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Independent News | March 7, 2019 | Volume 20 | Number 10

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winners & losers 4

outtakes

news

6&8

I thought we would come up with some good ideas. I did not know we'd come up with this.

buzz

cover feature

a&e

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Michael Daw

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Sarah Mc Wilson, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite, Stephanie Sharp, Sydney Robinson

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

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inweekly.net

March 7, 2019

winners & losers

Matt Gaetz / Courtesy Photo

winners

losers

BELK Last month, the department chain

MATT GAETZ The Panhandle congress-

PENSACOLA POLICE DEPARTMENT

EDWARD SISSON The city of Pensacola no longer has a chief human resources officer. On March 1, the mayor's office announced that Sisson had resigned. Following the contract given to him by former Mayor Ashton Hayward, Sisson will get a $60,000 severance package. Before being hired by Hayward in 2014, Sisson had never held an HR director or assistant HR director position. He wrote his own job evaluation a year later, asking for a grander job title and pay raise after taking credit for his ability to get rid of city employees. No tears were shed when he walked out of city hall.

announced a partnership with Family Promise, a nonprofit homelessness prevention organization, and put $1 million toward launching 10 new Family Promise affiliates across the South, including one in Escambia County. The affiliate will offer a variety of services including shelter, rental assistance, workforce development, financial training and childcare designed to help families transition out of homelessness.

The Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation reaccredited the Pensacola Police Department. The accreditation process requires an in-depth review of every aspect of the agency's organization, management, operations and administration. The process took the police department two years to complete. Accreditation is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence and competence.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY CORRECTIONS The Florida Corrections Accreditation Commission reaccredited Escambia County Jail for the fifth consecutive time, earning them the distinction of being named an Excelsior Agency. Being named an Excelsior Agency is an accomplishment that only 16 other county jails in the state of Florida have currently achieved. The Excelsior Recognition Program recognizes some of the finest criminal justice agencies in the state of Florida and a demonstrated level of commitment to the Florida Accreditation process unparalleled in the criminal justice profession.

man faces investigation by The Florida Bar over a threatening tweet sent the day before former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified before Congress. Gaetz first tried to position the tweet as "witness testing" after he was accused of witness tampering. He eventually deleted it and wrote, "It was not my intent to threaten, as some believe I did. I'm deleting the tweet, and I should have chosen words that better showed my intent. I'm sorry."

JOSE OLIVA The Florida House Speaker sparked another firestorm when his discussion over the number of anti-abortion bills being considered in 2019 legislative session went viral last week. Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, repeatedly referred to pregnant women as "host bodies." When asked if the term was demeaning to women, Oliva said he was using a "technical" term to be accurate. He later apologized.

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By Rick Outzen

FIRST 100 DAYS In our May 5, 2011 cover story, "Hayward's First 100 Days," we compared newly-elected Mayor Ashton Hayward with Mayor Joe Riley of Charleston, S.C., and former Mobile, Ala., Mayor Mike Dow. We had no previous strong Pensacola mayors to use as yardsticks. Now we do. His successor, Grover Robinson, hit his 100th day on the publication date of this issue, March 7. How do the two compare? Hayward's splashiest announcement was his negotiations with Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute for a large fish hatchery and marine research facility here. While visiting Washington, D.C., to lobby for BP Oil Spill funds, Hayward had dinner with a friend of The Furman Group, whose founder served on the executive committee of the institute. The mayor told Inweekly the project would create 80 jobs. Hubbs-Sea World later dropped out of the project. Residents fought building the hatchery at Bruce Beach. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission eventually pulled the plug on the project last summer. Robinson had to come up with the funds to complete the financing for a $210 million aviation maintenance and repair campus at the Pensacola International Airport. Hayward had left office with the city still $45 million short in funding necessary to receive a crucial $56 million grant from Triumph Gulf Coast. Robinson secured funds from the city council, county commission, Florida Department of Transpor-

tation and even an additional $10 million from Triumph over two weeks. Hayward had his own salvage project. He had to complete the Community Maritime Park that had been on the drawing board since 2006. The stadium would be finished in 2012. Hayward got the city council to approve community centers for Woodland Heights and Legion Field. He also had the council authorize $256,000 for landscaping projects along A Street. He held his first "Taking City Hall to the Citizens" on April 11, 2011. Robinson has announced a commitment to Complete Streets in Pensacola. With the help of the Studers, a national design firm is looking at how to develop the city's waterfront best. The Studers are also master planning the parcels at the maritime park that have remained undeveloped since the stadium opened. Robinson has held a dozen press conferences, two town halls and a special meeting on the future of Hitzman Park and attended council and transition team meetings. Hayward announced that he had begun the process of streamlining city government and eliminating duplication of services. Robinson is faced with numerous retirements in key management positions and how to build a deeper bench at city hall. Hayward announced the retirement of City Attorney Rusty Wells. Robinson announced Wells would be his deputy city attorney. The first 100 days for both mayors showed promise. What happens next will cement Robinson's legacy. {in} rick@inweekly.net

What happens next will cement Robinson's legacy.

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REBUILDING CITY GOVERNMENT

Chris Holley / Courtesy Photo

By Rick Outzen On Monday, the Mayoral Transition Team handed its report to Mayor Grover Robinson. On the eve of report's release, Inweekly sat down with City Administrator Chris Holley to discuss what he has learned after delving into the city operations over the past three months. Mayor Robinson has tasked Holley with helping him rebuild an organization that has had a lot of turnover the past eight years and is currently faced with several upcoming retirements in critical positions. At the same time, the city's growth and redevelopment hasn't slowed. At the mayor's press conference on Feb. 25, he talked about the city's new organization structure. Holley said, "We've proposed to the mayor a structure that kind of aligns the departments that are dealing with a lot of the development issues." When Inweekly interviewed him three

days later, he was still tinkering with the alignments of the departments. He plans to oversee finance and public safety and to hire two deputy administrators to oversee the other city functions. "We have all these things that are happening with the redevelopment," he said as he showed two organization charts with "draft" watermarks. "We need to align our talent and resources to be able to serve that process." Before the change in the city charter to strongmayor leadership, Holley said, "The city had a manager and multiple deputies, reporting systems under that, more planners and more of everything. There were a lot of issues that the whole administration dealt with to do what they felt they needed to do. Then the organization was kind of streamlined." He believes the administration needs to be rebuilt. He said, "It's not that we are trying to build a bigger bureaucracy or anything, but we certainly are looking at what the impacts of that were. And then, yes, obviously there's a lot of retirements coming as well." The administrator and the two deputies are integral parts of the new organization. He said, "Personally, for me, would I like to go back into retirement at some point? Yes. So, if we don't start looking at some point here in the next six months, then I'm here longer than maybe either the mayor wants or I want to be here." Holley wants to go back into retirement, and he said Assistant Administrator Keith Wilkins also intends to retire. He said, "If we don't start bringing some talent in and training them, then that prolongs that. We don't want to leave the city in a lurch or anything."

The city has posted a job opening for an Assistant City Administrator-Community Development with a pay range of $110,000-$139,900. "We felt that this was the right move—to go recruit this person now," said Holley. "Get them up and running. It gives us more depth on this floor. And then Keith can move back over on the admin side of the organizational chart. I'll keep public safety and finance, but we will have two deputies and see how it works." Another position the city is seeking to fill is a deputy finance director, who will be groomed to replace long-time CFO Dick Barker. "I was down there a couple of weeks ago on another matter, and Dick started rattling off the list of people that were in DROP or about to retire, and I really wasn't aware of it," Holley said. "Dick wants three or four more years. Money management is critical, so having a seasoned veteran managing the money, to me, is a good thing for Grover and myself right now." The decision was made to create the deputy finance director and start recruiting somebody that has the capability of stepping in when Barker retires. Once that hire is made, then they will focus on replacements for the other finance positions that have announced future retirement dates. Holley wants all his managers to train people to replace them. "A manager's job is to prepare—spot the talent that's in your organization, put them in a position of additional responsibility to train them and ready them for ultimately being the manager," he explained. "So, if something happens and the manager leaves, you're not in a crisis mode. You know who the person is going to be that's going to step up." Does having a politician as the city's CEO hurt the stability of the organization? Holley admits he has never worked in a strong-mayor system. He understands why citizens may want such leadership, particularly if the council gets bogged down and can't get anything done. "With the right person in the position, it

works well," he said, pointing out the successes of Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville. "In my opinion, when those systems work well, the mayor recognizes that he's not trained to manage thousands of employers and hires a good manager." He explained further, "A strong-mayor system works when you hire a good administrator. The mayor deals with the politics, the policy debates and the vision for the organization."

"You know, good managers don't have to leave when a mayor comes in." Chris Holley Holley doesn't believe administrators necessarily have to change with each new mayor. He said, "Orlando turns over; managers stay the same. You know, good managers don't have to leave when a mayor comes in." He continued, "So a good mayor—and I think Grover's a good mayor—can hire the right people, and the organization can run well. If they—and I'm not poking at Ashton—just kind of hire and fire and if it's not done well and you have turnover, the organization doesn't run well." Holley said Mayor Robinson has given him the freedom to find the best talent. He said, "Hiring buddies is, in my opinion, not a good thing. When Grover asked me to do it, I said, 'Will you let me put a team together that are good people? And you won't come in and tell me to hire so-and-so? And as long as we can do that, and you let me try to do what I think I know how to do, then it'll be great. If you're going to be like Ashton, I'll be moaning.'" When asked about how to boost morale in city hall, Holley said it starts with Mayor Robinson. "He's not Ashton," he said. "Grover's very personable. He goes to every gathering of employees and social events and the recognitions. At the top, you've got an honest, personable, fair, positive guy, and that filters down." {in}

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March 7, 2019

CELEBRATING SHERO WARRIORS

Michelle Caldwell / Courtesy Photo

By Jennifer Leigh Women make up 25 percent of the U.S. military, says Michelle Caldwell, founder of the Monument to Women Veterans. Yet, it's hard to find much recognition for the sacrifice and service of women in the military. And for eight years, Caldwell has been on a mission to change that. The Monument to Women Veterans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to better the lives of veterans through programs that reduce veteran homelessness. The organization has also helped spread awareness about the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military. "In the past year, there has been a nearly 50 percent increase in military sexual trauma and a 50 percent increase in homeless women veterans," Caldwell said. In partnership with the Powerful Women of the Gulf Coast and the Women's

Club of Pensacola, the Monument to Women Veterans is hosting its inaugural SHERO Warrior Conference. The three-day event is not only a fundraiser for the monument but a way for women to network and find purpose after military life. Partnering with two femalecentric organizations has been "very exciting," Caldwell said, since it brings more voices to the cause. In the year 2020, the Women's Club of Pensacola will turn 100, and with that milestone, Caldwell said she hopes the monument will be completed. "The goal is 2020, and we plan to have a dual celebration," she added. Alongside the monument, Caldwell is also in the process of establishing a museum dedicated to female veterans. The City of Pensacola has leased the old Amtrak building for $1 per year, which is where the museum will be. Caldwell said she believes both the monument and museum could have a large economic impact on the area. Caldwell said she wants to create a positive space for women, which is how she envisions the conference. The conference is open to all women, regardless of military background.

"It's about empowerment and leadership—empowering to inspire and inspire to empower. Every woman is a hero." Michelle Caldwell "It's about being a part of the sisterhood," she said, "showing veteran women and non-veteran women that sisterhood. It's about empowerment and leadership—empowering to inspire and inspire to empower. Every woman is a hero."

The SHERO conference kicks off on Friday, March 8, with the "Paint Like a Shero" event featuring wine and Pensacola artist Bev Schoopman. On Saturday, an impressive lineup of guest speakers will be sharing their stories at the Women's Club of Pensacola, which is located by the site of the future Women Veterans Museum. A block party will follow with food trucks, live music, a silent auction and free beer. The conference will wrap up on Sunday with a champagne brunch at De Luna Winery. Coincidentally, the conference begins on International Women's Empowerment Day. "That was a God thing," Caldwell said. Women have been serving in the military since the Revolutionary War, yet their contributions have not always been acknowledged.

"I hear from women who said they weren't in combat, so they weren't a veteran." Caldwell "I get asked, 'Are those your husband's dog tags?'" said Caldwell, who served in the Navy. "I hear from women who said they weren't in combat, so they weren't a veteran." Caldwell said there needs to be a culture change in the military and, furthermore, how service members are treated when they come home. She remembers volunteering at the Veterans Stand Down event and realizing that the only clothes available to hand out where men's clothes. "It's not that people don't want to do it, they just don't think about it," she said. Caldwell said she wants to continue to see women rise up in the military ranks, which is part of the reason she's passionate about the monument. It gives girls and young women something to aspire to. "I want to recruit that younger generation of women," she said. "I want to acknowledge the women who have served and are serving now—the past, present and future."

One question about the monument that has come up a few times is, "Why not Washington, D.C.?" Caldwell said Pensacola has significance because she was stationed here.

"It's the cradle of aviation. Besides, more people come to Florida. I want to expose how amazing Pensacola really is and how welcoming the people are." Caldwell "It's the cradle of aviation," she said. "Besides, more people come to Florida. I want to expose how amazing Pensacola really is and how welcoming the people are." After eight years on her grassroots campaign, Caldwell said she's optimistic about the future. "God always finishes what he started," she said. "This has truly been a miracle." {in}

SHERO WARRIOR CONFERENCE

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PAINT LIKE A SHERO

WHEN: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, March 8 WHERE: De Luna Winery, 116 E. Gonzalez St.

SHERO BLOCK PARTY

WHEN: 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9 WHERE: Women's Club of Pensacola, 1551 E. Heinberg St.

CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH

WHEN: 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10 WHERE: De Luna Winery, 116 E. Gonzalez St.

inweekly.net

March 7, 2019

Y LEAVING LANGLEY On Monday, Feb.

25, Northwest Florida YMCA CEO Michael Bodenhausen held for Scenic Heights residents a Q&A session regarding the future of the YMCA on Langley Avenue. The YMCA is currently engaged in talks with the city regarding a possible land-andservices swap, which would see the city acquire the Y's property near neighboring Hitzman Park on Langley to construct a soccer complex. The Y would move to another location, possibly the city's Vickery Center, where it would reshuffle the services it offers to reduce duplication with city services. Just as he had done the prior week during a city meeting, the CEO stressed that the YMCA was likely moving from the area regardless of any deal with the city. The Langley Avenue facility, he said, was outdated and did not allow for needed expansions. "The community demands more, wants more," Bodenhausen said. "We want to provide that." The Y official explained that if a deal was struck with the city, it would entail the organization dropping some of its duplicative services, such as some youth sports offerings. He cited market research that indicated citizens preferred the Y work in tandem with the city. The CEO also said that the Y would not proceed with any deal that jeopardized either its after-school or daycare services, citing the services as the organization's primary mission. He said, "We will not move if we cannot take care of every child that needs help." Further, the CEO committed to providing transportation to students from nearby Scenic Heights Elementary School that participate in the Y's after-school program. Currently, 48 students from the school are enrolled. He said, "We're not leaving kids behind." Attendees suggested several alternatives to relocating, most centering on expansions and improvements at the facility. Bodenhausen didn't appear optimistic about such prospects, pointing to the market research-driven decision to relocate and the impracticalities of addressing issues at the current site. "We have to look at the market study and

what the community wants," he said, explaining flatly that, one way or the other, the YMCA was looking to leave its Langley property. "If the city is not interested, it would be sold."

STATE OF BLACK PENSACOLA A recent

UWF Haas Center study found the African American community growing at a faster rate than the white sector, but education was "still at the bottom of the barrel." The University of West Florida's Haas Center presented a 10-year overview last week that delved into subjects such as education and economics. "The region is becoming more diverse," Amy Newburn, associate director of the Haas Center, said as she waded into the data during the Feb. 25 presentation at the Studer Community Institute in downtown Pensacola. The Haas Center broke down the data into separate categories—demographics, civic life, industry profile and economic impact. Within each category, the data painted a picture of the African American community's evolution over the past decade. Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, though neighboring, have widely different population counts of African Americans. While one in five Escambia households are African American, only 4 percent of households in Santa Rosa are black. Inside the municipal service area (MSA) of Pensacola, the African American population experienced a 10 percent growth rate over 10 years. That's compared, for example, to a 6 percent growth rate for the white population and a 34 percent growth rate for the area's Asian population. Newburn described the education outlook for black students in Escambia as "still at the bottom of the barrel." To support that statement, the Haas Center pointed to reading and math success for local students. In the 2014-2015 academic year, 29.3 percent of black students could read on level by the third grade, compared with a virtually unchanged 30.3 percent last year. By seventh grade, 21.9 percent of black students performed on grade level, compared to a

slightly higher 23 percent last year. This is consistently about 10 points below the state average for black students and nearly 40 points below local white students. A particularly bright spot in the Haas Center report concerned education levels of black men. Over the past decade, the number of black men in the area who did not receive a high school diploma fell by 13 percent. Meanwhile, the number of black men who earned a bachelor's degree or higher rose by 64.6 percent. Fewer African American households own their home. However, the median income is up, and a lower percentage live below the national poverty level. Since 2008, the percent of African American households who own their house fell from 55 to 48 percent. During that same time, non-family households—such as roommates or unmarried couples—rose by 31 percent. Neither of these trends was unique to the black population. The median income for black households reflected some growth. In 2008, the median amount was $26,349, and by 2017, it had risen to $34,557. The number of African American households living below the national poverty line has fallen since 2008, going from 29.9 percent to 25.2 percent.

GABBING WITH GROVER Pensacola

Young Professionals will have Mayor Grover Robinson as its featured guest at their quarterly meeting 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, March 7, at the Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St., #100. The event is open to the public. "Nothing is more important than establishing good relationships between the communities and their leaders. We all share the same goal—to grow our city." PYP President Meg Burke said. "We look forward to a productive and educated evening that furthers our efforts to be a catalyst for positive change in our community."

ANDRADE TOWN HALL Freshman state Rep. Alex Andrade gathered District

4 elected officials Tuesday, Feb. 26, for a town hall to discuss much-needed improvements. About 75 citizens gathered to listen to the priorities each one had at the Creative Learning Academy gym on Hyde Park Road. The District 4 representatives took turns highlighting pressing needs while Andrade took notes. Commissioner Robert Bender kicked off the meeting. His priorities were installing one control box to help manage lights at the Langley, 12th Avenue and Ninth Avenue intersection better; widening Olive Road and improving its drainage; expanding Nine Mile Road in Beulah; additional parking at Casino Beach and extension of the right turn lane onto Fort Pickens Road; and doing work on the Bob Sikes Bridge to extend its life. Councilman Jared Moore then listed city projects, which included improved safety for walking and bicycling on Cervantes and Gregory streets and creating safer routes near Cordova Park Elementary. School Board Chair Patty Hightower shared the school district's priorities, which were improvements to Pensacola and Tate high schools; adding sidewalks and walkways for students, especially at Cordova Park Elementary; improving traffic control devices near Scenic Heights Elementary; and adding technology and other measures to protect students better. Finally, ECUA board member Dale Perkins spoke about what the utility was focusing on, including rehabilitation of water lines, additional reclaimed water tank on Pensacola Beach, expansion of water lines along Olive Road to 12 inches, Nine Mile Road improvements and filter systems on two wells to make contaminants "non-detectable."

SORRELL RETIRES Emerald Coast Utilities

Authority Executive Director Steve Sorrell announced at the utility's meeting Tuesday, Feb. 24, of his plans to retire this year. Sorrell said, "After 17 years, it's time for me to take some personal time, be with my

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family and enjoy our RV, which has been in storage for the last year. It's been a privilege and pleasure to work for and with the ECUA Board and staff. Together, we have achieved great things." Sorrell joined the ECUA in October 2002. The significant projects during his tenure include the construction of the Central Water Reclamation Facility to replace the aging Main Street Wastewater Treatment Plant, the development of the Biosolids Composting Facility and the Materials Recycling Facility. At the Board's request, Sorrell has agreed to remain in his position to assist in the search for his replacement and the conclusion of key projects. A final departure date has not been set.

APPOINTMENT RESCINDED Gov.

Ron DeSantis rescinded former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward's last-minute appointment to the Florida Commission on Community Service. The governor on Friday, Feb. 22, retracted an additional 169 appointments made by his predecessor, Rick Scott. In January, DeSantis pulled back 50 of Scott's selections. Among the those withdrawn, 17 were commissioners that oversee Volunteer Florida, which is now headed by former Pensacola Chamber CEO Clay Ingram. Hayward and Navarre attorney Kerry Anne Schultz, who served as vice chair, were included in the withdrawals. Schultz was a reappointment to the board by Gov. Scott.

STEM SATURDAYS The National Flight Academy will host a STEM Saturday program 9:20 a.m.-2:30 p.m. March 16 for 3rd- to 8thgrade students. March's STEM Saturday topic is "Robotics & Future Technology." Students will learn how the Navy and other industries use robots and the importance of robots in certain jobs. Then the class will be given a design challenge to create its own robot that can be used to help extinguish a fire. Additionally, these students will fly the X-47B in the National Flight Academy's simulators. Visit bit.ly/2FXd5qn to register as space is limited for each session. Registration closes March 11 at 5 p.m. Registration is $30 per child and lunch is provided. PENSACOLA'S GOT TALENT The Pen-

sacola Blue Wahoos will hold Pensacola's Got Talent, an annual celebration of the immense talent in Pensacola, 9 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 9, at Blue Wahoos Stadium. At the event, individuals and groups can audition to sing the National Anthem at a Blue Wahoos game in 2019, try out to perform their talent before a game and show off their skills to be considered for a position with the team's Flight Squad ingame entertainment staff. "Pensacola's Got Talent is one of my favorite days of the year," Blue Wahoos March 7, 2019

creative services manager Adam Waldron said of the event. "We're always blown away by the talent possessed by the citizens of Pensacola. From great singers to talented actors, musicians to magicians, even hula-hoopers and jugglers, we've seen so many unique and creative performances over the years and can't wait to see more this year." Performance slots are limited, and all interested participants must call the Blue Wahoos at 934-8444 in advance to register for free.

WOMEN OF COURAGE The Gulf Coast

Citizen Diplomacy Council and the Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida will host a luncheon to meet the 2019 International Woman of Courage at their 6th Annual Celebration of Women of Courage on Wednesday, March 13, at The Wright Place at First United Methodist Church, 80 E. Wright St. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. The program starts at noon. Now in its 13th year, the U. S. Secretary of State's International Women of Courage award annually recognizes women around the globe who have demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women's empowerment, often at significant personal risk and sacrifice. Since the inception of this award, the State Department has honored more than 120 women from more than 65 countries. This year, 10 awardees will travel to different U.S. cities after the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., and one will come to Pensacola. Tickets are $15 and include lunch. For more details, visit iwpflorida.org.

WHAT: "Environmental Justice: What, Why, You." WHEN: Monday, March 11, 2019 beginning at 6:00 p.m. WHERE: Ever' man Educational Center, 327 West Garden Street WHO: Join us in welcoming Wilma Subra, environmental scientist and advocate, as our guest speaker for Earth Ethics Environmental Education Series. Ms. Subra will discuss Environmental Justice issues in our community and across the state and nation. She'll also discuss what EJ is, why it matters, and what we can do where we live. She worked for approximately 14-years at the Gulf South Research Institute. She founded the Subra Company in May 1981 to help people facing problems because of environmental health issues. Subra served for seven years as vice-chair of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology, for six years on the EPA's National Environmental Justice Advisory Council, and for five years on the National Advisory Committee of the US Representative to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. She appeared in the 2010 documentary Gasland. Stay up to date on the event or to RSVP at the Facebook event: www.facebook.com/events/232132007664095/?ti=icl

Or get your free event tickets from Eventbrite:

www.eventbrite.com/e/environmental-justice-what-why-you-tickets-55436381710 Earth Ethics, Inc. is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt organization created to engage, empower, & encourage public involvement towards positive resolutions with regards to environmental & social issues. Earth Action, the legislative and advocacy arm of Earth Ethics, is a 501 (c) (4) organization.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP The Escambia

County Waste Services Department will host a Regional Roundup on 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, March 9, at Bailey Middle School, 4110 Bauer Road. Regional Roundup events provide an opportunity to properly dispose of electronics, household hazardous waste and up to four tires per vehicle free of charge. Proof of Escambia County residency is required to participate in Regional Roundup, such as a driver's license, power bill or voter registration card. This is a residential drop-off program only; no commercial waste accepted. Simply drive up, and materials will be unloaded for you. For more information, contact the Escambia County Waste Services Department at 937-2160 or wasteservices@myescambia.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS Residents in the Brentwood area will have the opportunity to dispose of yard debris and other items free of charge Wednesday, March 13, during the Brentwood Neighborhood Cleanup in District 3. Only residents in the designated cleanup area can participate in the neighborhood cleanup. Items left at the curb outside of the cleanup area will not be collected. The general cleanup areas are south of W. Michigan Ave., North of W. Fairfield Dr., east of N. W St. and West of N. Palafox St. For more details, visit myescambia.com/cleanup. {in} 11

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inweekly.net

Report Provides Roadmap By Jeremy Morrison

At the end of the last meeting of Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson's transition team held March 4, Chairman Quint Studer asked members to score the meeting. And just as they have at each of its meetings over the past three months, members replied with enthusiastic 10s. Except for Mayor Robinson. He was exceptionally pleased, as the team had just handed in its final report. "I'm going to go with Spinal Tap: 11," the mayor said, referencing the 1980s mockrockumentary about a fictional metal band. The mayor got an early peek at the team's report on Friday, before its official Monday release. In it, the group outlined what it considered to be the city's most significant needs, opportunities, assets and risks, as well as what it felt were areas on which Robinson's administration needed to focus. "The mayor sent me a note Friday night that said, 'Wow,'" laughed Studer, following the report's release. The chairman had already expressed earlier during the team meeting how impressed he was—"I was blown away over the weekend when I was reading this entire report"—but also noted his initial skepticism when Robinson asked him to head up the transition team process. March 7, 2019

"My thought was, 'Do you really need one?'" Studer recalled. Through completing its deep dive on municipal operations and relationships, the chairman said he came to understand how beneficial the process was going to be and how the team's work represents a valuable roadmap for the mayor and the city. As he noted in the report's opening pages, he quickly realized that the "transition team exercise would create a robust community conversation and result in an influx of innovative and fresh ideas for making our community better and stronger."

"I think our report will keep Mayor Robinson busy through his first term." Quint Studer "I think our report will keep Mayor Robinson busy through his first term," Studer said. When Robinson first took office last November and tasked the team with assessing the city and offering recommendations, he was looking for both the readily realistic and ambitious. It appears the roadmap he's been handed hit its mark. "I thought we would come up with

some good ideas. I did not know we'd come up with this," Mayor Robinson thanked the transition team. "It energizes me when I look at this report and see how it can help move the city forward."

The Plan for Pensacola

When Mayor Robinson assembled his transition team, he appointed 11 members, each tasked with a specific field of study. While the report delves into the landscape and logistics of each category, the spirit of the document is encapsulated early on in Chairman Studer's opening summary. Studer is explicitly addressing the need for the city to have a formal strategic plan, but undercurrents of this observation can be felt throughout the report's 86 pages— "No plan ... means a city is more likely to be reactive versus proactive." Three months into office, Mayor Robinson has begun to tackle some of the items addressed in his team's report. He has already started to address some staffing issues and reshuffled the city's organizational chart. Other items in the report, such as plans to conduct an employee culture survey, are currently on the soon-to-do list. While still others—like setting a 100-percent-by-2040 renewable energy goal—are considered shoot-for-the-stars ambitious.

Key takeaways from the report include calls for a vision statement and an emphasis on creating safer streets for pedestrians. The document is divided up into sections, each representative of the following categories: crime and safety, economic development, education, environment, finance, governance, governmental efficiency, legal, neighborhoods, traffic and walkability, transparency. One area receiving attention from Robinson already is that of walkability. Citing accidents involving pedestrians as the area's most significant safety concern, the mayor has identified the issue as one of his top areas of focus. In late February, he announced plans to hire someone to oversee the city's Complete Streets efforts, which involves rethinking streets with nonvehicular traffic in mind. Drew Buchanan, who worked on walkability issues for the team, described how the Pensacola area has been identified as the most dangerous for pedestrians. The city is, he pointed out, the worst area in the worst state for such measurements. "I'll let that sink in," Buchanan said. In addition to focusing on implementing Complete Streets concepts, Buchanan also recommended creating a position within the city to oversee bike and pedestrian issues, working to improve downtown 13

STRONG MAYOR 2.0

Courtesy Photo

parking issues and also developing a network of regional bikeways. Buchanan's category offers a prime example of how various categories on the transition team overlapped in scope and observations. Sidewalks and street lights, which fall within walkability for instance, also pertain to issues in areas like crime and safety, the environment, neighborhood and even education. "A lot of common themes," noted Michelle Salzman, who studied the issue of education for the team. On the education front, an issue which the city does not play a direct hand in, Salzman recommended the city engage regional partners, like Escambia County and the Escambia County School District, in creating a committee to tackle educational issues facing the community. She also suggested implementing a program which encourages city employees to mentor local students. Where economic development is concerned, Brian Wyer recommended adopting the so-called Covenant for the Community, which requires the city to hire 70 percent local workers on public construction projects. Other recommendations focused on improving the city's economic development outreach efforts as well as better defining how the city should approach economic development and measure its successes in that area. 414 1

"Make sure we're on the same page on what economic development really is," Wyer said. Some of the report's categories pertained to more internal matters, such as governance structure and efficiency. Other categories dealt with more external concerns, essentially assessing the city's interactions with its citizens. One of the cornerstones of Mayor Robinson's campaign last year was a promise to engage the city's various neighborhood organizations better. Rev. Dr. Isaac Williams, who looked into the issue for the transition team, found a receptive audience in the city's neighborhoods. "I discovered the citizens are passionate and proud of their neighborhoods in the city of Pensacola," Williams said.

"I discovered the citizens are passionate and proud of their neighborhoods in the city of Pensacola." Isaac Williams As the city continues to see development spread westward, Williams stressed, officials should be careful to safeguard residents currently living in areas ripe for expansion against the threat of gentrifica-

tion "and the impact that it is having on the West side of Pensacola," he said. Christian Wagley, who assessed the city's environmental concerns, identified the top three areas he felt the mayor should focus on as protecting trees, taking action to mitigate the impacts of climate change and addressing walkability concerns. Wagley also proposed stepping up the city's efforts to deal with stormwater issues, particularly the number of employees it has tending to clogged storm drains. "There used to be three crews doing that," he said. "Now there's only one." Team member David Peaden noted that categories such as his—governmental efficiency—were "pretty boring." Even so, recommendations in such a dry category can be pretty juicy. Peaden, for example, has suggested evaluating the city's current slate of boards and committees, with an eye toward slashing any found to be outdated or unhelpful—"Some of them have outlived their usefulness." And Bruce Vredenburg, who dug into the city's finances, offered up some routine recommendations—such as establishing staff succession plans—but also some more controversial ones—like making the city's current windfall of Local Option Sales Tax a permanent source of income instead of risking losing it on the whim of referendum voters. "That constitutes a pretty significant risk for our city," Vredenburg said of possibly losing LOST income. In addition to the team's work, Chairman Studer, who has a consulting background performing similar assessments for corporations, suggested that Robinson consider hiring government consultants to perform deeper dives into financial and technical areas of city operations. In such areas, he felt his team of volunteers could dig only so far due to limited experience and access to information. "I think things like compensation, productivity and best practices were areas we were limited in because of our lack of experience in government operations," Studer said. In closing out his team's tenure, Studer urged city officials to act upon the work contained in the transition report. Without any action, the team's report will be rendered worthless. "Its true value," the chairman said, "will be implementation. Otherwise, it's just another document collecting dust."

Zen and the Art of Municipal Maintenance

Upon digesting his transition team's final report, Mayor Robinson told Chairman Studer it made him feel "consciously incompetent." This realization is a good thing, he said, because it's a step toward something much better.

"That's OK," Robinson said. "The part is to realize we will eventually get competency as we move forward. The goal is, as Quint says, to eventually get to where we're unconsciously competent."

"That's OK. The part is to realize we will eventually get competency as we move forward. The goal is, as Quint says, to eventually get to where we're unconsciously competent." Grover Robinson That is where the mayor is hoping the roadmap provided by his transition team will lead the city, to being "unconsciously competent." "If we do it, and we do the right thing without even having to think about it, that's what we want to be doing," Robinson explained during a question-and-answer session with local media following the report's release. And while elements of the report are rather ambitious, not to mention expensive, both Robinson and Studer said they were confident the city was up to the challenge. "It's doable," said Studer. "Some of its prioritization, some of it's going to cost, and you've got to figure out how to make that happen. But I don't think there was anything ultimately so unrealistic that people say, 'Oh, we can never do that. That's impossible.' I think it's all within the realm of work for our organization." But Robinson cautioned the recommendations contained in his transition team's report wouldn't be accomplished overnight. Even the low-hanging fruit will take some effort to pick from the proverbial trees, and more ambitious items will take much longer. "We can do all the things that are in there," Robinson said. "I think the challenge will be we can't do all of them at one time, tomorrow." Studer said he viewed the report as a longterm document, a viable resource beyond the current administration. In fact, he stressed, it was important for the city to adopt a longrange vision independent of who the mayor happens to be at a given moment. "This report is meant to outlast Mayor Robinson, whether he's here eight years or 12 years," Studer said. Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers told the mayor and his transition team she was glad to see the city begin to address some of the items outlined in the report. Among them are recommendations concerning issues she has long championed, such as walkability. "I'm feeling good, I'll tell you that much. I read this report last night. It's really uplifting; I'd give it an A-plus," Myers said after the report's formal unveiling at Pensacola City Hall. "I'm just sitting back there saying, 'Hallelujah! Thank you, Jesus!'" inweekly.net

STRONG MAYOR 2.0 Transition Report Recommendations By Inweekly staff

waterfront spaces from the Bay Bridge to the West Side is one of the biggest opportunities for improvement. Fortunately, these are challenges and opportunities that play into Mayor Robinson's unique skill set developed from his personal experience in real estate and in 12 years as a county commissioner. His experience can pay huge dividends for our community as it moves forward." He added, "The above data points demonstrate continued forward movement in improving quality of life for residents of the city as well as all residents of Escambia County. This report aims to make recommendations and propose action steps which are geared towards building on the community's existing momentum and finding ways to make Pensacola even better." The full report is available at transitionpensacola.com. Here are the recommendations:

EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW

CHAIRMAN: QUINT STUDER, STUDER COMMUNITY INSTITUTE

The Mayoral Transition Team / Photo by Jeremy Morrison

Three months ago, Mayor Grover Robinson tasked a dozen community leaders to review 11 areas of city governance and provide recommendations for both immediate and long-term goals that will help his transition into the mayor's office. The transition team delivered its 84page report on Monday, March 4. Over 900 citizens provided input during the process. In his letter to the citizens that accompanied the report, Mayor Robinson wrote, "With this report, I believe the city has more than a simple list of suggestions but a true strategic plan that will allow my administration to make each and every part of our community better. Towards that end, I look forward to working with you over the next four years. Thank you again for the opportunity to serve." In the report, Transition Team chair Quint Studer admitted he had his doubts about the process but came to appreciate why the mayor wanted the transition team.

would create a robust community conversation and result in an influx of innovative and fresh ideas for making our community better and stronger," he wrote in the report. "As a candidate, Mayor Robinson pledged to be more engaged in the community— this transition exercise is evidence that he is making good on that pledge." Studer shared in the report's summary four observations based on objective data:

"As a candidate, Mayor Robinson pledged to be more engaged in the community—this transition exercise is evidence that he is making good on that pledge." Studer

1. HEADED IN RIGHT DIRECTION: "The first Mason Dixon Quality of Life Study for the City of Pensacola was completed in 2007. This recurring survey began annually asking the question, is Pensacola moving in the right direction? In that first year of polling, 26 percent of city residents answered affirmatively. The survey has been done every year since 2007. And In 2018, 60 percent of residents who responded indicated the city is moving in the right direction. Perhaps the most important indicator of the overall health of a community—especially a small- to mid-market city—is do people want to live there; i.e., population trends. Since the 2010 census, the City of Pensacola has increased from 51,800 to 54,600 residents, a 5 percent improvement. Similarly, Escambia County has grown from 298,000 residents to 321,000, an increase of 7 percent."

"After completing the transition team process, I now see what the mayor understood when he initiated this process; namely that the transition team exercise

2. IMPROVED TAX BASE: "Financial metrics provide another important benchmark of a community's vibrancy. In a matter of seven years, city-assessed property values

March 7, 2019

increased from $4.6 billion to $5.3 billion, a 19 percent improvement (2010 to 2017). Escambia County taxable sales grew from $2.69 billion to $3.63 billion (2017), a 34.9 percent increase. Another critical factor to consider is the property values within the designated Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) areas. From 2010 to 2017, CRA property values grew from $675 million to $918 million in 2017, a 36 percent increase. Furthermore, investment in the CRA areas over the last six years has increased 69 percent." 3. BRIGHT FUTURE FOR JOBS: "In addition, the city is moving forward with several economic development projects, including the transformational "Project Titan" at the Pensacola Airport. When fully built, Project Titan will create over 1,375 new high-wage jobs in the coveted aerospace sector. Pensacola's downtown continues to be a bright spot for the community and the entire region." 4. EXPERTS HIRED TO PLAN NEXT PHASE: "Two other very exciting projects on the horizon are the SCAPE project aimed at creating a better and more accessible waterfront for Pensacola and the West Main Master plan, which will provide a road map on the best way to develop some major property within the city. Both projects are utilizing well-known experts, and the majority of the cost is coming from the private sector. In many ways, the redevelopment of Pensacola's ample public

•Create a mission, vision, values and an employee code of ethics for the City of Pensacola. •Conduct and follow a strategic plan for the City of Pensacola. •Modernize and publicize a city organizational structure. •Create a city dashboard with measurable goals across all departments. •Conduct an employee engagement survey with all city employees. •Strive to unify the mayor's office and city council in a working relationship and messaging from city hall. •Invest and budget for training and development of city employees.

PUBLIC SAFETY

PILLAR LEADER: CONNIE BOOKMAN, PATHWAYS FOR CHANGE •Make a dedicated investment in training and development of first responders. •Complete a comprehensive compensation, equipment and staff level study. •Create a committee to address panhandling with a solution by June 15. 15

STRONG MAYOR 2.0 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

PILLAR LEADER: BRIAN WYER, GULF COAST MINORITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE •Adopt the covenant for the community. •Increase awareness of the city's "OneStop Development" meeting that currently takes place. •Clearly define the functions of the city's Economic Development department. •Create an objective measurement protocol for Economic Development. •Create monthly startup fairs for local businesses.

EDUCATION

• Color and Bifocal Contact Lenses • True Tear Dry Eye Treatments & Lipiﬂow Dry Eye Treatments • Eyelash Lengthening • Luxury & Exclusive Eyeglasses & Sunglasses

113 Palafox Place

ENVIRONMENT

PILLAR LEADER: CHRISTIAN WAGLEY, GULF RESTORATION NETWORK •Plant more street trees, specifically targeting the city's west side.

GOVERNANCE

•Create an office/department for neighborhoods.

PILLAR LEADER: KRISTIE TOBIAS, HURON HEALTHCARE •Accountability: Create city-wide mission, vision and values that drive a more deliberate culture. Create standards of behavior that align with the mission, vision and values.

•Performance Management: Create a consistent disciplinary process and implement the Korn Ferry Hay compensation analysis. •Reward and Recognition: Expand recognition programs to be more department specific, institute incentives through performancebased bonuses and review current benefit plan against competitive options.

GOVERNMENTAL EFFICIENCY

PILLAR LEADER: DAVID PEADEN, HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF WEST FLORIDA

•Open key community centers on weekends. •Increase police presence in neighborhoods. •Improve neighborhood infrastructure (flooding/lighting/reduce speeding).

TRAFFIC & WALKABILITY

PILLAR LEADER: DREW BUCHANAN, THE PULSE •Adopt complete streets. •Improve the user experience of parking. •Create a position solely responsible for bike/pedestrian safety. •Formulate the Pensacola Bicycle Blueprint. •Make walkability and livability a regional effort.

TRANSPARENCY

PILLAR LEADER: SENA MADDISON, FLORIDAWEST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE

•Implement a user-friendly software program.

•Separate and create two clear, defined roles for Public Information and Public Affairs.

•Streamline inconsistencies in the land development code.

•Trust our city department leaders to share expertise.

•Complete a greenhouse gas inventory of city operations.

•Implement a tracking system and upgraded tech for inspection services.

•Mandatory public records training for city staff.

•Set an aggressive renewable energy goal for Pensacola.

•Evaluation of current city boards and term limits.

•Website upgrades. {in}

•Form an additional crew to clean stormwater inlets.

LEGAL

•Create form-based standards for key commercial areas to create more environmentally-friendly spaces.

FINANCE

PILLAR LEADER: BRUCE VREDENBURG, HANCOCK WHITNEY BANK •Engage open discussion about the budget with city council, city employees and citizens.

(850) 434-2060

•Create a succession plan for seasoned city finance employees.

616 1

NEIGHBORHOODS

PILLAR LEADER: REV. DR. ISAAC WILLIAMS, GREATER TRUE VINE BAPTIST CHURCH

•Engagement: Implement an annual employee engagement survey and provide a leadership academy for emerging, new and seasoned leaders.

•Create a more accessible, consistent and affordable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for nonprofits to the various community centers.

•The Office of the City Attorney should provide appropriate representation for the city in all legal proceedings and should supervise and manage all outside counsel and any special counsel which may be utilized for their specific knowledge and expertise.

•Create a citizen's review committee of the Urban Core CRA District.

•Create an Education Leadership Council for the city, county & school district.

(Across from Saenger Theatre)

Pensacola

•Consider a referendum to permanently maintain the local option sales tax.

•Collaborative Communication: Implement quarterly leadership and employee forums.

•Create a mentor program for city employees.

Eye Care Needs!

•Evaluate city assets and create a capital improvement plan.

PILLAR LEADER: MICHELLE SALZMAN, ESCAMBIA COUNTY PTA

•Clearer communication about education on city platforms.

For Your Specialty

•Establish goal setting and measurement throughout the organization.

PILLAR LEADER: JULIE SHEPPARD, FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN AND MACHINE COGNITION •Independence and adequate staffing/ funding for our city's legal needs. •The City Attorney's Office should provide legal counsel to executive mayor, city council, city boards and commissions, city departments and city enterprises. inweekly.net

WEEK OF MARCH 7-13

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

New Orleans rapper Alfred Banks is on the 'Road to Rolex' By Savannah Evanoff

Alfred Banks / Photo by Ingrid Nicole

Alfred Banks doesn't need a Rolex to tell time. The hands of his future timepiece will read a different, more ambiguous unit to measure — success. The New Orleans rapper released his latest EP, "Road to Rolex," on March 3, and it explains his relationship with money. The concept stems from a young Banks seeing his grandfather wear a Rolex watch. "I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet," Banks said. "Throughout the years, I always said to myself I wanted to get one. The Rolex is a metaphor. It's for me to get to that place I want to financially so I can afford to get one, and it won't even hurt me. It's that path, that grind to become successful … the day I get that Rolex March 7, 2019

will be a symbol that I got where I wanted to be, and I got what I consider success." Banks' road to success isn't without construction. Banks was homeless his sophomore year at Loyola University. "My mom came home and said we were getting evicted and said, 'Do you have somewhere to stay?'" Banks said. "I was like, 'Yeah, I have somewhere to stay.' I didn't have anywhere to stay. I just didn't want to worry my mom." Banks stashed his possessions in a storage unit and crashed on friends' couches until the yeses turned into nos. Over time, he hustled his way into his own crib. Later on, Banks' father died, and his brother, Orlandas, committed suicide. It awakened Banks to the issue of mental health, he said.

wrong … it's OK to grind. It's OK to work. It's "I'm black and I'm from an AfricanOK to struggle." American family where mental health The South doesn't breed the same opporwasn't a thing," Banks said. "If you had tunities as other regions, Banks said. Growing issues, you prayed on it." up in New Orleans is what instilled in him a Banks didn't know anything about mental sense of self-sufficiency. health until he found out his brother was "That's what I've learned, too, being struggling with it. No one is immune. an independent artist traveling the world, "He was one of the strongest people doing it on my own," Banks said. "I do a lot I knew," Banks said. "He went to the Maof tours by myself. I'm doing six-, seven-, rines—17 years old, skinny guy. Came out 10-city runs in the car by myself." with 50 pounds of muscle—swole dude — Banks is proud of growing up in New and it struck him. It taught me that anyone Orleans. The city was as loving as his family. can go through it." "New Orleans is a city unlike any place Banks put the pain into his music and reelse because of the culture," Banks said. leased an album about mental health aware"We have a loving, homey culture here … ness, "The Beautiful." He plans to speak and People know us for Katrina, Mardi Gras perform at mental health conventions. and jazz music … and beignets—Café Du "I was so blind to it," Banks said. "It taught Monde. There's so many other things here me millions of people go through it. It's OK. that are so much more interesting." It shouldn't be a taboo thing. We should talk "Our city started jazz, which is basically about it. We should open the conversation. In my music, I'm always about opening conversa- the great grandfather of hip-hop." New Orleans isn't a hip-hop city, though, he said. tions and starting dialogue." "I had to get it out of the mud," Banks Banks wanted to lighten up the mood said. "I had to force people and be like, 'I'm of his music with "Road to Rolex." It's a gonna be here for a while, and I actually do soundtrack for people pounding the pavethis, so check it out.'" ment, he said. Banks is 10 years into his music career, "I wanna create that soundtrack to but, then again, measuring time has never make someone get up and go get somebeen his concern. Booking a larger tour thing," Banks said. "Get up, get off the with Tank and the Bangas, exploring new couch, get out of bed and go work. Kinda markets and returning to familiar ones on a hear my story and where I come from and bigger stage is his way of clearing his wrist what I went through from being homeless for a timepiece that makes more than a to losing my brother and my pops and I was fashion statement. still able to pursue it. You can do it, too." "For me, this music thing's been a path," If there is one thing Banks makes clear Banks said. "It's been a journey, and I've with his seven-song EP, it's that he isn't been underground for a long time. I think ashamed to say he wants to make money. He now it's time to take it to that next level. I doesn't think you should be either. want to get a Rolex." {in} "I feel like there's this weird connotation if you want to make money, especially if you're a rapper, like, 'Oh, you just doin' it for the bread,'" Banks said. "That's WHAT: Alfred Banks with Tank and the Bangas, not really the case. I do music Maggie Koerner because without music, I literally WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, March 7 wouldn't be alive. I also can't pay my rent off passion." WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. "I want to break the steCOST: $20 reotype that if you're focused DETAILS: underdogcentral.com or vinylmusichall.com on making money, you're a bad person or your intentions are

ALFRED BANKS

calendar WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12

plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us PENSACOLA GOSPEL MUSIC NIGHTS 6-9 p.m. Family Baptist Church, 5454 Mobile Highway. APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION: TRIBUTE TO GUNS N' ROSES 7 p.m. $12-$15. Vinyl Music

Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com DANCE PARTY 7 p.m.-midnight. $10 workshop, $10 party. One-hour workshop followed by a mix of swing, country and ballroom music. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftstudios.com MUSIC UNDER THE STARS WITH JOHN HART 7-9 p.m. $10-$12. From the Ground

Up Community Garden, 501 N. Hayne St. fromthegroundupgardenpensacola.com

ICE FLYERS VS. ROANOKE RAIL YARD DOGS

7:05 p.m. $15 and up. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 6 7:30 p.m.

Pre-concert discussion at 6:30 p.m. in the Saenger lobby. $23 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com PUBLIC ICE SKATE 9:30 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

STRFKR / Photo by Erika Reinsel

THURSDAY 3.7

Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

nity Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org LA LECHE LEAGUE 10 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com ATLAS BEVERAGE CLASS 5 and 7 p.m. $20. Atlas Oyster House, 600 S, Barracks St. greatsouthernrestaurant.com AWM WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. facebook.com/ aragonwine RADIOLIVE 6 p.m. $10. Tom Feldmann, Flagship Romance, Nikki Talley and Paul & Lezlee. Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. radiolive.org MEDITATION AND ENERGY HEALING 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org

FRIDAY 3.8

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

HANDS-ON COOKING: CAST IRON FILET MIGNON AND BLACKENED SHRIMP 6-8

p.m. $64.50. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com HOME BUTCHER COOKS: BASICS OF FISH 6 p.m. $39. Pensacola Cooks Kitchen, 3670 Barrancas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com 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 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 DWIGHT YOAKAM 7 p.m. $52 and up. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com TANK AND THE BANGAS 7 p.m. $20. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com OLD DOMINION 7:30 p.m. $35-$66. 818 1

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

Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com

EVER'MAN COOKS: WITH THE BACKYARD BOHEMIAN 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org HAPPY HOUR COOKOUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com GARDEN AND GRAIN CRAFT CLUB 5 p.m. Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco 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 BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME 6:30 p.m. $20-$23. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Café Single Fin, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/cafesinglefin THE VELVETEEN RABBIT 7:30 p.m. $31. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com ICE FLYERS VS. ROANOKE RAIL YARD DOGS

7:35 p.m. $15 and up. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com PRECUBED DJ SET 8 p.m. chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. facebook.com/chizukopensacola PUBLIC ICE SKATE 10 p.m. $9-$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com

SATURDAY 3.9

PARKRUN/WALK MEETUP 7:30 a.m. University

of West Florida, Rec Plex North Field, 11000 University Parkway. parkrun.us/recplexnorth 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 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. Scenic Highway. Bay Bluffs at Summit and Scenic and Chimney Park at Langley and Scenic. oceanhourfl.com MCGUIRE'S PREDICTION 5K RUN 9 a.m. McGuire's Irish Pub, 600 E Gregory St. mcguiresirishpub.com PENSACOLA'S GOT TALENT 9 a.m.-noon. Individuals and groups audition to sing National Anthem at a Blue Wahoos game in 2019. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com EVER'MAN COOKS: DEBBY'S KITCHEN 10-11 a.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org "SPRING INTO LOVE" MEGA ADOPTION EVENT 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pensacola Fair-

grounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. Over 20 rescue organizations will be participating, raffle prizes from local vendors and petrelated merchandise for purchase. COMPUTER BASICS Noon. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.com CRAWFISH FOR A CAUSE Noon-7 p.m. $20. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. crawfishforacause.com PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 6 DRESS REHEARSAL 1:30 p.m. $5. Saenger Theatre,

118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

THE PROS AND CONS OF A KETOGENIC DIET

2-4 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org THE VELVETEEN RABBIT 3 p.m. $31. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com

SUNDAY 3.10

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 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 PUBLIC ICE SKATE 1:30, 3 and 4:30 p.m. $9$12. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com BALLET AND BBQ 2-4 p.m. $25 and up. Sanders Beach Community Center, 913 S. I St. 850tix. com/events/ballet-bbq-sunday-funday THE VELVETEEN RABBIT 3 p.m. $31. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com VEGAN AND VINO SUNDAYS 4-7 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox 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

MONDAY 3.11

RESUME HELP 11 a.m. Molino Branch Li-

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

PILATES MAT 1:30 p.m. Free. Ever'man

Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CULTURES COOK: EVERYTHING CHEESE 6 p.m. $39. Pensacola Cooks Kitchen, 3670 Barraninweekly.net

calendar cas Ave. pensacolacooks.rezclick.com SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS 6 p.m. Runners meet in front of Seville Quarter for a run around downtown Pensacola. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com EARTH ETHICS 6 p.m. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org HIP-HOP & CONTEMPORARY DANCE CLASSES 8-9 p.m. $5. Learn amazing moves from

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

TUESDAY 3.12

YOGA WITHIN REACH 9-10 a.m. Free. Community Health Northwest Florida, 2315 W. Jackson St., Room A. healthcarewithinreach.org JOHN APPLEYARD TALK: PENSACOLA'S BRITISH HISTORY 9 a.m. Pensacola Visitor

Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. POP-UP OPERA 1:45 p.m. Pensacola Visitor Information Center, 1401 E. Gregory St. TRYON FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 4 p.m. Tryon Branch Library, 1200 Langley Ave. mywfpl.com COMPLIMENTARY WINE TASTING 4-6 p.m. So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com VINO MAGNIFICO 5:30 p.m. $12 per person. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com WALKING CEMETERY TOURS 5:30 p.m. $12 plus tax. St. John's Historic Cemetery, 301 N. G St. goretro.us HANDS-ON COOKING: GUINNESS STEW AND IRISH SODA BREAD 6-8 p.m. $64.50.

So Gourmet, 407-D S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com FUNKY YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever'man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org MOLINO MELODIES 6 p.m. Learn to play

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

OPEN STUDIO: MARBLE PAPER 11:30

a.m.-3:30 p.m. March 9. $6, free for PMA members. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥Current Exhibits INSIDE OUT: THE PEOPLE'S ART PROJECT At Jefferson St.

and Main St. pensacolamuseum.org

ARCHITECTURE FOR TRAVELERS On view

through March. Pensacola Museum March 7, 2019

of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org CASITA On view through March. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org GESCHE WÜRFEL: WHAT REMAINS OF THE DAY- MEMORIES OF WORLD WAR II On view

through March 17. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org ADORN On view through March 23. Blue Morning Gallery, 21 S. Palafox. bluemorninggallery. com AUBREY BEARDSLEY

On view through May 5. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

ART BY DIANE

mountain dulcimer. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A PAINT PARTY AT THE BREWERY 6:30 p.m. Perfect Plain Brew Co., 50 E. Garden St. facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco 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 BUCKETHEAD 7 p.m. $25-$30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com COMEDY NIGHT 7 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile Road. swanneckwinery.com

WEDNESDAY 3.13

BODACIOUS BREAK: SUNRISE FITNESS 6:15 a.m. $10. 511 S. Palafox. sogourmetpensacola.com ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP Noon. Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. mywfpl.com ONE-ON-ONE TECH HELP 3 p.m. Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. mywfpl.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 STRFKR 7 p.m. $20-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com FREE DANCE LESSONS 8-8:30 p.m. Free. Beginner West Coast swing dance lesson. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola S. Blvd. dancecraftfl.com BRIM AND KATHY BREAZEALE On view

through May 12. Luna Fine Art Gallery, Hilton Pensacola Beach, 12 Via de Luna Drive. lunafineartgallery.com DOCUFLORIDA II

On view through May 17. T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Florida State Museum, 330 S. Jefferson St. historicpensacola.org BEAUTY IN USE: CELEBRATING JAPANESE CULTURAL TRADITIONS On

view through June 27. Lamar Studio Switzer Center, Pensacola State College, 1000 College Blvd. pensacolastate.edu

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 19

calendar 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 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 nonmembers. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

CLAY SCULPTURE

Six-week workshops

020 2

held Saturdays 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.

≥Call for Artists

65TH ANNUAL MEMBERS OF PMA JURIED EXHIBITION

The UWF Pensacola Museum of Art invites artists, makers, designers and creative thinkers from our member community to submit artworks to MoPMA 2019 for the 65th Annual Members of PMA Juried Exhibition. This exhibition seeks to generate community dialogue, foster creative expression and thought and recognize the support of our mem-

ber community. MoPMA 2019 is the 65th Annual Members of PMA Exhibition and is open to PMA members working in all media and subject matter. You may become a member when you enter. Submissions due by March 7, 2019, at midnight. Selected artists will be notified via email indicating which artwork was chosen by March 11, 2019. Selected artwork drop-off, March 19 and 20, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Opening reception and awards ceremony will be April 5, 6-8 p.m. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org. GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL LOOKING FOR EMERGING ARTISTS

Applications are open for the GGAF

Emerging Artists program. This program, developed in partnership with Artel Gallery, gives new artists a chance to be a part of the Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival and offers them guidance on what is involved in being in an arts festival. Applications are open to artists who have limited experience participating in arts festivals and are residents of Escambia or Santa Rosa Counties. Two artists will be chosen to participate in this year's festival. GGAF will waive fees for the two artists and will provide a booth and mentor to help guide them through the process. For more information and an application, visit ggaf. org. The GGAF is

Nov. 1, 2 and 3, 2019, in Seville Square.

Bars & Nightlife

≥Live Music

THURSDAY 3.7 JOHN RIPLEY 6-9

p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox. BILLY HOWELL 6:30 p.m. The District Steakhouse, 123 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com MASON HENDERSON

7 p.m. Hub Stacey's 312 E. Government St. hubstaceys.com OPEN COLLEGE JAM WITH MIKE BOCCIA

7:30 p.m. Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road.

DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O' Grady's Dueling Piano Show. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com OPEN MIC/JAM

8-11 p.m. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. Use our instruments or bring your own. A/V CLUB 8 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com JOEY COLLINS AND SEEKING SHADE

9 p.m. End O' the Alley Courtyard, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

FRIDAY 3.8

LIVE JAZZ WITH JOE OCCHIPINTI Noon.

The Drowsy Poet Coffee Co., 655 Pensacola Beach Blvd. LIVE MUSIC Noon. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com MIKE QUINN 5 p.m. End O' The Alley, Seville Courtyard, 130 E. Government St, sevillequarter.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. Peg Leg Pete's, 1010

Fort Pickens Road. peglegpetes.com LIVE MUSIC 6 p.m. The Deck Bar, 600 S. Barracks St. ADMIRAL'S CLUB PIANO PLAYER 6

p.m. The District Steakhouse, 123 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com LIVE MUSIC 6-9 p.m. V. Paul's Italian Ristorante, 29 S. Palafox. vpauls.com JIM ANDREWS 6:30 p.m. The District, 123 E. Government St. districtsteaks.com AL MARTIN 6:30 p.m. Doc's Courtyard and Cafe, 5198 Willing St., Milton. JOHN RIPLEY 7-10 p.m. Skopelos at New World, 600 S. Palafox. LIVE MUSIC 7:30 p.m. Swan Neck Meadery, 2115 W. Nine Mile

Road. swanneckwinery.com MIKE BOCCIA 7:45 p.m. Goat Lips Chew and Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. DUELING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O' Grady's Dueling Piano Show. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com MIKE & FRIENDS 8 p.m.-midnight. Goat Lips Brewhouse, 2811 Copter Road. CRISITI DEES 8 p.m. Hub Stacey's 312 E. Government St. hubstaceys.com BUZZCUTT 9 p.m. Sandshaker Lounge, 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd. sandshaker.com LIVE MUSIC 9 p.m. Lili Marlene's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com

for more listings visit inweekly.net

inweekly.net

March 7, 2019

free will astrology Week of March 7 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Genius inventor Thomas Edison rebelled against sleep, which he regarded as wasteful. He tried to limit his time in bed to four hours per night so he would have more time to work during his waking hours. Genius scientist Albert Einstein had a different approach. He preferred 10 hours of sleep per night and liked to steal naps during the day, too. In my astrological opinion, Aries, you're in a phase when it makes more sense to imitate Einstein than Edison. Important learning and transformation are happening in your dreams. Give your nightly adventures maximum opportunity to work their magic in your behalf. TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): The Danish flag has a red background emblazoned with an asymmetrical white cross. It was a national symbol of power as early as the 14th century and may have first emerged during a critical military struggle that established the Danish empire in 1219. No other country in the world has a flag with such an ancient origin. But if Denmark's Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, who's a Taurus, came to me and asked me for advice, I would urge him to break with custom and design a new flag—maybe something with a spiral rainbow or a psychedelic tree. I'll suggest an even more expansive idea to you, Taurus—create fresh traditions in every area of your life!

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): On June 7,

1988, Gemini musician Bob Dylan launched what has come to be known as the Never Ending Tour. It's still going. In the past 30plus years, he has performed almost 3,000 shows on every continent except Antarctica. In 2018 alone, at the age of 77, he did 84 gigs. He's living proof that not every Gemini is flaky and averse to commitment. Even if you yourself have flirted with flightiness in the past, I doubt you will do so in the next five weeks. On the contrary, I expect you'll be a paragon of persistence, doggedness and stamina.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): The ot-

By Rob Brezsny

ters at a marine park in Miura City, Japan, are friendly to human visitors. There are holes in the glass walls of their enclosures through which they reach out to shake people's hands with their webbed paws. I think you need experiences akin to that in the coming weeks. Your mental and spiritual health will thrive to the degree that you seek closer contact with animals. It's a favorable time to nurture your instinctual intelligence and absorb influences from the natural world. For extra credit, tune in to and celebrate your own animal qualities.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Between 1977

and 1992, civil war raged in Mozambique. Combatants planted thousands of land mines that have remained dangerous long after the conflict ended. In recent years, a new ally has emerged in the quest to address the problem—rats that are trained to find the hidden explosives so that human colleagues can defuse them. The expert sniffers don't weigh enough to detonate the mines, so they're ideal to play the role of saviors. I foresee a metaphorically comparable development in your future, Leo. You'll get help and support from a surprising or seemingly unlikely source.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Imagine a

stairway that leads nowhere; as you ascend, you realize that at the top is not a door or a hallway, but a wall. I suspect that lately you may have been dealing with a metaphorical version of an anomaly like this. But I also predict that in the coming weeks, some magic will transpire that will change everything. It's like you'll find a button on the wall that when pushed opens a previously imperceptible door. Somehow, you'll gain entrance through an apparent obstruction.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Not all of the classic works of great literature are entertaining. According to one survey of editors, writers and librarians, Goethe's "Faust," Melville's "Moby Dick" and Cervantes' "Don Quixote" are among the most boring masterpieces ever written. But most experts agree that they're still valuable to read. In that spirit, and in accordance with astrological omens, I urge you to commune with other dull but meaningful

things. Seek out low-key but rich offerings. Be aware that unexciting people and situations may offer clues and catalysts that you need.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Many of

you Scorpios regard secrecy as a skill worth cultivating. It serves your urge to gather and manage power. You're aware that information is a valuable commodity, so you guard it carefully and share it sparingly. This predilection sometimes makes you seem understated, even shy. Your hesitancy to express too much of your knowledge and feelings may influence people to underestimate the intensity that seethes within you. Having said all that, I'll now predict that you'll show the world who you are with more dazzle and flamboyance in the coming weeks. It'll be interesting to see how you do that as you also try to heed your rule that information is power.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

Sagittarian actress and producer Deborra-Lee Furness has been married to megastar actor Hugh Jackman for 23 years. Their wedding rings are inscribed with a motto that blends Sanskrit and English, "Om paramar to the mainamar." Hugh and Deborah-Lee say it means, "We dedicate our union to a greater source." In resonance with current astrological omens, I invite you to engage in a similar gesture with an important person in your life. Now is a marvelous time to deepen and sanctify your relationship by pledging yourselves to a higher purpose or beautiful collaboration or sublime mutual quest.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): In 1997,

a supercomputer named Deep Blue won six chess matches against Chess Grand Master Gary Kasparov. In 2016, an Artificial Intelligence called AlphaGo squared off against human champion Lee Sodol in a best-of-five series of the Chinese board game Go. AlphaGo crushed Sodol, four games to one. But there is at least one cerebral game in which human intelligence still reigns supreme—the card game known as bridge. No AI has as yet beat the best bridge players. I bring this to your attention, Capricorn, because I am sure that in the coming weeks, no AI could out-think and out-strategize you as you navigate your way through life's tests and challenges. You'll be smarter than

ever. P.S. I'm guessing your acumen will be extra soulful, as well.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): At regular

intervals, a hot stream of boiling water shoots up out of the earth and into the sky in Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park. It's a geyser called Old Faithful. The steamy surge can reach a height of 185 feet and last for five minutes. When white settlers first discovered this natural phenomenon in the 19th century, some of them used it as a laundry. Between blasts, they'd place their dirty clothes in Old Faithful's aperture. When the scalding flare erupted, it provided all the necessary cleansing. I'd love to see you attempt a metaphorically similar feat, Aquarius—harness a natural force for a practical purpose or a primal power for an earthy task.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Who was the model for Leonardo da Vinci's iconic painting Mona Lisa? Many scholars think it was Italian noblewoman Lisa del Giocondo. Leonardo wanted her to feel comfortable during the long hours she sat for him, so he hired musicians to play for her and people with mellifluous voices to read her stories. He built a musical fountain for her to gaze upon and a white Persian cat to cuddle. If it were within my power, I would arrange something similar for you in the coming weeks. Why? Because I'd love to see you be calmed and soothed for a concentrated period of time; to feel perfectly at ease, at home in the world, surrounded by beautiful influences you love. In my opinion, you need and deserve such a break from the everyday frenzy. THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Think of the last person you cursed, if only with a hateful thought if not an actual spell. Now send them a free-hearted blessing.

EATS, DRINKS & SMILES BIG ASS SMILES @THEMAGNOLIAEPH NOW OPEN ON SUNDAYS 222 2

www.radiofreepensacola.com inweekly.net

news of the weird RELIGIOUS RASCALITY Pastor Alph Lukau of Alleluia International Ministries in Johannesburg, South Africa, is facing lawsuits after a stunt in which he appeared to resurrect a dead man on Feb. 24. Sowetan News reported that a video of the incident shows Lukau placing his hands on the man's stomach as he lay in the coffin, when suddenly the man, identified as Elliott, begins to gasp for air and sits up. "Can you see what happened?" Lukau exclaims in the video. "This man died since Friday, he was in the mortuary. ... Devil, I told you wherever I find you I will kick you." Pastor Rochelle Kombou said the hearse driver heard noises coming from the coffin and ran away as soon as they arrived at the church. "I was screaming," she said. "I saw his tongue moving. ... The man of God completed the miracle by praying because prayer is the key." The lawsuits, meanwhile, stem from the misrepresentation of the situation to three funeral parlors, whose services were sought by church officials; a coffin was bought from one and the hearse was hired from another. Prince Mafu, who is representing the funeral homes, said the matter had been reported to the Jeppe police station for further investigation. LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL Christopher Thomas Knox, 37, of Hillsboro, Oregon, thought he was just calling for help when his car became stuck in the snow in Clatsop State Forest on Feb. 15. He didn't count on Clatsop County sheriff's deputies putting two and two together: In the car with Knox was a 13-yearold girl from King County, Washington. He initially introduced her to responding officers as his daughter, but they quickly determined the minor had been lured from her home. The Oregonian reported that Knox had started an online relationship with the girl's mother, and the girl left home without her parents' knowledge or consent. Along the way, Knox allegedly sexually abused her twice, according to the sheriff's office. Knox was arrested for attempted second-degree rape and first-degree custodial interference. PEOPLE WITH ISSUES Volleyball players at the University of Kansas had reported to Lawrence, Kansas, police a number of break-ins over 2017 and 2018, but it was the list of missing items that was most puzzling: swimsuit bottoms, socks, shoes — and many pairs of underwear. After a spring break 2018 incident, police got a lead in the case: Surveillance video captured a suspect vehicle that had a dealership sticker in the window. The Lawrence Journal-World reported that officers worked with the local dealership, which had loaned the car to Skyler N. Yee, 23, while his own car was being serviced. Yee, a volunteer assistant volleyball coach since 2016, was arrested and charged with 15 counts of burglary, property damage and theft after police searched his home in early February, where they found a 40-drawer plastic storage container full of women's underwear, with

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

each drawer labeled with a player's name; six other containers with underwear; and bags containing pink high heels, boots, a sundress and a jumpsuit that victims had reported missing, along with jewelry, sex toys and other items. Yee resigned from his position in mid-January; KU Athletics spokesman Jim Marchiony said, "We have taken precautions to ensure that he is not permitted to be anywhere near the volleyball program." BRIGHT IDEAS Smartmouth Brewing Co. in Norfolk, Virginia, launched a new "magically ridiculous" beer on March 2: Saturday Morning, a limited-edition IPA — with marshmallows. Chris Neikirk, brewery spokesperson, told USA Today the beer is "brewed with in-house toasted marshmallows and bulk dehydrated marshmallow bits. ... It has a soft pillowy body with a slight cereal taste." Smartmouth hopes the beer evokes "nostalgia in adults who remember when ... Saturday mornings were a time that you sat around watching cartoons and playing games," Neikirk added, while warning that the brewery is "not marketing to children." •If you're looking for a creepy weekend getaway, The Gas Station along Texas Highway 304 near Bastrop now offers overnight stays. Why, you say? The old filling station was the setting for the 1974 film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." The Gas Station opened as a restaurant in 2016, serving barbecue and souvenir merchandise to film buffs. Manager Ben Hughes said the Coke machine in the movie is the same one that's now in the restaurant, and they have a van parked outside that's an exact replica of the one in the film. Now, he tells KVUE TV, fans can stay in one of four mini-cabins right behind the restaurant. But Hughes promises the staff won't try to scare you: "We want to make sure that everybody that comes out has a good time ... not just freakin' out or anything like that." UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT On Feb. 13, Nina Harris of Kentucky told her husband, Allan, that she wanted tulips for Valentine's Day. As she explains it: "He wasn't paying attention. He just said, 'Yes, I know.' When I got up, I had my first cup of coffee, and he said, 'Oh, your turnips are here.' And I said, 'Turnips?!'" Nina told WPVI TV. Allan's story is slightly sweeter: "I ... put the turnips in the bucket that says 'I Love You' on it," he said. "I went in there, got her coffee — and here you go!" Allan, who admitted he wasn't really listening when Nina requested tulips, later made it up to her by getting her the flowers AND candy and balloons. {in}

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com March 7, 2019

Crawfish for a Cause

March 9 12 PM – 7 PM Seville Quarter before at $ event event

3 lbs. Crawfish, Corn, Potatoes & Sausage Presented by DEALERSHIPS

Buy Tickets Now

www.crawfishforacause.com PROCEEDS SUPPORT Rally Pensacola is a volunteer advocacy group whose mission is to raise awareness and funds for childhood cancer research. LB0214 Cordova Crawfish ad IN.indd 1

1/30/19 11:24 AM

Independent News | March 7, 2019 | inweekly.net