKSGIVING AT ANGELENA'S RISTORANTE ITALIANO 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Full dinner menu
THANKSGIVING AT FISH HOUSE 11 a.m.10 p.m. Regular menu as well as traditional turkey plate for $24. No reservations, walk-in only. Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. fishhousepensacola.com
Open fixed-price, three-course meal. Seatings at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For reservations, call 912-4856. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. fivesistersbluescafe.com THANKSGIVING DINNER AT HILTON PENSACOLA BEACH 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Traditional
Thanksgiving dinner buffet. $14-$44, children 5 and under eat for free. Hilton Pensacola Beach, 12 Via De Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach
giving dinner prepared by Chef Irv Miller for $29. Call 469-9898 for reservations. Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. jacksonsrestaurant.com
available as well as fixed-price, four-course Thanksgiving meal. $15-$35. Call 542-8398 for reservations. Angelena's is also offering a full Thanksgiving Dinner Grab and Go Package. The package is based on six people, is $85 plus tax and includes a six-pound turkey, pumpkin tiramisu and more. Orders are being taken now and can be placed until noon on Monday, Nov. 25, and picked up on Thanksgiving Day from 8-10 a.m. Angelena's, 101 E. Intendencia St. angelenaspensacola.com 17
calendar Blue Fish, 5 Via De Luna Drive, Unit B. facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach KITTEN & CAT ADOPTIONS AT PET SUPERMARKET 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Also Nov. 30. Cats and
kittens from Animal Allies. Minimum donation fees—$75 for kittens up to one year and $65 for adults. Pet Supermarket, 6857 N. Ninth Ave. aaflorida.org PENSACOLA BEACH MUSIC FEST Noon-11:30 p.m. Red Fish Blue Fish, 5 Via De Luna Drive, Unit B. facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach HONEYLAND 1 p.m. $7 (cash only). Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. pensacolacinemaart.com NATURAL HEALING/CANCER STUDY 2-4 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BILLY JOEL TRIBUTE: THE STRANGER FEATURING MIKE SANTORO 7 p.m. $12-$35. Vinyl
Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 workshop, $10 party. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com FIRST DATE 7:30 p.m. $12-$18, free to UWF students. Center for Fine and Performing Arts, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa THE PROPHECY SHOW: THE MUSIC OF TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA 7:30 p.m.
$58-$88. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com SATURDAY SWING OUTS 8 p.m. $5. Saturdays. Breathe Yoga Studio, 505 S. Adams St. AUTO RACING 8 p.m. Five Flags Speedway, 7451 Pine Forest Road. 5flagsspeedway.com STINGERS COMEDY WITH SCOTT EASON 8:30 p.m. $15-$20. Casks and Flights Tasting Room, 121 S. Palafox. stingerscomedy.com GLOW BOWL 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Every Friday and Saturday. $12 per person. Strikerz Entertainment Center, 3200 N. Palafox St.
SUNDAY 11.24
JJ CURRY 7 p.m. $5. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont
10 a.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco
MONDAY 11.25
TRANSMISSION MEDITATION WORLD SERVICE 10:30 a.m. Ever'man Educational
HEALTHY EATING DURING THE HOLIDAYS WITH FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 11
THEMED BRUNCH AT PERFECT PLAIN
Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. Ninth Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin VEGAN BRUNCH 11 a.m.-2 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. Sign up for the newsletter for menu. eotlcafe.com SUNDAY BRUNCH AT H20 11 a.m. $28.95 for adults. Free valet parking and 15% off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via De Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach WAYWARD SISTER 2-4 p.m. Dolce and Gelato, 2050 N. 12th Ave. facebook.com/ dolcegelatopensacola THE PRODUCERS 2:30 p.m. $9-$16. Pensacola State College,1000 College Blvd. performingarts.pensacolastate.edu JAZZ ENSEMBLE & COMBO CONCERT 3 p.m. University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa PUPPY YOGA AND ADOPTION PARTY 4 p.m. $15; all proceeds benefit Amazing Grace Bully Rescue. Wild Lemon, 3000 N. 12th Ave. beawildlemon.com FIRST DATE 7:30 p.m. $12-$18, free to UWF students. Center for Fine and Performing Arts, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa STINGERS COMEDY WITH SCOTT EASON 7 p.m. $55 dinner and show. Lucas' Where Locals Go. 400 Quietwater Beach Road. stingerscomedy.com BACKPORCH COMEDY AT CHIZUKO PRESENTS:
St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola
RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Li-
brary, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com
a.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org FALL GRILLING COOKING CLASS 6 p.m. $60. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com
TUESDAY 11.26
YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org JOHN APPLEYARD TALK: PENSACOLA'S LUMBER HISTORY 9 a.m. Free. Pensacola Visitor
Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St.
BLUE ANGELS PRACTICE 11:30 a.m. National
Naval Aviation Museum viewing area, 1878 S. Blue Angel Parkway. Use West Gate Entrance. TRYON FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 4 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com PILATES FUSION 4:30 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. Bodacious, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com FIBER FREESTYLIN' AT STUDIO SOUTH 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Open to all knitters, crocheters, weavers and more. Studio South, 955 E. Nine Mile Road. studiosouthon9mileroad.com FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ZUMBA WITH SHANNON AND FRIENDS 6-7 ferson St. pensacolamuseum.org PMA GALLERY TOURS 2:30 p.m.
Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free with museum admission. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org
≥Current Exhibits 2019 FACULTY EXHIBITION On view
through Nov. 24. TAG, University of West Florida Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. uwf.edu/cfpa
100 Faces of War / On view at PMA
Arts & Culture
≥Events
COLLEGE PORTFOLIO PREP WORKSHOP 818 1
4:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. $90-$100. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org CINCO BANDERAS 7
p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21. Pensacola Symphony performance inspired by current exhibition at Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org
OPEN STUDIO: FALL WREATH 11:30 a.m.-
3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23. $6, free to PMA members. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jef-
CINCO BANDERAS
7 p.m. On view through Nov. 30. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org BEIRUT: PHOTO-
GRAPHS BY JOHN BECHTOLD On view
through Jan. 19. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org
100 FACES OF WAR EXPERIENCE On view
through Jan. 19 at Pensacola Museum of Art. Traveling exhibit from Smithsonian. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org JOHN MARKOWITZ: RECENT WORKS On
view through Feb. 2. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org
COTTON FIELDS TO CONGRESS: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF EARL HUTTO
On view at the T.T. Wentworth,
p.m. $4. Homestead Community Center, 7830 Pine Forest Road. PARISH BREWING TAP TAKEOVER 6-9 p.m. Gary's Biergarten & Brewery, 208 Newman Ave. facebook.com/garysbrew COUNTRY TWO-STEP DANCING 6:30 p.m. $12. Whiskey Runners Saloon, 610 E. Nine Mile Road. dancecraftstudios.com
WEDNESDAY 11.27
PILATES FUSION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man
Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BLUE ANGEL S PR ACTICE CRUISE 10 : 45 a .m.-1 p.m. $ 8 5 per person, kids 12 and under are $25 of f. Condor Sailing Adventures ,9 97 S . Palafox . condorsailingadventures .com ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com PERFECT PLAIN BREWING CO. TWO-YEAR ANNIVERSARY BASH 4 p.m. Perfect Plain
Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook. com/perfectplainbrewingco AFRICAN DANCE FITNESS 5:30 p.m. Every Wednesday through Dec. 18. Henny Penny's Patisserie, 4412 W. Jackson St. facebook. com/ facebook.com/hennypennyspatisserie VINYASA YOGA 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WEST COAST SWING DANCING 6:30 p.m. $12. Whiskey Runners Saloon, 610 E. Nine Mile Road. dancecraftstudios.com PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS VS. MACON MAYHEM 6:35 p.m. $5 and up. Pensacola Bay
Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com
TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 7:15 p.m. Free. Ever'man
Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org Jr. Florida State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org GALLERY DAYS
Noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. Featuring local artists. To be featured, contact Angel at 941-7354586 or call the restaurant at 4770035. TGI Fridays, 1240 Airport Blvd.
Workshops & Classes
PINS AND NEEDLES SEWING CLASS
Six-week workshop begins on Nov. 1. Learn basic sewing skills/make your own items. First City Arts Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. facebook.
com/pinsandneedlessewingdesign POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Six-week
workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-noon, Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon at First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for non-members. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Every Monday
from 6-8:30 p.m. at First City Art Center. Classes are $40. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.
for more listings visit inweekly.net inweekly.net
November 21, 2019
19
a&e
By Savannah Evanoff
Bikes Unite
Photo Courtesy of onbikes Pensacola
There's hardly a kid out there who doesn't remember his or her first bike. Maybe it had tassels, a basket or a horn. Or maybe they just remember where it took them—to their first best friend's house, around the neighborhood or to the corner store for a snack. Everyone remembers— except for the kids who never get a bike. Walker Wilson, the founder of the nonprofit onbikes Pensacola, has led the organization's mission to provide every underprivileged and foster child with a brand-new bike, helmet and lock to call their own so they, too, can make memories they won't ever forget. "The best part about being a kid is being outside and being able to play with your friends, and having a bike is an avenue to do that," Wilson said. "It instills that sense of responsibility. You gotta figure out how to safely get somewhere. You've got something that's yours that you have to make sure doesn't get torn up so you can continue to use it." onbikes Pensacola raises money through sponsorships and registration for its annual Winter Wonder Ride—a relaxed five-mile slow
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ride in downtown Pensacola. The money goes toward Huffy bikes they purchase unassembled in bulk, put together with the community at family-friendly bike build events and distribute to children in need through various local nonprofits. Wilson started onbikes Pensacola based on an onbikes event his college friends created. They invited him to their winter bike ride the first week he lived in Tampa. "I went to it, and I was like, 'This is really cool. This is a bunch of young people doing something good for their community. They're giving back, having fun, and it's Christmas time,'" Wilson said. "I was like, 'This is really awesome. I want to do it when I get home.'" When he moved back to Pensacola in February of 2016, it's exactly what he did. He joined Pensacola Young Professionals to recruit likeminded people to help. "We started in the summer of 2016 with a goal to give away 100 bikes," Wilson said. "In our first year, we gave away 350 bikes. On Nov. 23 at our bike build, we'll hit our 2,000 bikes mark."
It's one of those things you can do until you're Young people don't need permission old. It's a universal activity." to make a difference, Wilson said. onbikes May first became involved with onbikes shows how people in their 20s and 30s can through his work with Southern Youth Sports take ownership of something that helps Association. It gives away bikes for good betheir community. havior and Christmas, he said. Wilson fondly remembers distributing "Many times, we struggle to find fundbikes at the Ronald McDonald House one year. ing and people that donate, and onbikes "We didn't tell them, and we had the has stepped up to the plate," May said. "I'm families come out and hand out bikes actually there when we hand them out. A together," Wilson said. "They were so couple of kids at Lincoln Park School didn't excited they were about to get a bike. They have a bike. To deliver them a bike a day were riding around the house. They went before Christmas is awesome." outside. It was awesome. We even had a Parents appreciate it, too. He rememthree- or four-year-old that had one of the bikes with no pedals, and he was just kickin' bers once distributing bikes at a banquet at the Pensacola Bay Center. around ridin' behind his older sister. It was "Parents would get so excited," May said. cool to see their smiling faces and excite"They were able to stretch dollars and buy ment of having a bike." things like clothes and food because someone The organization also creates more than else provided the bike. It's always an awesome just childhood memories. feeling to be able to give a bike." {in} "For a lot of these older kids—15-, 16-, 17-, even 18-year-olds— that receive bikes through our program, it's a ride for them to their first job," Wilson said. "It's something we didn't even think we were fulfilling a need of when we WHAT: An event for onbikes Pensacola started this whole thing, so that was volunteers to assemble bikes. No experience cool to see that come out of this." is necessary and tools are provided. Local politician Lumon May also recWHEN: There are two shifts—9-11 a.m. and ognizes another benefit of the program. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23 "When we look at pollution, WHERE: Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. emissions and trying to reduce traffic, Gregory St. onbikes has more than just an impact DETAILS: facebook.com/onbikespensacola on giving a child a gift at Christmas," May said. "It has an impact on how they create their socialization, how the culture around them is created and how they create their lifestyle." WHAT: Five-mile bike ride through downMay loved riding his blue Huffy bike town Pensacola followed by post-ride celeas a child, he said. bration featuring food and beverage vendors, "I grew up in an era where you played games and live music from Soul Station. sports outside, went to practice and WHEN: 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 many times, we'd ride our bikes all over COST: $30-45 (Registration includes a Ttown," May said. "I still ride bikes to this shirt, swag bag and drink tickets) day. I think it's a great way of exercise. DETAILS: facebook.com/onbikespensacola We really should encourage children to ride bikes and do more physical activity …
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free will astrology WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): "Be-
ware of what disturbs the heart," said Ibn Mas'ud, a companion of the prophet Mohammed. "If something unsettles your heart, then abandon it." My wise Aries friend Artemisia has a different perspective. She advises, "Pay close attention to what disturbs the heart. Whatever has the power to unsettle your heart will show you a key lesson you must learn, a crucial task you'd be smart to undertake." Here's my synthesis of Ibn Mas'ud and Artemisia—Do your very best to fix the problem revealed by your unsettled heart. Learn all you can in the process. Then, even if the fix isn't totally perfect, move on. Graduate from the problem for good.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Taurus social critic Bertrand Russell won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1950. He's regarded as the founder of analytic philosophy and one of the 20th century's premier intellectuals. But he went through a rough patch in 1940. He was adjudged "morally unfit" to accept his appointment as a professor at the City College of New York. The lawsuit that banned him from the job described him as being "libidinous, lustful, aphrodisiac and irreverent." Why? Simply because of his liberated opinions about sexuality, which he had conscientiously articulated in his book "Marriage and Morals." In our modern era, we're more likely to welcome libidinous, lustful, aphrodisiac and irreverent ideas if they're expressed respectfully, as Russell did. With that as a subtext, I invite you to update and deepen your relationship with your own sexuality in the coming weeks. GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In her poem "What the Light Teaches," Anne Michaels describes herself arriving at a lover's house soaked with rain, "dripping with new memory." She's ready for "one past to grow out of another." In other words, she's eager to leave behind the story that she and her lover have lived together up until now—and begin a new story. A similar blessing will be available for you in the coming weeks, Gemini—a chance for you and an intimate partner or close ally to launch a new chapter of your history together. CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Some
scientists deride astrology despite being ignorant about it. For example, they complain, "The minuscule gravitational forces beaming from the planets can't possibly have any effect on our personal lives." But the truth is that most astrologers don't believe the planets exert influence on us with gravity or any other invisible force. Instead, we analyze planetary movements as evidence of a hidden order in the universe. It's comparable to the way weather forecasters use a barometer to read atmospheric pressure but know that barometers don't cause changes in atmospheric pressure. I hope 222 2
By Rob Brezsny
this inspires you, Cancerian, as you develop constructive critiques of situations in your own sphere. Don't rely on naive assumptions and unwarranted biases. Make sure you have the correct facts before you proceed. If you do, you could generate remarkable transformations in the coming weeks.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): As you glide into the Season of Love, I'd love you to soak up wise counsel from the author bell hooks. (She doesn't capitalize her name.) "Many people want love to function like a drug, giving them an immediate and sustained high," she cautions. "They want to do nothing, just passively receive the good feeling." I trust you won't do that, Leo. Here's more from hooks—"Dreaming that love will save us, solve all our problems or provide a steady state of bliss or security only keeps us stuck in wishful fantasy, undermining the real power of the love—which is to transform us." Are you ready to be transformed by love, Leo? VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Burrow down as deep as you dare, Virgo. Give yourself pep talks as you descend toward the gritty core of every matter. Feel your way into the underground, where the roots meet the foundations. It's time for you to explore the mysteries that are usually beneath your conscious awareness. You have a mandate to reacquaint yourself with where you came from and how you got to where you are now. LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): It's natural and healthy to feel both the longing to connect and the longing to be independent. Each of those urges deserves an honored place in your heart. But you may sometimes experience them as being contradictory; their opposing pulls may rouse tension. I bring this to your attention because I suspect that the coming weeks will be a test of your ability to not just abide in this tension, but to learn from and thrive on it. For inspiration, read these words by Jeanette Winterson. "What should I do about the wild heart that wants to be free and the tame heart that wants to come home? I want to be held. I don't want you to come too close. I want you to scoop me up and bring me home at night. I don't want to tell you where I am. I want to be with you." SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): The
Louvre Museum in Paris displays 38,000 objects throughout its 18 acres of floor space. Among its most treasured 13th-century artworks is "The Madonna and Child in Majesty Surrounded by Angels," a huge painting by Italian painter Cimabue. When a museum representative first acquired it in the 19th century, its price was five francs, or less than a dollar. I urge you to be on the lookout for bargains like that in the coming weeks. Something that could be valuable in the future may be undervalued now.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):
Abramović observes that Muhammad, Buddha, Jesus and Moses "all went to the desert as nobodies and came back as somebodies." She herself spent a year in Australia's Great Sandy Desert near Lake Disappointment, leading her to exclaim that the desert is "the most incredible place, because there is nothing there except yourself, and yourself is a big deal." From what I can tell, Sagittarius, you're just returning from your own metaphorical version of the desert, which is very good news. Welcome back! I can't wait to see what marvels you spawn.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Upcom-
ing events may bedevil your mind. They may mess with your certainties and agitate your self-doubts. But if you want my view about those possibilities, they're cause for celebration. According to my analysis of the astrological indicators, you will benefit from having your mind bedeviled and your certainties messed with and your self-doubts agitated. You may ultimately even thrive and exult and glow like a miniature sun. Why? Because you need life to gently but firmly kick your ass in just the right way so you'll become alert to opportunities you have been ignoring or blind to.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Every writer I've ever known says that a key practice to becoming a good writer is to read a lot of books. So what are we to make of the fact that one of the 20th century's most celebrated novelists didn't hew to that principle? In 1936, three years before the publication of his last book, Aquarianborn James Joyce confessed that he had "not read a novel in any language for many years." Here's my take on the subject— More than any other sign of the zodiac, you Aquarians have the potential to succeed despite not playing by conventional rules. And I suspect your power to do that is even greater than usual these days. PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): "If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it," wrote Piscean novelist John Irving. In the coming weeks, Pisces, you will have the power to get clearer than ever before about knowing the way of life you love. As a bonus, I predict you will also have an expanded access to the courage necessary to actually live that way of life. Take full advantage! THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Possible definition of happiness—the state that results from cultivating interesting, useful problems. What's your definition?
freewillastrology.com
freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2019
Sagittarian performance artist Marina
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news of the weird THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT About a year ago, Les and Paula Ansley of Mossel Bay, South Africa, stumbled upon a novel idea for a new type of spirit, which they call Indlovu Gin, the Associated Press reports. During a safari, they learned that elephants eat a wide variety of fruits and flowers, but digest less than a third of it. "As a consequence, in the elephant dung, you get the most amazing variety of these botanicals," Les Ansley said. "Why don't we let the elephants do the hard work of collecting all these botanicals and we will make gin from it?" Why, indeed? They collect the dung themselves, by hand, and describe their gin's flavor as "lovely, wooded, almost spicy, earthy." ("Indlovu" means elephant in the Zulu language.) Each bottle's label notes where the dung was gathered and when. "Most people are very keen to actually taste it," Ansley said. A bottle sells for about $32. FINE POINTS OF THE LAW After losing in district court, convicted killer Benjamin Schreiber took an unusual claim to the Iowa Court of Appeals, but was shut down again on Nov. 6, according to The Washington Post. Schreiber, 66, was sentenced to a life term in 1997, but in March 2015, he suffered a medical emergency in his prison cell that caused doctors to have to restart his heart five times. Schreiber thus claimed he had briefly "died," and therefore he had served out his life sentence and should be released. The district judge didn't buy it, though, saying the filing proved he was still alive, and the appeals court agreed, saying, "Schreiber is either alive, in which case he must remain in prison, or he is dead, in which case this appeal is moot." HIGHER EDUCATION A Dutch university now offers students a turn in the "purification grave," a hole dug in the ground where students can lie down and reflect on their lives for up to three hours. The student chaplaincy at Radboud University initially offered the experience in 2009 as a temporary experiment, but due to increased demand, it's back this year, according to Vice. Students are not allowed to bring their phones or a book with them into the grave. "You can see it as a special place of meditation: below you the earth, above you the sky," the university website explains. "You will then automatically notice what is going through your mind." If you're skittish about entering the grave, you can sit on the bench nearby. Radboud also offers a finalsseason "crying room" and nap pods. THE CONTINUING CRISIS Female employees in Japan who wear eyeglasses are seeing red after some companies there have reportedly banned eyewear for their women workers, according to the BBC. While some retailers have said women in glasses give a "cold impression," the hashtag #glassesareforbidden has been
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trending, and Kumiko Nemoto, professor of sociology at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, spoke out against the "outdated" policies: "It's all about gender. It's pretty discriminatory. ... The company values the women's appearance as being feminine and that's the opposite to someone who wears glasses." Japanese women have also rebelled against policies that require them to wear high heels. BRIGHT IDEA Subhash Yadav, 42, of Jaunpur, India, visited a market to eat eggs with a friend, News18 reported on Nov. 4, but the two fell into an argument. To settle the dispute, police said, Yadav accepted a challenge to eat 50 eggs in exchange for 2,000 rupees. He ate 41 eggs, but just as he began to eat the 42nd, he collapsed, unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital but died a few hours later. Doctors claimed Yadav died of overeating, but family members would not comment. AWESOME! For the person on your gift list this year who can't get enough ranch dressing, Hidden Valley comes to the rescue with a decorative plastic stocking full of its creamy nectar. FanSided reports the Hidden Valley Ranch Custom Holiday Stocking measures 105 square inches festooned in red and green and filled with 52 ounces of Original Ranch. It comes with its own mantle holder and has a handy pouring spout at the toe. All that ranchy fun costs just $35. Time to get dippin'! LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL On Oct. 30, Hudson, Florida, resident Michael Psilakis, 21, lost $1,000 in a card game to an unnamed man, which a witness told police upset Psilakis, reported the Tampa Bay Times. When the man was reported missing, Pasco County Sheriff's deputies started their investigation with Psilakis, who told them the victim had dropped him off at his mother's house after the card game, so when the man turned up dead in a burned-out Ford Taurus, police visited Psilakis' mother. During her interview, Psilakis called his mother, according to court documents, and officers recorded the conversation. In it he told his mom he had burned his legs throwing gas on the car and they needed to coordinate their stories so he was coming right over. When he arrived, police found a stolen handgun in his car along with a cellphone containing internet searches for "can u shoot through a seat" and "how to treat burns." Deputies arrested him on weapons charges on Nov. 2 and later added first-degree murder, grand theft of a motor vehicle and resisting arrest. {in}
From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird Š 2019 Andrews McMeel
Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com November 21, 2019
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Independent News | November 21, 2019 | inweekly.net