Jan. 5th Issue

"Football is always better with a little “Sweet Caroline” in the background."

"I ain’t never seen a white boy play like that."

"Varazo doesn’t deal with plastic, but he WILL remember your name!"

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Independent News | January 5, 2012 | Volume 13 | Number 1 | inweekly.net | cover illustration by Samantha Crooke

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publisher & editor Rick Outzen production manager Joani Delezen art director Samantha Crooke administration/ staff writer Jennie McKeon contributing writers Bradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Ashley Hardaway, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Brett Hutchins, Chelsa Jillard, Sarah McCartan, Jeremy Morrison, Kate Peterson, Scott Satterwhite, Chuck Shepherd sales JoAnn Vanfleteren

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winners & losers The Winners & Losers cabal of the North American division of the IN media and entertainment empire watched too many college bowl games and sent in, on a Seville Quarter coaster, this quiz on the events of the last quarter of 2011. Enjoy.

1. What team did Blue Wahoos manager Jim Riggleman manage last year? a) Washington Nationals b) Pensacola Pelicans c) Chicago Cubs d) Carolina Mudcats 2. Which group opposed the latest rate hike proposed by Gulf Power? a) Santa Rosa County Democrats b) Pensacola City Council c) Pensacola Chamber of Commerce d) NAACP local chapter 3. How much was the bonus Mayor Ashton Hayward gave city workers? a) $1.50 b) $1,250 c) $500 d) $750 4. Over 85 percent of white high school students in Escambia County public schools graduate. What is the ratio for African-American students that graduate? a) Nine out of 10 black students b) The same as white students c) Less than two out of three black students d) Half 5. What denomination is Rev. Nathan Monk and his St. Benedict Orthodox Church? a) Roman Catholic b) Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church c) Greek Orthodox d) Latter Day Saints Orthodox Catholic Church 6. Which of these innovative programs did School Superintendent Malcolm

Thomas initiate this school year? a) Making closed school available to local non-profits. b) Converting buses to natural gas fuel. c) Drug testing for sports, band and chess clubs. d) Making classrooms safer for students and teachers.

7. What Florida politician agreed to be drug tested by Comedy Central? a) Gov. Rick Scott b) Attorney General Pam Bondi c) Sen. Greg Evers d) Congressman Jeff Miller 8. Quint and Rishy Studer announced a contest for entrepreneurs and business owners to win a business startup package valued at over $50,000. What is the name of the contest? a) The Second Pledge b) Yahoo Wahoo c) Pensacola Business Challenge d) Home Run Challenge 9. Who was the attorney that Community Redevelopment Agency Chairman Megan Pratt hired and the rest of the board fired? a) Vinny Gambini b) Jack McCoy c) Arnie Becker d) Doug Sale 10. According to the U.S. Census, how many children in Escambia County live in poverty? a) 15 percent b) 28 percent c) 33 percent d) 22 percent 11. What was the name of the sting operation that netted over 70 arrests for illegal drugs and guns? a) Operation Anything for a Buck b) Operation Anything for a Dollar c) Operation Anything for a Coupon d) Deal Chicken

Answers: 1 a), 2 a), 3 d), 4 c), 5 b), 6 c), 7 b), 8 c), 9 d), 10 b), 11 a)

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES Mayor Ashton Hayward was proclaimed by the daily newspaper as its “Person of the Year.” Indeed, Hayward has given the City of Pensacola a new vitality and focus.

The media and public were inundated in 2011 with press releases of his accomplishments and photos of him riding buses, garbage trucks and natural gas cars.

What we didn’t hear from Mayor Hayward was his take on the shooting of Robert Donson by a Pensacola police officer.

Donson was shot during what appears to have been a botched ID check at the crowded Tom Ann Buddy’s. The shooting happened a little over two years after another policeman ran over another young African-American man who was riding his bike a few blocks west of Buddy’s.

Two incidents in the same area tied to the Pensacola Police Department deserve the action of the mayor. The west side of his city is crime-ridden and suffering from generations of discrimination and poverty. It is encircled with clubs like Buddy’s that feed on the poor.

One local who lives a couple of blocks from the bar and package store told me that about everyone in his neighborhood has a relative who has been either shot or killed at or near Buddy’s. Yet, prior city administrations ignored the west side.

Yes, there were studies, consultants and town hall meetings, but nothing was

really done. In 2007, the Pensacola City Council approved a development plan for the area and a Community Redevelopment Agency district. However, since property values never increased, the CRA has no funds.

The west side voted overwhelmingly for the local option tax for capital improvements to the school district.

A new elementary school was to be built on Cervantes to help spur economic development. Instead the district bought the old Gulf Power headquarters on Pace Boulevard and built the Global Learning Academy in a valley next to the “Pace Palace.”

When Hayward was sworn in this time last year, he promised to focus on the west side. He got the city council to approve two community centers for minority areas. He appointed a West Side Advisory Council.

He landscaped A Street.

He did nothing about Buddy’s.

The shooting could have been Hayward’s chance to speak out for the need to redevelop west Pensacola, to increase scrutiny on code enforcement and to revisit the PPD protocols for such shootings. His constituents should have heard from him.

Instead, we heard nothing. An opportunity to lead was lost and the luster of his recent honor was somewhat tarnished. {in} rick@inweekly.net

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January 5, 2012

5

Bullet in the Belly

Robert Donson / photo courtesy of Escambia County Sheriff's Office

Pensacola Police Shoot, Detain Man in Hospital

By Jeremy Morrison

The room squints at the Cervantes Street sunlight sneaking in the doorway on a Friday afternoon. Up at the bar and lining the walls, patrons order another drink to speed them along on their journey toward the weekend.

Tom Ann Buddy’s is a dimly-lit, hopping hole in the wall of a place.

Music throbs from the building, its rhythm setting the tone for bursts of conversation and explosions of laughter. In the back, there’s a couple of card games and a man getting his hair trimmed. Nobody’s up for speaking about what happened here a week ago. They shake off

66

questions like impolite table conversation, or a nightmare they’ve already muscled out of their mind.

“No one wants to talk,” confirms a man outside. “They’re scared.”

Leaning against the wall with a friend, the man identifies himself only as Lee—“there ain’t no last names”—and says everyone inside the bar is too afraid of the police to talk about what happened in the parking lot on Dec. 23.

He says he’s not scared.

“You’re talking to a man that’s been shot six time,” Lee says, lifting up his shirt to reveal a long scar.

Lee says he knows Robert Donson, says they’re good friends— “Robert D.,” the other guy adds—and says he was standing right be-

side him when the 25-year-old man was shot by a Pensacola police officer.

“I didn’t understand they were police,” Lee recounts. “No one knew they were police.”

IS THAT A GUN IN YOUR POCKET?

Robert Donson spent Christmas day in the hospital with a bullet still lodged inside of him. Pensacola Police Officer Shawn Thompson had put it there a couple of days earlier.

According to the police report, a group of several officers arrived at Tom Ann Buddy’s around 5:45 p.m. on Dec. 23. They drove an unmarked vehicle and wore “department issued flashlights, radios, badges, masks, and vests.”

The report states that the vests were labeled with the word ‘POLICE’ on the front and back.

inweekly.net

January 5, 2012

“When I finally saw him on the fourth day, he was chained.”

Towonia Donson immediately stopped fighting with me.”

Thompson then reportedly placed handcuffs on Donson, and Austin retrieved the gun from the wounded man’s coat.

According to the report, the gun was “later found to be fully loaded with a round in the chamber.”

“Many bar patrons began to converge around us. Myself and Detective Thompson then began to yell at them to stay back,” the report states. “As other officers arrived on scene, Detective Thompson and I attempted to determine where Donson had been shot and began to render first aid.

Donson continued to say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’”

As is the standard practice when an officer shoots someone in the line of duty, Thompson has been put on paid leave and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the incident.

“While it’s under investigation, we can’t divulge much,” said Gretl Plessinger, with FDLE. “It can be months.”

This isn’t the first time Thompson has used his weapon on the job. The 31-yearold officer was cleared in a 2009 shooting, after he and a fellow officer fired on a man that was attempting to run them down in the parking lot of a local gentleman’s club. In 2006, the officer and his K-9 were honored after subduing a suspect. Thompson also tackled a man he suspected of an open container violation in 2003, and then attempted to shoot him—after the man hit the officer with the department-issued flashlight—but his gun jammed.

“This has been needed for a long time!” –Dave Murzin

LAID UP AND LOCKED DOWN

Donson was shot and taken to Baptist Hospital on Dec. 23. Police did not allow the man any visitors, including an attorney, until Dec. 27—hours before he was charged with weapons offenses, resisting arrest and assault on a police officer.

“The night-of, we were all there,” said the man’s sister, Towonia Donson, recalling how family members gathered at the hospital.

Towonia said that the family was initially told by hospital staff that they could see her brother. But that changed when he was brought out of surgery.

“Once he was moved the story changed,” Towonia Donson said. “Then the story changed in a matter of minutes.”

A police officer apparently came up to speak with the family members. By then, the story had made the nightly news. The officer spoke with the family in the hospital waiting room.

“At that moment, he spit off all five charges he was being charged with,” Towonia said. “Then he goes on to say, ‘we know everything that happened, but we’re not going to tell you everything.’”

Over the next few days the family received only “ver y vague” reports on Robert Donson’s condition. Towonia Donson went to the hospital with an attorney, but still had a rough go seeing her brother.

Gene Mitchell, who is now representing Donson, said that “the weirdest exercise was just getting to him.”

Chief Simmons said that Donson’s medical needs were the cause of both the attorney and delayed-arrest issues.

“I don’t know exactly what took place,” Simmons said. “But I know he required medical attention for some time and then there’s the Christmas holidays that compound all that.”

Sgt. Doug Baldwin is the police officer who eventually allowed Mitchell and Donson’s sister into the hospital room.

He said that the man had never asked for legal representation.

“It wasn’t that he wasn’t allowed to see an attorney,” Baldwin explained. “He never had an attorney.”

Baldwin said that Donson had medical needs and the issue of having an attorney had yet to arise — “if a person is incapacitated, how can they invoke their attorneyclient privilege?”

Once allowed to see her brother, Towonia Donson had him sign over his power-ofattorney to her.

“When I finally saw him on the fourth day, he was chained,” she said, referring to her brother’s cuffs anchoring him to the hospital bed. cont'd on page 8 ▶

“When will someone step up and run against Thomas?”—Cal Robinson

Y O G A CENTER

from the blog

In the report, Sgt. Austin described how he and Thompson struggled with Donson. He noted that he saw Donson “tearing and pulling at his jacket pocket” and that he yelled out ‘He’s got a gun on him,’ several times. Thompson also apparently lost his footing and fell out of the scuffle at one point, according to the report.

After Austin and Donson had slammed up against a parked car, they continued to struggle. The report states that Thompson then approached with his gun.

“Detective Thompson placed the muzzle of his duty pistol on Donson’s torso and fired one round,” Austin wrote. “Donson

ABHAYA

Once in the parking lot, the report states, officers activated the vehicle’s lights and heard people yelling “Police!” as they got out. Sgt. John Austin, who wrote the report, apparently approached Donson.

“I walked up to the person closest to me, a black male, later identified as Robert Donson, who was standing by the east side entrance,” Austin wrote in the report.

Austin then reports Donson consented to a search, during which the officer felt what he believed to be a gun in the man’s coat pocket. He called out to Thompson, who was on his way into the bar to follow up on fellow officers.

“I told Detective Thompson to ‘hold up’ and said ‘10-15’ which is a ten code for under arrest,” Austin wrote, adding that Thompson then tried to cuff Donson when the man began “violently thrashing about.

Myself and Detective Thompson attempted to take Donson to the ground with negative results.”

This account varies from initial media reports. Both the Pensacola News Journal and WEAR 3 reported that an officer, not in uniform, had gone into the establishment and brought Donson outside where the scuffle and shooting ensued. These accounts were attributed to officers on the scene.

A week after the incident, Lee said he didn’t hear the police identify themselves.

He later noticed that ‘POLICE’ was printed on the men’s backs, but didn’t see anything up front.

“On the back of ‘em,” Lee said of the identifying labels. “They had masks on the front.”

The man said he thinks Donson probably thought he was about to get robbed.

“He’s trying to shake loose thinking he’s gonna rob him,” Lee said, adding that he too believed this to be the case initially.

Both Lee and his friend also contested the fact that Donson had a gun.

“They didn’t find no gun that night,” Lee said, explaining that he never saw officers remove a firearm from Donson. “ — damn right, I think they planted it on him.”

Pensacola Police Chief Chip Simmons deferred to his officer’s report.

“That’s what happened,” Simmons said.

“That is how it took place.”

The report states that the officers— members of a vice and narcotics unit—were conducting operations in an area known to be used for selling illegal drugs. Simmons said the police have received complaints regarding the area—during a Christmas day brawl in 2003, police used a Taser on several patrons at the Cervantes bar.

“We receive complaints about a number of locations, that location being one of them,” he said.

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Rick’s Blog has been quoted in the New York Times, Newsweek and on dozens of websites, including The Daily Beast. Read it to find out the real story behind the news. Visit ricksblog.biz.

7

BULLET IN THE BELLY cont’d ▶

Baldwin remained in the room for the visit. According to Mitchell, during his client’s first arraignment hearing the judge stipulated that Donson be allowed private visits with his attorney.

“It was not until today that the judge granted a private visit,” Towonia Donson said after the Dec. 29 hearing.

Baldwin said that a private meeting had not been allowed because the police were treating the situation as if Donson was in jail.

“Prior to that,” Baldwin said, “because he was actually in our custody, we weren’t allowing any visitors.”

Simmons said that the matter wasn’t an issue, as Donson had been medically preoccupied and law enforcement was not interviewing him.

“We never interviewed him, we never discussed the case,” Simmons said.

Exactly what type of custody Donson was in prior to his arrest is somewhat unclear. While he was shot and taken to the hospital on Dec. 23, he wasn’t charged until four days later.

“I don’t want to get into the particulars of the terminology,” Baldwin said the day of the Donson’s court appearance. “Naturally, yes, he was in our custody, I can tell you that.”

Benjamin Stevenson, staff attorney for the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that the four day detainment prior to arrest concerned him.

“In my mind it raises some questions,” Stevenson said. “That seems highly, highly unusual. A majority of cases are a matter of hours, if not minutes.”

Simmons said that Donson’s medical needs were the reason he was not charged and arrested until four days after his initial detainment.

“It wasn’t until Tuesday that we felt he was in the condition to be charged,” the Chief said. “As you can imagine, he had some serious injuries.”

Mitchell said he didn’t want to comment on the charges Donson faces. Mainly because the attorney had yet to have that private meeting with his client.

While he does have a long list of priors—mostly drug convictions, with a burglary and some resisting arrests—Donson’s criminal record doesn’t appear to involve guns. The police did note on the arrest report, however, that they consider him a “documented gang member.”

On Dec. 29, a county judge set Donson’s bail at $250,000 ($50,000 per count) and sent the recovering shooting victim to the Escambia County Jail to await a Jan. 12 court date.

Towonia Donson is looking to the system for answers. She’s just not sure she trusts that system.

“I want justice,” she said. “Right now, I feel like our justice system—I don’t have a lot of faith in them.” {in}

“I want justice.”

Towonia Donson

buzz

all the political news and gossip fit to print

HOW MANY HOMELESS? The local

homeless population seems to be growing.

Florida has some of the highest numbers of homeless veterans. But how many men, women and children are homeless in the region?

Every year EscaRosa Coalition of the Homeless (ECOH) conducts the “U Count” Point-In-Time Homeless Survey. The group aims to get a handle on the homeless population in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

The survey is also used to determine the needs of the local homeless. This year the count will be from 8 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26 to 8 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 27.

The Coalition is seeking a minimum of 150 volunteers to help with the survey. Volunteers will only serve two to four hour shifts. No experience is required and all volunteers will be trained. Volunteer applications are online at escarosa.wordpress.com or you can contact John Johnson, ECOH executive director at 439-3009.

COMMISSIONERS AT THE RODEO After losing his job following a brief and controversial stint with the Escambia County Equestrian Center, Forrest Gibbs is suing three county commissioners. The officials, he contends, interfered with his job and caused his firing.

While the Escambia County Commission did not fire Gibbs, they did have discussions about whether or not Commissioner Wilson Robertson had overstepped any bounds when pushing for Gibbs to get the job. Following

those discussions, County Administrator Randy Oliver fired Gibbs and restarted the hiring process.

“I think it should be pretty clear for the court system to see what happened,” said Commissioner Grover Robinson.

Robinson, as well as commissioners Kevin White and Marie Young, are named in the lawsuit. Commissioner Gene Valentino was not present when the board took up the matter and is not named in the suit.

Also unnamed in the suit is Commissioner Robertson, a family friend of Gibbs’. While none of the commissioners voted on removing Gibbs, they did discuss such, with Robertson suggesting a redo of the entire process.

Oliver told the board he understood the jest of their conversations and said he would put the position back out on the market—a move that, by definition, required firing Gibbs.

Gibbs is suing for about $15,000. At the same time, he is also on the list of candidates currently in the running for the Equestrian Center position.

“That’s going to be a hard thing for the county to evaluate,” Robinson said of the seeming disconnect.

Assistant County Administrator Larry Newsom sees it differently. The matters are different issues.

“I would say they’re separate,” Newsom said. “Nobody’s black-balled for filing a suit.” {in}

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illustration by Samantha Crooke

By IN Staff feature story January 5, 2012

There are certain things that everybody does around the end of the year—like make resolutions they’ll probably never keep. There are also certain things that just about every publication (print and online) does—like write top ten lists for the past year,

making sure to name-drop every headline maker and huge trend.

We didn’t want to be the only publication not to get in on the year in list action, but we did want to be at least a little creative so we decided to do top eleven instead of top ten. It

was 2011 after all, right? We tried to cover as much as possible—from the national and local headlines that had us talking, to the TV shows we cared enough to watch, to the websites where many of us spent way too much time.

So here it is—our Top 11 of 2011. ▶ 9

National Headlines

A few bad guys got killed, a prince got married and too many Americans remained out of work. Here’s a roundup of the year’s biggest headlines.

3. DON’T ASK-DON’T TELL REPEAL

President Obama finally made good on a campaign promise this year by putting an end to the military’s discriminatory “Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell” policy.

Service members who were dismissed because of the policy were allowed to reenlist if they wanted to do so.

7. CASEY ANTHONY NOT GUILTY The case that transfixed America for three years came to a shocking halt in July and it seemed like just about everybody you talked to had an opinion about the verdict—mostly that it was wrong.

8. NASA LAUNCHES FINAL SPACE SHUTTLE MISSION

NASA launched space shuttle Atlantis on its final flight in July. The sendoff was spectacular and sad. The end of an era, indeed.

9. PENN STATE PEDOPHILE

Jerry Sandusky was arrested for being a pedophile and it appears that certain Penn State officials knew about it and didn’t do

anything, including Joe Paterno. Most of us are still trying to wrap our heads around this one.

10. REPUBLICAN PRIMARY CRAZINESS

From Herman Cain’s alleged discretions and affairs to Michelle Bachman’s anti-gay slurs, the battle for the Republican presidential nomination has been a fun one to watch for sure. And it’s only going to get better in 2012.

11. JAPAN’S TSUNAMI

After an undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami, nearly 16,000 people perished as the nation’s coast was ravaged and facilities at the Fukushima nuclear site began careening toward meltdowns.

4. “END” OF THE WAR IN IRAQ Nearly a decade since invading Iraq under false pretenses, America is pulling out after the country’s government refused to allow the foreign troops to stay. While the soldiers are leaving the private security contractors will remain.

1. OSAMA BIN LADEN KILLED

On May Day, a team of Navy Seals reportedly assassinated the Al Qaeda leader in his Pakistan compound. Less than 24 hours later, bin Laden’s body was said to be dropped at sea.

2. OCCUPY WALL STREET

In mid-September people took to the streets of New York City to protest the widening disparity of wealth and what they view as a corrupt banking system. The movement spread across the country—even making its way to downtown Pensacola.

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5. UNEMPLOYMENT RATE REMAINS TOO HIGH

Despite various policy attempts by the Obama administration and Congress, the national unemployment rate remained close to 10 percent for most of the year.

6. PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON WED

The hearts and hopes of girls around the world broke on Friday, April 29 when Prince William wed Catherine Middleton in Westminster Abbey. An estimated two billion people worldwide tuned in to watch the nuptials on TV.

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Pop Matters

It was a pretty good year for pop culture—Britney Spears kept it together and actually made music instead of tabloid headlines, Kanye West didn’t make any nice-girl singers cry in public and the major networks actually made some new primetime shows that aren’t “reality” based. This is what we think trended most in the worlds of movies, music, TV and books in 2011.

1. FUNNY GIRLS TAKE OVER TV

For the first time in what feels like forever, network TV actually has some decent new sitcoms on the air. And even more surprisingly, most of them feature smart, funny females as leads. “New Girl,” “Two Broke Girls” and “Whitney” are all quickly on their way to securing “must-see TV” status.

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Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs, books written by or about famous people stood out on 2011’s bestseller lists, for sure.

Given that half of the IN staff is currently reading “The Office” actress/comedy writer Mindy Kaling’s “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?,” we predict this trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

2. BOOKS STILL MAKE MONEY AT 5. COUNTRY STARS MAKE GOOD POP STARS AFTER ALL THE BOX OFFICE Everyone who thought that Taylor The kids might not read as much as they used to, but they sure do go to see movies based on books. Again, this year, some of the biggest box office winners were based on novels—like “The Help,” “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 “ and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” And don’t even get us started on “Twilight.”

3. ANOTHER GOOD YEAR FOR INDIE ROCK

Arcade Fire and their Album of the Year Grammy win might have been the biggest indie rock story of the year (heck, maybe even the decade) and it definitely started a trend of small bands getting big attention in 2011. Fleet Foxes’ “Helplessness Blues,” Cut Copy’s “Zonoscope,” The War on Drugs’ “Slave Ambient” and Bon Iver’s self-titled album are all topping most music critic’s lists for the year. Bon Iver is up for four Grammy’s in 2012—maybe the trend will continue.

4. FAMOUS READS

From Tina Fey’s “Bossy Pants” to

January 5, 2012

Swift’s brand of country-star-meets-popstar wasn’t going to last is probably not admitting it now. Not only did she get more famous, sell more records and win more awards in 2011, but she also seems to have paved the way for more country stars to expand outside of Nashville. You can’t deny that Blake Shelton holds his own on “The Voice” and the hit song, “If I Die Young,” by The Band Perry got played out on pop radio just like any Katy Perry or Rhianna hit.

6. THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Does “The Office” work without Steve Carell? And what about “Two And A Half Men” without Charlie Sheen? This was a hot topic debated at most water coolers around the country this year and so far the answer is yes. Ashton Kutcher is actually bringing in bigger ratings as Sheen’s replacement. However, the real test of this trend will come next season with “Glee”–they have to decide how to deal with several main characters graduating, not just one.

     

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7. IT’S OK TO LIKE KANYE WEST AGAIN

Maybe he hit rock bottom with the Taylor Swift awards show mess or maybe he just got tired of being called a jackass by everyone (including the President), but it appears that Mr. West has actually gotten his act together over the past year. Instead of crazy rants on Twitter and egocentric speeches, he just made a lot of good music in 2011—including Watch the Throne with Jay-Z—and earned seven Grammy nominations to boot. Let’s just hope he stays likable for a while.

Publishing” (ryangoslingpublishing.tumblr. com) is one of our office favorites.

9. PENSACOLA THEATERS STILL MISS OUT ON A LOT OF GOOD MOVIES

Every year when awards season rolls around, local movie fans are reminded about just how many good movies we miss here in P’cola. The indie thriller “Martha Marcy May Marlene” and the documentary “Project Nim” are predicted Oscar picks

that haven’t made it to our local theaters.

With the recent closing of Gulf Breeze Cinema 4, we predict even slimmer pickins’ of under-the-radar flicks in 2012.

10. “IT” BRITS ON TV

If you (or, at least, some of your friends) aren’t already obsessed with BBC’s “Downtown Abbey,” you will be soon.

It takes a while sometimes for these kinds of shows to catch on, but trust us, it’s going to happen.

11. REALITY TV HITS NEW LOWS

8. RYAN GOSLING EVERYWHERE

It was hard to escape pretty boy actor Ryan Gosling in 2011. Not only did he snag two Golden Globe nominations (for the drama “Ides of March” and the comedy “Crazy Stupid Love”), but he also has devoted fans that took to the web in protest when he wasn’t selected as “People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.” And he’s very popular with the Tumblr crowd, inspiring countless blogs. “Ryan Gosling Works In

“The Jersey Shore” cast went to Italy and called Europe “that big country.” Kim Kardashian had a four-hour wedding special on E! for a marriage that lasted only 72 days. The year 2011 really was full of new lows for the world of reality TV.

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Local Newsmakers Good, Bad & the Ugly Ashton Hayward isn’t the only newsmaker in Pensacola, even though it sometimes seems that way. Here are some other names that got their fair share of press this past year.

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Peter Rubardt, Music Director with Brian Lewis, Violin

6. STEPHEN JONES

The Navy petty officer from Cantonment who faced discharge for falling asleep in bed with another male sailor claiming he did so while watching the “Vampire Diaries” TV series. The Navy later dropped dismissal proceedings.

featuring the works of Danielpour, Golijov, Barber, BerlioZ, LisZt, & Beethoven

7. JIM MESSER

1. REV. NATHAN MONK

The advocate for the homeless became a web sensation when Pensacola Council President Sam Hall tried to get him removed from the podium during the public forum of a council meeting.

2. REBECCA SMITH

The self-proclaimed vampire woman was arrested after allegedly attacking an elderly man outside of a Hooters restaurant in St. Petersburg, Fla. while claiming to be a vampire.

The former assistant attorney for Escambia County was Mayor Ashton Hayward’s pick to replace City Attorney Rusty Wells. The selection created a split with some of the Pensacola City Council that has yet to heal. Heck, the wound hasn’t even scabbed over.

8. TONY HENDERSON

The chief assistant public defender for the First Judicial Circuit resigned after allegations were published by the daily newspaper that he requested sexual favors in exchange for effective legal services for a former client.

3. NBT3V!L

9. LARRY STRAIN

4. PAM CHILDERS

10. DONALD MOORE

The hacker in May replaced several of the Escambia County School District’s websites with a page that stated “We Love Iran” and images of a skull and crossbones image, along with a drawing of an obscene finger gesture. He/she was never caught.

The City of Pensacola Financial Services Manager filed in August to run against incumbent Ernie Lee Magaha for the Escambia County Clerk of Court. Magaha was probably elected before Childers’ parents were born.

5. DONNIE STALLWORTH

It took three trials and the testimony of one of the getaway drivers to finally convict the Air Force sergeant on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of home invasion in the July 2009 murder of Byrd and Melanie Billings.

January 5, 2012

The executive director of the UWF Small Business Development Center was named Florida Star of the Year by Florida Small Business Development Center Network for his work with the Florida Emergency Bridge Loan Program during the BP oil disaster.

The owner of AES got in trouble when his company bounced payroll checks from its payroll processing company. After he paid off all the debts, the State Attorney declared no crime had been committed.

11. WILLIAM “CADILLAC” BANKS, SR.

The first cousin of Escambia County Commissioner Marie Young’s administrative assistant created a stir when the Tourist Development Council failed to give him $385,685 for a two-day music festival.

13

Notable Departures

Honestly, we lost way more than 11 important people in 2011. But we had to narrow the list down to keep with the theme. R.I.P to those listed and those who are not.

1. STEVE JOBS (B. 1955)

Co-founder of Apple, maker of beautiful machines and a true genius. President Obama summed up his untimely passing best: “Steve was among the greatest of American innovators—brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.”

2. KIM JONG II (B. 1941)

The supreme leader of North Korea from 1994 until his death, and puppet star of “Team America: World Peace.”

3. CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS (B. 1949) British-American author and columnist, and literary critic for “The Atlantic,” “Free Inquiry,” “The Nation,” “Salon,” “Slate,” “ Vanity Fair” and “ World Affairs.”

In 2005 , he was voted the world’s fifthtop public intellectual in a Prospect/Foreign Policy poll.

non-violent interactions on television and it would make people ashamed of themselves. Holbrook said of Shuttlesworth, “I remember that he was the fierce one.”

6. AMY WINEHOUSE (B. 1983)

English singer-songwriter whose album, “Back to Black,” led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night.

4. JOE FRAZIER (B. 1944)

Smokin’ Joe was an Olympic and World Heavyweight boxing champion, whose professional career lasted from 1965 to 1976. His fights with Muhammad Ali were legendary.

5. FRED SHUTTLESWORTH (B. 1922)

Birmingham pastor who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. When actor Hal Holbrook was interviewed by the IN, he talked of Shuttlesworth and his fellow civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He credited King as the intellectual. “Martin Luther King figured out the way to get the Civil Rights Movement on its feet was to show

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inweekly.net

7. BETTY FORD (B. 1918)

The First Lady of the United States during the presidency of her husband, Gerald Ford.

As First Lady, she maintained high approval ratings despite opposition from some conservative Republicans who objected to her more moderate and liberal positions on social issues.

8. ELIZABETH TAYLOR (B. 1932)

The British-American actress became one of the great stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress for “Butterfield 8” (1960) and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

(1966). From the mid-1980s, Taylor championed HIV and AIDS programs; she co-founded the American Foundation for AIDS Research in 1985, and the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation in 1993.

9. GERALDINE FERRARO (B. 1935) The first female Vice Presidential candidate representing a major American political party when she ran in 1984 on the Democrat ticket with Walter Mondale. She served as a United States Ambassador to

the United Nations Commission on Human Rights from 1993 until 1996, in the presidential administration of Bill Clinton.

10. YANCY SPENCER III (B. 1950)

His many accomplishments put the Gulf Coast on the world map of surfing. Among his achievements were: 1st in East Coast Pro Division-1973, Senior Men’s U.S. Shortboard Champion-1986, Senior Men’s U.S. Longboard Surfing Champion-1995. He was inducted into the East Coast Surf Legends Hall of Fame in 1995 and into the Pensacola Sports Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Year In Preview Get out your calendars and save these key dates for 2012.

FEB. 5

Super Bowl XLVI will happen at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana

FEB. 29

That ’s right, it ’s a leap year, so don’t miss 2/29 sneaking in

11. GWENDOLYN “GWEN” APPELQUIST MAY (B. 1924)

JULY 27

The first female chair to the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce and the recipient of many community and business awards and designations, including the BIP Business Leader Award, United Way Community Service Award, Outstanding Woman of the Year for the State Women’s Council of Realtors, recipient twice of the Realtor of the Year Award, Outstanding Woman Business Leader, and Hall of Fame recipient for many organizations.

NOV. 6

The next presidential election

Reading most people’s tweets can get boring pretty fast. Unless, of course, they’re famous or totally fictitious and funny. Our favorite mock Twitter handle is @MayorAshton. The top three celebs we think are worth following are: Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) Aziz Ansari (@ azizansari) and Kanye West (@kanyewest).

4. PINTEREST MANIA

Online Life

Whether you like to admit it or not, you probably spend a lot of time online. Keeping up with new sites and trends can sometimes feel like a full-time job. Lucky for you, we actually like that job. Here are the blogs, websites and social networking trends we couldn’t get enough of in 2011.

Not only is Tumblr easier to use than most other blog templates, it’s also more fun to look at. Web experts call this trend “microblogging” but we just call it Tumblr-ing.

January 5, 2012

2. WHAT’S THE DEAL

Sites like Groupon and Living Social are still all the rage. If you haven’t gotten on board and started saving money, you should.

APRIL 6

Titanic 3D opens in theaters to mark the 100th anniversary of the ship’s doomed voyage

The Summer Olympics kickoff

3. CELEBRITY & PARODY TWITTER ACCOUNTS

1. TUMBLR TAKEOVER

APRIL 5

The Blue Wahoos will open the season at Maritime Park

7. SPOTIFY

Nobody knows you know good music these days unless you make a Spotify playlist to prove it.

8. GIRLS RUN THE (BLOG) WORLD

One thing there’s no shortage of on the web right now is female bloggers. Some are even turning their blog success into books, like Grace Bonney’s “Design*Sponge.”

Whoever came up with Pinterest had a good year for sure. It’s a pretty basic idea, which is an online pin-board where users can organize and share images they like, but done surprisingly well. You have to get or request an “invite” to join, so that’s managed to keep the quality up (so far, at least).

9. LOCALS ON TWITTER (FINALLY)

5. FACEBOOK IS STILL KING

10. RSS S.O.S.

Checking in on Foursquare might be a dying trend, but Facebook in general certainly isn’t—even though a lot of us might have hoped so after our moms “friended” us this year.

6. INSTAGRAM

Not sure if a free iPhone app has ever been as hip as Instagram. An homage to Polaroid cameras, it’s a photo-sharing app that allows users to take photos, apply filters and share them through whatever social networking site (or sites) they choose. Supposedly, an Android version is on the way in 2012.

It took a while, but a few Pensacola businesses are finally utilizing Twitter. Vinyl Music Hall (@VinylMusicHall) and DeLuna Fest (@delunafest) are two of the best in our opinion.

Once all the rage in web world, RSS feeds are pretty much a thing of the past now. Why? Mostly because Twitter and other social networking sites provide a similar service. Want even more proof RSS feeds are headed out? Google Chrome and Firefox 4 dropped or limited RSS support this year.

11. GOOGLE+

It’s not the new Facebook—yet—but enough people asked us to join their “circle” this year to make us sign-up for an account. Maybe next year we’ll actually log-in and see what it is. {in} 15

F

Livesic!

Mu

Fri. Jan. 6th & Sat. Jan. 7th JOSH GARRETT BAND Saturday Jan. 7th Kick off Mardi Gras with Nerieds King Kake Party!

4-’till Sunday Jan. 8th Victor Wainwright & The Wild Roots

+ local boys JOHN HART & FATTY WATERS

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Book your rooms in paradies for all your Mardi Gras parties on the island!

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21 Via De Luna | 850-932-2319 | www.paradiseinn-pb.com Are you selling your home and need a place to stay in the interim? Would you like to spend your winter overlooking emerald green waters? Whatever your needs or wants may be, Paradise Beach Homes has the perfect rental for you. We are now offering monthly rentals through the end of March 2012 at attractive winter rates. And don’t leave your pet behind! We offer plenty of pet friendly properties as well.

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17

January 5, 2012

arts + entertainment a r t , f i l m , m u s i c , s ta g e , b o o k s a n d o t h e r s i g n s o f c i v i l i z a t i o n . . .

DAC at VMH

Singer, songwriter, guitarist David Allan Coe is coming back to Vinyl Music Hall Saturday, Jan. 7. His last show sold out, so get your tickets early. vinylmusichall.com

Freaky Flick

The Devil Inside looks pretty scary—at least from the previews. Fans of scary movies will no doubt want to check this one out when it opens in theaters Friday, Jan. 6.

The Last Downbeat

The Rematch

College football fans are going to takeover Monday night when LSU takes on Alabama in the BCS National Championship game.

So, if you aren't a fan, we suggest you stay away from restaurants and bars with TVs that night. For more on football, turn to page 18.

David Allan Coe, performing in 2008 / photo by Matthew Woitunski

Downbeat—Gulf Breeze’s longest running EDM event—is coming to an end. Be at the Bridge Bar and Sunset Lounge on Friday night for the farewell party. thebridgegb.com

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inweekly.net

sports

by James Hagan

January Brings Football Bliss The kitchen stays open late for those needing to comfort eat a painful loss away.

5906 N. Davis Hwy., millersalehouse.com

PLAY

features seven HD TVs and dollar draft specials during football games. On Sundays during the football season, the “barcade,” which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, has featured “potluck” lunches, including pizza delivery. There are plenty of classic arcade games, such as Pac-Man, to divert your attention just in case LSU and Alabama play to a 9-6 finish again.

16 S. Palafox, iplaypensacola.com

TICKET SPORTS BAR

Now that New Year’s is over, the big event for January is the start of the NFL playoffs and, of course, the culmination of the college football season. While sitting at home with the buddies watching football on the big screen is always a good time, nothing quite beats the thrill of drinking beer while being surrounded by a bunch of screaming strangers yelling at the TV for their favorite team to score a touchdown at a bar. Whether you’re an Alabama fan or LSU booster looking for fellow like-minded fans to help cheer your university on to a national championship, there’s no shortage of places to help you enjoy what will surely be a defensive struggle on Jan. 9.

On the professional side, in a league with little defense but loads of offense, this

weekend kicks off the opening round of the NFL playoffs as the Green Bay Packers start their quest for a second consecutive Super Bowl, and Tom Brady’s New England Patriots seek a fourth ring to cement their dynasty. With no shortage of possibilities as to who will end up as Super Bowl or BCS champion, January is surely the most exciting time for football fans. Here now is a quick guide to some of the best, and presumably, boisterous places to watch the action unfold.

MILLER’S ALE HOUSE features

over 60 HD TVs and a full bar, including over 20 beers on tap. The popular chain has become a hot spot for both locals and tourists, and features nightly drink specials.

features wall-to-wall T Vs, and nightly drink specials. A low-key, and casual hangout, filled with pool tables and dartboards, The Ticket makes no pretense at being anything other than a sports bar, and is known for its popular, and very competitive, team trivia nights.

7250 Plantation Rd., 2115 W. Nine Mile Rd. and 820 E. Gregory St., ticketsportsbar.com

NEW YORK NICK’S A favorite of

sports fans, as well as Springsteen aficionados, the “rock-n-jock-n-pub-grub” features nightly drink specials and over 25 TVs featuring all sports packages. The bar, which doesn’t close until the games are done, is the spot for the hardcore sports fans that don’t hesitate to celebrate when their team crushes the hopes of the people at the next table over.

11 S. Palafox, newyorknicks.net

SEVILLE QUARTER needs no intro-

duction. Pensacola’s largest, and most popular complex, features several rooms with multiple TVs for your football viewing

TASTE • LAUGH • LIVE

pleasure. Featuring daily drink specials, and no shortage of available servers and bartenders that will make sure that you don’t miss a pivotal play, Seville Quarter has become one of the best places for college football fans to root for their alma mater.

One of the rooms, Lili Marlene’s, offers the treat of people belting out some karaoke while the game plays on the big screen.

Football is always better with a little “Sweet Caroline” in the background.

130 E. Government St., sevillequarter.com

SIDELINES

is arguably the best place to combine sports watching with the comfort and beauty of Pensacola Beach. Boasting over 32 HD TVs, the bar is famed for their Buffalo wings (a steal on Thursdays at only 45 cents). Whether you’re a snowbird from Pittsburg rooting for your Steelers to win yet another Super Bowl, or a Saints fan cheering on the “Who Dats?” to pull off another shocker, this popular beach spot is sure to be rocking on game day.

2 Via De Luna, sidelinespensacola.com

HELEN BACK

features three HD projection screens, a full bar, and offers one of the best balcony views of downtown that will leave even the most cynical person “Tebowing.” The recently opened bar has become a favorite of sports fans due to its energetic atmosphere and popular pizza.

22 S. Palafox, pensacola.helenbackcafe.com These are just a few of the myriad of options to satiate your football needs over the coming month. Regardless of preference, however, or team loyalty, it is hard to argue that even the most boring football game is just a little better with a bucket of beer and chicken wings. Just be sure not to “intercept” your buddy’s drink. {in}

HYPNOSIS. CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR

LIFE. A LUMINOUS LIFE HYPNOTHERAPY

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19

January 5, 2012

happenings JOSH GARRETT & THE BOTTOM LINE 7 p.m.

Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.

JEREMY GIBSON 7:30 p.m. 600 South Atrium, 600 S. Palafox. 432-5254 or 600southpalafox.com.

DESTIN ATKINSON 8 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

HOLLY SHELTON AND DAVID SHELANDER 8 p.m. Ragtyme Grille, 201 S. Jefferson St. 4299655 or ragtyme.net.

REDDOG 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

THURSDAY 1.5

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

WOVEN & WRAPPED: KIMONOS, CLOTHING AND CULTURE OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY JAPAN 10 a.m. Through Feb 12. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

‘IT’S 5 O’ CLOCK SOMEWHERE’ MARGARITA TASTING 2 p.m. Margaritaville Beach Hotel, 165 Fort Pickens Rd., Pensacola Beach. 9169755 or margaritavillehotel.com.

WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. 433-9463 or aragonwinemarket.com.

HERB CLASS AT EVER’MAN 6 p.m. $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 or everman.org.

VEGAN DINNER AT EOTL 6 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com.

PENSACOLA ICEFLYERS VS. LOUISIANA ICE GATORS 7 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com.

PHINEAS PHOGGETTES 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music

COMMON THREAD 6 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach.

677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

KARAOKE WITH BECKY 7:30 p.m. Sabine Sandbar, 715 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 934-3141 or dalesbigdeck.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

SWING DANCING 8:30 p.m. $5 admission.

American Legion, 1401 W. Intendencia St. 4375465 or pensacolaswing.com

DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

PHINEAS PHOGGETTES 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

COLLEGE DANCE NIGHT 9 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music

FRIDAY 1.6

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

WOVEN & WRAPPED: KIMONOS, CLOTHING AND CULTURE OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY JAPAN 10 a.m. Through Feb 12. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

WINE TASTING AT DK 4:30 p.m. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

12TH NIGHT AT SEVILLE 5 p.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

WINE TASTING AT SEVILLE QUARTER 5 p.m.

Palace Café at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5:15 p.m.

City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. 469-8100.

12TH NIGHT MARDI GRAS KICK-OFF PARTY AND PARADE 5:30 p.m. Downtown Pensacola along Palafox from Wright St. down to Plaza De Luna. 436-7638.

WINE TASTING AT EAST HILL MARKET 5:30 p.m. 1216 N. Ninth Ave. LILACS IN THE HAND 8 p.m. $9. Loblolly Theatre 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW EXPERIENCE 9 p.m. $5. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com.

THE REZ 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

JAMES ADKINS 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

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inweekly.net

happenings THE BLENDERS 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

An

DJ MR LAO 8 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

Concept Salon

BUZZ CUTTT 9 p.m. LiliMarlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

(850) 433-2120 www.londonw1.net 120 S. Palafox Place

KNEE DEEP BAND 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

SUNDAY 1.8

BEAUTIFUL BEGINNINGS BRIDAL EXPO 11 a.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com.

live music

RONNIE LEVINE 12 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach.

677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

VICTOR WAINWRIGHT & THE WILD ROOTS 3 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

LILACS IN THE HAND 3 p.m. $9. Loblolly Theatre 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com BROOKS HUBBERT III 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 4346211 or sevillequarter.com.

MONDAY 1.9

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

‘BLUE MONDAY’ 5:30 p.m. $5-$10. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or jazzpensacola.com.

SATURDAY 1.7

MADAMA BUTTERFLY CULTURAL DAY 10 a.m. $5, reservations required. Japan House at the University of West Florida, 11000 University Pkwy., Bldg 71. 433-6737 or pensacolaopera.com.

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

WOVEN & WRAPPED: KIMONOS, CLOTHING AND CULTURE OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY JAPAN 12 p.m. Through Feb 12. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

WINE TASTING AT WINE BAR 2 p.m. $5 goes toward rebate on featured wines. Wine Bar, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 100. 476-3830 or chanswineworld.com.

CANDLELIGHT TOURS OF FT. BARRANCAS 5 p.m. Reservations required. Fort Barrancas, Pensacola Naval Air Station. 455-5167 or nps.gov/guis.

PENSACOLA ICEFLYERS VS. KNOXVILLE ICE BEARS 7 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com.

WINE TASTING AT EAST HILL MARKET 5:30 p.m. 1216 N. Ninth Ave.

LILACS IN THE HAND 8 p.m. $9. Loblolly Theatre 1010 N. 12th Ave. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com PHINEAS PHOGGETTES 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music

JOSH GARRETT & THE BOTTOM LINE 7 p.m.

Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

KRAZY GEORGE KARAOKE 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com.

KARAOKE WITH MARK ESKEW 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s at the Point, 5851 Galvez Rd. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.

JOE OCCHIPINTI’S BIG BAND 7p.m. 600 South Atrium, 600 S. Palafox. 432-5254 or 600southpalafox.com.

DAVID ALLAN COE 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

BURGERS & BEER NIGHT AT SURF BURGER 6 p.m. Surf Burger, 500 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 932-1417 or thesurfburger.com.

GAMER’S NIGHT 8 p.m. Fast Eddie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

live music

BILLY HOWELL & ASHLEY PENNEWILL 6 p.m.

The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

LIVIN’ THE DREAM 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSICIANS’ ALLIANCE 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 4346211 or sevillequarter.com.

TUESDAY 1.10

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

WOVEN & WRAPPED: KIMONOS, CLOTHING AND CULTURE OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY JAPAN 10 a.m. Through Feb 12. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

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January 5, 2012

happenings Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

TUESDAY JAM NIGHT 8 p.m. LiliMarlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MIKE QUINN 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

KARAOKE WITH GEORGE 9 p.m. Play, 16 S. Palafox, Suite 200. 466-3080 or iplaypensacola.com.

KARAOKE AT PADDY O’LEARY’S 9 p.m.

Paddy O’ Leary’s Irish Pub, 49 Via de Luna Drive. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com.

WEDNESDAY 1.11

‘A ROADTRIP THROUGH FLORIDA ARCHAEOLOGY’ 10 a.m. DARC, 207 E. Main St. 595-0050, ext. 107 or flpublicarchaeology.org/darc.php.

YOGA WITH BECKIE SATHRE 6 p.m. $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 or everman.org.

GREG ALLMAN 8 p.m. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3880 or pensacolasaenger.com.

TOSH TUESDAY 8 p.m. LiliMarlene’s at Seville

Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

WOVEN & WRAPPED: KIMONOS, CLOTHING AND CULTURE OF EARLY 20TH CENTURY JAPAN 10 a.m. Through Feb 12. Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

live music

GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT 5 p.m. $2 drinks. The Deck at The Fish House. 600 S. Barracks St. 4700003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The

WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS 5 p.m. Half-off every bottle. Jackson’s 400 S. Palafox. 4699898 or jacksons.goodgrits.com.

JEFF GLICKMAN TRIO 6 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING CLASSES 6 p.m. $5 , $2 with student I.D. Gull Point Community Center, 700 Spanish Trail. 291-2718 or hurreyupstageandfilmworks.com.

SURF MOVIE NIGHT AT SURF BURGER 7 p.m.

Surf Burger, 500 Quietwater Beach Rd., Pensacola Beach. 932-1417 or thesurfburger.com.

live music

PADDY’S OPEN MIC NIGHT 7 p.m. Paddy O’Leary’s Irish Pub, 49 Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com.

OPEN MIC NIGHT 7 p.m. End of the Line Café, 610 E. Wright St. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

SKYLINE KINGS 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach.

932-2211 or sandshaker.com.

MIKE QUINN 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

ELECTRONIC WEDNESDAYS TURBULANCE 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

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Gift Certificates Available

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music Rescued, Recycled, Refinished & Previously Loved Furniture and Goods of All Kinds

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Open Tues-Sat 10-5 | Sun 12-5

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Jaimoe / photo by Carl Vernlund

Wednesdays

Gent’s Night $3 Wine & Margaritas $2 Well & Longnecks & Sirloin Steak Dinner Special Entertainment 1/11 Tim Spencer | 6 pm til

Thursday

Ladies Night $3 Wine $2 Well & Longneck Music @ 5 by Hog Van Dog

Live Music

Fridays: Vocalist Michelle West 1/7 & 1/21: Al Martin & Holly Shelton 1/14 & 1/28: Al Martin & Tara Leigh

Sunday Brunch

10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

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Legendary drummer Jaimoe toured with Otis Redding, played for Patti Labelle and was one of the six founding members for the Allman Brothers Band. While on tour with his band—Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, he will be reunited with Gregg Allman Tuesday, Jan. 10 at the Saenger Theatre.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Jaimoe said, of touring with Allman again. “Hopefully, we get to play some together.”

Jaimoe says he started playing music late in life. In high school he was into sports and body building. When he was 16-yearsold, he joined the high school band.

“I knew I could do sports, but I couldn’t play music,” Jaimoe said.

Once Jaimoe found his passion for music, it was hard to tear him away from it, even when he wasn’t making any money.

“I was borrowing money from my mother,” Jaimoe recalled of his early music career. “I decided to go to New York.

I figured if I’m going to starve to death, I might as well starve to death doing what I love.”

It was Phil Walden, Otis Redding’s manager that suggested Jaimoe head south to Alabama and meet the late Duane Allman.

“He told me, ‘You wanna make some money? Play with them white boys,’” Jaimoe said.

1966. Redding was a great teacher to the Jaimoe took a bus to Alabama to young musician. meet Duane—or “Skyman” as Wilson “He had enough knowledge about the Pickett called him, because of the high piano, guitar and drums to get the sound he notes he played. wanted,” Jamie said. “I learned a great deal “I ain’t never seen a white boy play like about timing from him.” that,” Jaimoe said. “He was a skinny little Jaimoe grew up in Gulfport, Miss. It’s white boy with stringy hair. He shook my been two years since he made it to Penhand and the rest is pretty much history. sacola. The time before that it was 1968.

These guys could really play music.”

“We played on the beach, it used to be Jaimoe played drums for the Allman nothing but sand dunes,” Jaimoe said.

Brothers Band for three years.

When it comes to Tuesday’s perfor“Man, I had a ball,” he said. mance at the Saenger, Jaimoe is certain it Now 67-years-old, Jaimoe has not will be a good one. stopped playing music. Jaimoe’s Jasssz “The audience will feel great and will Band is a hybrid of jazz with influences from enjoy the music,” Jaimoe said. “Do yourself all of the bands he’s played in. The band feaa favor and come out to the show.” {in} tures Junior Mack on the guitar and vocals, Dave Stoltz on bass, Bruce Katz on keyboards, Paul Lieberman on saxophone, flute and piccolo, Kris Jensen on saxophone and Reggie Pittman on the trumpet.

The band’s funny spelling was influenced by an old film, in which a bass drum had “jass” WHEN: 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 written on it.

WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox “It’s the same thing the COST: $29.50-$59.50 Beatles did,” Jaimoe said of the DETAILS: pensacolasaenger.com odd spelling.

Jaimoe toured with Otis Redding from April to September in

GREGG ALLMAN WITH SPECIAL GUEST JAIMOE’S JASSSZ BAND

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January 5, 2012

Car City, Florida Pensacola Florida 850-433-7671 Car City, Pensacola 850-433-7671 4 of Consumer Digests Best Picks www.vincewhibbs.com www.vincewhibbs.com

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news of the weird INTELLIGENT DESIGN: If the male nursery web spider were a human, he would be sternly denounced as a vulgar cad. Researcher Maria Jose Albo of Denmark’s Aarhus University told Live Science in November that the spiders typically obtain sex by making valuable “gifts” to females (usually, high-nutrition insects wrapped in silk), but if lacking resources, a male cleverly packages a fake gift (usually a piece of flower) also in silk but confoundingly wound so as to distract her as she unwraps it -- and then mounts her before she discovers the hoax. Albo also found that the male is not above playing dead to coax the female into relaxing her guard as she approaches the “carcass”—only to be jumped from behind for sex.

Thank You Pensacola!

FOR ALLOWING US TO SERVE YOU IN 2011.

WISHING YOU ALL

Peace & Happiness

AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING YOU AGAIN IN 2012.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS Son Theodore Zimmick and two other relatives filed a lawsuit in November against the St. Stanislaus cemetery in Pittsburgh for the unprofessional burial of Theodore’s mother, Agnes, in 2009.

Agnes had purchased an 11-by-8-foot plot in 1945, but when she finally passed away, the graveyard had become so crowded that, according to the lawsuit, workers were forced to dig such a small hole that they had to jump up and down on the casket and whack it with poles to fit it into the space.

RECURRING THEMES James Ward’s second annual festival of tedium (the “Boring conference”), in November at York Hall in east London, once again sold out, demonstrating the intrinsic excitement created by yawninducing subject matter. Last year’s conference featured a man’s discourse on the color and materials of his neckwear collection and another’s structured milk-tasting, patterned after a wine-tasting. This second edition showcased a history of the electric hand-dryer and a seminar on the square root of 2.

CONVOLUTED PLANS A balaclava-wearing man “kidnapped” Julian Buchwald and his girlfriend in 2008 in Australia’s Alpine National Park as they were picnicking. The man separated the couple, tore their clothes off and buried them, but Buchwald escaped and rescued the girlfriend, and they wandered around naked for days before being rescued. The balaclava-clad man, it turns out, was Buchwald, whose plan was to convince the woman by his heroism that she should marry him (and more immediately, to have sex even though they had both pledged to remain virgins until marriage). Buchwald was convicted in Victoria County Court and sentenced in December to more than seven years in prison.

• After 12 almost intolerable months, Ms. Seemona Sumasar finally received justice in November from a New York City jury, which convicted Jerry Ramrattan of orchestrating a complex and ingenious scheme to convince police that Sumasar was a serial armed

by Chuck Shepherd

robber. Ramrattan, a private detective and “CSI” fan, had used his knowledge of police evidence-gathering to pin various open cases on Sumasar as revenge for her having dumped him (and to negate her claim that Ramrattan had raped her in retaliation). Ramrattan was so creative in linking evidence to Sumasar that her bail had been set at $1 million, causing her to spend seven months in jail. (Said one juror, “If I had seen this on TV, my reaction would be, ‘How could this really happen?’”)

PEOPLE WITH ISSUES Prominent Birmingham, Ala., politician Bill Johnson describes his wife as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” but he revealed in December that, while on temporary duty recently as an earthquake relief specialist in New Zealand, he had clandestinely donated sperm to nine women (and that three were already pregnant). Becoming a biological father is “a need that I have,” he told a New Zealand Herald reporter, and his wife had been unable to accommodate him. Asked if his wife knew of the nine women, Johnson said, “She does now.”

Indeed, Alabama newspapers quickly picked up the story, and Mrs. Johnson told the Mobile Press-Register that there is “healing to do.”

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Not Ready for Prime Time: The unidentified eyeglass-wearing robber of an HSBC Bank in Long Island City, N.Y., in December fled emptyhanded and was being sought. Armed with a pistol and impatient with a slow teller, the man fired a shot into the ceiling to emphasize his seriousness. However, according to a police report, the gunshot seemed to panic him as much as it did the others in the bank, and he immediately ran out the door and jumped into a waiting vehicle.

NO LONGER WEIRD? One would think that classical musicians who carry precious violins, worth small fortunes, on public transportation would be especially vigilant to safeguard them.

However, from time to time (for example, in 2008, 2009, 2010 and May 2011), absentmindedness prevailed. Most recently, in December, student MuChen Hsieh, 19, accompanying a 176-year-old violin (on loan from a foundation in Taiwan and worth about $170,000) on a bus ride from Boston to Philadelphia, forgot to check the overhead rack when departing and left without it. Fortunately, a bus company cleaner turned it in. (Most famously, in 1999, the master cellist Yo Yo Ma left his instrument in the trunk of a New York City taxicab.)

From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2011 Chuck Shepherd

Tues - Thurs - 5pm thru 9pm • Fri & Sat - 5pm thru 10pm

27 South Palafox Place • 850.469.9966

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

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January 5, 2012

3 RESTAURANTS. 3 MENUS. 3 COURSES. · THE GREAT SOUTHERN RESTAURANT GROUP PRESENTS ·

RESTAURANT WEEK, JANUARY 24–28, 2012 Jackson’s Steakhouse, The Fish House, and Atlas Oyster House present a five-day culinary celebration offering chef-selected three-course dinner menus at $33 per person, per restaurant. Tuesday, January 24, through Saturday, January 28, at 5 p.m. View menus at www.goodgrits.com.

·STEAKHOUSE·

JACKSON’S: SOUTH 400 PALAFOX ST., (850) 469-9898 · FISH HOUSE: 600 S. BARRACKS ST., (850) 470-0003 · ATLAS: 600 S. BARRACKS ST., (850) 437-1961

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300 Tonawanda Drive Pensacola Fl 32505

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January 5, 2012

my pensacola Nancy (Petre) Rodriguez

Day Job: Administrative Assistant/Office Manager – Seville Quarter Pensacola Resident Since: Birth, with a six-year stint in Miami

Good Eats:

I love good food, oh hell, I’ll eat bad food! During the week, at Seville Quarter for lunch we have the freshest housemade soups, salads and veggies on our salad bar from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. We also have THE BEST pizza! It’s thin crust with house-made sauce and just YUMMY! I like the Primo Pizza to take home for dinner. I also like to visit The Happy Pig. Mark Thornton and crew sure know how to smoke some butts (the pork ain’t bad either…ba da bum)! The Hip Pocket Deli has great sandwiches, Greek salads and desserts. They’re only open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and bring CASH because Chris Varazo doesn’t deal with plastic, but he WILL remember your name!

Nightlife:

As a wannabe rock-star, I enjoy live music. While I don’t get out to too many shows, I manage to catch a few here and there that are NOT at Seville Quarter (but THE BEST shows are there). Vinyl has had an impressive schedule with a wide variety to appeal to all ages, which is nice. They’ve done a great job during their inaugural year and bring fresh faces downtown. I go to the Sandshaker when my friend Woody Bradshaw is here from Nashville. Beverly always has him perform a set or two when he’s in town and the crowds are very responsive.

I like to go to Paradise Bar & Grill to see the band UltraViolet—if you want to see a great all-female band that ROCKS, check them out!

Outdoors:

Trinity Collection owners Ione Calhoon and Jodi Allen / photo by Samantha Crooke

Retail Therapy:

Meadows’ Jewelry has a wonderful selection of items. Bob Meadows is very knowledgeable and trustworthy, and has given me good advice on antique jewelry handed down to me. Plus, he’s a Miami Hurricane fan, so that makes him A+ in my book! Trinity Collection is another place that has a different selection of items.

Susan Nathan will help me pick out a gift for those hard to buy for people that have everything. But when I really need “retail therapy” I head to Lowe’s and dream about re-doing my whole house.

I am blessed to be a “West Side Girl”— West Side is the BEST side. I live directly across from the Blue Angels, so I get to enjoy the sound of freedom when they practice or come home on Sundays. Some people will be surprised to know I enjoy throwing my Johnson’s Cast Net in Bayou Grande. Jimmy Johnson and his dad custom make them in their shop on Massachusetts Avenue, so it’s not too big or heavy for me to throw. The blue heron that hangs in my part of the bayou comes flying in when I go cast, ‘cuz he knows I will throw him the fish.

As a Navy brat, and with my Great Uncle, Rear Admiral Wallace Dillon, having items there, I often go to the National Naval Aviation Museum, which is a FREE world-class attraction. The IMAX theater and simulators are a must see for out-oftown visitors.

Never Miss Events/Festivals:

DeLuna Fest has opened my eyes and ears to a bunch of musicians I would never have thought I’d like. Plus, it has brought the national spotlight to Pensacola Beach for something other than natural disasters.

As a Krewe of Seville member, we participate in the annual Mardi Gras season and the Fiesta of Five Flags celebration each year, which gives the community a chance to celebrate its heritage and have a lot of fun doing it! I’m looking forward to the Blue Wahoos at the new Maritime Park stadium next year. Watching the progress of the park each day, knowing it will bring even more fun downtown, is exciting.

Do you want to tell us how you see our city? Email Joani at joani@inweekly.net for all of the details.

Independent News | January 5, 2012 | inweekly.net