Inweeky sept 15 2016 issue

The #Golden Age" Is Now Panhandle native Chris Staples returns with a new album

Independent News | September 15, 2016 | Volume 17 | Number 38 | inweekly.net | Photo by Kyle Johnson

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winners & losers

outtakes

4

5

news 6&8

He was the conversation of his time.

a&e

cover story

15

11

publisher Rick Outzen

art director Richard Humphreys

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Duwayne Escobedo, Hana Frenette, Jennifer Leigh, Chuck Shepherd, Shelby Smithey

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Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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inweekly.net

$1,017,000

PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TOTALS $338,044

Rendering of apartment buildings under construction on Jefferson Street.

Investing in Pensacola’s future

Property tax dollars are vital to support schools, safety, jobs and infrastructure. Between projects completed and in development downtown, these properties are expected to contribute more than $1.3 million in annual property tax to our local community.

$103,514 Total property taxes paid prior to purchase

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2013)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Future projections of property taxes after completion

Change

$54,745

$61,535

$550,000*

+$495,255

*Estimate includes EDATE tax exemption.

DEVELOPMENT

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2012)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Change

$1,328

$6,113

+ $4,785

Not yet announced. Construction begins Spring 2017.

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2013)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Future projections of property taxes after completion

Change

$2,935

$7,841

$66,000

+ $63,065

*Sold in 2016

DEVILLIERS SQUARE

+ $2,651

cia St.

Intenden

St.

ent St.

Governm

ona rag Tar

St.

St. on fers Jef

Romana

ce Pla fox Pala

t.

Garden S

Main St.

MARITIME PLACE Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2013)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Change

$0

$150,926*

+$150,926

St. aniz Alc

.

Chase St

WN DOWNTO OLA C A S N E P

Completed projects

St.

.

Wright St

St.

St. us Re

St. iers Vill De

St. yle Co

In development

Belmont

110 t. xS afo Pal

*Separate parcels purchased in different years.

.

Ave 9th

$15,000

St.

St. len Bay

$12,349

Cervantes St. ing Spr

Change

na celo Bar

Property taxes paid for 2015

Projected property tax revenue from projects in development

PNJ APARTMENTS

FIVE SISTERS*

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2008, 2013)*

Total property taxes paid in 2015

OFFICE and RETAIL BUILDING Construction begins October 2016.

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2013)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Future projections of property taxes after completion

Change

$10,136

$14,480

$308,000

+ $297,864

ARTISAN Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2012)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Future projections of property taxes after completion

Change

$11,907

$36,015

$69,000*

+ $57,093

BODACIOUS SHOPS Maritime Park

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2011, 2013)*

Property taxes paid for 2015

Change

$5,649

$22,469

+ $16,820

* Property tax paid does not include $110,615 paid for ground lease and CAM fees

BODACIOUS BREW-THRU

MAIN STREET STORES

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2012)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Future projections of property taxes after completion

Change

Annual property tax in year prior to purchase (2012)

Property taxes paid for 2015

Change

$367

$11,521

$24,000

+ $13,479

$9,657

$12,144

+ $2,487

*Separate parcels purchased in different years.

September 15, 2016

SOURCE: Escambia County Tax Collector

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JEFFREY LEWIS The Pensacola attorney has been appointed to the First Judicial Circuit bench. Gov. Rick Scott's office announced the move last month. The circuit covers Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, and Walton counties.

Lewis has served as regional conflict counsel for the 1st District Court of Appeal region in North Florida since 2007. He was an assistant public defender in the Pensacola-based Office of the Public Defender from 1998 to 2007 and was a sole practitioner 1993-98. He replaces outgoing Judge Thomas R. Santurri.

GREG BROWN The International Association of Assessing Officers recently announced that the Santa Rosa County Property Appraiser's Office, headed by Property Appraiser Greg Brown, is the recipient of the 2016 Distinguished Assessment Jurisdiction Award. The award recognizes an assessment jurisdiction that has instituted a technical, procedural or administrative program that has proven to be an improvement over prior programs.

UWF HISTORIC TRUST The UWF Historic Trust had two big announcements this past week. The Pensacola Maritime Heritage Trail opened. The walking history tour stretches from the Hawkshaw Lagoon Memorial Park to the Community Maritime Park. The UWF Historic Trust also hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the Fort of Pensacola's Commanding Officer's Compound. This project marked the first major reinterpretation of a stop along the Colonial Archaeological Trail, highlighting the rich history of downtown Pensacola.

ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE The forprofit, post-secondary school has officially shut down amid a federal investigation, leaving 8,000 employees out of work and an estimated 40,000 students without degrees. ITT blamed the closure on the "actions of and sanctions from the U.S. Department of Education have forced us to cease operations." DOE said ITT's accreditor, the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS) determined that ITT "is not in compliance, and is unlikely to become in compliance with (ACICS) Accreditation Criteria." The federal government had heightened financial oversight measures over the past two years due to significant concerns about ITT's administrative capacity, organizational integrity, financial viability, and ability to serve students.

CARPENTER'S CREEK Emerald Coastkeeper Laurie Murphy has sent a letter to Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward, Pensacola City Council, Escambia County Development Services and City Inspector Bill Weeks citing the declining environmental conditions around Carpenter's Creek, which runs through the Cordova Mall area and flows into Bayou Texar.

Murphy said she had received complaints of logjams, garbage pile-ups and clear-cutting of vegetation. She warned the garbage pileups caused water to stagnate and increases the risk of mosquito-borne illness such as West Nile and Zika. The Emerald Coastkeeper requested clarifications as to how the tree ordinance and the Natural Resource initiatives are applied to urban development in regards to the Mayor's Green Initiatives.

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inweekly.net

New album out now! outtakes

by Rick Outzen

BALLSY RESCUE PLAN Mayor Ashton Hayward learned last week that more than half of his constituents rated his job performance as only fair or poor, according to the 2016 Quality of Life Survey.

In the past, the mayor has used the Quality of Life surveys to bolster his arguments that the strong mayoral government is working, and the public supports his administration. This year, reality sank in, crushing his myth of invincibility.

The good news is Mayor Hayward has two years to turn city government around before his term ends.

Not that he would listen, but here is our ballsy rescue plan for how he could do it: 1. Survey city employees. Hospitals do it. Large companies like Gulf Power and Navy Federal Credit Union also survey their workers annually. The Mayor's Office and Pensacola City Council need to know what their troops think.

2. Bring back town hall meetings. City Hall has become more and more disconnected from the people it serves. The mayor promised to bring city hall to the neighborhoods but suddenly stopped in December 2013. The 3-1-1 service may handle a lot of calls, but people want to see their government officials face-to-face.

3. Reinstitute Mornings with the Mayor. The mayor had the right idea when he brought this initiative to Pensacola in October 2013, but when the questions got

too difficult, he shut them down, preferring to hand pick the media personalities he wanted to show favor. It's bad when Hillary Clinton has held more press conferences in 2016 than Mayor Hayward.

4. Make job performance evaluations mandatory. The City of Pensacola gave its employees job evaluations before Hayward took over city government. No more raises or promotions without a written job evaluation.

5. Put it in writing. The mayor should require all city supervisors to use their official email accounts. Employees have been discouraged from creating paper or digital trails to back up decisions.

The practice has to stop, or the Hayward administration will be the first to have more photos on Facebook than documents explaining its actions.

6. Boost Sunshine Center. The mayor should instruct his staff to post all records accumulated in reply to public record requests on the "Transparent Pensacola" page within 48 hours of delivering them to the parties making the requests. For example, the personnel folders given Inweekly should be made available for any citizen to peruse—just give us a 48-hour head start to report what they revealed.

All six of these recommendations could be instituted immediately. If you have the mayor's ear, please pass them to him. You don't even have to give us credit. {in} rick@inweekly.net

Mayor Hayward has two years to turn city government around before his term ends.

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5

CHAOS ON THE SEVENTH FLOOR

By Rick Outzen and Duwayne Escobedo Something is wrong inside the Mayor's Office. Since midway through Mayor Ashton Hayward's first term, turnover has been the norm in city department, which includes the mayor's inner circle.

The City of Pensacola's budget details the organizational structure of each city department, including the Mayor's Office. The positions in that department have turned over an average of three to five times since Hayward was sworn into office in January 2011.

Former employees describe the Mayor's Office as "dysfunctional" and "ineffective."

Some believe the turmoil and chaos on the seventh floor of Pensacola City Hall, where Hayward's key staffers work, may have led to his low job approval rating in the 2016 Quality of Life Survey.

For the first time since Hayward took office, more residents believed this year that Escambia County was on the right track (51 percent) than believed the City of Pensacola was headed in the right direction (45 percent), according to the survey conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling for the Pensacola Young Professionals. The 2016 percentage for Pensacola was the lowest since 2009 when just 30 percent believed the city was on the right track.

Only one out of three people surveyed said the mayor was doing an excellent or good job. His approval rating was cut nearly in half, falling 32-percentage points since the summer of 2015. From 2011-2015, the average percentage of those who felt the mayor was doing a poor job was only 5.8 percent. In 2016, 23 percent gave him a poor rating, a four-fold jump.

Rita Lee, former Executive Administrator to the Mayor's Office, told Inweekly that lower percentages didn't surprise her.

66

"I'm surprised that it took so long," she said.

"I wanted the city to move forward in the right direction," said Lee, who resigned in August 2013. "How disappointing that so many tax dollars were spent on lawsuits. The money could have been spent more wisely."

She added, "I know there are a lot of unhappy taxpayers."

During his first two years as mayor, the Mayor's Office was stable. In October 2012, Bill Reynolds began his second year as the City Administrator. Chief of Staff John Asmar, Chief Of Economic Opportunities and Sustainability Clark Merritt, Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson, Diversity Officer LuTimothy May, and four executive assistants rounded out the mayor's staff. Tamara Fountain joined his team as a consultant and later was hired as Communications Administrator.

They have all since left the Mayor's Office.

Starting in 2013, turnover became constant.

The Mayor's Office was reorganized in each subsequent budget year. Many times key leaders either resigned or were fired between when the proposed budget was printed, usually in May, and when Pensacola City Council approved it in September.

Pensacola residents needed a scorecard to keep up with the staff changes on the seventh floor.

The city charter gives the mayor the power to determine the organization of the city government and the power and duties assigned to the various departments. The most important position that he appoints without the approval of the city council is City Administrator.

Hayward has appointed four City Administrators—Bill Reynolds, Colleen Castille, Dick Barker (interim), and Eric Olson.

With each new administrator, the mayor shuffled his office staff.

Hayward's FY 2014 budget proposal had Reynolds as his City Administrator. They organized the Mayor's Office with Rita Lee, who had been with the mayor since he took office, as Executive Administrator of the Mayor's

Office. Derek Cosson was the mayor's press secretary.

Before the city council approved the budget, all three were gone. Hayward dismissed Reynolds after a state attorney's investigation revealed the administrator had released a confidential document. Cosson transferred to Technology Resources. Lee resigned.

In an email to Mayor Hayward, dated Aug. 14, 2013, Lee wrote of her immediate resignation, "This decision stems from the events in the last few days that were unknown to me and never discussed that would change my career and my agreement with the Mayor and the City of Pensacola."

The following year, Hayward and his new City Administrator Colleen Castille reorganized the Mayor's Office again, according to the FY 2015 budget proposal. Eric Olson was listed as Initiatives Coordinator. Rebecca McLellan was named Fountain's assistant.

Then Castille abruptly announced that she was leaving in August 2014. CFO Dick Barker was made the Interim City Administrator. Hayward promoted Olson to Assistant City Administrator, and Fountain was named Chief Operations Officer, all before the FY 2015 budget was approved.

With Barker, Olson and Fountain as his leadership team, Mayor Hayward again reorganized the Mayor's Office. The FY 2016 budget proposal had Olson as the City Administrator. Vernon Stewart was the new public information officer, freeing up Fountain to focus on her COO role.

Community Outreach Administrator LuTimothy May was still listed in the budget.

McLellan had been promoted and transferred to the airport. Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson was demoted and transferred to Planning Services. Latasha Buchanan was shown as the Constituent Services Administrator with Casey Kelley as her assistant. Mayor Hayward added a new position, Executive Aide to the Mayor, which was filled by Zachary Michael.

Then everything fell apart. Kelley resigned in June just as the budget proposal was being delivered to the city council. May was dismissed on July 6, 2015. The next month Fountain resigned.

For the third time in three years, the mayor reorganized his office. CFO Barker was paid an additional 10 percent to oversee the port, airport and gas utility. Hayward hired Keith Wilkins as his Assistant City Administrator.

Former City Attorney Rusty Wells was named Special Assistant to the City Administrator.

Turnover "infected" other city positions.

Four individuals have handled his communications: Travis Peterson, Derek Cosson, Tamara Fountain and Vernon Stewart. The mayor created the public records coordinator position in August 2013. The position has been held by three people—Jane Ballard, Maxwell Branham, and Matthew Shaud. The Executive Aide to the Mayor was established last year and has turned over once already.

Few organizations can survive such turnover in its top leadership team. Inweekly made several attempts to interview Mayor Hayward about the turnover in his office. He did not return the phone calls.

Turnover is expensive. Hayward gave Castille and Fountain hefty severance payouts that totaled more than $100,000. Rita Lee, Lutimothy May, and Jane Ballard were also given severance checks for much lesser amounts. Mayor Hayward settled a lawsuit with Bill Reynolds by agreeing to pay out $95,571 to his former administrator and his attorney.

However, the cost to the Pensacola taxpayers is more than severance packages. Kristine Rushing, COO of Beck Partners, told Inweekly that several studies had been done on the costs to replace a current position and recruit new talent.

She said, "For an $8-an-hour employee, the cost is roughly $5,500. With our entry-level positions here in our organization, our cost, at a minimum, is about $10,000-$12,000. For our higher level positions, it can definitely double, if not triple that."

When asked what does think when she sees a lot of turnover in an organization, Rushing said, "One is the thought process behind bringing on the employees. Does the employee know what their expectations are moving into that position?"

When appearing on News Talk 1370 WCOA's "Pensacola Speaks" in early August, Quint Studer talked about how he has helped health care systems around the country reduce turnover. He said it starts with leadership.

"This sounds crazy, but people always try to get you to fix a symptom," he said. "Years ago, a huge company out west brought me in to talk about problem employees and turnover. I told the top 17 executives in a room, ‘I'm willing to do it, but we won't talk about anybody that's not in this room. If you've got a challenge out there, it's because you've got a challenge in here.'"

Studer explained, "When you have a lot of turnover, the first thing you look at is when are people leaving? What areas are they leaving from? Are they leaving early, are they leaving after a set time? Then you look at what leadership changes were there. Were they getting feedback? There are various areas they look at, but you always have to look at leadership because it always starts at the top."

Inweekly spoke with several former employees who worked in the Mayor's Office.

Rita Lee started as an Executive Assistant to the Mayor in February 2011. She had worked her entire career in law and government, and her starting salary was $54,995. Lee handled special projects for Mayor Hayward. In April 2013, she was promoted to Executive Administrator and her salary was increased to $70,012.

Lee suddenly resigned four months later.

"I had many reasons for leaving. The restructuring was being done, and it was never discussed with me," she told Inweekinweekly.net

ly. "It was dysfunctional. A lot of different things were going on, but that was the icing on the cake."

She said turnover made the Mayor's Office ineffective. The office wasn't run professionally.

Lee said, "To me, he had very qualified individuals in the beginning. Maybe there was a lack of leadership. I don't know. Maybe he was influenced by people outside the office. It's just a loss."

Casey Kelley, Executive Assistant to the Mayor and later Constituent Services assistant, said the Mayor's Office was "pretty disorganized" and run poorly.

"I've never worked like that before or since," Kelley told Inweekly. "You kind of wondered when the next big thing was going to happen. It was not a great feeling."

Other employees, who asked to not be quoted, confirmed the office was in constant turmoil with executive assistants not knowing what their job functions would be from day to day or who was going to be let go next.

Kelley said she met with Hayward every day. "He doesn't have the skills to manage people," she said. "He relied on other people to do the leadership."

Her advice to others: "Definitely don't work in the Mayor's Office, ever." {in}

MAYOR’S OFFICE ORGANIZATION CHARTS FY 2012 (Oct. 1, 2011-Sept. 30, 2012) *Mayor Hayward’s first budget Total Positions: 11 Personal Services Actual: $611,661 Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Bill Reynolds Chief of Staff John Asmar Chief Of Economic Opportunities & Sustainability Clark Merritt Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson Executive Assistants (6)

Communications Administrator Tamara Fountain (*promoted) Communications Assistant Rebecca McLellan (transferred) Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson (transferred) Community Outreach Administrator LuTimothy May Initiatives Coordinator Eric Olson (*promoted) Executive Assistants (2) – City used Landrum, $124,591

FY 2013 (Oct. 1, 2012-Sept. 30, 2013) Total Positions: 11 Personal Services Actual: $929,600

FY 2016 (Oct. 1, 2015-Sept. 30, 2016) Total Positions: 8 Personal Services Budget: $987,700

Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Bill Reynolds (*dismissed) Chief of Staff John Asmar (resigned) Communications Administrator Tamara Fountain Chief Of Economic Opportunities & Sustainability Clark Merritt (transferred) Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson Diversity Officer LuTimothy May Executive Assistants (4)

Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Eric Olson Chief Operations Officer Tamara Fountain (*resigned) Public Information Officer Vernon Stewart Community Outreach Administrator LuTimothy May (*dismissed) Constituent Services Administrator Latasha Buchanan Constituent Services Assistant Casey Kelley (*resigned) Executive Aide to the Mayor Zachary Michael (resigned) Executive Assistants (0) –Landrum, budget $150,000

FY 2014 (Oct. 1, 2013-Sept. 30, 2014) Total Positions: 9 Personal Services Actual: $1,016,487 Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Colleen Castille (*dismissed) Executive Administrator Rita Lee (*resigned) Communications Administrator Tamara Fountain Press Secretary Derek Cosson (*transferred) Chief Of Neighborhoods Helen Gibson Community Outreach Administrator LuTimothy May Executive Assistants (2) – City used Landrum, $81,076

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FY 2015 (Oct. 1, 2014-Sept. 30, 2015) Total Positions: 9 Personal Services Actual: $1,115,718

Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Eric Olson Special Assistant to City Administrator Rusty Wells Assistant City Administrator Keith Wilkins Public Information Officer Vernon Stewart Constituent Services Administrator Latasha Buchanan Constituent Services Assistant Laurie Byrne Executive Aide to the Mayor Ben Ouellette Executive Assistants (0) –Landrum, budget $120,900

Mayor Ashton Hayward City Administrator Dick Barker (*interim)

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7

EVAN MCMULLIN: WHITE HOUSE LONGSHOT

Evan McMullin / Courtesy Photo

By Rick Outzen The conservative wing of the Republican Party isn't necessarily ready to hand over the reins of its party to Donald Trump. On Aug. 10 in Salt Lake City, Evan McMullin, a former congressional staffer and CIA operative, announced his candidacy for the presidency.

The "Never Trump" movement finally had a candidate that could possibly block Trump or the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, for getting the necessary 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. The next president would then be decided by the House of Representatives and could put the election in the hands of conservative Republicans.

McMullin appeared on News Talk 1370's "Pensacola Speaks" last week, and discussed his campaign and why he got into the race.

"I'm a conservative Independent, and I am in the race to present a better option for the American people," he said. "Our two major party candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, the polls show it, are the most disliked and distrusted major party candidates that we've had in quite some time. Americans are ready for another choice."

He talked about his national security experience and having spent over 10 years in the Central Intelligence Agency, most of it undercover in counterterrorism operations. After his service, he earned a MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2011 and went to work for Goldman Sachs.

After volunteering for the Mitt Romney company, McMullin became a senior adviser on national security issues for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and later the chief policy director of the House Republican Conference. He resigned his House post to run for president.

"My message is that I believe we need a new generation of leadership in this country, leadership that puts the interest of the American people first," said McMullin. "We need leaders who are experienced enough to help us confront challenges in the areas of national security, our economy, and reforming the government. I'm prepared to do all three."

Establishment Republicans have figured out how billionaire Donald Trump won their party's nomination with little party credentials.

McMullin blames the revolt in the party on the divided nation that he believes President Barack Obama has created. The Republican Party also became fractured.

"A segment of the Republican base really wanted something new and different, and Donald Trump offered them that," said McMullin.

"They were still in the minority in terms of their support for Trump, but everybody else was so fractured among so many other Republican candidates in the primaries," he said, "that in the end, Trump was able to garner enough support and momentum to make it through the primaries more successfully, and ultimately winning the nomination."

McMullin believes the majority of the voters don't want Trump or Clinton to be president.

"Donald Trump is still widely unpopular," he said. "He still has the least amount of support from Republicans, his own party, than any other nominee on the Republican side that I can remember."

He continued, "Both of these candidates, Clinton and Trump, are wholly unacceptable to the American people, and we've got to have a better option. That's what I hope to present to the American people."

One of the biggest challenges for McMullin is to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states. On Sept. 7, his campaign announced that his name would appear on the presidential ballot in South Carolina, making it the ninth state where McMullin has gained ballot access in the four weeks since he announced his candidacy.

In addition to South Carolina, he has secured access in Utah, Iowa, Colorado, Louisiana, Arkansas, Idaho, Virginia, and Minnesota.

In South Carolina, McMullin is the nominee of the Independence Party of South Carolina.

When announcing his support for McMullin, Wayne Griffin, chair of the South Carolina Independence Party, said, "When Evan McMullin and his team reached out to us to offer an alternative to the rabid intol-

erance of Trump and the privileged insider trading of Clinton, I felt it was a good choice."

On "Pensacola Speaks," McMullin said his campaign is working to get on the ballots in other states, including Florida.

"We are also registering as a write-in candidate in others. We're going to have good news going forward in the days ahead, as well.

We're moving quickly," he said.

"The bottom line is that almost every American, if not every American, will be able to cast a vote for me on Nov. 8, if they so choose, either by checking a box on a ballot or by writing in my name," said McMullin. "We will be broadly available on November 8, for people to vote."

Florida is an important state for his campaign and anyone wanting to win the 2016 presidential election.

"Obviously, it's one of the two most important, if not the most important state, in the election," he said. "Floridians understand that and are very engaged, and are even more engaged in this election, given the Hispanic population, and some of the debates around immigration."

He said, "I come from a national security background. Obviously, we have a strong military presence in Florida, and a strong veterans community in Florida, and a variety of other communities and people that we think our message will resonate with. We're excited about that."

McMullin said his campaign's strategy is to deny both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump a majority of the electoral college.

At that point, the election would go to the House of Representatives, and each state would get a vote.

He said, "That's what we're trying to do, and we think that's an achievable goal."

To learn more about Evan McMullin, visit EvanMcMullin.com. {in}

“Both of these candidates, Clinton and Trump, are wholly unacceptable to the American people, and we've got to have a better option.� Evan McMullin

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inweekly.net

STATE FACES TIGHTER BUDGET

Lawmakers will have to be a bit more frugal with the money of the hard-working taxpayers of Florida during the 2017 Legislative Session. The latest budget forecast shows the state will have a surplus of only $7.5 million during the 2017-18 fiscal year, not much wiggle room considering the state spends roughly $82 billion each year.

According to the projections, the budget gap could open up in 2018-19 fiscal year to $1.3 billion, followed by $1.8 billion in the 2019-20 budget.

The report is based on several assumptions that the Gov. Rick Scott and state lawmakers control. It assumes some increases in spending on areas like education and health care while using a three-year average of tax cuts.

Expect to see a lot of horse-trading in next year's session.

PROFITABLE TO SERVE Since he took

office in January 2011, Mayor Ashton Hayward has appointed four city administrators. Bill Reynolds started work in August 2011. Colleen Castille replaced Reynolds in July 2013. From August 2014-March 2015, Dick Barker served as an interim. Then Eric Olson was named city administrator on March 30, 2015.

Reynolds' contract had several perks.

Taxpayers reimbursed him up to $16,000 for moving expenses. He was immediately credited with 500 hours of PTO (value $31,250). He was given a monthly car allowance of $500. If Mayor Hayward terminated his contract without cause, his severance package was 20 weeks (value $50,000). Unfortunately, Reynolds September 15, 2016

was dismissed for cause and lost his PTO and severance, according to his personnel folder.

Castille, who lived in Tallahassee, was only reimbursed up to $2,500 for moving expenses. She was not credited any PTO hours prior to starting work. Her monthly car allowance was also $500. She had the same severance clause as Reynolds. However, she could only get severance if the mayor terminated her contract after she had served as city administrator for one year.

Castille announced her resignation in mid-August. Dick Barker was immediately made interim administrator, and Eric Olson and Tamara Fountain were promoted to assistant city administrator and chief operations officer respectively. Though she left city hall on Aug. 14, 2014, Mayor Hayward allowed Castille to stay on city payroll until Sept. 3, 2014, so the taxpayers would have to pay her $50,000 severance. While her General Release Agreement has a clause titled "Resignation," it's clear Mayor Hayward terminated her contract: "The employment relationship between EMPLOYEE and EMPLOYER is terminated by EMPLOYER effective September 3, 2014."

Olson got no perks, not even a monthly car allowance. However, he is paid $3,016 more than his predecessors. He has the same severance clause as Reynolds and Castille.

THIRD PARTY CHANGES Presidential

historian Alan Manning discussed thirdparty presidential candidates on News Talk 1370 WCOA's "Pensacola Speaks" last week.

"Most of the time they're trying to play the role of a spoiler," said Manning, who authored the book "Father Lincoln: The Untold Story of Abraham Lincoln and his Boys."

Ralph Nader and Ross Perot were both spoilers.

He said, "Nader certainly wasn't trying to elect Jeb Bush (in 2000), but the data would suggest that that's exactly what happened because Bush won Florida very narrowly, by 537 votes out of almost six million cast."

Manning said the several thousand votes that Nader received were votes that many believe would have gone to the Democratic candidate, Al Gore.

"Without Nader on the ballot, Gore would have carried Florida and his electoral votes, and that would have been enough to give him the election," he said. "That's one case where I think there's strong evidence that Nader flipped the election."

Historians have a mixed view of the impact of Perot on the 1992 presidential election, President George H.W. Bush vs. Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton.

"Ross Perot entered as a third party candidate and ended up getting about 19 percent of the popular vote. He did not win any states," said Manning. "The evidence is a little bit mixed on whether he cost Bush the election. I think most people who examine the data say that Clinton really would have won anyway."

This year, three alternative candidates are garnering attention, Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party, and an independent conservative Evan McMullin. Manning doesn't give their campaigns much hope of being spoilers because they need to win some electoral votes somewhere.

"I suspect that Gary Johnson will get some votes," said Manning. "The Libertarian candidate historically over the last 20 years seems to get between 1-5 or 6 percent of the vote. In this election, Johnson might pull that off, but I certainly don't see him getting any electoral votes."

environmental problems include nuclear contamination from Chernobyl, polluted water, municipal waste management, and oil-related pollutants. The group's activities include volunteering with the Florida of Department of Environmental Protection and touring Perdido Landfill. Through their community presentation on Thursday, the group hopes to interact with locals and to address questions regarding Ukraine.

"Ukraine's Environmental Challenges" will take place at the West Florida Library on N. Spring St. in downtown Pensacola on Sept. 15 from 6-7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

OWNING PYP SURVEY FloridaWest CEO

Scott Luth got good news from the 2016 Quality of Life survey and found areas for improvement. The survey revealed a slight drop, 5 percent, in how voters feel about economic conditions in Escambia County, but they were less concerned about the security and future of their jobs.

Luth said he believed the more positive attitudes about job security are tied to the drop in the unemployment rate over the past eight years. When the study began in 2008, the unemployment rate was double-digits. Today it hovers around 5 percent.

"The more folks we get out there employed and working, and contributing to the economy, it makes a good difference, and makes people feel better," Luth told Inweekly.

Since 2008, the majority of voters have rated the county's success in attracting economic opportunities and job growth as just fair or poor. Eight years, 90 percent of the respondents gave the county a weak rating in those areas. While the percentages dropped to 76 percent in 2016, Luth knows he has an issue.

"The survey shows we need to improve," he said. "While we're hearing that companies are rehiring, and looking for folks, the public still feels like there aren't good opportunities, which means there's a disconnect."

Luth said, "Really what we need to do is focus on how we make sure that we're linking the needs of the companies with the desire of the community wanting to go to work, and find those good opportunities. We're going to be spending a lot of time this coming year to kind of address that issue." {in}

“While we're hearing that companies are rehiring, and looking for folks, the public still feels like there aren't good opportunities, which means there's a disconnect.� Scott Luth

UKRAINE'S ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES Five Ukrainian environmental-

ists will speak in Pensacola on Thursday, Sept 15 about environmental challenges in Ukraine.

The group is visiting the United States on a program sponsored by the U.S. Congress and are hosted locally by The Gulf Coast Citizen Diplomacy Council.

While in the region, the group will explore environmental conservation practices and will discuss challenges and solutions with their American counterparts. Ukraine's

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The #Golden Age" Is Now

by Hana Frenette

A sentimental longing or affection for the past is something everyone experiences from time to time.

Take a look through an old photo album or even a dated text message thread, and you might be tempted to talk of the "good ole' days." Even social media perpetuates nostalgia with its Throw Back Thursdays and Flashback Fridays, giving everyone extra incentive to mull over moments from before—when things were better, happier, or filtered just right.

Chris Staples understands the power of retrospection but is more than happy to live in the present, free from the notion of an unattainable golden age.

Photo by Kyle Johnson September 15, 2016

11

Staples employed the help of fellow Seattle musicians for the recording process and will bring a full band on tour.

Once he began high school, Staples met a football player named Jeremy Griffith in shop class. Griffith played drums and the two started playing together at high school parties. Then, a few years later when he graduated high school, he met a group of guys who had started a band.

"Twothirtyeight actually started without me, but I was sort of writing songs with them, and we played around Fort Walton a ton, and then ended up being a band for several years," Staples said. "I moved to Pensacola, and the band was starting to tour a lot at that point, and then we were signed to Tooth and Nail."

Staples noted in the late 90s when Twothirtyeight was playing in Fort Walton Beach often; the band would use whatever space they could find for a show—old churches, random spaces, American Legions—wherever they could set up.

Staples moved to Pensacola, and the band started playing venues regularly, drawings hundreds of people on occasion.

"Pensacola had East Hill CD Exchange and lots of other places, and it just felt like the right move, just felt like there was more happening, kind of a different scene," Staples said.

Many of Staples' earliest memories of Pensacola shows involve venues still recognizable today—Sluggo's, End of the Line Café and The Handlebar.

"I feel like we played at the Handlebar right before it burnt down the second time," he said. "The layout of the old bar was two separate rooms, with a bar on one side, and the stage on the other. We played there a lot."

Twothirtyeight also played a lot at the previous Sluggo's building on Palafox Street, when they had a second-floor show space.

"We played up there with the Get Up Kids and Hot Water Music. One night Digital Underground—the band that does the Humpty Dance song, was up there after we played a show, and everything was bouncing so much, I thought the floor was going to collapse."

“I feel like if you're feeling stagnant, your mind is going to go back to these other times in the past.” Chris Staples

Chris Staples with Twothirtyeight / Photo by Monica White

PRESENTLY PRESENT

Last month, the panhandle native released his latest full-length record "Golden Age" on Barsuk Records.

The 12-track album features a collection of breezy and beautifully crafted songs about young love, self-reflection, and learning to stop idealizing the past.

"I realized I was holding on to this period of life in my mind and thinking of it as very important, and how useless that thought exercise is," Staples said.

He noted the bad times often seem to fade from focus and the good times become all the clearer.

"Sometimes the way things happened isn't really the way we remember it happening," he said.

On the album's title track "Golden Age," Staples sings: "Do you sometimes wish you could turn back the page? Sit down for a

minute and concentrate, be honest with yourself it wasn't all that great."

"I feel like I'm changing a lot. I feel more grown up than I've ever felt before, but also goofier," he said. "I feel like if you're feeling stagnant, your mind is going to go back to these other times in the past, but now I feel like the more positive things I work on, the more the past fades to the background."

"Golden Age" is his first new record since the re-release of "American Soft" in 2014, and was recorded in Staple's homemade backyard studio.

After weeks of painting and insulating, Staples turned the unused garage next to his Seattle home into his own private recording space.

"One of the things about working or recording music in Seattle is that it's so expensive to have a place to work," he said. "I've never had a proper place in Seattle to work on stuff until now because it's just financially prohibitive."

“Even though I have been working on it since I was a teen and putting music into the world, it's been a slow process getting to this.” Staples

"There are two guys in the band who are millennials, and two who are generation Xers, so it's the old and young." he said.

He also joked that he's the worst player in his own band, after citing the impressive musical degrees from a few of the other members.

"The guys in the band are either classically trained or went to school for a musical degree," he said. "They're a really killer band, just really great."

Staples went on a solo tour after his last album release in 2014 but is no stranger to playing shows with a full band. He started playing in the Pensacola-based indie rock band, Twothirtyeight in 1995, and once the group disbanded in 2003, he went on to front another rock band, Discover America.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Before those bands, the studio albums, and the tours, there was an acoustic guitar and middle school bedroom.

"I started playing guitar when I was about 12," Staples said. "My parents had a classical guitar. I don't even know where it came from or who brought it home. It was just there, and I learned on that."

Staples learned a few pointers from a friend's father, Tim Quigley, at the church, he attended in middle school, and began writing simple songs alone in his room.

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In 2003, the band split on good terms, and Staples decided to take a break from music, but it wasn't long before he found himself working on a side project.

"I was a little burnt out on music.

Then I started recording stuff by myself as Discover America, just like a fun project to experiment with different stuff, and electronic music," he said. "It was really fun, like a weird in between. I feel like I was having an identity crisis I guess."

STAYING CURRENT

Staples had always written and recorded solo music, but never chose to release much of it at any given time until Discover America.

After releasing a couple of albums as Discover America, Staples moved to Seattle in 2005, where he continued to write and release two additional albums and an EP under the moniker.

"There was a period of time as DA, probably a two-year period, where I didn't know what to do, didn't make any music, and didn't know if I wanted to anymore," Staples said.

He took a break from recording and started playing in other Seattle bands as a guitarist. He played in Telekinesis, completing a round of tours with them and Ra Ra Riot before playing guitar for Josh Tillman's (aka Father John Misty) band.

In 2010, Staples returned from a lengthy tour with Telekinesis and wound up in a serious bicycle accident, which left him with a broken hip and an expensive surgery. After the surgery, Staples began walking again, with a cane a first, and recording music under his own name.

"Even though I have been working on it since I was a teen and putting music into the world, it's been a slow process getting to this," he said. "I'm just really thankful. I never thought I would be able to be doing this at this age, and I've had so many friends in music who are in it for a little while and then bow out. I'm pretty excited about music right now."

Staples said he's past the point of both existential questioning and idealizing the past and just wants to enjoy life and music day by day.

"It's just a lot of fun at this point; it's not stressful like it used to be," he said. "That's the real irony of it because I'm busier than I've ever been."

Staples recently held an album release show on a 96-year-old wooden steam ship, the Virginia V, before setting off on a 30-day U.S. tour with fellow singersongwriter Rocky Votolato. They will stop in Pensacola and play Vinyl Music Hall this week.

The tour originally traveled from Orlando to Houston, but Staples worked in a quick stop along the panhandle.

"I just wanted to come back and play Pensacola—‘cause it's my town," he said. {in} September 15, 2016

20 Years of Music Chris Staples Discography 1995-2016

CHRIS STAPLES Studio Albums Panama (2001) Burned and Blistered (2004) Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes (2004) Badlands (2010) American Soft (2014) Golden Age (2016) EPs Faces (2011)

DISCOVER AMERICA Studio Albums Psychology (2005) Future Paths (2010) EPs Discover America/Suffering and the Hideous Thieves Split 7" (2004) Untitled (2007) Songs for Sale (2008)

TWOTHIRTYEIGHT Studio Albums Missing You Dearly (1998) Regulate the Chemicals (2000) Regulate the Chemicals (Re-release, 2002) You Should Be Living (2002) EPs Twothirtyeight/Gileah Split (1995) Twothirtyeight (1996) Tomorrow (1997) Matter Has a Breaking Point (2000) Further Seems Forever / Twothirtyeight Split 7" (2002) Compilations El Libro De Recuerdos (2003)

CHRIS STAPLES

WHAT: Chris Staples with Rocky Votolato, Precubed & Bunch WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21 WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox COST: $10 INFO: chrisstaplesmusic.com or vinlymusichall.com

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 15 - 22

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

All Too Surreal

by Shelby Smithey

"Surrealism was created to break "Dali's life brought most of the media boundaries," Holloway said. "The moveattention onto itself and with the media ment, at its very foundation, wanted to came the art contemporaries' critiques," use the imagination to unlock creativity Holloway said. "He was the conversation and break away from the norm. Dali was at of his time. The media was not only waiting the forefront of the Surrealist movement for his next piece of art but also his next because he didn't just use this unleashed outfit. When anyone is the center of that psyche in the art world, but also in his much attention, critique is not only there, personal life." but also expected."

In addition to painting, Dali's repertoire This period of Dali's life and his exincluded sculpture, film, theatre, photograperiment with commercialization paved phy and fashion. the way for the pop art movement. This "Throughout his entire career Dali had production phase, previously criticized by repeating themes and motifs in his works," art historians as overly commercialized and reactionary, has since become celebrated for its forward-thinking design and influence on pop art and contemporary artists; inspiring artists such as Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Willem de Kooning.

"Dali's personal choices gave a chance to other artists hoping to experiment with a different type of art," Holloway said. "Later in his career he used Holloway said. "While all eyes were on his these symbols and styles to focus on the work, other artists like Warhol and Lichsupernatural. He wanted to show that tenstein were able to experiment with their space, time and religion were able to be own commercialized art and begin the Pop subjective in one's own mind."

Art movement."

In 1989 Dali died at the age of 84, but The more than 50 works on view are his influence on the art world is undeniable. late prints by Dali from the American pub"Dali is a household name, and everylic and private collections, including the one seems to know his story," Holloway PMA Permanent Collection. Supplementsaid. "For Dali, his art was his life. He ing this exhibit will be additional prints by bridged art with commercialization, and icons of Pop Art, further enforcing Dali's although many artists may not be able to influence on art history post-Surrealism.

"Dali spent his early career experiment- completely understand his work, they are able to appreciate the importance of the ing with different styles of art, Impressionlegacy he created." {in} ism, Pointillism, Cubism," Holloway said.

"It wasn't until he was introduced to Surrealism, that Dali found his niche. As the years passed, Dali only became stronger in his interpretation of his own psyche, and each piece became more in-tune to the WHAT: Multiple print suites and single prints dreamlike reality he was living." from the 1940s to 1980s Almost as well-known as WHEN: Now-Jan. 7 his signature-curled mustache, WHERE: Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. his painting "The Persistence of Jefferson St. Memory" is arguably his most COST: $5-$7; Free for PMA members and chilfamous. Painted in 1931, it features dren 3 and under the surrealistic image of melting DETAILS: pensacolamuseum.org pocket watches and has been on

“While all eyes were on his work, other artists like Warhol and Lichtenstein were able to experiment with their own commercialized art and begin the Pop Art movement.� Raven Holloway

Salvador Dali "Love Is Like a Gypsy" / Courtesy of The Dali Museum Few artists evoke as much grandiose and eccentric imagery as Spanish Surrealist painter Salvador Dali. As one of the forefathers of the art movement Surrealism, his work was highly imaginative and often bridged the gap between reality and the subconscious.

Born in 1904, Salvador Dali was one of the most famous and controversial artists of the twentieth century. Prolific for more than sixty years, Dali created countless oil paintings, drawings, sculptures, theatre and fashion designs, jewelry, book illustrations and prints.

September 15, 2016

Later in life, Dali experimented with commercialization in his art. Focusing on prints from this era, "Controversial Lines: Late Prints by Salvador Dali" is currently on display at the Pensacola Museum of Art. PMA Executive Director Raven Holloway said that the works from this exhibit were often criticized in their day for being too commercialized. This exhibition focuses on multiple print suites and single prints by Dali, from the 1940s to 1980s, following the artist's formal affiliation with the Surrealist movement.

CONTROVERSIAL LINES: LATE PRINTS BY SALVADOR DALI

display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York since 1934.

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calendar THURSDAY 9.15

EMERALD COAST BUSINESS LEADERS 7:30-9 a.m. Networking for business leaders. Guests welcome. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WORK ON FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m. Regular meet up of Western Gate Florida Trail Association to work on National Scenic Trail and side trail. Meet at Blackwater River Forestry Center, 11650 Munson Highway. meetup.com/ftawesterngate VETERAN'S MEETING 3-5 p.m. Free. Group focusing on veteran services. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com TOASTS OF THE COASTS 5:30 p.m. South of the Equator, featuring Felipe Villaveces. $65 per person. The Fish House, 600 Barracks St. fishhousepensacola.com HEALTHY SOUTHERN COOKING 6-8 p.m. $30.

Pensacola Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. cookingschoolsofamerica.com/pensacolacooks INTRO TO ESSENTIAL OILS 6-7 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. Ballroom, Swing, and Country. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com PENSACOLA COIN CLUB MEETING 6:30 p.m.

Door prizes and raffle coins. Sonny's Barbeque, 630 N. Navy Blvd.

TIME STANDS STILL 7:30 p.m. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

FRIDAY 9.16

PILATES MAT WITH EMILY 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org WINE TASTING 3-6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Cooperative Grocery, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org GALLERY NIGHT 5-9 p.m. Sponsored by The Lewis Bear Company Budweiser. Downtown Pensacola.

WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Out and about in East Hill on Friday night? Stop by City Grocery for their free weekly wine tasting before settling in or heading out for the night. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. HAPPY HOUR COOK OUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com VINYASA YOGA 6-7 p.m. Free Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DATE NIGHT DANCING 6:30-8:30 p.m. Learn the basics of several romantic ballroom and country-dance styles in unique group classes that keep partners together. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com COUPLES COOK: BRAZILIAN FLAVORS 7-9 p.m. $50 per couple. Pensacola Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. cookingschoolsofamerica.com/ pensacolacooks OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Single Fin Cafe, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/SingleFinCafe

MADBALL 7 p.m. $15-$20. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com TIME STANDS STILL 7:30 p.m. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

SATURDAY 9.17

FIELD TRIP TO FORT PICKENS WITH FM WESTON AUDUBON SOCIETY 7:30 a.m. Free.

Meet in outer parking lot of Office Depot, 1155 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. Bring binoculars.

SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road, Pace.

CLEAN UP AT PROJECT GREENSHORES

including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com LEAPS: NEW MOM SUPPORT GROUP 9-10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BIRD WALK WITH FM WESTON AUDUBON SOCIETY 9-11 a.m. Pensacola Visitor Information

Center, Wayside Park,1401 E. Gregory St. COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

"Eat with the Seasons." Palafox Market.

Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY BATHE-IN 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. $7-$10, nail trims are $5. Bring your own towel. Pensacola Humane Society, 5 North

8:45 a.m. All supplies are provided. Meet at the Three Mile Bridge and Bayfront Parkway.

For more information, contact oceanhourfl@ gmail.com or baybluffscleanup@gmail.com.

PALAFOX MARKET

9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques are just a few of the items offered at the weekly Palafox Market. Items originate directly from participating vendors,

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calendar Q St. pensacolahumane.org 'TALES OF THE MYSTICS' 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Presented by folklore researcher Scott Davis. Free and open to the public. West Florida Public Library, Conference room, 239 N. Spring St. BALANCING HORMONES NATURALLY 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BIG GREEN EGG COOKOFF EVENT 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Woerner Landscape & Pet Supply, 1332 Creighton Road. Proceeds benefit Pensacola Humane Society. facebook.com/ WoernerLandscape

ACUPUNCTURE TO RELIEVE STRESS AND MAINTAIN WELLNESS 1:30-3 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Education Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

SAENGER CLASSIC SERIES: GONE WITH THE WIND 7 p.m. $5. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox.

pensacolasaenger.com VELCO PYGMIES 7 p.m. $10-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com TIME STANDS STILL 7:30 p.m. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com DANCE PARTY 8-midnight. Strictly ballroom.

DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com

SUNDAY 9.18

WAKE UP HIKE 7 a.m. Meet at Bay Bluffs

Park, Scenic Highway at Summit Ave., for a brisk one to two-hour walk with brunch to follow at an area restaurant.

RELAX AND RESTORE WITH CHRISTINA SONNIER 2-4 p.m. $20. Breathe Downtown, 505 S.

Adams St.

PIANIST RICHARD CIONCO 2:30-4:30 p.m. $7-

$11. Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd.

TRANSGENDER ALLIANCE 4-6 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Education Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BLUES ON THE BAY 6 p.m. The Blues Angel Music Blues on the Bay season finale, featuring music by Not Quite Fab, has been rescheduled.

Community Maritime Park, 301 W. Main St. FULL MOON MEDITATION 6:15-8:30 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

MONDAY 9.19

GARDEN LUNCH CLASS 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

$25. Pensacola Cooks, 3670 Barrancas Ave. cookingschoolsofamerica.com/pensacolacooks PILATES MAT WITH EMILY 1:30-2:30 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org PSC STUDENT RECITAL 2:30-4:30 p.m. Free.

Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd.

SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 5:30 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Free pasta and drink specials after the run at Fast Eddie's. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com EVER'MAN STORE TOUR 5-6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ECUA GREEN WAVE COMING 6-7 p.m. Strategies to reduce sewer pipe blockages and sanitary sewer overflows. 327 W. Garden St. everman.org September 15, 2016

TUESDAY 9.20

FIELD TRIP TO FT. WALTON WITH FM WESRON AUDUBON SOCIETY 7:30 a.m-12 p.m.

Meet in the outer parking lot of Office Depot, 1155 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. Plan on easy walking. Bring binoculars, water and insect repellant.

WINE DOWN, DOWNTOWN 5-7 p.m. Free.

SoGourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com CREATIVE COOKING AT IMOGENE 6-8 p.m. $40. Imogene Theatre, 6866 Caroline St. cookingschoolsofamerica.com/pensacolacooks FUNKY YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org OPEN MIC WITH AUTHOR KATHERINE CLARK 6:30 p.m. Free. Pensacola Cultural

Center, 400 S. Jefferson St.

DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. Country, Swing,

and Ballroom. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com STRUT YOUR MUTT 6:45 p.m. Join fellow dog walkers for a 45-minute stroll in East Hill. Dogs must be leashed and well behaved. Walkers meet at entrance to Bayview Dog Park at 20th Ave and E. Lloyd St. BANDS ON THE BEACH 7-9 p.m. Category 4.

Gulfside Pavilion, Pensacola Beach. visitpensacolabeach.com MEDITATION /PRANIC HEALING 7:15-8:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org TUNESDAY SOUND CAFE 7:30 p.m. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea and tunes from the baby grand piano. Pensacola Library lobby, 239 North Spring St.

WEDNESDAY 9.21

LUNCH AND LEARN: OODLES OF ZOODLES

11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. $25 per person. SoGourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola. com REIKI FOR PETS ON THE LAWN 5-6 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org TAILGATE COOKING WITH CHEF IRV MILLER

5:30 & 7 p.m. Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. jacksonsrestaurant.com VINO MAGNIFICO 5:30 p.m. $10. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox.

RESTORATIVE YOGA 6-7 p.m. Free.

Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DANCE LESSONS 6:30 p.m. West Coast Swing. Professional partner dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com MEDITATION 7:15-8:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CHRIS STAPLES 7 p.m. $10. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com WIDESPREAD PANIC 8 p.m. $60. Pensacola Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com DANCE PARTY 8-10 p.m. A mix of swing, country, and ballroom music for partner dancing on the best wood dance floor in the area. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com

www.radio freepensacola .com

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calendar arts & culture

≥Receptions & Events

SUITE SOIREE 6 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 15. $200. Fundraiser for PMA. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St.

PILATES AT PMA

5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19. Free with admission to museum. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥Exhibits

TAKE A MOMENT On

view through Sept.

30. Exhibit about precious moments in life. Artel Galley, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org

A JOURNEY FROM FOREST TO CITY On

view through Sept.

30. Turned wood by Ralph Thomas. Artel Galley, 223 S. Palafox.

818 1

artelgallery.org A SERIES OF PHASES

On view through Sept. 30. Works of two artists, Bill Clover and Maria Hoch. Artel Galley, 223 S. Palafox. artelgallery.org

LANGUAGE OF PATTERNS On view

from Aug. 31 to Sept. 25. Mixed media. First City Art Center, 1060 Guillemard St. firstcityart.org.

TRES FEMMES MAGNIFIQUE On

view through Sept.

24. Oil paintings by local artists.

Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. bluemorninggallery. com WORKS BY CRAIG HAWKINS On view

from Aug. 15 to Oct. 7. Paintings by Georgia artist Craig Hawkins. Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd.

LIFE OF MARY PETTY.

On view through Oct. 8. Collection of covers from The New Yorker artist Mart Petty. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson. pensacolamuseum.org

HIGHLIGHTS FROM PERMANENT COLLECTION On view

through Sept. 17. A wide range of modern and contemporary styles from PMA permanent collection. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥Call For Art

IT'S A ZOO IN HERE

Artel Gallery's next show is about exploring the animal kingdom and bringing it to life, from tiny insects to large mammals.

Dorothy Kaufmann, director of the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida

located in Pensacola will be juror of the show. The show is open to all media.

Drop of submissions 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 1 and 1-4 p.m. Oct. 2 at Artel Gallery, located at 223 S. Palafox. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.

FUTURE OF ENERGY ART SHOW

350 Pensacola is seeking entries for an all-media juried exhibition, a component of the Clean Energy Fest, to be held on Saturday, November 5, 2016. A full description of entry procedures, jurors, awards, and more is at: world.350.org/ pensacola/futureof-energy-art-show.

Deadline for entries is Oct. 19. The Future of Energy Art Exhibition will also serve as a kick-off to a series of events including STEAM2017,

an art exhibition and colloquium at the University of West Florida’s TAG Gallery in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

For more information about the Art Exhibition and entries, call 426-4226 or email 350pensacola@gmail.com.

≥Fundraisers

70 FOR $70 AT QUAYSIDE ART GALLERY

Quayside Art Gallery's 143-year-old building needs major repairs. To raise funds to cover this, artists are donating their art for sale with 100 percent of proceeds going to repair the historic building.

These will all be new pieces — jewelry, pottery, and paintings — ranging from traditional to modern conceptual

works, photography and woodwork, all for sale at $70 each.

Don't miss this opportunity to buy valuable original art at an unbelievable low price and, at the same time, help preserve a bit of Pensacola history.

Visit the gallery at 15-17 E. Zarragosa St. quaysidegallery.com

≥Classes & Workshops

ART WORKSHOP WITH DOUG WALTON Learn to

create exciting and expressive work with classes Sept.

12-16. Cost is $275.

Quayside Gallery, 17 E. Zarragossa St. quaysidegallery.com DAY OF THE DEAD ART WORKSHOPS A

series of workshops led by First City Art youth art program instructor, Suzanne Findeisen. Each

week will have a bit of history and stepby-step instruction on how to create art pieces such as wire sculptures, paper mache, mixed media and more.

Classes at $10 and held at First City Art Center, 1060 Guillemard St. Dates are from Oct. 4 through Oct. 29. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

'FOREST LAKE' THREE-DAY ART WORKSHOP Learn

about materials and techniques to create large-scale paintings. Class taught by Karin Gudmundson. Cost is $245 that includes a 24x48-inch canvas. Classes are Oct. 24-26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at

First City Art Center, 1060 Guillemard St. Deposit of $85 due by Oct. 23. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

POTTERY ON THE WHEEL Six-week

workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m., Wednesdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. at First City Art Center, 1060 Guillemard St. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for nonmembers. 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

news of the weird WHAT GOES AROUND, COMES AROUND One of the Islamic State's first reforms in captured territory has been to require adult women to dress devoutly—including the facecovering burka robe, which, in Western democracies famously presents security dilemmas because it hinders identification. Now, after two years of Islamic State occupation in Mosul, Iraq, the security problem has come full circle on ISIS itself. Dispatches from the town reported in September that ISIS has likely banned the burka because it hinders identification of anti-ISIS insurgents who (female and male) wear burkas to sneak up on Islamic State officers.

RECURRING THEMES Barbara Murphy, 64, of Roy, Utah, is the most recent "dead" person battling the federal government to prove she is still alive (but seemingly getting nowhere). She said Social Security Administration bureaucrats, citing protocols, have been tight-lipped about her problem and remedies even though her bank account was frozen; Social Security was dunning her for two years worth of Medicare premiums (since her 2014 "death"); and warning letters had been sent to banks and credit agencies. Nonetheless, Murphy told the Deseret News in August that, all in all, she feels pretty good despite being dead.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR (1) Chris Atkins in Denver is among the most recent judicially ruled "fathers" to owe child support even though DNA tests have proven that another man's semen produced the child. Atkins is in the middle of a contentious divorce/child custody battle in which his estranged wife wants both custody and support payments, and since Atkins did not contest his fatherhood until the child reached age 11, he has lost legal standing. (2) A high school girl and her parents told the Tallahassee (Florida) Democrat in July that they were on the verge of filing a lawsuit demanding that the school district order the Leon High School cheerleader squad to select her (even though she had fallen twice during tryouts).

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Boyd Wiley, 47, was arrested in August when he walked into the Putnam County (Florida) Sheriff's Office and, apparently in all seriousness, demanded that deputies return the 91 marijuana plants they had unearthed from a vacant lot in the town of Interlachen several days earlier. (Until that moment, deputies did not know whose plants they were.) Wiley was told that growing marijuana is illegal in Florida and was arrested.

SUPER-SIZE ME Texan Monica Riley, age 27 and weighing 700 pounds, is the most recent "super-sized" woman to claim happiness in exhibiting herself semi-nude for "fans" (she claims 20,000) who watch online as morbidly obese people eat. She

by Chuck Shepherd

told the celebrity news site Barcroft Media in September that her 8,000 calories a day puts her on track to weigh 1,000 pounds soon, and that her loving boyfriend, Sid, 25 and a "feeder," is turned on by helping her.

Sid, for instance, feeds Monica her special 3,500-calorie "shake"— through a funnel—and supposedly will eagerly become her caretaker when she eats herself into total immobility. ("Safe For Work" website: SSBBW Magazine) NO LONGER WEIRD Another DIY Overkill: Police in Centralia, Washington, arrested a man (not identified in news reports) for reckless burning in August when, trying to rid his apartment of roaches, he declined ordinary aerosol bug spray in favor of making a homemade flamethrower (the aerosol spray fired up by a lighter). He fled the apartment when he realized he might have taken things too far. (Firefighters were called, but the damage was minimal.)

[The Oregonian, 8-8-2016] http://www. oregonlive.com/trending/2016/08/washington_man_arre sted_for_go.html UPDATES Roy Pearson, a former District of Columbia administrative law judge, may be the only person in America who believes that his 2005 $54 million unsuccessful lawsuit against his dry cleaners was not frivolous—and he has still not come to the end of his legal odyssey. In June 2016, a D.C. Bar disciplinary committee recommended that Pearson be placed on probation for two years because of ethics violations, including having made statements "unsupported" by facts when defending his contention that the cleaners' "satisfaction guaranteed" warranty made it liable for various negative occurrences in Pearson's life following the loss of a pair of pants at the store. Not surprisingly, Pearson, now 65, announced that he would challenge the committee recommendation.

A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (NOVEMBER 2012) Former Arkansas state legislator Charlie Fuqua is running again (in 2012) after a 14-year absence from elective office. In the interim, reported the Arkansas Times, he wrote a book, "God's Law: The Only Political Solution," reminding Christians that they could put their rebellious children to death as long as proper procedure (from Deuteronomy 21:18-21) was followed. "Even though this (procedure) would rarely be used," Fuqua wrote, "if it were the law of the land ... it would be a tremendous incentive for children to give proper respect to their parents." (Fuqua failed to gain his party's nomination.)

From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2015 Chuck Shepherd

Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to newsoftheweird.com September 15, 2016

19

FROM MIKE PAPANTONIO

Independent News | September 15, 2016 | inweekly.net