Oct. 12 2023 Issue

winners & losers winners losers

PENSACOLA Conde Nast Traveler named Pensacola to its "Top 10 Best Small Cities" for 2023 in the 36th Annual Readers' Choice Awards. According to Visit Pensacola, the accolade celebrates what Pensacolians and visitors to the destination have long known that Pensacola is 'The Way to Beach™.' The Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards are the most important awards in the travel industry, celebrating the ultimate destinations worldwide. The annual survey encourages readers to vote on their favorite destinations, celebrating what makes each a special place.

THE GILMORE FAMILY

The Escambia County Farm Bureau named the Gilmores, Ronnie, Debbie, Jacob and Carla, the county's Farm Family Of The Year. Ronnie and Carla have served on various boards, from the Florida Cattlemen's Association to the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association. Since Ronnie and Debbie's retirement, Jacob and Carla have stepped up and represented Escambia County through the Young Farmers and Ranchers leadership program with the Florida Farm Bureau. Carla has served on the 4-H Foundation board and numerous other committees. Jacob is currently on the board of directors for Farm Credit.

PENSACOLA SPORTS Pensacola State College

Athletics recently received $250,000 from Pensacola Sports, the largest donation in PSC athletics history and the lead gift in the PSC Game Plan capital campaign. Announced in September 2022, the Game Plan's goals include updating existing and constructing new facilities, increasing scholarship endowments, and providing general support for PSC Athletics. The capital campaign includes the construction of a top-tier soccer complex on the Pensacola campus, complete with bleachers, concession stand, locker room, press box, scoreboard and other amenities.

ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION Nearly a thousand people participated in the Walk to End Alzheimer's on Sunday, Oct. 1, at Community Maritime Park. On top of a record-breaking crowd, $107,295 was raised for research, care and support for those who have Alzheimer's.

KEVIN MCCARTHY The U.S. House of Representatives made history by voting to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his post by a 216-210 vote. No speaker before McCarthy had ever been removed, and only one other had ever been challenged by a motion to vacate. Speaker Joseph Cannon, an Illinois Republican, defeated a vote against him in 1910. Democrats refused to save McCarthy and were joined by Rep. Matt Gaetz, who made the motion, and a handful of other Republicans to topple the speaker. Gaetz was upset that McCarthy pushed through a continuing resolution to fund the federal government. After the vote, McCarthy defended his leadership. He told the media, "I don't regret standing up for choosing governance over grievance. It is my responsibility; it is my job. I do not regret negotiating."

JENNIFER MCBRIDE A Los Angeles County judge ruled last week that Lady Gaga doesn't owe money to McBride, an accomplice in the 2021 kidnapping of the singer's pet French bulldogs. Last February, McBride filed a lawsuit, claiming Gaga had committed a breach of contract by not honoring her $500,000 "no questions asked" reward for her dogs to be returned. She also sought an additional $1.5 million in damages, but a July order threw out that claim because of McBride's "involvement in the theft." After all, McBride pleaded no contest to receiving stolen property last year.

ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AL.com reported that more than 100 copies of a pre-K teacher training manual from the National Association for the Education of Young Children were found dumped at an Alabama waste recycling plant in May. The plant is located five miles from the offices of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education (ADECE), where its leader, Barbara Cooper, resigned under political pressure because the "anti-woke" crowd and Gov. Kay Ivey were upset about passages encouraging teachers to consider their own biases and their student's cultural backgrounds.

Kevin McCarthy Courtesy Consolidated News Photos / Shutterstock.com

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

FIX VPK

According to the Florida Department of Education, nearly two out of three children enrolled in voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) in Escambia County were kindergarten-ready when they entered public schools last year. However, 0nly a third of those who didn't attend VPK were ready for kindergarten.

In Fall 2022, Escambia County tied for 46th out of 67 Florida counties with a 45% kindergarten readiness rate based on Florida Assessment of Student Thinking scores.

If we want to improve our public schools, the solution is clear—we need the 2,900 children who enroll in kindergarten each year to have a VPK education. After all, the VPK kids are twice as likely to be ready for school on day one.

But Tom St. Myer reported in "A Crisis With A Leader" that our VPK classrooms are below capacity. Early learning centers have hundreds of children on waitlists due to staff shortages.

Early Learning Coalition primarily serves VPK students, which is only at 75% capacity. Head Start is programmed to hand 735 kids between ages 0-5, but classrooms by the dozen are empty with no staff to fill them. Escambia County Public Schools operates 31 Voluntary Pre-kindergarten classrooms in only 16 of its 32 elementary schools. Administrators want more VPK classes but need more funds and staffing.

We know kindergarten readiness is vital because we can track test scores of the grades as they move through the school system. Last year's third grade had half its students reading on or above grade level. When they entered kindergarten two years ago, 48% were ready for school.

Sadly, this isn't a new problem for Escambia County. Without a collaborative approach involving all the agencies and nonprofits professing to care about early learning, we won't ever move the needle and improve our public schools.

In 2007, Judge John Parnham launched Every Child A Reader in Escambia to have all children entering kindergarten in the Escambia County School District ready for school by 2011. Escambia had 25% of its kindergartens ready based on the testing system at the time. Four years later, the percentage slipped to 37%.

By 2010, the third-grade reading scores revealed that 70% were reading at or grade level. United Way of Escambia County announced it would award up to $100,000 to one or more programs to increase the percentage to 100 % by 2018. When 2018 arrived, only half of the third-graders were reading on grade level.

Achieve Escambia came on the scene with funding from Navy Federal Credit Union, Gulf Power, Baptist Health Care, Ascension Sacred Heart and other corporations. Recognizing that children who start behind stay behind, Achieve set a goal of having 60% kindergarten ready by 2020 and 75% prepared by 2025.

Whe n Achieve Escambia fell 11 points short of its 2020 goal, leaders begged off having any responsibility for the failure. Executive Director Kim Krupa told me, "This outcome holds such promise and shows that when we align resources and invest in high-quality early childhood experiences, we really can achieve these bold goals. Obviously, Achieve Escambia cannot control kindergarten readiness results directly, as we aren't a direct service organization, but as a collaborative group, we view our bold goals as goals for the entire community – with all partners working toward this bold goal."

In 2011, the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce announced its Pensacola 2030 Blueprint, which aimed to improve kindergarten readiness from 48% to 100% by 2030. The "Blueprint" has disappeared since the person responsible for its execution, Greater Pensacola Foundation executive director Sara Lefevers, resigned. The chamber will not fare better than the others who have attempted to tackle this problem.

We have had four failed efforts in 15 years. Most of the leaders sincerely wanted to make a difference, but improving kindergarten readiness takes more than good intentions. We will not meet any lofty goals unless we improve VPK enrollment. Otherwise, we will keep spinning our wheels.

It's tim e we work out a game plan to fix VPK. We don't need any more bold announcements. {in} rick@inweekly.net

A CRISIS WITHOUT A LEADER

least once in the past three months for childcare-related reasons, and that 15% left a job in the past six months due to childcare issues. The report stated the economic impact on the state is an annual loss of $5.38 billion.

LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS

The Florida Chamber is turning to lawmakers for solutions. During the past legislative session, the Chamber advocated for Senate Bill 990/House Bill 1021. The bill by Sen. Erin Grall and Rep. Fiona McFarland addressed the lack of affordable childcare in the state, incentivizing employers to assist with the cost of childcare by offering tax credits. The bill further called for businesses to earn tax credits by establishing and operating childcare facilities for their employees.

The bill ultimately died in appropriations, but the Florida Chamber plans to pick the cause back up in the upcoming session. Katherine Massey, its director of Talent, Education and Quality of Life Policy, said the Florida Chamber will "advocate for childcare and early learning policies that help minimize barriers to employment and incentivize employers to be a part of the solution."

By Tom St. Myer

Early learning education in Escambia County has been at a crisis level for decades. State and federal dollars go unspent. Classrooms remain empty due to a shortage of teachers, and kindergarten readiness scores hover near the bottom of the state.

Though many acknowledge the problem, no one has taken responsibility for changing the paradigm. Escambia County has plenty of dashboards providing the latest statistics, but few people are willing to hammer out solutions.

Former Escambia Children's Trust Executive Director Tammy Greer tried to tackle the problem by bringing together early learning education stakeholders to identify solutions in May.

Stakeholders fed off her enthusiasm and walked away from that session with a renewed sense of optimism. But then Greer resigned amid a cloud of controversy and left the group without a voice and at a standstill.

Who will pick up the mantle? While several local agencies have paid staff to tackle the problem, will anyone take ownership of the numbers and build a local coalition to develop workable, long-term solutions?

A BLACK EYE

The first step is admitting inadequate early childhood education is a black eye on Escambia County. The county consistently ranks near the bottom of the state in kindergarten readiness rates. In Fall 2022, the county tied for 46th out of 67 with a 45% kindergarten readiness rate based

scores. The county fell four percentage points shy of the state average of 49%.

"What we lack is alignment around the solutions because they're so complex and expensive," said Dr. Kimberly Krupa, the director of programs and performance at the Trust. "What we really need is federal intervention."

Head Start and Early Learning Coalition receive federal and state funding for their operations, but the restrictions on that money prevent the agencies from spending freely on their employees.

Hundreds of children wait for slots to open at early learning centers as a critical shortage of educators leaves the county with no easy solutions. The lack of educators is a product of low pay in a region where the cost of living outpaces their income. In August 2023, the median listing home price in the county neared $350,000, and the median home sold for $300K, according to Realtor.com.

Early Learning Coalition primarily serves VPK students and is only at 75% capacity. Its waitlist tops 700 children due to staff shortages. Head Start slots for 735 kids between ages 0-5, but classrooms by the dozen are vacant with no staff to fill them. Escambia County Public Schools operates 31 Voluntary Prekindergarten classrooms in 16 schools, with an average of 19 students per classroom. The VPK program is at capacity due to financial and staffing challenges. Administrators say a need exists for programs at all 32 elementary schools.

Infant care costs are particularly crippling for early learning centers without feder-

Children and Families strictly mandates one staff member for every four infants.

Head Start benefits from state and federal funding, but the agency still encounters challenges finding enough staffing for infants and toddlers.

"There's a certain number of slots you have to have staff for, and the numbers don't work from the cost of facilities, cost of operating and then the salaries," said Douglas Brown, the Head Start Executive Director. "You need a subsidized market because most families can't afford to pay more."

Krupa said parents' work schedules make dropping off and picking up children within a few hours virtually impossible. They either pay north of $500 a month for extended care or bypass early learning education.

"The reason participation rate is so low is the high poverty level," Krupa said. "You've got to drop them off at 9 (a.m.) and pick them up at 12 (p.m.) or pay for the extended care. Many of those people can't afford it or don't have transportation. They'd rather just have the kids at home or drop them off at grandma's house."

Krupa attributes the cost of childcare to why the county ranks among the worst in the state in the percentage of women in the workforce. She said, "If you're making $50,000 and paying $800-900 in childcare, it makes more sense to stay home."

Every county in the state deals with these same challenges to varying degrees. The "Untapped Potential in FL" report by the Florida Chamber of Commerce found that 64% of parents of young children missed work or class at

Some companies with the deepest pockets already explored the possibility of establishing their own centers for employees. Ascension Sacred Heart pursued offering childcare at the hospital until sticker shock set in. The idea was to charge employees $500 monthly for services and house up to 450 kids. The proposed center required a $1 million subsidy from the hospital, and plans were halted. Navy Federal Credit Union explored establishing a childcare center with the same result.

Studer Community Institute is trying to take early learning education to parents as soon as their child is born at local hospitals. SCI shows parents of newborn babies a "Build a Brain" video with easy-to-grasp concepts to set up a child for success and hands out a "Brain Bag" that includes a book that explains how to monitor a baby's brain development. SCI uses text messaging, too, encouraging parents to sign up for the "Basic Insights" messaging program. Basic Insights texts parents twice a week and provides tips, activities and reminders to maximize early brain development.

SCI early learning development program manager Donte Sheppard credited Greer for bringing stakeholders together and spurring collaboration among SCI, Early Learning Coalition, Head Start, Escambia County Public Schools and the Escambia County Health Department, among others.

"Everyone has to be speaking the same language," Sheppard said. "If we can get that going in our community where everyone is playing a part, we're going to make sure no one falls through the cracks."

Not only are children slipping through the cracks, but they have been for decades with no one there to pick them up. The early learning education crisis continues with no end in sight. As former President Harry S. Truman famously said, "In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still." {in}

DON GAETZ: MORE TO GIVE

His friend continued, "Well then, don't you think you've got something left to give back?"

Gaetz said, "It sounds corny, but it really happened, and it provoked me to consider that Northwest Florida is facing a loss of influence when Doug Broxson leaves office. I don't have any magic bullets. I'm a former Senate president, but if I entered the Senate, I would enter as a freshman. Hopefully, I have a few folks who would work with me, but I'd enter as a freshman."

He said he continued to mull over that conversation. When he met with White, the former state rep said he would withdraw if Gaetz ran. "That was powerful medicine to me. And so, consequently, we decided to run. My family is all supportive. I'm in the race, and I'm in the race because I could not answer the question: Has Northwest Florida been good to you in any other way other than to acknowledge that you have?"

By Rick Outzen

Earlier this month, Don Gaetz filed to run for the Florida District 1 seat, which Doug Broxson vacates next year when he terms out of office. Though rumored for weeks, the announcement shook up Tallahassee, where the Okaloosa County Republican was a political force for a decade—rising to Florida State Senate president before he, too, termed out of office in 2016. Gaetz throwing his hat into the ring led to Frank White, the former state representative who had the endorsement of Senate leadership, stepping aside and waiting for another opportunity to return to the Florida Legislature.

"I have a passion for public service," White said in a written statement. "It's been my privilege to serve in the Florida House, and I intend to continue my community service in the future. Now, however, Northwest Florida has an opportunity to be represented by Don Gaetz, a proven champion for our area and our values. I am pleased to endorse him and will do all I can to secure his victory next November."

Sen. Broxson, the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman, joined White in endorsing Gaetz. "Northwest Florida will be very well served with Don Gaetz back in the Senate. As a former presiding officer, Sen. Gaetz has the skill and experience to be effective on day one. I'm delighted to endorse him and look forward to helping him win."

THE CLINCHERS

The buzz is Gaetz began to seriously consider running when independent polling revealed he had the name recognition and support to win the seat. However, the clinchers were a family vote, of which he wouldn't reveal the vote totals, and a conversation with an influential supporter.

"Somebody I have a lot of respect for asked to meet with me and said, 'I have one question for you, Don. Has Northwest Florida been good to you?'" Gaetz said. "And, of course, I had to say yes. We've had a business here for 25 years. Our family's been here for much longer than that. We've raised our children here; we love this place."

Gaetz continued, "I'm not trying to scratch a political itch here. It's not that I yearn for some office, honor or title. People of this area have been extraordinarily good to me over the years, not just in business, not just giving me a place to raise a family, but seven times allowing me to win election. I do this only because I'm convinced I might have something to give to the people of Northwest Florida."

Besides serving in the Florida Senate, Gaetz served on the Triumph Gulf Coast Board of Trustees for five years and the Constitution Revision Commission. He is also vice chair of the Florida Commission on Ethics and a Florida Education Foundation board member. He cofounded VITAS Healthcare, the nation's largest and leading hospice care provider. Don and his wife, Vicky, have two adult children, Erin, a digital media producer, and Matt, Northwest Florida's congressman.

A CLASSICAL CONSERVATIVE

During his first session in 2007, Gaetz, the former Okaloosa County Schools superintendent, was appointed chairman of the Senate Education Committee. He believes public education needs to be held accountable, but he also wants more focus on career training.

"Those of us who care about public education and are entrusted with it, we still have to be accountable and measure what we're doing because if we don't measure it, it's not important," Gaetz said. "But we've reached now a place in our education where we have to confront the hard questions about the value of education at different levels."

He continued, "One of the things I've been so happy to do in Triumph Gulf Coast is to find projects where school districts, state colleges and others are focusing on career technical education. We've suddenly rediscovered that people can actually do something in society, actually fulfill a job requirement that our economy needs; that's something that our educational system needs to support, enhance and fulfill."

Gaetz praised the industry Triumph Gulf Coast, Sen. Broxson and others have brought to Northwest Florida in the past decade. He said, "But you can't bring in industry unless you have qualified people to compete for the jobs. It's the key issue in education, but it's also something that has motivated me to consider running for the Senate again, to try to bring in the balance of the low-tax state with the high cost of living and make it possible for people to actually live, buy a house and afford an electric bill here—and a lot of that concerns how they're prepared for jobs and what kind of jobs they can get."

Creating a state that maintains low taxes while keeping the cost of living affordable is how Gaetz defines his conservative philosophy.

"I don't think we should spend more than we have, but I think that the money we spend needs to be investments in solutions that work for the people of Florida," he said. "A real conservative, it seems to me, needs to worry about the high electric bills and high property insurance rates that people are paying. We need to worry about how to make sure people can afford those costs and control them where we can."

Gaetz added, "So, being a classical conservative, I believe in the values and virtues of this country's founding fathers and mothers. But at the same time, a conservative has to be somebody who solves problems. We can't be the party of 'no' only; we have to be the party of 'here's a better idea.' And that's what I hope I can do." {in}

& Perdido Bays Estuary Program awarded $273,000 to local educational institutions, nonprofits and governments to support action projects to help restore and protect our waters. Nine recipients received awards ranging from $11,000 to $47,000 at last month's 2023 PPBEP Community Grant Symposium.

"The Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program is thrilled to support these Community Grant Program recipients, advancing much-needed restoration, monitoring and outreach opportunities across Pensacola and Perdido Bays," said Matt Posner, the Estuary Program director.

He added, "What we want to do as part of our program is to work with other local governments, academic organizations, nonprofits and the private sector to really spread the love and make sure we're all working off the same playbook for the restoration of our areas. And we've been very fortunate to be able to do that now, going into our fourth year with our community grant program."

The funding opportunity included seven eligible project categories that align with the Estuary Program's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan: Water Quality, Sedimentation, Habitat Restoration, Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Watershed Awareness and Education, Resilience and Community Science.

The awarded projects include:

• Research that will fill needed data gaps on water quality and ecology in Perdido Bay and fish communities in understudied tidal creeks in Santa Rosa Sound.

• Modeling that will help inform compound flood models, sedimentation assessments, stormwater planning, restoration efforts and future development scenarios.

• Exhibits that will educate visitors on our historical connection to our estuaries and the species that depend on them.

• Hands-on marine science education to underserved communities and local high schools.

ing shorelines through an interactive website highlighting underwater videos of fish and wildlife found at restoration sites.

The Community Grant Program is made possible through the support of the Florida Legislature. State Sen. Doug Broxson and Rep. Alex Andrade sponsored the funding request. For more information, visit ppbep.org.

PRESSER NOTES At his weekly press conference, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves covered several projects. The City is seeking bids to demolish the Malcolm Yonge Center, which was closed earlier this year. His staff has begun working on how to use the site for workforce housing.

"We have our folks analyzing what can and can't be done in terms of workforce housing; how many units could be built there as the current zoning allows, knowing that Senate Bill 102 could change things," Mayor Reeves said. "We want to set the groundwork for RFP (request for proposal) for workforce housing that you would be able to put X number of units under the current rules. Our housing and planning departments are working hand in hand with the CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency) to figure out what that is."

The mayor wants to add a police substation outside of downtown. He said, "We're looking for potential places for a police substation on the city's north side. Much time that would normally be out working through those neighborhoods and having additional police presence has been spent in transit. And so, we thought we'd try to figure out a good partnership to establish a police substation in that Ninth Avenue area."

The City has identified a potential location, but the mayor wouldn't give any details because the negotiations are ongoing. He expects to finalize a deal in the next two weeks.

This summer, Mayor Reeves announced he wanted Pensacola Police Department (PPD) to adopt a co-responder model that would make social workers available to respond with officers

to some calls. At his presser, the mayor said the two social workers are scheduled to report for work Monday, Oct. 16. He expects them to be on the street by Nov. 1 after they complete the PPD onboarding process.

"Once they're on board, I want to convene a meeting of every resource there is in mental health and homeless reduction, and let's get them in the Rolodex and educated and to really make sure that all of these resources that have been in our community for years and years understand this is not us and them, this is all of us," Mayor Reeves said. "Our intent with this model is to accentuate further and improve our ability to help people in need."

He added, "This is us stepping up to the plate."

UNNAMED BY PNJ Last week, the once-daily newspaper referenced Inweekly publisher Rick Outzen in two articles without using his name or mentioning this weekly newspaper.

The first article, "Rep. Matt Gaetz's father, former State Senator Don Gaetz, seeking a return to office," identified Outzen as a "radio host surprised (Gaetz) by informing him he'd been hearing a lot of people talking about a Don Gaetz run for the Senate."

The second story, "Rep. Alex Andrade files bill that lets cities take over public schools," called our publisher a "local blogger (who) brought up the idea of Pensacola forming its own school district."

It must be a bitter pill to admit Inweekly's influence and reach.

EXPANDING UWF NURSING PROGRAM

University of West Florida President Martha Saunders delivered the annual State of the University address Thursday and touted that UWF is in the final stages of securing a $6.7 million Triumph Gulf Coast proposal.

The funds will renovate Building 37 and purchase equipment, personnel and student programming support for the Usha Kundu, MD, College of Health, according to the proposal. The grant will allow the College of Health to deliver 1,125 industry-recognized certificates or licenses in registered nursing, medical lab scientists, respiratory therapists and certified nursing assistant certificates.

UWF requested $6,685,757 over eight years to expand and improve the delivery of nursing credentials and related health science certifications administered by UWF's Usha Kundu, MD College of Health. UWF will commit $10,558,412, the remaining cost of the $17,244,169 project.

"That proposal will add more than 4,600 square feet of new and renovated nursing simulation facilities," Saunders said. "This new funding will enhance nurse program offerings on both the Pensacola and Emerald Coast campuses, allowing UWF to make important new contributions to the state and regional healthcare workforce."

U.S. News & World Report placed the UWF nursing program on its "Best Undergraduate Nursing" list for the past two years. Other accolades include Princeton Review ranking the UWF Online Master of Science in Nursing among the Top Online Nursing Programs in 2022 and 2023.

Data prepared by the UWF Haas Center suggests five-year regional workforce growth rates of 23% in nursing, 7.5% in medical laboratory sciences and 5% in respiratory therapy.

FRICKER CENTER INPUT

The City of Pensacola is pursuing $4 million in grant funding, with plans to enhance the education, health and employment services offered at the Fricker Resource Center. A public comment period to obtain citizen comments is open through Monday, Oct. 16. Comments may be submitted at tinyurl.com/3fwa2yep.

Grants are through the Florida Department of Commerce's Multi-Purpose Community Facilities Program, which has designated $83.9 million for such improvements.

Mayor Reeves shared the city already has received $5 million for stormwater and hardening of the Fricker Center. He said, "If awarded, that would give us another $4 million, and we'd be at 9.5 million to really do something transformative there."

PERFECTLY AGED

The Council on Aging of West Florida has brought back the Perfectly Aged Calendar. The calendar celebrates the beauty and grace of aging by featuring local calendar models ages 50 and older, baring their skin and personalities in semi-nude portraits for each month, all in support of the Council on Aging's mission to enhance the lives of older adults.

The Perfectly Aged calendar initially ran from 2006 through 2009, with DeeDee Davis chairing the fundraiser. The updated Perfectly Aged 2024 calendar redefines the conventional calendar concept, capturing portraits of aging gracefully with artistry and playfulness.

"We believe that every stage of life is an opportunity to embrace beauty, strength and a sense of fun. Our Perfectly Aged calendar is a celebration of the wisdom and confidence that come with age," said Josh Newby, President/CEO of the Council on Aging.

Models include Chef Dan Dunn, Dr. Michael Riesberg, McGuire Martin, Peggy Butler, Teri Levin, Frank, Jr. and Gretchen Patti, Chef Dot Chap, Kaipo Robello, Danny and Tonya Zimmern, Jim Reeves, Dr. Elise Gordon, and DeeDee Davis.

The Perfectly Aged calendar and the portraits will be unveiled at a gala event Wednesday, Oct. 18 at the Pensacola Yacht Club. Single tickets are available for $100 . The calendar goes on sale starting Thursday, Oct. 19. All proceeds from the calendar and gala benefit the Council on Aging's programs and initiatives. For tickets to the gala and more information, visit perfectlyaged.org.

SEC SOCCER

CHAMPIONSHIP

Several nationally-ranked Southeastern Conference soccer teams will compete for the SEC Championship title Sunday, Oct. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 5, at Ashton Brosnaham Park.

Tickets are on sale now at secticketoffice. com. All-tournament passes are $40. Individual session tickets for first-round, quarterfinals and semifinals are $12 for adults and $7 for students/

Matt Posner and Sen. Doug Broxson/ Photo Courtesy of ppbep.org

military. Tickets for the championship game Sunday, Nov. 5, are $17 for adults and $12 for students/military. Taxes and service fees are included in the listed ticket prices.

Kids 12 and younger wearing a soccer jersey get in free with a paying adult Sunday, Oct. 29 and Tuesday, Oct. 31. Tournament pass sales end at 11:59 p.m. Oct. 27.

This is the second year Pensacola will host the tournament. Pensacola first hosted the tournament in 2022 and set SEC records for attendance. The city is scheduled to host through 2024 with an option to extend the agreement through 2026.

Pensacola Sports CEO Ray Palmer discussed with Inweekly the improvements made at the Ashton Brosnaham soccer complex.

"Escambia County has put a few more bucks out there, and the field's been redone," Palmer said. "We've improved the bleacher system and concessions. Everything's going to be a step up from last year. We're really excited."

MARITIME PARK UPDATE On "Real News with Rick Outzen" on WCOA, Mayor D.C. Reeves said progress is being made on the development of several parcels at the Commu nity Maritime Park.

Inspire Communities has options on Parcels Four and Five, which include the parking lots used by Blue Wahoos fans. The developer also has options for Parcels Three, Six and Eight that are up for renewal in November.

"What I'm looking to do is to possibly extend those to match Four and Five," Reeves said. "Those have never really matched, and there's really no good reasoning behind that."

Regarding Inspire Communities, Reeves said, "I am encouraged by the progress and that Inspire continues to push this Parcel Five project forward, as well as looking at those other lots. We just actually had a conversation with them yesterday that was very encouraging that they continue to be very serious about it and invest lots of money and time into trying to be able to get something done there. So that's good."

The proposed luxury hotel for Parcel Seven, which is next to Nick's Boathouse, is still under consideration. The mayor said, "Valencia remains interested in pushing forward with some kind of negotiation of a term sheet."

He added, "So what I'd say is there's really nothing tangible yet, but there's a lot of great progress in the headwinds of a pretty hard lending market right now. I think in the next three to six months, we're going to know really where we stand in terms of whether these projects are going to move forward."

GIRLS IN AVIATION

The National Naval Aviation Museum, in partnership with Women in Aviation International, will host a free 2023 Girls in Aviation Gulf Coast event 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 at the museum.

Girls in Aviation Day is designed to introduce and educate girls ages 8 to 18 on the many career choices and lifestyle possibilities the aviation and aerospace industry offers. The 2023 event will celebrate 50 years of women in naval aviation and 30 years of women in combat aviation. There will be exhibitors, flight simulators, hands-on activities, guest speakers and a special message from Blue Angel No. 3 left-wing pilot, U.S. Navy Lt. Amanda Lee, and other female Blue Angel team members.

"Last year, we had this event, and there was such an outpouring from the aviation community.

We were overwhelmed," said Diane Hayden, the foundation's education director. "If "girls are interested in being pilots, maintenance mechanics, air traffic controllers, being in the military, we're going to have something for you."

Registration is available at tinyurl.com/2tnfpj47 and ends midnight Wednesday, Oct. 25.

2023 QUALITY OF LIFE SURVEY The Pensacola Young Professionals will unveil the 2023 Escambia County Quality of Life Survey result at the next CivicCon from 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17 at the REX Theatre in downtown Pensacola.

Funded by Quint and Rishy Studer since 2008, the Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy survey has become a vital tool for understanding public opinion and identifying community concerns. It addresses various factors impacting our com-

munity's quality of life, including but not limited to safety, economic conditions, education opportunities, race relations and community leadership.

Mason-Dixon Polling selects the participants randomly from the commercially available voter registration files to fairly reflect the diverse demographics of the Escambia County voting population. This event is open to everyone and free of charge. Register online at tinyurl.com/4z2kkfwn.

PEANUT BUTTER CHALLENGE The Peanut Butter Challenge is an annual jar collection for local food pantries hosted by UF/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University (FAMU) Cooperative Extension. Unopened jars of peanut butter can be donated through Oct. 31 to the Escambia County Extension office, 3740 Stefani Road in Cantonment.

Other collection sites include Escambia County Public Safety, 6585 N. W St., Escambia County Farm Bureau, 153 Highway 97, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 10650 Gulf Beach Highway, Gilmore, 31 E. Fairfield Drive and Escambia County Administration, 221 S. Palafox St., fourth floor.

The competition among counties–for bragging rights only–was conceived to feed hungry families ahead of the holidays and promote a Florida-grown crop. The latest U.S. Department of Agriculture numbers show food insecurity affected roughly one in 10 Floridians. Last year's Peanut Butter Challenge collected 27,258 pounds of the nutritious spread from 48 Florida counties. To join or partner with Escambia County's collection, call (850) 475-5230. More information can be found at sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/peanutbutter. {in}

Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons' effort to protect and serve the people of Escambia has two primary focuses: enforcement and engagement.

The engagement element involves the Escambia County Sheriff Foundation, which supports the Blazer Academy, Movie Nights and other community outreach events that connect those in law enforcement with the public in several ways. It's the fun part. The other element, enforcement, saves lives.

"When I first took office, I wanted to ramp up our enforcement side," said Sheriff Simmons. He met with Inweekly in his conference room with incident reports and crime photos spread across the table. "When looking at violent crimes, specifically gun crimes, we have proven over the decades that two-thirds of those are drugs- or greed-related."

He continued, "Someone ripped someone off somewhere during a drug sale because drugs are the way to fast money in some of our poverty-stricken neighborhoods."

RENEWING PARTNERSHIPS

Pensacola Police Department and Escambia County Sheriff's Office (ECSO) have addressed street-level drug dealers for years, but Simmons wanted to target those bringing large amounts of illegal drugs into the community. Several agencies had pooled resources for a HIDTA, high-intensity drug task force, but ECSO wasn't involved for several years.

"When I took office, my first phone calls were to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) and the Marshal Service— 'Let's ramp this thing back up.' And now, we've got 15 investigators involved, and you can see the results," said the sheriff as he pushed a series of photos across the table.

In August 2021, ECSO arrested Nhan Thanh Vo after a four-month investigation that involved the DEA, ATF, FBI, Internal Revenue Service and the Pensacola Police Department.

"You can see here, 2,156 pounds of highgrade marijuana—the largest seizure in our history, 24 pounds of spice, 18 pounds of THC, 32 guns, 12 cars, $750,000 of jewelry, $820,000 in cash, a tractor, a boat, all this stuff. This case spawned a bunch of things in California, which are still ongoing," he said. "I made a comment at the press conference because of Vo's lifestyle: 'The days of living large or fancy car driving, speed boat driving, community damaging are over. Your Ric Flair days are over.'"

According to Simmons, Vo's street-level dealers were involved in other crimes in Escambia County. The sheriff said, "The people that he was dealing to were involved in that shooting at the McDonald's."

He was referring to a January 2020 incident that occurred 18 months before Vo's arrest, a mid-afternoon gunfight between two cars traveling east from A Street that ended with one of the

cars crashing into a power pole outside of the McDonald's at the intersection of 9th Avenue and Cervantes Street.

The Vo's investigation and arrest involved 11 federal search warrants, nine served in Escambia County. Sheriff Simmons said, "This happened less than a year after I took office, and we would not have been able to do that if it had not been for the partnerships we forged."

by ramming his vehicle into multiple undercover law enforcement vehicles. Flintroy then ran on foot when his car became disabled, but he was caught. In his vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 100 grams of fentanyl, numerous items of drug paraphernalia, a loaded assault rifle, a loaded pistol and more than 180 rounds of ammunition.

The sheriff shared more reports, including those involving the multiple arrests of Marcus "Fat Shaun" Williams, who has been arrested three times in less than 10 months. In December 2022, he was charged with trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine when more than three pounds of fentanyl, 2.4 pounds of cocaine and 669 grams of meth were found in a residence. Deputies found 10 firearms and more than $9,000 in the house.

The sheriff handed over another stack of reports and photos. Earlier this year, ECSO had its largest fentanyl seizure in the arrest of Marcus D. Flintroy. Between Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, Flintroy distributed and possessed with intent to distribute approximately 200 grams of fentanyl in Pensacola, according to court documents. ECSO partnered with the DEA, ATF, the Florida Highway Patrol and the Pensacola Police Department.

The Escambia County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit, along with Florida Highway Patrol, attempted to stop Flintroy at the RaceTrac gas station on W. Nine Mile Road. He tried to evade

In May, Williams was arrested with two other people in a hotel room and charged with having a stolen gun and numerous drug offenses involving meth crack cocaine, marijuana and fentanyl. In late August, deputies arrested him again after executing a search warrant and uncovering trafficking amounts of fentanyl and controlled substances at an extended stay location on Barrancas Avenue.

Drugs and guns make a lethal combination, Simmons said.

"When you mix fentanyl and all the drugs with these kinds of guns, this is where our shootings are coming from," he said. "The shootings

Photo Courtesy of ESCO

"When you mix fentanyl and all the drugs with these kinds of guns, this is where our shootings are coming from."

Sheriff Chip Simmons

are taking place because the mid-level distributors are fighting and ripping people off, not necessarily the people bringing them in, because those people don't necessarily live here."

He continued, "These drugs aren't originating here; they're not making fentanyl in Escambia County. They're making fentanyl in Mexico, maybe in California somewhere."

While he's pleased with the partnerships with DEA, ATF and other agencies, Sheriff Simmons is even prouder of his team.

"We are 10 times the manpower that anyone else is providing here, including the DEA," he said. "We are the guys. Our investigators are starting this case. Our SWAT teams are going here. Do we ask for help? Of course, we ask for help. Do we value the partnership? Of course, we value the partnership. But our guys are kicking ass with regards to some of the seizures that we've been doing here. And there's probably no way to know the overall impact of their hard work."

A DIFFERENT PURSUIT POLICY

Sheriff Simmons has made adjustments to pursuits and is leaning heavily into technology.

"Years ago, when I first started, you chased everyone for everything, and you didn't give up.

At the Pensacola Police Department, we chased them for tag violations until the wheels fell off," the sheriff said. "Then, we pretty much stopped it, so we were just pursuing felonies. If you committed a felony, we chased you. That evolved into forcible felonies, not just any felony."

However, changes in criminal activities have mandated a new philosophy. Simmons explained, "What people are doing is they're stealing cars and hiding them for a couple of days. Then they'll go back and use that car to do a drive-by shooting. We have seen it time and time and time again."

He continued, "We are starting to pursue stolen vehicles much more aggressively in Escambia County. I've also instructed them to try to end it as quickly as they can, which means if you get a chance to pin them or pit them do so as quickly as you can because if you're justified to pursue the car, you're justified to end the chase as quickly as you possibly can."

Does the new policy cost the ECSO more bumpers? The sheriff said, "It does, but how do you tally how many lives it saved because this car may have been heading toward a drive-by shooting?"

Simmons added, pointing to several photos of guns seized, "I feel negligent if I didn't say this. People may read this and praise our work, but they may not understand the hours of surveillance and sheer danger involved in chasing a car. When you chase a car, there are not always 10 cars behind you. Oftentimes, you chase a car, and you're by yourself, and if this car slows to stop, it's you against these guns. Our guys live these things, and they're really kicking butt out there and doing a heck of a job."

MULTI-PRONG APPROACH

The sheriff has taken a multi-prong approach to enforcement. He said, "I'm a strategic kind of guy. One prong is multi-agency operations. Another one is the pursuit policy. We allow our deputies to do their job and get the bad guys off the street."

He admits that manpower is a big issue, and Simmons has increased his numbers. "If I can fill

up our numbers—and again, we've been very successful with that, then I'll get additional people in gun crimes, narcotics and patrol. Since I've been the sheriff, we have added over 20 new positions, and this month, we'll add three more because our population is growing in Escambia County."

Sheriff Simmons said, "We have got to make an effort to make sure that we look ahead. I don't want to stare at whoever the sheriff is in 20 years and have to say, 'Hey, I'm sorry I could have or should have done more back in the day.'"

To help fill positions, the ECSO has started a cadet program modeled after the program Simmons had when he was Pensacola police chief. "We can recruit someone that's 18 years old, get to know them, and let them get to know us so they can make a decision as to whether they want to be in this profession."

He continued, "At one point, we had 450 applicants for a cadet position. We don't have a problem with people wanting to join the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. The issue is capacity. And the issue is being able to put them through our training class, put them through field train ing, and get them on the streets. And that's why we started the academy."

Another prong of ECSO enforcement is technology. He said, "The reason I have some of these pictures and we can critique our pur suits is because we have in-car cameras and body cameras. We're up to 15 canines because I wanted to continue to add these ancillary type of units that can help patrol."

The sheriff is excited to debut a Real Time Crime Center later this fall.

"The Real Time Crime Center is going to be a game changer for us here in Escambia County," Simmons said. "It's intelligence and dispatch in the same room. We can watch a se ries of screens connected to cameras—publicly owned and, with permission, privately owned— throughout the county. Eventually, I want hun dreds of cameras filtered in here."

He explained how the center will work: "A stolen car comes up on a screen. The Intel ana lyst can look at that and say, 'OK, it looks like it's heading north.' He'll pull up the next north cam era and see if we can catch them going north. And in the meantime, the dispatcher's calling a deputy and saying, 'Hey, that blue pickup truck that's reported stolen looks to be heading north. Now it looks like we got them at 9 Mile Road, and they just pulled into the gas station.' Ordinarily, we wouldn't have that information. Now we can see them in real-time."

Simmons sees multiple applications for the technology, from identifying suspicious individuals near schools to tracking vehicles leaving the scene of a shooting. Bay, Walton and Okaloosa counties have already installed the technology, as has Mobile County in Alabama.

ECSO has also invested $1 million into a "shoot house" at its range that will open soon.

"This is going to be huge, with a catwalk above it so the instructors can see what the deputies are doing. It will be the best shoot house from here to probably Orange County, maybe Tampa. It will help train our deputies to more effectively manage these high profiles or extra complicated investigations and entries that we have to do."

As he ended the hourlong interview, Sheriff Simmons said, "It's important for people to know that we are working on this stuff, and I think they do. I'm so fortunate to be the sheriff at this time. Escambia County residents are so supportive of what we're doing." {in}

Seizure Photos Courtesy of ESCO

Arts & Entertainment

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

Culinary Legends

By Savannah Evanoff

and Sister Hen and winner of "Chopped" season 54, Edward Lordman from Southern GRIT Culinary, Rusty Strain from A Rustyc Spoon, Laura Bernardi Piovesana from The Italian Wooden Spoon and Jordan Hewes from Craft Gourmet Bakery joining Brad Mahlof, winner of this year's "The Great American Recipe" competition on PBS, along with the show's finalists Salmah Hack and

tastes good.' And then that kid comes out on TikTok with that damn song being all cute. Then I started getting people making up jokes with that about me."

Corn isn't listed in the original recipe, but it's safe to say there's a possibility it will make it in the dish.

The second half and marquee event is the Culinary Legends Walkabout Tasting, in which people can buy tickets to walk around and taste recipes from legendary PBS chefs prepared by 12 local chefs. They can also enjoy wine in a souvenir glass and entertainment from returning band Nobius.

Jennifer Knisbell remembers WSRE's Wine & Food Classic as the place to be.

She's known about the fundraising event since she was in high school, reading about it in the Pensacola News Journal or hearing about it on WEAR Channel 3 — before local magazines even existed, she said.

"It was a big thing everyone looked forward to every single year," Knisbell said. "And every year, it has a different theme."

The 33rd annual event marks her first year planning it as the director of development and community engagement. As a nod to Wine & Food Classic in its heyday, Knisbell came up with a "Culinary Legends" theme for the twopart event, which will honor some of PBS' legendary chefs. Both events will not only feature food items paying tribute to those PBS chefs, but also raise money for WSRE, Pensacola's nonprofit PBS-affiliate station.

Knisbell credits many chefs' participation to WSRE's long history in the community. Most people have a memory tied to PBS, she added.

"We've all been exposed to—at the very least — one PBS show, whether it was growing up watching 'Sesame Street,' 'Mister Rogers' or 'Teletubbies,'" Knisbell said. "PBS not only has legendary chefs, but they have legendary children's programming and documentaries. Ken Burns is huge, like the No. 1 man in the

documentary game. PBS is just one of the most well-respected media organizations in the world, so when you say, 'Hey, this is the 33rd annual Wine & Food classic, and WSRE has been in a community since 1967, and we're a PBS station,' nine times out of 10, it's going to be a yes if they're able to do it."

The first half of the event is "A Legendary Dinner," a formal event incorporating a champagne reception with music from Holly Shelton and a five-course meal with entertainment by the Pensacola State College Jazz Ensemble; WSRE is licensed by Pensacola State College (PSC). The food will be provided by three new PBS chefs featured in PBS' popular program "The Great American Recipe," five Pensacola chefs ("legends in their own right," Knisbell said) and students from PSC's Culinary School.

"The day of the event, (the students) are going to be in the kitchen with the PBS chefs and the top local chefs, helping them with all of their prep and cooking," Knisbell said. "And then they're going to come over that night and help finish everything up with all of the dishes, as well as be some of our servers for the evening. So, you get chefs in different stages of their careers, from the students to some top local stuff to the folks who have made it on national television already."

Chefs presenting the culinary experience include Darian Hernandez from Brother Fox

Lordman has an extensive Pensacola culinary resume that starts at Pensacola Country Club and continues to Restaurant IRON, where he "nerded out" on desserts and was promoted to sous chef, to his first executive chef position at Polonza Bistro and culminates with pop-ups and private dinners through his own business Southern GRIT Culinary. While he can't reveal too much, a restaurant is in the works, he said.

Lordman also recently made it to the season one finale of Food Network's "Beachside Brawl"— not only his first time visiting California, but also flying on a plane. His specialty is deeprooted Southern food with bold flavors, he said.

"I wouldn't say I'm a light season kind of guy," Lordman said. "I never ate like that. So, a lot of people that eat my food will say, 'It's very, very flavorful, very bold dishes.'"

He's bold, too, but still a gentleman, he said.

Lordman is excited to collaborate with fellow former Georgian Pierre to make PBS chef Sean Brock's Lowcountry Hoppin' John.

"Growing up in the culinary world, he's just always been somebody that just inspired me," Lordman said. "I've got two of his books, 'Heritage' and then 'South,'— great, great cookbooks and I look at them to get a lot of information and stuff out of them."

The dish is an iteration of black-eyed peas.

"I grew up eating a lot of black-eyed peas and stuff — of course I'm gonna add my Pensacola seafood-y kind of twist to it," Lordman said. "I'm a big corn guy. Antonia Lofaso on 'Beachside Brawl' was like, 'I've judged so many competitions, and I've never had a chef give me corn in so many different ways and it

Many of the chefs are return participants, but one of the newbies might surprise people: Parlor Doughnuts.

"(Owner) Aaron Fitch reached out and was like, 'Is this something we could participate in? We do doughnuts, but I was thinking maybe we'll try something different, maybe a more savory type of doughnut? We'll figure something out,'" Knisbell said. "And I'm like, 'Absolutely. Everyone is welcome to participate. Why not?'"

Chefs will compete for two awards: People's Choice determined by the attendees and the Earl Peyroux Best Chef Award determined by judges.

"For folks who don't know, Earl Peyroux, he's our Pensacola guy," Knisbell said. "WSRE filmed over 600 cooking shows with Earl Peyroux, and then he became a huge international PBS chef. He got his start here in Pensacola. And unfortunately, he has since passed, but we continue to honor him every year at the Wine & Food Classic by handing out the Best Chef award with his name attached to it." {in}

A LEGENDARY DINNER

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14

WHERE: WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Boulevard

COST: $150

DETAILS: wsre.org

WALKABOUT WINE TASTING

WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21

WHERE: WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Boulevard

COST: $65

DETAILS: SCI Building, 220 West Garden St.

Edward Lordman and Jordan Hewes / Photos Courtesy of WSRE

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

ICON MODERN ART GALLERY GRAND

OPENING AND HALLOWEEN THEMED

RECEPTION Icon Modern Art Gallery will host its grand opening celebration 5-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. The gallery is located at 213 S. Alcaniz St. The Halloween-themed reception will feature the gallery's inaugural exhibition "Horrors, Gores, and Fears – Oh my!" Admission is free.

BALLET PENSACOLA'S "DRACULA"

Ballet Pensacola kicks off its 2023-2024 season with "Dracula." Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday Oct. 13-14 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 located at The Center, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $35-$45. Visit balletpensacola.org.

HOWL-O-WEEN TRUNK OR TREAT Visit Coastal County Brewing, 3041 E. Olive Road for a Trunk or Treat event—doggy version. Bring your dogs in costume and enjoy brews in the beer garden coastalcountybrewing.com/events.

THE PENSACOLA BREAST CANCER ASSOCIATION (PBCA) AND HADJI SHRI -

NERS HAUNTED HOUSE Starting Friday, Oct. 13, and continuing every Friday and Saturday night for the last three weeks of October, as well as Halloween Night, Tuesday, Oct. 31, the

Hadji Haunted House will open its eerie doors. The Haunted House is located at 800 W. Nine Mile Road. Hours are 7-10:30 p.m. Get tickets at hadjihauntedhouse.com.

SPOOKY PUP CRAWL Join the Spooky Pup

Crawl on 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 starting at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St. Jordi Nix Photography will be there to take photos. Get you tickets at wolfgangparkandbrews.com.

CLASSIC MONSTERS MURDER MYSTERY

SLEUTH SHOW Murder mystery show at Perfect Plain, 50 E. Garden St., is 6-9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15. Tickets are $29. Details at facebook. com/perfectplainbrewingco.

HOLLAND FARMS PUMPKIN PATCH

& MAZE Get into the fall season with a farm hayride, corn maze, kids' activities, pumpkin patch and more 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Nov. 4 at 2055 Holland Road in Milton. Visit hollandfarmsonline.com for details.

BOO AT THE ZOO – TRICK OR TREAT

TRAIL Trick-or-Treat with all your favorite animals at the Gulf Breeze Zoo, 5701 Gulf Breeze Parkway. Boo at the Zoo offers six days of scarefree, daytime fun for children and their families. Includes trick-or-treat trail with toys, treats,

treasures, bounce houses, face painting, animal ambassador headquarters and the entire zoo. Dates are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 14-15, 21-22, 28-29. Purchase your tickets at gbzoo.com.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

PAWS FOR A CAUSE PET WALK TO END

DV Join Wolfgang events Saturday, Oct. 14 to support FavorHouse with a day of fun at Corinne Jones Park, 913 S. I St. A $25 donation registers you and your pet to participate in the event. The event will feature fun and games supplied by Wolfgang Events and a costume contest with the theme purple. Visit wolfgangparkandbrews.com.

ANNUAL CHARITY CHILI COOK-OFF

AND VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT Event

is located at 1451 Navarre Beach Causeway. The event is a fundraiser for Caring and Sharing of South Santa Rosa County. Fee required to enter the chili cookoff or the volleyball tournament. Donation fee required to taste. Bring already cooked and hot chili in crock pots with serving ladles to set up between noon and 2 p.m.; chili tastings take place 2-4 p.m. Volleyball registration is at 10 a.m., and the tournament starts at 10:30 a.m. Four-person co-ed teams will be paired according to skill level. For more info, visit juanaspagodas.com.

ANIMAL ALLIES FLORIDA BINGO Animal

Allies Florida hosts bingo twice monthly at Scenic Hills Country Club, 8891 Burning Tree Road. The cost is 10 rounds of bingo for $10, with cash prizes for winners. Food and drinks are also available for purchase. The full bar and restaurant offer special adult beverages just for bingo nights. You must be 18 to play. For more information, visit facebook. com/animalalliesflorida.

ANIMAL ALLIES CAT AND KITTEN

ADOPTION Visit Pet Supermarket 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every first and third Saturday of the month at 6857 N. 9th Ave. to meet your furever friend. Visit aaflorida.org for details.

BE

A VENDOR AT BARKTOBER

FEST 2023

The Pensacola Humane Society will celebrate 80 years at Barktober Fest on Sunday, Oct. 29 in Seville Square. The event is expected to bring more than 4,000 attendees. If you would like to be a sponsor or vendor, call or text Deborah Dunlap at (850) 232-9063.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

DRIVE

The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St. Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. The ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. The ministry's food pantry opens at 10 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop-top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women as well as sweatshirts and new underwear for men in sizes small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at (850) 723-3390 for details.

CALL TO ARTISTS

JAZZ

PENSACOLA'S JAZZFEST POSTER

Jazz Pensacola invites fine artists and graphic designers to submit renderings for the official 2024 Pensacola JazzFest poster.

The commission is $500. The Jazz Pensacola Board of Directors will consider all renderings and make a selection. Initial drafts are due by Jan. 31, 2024. If selected, the completed submission deadline is Feb. 28, 2024.

The poster design should reflect the deep, rich and diverse jazz music heritage of Pensacola and communicate a sense of place. Submissions should conform to a vertical orientation using a ratio that will fit with margin on a final poster size of 18 inches wide by 24 inches high. All content must be the submitter's original creation, and must be unpublished. The submitter must have all rights to images and graphics used in the final artwork and during the design process. The poster must include the name of the festival: 2024 Pensacola JazzFest.

Rough drafts or sketches can be submitted, but, if selected, the final art must conform to the submitted draft or sketch. Substantial deviation from the submitted sketch or draft will result in forfeiture by the artist of the cash prize and the selection of a new winner by Jazz Pensacola.

Submissions must be in low-res (72 ppi) JPEG format and emailed to info@jazzpensacola.com. There is no limit to the number of entries by a single artist. Each entry must include the artist's name, address, email and phone number.

The selected artist is responsible for the preparation of the art for high-resolution reproduction. The artist will be contacted following the selection process and receive technical specifica-

ARTS & CULTURE

WALK FOR FREEDOM Pensacola Dream Center is hosting a human trafficking awareness walk and rally 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at Plaza de Luna. Visit pensacoladreamcenter.org for details.

CINEMAS IN THE SAND The next Cinemas in the Sand will feature "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" at sunset Friday, Oct. 13 at the Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach. Admission is free. Follow facebook.com/visitpensacolabeach for updates.

OPERA AL FRESCO Enjoy a live opera performance 1-2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at Rev. H.K. Matthews Park, 1200 E. Anderson St. Admission is free.

DRAGONCAT GRAND OPENING TATTOO

FLASH DAY Check out Dragoncat Tattoo, 417 N. De Villiers St. Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14 noon-8 p.m. each day. The event will feature $50 tattoos from a sheet of 48 predrawn designs for ages 18 and older only. O.G. Lola's will have vegan treats for sale noon-6 p.m. Friday. For more information, follow on Instagram at @dragoncattattoo.

FLAWLESS FRIDAYS CABARET Enjoy a drag show and special showcase with show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at Just One More Saloon, 3810 W. Navy Boulevard. Doors open at 8 p.m. and showtime is 10 p.m. Dates include Fridays, Oct. 13 and Dec. 15.

RODNEY CARRINGTON Comedian and singer performs at Saenger Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $49.50$69.50 and available at pensacolasaenger.com.

ARRIVEDERCI ITAL-IANO This Pensacola Little Theatre event will feature dueling pianos and family-style Italian food 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at Sanders Beach-Corinne Jones Resource Center, 913 S. I St. Get tickets at pensacolasings.org.

BIG SCREEN ON THE BAYOU Watch "Shrek" on the jumbo screen at Bayview Park, 2001 E. Lloyd St. 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13. Visit facebook. com/ehnapensacola for more information.

FESTA ITALIANA! The 13th annual Festa Italiana is hosted by the Sons & Daughters of Italy in America 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 and Saturday, Oct. 14. The event will feature a celebration of all things Italian with food, dance and art. Kids activities will also be on site. More information is at facebook.com/sonsofitalybuonafortuna.

SCRIPTEASERS Join writers at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. for Scripteasers on the second Saturday of every month. The next date is 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com for details.

SUBCULTURE WRITING WORKSHOP This writers workshop and pot luck lunch is 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at 701 N. V St. Visit facebook.com/ easygoinggallery for details.

VINTAGE BLOCK PARTY Pensacola Vintage Collective vendors will host a Vintage Block Party outside The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St., starting at noon Sunday, Oct. 15. Enjoy live music from Disco Lemonade. Admission is free.

PLANT-A-PALOOZA WITH PENSACOLA

HOYA LOVERS Plant vendors will be set up at Gary's Brewery, 208 Newman Ave., noon-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14. Find more info at facebook. com/garysbrew.

LIBERATION PENSACOLA PRESENTS: JOURNEY INTO SPACE A pageant benefit show sponsoring Vantasia Divine is 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at Whiskey Joes, 400 Quietwater Beach Road, for ages 18 and older with a $10 cover charge.

PALAFOX MARKET SOUTH AT PLAZA

FERDINAND Palafox Market South will include a blend of familiar Palafox Market vendors, along with a new mix of local farmers,

artists, and crafts makers who will fill up Plaza Ferdinand on the corner of Palafox and Government streets. Shoppers can navigate between the new market and the always-humming original located on North Palafox at Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday. For more information about Palafox Market, visit palafoxmarket.com. For information concerning other downtown events, please visit downtownpensacola.com

CABARET DRAG SHOWCASE AT AMERI -

CAN LEGION POST #193 Don't miss Cabaret Drag Showcase every second and fourth Saturday at the American Legion Post #193, 2708 N. 12th Ave. Doors open at 8 p.m. Showtime is 10 p.m. For more information, contact show director Taize Sinclair-Santi at taizesinclairsanti@gmail.com.

$25 SPECIAL RIDE WRISTBANDS

SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST

TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pensacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equipment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours are held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 2-4 p.m. Sundays. Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.

AFTER DARK: SEVILLE QUARTER

GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner happens inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with actual ghost-hunting equipment 6-8 p.m. Sundays. Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activi-

a&e happenings

ties, history and more related to Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. Following your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E. Government St. Reservations required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets are available at pensacolaghostevents.com.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Shop small and buy art at Pensacola Arts Market 11 a.m.-4 p.m. every fourth Saturday of the month at Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave. Enjoy a local artisan and farmers market with more than 50 vendors, food trucks, plants, vintage clothing and décor, live musical performances, kids' crafts and games. This is a free event. Pensacola Arts Market is set up 4-9 p.m. every first Friday of the month and 2-6 p.m. every third Sunday at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave.

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT MARKET AT EVER'MAN Local vendors, artisans, holistic practitioners, speakers and more come together 10 a.m.-4 p.m. the first Saturday of the month at Ever'man Downtown, 315 W. Garden St. This is a free indoor and outdoor event with door prizes, entertainment and children's activities. For a vendor table, call (850) 941-4321 or go to empowermentschoolhouse.com.

DEPTH OF FIELD Depth of Field showcases photography from the Pensacola Museum of Art's permanent collection, alongside objects from the UWF Historic Trust Archives. Artworks on display explore the history, science and alchemical nature of the medium. On view are works by pioneers in the field such as Alfred Stieglitz, Elliott Erwitt, Edward J. Steichen, Walker Evans and Vivian Maier, as well as notable contemporary artists including Valerie George, Richard McCabe, Sheila Pinkel and Gesche Würfel. Exhibit is located at 407 S. Jefferson St., and is on view through Oct. 22. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for details.

SUDDENLY AMERICAN: A MEETING OF HERITAGE AND COUNTRY This exhibit looks at the transition of Florida from a Spanish territory to an American region, which formally occurred in 1821. Florida's embattled history dates back much farther than 1821. From refusing independence during the American Revolution to wanting its own freedom in 1810, Florida loved to cause problems. The U.S. eyed the region early on, using the Seminole Wars as an excuse to seize territory before turning to diplomatic means to acquire Florida. The Adams-Onis Treaty, debated and initially agreed upon in 1819, resulted in Spain ceding control of East Florida to the United States. At the same time, Spain also agreed to give up all claims on West Florida, in essence giving the entire Florida territory over to the United States. Ratified in 1821, the treaty was cause for celebration in Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, as it officially became part of America. This exhibit is on view at Pensacola Museum of History through December. Visit historicpensacola.org for details.

FOOD + DRINKS

TASTE OF THE BEACH Pensacola Beach outside festival features dishes from Pensacola Beach restaurants Friday, Oct. 13-Saturday, Oct. 14 at Gulfside Pavilion on Casino Beach. The event kicks off Oct. 13, with a special, island-elegant, VIP

Dinner experience. The cost is $125 for adults 21 and over. Saturday's free festival is 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on the shoreline of Pensacola Beach. Information is available at pensacolabeachchamber.com/ taste-of-the-beach-2022.

FALL DOG BRUNCH Stop by O'Riley's Irish Pub for its Fall Dog Brunch at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at 321 S. Palafox St.

GREAT BOWLS OF FIRE CHILI COOK-OFF

Taste chili from dozens of vendors 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, and see who wins the top prize at Community Maritime Park, 351 E. Cedar St. Find more information at apexshowsandevents.com.

CRAFTS AND DRAFTS Join Gary's Brewery for its first Mosaic Art Night at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct 18 at 208 Newman Ave. Register online at facebook.com/garysbrew.

PUPS AND PINTS AT PERFECT PLAIN Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St., on Wednesday, Oct. 18. Enjoy $2 off your beers when you bring your pup. You must let the bartender know you have your dog with you. At 7 p.m., free Black Out Bingo will begin with the Bingo Bros.

SIPPIN' IN SUNDRESSES LADIES' NIGHT

AT FELIX'S Pop-up shops, pink drink specials and live music is 5-8 p.m. Thursdays at Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar, 400 Quietwater Beach Drive.

JACKSON'S STEAKHOUSE FRIDAY

LUNCH SERVICE Jackson's Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox St., is now open for lunch service 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Fridays. Chef Irv Miller has created a new lunch menu, which includes selections of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, featured plates and hand-selected steaks. Visit jacksonssteakhouse. com to see a full menu.

GAMER/JACKBOX NIGHT AT O'RILEY'S

Gamers unite 5 p.m.-2 a.m. Mondays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

BINGO NIGHT AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS Play a game (or two) of Bingo 6-8 p.m. Mondays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S Visit O'Riley's Irish Pub for Bar Bingo 8-10 p.m. Tuesdays at 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

SECOND TUESDAY THEMED TRIVIA Visit Perfect Plain Brewing Co. for themed trivia nights 7-9 p.m. the second Tuesday of the month at 50 E. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for details.

TRIVIA AT O'RILEY'S Test your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Wednesdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub, 321 S. Palafox St. Visit orileyspub.com for details.

TRIVIA AT CALVERT'S IN THE HEIGHTS

Take part in trivia nights 6-8 p.m. Wednesdays at Calvert's in the Heights, 670 Scenic Highway. For more information, visit calvertsintheheights.com.

a&e happenings

PITCHERS AND TAVERN TRIVIA O'Riley's Tavern hosts trivia 8 p.m.-midnight Thursdays at 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern. com for details.

TRIVIA AT WISTERIA Trivia is 6 p.m. Thursdays at Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave. Visit wisteriatavern.com for details.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand 7-9 p.m. Thursdays. Test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

TRIVIA AT SIR RICHARD'S Flex your trivia knowledge 8-10 p.m. Fridays at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

FREE POOL AND BAR BINGO AT O'RILEY'S TAVERN Enjoy free pool and play bar bingo 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at O'Riley's Tavern, 3728 Creighton Road. Details at orileystavern.com.

LIVE MUSIC

BANDS ON THE BEACH Concerts are 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. On Tuesday, Oct. 17, String Farm performs. For details, visit visitpensacolabeach. com/whats-happening-bands-on-beach.

SCARY POCKETS Show is 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $25 and available at vinylmusichall.com.

SAINT SOCIAL, 12ELEVEN, PAID TO PRETEND, MORNING TRIPS Show is 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

PADDLE FOR PREVENTION Join the Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce and the Women Mean Business Committee for Paddle for Prevention, a Charity Sunset Paddle for Breast Cancer Prevention 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at Littleheads Kayak Launch, 14140 River Road in Perdido Key. Visit visitperdido. com for details.

MAN ON MAN, RILEY PARKER, EGO DEATH Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $15 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

DOWNGRADE, MOOD ROOM, MID EVIL TIMES, CRUX Show is 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

UWF SCHOOL OF MUSIC SYMPHONIC BAND CONCERT The University of West Florida Dr. Grier Williams School of Music will present the Symphonic Band in concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 in downtown Pensacola at Museum Plaza, 300 S. Tarragona St. Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the outdoor music.

JAZZ PENSACOLA JAZZ GUMBO Jazz

Gumbo is Monday, Oct. 16 at Phineas Phoggs, in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. The event will feature guitarist Walt Kattner in a tribute to the early music of George Benson with accompanying band members. Jazz Pensacola members $10, nonmembers $12. Visit jazzpensacola.com for details.

BOB LOG III, SCOTT YODER, BASILANTROS, SPLATTER Show is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17 at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. Tickets are $10 and available at thehandlebar850.com.

HOTEL CALIFORNIA: A TRIBUTE TO THE EAGLES Eagles tribute band performs 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19 at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox St. Tickets are $55.75 and available at pensacolasaenger.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT FIVE SISTERS BLUES

CAFÉ Visit Five Sisters, 421 W. Belmont St., for live music on select days.

•Tuesdays: Greg Bond from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

•Thursdays: John Wheeler from 6-8 p.m.

•Saturdays: Glenn Parker Band from 6:30-10 p.m.

•Sundays: Curt Bol Quintet from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

PENSACOLA PICK NIGHT AT ODD

COLONY Music pickers of all levels are invited to play 7-9 p.m. every last Monday of the month at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox St. Bring your acoustic instrument and jam. Visit facebook.com/ oddcolony for details.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues Society of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District at 7 p.m. every Monday at 130 E. Government St. in End O' the Alley. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodious Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.

KARAOKE AT O'RILEY'S UPTOWN Sing your heart out 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays at O'Riley's Uptown, 3728 Creighton Road. Visit orileystavern.com for details.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT GARY'S BREWERY

Open mic night is hosted by Renee Amelia at 6 p.m. every other Wednesday at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave. Visit facebook. com/garysbrew for details.

KARAOKE AT WISTERIA Wisteria Tavern, 3808 N. 12th Ave., hosts karaoke 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Details are at wisteriatavern.com.

WHISKEY WEDNESDAY KARAOKE Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. Wednesdays at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar. com for details.

KARAOKE NIGHTS AT SIR RICHARD'S

Bring your singing talents Monday and Thursday nights at Sir Richard's Public House, 2719 E. Cervantes St. Festivities are 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Visit sirrichardslounge.com for details.

EASY GOING DJ LAB Show is noon-4 p.m. Saturdays at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for details.

SOULFUL SUNDAYS Listen to lo-fi hip hop, downtempo and acoustic open mic noon-4 p.m. Sundays at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. There is no cover charge. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for details.

SUNDAY KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS

Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. Sunday at Mugs and Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway. Visit mugsjugsbar. com for details.

FITNESS + RECREATION

OCEAN HOUR WEEKLY CLEANUPS Ocean Hour Pensacola hosts weekly cleanups 7:45-9 a.m. Saturdays. Follow Ocean Hour at facebook. com/oceanhourfl for more details and locations.

BUD LIGHT CHARITY TENNIS CHALLENGE Pensacola Sports presents the 17th annual Bud Light Charity Challenge Tennis Tournament 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at Roger Scott Tennis Center, 2200A Summit Boulevard. Proceeds from the event benefit Arc Gateway. Visit pensacolasports.org/bud-light-charity-challenge.

NAVARRE BEACH AUTORAMA FRIDAY NIGHT CRUISE-IN PIRATES ON THE PANHANDLE The 22nd Annual Navarre, Car, Truck, and Bike show will kick off 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13 at 8649 Gulf Boulevard with the Friday Night Cruise-In. This event will feature more than 200 cars, a DJ and trophies awarded to the best cars in attendance.

For more info, visit navarrebeachcarshow.com.

22ND ANNUAL NAVARRE BEACH AUTORAMA: CAR, TRUCK, AND BIKE SHOW Autorama will be showcasing more than 150 historical cars from all decades are on display 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 at Navarre High School, 8600 High School Blvd. Event features music, food and vendor booths. Check in is 8 am and judging starts at 11 am. For more info, visit navarrebeachcarshow.com.

15TH ANNUAL RUN FOR THE REEF 10K/5K AND KID'S ONE MILE FUN RUN

An out-and-back course along scenic Gulf Boulevard. Run takes place 6 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 starting at 8597 Gulf Boulevard. The event is a fundraiser to help "Make Navarre Snorkelicious," a benefit for the Navarre Beach Marine Sanctuary and artificial reefs. Race Day registration is 6-7 a.m. at Windjammers on the Pier. The run starts at 7:30 a.m. at the Navarre Beach boat launch parking lot. The award ceremony will be held at Windjammers on the Pier. For more info, visit navarrebeachmarinesanctuary. org or contact Mike Sandler at mike@navarrechamberfoundation.org.

LEARN HOW TO PREVENT AND TREAT

HEAT STRESS 350 Pensacola, Healthy Gulf, and Climate Together presents Maralee Sartain, CSP, ASP, a health and safety trainer who is leading heat stress trainings across the Pensacola-area, 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 16 at Pensacola Public Library, 239 N. Spring St.

a&e happenings

YOGA WITH MARNI AT HA-YA Visit Ha-Ya Wellness for integrative yoga with Marni 10 a.m. the first and third Saturday of the month at 4301 Spanish Trail Road. Visit facebook.com/asherandbeeapothecary for more information.

HOOK, LINE & SINKER MONTHLY FISHING SEMINAR SERIES Hot Spots Charters hosts a monthly free fishing seminar held at Flounder's Chowder House, 800 Quietwater Beach Road on Pensacola Beach the first Monday of every month. A free fish dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. with the seminar beginning at 7 p.m. and typically lasting about an hour. Visit facebook. com/hlsseminar for details.

FREE YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Take a free yoga class at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. Visit everman.org for full calendar of events.

FREE YOGA CLASSES AT COMMUNITY HEALTH NORTHWEST FLORIDA Community Health Northwest Florida offers free yoga classes to people ages 18 and older. No experience is required. The classes are led by Justin Nutt. Visit facebook.com/healthcarewithinreach for more information.

SCHEDULE:

MONDAYS 10-11 a.m. Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

TUESDAYS 10-11 a.m., Gentle Movement at Palafox Two, 1380 N. Palafox St.

WEDNESDAYS 10-11a.m., Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

THURSDAYS 10-11 a.m., Gentle Movement at Palafox Two, 1380 N. Palafox St.

FRIDAYS 10-11 a.m., Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

LIVE JAZZ AND SWING DANCING From

6:30-11 p.m. the first Friday of each month, enjoy a live band for dancing Lindy, Foxtrot, East Coast and West Coast Swing. This is a fun, friendly atmosphere with lessons for all levels, no partner required. Location is at The Way You Move Dance Studio, 918 Winton Ave. The cost is $15. More information at thewayyoumove.us.

WEST COAST SWING DANCE Join the fun

6:30-10 p.m. Wednesdays for $5 and 6:30-11 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month for $10. All levels welcomed; no partner required. The Way You Move dance studio is at 918 Winton Ave. More information is at thewayyoumove.us.

BALLROOM, LATIN, SWING DANCE From 6:30-11 p.m. the second Saturday of each month, enjoy a mix of music for all dancers. All levels welcomed; no partner required. The Way You Move dance studio is at 918 Winton Ave. The cost is $10. More information is at thewayyoumove.us.

FREE YOGA IN THE PARK Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center will offer free yoga throughout 2023 as a part of its Wellness in the Park Series.

One-hour outdoor yoga classes will be led by Breathe Yoga and Wellness Center at 9:30 a.m. the first Sunday of every month at Bayview Park. The next date is Sunday, Nov. 5.

FREE PILATES IN THE PARK The City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department and PURE Pilates presents free one-hour outdoor Pilates classes at 10:30 a.m. the third Sunday of every month at Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. The next date is Sunday, Oct. 15.

PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pensacola Rec Plex North Parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays. The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner

Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. Funky

Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays, and Vinyasa Yoga

Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes are at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org.

KID-FRIENDLY

SPOOKY SHARK SCHOOL Explore sharks of the deep when the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center Shark School, 8740 Gulf Boulevard, goes spooky in Octo -

ber. Events are 9-10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14 and 21. For more information and to register, visit navarrebeachseaturtles.org/programs or call (850) 684-3347.

BEANSTACK: 1000 BOOKS BEFORE KINDERGARTEN Enjoy reading 1,000 books with your little ones through West Florida Public Libraries. Log reading and earn badges along the way while bonding with your child and inspiring literacy. A book a day is 365 books in a year, 730 in two years and 1,095 in three years. For every 100 books, you can claim a prize at the library. Register for the challenge on the West Florida Public Libraries' Beanstack, either on the mobile app or at mywfpl.beanstack.org.

SCIENCE SATURDAYS AT IHMC IHMC's popular monthly science enrichment series starts its next season in September. Sessions slated for the fall include science of the mind, game design, healthy wetlands and more. Programs for grades 3-4 are 9-10:30 a.m. and grades 5-6 are 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Each session is led by an IHMC researcher or community scientist. Visit ihmc.us/ life/science_saturdays for details.

•Oct. 28: Electric Motors, Dr. Robert Griffin

•Nov. 18: Computer Game Design, Heath Parr, Brown-Barge Middle School

•Dec. 17: Illusions, Dr. Toshi Miyatsu

for more listings visit inweekly.net

free will astrology

WEEK OF OCT. 12

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): The Indigenous Semai people of Malaysia have an unusual taboo. They try hard not to cause unhappiness in others. This makes them reluctant to impose their wishes on anyone. Even parents hesitate to force their children to do things. I recommend you experiment with this practice. Now is an excellent time to refine your effect on people to be as benevolent and welcoming as possible. Don't worry—you won't have to be this kind and sweet forever. But doing so temporarily could generate timely enhancements in your relationship life.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Taurus author Shakespeare reshaped the English language. He coined hundreds of words and revised the meanings of hundreds more. Idioms like "green-eyed monster" and "milk of human kindness" originated with him. But the Bard also created some innovations that didn't last. "Recover the wind" appeared in "Hamlet" but never came into wide use. Other failures include, "Would you take eggs for money?" and "from smoke to smother." Still, Shakespeare's final tally of enduring neologisms is impressive. With this vignette, I'm inviting you to celebrate how many more successes than flops you have had. The time is right for realistic self-praise.

By Rob Brezsny

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I read a review that described a certain movie as having "a soft, tenuous incandescence—like fog lit by the glow of fireflies." That sounds like who you are these days, Cancerian. You're mysterious yet luminous; hard to decipher but overflowing with life energy; fuzzy around the edges but radiating warmth and wellbeing. I encourage you to remain faithful to this assignment for now. It's not a state you will inhabit forever, but it's what's needed and true for the foreseeable future.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The published work of Leo author Thomas De Quincey fills 14 volumes. He inspired superstar writers like Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire, Nikolai Gogol and Jorge Luis Borges. Yet he also ingested opium for 54 years and was often addicted. Cultural historian Mike Jay says De Quincey was not self-medicating or escaping reality, but rather keen on "exploring the hidden recesses of his mind." He used it to dwell in states of awareness that were otherwise unattainable. I don't encourage you to take drugs or follow De Quincey's path, Leo. But I believe the time is right to explore the hidden recesses of your mind via other means. Like what? Working with your nightly dreams? Meditating your ass off? Having soul-altering sex with someone who wants to explore hidden recesses, too? Any others?

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): More and more older people are transitioning to different genders. An article in The Guardian describes how Bethan Henshaw, a warehouse worker, transitioned to female at age 57. Ramses UnderhillSmith became a man in his 40s. With this as your starting point, I invite you to reevaluate your personal meanings of gender. Please note I'm not implying you should change your designation. Astrological omens simply suggest you will benefit from expanding your ideas. Here's Scorpio singer Sophie B. Hawkins, a mother who says she is omnisexual: "My sexuality stems from an emotional connection to someone's soul. You don't have to make a gender choice and stick with it."

diverting us from life's serious business. I can personally attest to the ways that my affinity for love, desire and beauty has distracted me from becoming a hard-driving billionaire tech entrepreneur. But I wouldn't have it any other way. How about you, Capricorn? I predict the goddess version of Venus will be extra active in your life during the coming months.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): I hope beauty will be your priority in the coming weeks. I hope you will seek out beauty, celebrate it and commune with it adoringly. To assist your efforts, I offer five gems: 1. "Whatever you love is beautiful; love comes first, beauty follows. The greater your capacity for love, the more beauty you find in the world."—Jane Smiley. 2. "The world is incomprehensibly beautiful—an endless prospect of magic and wonder."—Ansel Adams. 3. "A beautiful thing is never perfect."—Egyptian proverb. 4. "You can make the world beautiful just by refusing to lie about it."—Iain S. Thomas. 5. "Beauty isn't a special inserted sort of thing. It is just life, pure life, life nascent, running clear and strong."—H. G. Wells.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Virgo journalist H. L Mencken said, "The average person doesn't want to be free. He wants to be safe." There's some truth in that, but I believe it will be irrelevant for you in the coming months. According to my analysis, you can be both safer and freer than you've been in a long time. I hope you take full advantage. Brainstorm about unexpected feats you might be able to accomplish during this state of grace.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libran philosopher and writer Michel Foucalt aspired to open up his readers' minds with novel ideas. He said his task was to make windows where there had been walls. I'd like to borrow his approach for your use in the coming weeks. It might be the most fun to demolish the walls that are subdividing your world and keeping you, preventing free and easy interchange. But I suspect that's unrealistic. What's more likely is partial success: creating windows in the walls.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian author Mark Twain said that in urgent or trying circumstances, uttering profanities "furnishes a relief denied even to prayer." I will add that these magic words can be downright catalytic and healing—especially for you right now. Here are situations in which swearing could be therapeutic in the coming weeks: 1. when people take themselves too seriously 2. when you need to escape feelings of powerlessness 3. when know-it-alls are trying to limit the range of what can be said 4. when people seem frozen or stunned and don't know what to do next. In all these cases, well-placed expletives could provide necessary jolts to shift the stuck energy. P.S. Have fun using other surprises, ploys and twists to shake things up for a good cause.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): In Roman mythology, Venus was the goddess of love, desire and beauty. Yet modern science tells us the planet Venus is blanketed with sulfuric acid clouds, has a surface temperature of 867 degrees Fahrenheit, and is covered with 85,000 volcanoes. Why are the two Venuses out of sync? Here's a clue, courtesy of occultist Dion Fortune. She said the goddess Venus is often a disturbing influence in the world,

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Thousands of heirloom food species are privately owned and hoarded. They once belonged to Indigenous people but haven't been grown for decades. Descendants of their original owners are trying to get them back and grow them again—a process they call rematriation—but they meet resistance from companies and governmental agencies that commandeered the seeds. There has been some progress, though. The Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin has recovered some of its ancestral corn, beans and squash. Now would be a good time for you Aquarians to launch your own version of rematriation: reclaiming what was originally yours and that truly belongs to you.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): I like Piscean poet Jane Hirshfield's understanding of what "lies at the core of ritual." She says it's "the entrance into a mystery that can be touched but not possessed." My wish for you right now, Pisces, is you will experience mysteries that can be touched but not possessed. To do so will give you direct access to prime riddles at the heart of your destiny. You will commune with sublime conundrums that rouse deep feelings and rich insights, none of which are fully explicable by your logical mind. Please consider performing a homemade sacred ritual or two.

HOMEWORK: What burden are you too attached to? {in}

freewillastrology.com newsletter.freewillastrology.com freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

© 2023 Rob Brezsny

Have fun using other surprises, ploys and twists to shake things up for a good cause.

The time is right for realistic self-praise.

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

CREME DE LA WEIRD

The Ministry of Health in the Sakhalin region of Russia revealed on Oct. 2 that an 80-year-old woman had been discovered to be living with a 1-inch needle in her brain, Insider reported. Radiologists had found the needle with an X-ray; doctors believe it has been there since her birth, when her parents may have tried to kill her because of war and famine. However, the woman survived and never suffered headaches from the object. She is being monitored by a physician.

ARMED AND CLUMSY As Michael Gardner, 62, officiated a wedding in Denton, Nebraska, on Sept. 30, he inexplicably tried to get the attention of the guests by shooting a handgun into the air, CNN reported. Instead, Gardner shot his 12-year-old grandson in the shoulder. Lancaster County Sheriff's Office Chief Ben Houchin said Gardner wanted to "start the wedding with a bang. When he decided to cock back the hammer of this revolver, it slipped." The ammunition was a blank, but Gardner had apparently "put black powder into the casing and then glued it," Houchin said. "The glue is what injured the child." Gardner was charged with child abuse. "The act was not very smart," Houchin said.

RECURRING THEMES In Palm Coast, Florida, on Sept. 30, 76-year-old Cheryl Henderson crashed her SUV into a pickup truck, ClickOrlando reported. The pickup's driver pulled his truck in front of Henderson's vehicle, hoping to avoid her leaving the scene -- but when she started to do just that, he leapt onto her hood and held on for dear life as she raced along for two miles, going up to 50 mph. A good Samaritan followed her and nudged her off the road onto the shoulder. Henderson told deputies that she didn't stop because she was out of gas; she was charged with leaving the scene of a crash and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. The pickup driver didn't suffer serious injury.

•In St. Louis County, Missouri, 38-year-old Stephanie Boyd of Vinita Park was charged with domestic assault and resisting arrest on Sept. 28 after she and her husband got into a dispute. According to WFTV, Boyd moved to leave the house in a car after an argument, and her husband climbed onto the hood; Boyd drove onto I-70 and continued for five miles with him clinging to the vehicle. Finally, an officer stopped them; Boyd's bond was set at $100,000.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS Maybe it's time to pay teachers more. Brianna Coppage, 28, an English teacher at St. Clair High School in St. Clair, Missouri, was put on leave on Sept. 28 after district officials discovered she was performing on the pornography website OnlyFans. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Coppage claimed she joined the site over the summer to supplement her income. "I knew this day was coming," she said. "The district says they haven't made a decision yet, but I'm just kind of putting the pieces together that I am not coming back," she added. She said she made an additional

$8,000 to $10,000 per month from the site. "I can't control what people think of me. ... I'm not doing anything illegal. I am a good friend. I am a good family member. That is all I can think about right now," Coppage said.

•The Metropolitan Transit Authority in New York City has had enough of bad behavior on the subway, The Messenger reported. On Oct. 3, the MTA launched its Courtesy Counts campaign, hoping to encourage riders to practice common decency. You know, things like: Don't leave your trash on the train. Don't block the doors. Use headphones. And of course, that Emily Post mainstay: Wait until you get home to clip your nails. "In our busy lives, it's easy to forget that your own individual behavior can have an impact on your fellow riders' commute. The goal isn't to lecture anyone," said MTA senior adviser Shanifah Rieara.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! When customs officials seized a box of giraffe feces at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Sept. 29, they naturally were curious about why the traveler from Iowa was bringing the poop home from a trip to Kenya. CBP said the traveler "had obtained the droppings in Kenya and planned to make a necklace," United Press International reported. "The passenger also stated in the past she had used moose feces at her home in Iowa." The contents of the box were destroyed.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? The Township of Bonnechere Valley in Ontario, Canada, is on a mission to change the name of its most famous street: Harry Dick Road, United Press International reported. John Henry "Harry" Dick was born on the property in 1957, and his family has occupied three homes there for five generations. "Well, people think that's very, very funny, and the signs started to disappear," explained Lois Dick, Harry's wife. Officials said the sign is stolen about four times per year; the family installed a security camera, but it got stolen too. Lois noted that a name change will be a hassle for the family: "Any legal document with our address on it is going to have to be changed," she lamented. Harry just wants the thefts to stop: "All I want is some peace and quietness," he said.

HALLOWEEN IS COMING! Tim Perry of Cranston, Rhode Island, has an over-the-top way of celebrating Halloween, WJAR-TV reported. His favorite horror movie, "House of 1,000 Corpses," inspired him to create "House of 1,000 Pumpkins" -- but this year, his collection will grow closer to 1,400. Cranston carves about 200 more craft pumpkins each year, starting around Oct. 1, to add to the display outside his home. "Everybody thanks me for doing it," Perry said. "They look forward to it every year. The kids go nuts." Through a Facebook fundraiser, he also collects donations to help families affected by cancer. {in}