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Independent News | November 29, 2018 | Volume 18 | Number 99

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winners & losers

outtakes

news

I’m going to helicopter this music and make sure it doesn’t fall off the couch.

buzz

music

11, 17

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

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

calendar 12

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

STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE

Presented by

Thank you to our local speakers for taking the time to share their knowledge during the breakout sessions at EntreCon!

Shaun Carpentier President Complete DKI

Mona Amodeo Founder and CEO idgroup

Justin Beck CEO, President Real Estate Beck Partners

H. Miller Caldwell III Director of Business Development, Partner Caldwell & Associates

Richard Fountain Chair, Department of Accounting and Finance - UWF

Thomas Greek Vice President, Learning, Development & Communications Navy Federal Credit Union

Matthew Holt Senior Vice President and Executive Publisher John Wiley & Sons

Wes Hudgens

Heath Owens Owner Village Environmental Services

Daniel Pennington Coach for Speakers Keynote Speaker

Giovana Patitucci Graduate Assistant Center for Entrepreneurship

Dr. Ed Ranelli Director Center for Entrepreneurship

Community Development Representative, Gulf Power

Dottie DeHart President DeHart and Company

William J. Dunaway Attorney Shareholder Clark Partington

Nan Ellin

Briana Knight Owner/Director Disko Lemonade

Basil Kuloba Executive Director INERTIA

Kelly Massey Director Florida SBDC UWF

Tim Shoop President and CEO Digital Boardwalk

Quint Studer Founder Studer Community Institute

Bert Thornton Retired Vice Chairman Emeritus of Waffle House

Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning University of Colorado

Nicole Webb Bodie ...................nwebb@studeri.org Kristie Tobias National Consultant, Coach and Speaker Huron Consulting

Alyssa Townsend Bee Loud, Innisfreeâ€™s Digital Marketing Agency

Brian Wyer Debbie Williams President/CEO Director of Digital Marketing, Gorilla Group Gulf Coast Minority

Chamber of Commerce

Rachael Gillette .........................rgillette@studeri.org Morgan Milbradt ................ mmilbradt@studeri.org The Studer Community Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization

Save the Date: Nov. 13-14, 2019 November 29, 2018

winners & losers

In honor of the Thanksgiving seasonâ€”and because the Winners & Losers division hibernated after feasting on turkeyâ€”we present another all-winners edition of this column.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF THE EMERALD COAST Boeing has awarded the Boys

& Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast a $50,000 grant for BGCEC's STEM Outreach Program to expand its programming in 2019. Emerald Coast STEM Outreach Program broadens science, technology, engineering & math (STEM) programming at its eight club sites in Northwest Florida and brings together community organizations that share a common goal of providing high-quality STEM and technologybased programming during school breaks and summer. Also, BGCEC's STEM programming exposes students to high-tech, 21st-century learning with equipment and curriculum that the public schools cannot offer.

UNITED WAY OF ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Its robust financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned United Way of Escambia County a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America's largest independent charity evaluator. Charity Navigator's 17 metrics focus on governance and ethical practices, as well as measures of openness. These accountability & transparency metrics reveal which charities operate under industry best practices and whether they are open with their donors and stakeholders.

ALLISON HILL Lakeview Center CEO

Allison Hill has been named to the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services Board of Directors. The nonprofit statewide association represents 29 agencies that serve homeless, runaway and troubled youth and their families. Hill began working at Lakeview

in 1999. In 2003, she was appointed chief financial officer. In 2014 she was promoted to chief operating officer, and she became Lakeview's third chief executive officer two years ago. Hill now leads the daily functions of a $295 million, 3,000-employee organization that impacts lives in 14 states and the District of Columbia.

GULF WINDS CREDIT UNION The

credit union donated $25,000 to Feeding the Gulf Coast for the delivery of food and water to the most devastated areas impacted by Hurricane Michael, specifically parts of Bay County. Cathy Pope, president and CEO of Feeding the Gulf Coast, said that the $25,000 donation would provide 125,000 meals through their programs.

MILTON QUALITY BAKERY Bakery

manufacturer and ingredient supplier Dawn Foods announced the winners of its annual Sweetest Bakery in America contest, and Milton Quality Bakery took top honors for Florida. Milton Quality Bakery is a fourth generation family-owned bakery that has been serving Milton and surrounding communities for more than 50 years.

IMS EXPERTSERVICES The New Jersey

Law Journal recognized IMS ExpertServices as the 2018 Best Corporate Investigations Provider. The company was also voted top three in Best Expert Witness Referral Service, Best Expert Witness for Economics, Best Expert Witness for Technology/Computer Forensics and Best End to End Litigation Consulting.

inweekly.net

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

WE'RE IN TRANSITION Escambia County, Pensacola and our school district are in transition. The city of Pensacola has a new mayor and two new council members. Mayor Grover Robinson has named Chris Holley as his city administrator and is looking for a city attorney and possibly several new department heads. With the additions of Ann Hill and Jared Moore, the city council has an opportunity to be cohesive. The Escambia County School Board has two years to figure out the switch from an elected school superintendent to an appointed one. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas has discussed adding two at-large members to the school board and requiring a supermajority to fire a superintendent, so I suspect we will see a lot of maneuvering to somehow protect the status quo. The Escambia County Commission has added a new commissioner, Robert Bender, and has begun the search for a new county administrator to replace Jack Brown, who stepped down in October to care for his ailing wife. Commissioner Lumon May has assumed the chairmanship of the Board of County Commissioners. The last search for a county administrator took nearly two years to complete. We can't afford a protracted battle. All three transitions will set the course for the future of our community. Fortunately, we have "good bones" upon which to build. The renaissance of downtown Pensacola continues to progress as more housing

is built and the retail and commercial businesses expand east and west of Palafox. The Pensacola International Airport has become a real economic catalyst for the region. The Escambia County School District has fantastic teachers who care for their students and want to teach in a safe, supportive environment that rewards effort and ingenuity. The district has a sound financial foundation and the funds to make the district one of the best in the state. Escambia County has begun tackling many of its infrastructure issues and has been more responsive to its citizens than ever before. The commissioners stay in regular contact with their constituents through town halls. The challenge will be how to build on these strengths. Economists are predicting a recession is coming, and credit will tighten. The expansion of ST Engineering at the airport is dependent on additional grants that have yet to materialize. The mayor's office and council must get on the same page. At the school district, the board has been subservient to the superintendent for a decade. Many owe their elections to Thomas. The school board will need to take the reins. The commissioners need to talk less and listen more to each other. Compromise and statesmanship are not bad words. How we transition will be the key to our progress. {in} rick@inweekly.net

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THE CHARTER SCHOOL SHELL GAME

Courtesy Photo

By Duwayne Escobedo Marcus May's greed had no limits. Two 45-foot yachts. Jet ski. Maserati and Triumph cars. Multiple houses for himself and a house for his mother. Exotic trips. Rolex watch and other jewelry. In the end, May, the founder of Newpoint Education Partners charter school, robbed the school districts of Escambia, Bay, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties for a grand total of $5,216,856.15, according to court documents. For his scheme to defraud school systems and support his celebrity-like lifestyle, May was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay back all the money he stole as well as $93,357.73 in court costs. May wore handcuffs and an orange Escambia County Jail jumpsuit and showed no emotion throughout the court proceeding and during his fingerprinting. His Orlando defense attorney, Joseph Flynn, raised no objections. Escambia County Assistant State Attorney Russ Edgar Jr. admonished the 56-year-old May for jilting funds from children and taxpayers. "The education of our young shouldn't be taken away for pure greed," Edgar said in the courtroom. Escambia County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Dannheisser took his comments a step further during the sentencing. The judge blamed both May and public school officials for the unprecedented loss of millions in school funding. A jury had unanimously found May guilty of two counts of racketeering and one count of organized fraud. 66

"He knew the bank guards were asleep, so he walked right into the vault and helped himself to millions," said Judge Dannheisser in a prepared statement. "In fact, if his greed was not so enormous, he might still be getting away with his actions."

ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Inweekly first broke the story in April 2015 when it reported allegations of grade tampering, abuse of students and misuse of state and federal funds at two Newpoint charters schools in Escambia County. Students' lunch money to state grants went missing; even student government fundraising monies mysteriously disappeared. According to its audited financial reports, Newpoint High School's expenses exceeded its revenues by $59,994. It lost $81,223 the previous year. Superintendent Malcolm Thomas had a history of recommending the closure of charter schools that lost money, but he didn't do it with Newpoint. Two days after the Inweekly report, State Attorney Bill Eddins announced an investigation into the Newpoint schools. Thomas agreed to help with the investigation. District officials initially claimed he had only recently heard of the complaints. However, phone message slips, cell phone records and email records from Thomas' executive assistant Cathy Irwin and Vickie Mathis, head of Alternative

Education, showed Thomas and the district knew of the grade tampering as early as May 2014. The school district received more complaints during the winter of 2014. School officials began to check into allegations of grade tampering, harassment, unqualified teachers, safety and an illegal after-school program. However, the district investigator wasn't allowed to question teachers. According to the records given to Inweekly, the district staff was told to shut down the investigation in January and February. In an exclusive interview with Inweekly, Edgar said the landmark Florida racketeering case against a charter school took nearly two years to build and attributed much of the success to auditor David Bryant, director of the school system's Office of Internal Auditing. Bryant first noticed high-priced school items that led them to examine about 160 bank accounts, Edgar said. Bryant also reviewed the Florida Department of Education records, bookkeeping and accounting records, court filings, tax returns and other records. Prosecutors ended up presenting evidence from more than 100 witnesses and dozens of boxes filled with financial records and documents. Edgar said the fraud covered many schemes from kickbacks to excessive markups that commonly appear in racketeering cases. "It's rare to see so many in one case," Edgar said. The final straw for the whistleblower, a Newpoint staff member, came almost a year later in March 2015 when former Florida Gov. Rick Scott awarded Newpoint High and Newpoint Academy checks for $11,392 and $15,861, respectively, for earning an "A" from the state for students' performances on state tests. That's when the whistleblower approached Inweekly and former school board member Jeff Bergosh with a 22-page report of wrongdoing. A month later, the school district canceled the Newpoint school charters, and the action triggered a State Attorney Office investigation. Bergosh accused Thomas of covering up the alleged wrongdoings. In fact, when the former school board member confronted Thomas about Newpoint and told him he would report it to the state attorney, the superintendent screamed, "You are making a mistake! You are wrong!" School district officials have the duty under state law and the contract to review Newpoint and other charter schools' finances, Bergosh pointed out.

"The board didn't know what the heck was going on. There were deliberate efforts to cover the information up. When you steal from students and taxpayers, you deserve to have the book thrown at you." Jeff Bergosh

"We had oversight responsibility," said the now District 1 Escambia County Commissioner. "The board didn't know what the heck was going on. There were deliberate efforts to cover the information up. When you steal from students and taxpayers, you deserve to have the book thrown at you. I love it!" In May 2015, Thomas recommended the school board terminate the charters for Pensacola Newpoint High, Newpoint Academy and Five Flags Academy, Newpoint's elementary school. Newpoint sent a newsletter to parents that called the recommendation a politically-driven action, which was "the culmination of a subversive intent by the district, played out in the press, to shut down these schools based upon allegations that are largely baseless or blatant fabrications." However, the evidence presented to the school board at its May workshop was compelling. Newpoint Pensacola High used the digital Apex Learning system. Though Newpoint had regularly earned A's from the Florida Department of Education, the average Apex point percentage for its Spanish classes was 20 percent, PreCalculus Honors 20 percent and Geometry 15 percent. Three Newpoint students were given diplomas in 2014 even though they did not meet graduation requirements. For the 2015 school year, grade books for Calculus, Chemistry and English had not been established. The school board voted to terminate the Newpoint High and Newpoint Academy charters. Newpoint said it would appeal the decision, but it didn't. Instead, it closed all three schools in early June and stiffed the faculty. The teachers were paid two days and told to apply for unemployment immediately.

MISUSE OF FUNDS

Late June 2015, the Panama City News Herald reported that the Bay County School District's staff found that 80 items purchased with charter school program funds were delivered to Newpoint Schools in Escambia County. Sixty-five computers, tablets and monitors meant for Newpoint Bay ended up in Escambia. Ironically, Escambia County had a warehouse crammed with school supplies that Newpoint could have secured, Edgar said. May's name began to surface more and more as former Newpoint teachers from around the state began to contact Inweekly. A former teacher in Bay County liked the challenge of teaching at a charter school but was quickly dismayed at how his Newpoint school was run. The teacher said that all financial decisions at the Bay County school had to be run through May. He said that several school vendors had ties to May. inweekly.net

Marcus May / Courtesy of Escambia County "My perspective is that charter schools have a terrific opportunity to make a terrific difference for kids that really need this kind of environment," he shared over the phone. "(But) there's nothing that the building has, nothing. Newpoint Education Partners is the business. All the money from the school goes to the business. The school itself has nothing. Everybody's getting paid, and Marcus (May) was sitting on the top of this pyramid." A former teacher from the Tampa area said he saw thousands of dollars monthly from a "snack fund" leave his school in "money bags, all cash." Back in Pensacola, teachers and parents shared that the schools never seemed to have enough of anything. "The teachers did not have enough textbooks in the classroom," said a former Newpoint teacher in Pensacola. "The school was advertised as a technology school, but the internet was down a lot. The phone lines were tied into the internet, so when it went down, we had no phone service to call out, and parents couldn't call the school." Meanwhile, The Tampa Bay Times reported that a Newpoint charter school in St. Petersburg paid $4,300 to equip a classroom with a teacher's desk, two cabinets, three tables and 25 chairs. According to the newspaper, if the items had been purchased from the Pinellas County School District warehouse, they would have cost about a third of that amount. Likewise, a Newpoint charter school in Clearwater bought 26 beanbag chairs—for $99.50 each.

JUSTICE SERVED

In May 2016, an Escambia County Grand Jury indicted Newpoint Education Partners and three of its vendors—School Warehouse, Inc., Red Ignition, LLC, and Epiphany Management, LLC—for grand theft, money laundering and aggravated white collar crime. Newpoint and the vendors were charged with fraudulently billing the local charter schools for hundreds of thousands of dollars of supplies, equipment and services. The state attorney's investigation uncovered that May masterminded this "massive" financial scheme with his co-defendant, Steven Kunkemoeller, who received a 4.5-year sentence to prison. It was May who positioned November 29, 2018

them as Newpoint vendors and used shell companies to sell furniture, uniforms, supplies, technology and services for more than triple the market rate to the 15 Florida charter schools he oversaw. May then laundered the money and kept most of the funds. From 2007 to 2016, Newpoint took in $57 million in public funds, reported court records. May opened the schools on the pretense that he ran successful high-tech, innovative charter schools in Ohio. For example, May charged his Bay County charter school $94,400 for 80 computers, or $1,180 each, when the actual cost was $370 apiece, court records show. During that time, May's net worth ballooned from $200,000 to $8.9 million between 2010 and 2015, records showed. "It was self-dealing, and he did it over and over and over again," Edgar told jurors during the four-week trial. His wrongdoing supported a lavish lifestyle for his family, including his wife, Mary Walker. She divorced him earlier this year and received half of May's ill-gotten possessions under Florida law. He gave money to his daughter, Lauren, to start a small business, Derby and Demure. May even bought a home for his mother. His $355,244 in credit card expenses included jetting to Amsterdam, British Virgin Islands, Brussels, Cancun, China, France, Hong Kong, Iceland, India, Japan, Los Cabos, U.S. Virgin Islands and Italy. Judge Dannheisser called May's ill-gotten gains "breathtaking" and "shocking." The judge wondered why May's wife and other Newpoint officers, such as Carla Lovett, had not been charged. He also questioned whether financial wrongdoing happens at other charter schools in Escambia and across the state since he said there appears to be "zero oversight and zero accountability." "It was clearly a fraudulent enterprise," Judge Dannheisser said. "But districts throughout the state fail to monitor expenditures. It seems the common philosophy is, 'Who cares? It's just taxpayers' money.' It appears clear that if the (Escambia County School District) dedicated 5 percent of its effort up front to provide basic rudimentary checks and balances, none of this was likely to have happened.'"

CHARTER SCHOOL REFORMS NEEDED

Lovett, a Bay County educator for more than 20 years, served on a committee considering Newpoint's application for a charter school in Panama City. While the charter school was still under review, Lovett asked for a job and became Newpoint's vice president. She now oversees the Palm Bay Prep Academy in Panama City after cutting ties with Newpoint. Lovett told Bay County media that Palm Bay Prep Academy would operate with more oversight from its board to alleviate concerns school officials expressed about its previous affiliation with Newpoint, which kept its untrained, unqualified board in the dark. "We are doing fine financially," Lovett said. "The parent company is no longer involved, and so, therefore, the concerns (Bay County School Board members) may have had about any influence (Newpoint) had on finances should be gone." Meanwhile, Flynn, who represented the

Newpoint CEO, said May had been unfairly vilified during the trial. The Orlando attorney submitted several letters to the court that painted an improved image of the Newpoint co-founder. "It shows his character outside the four corners of this courtroom," Flynn said. "He had no criminal history prior to this." Edgar said while the conviction for racketeering charges for the egregious crimes committed by May are a first, they won't be the last by Florida charter schools until the Florida Legislature enacts reforms. For example, he pointed out among other discrepancies, public schools must undergo audits regularly, while charter schools have no real audit. "They have to decide, do you want more freedom and autonomy to make choices with virtually no oversight," Edgar said, adding, "or do you want stricter guidelines? What do you want? It is a structural problem, and it's up to the state of Florida legislature to decide. Otherwise, yes, we will see more problems like this." {in}

LAVISH LIVING Marcus May, founder of Newpoint Education Partners, lived in luxury. He billed his 15 NEP charter schools in Escambia, Bay, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough and Pinellas school districts more than three times the actual cost for supplies, equipment and services. According to court documents, May spent from August 2010 to January 2016 from Hancock Bank: Chase Visa and AmEx $26,387 Marcus May $16,452 Barney's Motorcycle Sales for a Jet Ski $10,000 Loan to Shaun and Jacki Lewis $8,000 Carla Lovett $7,500 Newpoint Enterprises $7,341 Derby and Demure (business owned by daughter, Lauren May) $6,225 Fairlawn Country Club $5,000 Leekca Properties, LLC $5,000 Cash $4,735 Charles Schwab for 2012 IRA contribution $3,000 Toyota Lease Down Payment and Monthly Payment $2,235 Total: $101,875 Marcus and Mary May further used funds deposited to Leekca Properties, LLC as follows: Chase Visa and AmEx (cruises, overseas trips, clothing, household expenses, etc.) $355,244 Marcus May, Mary May and family members $190,963 Chase Mortgage payments $61,920 Utilities, Pool Services and Homeowners Association Fees $52,388 Universal Land Title for Sarasota County purchase $21,578 Total: $682,093 Source: State Attorney Office Affidavit 7

"I appreciate and have been honored and humbled to serve as chairman," said Bergosh. "I've tried to do the very best I can to run efficient meetings, and I look forward to passing this over to a guy who I know will run efficient meetings, 'cause he's always looking at me saying, 'How many more speakers have we got? Let's go.'" As he handed Commissioner May the gavel, he added, "It's been an honor serving with Lumon over the last year, right here side by side. We've been through some things, some stuff we didn't always agree on, some votes we made, but overall, this is a solid guy. I look forward to his chairmanship moving forward, and it's my Robert Bender taking the oath of office / Courtesy of Escambia County honor at this point NEW COUNTY COMMISSION Escamnow to pass the gavel to Lumon May." bia County Commissioners Doug Underhill Commissioner May thanked his family, and Robert Bender were sworn into office friends and the constitutional officers in on Tuesday, Nov. 20. Underhill will be repthe audience for their support. resenting District 2 for a second term. "What I strive to be is a better county, "In every discussion that we have, a county that works together, a county that the citizens are more apprised of what's can understand that we can disagree to going on and what we're doing on their agree, but we all love our community," he behalf," said Underhill in remarks after the said. "Red, yellow, black and white, we're all ceremony. "We will fight, when fighting precious in God's sight." is necessary. We'll work, when working is appropriate, and at the end of the day, we STUDER HEADS TRANSITION Pensacwill continue to do the people's work up on ola Mayor Grover Robinson has asked Blue this dais." Wahoo and Studer Properties co-owner He added, "I can tell you that Escambia Quint Studer to head his transition team. County is in a much better position than "Quint has agreed to do so on a volunjust about any other place in the nation in teer basis," said Robinson. "As many may that it has five men up here who are willing know, Quint has an impressive track record to take on those challenges and are able to of diagnosing, consulting and improving make those hard decisions." large organizations, and that experience Commissioner Bender replaces District will be a significant asset as we begin to lay 4 Commissioner Grover Robinson, who is out the direction of our city." the new Pensacola mayor. He thanked his Robinson has asked Studer and the public wife, family and friends for helping him win to provide input on our strengths and weakthe crowded August primary. nesses as a city. He plans to create several "I think we are on the right path, and I look avenues for residents to give feedback, includto continue that," said Bender. "I look forward ing in-person forums and online. to working with all of you as we go through Under Studer's leadership, the transithese next four years, working on the issues tion team will have 11 other members who for Escambia County. I think we are in a great will lead the examination of critical areas in spot with what we have going on, and we can the community: make great things for Escambia County. Thank you for the opportunity." Crime and Safety—Connie Bookman Commission chair Jeff Bergosh handed Education—Michelle Salzman the gavel over to Commissioner Lumon Neighborhoods—Rev. Isaac Williams May, his successor as chairman. 88

Governance—Kristie Tobias Environment—Christian Wagley Transparency—Sena Maddison Economic Development/Entrepreneurship—Brian Wyer Traffic/Walkability—Drew Buchanan Government Efficiency—David Peaden Finance and Budget—Bruce Vredenburg Legal —Julie Sheppard "These individuals have agreed to serve in a voluntary capacity, and they will work with other citizens as necessary to adequately address each category," said Robinson. "The goal of these committees is to diagnose what is going well in each sector, what needs improvement, how success is currently being measured and to suggest any new measurement tools to evaluate performance in these areas moving forward." He added, "Each committee will return with clear recommendations on how we advance our city in their respective sector. Those recommendations will be provided to the community in a final report." The diagnosis of our strengths and opportunities for improvement with city staff has already begun. Mayor Robinson sent out a survey to 770 city employees to ask for their thoughts about strengths and opportunities as well as advice for him in his new role.

NATIONAL GRIEF STUDY LAUNCHED

Military family members who have experienced the loss of a loved one in a dutyrelated death often describe continued challenges with bereavement long after the death of their loved one. As a result, experts at the Uniformed Services University (USU) have just launched a new study to help bereaved military families. The Stepping Forward in Grief study was launched in August in collaboration with Columbia University's Center for Complicated Grief. The team of researchers was motivated by key findings from USU's National Military Family Bereavement Study (NMFBS), the first sizeable scientific study on the impact of service member death on surviving family members. These findings suggest surviving family members who have experienced the loss of a service member may benefit from help managing their loss and grief with programs that recognize their unique experience as military families. Over the last two years, the researchers have worked to develop new, innovative digital programs focused on loss, grief and wellness to support bereaved military families. The study is now seeking participants to enroll and help test out these programs. Eligible participants may include spouses, ex-spouses, adult partners, children, siblings or parents (biological, step or foster), age 18 or older, of a service member who died on or after Sept. 11,

2001, while serving in the military or as a result of their military services. More info about participating in the study can be found online at steppingforwardstudy.org. The digital programs are referred to as GriefSteps and WellnessSteps. GriefSteps is based on a model of grief therapy used successfully with people with complicated grief and suggests activities specifically designed to help individuals adapt to loss. WellnessSteps provides information and suggests activities designed to foster general health and wellness, including stress management and health maintenance, which have been shown to help reduce distress. In both programs, participants can message a program guide which is available to answer questions and share observations. "As a retired military psychiatrist, I look forward to testing how these digital programs help bereaved military family members with loss, grief and wellness. We are pleased that over 200 have already signed up to participate," said retired Army Col. (Dr.) Stephen J. Cozza, co-principal investigator on the study.

"As a retired military psychiatrist, I look forward to testing how these digital programs help bereaved military family members with loss, grief and wellness." Stephen J. Cozza "Loss and grief are universally recognized as highly challenging life experiences," said M. Katherine Shear, M.D., Marion Kenworthy Professor of Psychiatry at the Columbia University School of Social Work. "We are honored to have the opportunity to share these digital programs with bereaved military families and look forward to working with participants who join our study."

DARRELL GOODEN PARK CENTER

The University of West Florida has announced the new scholarships have been established, and the University Park Center will be renamed in honor of UWF alumnus Darrell Gooden, founder of Gooden Homes, and his wife, Debbie Gooden. Darrell Gooden Park Center is a $7 million, 32,700-square-foot facility located adjacent to Pen Air Field on the UWF Pensacola campus. It serves UWF Intercollegiate Athletics, the UWF Usha Kundu, MD College of Health and the Florida State University College of Medicine's Pensacola Regional Campus. "Darrell and Debbie Gooden's investment in UWF reminds us of the transformative nature that higher education brings to a community," said UWF President Martha Saunders. "We continue to see how inweekly.net

ing the City of Pensacola $56 million in Triumph funds toward the construction of Phase Two of the Pensacola International Airport Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Aviation Campus, known as "Project Titan." The grant is based on the city securing all the funding, $274.5 million, for the project by Dec. 31. In July, Mayor Ashton Hayward's advisor David Penzone told the board that FDOT had already committed $25 million toward Project Titan. He said there was a legislative appropriation of $3 million, and the Governor's Jobs Growth Fund had committed $4 million. However, the other funds that Penzone said the city was gettingâ€”FDOT additional $25 million, Governor's Jobs Growth Fund additional $15 million and the federal government's $17 millionâ€”haven't be locked down. Mayor Robinson has a little over a month to complete the deal. Yikes.

Mayor Grover Robinson / Courtesy Photo Argos are changing the world. We are so thankful to the Goodens for their inspirational legacy." A Pensacola native, Gooden graduated in UWF's undergraduate class of 1973 with a degree in accounting. He contributed his first gift to help start the football program in 2016 and became a Platinum UWF Football Founder. He continued to support UWF Athletics and donated in support of building the new University Park Center. His support of this facility helped create a new locker room and sports performance center for all student-athletes. "I am very fortunate to have attended and earned an accounting degree from one of the top programs in the nation," Gooden said. "I could not have achieved all the success that I have had in the development and home construction business without the knowledge I obtained from the UWF College of Business." In addition to their support of the Darrell Gooden Park Center, the Goodens' gift funds

capital improvements in athletics and establishes a range of scholarships for accounting and other UWF College of Business students as well as athletic scholarships and First Choice Excellence scholarships. "The Goodens' gift will allow us to move forward with initiatives that will benefit our student-athletes and provide scholarships for the future," said Dave Scott, UWF athletic director. "Darrell has been a great friend of the program and has supported intercollegiate athletics in building champions for life."

TOP OF GROVER'S LIST Mayor Grover Robinson said his immediate priority is to secure the remaining funding for the proposed ST Engineering expansion at the Pensacola International Airport and meet the commitments his predecessor made to the Triumph Gulf Coast board of directors last summer. The Triumph board approved award-

PSC'S 2018 HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE Tickets are now on sale for Pensacola State College's 2018 Holiday Experience. Presented by Michael and Jo-Ann Price, the fourth annual Holiday Experience set for Thursday, Dec. 6, offers a glimpse of the college's state-of-theart Warrington campus. The interactive evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with hands-on tours of the Mary Ekdahl Smart Simulation Center and Department of Nursing and Emergency Medical Services facilities followed by stops at the Veterinary Technology Program and the dental clinic. Tickets are $75 each and can be purchased at foundation.pensacolastate.edu. The dress is casually festive for the 2018 Holiday Experience. Throughout the evening, guests will be treated to tapas, holiday beverages and sweet treats. Entertainment is provided by the college's performing arts students and adds cheer to each stop. "The Holiday Experience is your chance to learn about what PSC offers our community," said Jenn Cole, event chairwoman. "Pensacola State students are committed to

bettering their lives. Most stay and work right here in our community. The Holiday Experience is your chance to help students reach their dreams." At 7:15 p.m., a live auction, silent auction and Christmas tree auction of jewelry, artwork, and entertainment and vacation packages will be held in the Harrison Student Center, Building 3600. Attendees will enjoy assorted desserts, coffees and holiday cocktails. Proceeds from the auction will benefit students by supporting scholarships and programs. At 9 p.m., the PSC polar express will transport guests to their vehicles.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR The City of Pen-

sacola Bicycle Advisory Committee will meet at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, in the Whibbs Conference Room, 1st Floor of City Hall, 222 W. Main St. Baptist Health Care will hold a job fair for medical assistants 2-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30, at the Hilton Garden Inn Airport, 1144 Airport Blvd. Multiple job opportunities are available for qualified medical assistants. Interested candidates may visit joinbaptist. org for more information. Celebrate the Christmas season and shop for one-of-a-kind gifts at St. Mary's Episcopal Church annual Winter Arts and Crafts Fair, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. The event will be held at the historic church located at 6849 Oak St. in Milton. Hours are Friday noon-7 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Northwest Florida will host its annual Holiday Open House 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4. Hot chocolate and sweet treats will be provided as well as house tours and the chance to mix and mingle with other supporters, volunteers and staff of the Ronald McDonald House. Weight-loss surgery patients will celebrate their success at the Sacred Heart Surgical Weight Loss Center Annual Bariatric Fashion Show, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the Greenhut Auditorium at Sacred Heart Hospital Pensacola, 5151 N. Ninth Ave. The event is free and open to the public. {in}

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11/20/18 9:48 AM

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 5

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

What’s Next with Jessie Ritter By Savannah Evanoff

summer. People dance and sing along to all the songs, but when the night is over, the title track always leaves the biggest mark. "The hook is 'coffee every morning, whiskey every night,' and the song talks about dependence and coping mechanisms," Ritter said. "I'm amazed at how many people have gone through that period in their life. When everything feels crazy and the only way they can survive is with caffeine and alcohol." The song often resonates with military members.

"I think my favorite moment of the holiday season is the quiet night I spend under the Christmas lights with my guitar." Ritter

Photo by Nathan Zucker The doors have parted for Jessie Ritter. After winning the NASH Next country music competition in October, the Gulf Breeze singer-songwriter has had a few new opportunities. "For the first time, instead of me banging on doors and doing everything I can to get gigs at new places, people are calling me," Ritter said. "I've been asked to participate in several Hurricane Michael relief events. Those have been wonderful because we get to help our neighbors who really need our assistance right now, but also I get to perform at these big community events where I'm seeing more people in an hour than I usually do over a whole night of singing." One of her latest opportunities is a slot in the 30A Songwriters Festival in January—something she has coveted for "quite some time." Headliner Brandi Carlile is one of Ritter's favorite songwriters, she said.

"She has such a unique voice," Ritter said. "To see her is a treat. To have my name on the same list is just a dream come true." It's no surprise the festival was on Ritter's to-do list. The Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival this year was incredible, she said. Ritter performed with Texas singer-songwriter Kensie Coppin at Bamboo Willie's. "We played all our songs about heartbreak and falling in love, and then we started playing the drinking songs and people really got into it," Ritter said. "I stayed at Bamboo Willie's with her all night listening to the other songwriters and learning all the Texas dances. I think that's been my favorite night on Pensacola Beach to date." Ritter doesn't make a habit of singing songs about drinking, but the topic does come up in her latest album "Coffee Every Morning," which she released this past

"For the first time, instead of me banging on doors and doing everything I can to get gigs at new places, people are calling me." Jessie Ritter

November 29, 2018

working on new music, including a particularly timely track. The Missouri native has spent four holidays near the beach. When it's snowing in Missouri, it's probably raining in Florida, she said. "I was in the car driving to a gig last week, and it was just pouring the whole time," Ritter said. "I started writing this song about a girl who plans a beach vacation for Christmas and realizes the weather isn't quite as pretty as she hoped, and there's nothing like being home for the holidays. So, 'I gotta go, where I'll find snow, on Christmas Day.' Florida really does feel like home, but there's nothing like a white Christmas." Ritter looks forward to the prospect of seeing snow fall while visiting family in Missouri during the holidays. She will also visit Nashville this winter to explore music ventures. So, no, Ritter isn't banging on doors anymore. In fact, she looks forward to a holiday moment, sans the noise. "I think my favorite moment of the holiday season is the quiet night I spend under the Christmas lights with my guitar," Ritter said. "A full day with love and laughter and family and then a quiet night to write something new." {in}

"I've been told a few times that this song is what deployment feels like," Ritter said. "Just lonely, a routine that's not your own and these misguided coping strategies. Hopefully, we can all move past that period of life quickly, but it's nice to know you're not the only one who's ever felt that way." Ritter won NASH Next with the original song "Meet Your Mother" which has garnered much fan attention and radio play. The song is about wanting to visit her significant other's hometown in Northwest Florida and his family. Now, he is her husband, and they share a home in Gulf Breeze. Despite the intimacy of her romantic originals, it's one of her cover songs that she's been connected to the longest. Ritter has performed her rendition of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" for 10 years. "It's one of those songs I get requests for every time I play—before people even know it's on the album," Ritter said. "For some reason, people hear my voice, and they want to hear me sing this song… So, I figured we were just meant to be together, me and 'Jolene.' And she got her place WHEN: 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4, and Tueson the album along with all my origiday, Dec. 11 nal songs." WHERE: Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. While Ritter is still amid promotDETAILS: jessieritter.com ing the latest record, she is already

JESSIE RITTER

calendar FREE SOLO SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash

only). Pensacola Cinema Art, Bowden Building, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com FLIGHT NIGHTS 5-7 p.m. $9 for three 3-ounce pours. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com HAPPY HOUR COOKOUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com EVER'MAN COOKS: HEALTHY FRENCH COOKING 6-7:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DATE NIGHT DANCE CLASSES 6:30-8 p.m. $8. Learn several romantic ballroom dance styles in unique group classes. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin JERRY GARCIA BAND COVER BAND 7 p.m. $5-$12. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com CINCO BANDERAS 7 p.m. Free Pensacola Symphony Orchestra performance. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox. TO THIS END OF HEAVEN: A CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SET IN PENSACOLA DURING WWII 7:30 p.m. $15-$25. Rex Theatre, 18 N.

Palafox. shininglightplayers.com

PATTERSON HOOD OF DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS 7:30 p.m. $7-$11, free for PSC students.

Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. pensacolastate.edu/lyceum

Patterson Hood / Photo by Andy Tennillee

THURSDAY 11.29

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Com-

munity Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com PILATES MAT 12:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org LATIN DANCE CLASSES 6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Bachata, Cha Cha and more. Professional dance instruction for all skill levels.

No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine 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 DRIVIN N' CRYIN 7 p.m. $10-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS 7 p.m. $28.50$116. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

FRIDAY 11.30

ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 10 a.m. Pensacola

Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS VS. BIRMINGHAM BULLS 7:35 p.m. Pensacola Bay Center, 201

E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com PUBLIC SKATE 10 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

SATURDAY 12.1

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 COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.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. OCEAN HOUR CLEAN-UPS 9-10 a.m. Two sites. Main cleanup from the south end of Bob Sikes Bridge toward Quietwater Beach (Meet at Grand Marlin entrance to Pensacola Beach). Naval Live Oaks visitor center at Gulf Islands National Seashore, 1801 Gulf Breeze Parkway. oceanhourfl.com COMPUTER BASICS Noon. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com ALYSSA'S FIVE AND DIME WEEKEND 9 a.m.6 p.m. Alyssa's, 4586 Chumuckla Highway. shopalyssas.com PENSACOLA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RUNWAY RUN 5K 10 a.m. $25-$45 to reg-

ister. 2430 Airport Blvd. northwestflorida. uso.org GLITZ & GLAM: THE OPERA FASHION SHOW

10 a.m.-1 p.m. $50-$60. Skopelos at New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. pensacolaopera.com

WILD LEMON WINTER VIBES MARKET

12-5 p.m. Wild Lemon, 3000 N 12th Ave. beawildlemon.com FREE SOLO SCREENING 1 p.m. $5 (cash only). Pensacola Cinema Art, Bowden Building, 120 Church St. pensacolacinemaart.com 10TH ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSE CLASS

1-3 p.m. Two-day event. $60 for two. Pensacola Cooks Kitchen, 3660 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com BIKE PENSACOLA SLOW RIDE 2:30-4:30 p.m. The Happy Art Tour, 401 N. Baylen St. facebook.com/bikepensacola TO THIS END OF HEAVEN: A CHRISTMAS MUSICAL SET IN PENSACOLA DURING WWII

3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. $15-$25. Rex Theatre, 18 N. Palafox. shininglightplayers.com 'POLAR EXPRESS' PAJAMA PARTY 3 p.m. Through Dec. 23. $7 per person. Infants one and under are free. Children receive free hot chocolate and cookie from refreshment counter. National Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S. Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org WINTERFEST POLAR EXPRESS MINI TOUR 5 p.m. Through Dec. 24. Downtown Pensacola. pensacolawinterfest.org

PENSACOLA JUNIOR ACADEMY CHRISTMAS PROGRAM 5:30 p.m. University Parkway

EATS, DRINKS & SMILES BIG ASS SMILES @THEMAGNOLIAEPH NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS 212 1

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calendar Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 8751 University Parkway, followed by the Europeanstyle Christmas market at 6 p.m. LIGHTED BOAT PARADE 6:30 p.m. Boats set sail from Sabine Marina and make their way around Santa Rosa Sound. pensacolabeachchamber.com SAMANTHA FISH 7 p.m. $10-$18. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com HANDEL'S 'MESSIAH' 7:30 p.m. $30-$35. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. choralsocietyofpensacola.org IMPROVABLE CAUSE 10:30 p.m. $11. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

SUNDAY 12.2

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. BRUNCH WITH LIVE MUSIC 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook. com/cafesinglefin ALYSSA'S FIVE AND DIME WEEKEND 10 a.m.6 p.m. Alyssa's, 4586 Chumuckla Highway. shopalyssas.com TRANSMISSION GROUP WORLD SERVICE MEDITATION 10:30 a.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org 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 percent off with local ID. H20 Hilton, 12 Via de Luna Drive. facebook.com/hiltonpensacolabeach WSRE MASTERPIECE HOLIDAY TEA 1-3 p.m. $50. Screening of "Victoria" starts at 3 p.m. and is free. Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd. wsre.org/events/ masterpiece-holiday-tea YAPPY HOUR AT PERFECT PLAIN 2 p.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco SURFING SANTA PARADE 2 p.m. Parade starts from Avenida 10 and will make its way down Via de Luna toward Casino Beach and end at the Gulfside Pavilion, where kids will be able to meet and greet with Santa until 3 p.m. FAMILY FRIENDLY IMPROV CLASS 2:30 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com 'POLAR EXPRESS' PAJAMA PARTY 3 p.m. Through Dec. 23. $7 per person. Infants one and under are free. Children receive free hot chocolate and cookie from refreshment counter. National Naval Aviation Museum, 1878 S. Blue Angel Parkway. navalaviationmuseum.org SWING DANCE CLASSES 4-7 p.m. $10. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox.

MONDAY 12.3

RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch LiNovember 29, 2018

brary, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com

CAT'S SEED TO TABLE COOKING 11 a.m.-1

p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 5:30 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com HIP-HOP & CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASSES 8-9 p.m. $5. Learn amazing moves from

professional instructors. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com

TUESDAY 12.4

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org PILATES ON PALAFOX WITH WILD LEMON

4:30 p.m. Cowork Annex, 13 S. Palafox. beawildlemon.com COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com COUNTRY DANCE CLASSES 6:30 p.m. $10. Country two-step, East Coast swing, competition choreography and more. No partner required. World championship dance instruction for all skill levels. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com OVER-50 BALLROOM DANCE CLUB 7-9:30 p.m. $5-$10. Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Center, 913 S. I St. Dressy attire (no jeans).

WEDNESDAY 12.5

UWF DEPT. OF MUSIC PRESENTS 'CELEBRATE THE SEASON' Noon. Old Christ Church in

Historic Pensacola at 405 South Adams St. uwf.edu ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP Noon. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com PILATES ON PALAFOX WITH WILD LEMON

Noon. Cowork Annex, 13 S. Palafox. beawildlemon.com ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com WATERBOYZ SLOW SKATE 6-7 p.m. Every Wednesday. Skate starts and ends at Waterboyz, 380 N. 9th Ave. waterboyz.com YOGA FLOW 6-7 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org SWING DANCE CLASSES AND PARTY 6:3010 p.m. $10 lesson, $5 party. Professional West Coast swing instruction for all levels followed by fun and friendly social dancing on the best wood dance floor in the area. No partner required. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com MEDITATION 7:15-8:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org FREE DANCE LESSONS 8-8:30 p.m. Free. Beginner West Coast swing dance lesson. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola S. Blvd. dancecraftfl.com 13

calendar Arts & Culture

≥Events

PMA GALLERY TOURS 2:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and Thursdays. Free with museum admission. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

DOCUFLORIDA II RECEPTION 5-7 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 1. T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org

≥Current Exhibits ART AMONG FRIENDS On view

through Nov. 12. The Wr ELEMENTAL On view through Nov. 29. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

414 1

SPOTLIGHT ON ART: OFF THE WALL Works

THE BEYOND On

IN FOCUS: THE GERALD SWETSKY COLLECTION On view

On view through May 17. T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org

from various local artists. Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. bluemorninggallery. com

through Dec. 4. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org WOMEN OF FIRE On view through Dec. 7. Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. pensacolastate.org FURY ON FOUR WHEELS: ART FROM TIM ALLMAN On

view through Dec. 17. Open Books, 1040 N. Guillemard St. facebook.com/openbooksbookstore STONE'S THROW: ON BORDERS, BOUNDARIES, AND

view through Jan. 11. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

DOCUFLORIDA II

PUNKSACOLA: REFLECTIONS OF A SUBCULTURE On

view through July 2019. T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org

COTTON FIELDS TO CONGRESS: THE LIFE AND CAREER OF EARL HUTTO On

view at the T.T. Wentworth, 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

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 Mon-

day from 6-8:30 p.m. at First City Art Center. Classes are $40. For more

Pensacola Museum of Art / Courtesy Photo information, visit firstcityart.org. CLAY HAND BUILDING Six-week

workshops are held Tuesdays from 6-9 p.m. and Thursday from 9 a.m.-noon at

First City Art Center. Cost is $157.25 for members and $185 for non-members. For more information, visit firstcityart.org. CLAY SCULPTURE

Six-week workshops

held Saturdays from 9 a.m.-noon at First City Art Center. Cost is $157.25 for mem-

bers and $185 for non-members. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

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November 29, 2018

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music

By Savannah Evanoff

When Wrong is Right an unexpected source—having children. Slug has four. "I've been surrounded by death my whole life—we all have," Slug said. "People die and we're sad. We go, 'I miss her. I miss this. I miss the dog.' Our relationship with death tends to be this fear of the loss. When I started having more kids and thinking about all these things, I was like, 'I'm not afraid of losing my life. I'm afraid of somebody else losing my life.'" "There's a consciousness I have now about my actions that I didn't use to have." His new perspective unraveled in his lyrics. His words weren't weapons to hurt people he cared about—not anymore. It wasn't "complain-y." It wasn't so insular. "If I'm going to talk about some negative shit, I want to make sure I'm showing some sort of resolution in there," Slug said. "I think it's all a part of growing up. I was a late bloomer. I didn't grow up until my late 30s. When I did, I ran to it. I jumped in it like a pool. Then, the music started to show itself."

Photo by Dan Monick Slug has been doing it all wrong. But why stop now? It's worked for him so far. Slug (AKA Sean Daley), half of the Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, credits more of his accomplishments to failure rather than success. "Virgo," the group's first single off of its latest album, "Mi Vida Local," is a prime example of the phenomena. The two didn't know what listeners would make of it. "There's no drums; there's no chorus," Slug said. "For all purposes, it should flop as a rap song. Me and Anthony (Davis), being old and always looking for new ways to make ourselves laugh, we thought, 'OK, there it is. We're going to make it the first single.' What better way to challenge our audience, our record label and ourselves even to recreate that vibe on stage?" Slug digs its unconventional nature. "That might be my favorite song I've made in a long time actually," Slug said. "It checks all the boxes for obvious failure, but it somehow succeeds in the face of that." Slug can't wrap his mind around the conundrum—seemingly a metaphor for their careers. The two have been falling upward, he said, for seven albums (give or take a few). "We follow the rules of rap because we love the culture. We love hip-hop and we love where the shit came from," Slug said. "Other than those couple of pillars, we do it all wrong but still somehow manage to charm the boxer shorts off all the boys." Despite the name, "Virgo" isn't directly about astrology or horoscopes. The name November 29, 2018

came from the manner in which Slug wrote the song. "Me and Anthony are both Virgos, which means we're both anal, controlling and organizational, to a flaw," Slug said. "All of that stuff shows up in the song." After it was written, they couldn't conjure up a title. "We were stuck," Slug said. "But, when you really look at what it's about, which is a snapshot of my insecurities, my grievances, as well as the shit that was on my mind at that moment, and the way I organized those thoughts and meticulously went over it and made sure there wasn't a single word I felt was unnecessary, it made sense to call it 'Virgo.'"

"That might be my favorite song I've made in a long time actually. It checks all the boxes for obvious failure, but it somehow succeeds in the face of that." Slug Their fans have been drawn to the songs released with music videos, Slug said. For this reason, he wishes he could make the whole record a music video—almost. "I'm old and part of me doesn't like to always give away the Easter eggs," Slug said. "I don't always want to show people what a song is about. I want people to figure it out or come up with their own interpretations. I feel like when you give people a visual interpretation, it sometimes

"There is not a topic on this record that doesn't address somebody who's actually literally in my life. It's the most insular album I've ever made." Slug

can actually hurt the relationship they have with the song." Slug has a relationship with his songs, too. "They're not just these things I made to vent or use as some therapy for myself," Slug said. "They live with me forever. I've been As the title suggests, "Mi Vida Local" is touring with some of these for 20 years. My about his city and his people. relationship changes and evolves as well." "There is not a topic on this record that Each song is like a child, and maybe doesn't address somebody who's actually literyou're not supposed to choose favorites, ally in my life," Slug said. "It's the most insular but Slug does. He likes the quiet children, album I've ever made. That was the weird part, chilling in the back. to go, 'OK, now how do I take all this stuff and "When somebody says, 'Hey, I really make it about me again?'" like a song that's on one of the more obSlug's only regret is not Google searching scure releases,' that's the kinda thing that the title first. gets me super excited," Slug said. "Those "When I gave the title to (Davis), he hated are the ones I end up wanting to play." it—and that usually means it's a good title," In addition to playing favorites, Slug is also Slug said. "I thought I really had some clever a "control freak" when it comes to his music. take on it. The problem with old people is we "I'm like a helicopter parent," Slug said. forget to use the mediums of technology at our "I'm going to helicopter this music and fingertips to do the simple reference checks make sure it doesn't fall off the couch." … I guess there's a makeup line called Mi Vida When asked if that was an indication Local. Oh well. What are ya gonna do?" of his parenting style for real children, Slug Slug seems done with death. The final song said, "Fuck yeah!" on the record, "Graffiti," is a beacon of hope. "Mi Vida Local" is one of three albums "I wanted to close with some optimism about death—hopefully the last of them, to push me into what I'm going to write next, he said. what I'm writing now." {in} "When I was making, 'Southsiders,' I didn't even realize how much death was on that record until we were really knee deep in it," Slug said. WHAT: Atmosphere with Dem Atlas, The "Then I was like, 'Holy shit, there's a Lioness and DJ Keezy lot of death on here.' But it wasn't viWHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2 olent death or scary death; it was just WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox the concept of death, the concept of COST: $25-$30 hell, the concept of mortality. DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com The grim subject matter arose from

ATMOSPHERE

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY AWARDS ANNOUNCED The Association of Fundraising Professionals West Florida Chapter announced the recipients of the 2018 National Philanthropy Day awards during its annual luncheon held Nov. 15 at the Pensacola Grand Hotel. •In honor of Jane Kugelman, a special Lifetime Achievement award was presented to her family in recognition for a lifetime of charitable giving and service to our community. •Andrea Rosenbaum was named Outstanding Fundraising Professional, an award designed for an outstanding fundraising professional who practices his or her profession in an exemplary manner. •Tia Robbins was named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser, presented to an individual with a proven track record of ongoing, significant commitment to fundraising for one or more organizations. •Lauren Bonner was named Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, presented to an individual or group of individuals aged 10 to 20 years old who has demonstrated outstanding qualities as an emerging leader(s) with an expectation to continue to have a positive impact on the community. •Robert H. Kahn, Jr. Family Foundation was named Outstanding Charitable Foundation, which recognizes a foundation whose grant programs reflect an understanding of community needs and support for local nonprofits in clear and powerful ways. •Pensacola Bay Area Impact 100 was named Philanthropic Service Organization of the Year, recognizing a community-based organization whose grant programs, donations and charitable activities significantly enrich the community. •Southern Youth Services Association was named Philanthropic Faith-Based Organization of the Year as an organization that gives of itself to motivate and support its members’ service-related efforts. •Kia AutoSport of Pensacola was named Philanthropic Business of the Year, an award that recognizes a corporation for its philanthropic impact in the community through direct and indirect support of charitable projects. •Janice Miller was named Philanthropist of the Year, which recognizes an individual or family for exceptional generosity and civic responsibility demonstrated by significant financial contributions to charitable organizations in the community. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), an international organization comprised of over 30,000 fundraisers in more than 230 chapters from around the world works to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs. The West Florida Chapter is comprised of members primarily from Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties. For additional information on the organization including information on membership, visit the West Florida Chapter website at http://afpwestflorida.afpnet.org.