Folio Vol.34/Issue 8

DECEMBER 16, 2020

Homeless for the Holidays Nikesha Elise Williams

+ The Ark is a refuge for rescues

The Cummer welcomes a new leader The starkness of Lambeau Field

@FolioWeekly 1

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HO HO HOW YA DOIN’?

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 8

BEHIND THE COVER Homelessness is a failure of society. The wealthiest nation on Earth, and one of the most powerful in the history of civilization, should be able to do better. For this cover, our goal was to not only illustrate the fragility of housing (16% of Jacksonville’s population lives in poverty--much closer to being on the streets than to being billionaires) but to also bring it back to the ideals of the season we are in: peace, joy and prosperity. As you celebrate this year, how will you share those values?

JOHN ALOSZKA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

INSIDE THE ISSUE 04 LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER

06 COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

12 THE COVER STORY

18 THE FOLIO FEATURE

22 THE POSTER

24 CULTURE + EVENTS

35 SPORTS

42 THE FOLIO REGULARS

THE VILLAGE JOHN M. PHILLIPS PUBLISHER JMP@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

ISA BARRIENTOS WRITER, MYSTIC ISA@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

NIKESHA ELISE WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER CONTACT@NEWWRITES.COM

HEYDI ORTIZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JOHN ALOSZKA CREATIVE DIRECTOR, HAS OPINIONS JOHNNY@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

KERRY SPECKMAN COPY EDITOR, SELFIE QUEEN KERRY@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

CASEY CRAIG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TERESA SPENCER GENERAL MANAGER, AD GURU TERESA@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HARM WE KNOWINGLY OR NEGLIGENTLY PUT

OUT INTO THE WORLD. This is not a post about texting and driving, but ride with me

Monday, I lost my sense of smell, and COVID was no longer an

for a few minutes. Here’s my analogy: I started driving motorcycles

abstraction. My 8-year-old came home from his COVID test scared.

at 14 and have almost always owned one. I stopped driving them

We reassured him it’s okay. Fortunately, my wife Angela has had

years ago. I trust myself but couldn’t trust other drivers to pay

fewer symptoms, but she’s also endured the wrath of this.

attention to the road. My beautiful family makes me pretty risk

Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were all pretty miserable.

averse. As a lawyer, I’ve seen good people kill good people by

The insomnia set in, and I couldn’t sleep. There was a point I

accident.

wondered if COVID was keeping me awake to weaken me. I finally

COVID-19 is like that. People assume it’s going to be fine. And

ate something solid Thursday, and my body immediately became

maybe it will be. Maybe if one did pass COVID to someone they’d

violently angry. I had neither an appetite nor any real desire to eat

be fine. And if they weren’t, well, maybe that’s the fault of their own

and if I pushed it, well, payback was terrible. I did something which

frailty? No. Not at all. We are responsible for the harm we knowingly

was part cough and part vomit. I didn’t think it was possible.

or negligently put out into the world.

By Friday, we played some family games to take our minds off

Last week, I was recovering from the flu. Me and my family

of it and laugh. Attempts at work involving any stress brought on

repeatedly tested negative for COVID and the symptoms were a

the fireworks. Again, a constellation of unpleasant and unrelated

common variety: fever, sore throat, cough and general aches. I

symptoms. One morning, I saw the sunrise and had a panic attack

thought if this was COVID, it truly wasn’t as bad as they said. I

as my lungs could no longer process cool air without it burning. I

masked everywhere and stayed home until I felt good. Negative

had to turn on the heat to breathe air which moderately matched

tests throughout.

the warmth of my lungs.

I finally got back into the office only to have COVID-19

It’s Sunday as I write this, and I’m still unable to breathe normally

unknowingly reach me. The first day was Saturday. I didn’t get out of

or otherwise feel anything other than pretty terrible. On the bright

bed. Sunday was equally miserable, including leg cramps like I’ve

side, I don’t have a fever, and my symptoms have improved.

never had before. It was like a bad fireworks show inside my body,

We wore masks. I have hand sanitizer in every room. We are

including terrible, constant headaches, tummy troubles, burning

diligent. But hearing your child has COVID-19 and being too weak

up while freezing, random uncontrollable twitching and other weird

to take care of him was a terrible feeling. Thank God for my wife,

stuff. It was a constellation of symptoms which were abnormal and

Angela. And our health and support system. Many don’t have the

significant, although still manageable from home.

health and ability to take time to rest and recuperate. Many have

Over the last year, I lost 44 pounds through better habits. I recently celebrated over 400 straight days of 30-90 minutes of

symptoms and conditions that put them in massive harm’s way.

COVID-19 is serious, real, scary and depressing.

consecutive daily exercise. My Sunday workout was very difficult. I

I don’t intend to overshare or claim I was perfect, but I hope

knew the streak was going to stop. My body needed a break. This

you realize that I imagined dying this week. This isn’t the flu. Stay

has to be COVID.

home when you can. Wear a mask. For others, and for yourself.

PUBLISHER JOHN M. PHILLIPS 4

FULL PAGE

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THE MAIL FOLIO IS LIKE MY WEIRD UNCLE Your magazine is like my uncle Albert coming over. I know when he’s coming, and I dread it the whole time. When he gets here, I’m smitten with his stories, no matter how bad or how raunchy. I tell myself I can’t wait until he leaves, but I find myself missing him all over again and waiting for his next visit.

JR, FLEMING ISLAND

BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS: BRICKBAT TO RON DESANTIS In an advanced democracy, we don’t raid political opponents’ homes, which is what Gov. DeSantis did to former FL data scientist Rebekah Jones. While it may be reasonable to investigate a data breach, sending in FDLE was an unreasonable and petty escalation of the conflict that could have been avoided.

BOUQUET TO DIANA GREENE After a combative year with City Hall and a referendum that saw voters overwhelmingly approving the DCPS half penny tax, Superintendent Diana Greene deserves here recent recognition as Superintendent of the Year” by the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS).

BRICKBAT TO LOT J PROTESTORS Lot J is a divisive issue, but when protesters brought the mayor’s kids into the fray by saying they knew where they go to school, the debate turned nasty. Policy disagreements, especially over Downtown development, do not have to be so hostile.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY? We accept submissions for our Mail and Brickbats and Bouquets section regularly.

EMAIL MAIL@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

THE OG BEST OF JAX VOTE UNTIL DEC. 20!

HEALTH AND RECREATION - CIVICS AND NEWS - DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT - END OF THE DECADE - RETAIL AND SERVICES - PEOPLE OF JAX VISIT @FOLIOWEEKLY FOR MORE

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COMMUNITY CASEY CRAIG

DUVAL ‘TIL I DIE

JACKSONVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

I TRIED TO LEAVE JACKSONVILLE, BUT I COULDN’T. THE 904, Duval, The First Coast, River City, the Bold New City

of the South. Jacksonville has a host of nicknames, but together they represent the culture of this unique city, a city I didn’t fully appreciate at first. So much so, I was considering moving out six years after moving in.

It’s difficult to forget my first encounters with Jacksonville. I remember the three-hour, family road trips from Tampa, heading up U.S. 301 to I-10, to visit my aunt and cousins. Back then, Adventure Landing in Jacksonville Beach was a holiday for me and my sister, and St. Johns Town Center was little more than a Dick’s Sporting Goods with sweltering concrete sidewalks.

For many years to follow, that was pretty much my impression of Jacksonville … nothing special. It wasn’t until 2014—my freshman year at the University of North Florida—that I actually began to appreciate the city for what it was instead of what it wasn’t.

Despite its size, Jacksonville is pretty accessible. As a kid, I didn’t realize how convenient it was to be able to reach virtually any part of town in 30 minutes or less and how fun it was to explore the diversity of its neighborhoods.

How can I forget the mornings my college pals and I would

abode in Riverside, its sprawling shores sprinkled with driftwood

spend aimlessly wandering commercial beacons along Southside?

and fallen oak trees are unmatched in their beauty and seclusion

Or the nights spent at Memorial Park in Riverside with our legs

and well worth the drive. Where the cypress woods meet the surf,

dangling from the balustrade above the St. Johns River? The

Big Talbot Island is a tranquil rarity that offers an escape away from

more time I spent in Riverside, the more I grew to love it. The

the city—a place to walk, run, write, hike and look off the shore’s

historic homes, the eclectic residents and support for small, local

rocks at what feels like the edge of the world.

businesses (vegan munchies at Southern Roots and organic treats

Sometimes, Jacksonville itself feels like that—nowhere and

from Sweet Theory are personal favorites) were a few of the reasons

everywhere. And yet, this town possesses a comforting duality

I eventually decided to make Riverside my home. Add to that the

between the familiar and “always something new.” We have a

lore of nearby Annie Lytle Public School (P.S. 4) and other allegedly

storied history, but we continue to grow with refreshing ideas and

haunted UrBex hotspots, and Jacksonville quickly became a place

new development. What has most stood out most to me, however,

that was too unique and intriguing to leave.

is the sense of unity and loyalty of its citizens: to their hometown,

As much as I love Riverside, however, there’s nothing quite

their sports teams (no matter how depressing the results) and most

like the Beaches. Despite living on Florida’s Sunset Coast for 19

of all, to each other. I’ve witnessed so many people who continually

years, I was never a beach person. I hated the sand, sun and quote-

give of their time and resources to help neighbors, family and

unquote fun. But beaches on the First Coast changed all that for

friends—and with a splash of Southern hospitality.

me. From Atlantic Beach to Ponte Vedra Beach, the variety of

It’s these reasons, along with many others, I ultimately decided

people—and things to do—is unique. It never feels overwhelming

not to move. Once I was able to see the full portrait of Jacksonville,

or too touristy. For me, there’s something about the alabaster sand

I knew it’s where I wanted to be. I look forward to the many names,

and calming waves that sets the bar higher … and speaking of bars,

places and stories to come with a touch of optimism in the city I

there’s a bar for every kind of person here, too (hello, Lemon Bar!).

now call home.

But to me, there’s one area beach that manages to outshine

With love, Duval.

the others, Big Talbot Island State Park. Though it’s a hike from my 7

A HOMERUN FOR MURRAY HILL THE MURRAY HILL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION RETURNS

A A

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS ISA BARRIENTOS

MHAA

JACKSONVILLE

IN THE CORE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, a playground, splash park and four baseball fields make up the 10 acres of Murray Hill Park. Established in 1941, its history goes back almost as far as the neighborhood itself.

Murray Hill native Joey Umstead, 23, met his lifelong friends playing baseball there as a kid. As they grew up together, they would talk about coming full circle and coaching there as adults.

Umstead is a teacher by trade and by spirit. By day, he works at Ruth N. Upson Elementary as a reading teacher. After school, he coaches pick-up baseball at the park, which happens to be right across the street.

For the past few years, the park has been a “ghost town,” in Umstead’s words. Since none of the buildings were being monitored, they were occupied by homeless people and drug users. City maintenance stopped tending to the park, and it slowly became trashed and overgrown.

“At some point I noticed the grass was up to my shin,” said Umstead, “It was almost like the city didn’t know that they had stopped caring for it.”

JOEY UMSTEAD, PRESIDENT

Consequently, the baseball program also experienced a downswing. Registration declined and the park went from having five teams, to two, to none by 2019. This was the first time in 60 years the

NEW VS. OLD BLEACHERS

park had gone a season without baseball.

“It’s really sad to go there and see trash on the floor, spray paint on the buildings, people breaking into the buildings… growing up, it wasn’t like that at all,” said Umstead.

“The park used to be packed. There were five or six teams, at least 100 kids playing baseball at a time,” he said. “We all kind of grew up, and new powers-that-be took over and ran it into the ground.”

Jose Lazcano is an at-large member of the Murray Hill Preservation Association and a dedicated advocate for the community. When he noticed the state of the park back in 2015, he organized clean-ups to bring attention to its condition and get it back up to par.

Umstead approached Lazcano about the deteriorating state of the park and the baseball program at a school event last year. He had been taking care of the park as much as he could but needed connections, like Lazcano, and resources to make a significant change.

At that point, though, Lazcano was disillusioned and had just about given up on the park.

“When he came up to me, I was over it. I was like, ‘I don’t wanna deal with this park anymore,’” said Lazcano. “I’d been trying and the city was kind of ignoring me, and I couldn’t get a hold of the athletic 88

PHOTOS BY ISA BARRIENTOS

MHAA FIELD

association people. They were totally squandering the athletic association.”

Lazcano brushed him off before realizing how earnest Umstead was in trying to bring back the park he remembered.

Soon after, Lazcano, Umstead and what was to become the new board of the Murray Hill Athletic Association (MHAA) met to create a plan to get the athletic association back in good hands.

From that point forward, any maintenance on the fields was done by the hands of Umstead and his friends, who were at work every weekend cutting the grass, raking the fields, and fixing lights and sprinklers.

After months of corresponding with the city, park managers and the former athletic association, they were finally able to renew the MHAA. They had it reinstated and sanctioned by the state as a 501c3 nonprofit, with Umstead as president and Lazcano as vice president.

The MHAA is starting anew with a young, energized board of directors, most of whom played baseball at the park themselves and wish to cultivate the space for the next generation to do the same.

“It’s been a long time coming. Baseball is an integral part of the community here,” said Umstead, “I talk to people that played baseball, and they have their own families now and they’re asking me what’s going on with the park. They want their kids to play baseball like they did.”

With the help of community donations to pay insurance fees and stock concession stands, the MHAA hopes to bring the baseball program back in the spring.

City council allocated $225,000 to the park to fund building renovations and a new playground, ensuring that the park will be clean and comfortable by the time baseball is back in full swing.

YOU’RE ALREADY HERE. POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS ARE, TOO. With a reach of over 200,000 people each issue, Folio puts your business all over town.

In the meantime, Umstead and friends continue to prepare the park for the season ahead and look forward to coming full circle and coaching together on the fields that made them.

TERESA@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM 9

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YOU DID IT JOHN ALOSZKA

NO POMP, ALL CIRCUMSTANCE. THE GRADUATES OF THE COVID ERA DESERVE YOUR EMPATHY, RESPECT AND A JOB.

I was meant to walk across the stage at the University of North Florida last Spring. I had been heavily involved on campus, and it was a culmination of many years of hard work. That didn’t happen, of course, because COVID-19 meant that holding large gatherings just wasn’t possible.

Now, two semesters later, students are still devoid of the gratuitous feeling of walking across the graduation stage. This can particularly feel like an injustice as sports games and other large gatherings at universities march on with social distancing measures. If you can hold an athletic game, you can hold a graduation. Perhaps it would be best to hold neither.

But, even as the Florida Board of Governors forbids graduations, it has been heartwarming to see universities attempt, unevenly, to create virtual commencement alternatives.

To the adults reading this, many of whom did not have to graduate into a job market crippled by a global pandemic, act with empathy. Too often have I seen social media users disparage the sadness many students feel. One can be sad about missing a graduation ceremony while understanding why the ceremony did not happen.

To the students reading this, know that the graduation stage is not the most important part of your college career. Facetime with your friends, have picnics or grab coffee outside with your favorite professors or teachers. Use this time to document your academic career; Make a playlist of your favorite songs from this important era. Life goes on.

But, most of all, realize that no one can take your diploma, or the rights that come with it, away. Pandemic or not.

Congrats, you did it.

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HOMELESS FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Being homeless is hard enough. But with COVID-19, the changing weather and the holidays, it can be unbearable.

Nikesha Elise Williams 12 12 I @FOLIOWEEKLY 12

THINK BACK TO MARCH 12, 2020, the day Jacksonville marked its first case of COVID-19. The announcement came just one day after the World Health Organization declared the disease,

BIANCA COMBS IN JAMES WELDON JOHNSON PARK JOHN ALOSZKA

caused by a newly discovered coronavirus, a global pandemic.

A day later Mayor Lenny Curry declared a state of emergency in Jacksonville, and five days after that, Jacksonville reported its first COVID-19 related death. From there, restrictions ramped up at both the state and local levels including beaches, gyms, bars and restaurants closing, schools going virtual and companies ordering employees to work from home.

Remember the chaos and uncertainty of those early days of the pandemic? The stress and anxiety you felt about upending your entire routine, rushing to stock up on essential items and checking the news incessantly for information on new developments with the disease, changing restrictions and how your life might be affected next?

Keep those feelings in mind, and now imagine you are experiencing homelessness. Fast forward to December and you’re homeless—in the middle of a pandemic—for the holidays.

That is the situation for Bianca Combs, a former corporate compliance analyst, who had already been “street homeless” for about a year when COVID-19 came to town. (Street homelessness refers to individuals who live on the streets or in clusters of encampments, as opposed to those experiencing homelessness while living in shelters.)

Even in the best of circumstances, living on the streets is an unimaginable challenge, but Combs had learned to adapt. Relying on public facilities and services, such as parks and libraries, to use restrooms and charge her cell phone, for example, was an essential part of her existence.

And then, because of COVID-19, they were gone.

“We could not access any bathroom but the Rosa Parks Bus Station—or the outdoors,” she recalled. Electrical outlets at James Weldon Johnson Park and the site of Riverside Arts Market were shut down, she said, “so we could not charge phones to call the police if there’s an emergency. [Finding] food was difficult. … It was scary.”

These weren’t the only resources and refuges that dried up for Jacksonville’s homeless population. Local churches, charities and individuals who previously donated their time and assets to help homeless residents were prevented from doing so because of the forced closure of the city.

Combs recalled how she and other street homeless individuals first coped with the loss of basic necessities. “Pastor Tone with The Well church in Riverside ... would bring his shower truck to Eighth Street and Boulevard [in Springfield], and we would shower out there. It’s a pretty good hike from Riverside and the Eastside or parts of the Westside and Northside. But a lot of us would make that walk.” Then, she said, Pastor Tone got “shut down” by police, as did several ministries that provided free laundry services. As a homeless woman, she had the added challenge of finding sanitary products.

Getting help during the shutdown was made even more difficult by what she described as a “blackout” of information.

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“[We] had to figure out through the grapevine what was going on.

Where can we go, where we can we get food, what’s the new schedule during COVID because you have nowhere to get online to find this

DAWN GILMAN OUTSIDE OF THE CHANGING HOMELESSNESS OFFICE JOHN ALOSZKA

out,” she said. “You would have to call all these services, and they may not know at the time because there was this gap there between the [mayor’s] mandate going into place and anybody knowing what to do in the homeless community.”

“WE AREN’T SAFE.” Dawn Gilman, CEO of Changing Homelessness, a local nonprofit dedicated to eliminating homelessness in our area, echoed that sentiment.

“Communication is vital, and it’s always something that we get asked to do more of and better just like everybody else,” Gilman said.

“During that period [Bianca’s] talking about, we were figuring out what we were doing and trying our best to communicate that out to folks who are on the street.”

The gap between protocol, the implementation process and information dissemination left Combs and others in the street homeless population in fear. With the city essentially shut down, the streets were deserted and the ability to get assistance from passersby disappeared, Combs said.

As a result, she continued, stealing from other homeless people, breaking into cars, burglarizing homes and businesses became a means of survival for many. “When this whole shutdown happened, we were all having this conversation. ‘We aren’t safe.’”

In response to the pandemic restrictions and safety concerns, the city of Jacksonville funneled support to local nonprofits on the frontlines advocating for and helping those experiencing street homelessness.

City leaders put a plan in place to move the most vulnerable citizens off the streets whenever possible and assist them in rapidly moving into housing they could maintain, according to Dawn Lockhart, director of strategic partnerships within the Curry administration.

In addition to supporting the efforts of local nonprofits, the city created a second, temporary Urban Rest Stop. The first, located on Adams Street, was established in 2019, while the second opened at the Salvation Army Citadel Corps on Church Street. (The latter, however, closed by the end of summer.)

“This enabled more street homeless to have a safe place to be during the day while having enough space to social distance,” Lockhart said.

Gilman agreed. “The best place to access a lot of these services remains at the Urban Rest Stop.”

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Those living in shelters may rely on resources from any number of nonprofits including Trinity Rescue Mission, City Rescue Mission, the Sulzbacher Center and its assigns, Clara White Mission or others—especially important now during the holidays and when the temperature is dropping.

“Nonprofit agencies serving the homeless were designated essential services and none closed, but all changed how they served people due to COVID-19,” Lockhart said.

The City Rescue Mission, for example, limited its services due to protocols put in place in March. According to PR, Marketing and Events Manager Torey Vogel, CRM currently serves more than 550 people each night, compared to 800 pre-COVID. While the Clara White Mission has a significantly smaller housing imprint (42 people live in either transitional or permanent housing), programs serving both the clients who live at the mission and the street homeless population were also negatively impacted.

According to Ju’Coby Pittman, CEO/president of Clara White Mission and city council member for District 8, the Get Your Meals

to Go program, which serves hot meals to the homeless, had to be

we haven’t been able to raise the money that we need for specific

revamped to accommodate social distancing and other pandemic-

programs that we have,” Pittman said.

related protocols. The agency’s popular cafe, run by students in its

Early in the pandemic, agencies serving the homeless population

culinary arts diploma program, was suspended temporarily, depriving

and the individuals experiencing homelessness themselves weren’t

students of critical hands-on experience in a real world setting. The

sure how they would survive. Fortunately, the city stepped in to

availability of volunteers, who are vital to the agency, decreased

provide some relief.

significantly.

Funding through the CARES Act, a federal emergency grant

Fortunately, Clara White Mission is still able to accommodate the

through HUD, allocated an additional $2.9 million in a mix of state and

street homeless population needing to shower, wash their clothes and

city funds to Jacksonville’s homeless population during COVID-19.

access computer services, but the overall loss of financial resources

Gilman said the main focus of the funds has enabled agencies like

has been devastating.

Changing Homelessness to offer non-congregant shelter, such as

“[The lack of] fundraisers has pretty much crippled us because

motel rooms, and an intervention called rapid rehousing.

The non-congregant shelter program targets the street homeless population, including individuals like Combs, who don’t want to live in a group housing situation.

“I have spent the majority of my time out here sleeping outdoors,” Combs said. “When I go from sleeping outdoors to sleeping indoors, whether it’s in a shelter or on a friend’s couch, I can’t handle it anymore,” said Combs, referring to the stress and impact on her immune system.

“For the first time in a long time, people really noticed persons who didn’t have a home at night and realized how critical housing is to your health,” Gilman said. As her organization Changing Homelessness notes in their unofficial tagline: “Housing is healthcare.”

“Folks that are homeless ... don’t have a lot of resources to go out and rent apartments or homes or other rooms or whatever they choose on the open market,” Gilman said. “If you look at recent real estate listings—prices for both homes for sale and homes for rent— one of the weird ironies of COVID-19 is that those average prices have gone up even more.”

That is why the city and local nonprofits are focusing their efforts on the non-congregant shelter program and rapid rehousing.

According to Lockhart, the project will be doubling by the end of 2020.These programs will also be at the forefront of getting the homeless population vaccinated.

“HOUSING IS HEALTHCARE.” “The Sulzbacher Clinic, the federally qualified health care clinic for the homeless, is working very closely with the health department in securing [the] vaccine when it is available,” Gilman said.

Combs still has concerns over the status of Jacksonville’s street JU’COBY PITTMAN OUTSIDE OF THE CLARA WHITE CENTER JOHN ALOSZKA

homeless population during COVID-19 as cases spike and the potentiality of another lockdown looms.

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URBAN REST STOP DOWNTOWNJACKSONVILLE.ORG

“I will get much louder if they don’t put something into place that is better than what happened last time and if they don’t communicate,” Combs said. “Those are the two biggest things, for our safety and that lack of communication.”

To that Gilman said her organization will continue to “focus all of the resources to end each person’s homelessness but also the homelessness within our community.”

Councilwoman Pittman agreed it is a responsibility of city leaders and the servicing agencies in our community to help not only those currently experiencing homelessness but those on the brink as well.

“COVID is something that has taken over our lives. It doesn’t matter if you’re Black, white, rich, poor; and together we are working to address these needs through relief funds,” Pittman said. “We have one out now that’s helping people who have evictions or are in foreclosure, also helping small businesses, those that had closed help[ing] them open their business back up.”

The impact of COVID-19 on the homeless population has become even more devastating during the holidays, when memories of happier days spent with loved ones intertwine with current feelings of hopelessness, despair and, as Combs expressed, outright fear.

While life for Jacksonville’s homeless is especially difficult now, they can take some solace in knowing there are staunch advocates who are working tirelessly on their behalf.

As Pittman said, “We [are helping] them mobilize through the process of getting these relief sources to help them get their life back and get their family back,” which might just be the greatest gift of all.

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I N T O T H E W I L D ISA BARRIENTOS

JONATHAN HOWARD TAKES CARE OF DOZENS OF ANIMALS AT THE ARK WILDLIFE CARE AND SANCTUARY. IN SPRING 2010, a fawn appeared in Jonathan Howard’s yard in the midst of his battle with kidney cancer. Although he was an avid deer hunter then, they connected immediately. He named her Lilly, and for the next two years, she wandered around Howard’s property by day and came to his door at nightfall to unwind on the papasam and sleep in his bed.

One night when Howard called for her, she didn’t come in.

“She turned around and looked at me, just the way she always did, and said, ‘nope, not tonight, daddy,’” Howard recalled, “And I never saw her again.”

The essence of their bond lives on through The Ark Wildlife Care and Sanctuary in Hilliard, where he continues to foster wildlife on a much wider scale. Howard launched the rehabilitation center shortly after Lilly left. In 2014, its sanctuary status was made official. The Ark is now a registered non-profit agency providing care, treatment and shelter to orphaned, surrendered, and injured wildlife.

Howard is currently caring for 83 animals - deer, raccoons, foxes, emus, coyotes, and an otter, among others. That’s just the count for the slow season. This year, the sanctuary took in 74 fawns, each of which was bottle-fed thrice daily by Howard himself.

The Ark’s ultimate goal is to release the animals back to their 18

A RACCOON AT THE ARK ALL PHOTOS BY ISA BARRIENTOS

A SQUIRREL STAYS WARM ISA BARRIENTOS

A THREE LEGGED DEER ISA BARRIENTOS

native habitat. But for those that are too frail to return to the wild, or that are dependent on human contact, The Ark becomes their permanent haven.

Serving as president of the organization, he alone does most of the work on the sanctuary. Every day, he’s up before the sun (well before it, during baby season) preparing bottles and formula. He feeds and medicates the animals, checks in with each one, and cleans the enclosures daily.

Howard takes calls for injured and orphaned wildlife and personally picks them up. He built dozens of the animals’ shelters himself. He treats dozens of animals each year, though unfortunately, some are beyond saving by the time that they get to The Ark - deer arriving there are prone to an extreme stress response that often leads to their death.

AN EMU ISA BARRIENTOS

Volunteer veterinarians, Dr. Michael Paine and Dr. Alicia Emerson, 19

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IS RUDOLPH VACATIONING IN FLORIDA? ISA BARRIENTOS / JOHN ALOSZKA

are on-call and have generously treated The Ark’s wildlife well after office hours. With their help, Howard taught himself to suture, cast broken legs, and administer injections and IVs. The Ark has a small yet well-equipped medical room complete with an x-ray machine and surgery table, so the animals usually don’t have to leave the facility for treatment.

The vets share Howard’s philosophy: they’ll do everything they can to save any animal with a will to live.

The sanctuary does not receive any state funding to cover costs, so help from the community keeps it running. Their feeding bill at the peak of baby season is more than $2,000 a month on top of the price of medical supplies, caging and bedding, and operating costs.

Donations cover about half of the expenses for the year, and the board members’ families offset the rest. With no paid employees, the thousands of hours spent tending to the wildlife each year is volunteered.

A VERY FRIENDLY OTTER ISA BARRIENTOS

“Every cent that’s donated to us goes strictly to running the facility and caring for animals. I don’t know of any other charities that do that,” said Howard.

“YOU PUT YOUR HEART AND SOUL INTO SAVING ONE, YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN’T SAVE THEM.” He’s saved hundreds of sick and injured animals, and buried almost as many. He tends to them with great devotion and mourns them in perfect grace.

“I bawled like a baby on some of them,” said Howard, “You put your heart and soul into saving one, you do everything you can, and you can’t save them.”

Despite the heartache it creates and the continuous commitment that it requires (Howard hasn’t taken a vacation since 2009,) Howard is wholly dedicated to the sanctuary. He spends each day building and maintaining the sanctuary and caring for the wildlife. The animals adore Jonathan, and they are remarkably happy, well-fed, and loved.

Jonathan realized how fleeting life is when he had cancer, and how precious it is when he had Lilly. The wildlife continues to remind him of this every day.

“They come running to me when they won’t come to anyone else,” said Howard, “I’m their momma and their daddy and their security.”

DEER FEEDING ISA BARRIENTOS

ISA@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM 21

SOCIAL DISTANCE

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DISTANCE MAKES THE HEART

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Have a safe and fun holiday season!

GROW FONDER @FOLIOWEEKLY

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MUSEUM MOVES ISA BARRIENTOS

A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR THE CUMMER ANDREA BROWNLEE WILL BRING A FOCUS ON EXPANDING AND PRESERVING THE JACKSONVILLE MUSEUM ANDREA BARNWELL BROWNLEE, a nationally-recognized curator and art historian, began her role as director and chief executive officer of the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens Dec. 1.

Relocating from Atlanta, Brownlee served as Spelman College Museum’s first full-time director, a position she held for 19 years. There, she launched the Atlanta University Center of Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective, a ground-breaking educational program focused on cultivating African American art history and curatorial professionals.

THE CUMMER CONTEMPORARY GALLERY COURTESY OF THE CUMMER MUSEUM

Her innovative work in leadership and curation won her many accolades throughout her career, most notably, the David C. Driskell Prize, the first national award to recognize and celebrate individuals

ANDREA BARNWELL BROWNLEE COURTESY OF THE CUMMER MUSEUM

who make original and important contributions to the visual arts and study of African American art. Brownlee graduated from Spelman College with degrees in English and art history and earned her Ph.D. in art history from Duke University.

Brownlee first came to the Cummer in 2019 for “Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman,” an exhibition celebrating the life and work of the Harlem Renaissance artist. She was particularly interested as her own work focuses on contemporary art by and about women of the African diaspora. During her visit, Brownlee was similarly captivated by the museum’s permanent collection which tapped into her fondness for the span of visual culture.

“It’s a magnificent collection,” she said. “Every time I go, I see something different. One of the most exciting things on my horizon is to spend time with that exceptional collection.”

A year and a half after her initial experience at the Augusta Savage show, she was selected as the Cummer’s new CEO and director following a national search—and much consideration on her end (it is, after all, 2020). She began to transition into her new role in October.

“When I came onboard, it was very clear to me that it was exciting and dynamic and the right professional move at the right time,” she said. As a huge proponent of milestones, legacy and future-proofing, Brownlee was particularly thrilled about the opportunity to help celebrate The Cummer’s 60th anniversary in 2021, not only its history but also its aspirations.

“Building upon Cummer history is a privilege,” she added. “It’s something that I take very seriously.”

from her remarkable perspective.

“You bring your whole self to work, you bring your whole self to everything that you do,” she said. “As an African American woman,

Under Brownlee’s inspired direction, the Cummer will focus on

I bring a scope that is enlivening and perhaps broadening to other

new acquisitions, exhibitions and experiences in its riverfront gardens.

people’s perspectives. It’s a wonderful time to bring additional voices

Visitors and the community at large can expect to learn a great deal

into the field.”

25

FIND YOUR 2021 VIBE WITH THESE LOCAL BANGERS Maybe you’re playing it safe, or maybe you’re ready to rumble (responsibly) after being cooped up all year. Either way, these songs are mandatory for your 2021 playlists.

LANNDS

PEAKS

For many, 2021 will be unknown territory. Luckily, LANNDS shows us how to delve into the unknown on “peaks” with bright synthesizers, a groovy melody and a determination to do the best they can. You should try your best, too.

For fans of Kimbra, Solange and Janelle Monae.

RUNNERS HIGH

SHANE MALONE

SUPERHYDRATION

I, for one, am adding drinking more water to my 2021 resolutions.

And you should add listening to

NOWHERE

Gone is the social contract! Cruise into 2021 in style with this spirited song (feat. Ashton Chase) about going anywhere and doing whatever you want—responsibly, of course, especially after the vaccine hits your system. Or

Gone Fishin’, the excellent EP from Jacksonville based Runners High, to yours. Full of songs that simply pop COVER: LEIGHTON HOEY

off, it’s perfect for the new year.

For fans of Weezer, PJ Harvey and My Bloody Valentine.

you can always stay home, I’m not your therapist.

For fans of Hippo Campus, TV Girl and STRFKR.

AUNT ACID

COVER: REMI LAMAIRE

WEAKSTUMMY

After the deprivation of 2020, 2021 is the year we can look forward to making our stomachs sick: specifically, by eating out too much. Aunt Acid knows where he’s going, perhaps you could be a bit more firm when suggesting where to go for dinner.

For fans of Homeshake, Beach House and Washed Out.

PHOTO: TENNY RUDOLPH VIA @KHAKISTEVE

YELLOW STEVE THE RENT/FEELSLIKEFALLING

If 2020 made you question the purpose of life, you’re not alone. Sometimes it can feel like the day the rent is due is the only day that matters, and the rest of the month is simply the lead up. Look past the material and the commercial to find meaning in actions or company, and bump Yellow Steve while you do it.

For fans of Noname, Earl Sweatshirt and Westside Gunn.

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NIKI DAWSON TRUST ISSUES

What mechanisms were you using to cope with the dumpster fire that was 2020? Let’s focus on working on those in the new year. The first step is admiting you could do better, and let Dawson’s fantastic “Trust Issues” be your blueprint.

For fans of SZA, Tizrah and Megan Thee Stallion.

HOROSCOPES 2021 EDITION For best results, read your ascendant sign; Have questions about transits? Contact me: isa@folioweekly.com.

ARIES Resolution: Do your part and make your place in the community.

LIBRA Resolution: Fall in love and have fun.

Find yourself both at the center and in the essence of the circles that you draw this year. Your awareness of self and spirit makes everyone wanna be your friend, but be careful who you let in. You will put tradition aside to form your values around a vision for the future. This will win you much admiration in the Aquarian year of the Aquarian age.

It will feel like an endless summer the whole year through for you. Good times will roll, great ideas will flow. A heightened creative drive will meet a newfound sense of untouchable independence within you. Work and relationships might take on a heavy feeling, for better or for worse. Be

TAURUS Resolution: Construct a rousing resume.

SCORPIO Resolution: Foster domestic bliss.

You’re fixed on pleasure. This year you’ll find it in career building, you’ll revel in a newfound position of prestige. Your colleagues inspire you and you’ll feel the pressure to succeed. Mars is anxious to enter your sign at the top of the year, which will grant you vitality that you can cash in for glory. You will settle into your eccentric side, though you might grasp for

The pandemic will end, but you will still stay home - this year will cover you in sweet comfort and nostalgia. Positive shifts will occur in your living situation, and relationships will be warm and volatile, just the way you like them. You may idealize those closest to you. Keep your eyes wide for covert betrayal. Investment in your home and family will yield

a sense of social belonging that you will never obtain.

a good return.

GEMINI Resolution: Appease the Duolingo owl.

SAGITTARIUS Resolution: Fill a journal.

You’ve dealt with your darkness. The year ahead is flashing lights, optimism, expansion. Knowledge and culture will come naturally as you open yourself up to the unconventional.The restlessness will come naturally, too, thankfully there is always somewhere to walk to. Your boundless benevolence is a whisper that the whole neighborhood can

A renaissance of the fingers and tongue will compel you to turn your ideas into words this year. Interactions with others take an interested, interesting verbosity. You might experience general nervousness. Rethink the way that you care for your body, as weird health issues are bound to

open to new experiences and weary of thoughtless attachment.

arise. Work toward repairing strained family relationships.

hear somehow. Speak a little louder, if ever then now.

CAPRICORN Resolution: Treat yourself.

CANCER Resolution: Address your debts, don’t let the interest build.

2021 will bring proximity that feels brand new, depth that feels like the only thing you remember from a past life. Your shadow knows all and forgives none. Sit with it and remember everything you want to forget.

Don’t go anywhere near your comfort zone if you manage to find it.

2021 will bring material prosperity. With good foresight, your relationship with money will improve as you pay off your dues. Nice dinners and expensive things will solidify the sense of self-worth that you’ve been building for years. Bad habits, perhaps related to intoxication, may very well catch up with you. Ward them off by cultivating true pleasure in romance and creation.

LEO Resolution: Practice emotional responsibility.

You’ll ponder over partnership as a concept this year. Approach relationships cautiously and conduct them earnestly. Intimacy might lead to confusion, and you’ll be susceptible to exploitation - the perpetual warmth out of your solar plexus will keep you safe if you lead with intuition. Your work life will adopt a light, erratic energy. It’s a good year to switch up if you’re less than happy with your career.

VIRGO Resolution: Declutter your space Marie Kondo style.

This year, you will take pride in and receive gratitude for being in service to others. As great health and good habits cover you, you will feel completely in your element. You’ll benefit from simplifying and structuring your life to make mental room for the bizarre situations that 2021 will throw your way. Your interests and affections might take a turn for the weird, too. Be quick to laugh and slow to judge, particularly in matters

AQUARIUS Resolution: Build a legacy.

Dreams and visions will come to fruition. You’re the main character of the year - whatever you’ve been quietly working on will come to the foreground. Though you forever embody community to the core, coming into yourself as an individual will inspire everyone around you. A physical relocation or mental migration away from the comfort of home will stimulate your mind and cultivate the fresh start of the heart.

PISCES Resolution: Clean out your psyche.

This year will feel rather reflective for you. Clear your space and your mind. If you don’t release the filth and woes of the past, you could easily slip into a lonely, depressive state. Your thoughts will be radically original, and it’s a good year to study theory or learn a trade. An opportunity to heal your inner child might arise as regressions to your early life occur.

of love.

LISTEN LOCALLY

ISA BARRIENTOS

ON THE FOLIO LOCAL PLAYLIST.

SCAN TO LISTEN 27

LISTEN LOCALLY JOHN ALOSZKA

THE NEIGHBORS DON’T MIND FRIENDS OF FRIENDS RECORDING AND TAYLOR NEAL BUILD COMMUNITY WHILE ADDING TO JACKSONVILLE’S GROWING LIST OF RECORDING POSSIBILITIES.

TAYLOR NEAL IN HIS HOME STUDIO JOHN ALOSZKA

EVERY SO OFTEN, a technological shift changes the music

for a studio space,” said Taylor Neal, who has been in his current

industry: the radio, quadraphonics, synthesizer, television, streaming.

home studio since last December. “In a home studio environment,

Today, the recording industry is undergoing another metamorphosis

you might be sitting on a couch in someone’s living room with a few

with the advent of at-home recording and distribution.

mics around you, it’s a lot more casual.”

Billie Eillish’s 2019 juggernaut When We All Fall Asleep, Where

Do We Go, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and swept the Grammy Awards, was produced in her brother’s bedroom, not a studio.

Matilda, Yellow Steve and Bobby Kid. This comfortability, coupled with the lower cost of using an athome studio, gives local artists an affordable alternative.

With the advent of relatively affordable music equipment,

This sentiment is echoed by DeAnna Doersch, who along

YouTube tutorials and the ability to upload to streaming services

with her partner Brok Mende, runs the Springfield based Friends

without a record label, at-home recording is on the rise--and

of Friends recording. They want to bring out of town talent to

musicians in Jacksonville are taking notice.

Jacksonville, on top of recording locally, to expand Jacksonville’s

“There’s a lot of pressure whenever you’re paying a pretty penny 28

Neal has developed a local repertoire working with artists like

musical influence, “Our goal is to create a way for people elsewhere

DEANNA DOERSCH AND BROK MENDE JOHN ALOSZKA

to record here, enjoy the beach, hang out and bring their knowledge and connect locally.” Doersch envisions workshops and residency programs in their studio, once COVID-19 is under control.

The couple, who moved to Jacksonville from Chicago, see potential to develop the already burgeoning Jacksonville DIY scene into something that can rival Austin’s or Durham’s, “I grew up in Jacksonville, and I ended up leaving because there wasn’t a lot of infrastructure here for doing music,” said Mende, who works as engineer at the studio, “After moving back here, I see it in a different light, there’s so much opportunity here and raw talent and ability here. There’s no reason an artist shouldn’t be able to make a living in a sustainable way here.”

OUR GOAL IS TO CREATE A WAY FOR PEOPLE ELSEWHERE TO RECORD HERE, ENJOY THE BEACH, HANG OUT AND BRING THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND CONNECT LOCALLY. DEANNA DOERSCH

Both Neal and Mende highlight the benefits of having an abundance of recording options in Jacksonville, as a way to promote diversity but also to prevent artists from moving

THE FRIENDS OF FRIENDS STUDIO SPACE JOHN ALOSZKA

out of the city to look for viable careers.

“The more artists create and release music, the more the sound of “Jacksonville” and all of the inspiration between us artists gets recognized and defines the scene,” said Neal, referencing Jacksonville’s iconic Southern Rock sound of the ‘70s.

“Bringing infrastructure and community to people in Jacksonville, and outside of Jacksonville... is how you get to know people and that’s what helps bring sustainability to the artists in our city,” said Mende.“It allows us to keep making really good music that’s on par, if not better, than what artists in other major cities are making.”

Both Neal and Friends of Friends Recording have continued to progress during the pandemic, albeit at a much slower pace than they would like. With better days on the horizon, it won’t be long until shows with packed audiences will be safe again.

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THE MUSIC THAT MADE ME: MELISSA ROSS

Melissa Ross, host of the wildly successful radio broadcast First Coast Connect, is as varied as her music interests; From the somber angst of Nick Drake to the cheerful exuberance of Mark Ronson’s Uptown Funk, her life’s playlist is a testament to why she’s so popular: she’s a bit of everything.

DREAMING Blondie NORTHERN SKY Nick Drake SOLSBURY HILL Peter Gabriel LITTLE RED CORVETTE Prince LEARN TO FLY Foo Fighters BRING ON THE DANCING HORSES Echo and the Bunnymen RAISE YOUR GLASS P!nk MIDDLE OF THE ROAD The Pretenders DON’T CHANGE INXS UPTOWN FUNK Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars The Music that Made Me: is a recurring column in Folio Weekly featuring prominent locals and the music that has shaped their lives.

Listen to the playlist by scanning the adjacent QR code.

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LOITER LOCAL KERRY SPECKMAN

WINTER EVENT PICKS

DECEMBER 17-20 AND 26-31

ZOOLIGHTS, JACKSONVILLE ZOO AND GARDENS When darkness falls, the Zoo gets LIT! P.S. Don’t wake the lions.

Tickets must be purchased online in advance and sell out quickly.

JACKSONVILLEZOO.ORG

DECEMBER 18 & 28 AND JANUARY 2 & 9

JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN, VETERANS MEMORIAL ARENA Here’s hoping Jags LB Myles Jack, who recently joined the team’s ownership, will finally experience his first winning season in Jacksonville since 2017.

JACKSONVILLEICEMEN.COM

DECEMBER 19

THE COOL SIDE OF YULETIDE, JAX FAIRGROUNDS Pandemic or not, the show must go on! Hence, this year’s Jacksonville Children’s Chorus holiday concert is happening drivein style.

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LISTEN ON APPLE MUSIC

JAXCHILDRENSCHORUS.ORG

DECEMBER 20

LUMINARIA, RIVERSIDE AVONDALE HISTORIC DISTRICT Who knew candles in paper bags could be so exciting? Pro tip: If possible, walk or ride a bike. Driving’s a guaranteed nightmare.

RIVERSIDEAVONDALE.ORG

DECEMBER 20

904 POP UP: HOLIDAY EDITION, J. WELDON JOHNSON PARK Wrap up your gift shopping while supporting local businesses and creators—from a safe distance, of course. Live music and food trucks too.

DOWNTOWNJACKSONVILLE.ORG

THROUGH JANUARY 18

LIVING LEGENDS & LIVES OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN ENTERTAINMENT, RITZ THEATRE AND MUSEUM Like the Ghost of Christmas Past, this curated exhibit of memorabilia, music and photographs takes visitors back in time.

WYD? HIT US UP... @FOLIOWEEKLY

RITZJACKSONVILLE.COM 33

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52 Cowford Chophouse order 54 Do some fleecing 57 Bogey beater 58 Competes 62 Local wildlife sanctuary...and an anagram of 17- and 39-Across 66 Beehive State 67 British noble 68 Worship 69 Disorder 70 Pre-K enrollee 71 Homo, for humans DOWN 1 Treaty 2 Jacob’s twin 3 Performs at Players by the Sea Theatre 4 Overly confident 5 Biblical verb ending 6 Spread out 7 Tortoise’s rival 8 Caribou kin 9 WinterFEST mo.

10 Words before “costs” 11 Trattoria beverage 12 Duval County Court pledge 13 Cape Canaveral org.

18 It has three feet 19 Infrequent forecast

for John Gaughan 24 ___ and aahs 25 Lacking slack 26 Touched down 27 Inverted “e” 28 Bit of salt 29 Slightly sticky 31 Jax City Council advisory group 32 Jessica of First Coast News 33 Kinda 34 Needing to scratch 36 Glide over water 38 Santa ___ winds 40 “Let’s go!”

41 Deck worker 42 2020, for one 47 Like slasher movies 48 Fortune-teller 49 Carefree romp 51 Spots for soaks 53 Steer clear of 54 Pond film 55 Loathe 56 JIA postings 57 The P of PRNDL 59 Aware of 60 Hosiery shade 61 Tom Petty hit: “___ My Baby” 63 Tennis match part 64 Mare’s meal, maybe 65 Cloth scrap

@FOLIOWEEKLY

SOLUTIONS

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1 Christmas wish 6 Where to store hoes and hoses 10 ___ Park, Fla. 14 Fancy tie 15 Untanned 16 Local bank letters 17 Attention-getting organized cheers from Noah’s craft?

20 Ivory source 21 bestbet card 22 Molokai “Hi!” 23 Days gone by 25 Jaguar’s end 27 Fla. National Guard rank 30 Eccentric sort 32 WJAX forensic franchise 35 I-95 traffic snarler 37 Yes, to Yves 38 Oodles 39 Breaks into the computer of a talkative DEA agent?

43 User-edited website 44 Spring break mo.

45 Mars neighbor 46 “___ questions?”

47 Canal boat 50 Ex-US Senator Hutchison or Hagan 51 007

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Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters B-O-L-D-C-I-T-Y (for the Jacksonville brewery).

S H E S

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HERES THE DEAL:

FOLIO CROSSWORD 1

Y

SPORTS STUFF JOHN M. PHILLIPS

MORE THAN A BUCKET LIST THE NFL GRAPPLES WITH COVID-19

A trip to Green Bay reveals the harsh, and necessary, realities of COVID-19 for NFL towns.

LAMBEAU FIELD JOHN M. PHILLIPS

35

Oxford Dictionary defines a “bucket list” as “a number of

I was undeterred this time. Loaded up with extra masks, filters and

experiences or achievements that a person hopes to have or

sanitizer packets, I made the trip to Green Bay only to eventually find

accomplish during their lifetime.” For many sports fans, seeing a

myself alone in a press box designated for Jacksonville-based media.

football game at historic Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. makes

While other members of the press decided the trip wasn’t worth the

the list.

risk, especially when they could cover the game from home, I had a

For Jacksonville Jaguars fans, Nov. 15, 2020 provided a chance

greater goal: to safely experience the impact of COVID on the town

to check it off the list—after an 8-year wait. But for many residents

and to try and better understand the business of sports in the age of

of the Badger State, their current bucket list contains only one item:

a pandemic.

survive COVID-19.

I arrived Saturday night, checked into the hotel and grabbed

Leading up to the game, the White House released a report identifying Wisconsin as having the fourth-highest rate for new cases of

an Uber to Titletown Brewing Company, one of the “hottest bars in town.” Or at least it was before COVID.

COVID-19 and the sixth-highest rate for test positivity in the country. Nearly 89% of hospital beds in the state were occupied with beds in the ICU at almost 91% capacity.

And growing. In Brown County, alone, there were 19,865 cases of COVID-19, most of which coming from Green Bay’s population of 104,057.

These figures were even more alarming considering the state was already under stringent restrictions at the time with businesses becoming more and more vigilant in their attempts to stop the spread of the disease.

Unfortunately, most businesses in Green Bay were already struggling, some dying faster than its residents.

Throughout the pandemic, the Packers’ official stance has remained the same: an indefinite hold on hosting fans at Lambeau Field for the 2020 NFL season with team leadership continuing to re-evaluate the decision in consultation with local medical and public health officials.

In other words, your bucket list can wait on our ability to function as a community.

TITLETOWN BREWING JOHN M. PHILLIPS

I consider myself a Jaguars loyalist, but I’ve also been a fan of the Packers ever since Brett Favre signed my program at

My driver Al B. told me, “You will enjoy whomever you meet

the 1991 Senior Bowl in my childhood home of Mobile, Ala. And

in this area. That’s guaranteed.” But added I shouldn’t expect the

what’s not to love about the history of Green Bay, a small city by NFL

usual atmosphere around games, which he likened to Mardi Gras in

standards that often leads the league in big ways?

New Orleans—contained within a footprint comparable to Mayberry.

Considering the current state of the Jaguars franchise, there’s something to be learned from Green Bay about viability.

the whole lifeblood of the Green Bay community. He compared the

Football fans often debate which comes first, viability or a

difference between the game experience in previous years and today

team’s commitment to getting out of its own way. And the actions of

to being promised a “full light show” and having to “settle for a

Jaguars owner Shad Khan—both on and off the field—have created

candle.”

a conundrum.

Pre-pandemic, he said, I would have met people who have been

In Khan’s relatively short tenure, he’s already earned a dubious

coming to the area for 10-20 years simply for the tailgating and don’t

distinction: the second fastest to reach 100 losses in league history as

even go to the games. I would have experienced bumper-to-bumper

an owner (Khan actually shares the “honor” with former New Orleans

traffic to get across town, he went on, as opposed to the desolate

Saints owner John Mecom).

roads I was seeing. He told me bars would have been “one-in and

Despite the recurrent dismal results on the scoreboard, many Jags fans remain loyal and undaunted. And a long-overdue trip to Lambeau could have brought excitement to a fan base desperately in need of positivity.

In 2012, I missed the journey to Green Bay for the second matchup between the Packers and Jaguars, due to the birth of my son. But 2020 was going to be my makeup year. Then COVID hit.

36

More than just a massive economic loss to the city, COVID changed

one-out,” referring to capacity guidelines, but now owners wonder if they will even be able to stay in business.

To the people of Green Bay, it’s way “deeper than the bucket list,” he explained. It’s all about history and tradition. Tickets are handed down from one generation to the next, like a sacred ritual.

When we finally arrived at the bar, he waited for me to get inside because we weren’t quite sure if the largest bar in town was even

open.

Titletown Brewing Company opened

ENTRY GATE JOHN M. PHILLIPS

in 1996 and is soon approaching its 25th year anniversary. The current general manager, Aleks Herrscher, has been there for almost a decade, working his way up from barback to bartender to GM. Titletown has consistently been ranked as one of the top 20 brew pubs in the country based on sales volume. But today, it’s struggling to stay open.

“The population of Green Bay doubles during home game weekends,” Herrscher said, with more than 200 people filling the same room we were in and remaining at capacity most of the night. Prior to COVID restrictions, other area bars would also be serving full crowds for the full weekend.

told me the story of what brought them to this once-hopping area.

Lately, however, it is a question of what businesses will literally

Chris Cox hails from Lake Wales, Fla. but grew up in Jacksonville.

survive—financially and fundamentally. (The restaurant owned by

His girlfriend Kelly Flanigan is a Packers fan, who got tickets to the

Titletown just across the street, for one, had already closed its doors.)

game from a friend before the NFL’s COVID restrictions were in

“Brown County is like the worst in this country [because of COVID

place. The tickets were now unusable, but rather than challenging

spread],” Herrscher said, putting it bluntly. “Businesses are hurting,

the refundability of their travel arrangements, they decided to turn

but everyone is trying to make it work and help each other out.”

the trip into a vacation. It was the first time Kelly flew on a plane and

After offering that dose of reality, Herrscher gave me a full tour

the first time she had ever seen snow. While they planned to just

of the building, then sent me on my way to walk around near the

experience as much of the city as possible, they couldn’t help but be

stadium.

disappointed they weren’t able to attend the game.

There was a little more activity down there with a handful of

Eventually, I headed back to the hotel with Daniel Bins as my Uber

people spaced out in different bars. As I grabbed a beer in one of

driver. He told a story similar to what I’d been hearing all night but in

them, a couple asked if I was from Jacksonville (apparently, the Jaguar

more desperate terms.

logo on my mask gave me away). They introduced themselves and

Bins said he went from making a good supplemental income by parking cars on game weekends and doing airport-only runs for Uber to driving during bar and restaurant hours to basically not having enough business to be viable anymore. More trips, after all, present more risk.

“Green Bay is not really going on,” he apologized.

“When the heartbeat isn’t beating, nothing is really going on.”

The next day was game day.

As I got closer to the famed Lambeau Field, I realized I was talking to myself in the rental car.

“And there it is,” I uttered. “Wow.” I pulled over to snap a photo and post it on Twitter. I then parked and walked around the stadium, part-fan and part-credentialed photographer.

I was first stopped by security near the tent where all outsiders had their temperature checked.

“Sir, the stadium is clos… oh, wait, you are media, go on through,” the officer said.

LONE FANS JOHN M. PHILLIPS

It was at the gate where the players enter that I spotted my first fans. Three people cheered 37

wildly every time a car drove by. They seemed to know which player

They said they drove to Green Bay hoping to get into the game but

drove which car and would tell me their names, then stop talking to

didn’t find out about the stadium lockdown until the night before.

wave at them wildly. One fan, sporting a decorated cheese wedge

Still, they wanted to see the famed Lambeau Field in person before

atop his head, said he was from Marietta, Ga. but came to Green Bay

heading off to find a sports bar.

for a game and liked it so much he moved there. He, like others before

Lambeau Field ordinarily seats 81,441. For big games, they will

him, apologized for the circumstances not allowing me to experience

squeeze in a few more. But on that day, there were zero fans in the

the full magic of a Packers game, the kind of experience that made

seats. It was quiet. And eerie. But also spectacular. The game came

him uproot his life in Marietta and become a full-time resident of

down to the final minutes, and the home team pulled it out.

Green Bay.

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As I walked out of the stadium, I reflected on my conversation

The group directed me to the way-larger-than-life statues of

with Herrscher and the symbolic emptiness of Titletown, the 140

Packers co-founder, player and namesake of the stadium Curly

people who lost their jobs and Al’s candle analogy. And then it dawned

Lambeau and beloved Packers coach and namesake of the Super

on me: the Packers may have gotten the “W” that day, but when it

Bowl trophy Vince Lombardi. It was only appropriate they were both

comes to living in the midst of a pandemic, there are no winners, only

wearing masks.

communcal sacrifice.

I felt like a kid walking up to them, not just because both are more

Though Coach Lombardi wasn’t referring to a pandemic at

than 14’ tall and weigh 2,000-plus pounds each, but because the men

the time, the feelings behind his quote still ring true: “Individual

they represented were giants in the world of sports. As I took a selfie,

commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a

two more fans, decked out in Pittsburgh Steelers regalia, walked by.

company work, a society work, a civilization work.”

IN MEMORY OF

SUSANNE TALENTINO

A FRIEND OF FOLIO AND OF JACKSONVILLE

Her name might not ring a bell, but if you’ve lived in

Real life, however, doesn’t come with the guarantee of a

Jacksonville for the last 10 years, you’ve undoubtedly seen

Hollywood ending. On November 21, 2020, Susanne died after

Susanne Talentino’s work. She and her husband Joe created

a 10-month battle with colon cancer. She was 60 years old.

and produced “I Know Jax,” a hyper-local TV show and website

News of her passing shocked friends and acquaintances,

focused on Jacksonville’s people, places and events with Joe

most of whom didn’t even know she was sick. And that’s exactly

serving as host and Susanne handling the writing, shooting

the way she wanted it, Joe said. She hated the idea of anyone

and editing. Over the years, the couple amassed a legion of

seeing her as a cancer patient with only months to live, so they

fans and won high praise for shedding a positive light on the

didn’t. At her request, her ashes were spread at sea with only

city and for their personal commitment to promoting small

Joe, their children and a few close friends present.

businesses.

There’s a popular saying in Sweden—det är ingen ko på

The story of how they met actually sounds like something

isen—which translates in English to “Your cow is not on the

you’d see on TV. Boy meets girl at California bus stop. Girl tells

ice.” What does that have to do with Susanne, you ask? Not

boy she’s from Sweden and on vacation in the states. Boy tells

much. Except to remind us we can’t make sense of things we

girl he’s on a 500-mile bike trek to Sonoma, and he’ll be back

don’t understand. That, and the fact that you’re now picturing

in a month. Probably. Boy eventually comes back, sets off to

a cow that isn’t standing on ice, which would amuse Susanne.

find girl in a local youth hostel (after taking a shower, we can

Because the last thing she would want would be for anyone

only hope), and they live happily ever after.

to be sad.

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GIVE[ING] KIDS THE WORLD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON COVID-19 HAS PUT 6,000 DREAMS COME TRUE TRIPS ON HOLD

Cristian Bernal, 12, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic

complete dream, his happiness above all, and the opportunity to get

leukemia in July of 2017. His journey has been filled with many

away from all treatments and just spend a week as a family without

obstacles, but Cristian always manages to maintain a smile and be

any interruptions was the best!”

his charming, sweet self, even on the worst days.

In 2019, thanks to local wish-granting organization Dreams Come

6,000 dream trips on hold. But that hasn’t stopped the organization

True, Cristian and his family were treated to a week-long vacation at

from getting creative in order to raise funds for future dreams once

Give Kids The World Village in Orlando, Florida. The Bernal family

the Village can safely reopen. From November 13 to January 3, the

was able to escape the reality of constant doctor appointments,

Village will host “Night of a Million Lights,” a ticketed, open-to-the-

check-ups and daily routines and simply enjoy a place where dream

public experience featuring 52 days of whimsical holiday lights and

children and their families are treated like royalty in the most magical

decorations. 45 of the Village’s close partners, including Northeast

place on earth, including access to the major theme parks in Orlando.

Florida-based sports organization PGA TOUR, have adopted a

Give Kids The World Village is a cost-free vacation resort for

residential villa and have been tasked with decorating the villa for

families who have a child with a life-threatening illness, such as

all to see.

Cristian. The Northeast Florida organization Dreams Come True works

Once Give Kids The World reopens for dream families, THE

to grant the dreams of these children, some of whom hope to visit

PLAYERS, PGA TOUR and Dreams Come True will continue to work

the Village. A $60,000 donation from THE PLAYERS Championship to

closely together to help grant more dreams that will give families and

Dreams Come True in June of 2019 helped fund “A Year of Dreams,”

children like Cristian the VIP experiences they deserve.

and Cristian was one of twelve children in Northeast Florida to have his dream fulfilled as a result of the donation.

“We would like to give a huge thank you for the opportunity to have Cristian be given his dream trip and the chance to enjoy Give Kids The World,” said the Bernal Family. “The week getaway was a 40 40

Due to the global pandemic, Give Kids The World has had to put

“This was honestly a dream that we will never forget and we enjoyed every day to the fullest. We were truly blessed and thankful for this beautiful experience and Cristian will forever remember that wonderful week,” said the Bernal Family.

FOLIO STAFF

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ADULT ADVICE SHARI AND TERRY JAYMES

MOUTH MISCHIEF IN THIS MONTH’S COLUMN: PLEASE TELL MY WIFE I WAS NOT WATCHING PORN. REPLY: TERRY: Dude, I see so many things wrong here. But first I’d like to get Shari’s initial reaction.

SHARI: Well, L, your wife needs an education as to what is and is not porn. Looking at mouths is not porn. Watching naked people have sex is porn. Maybe she’s confused with all the misuse of the word. For example: “cabin porn.” Not porn, just pictures of a lot of cabins.

TERRY: Well, that explains why we have a lot of pictures of cabins in our bedroom. I personally think this calls for some heavy action from you L. I hope you’re ready for a fight because it’s time to show her your business side.

SHARI: Cabins are sexy. Anyway, there’s always two sides to DEAR DUMBS,

I love the show, but usually from a distance. I never thought I’d have to actually come to you for some advice, but here we are.

I honestly believe my marriage hinges on what happens

every story, but I can tell by looking at Terry that he doesn’t feel that way in this case.

TERRY: Bingo! I’m pretty passionate about this one. This is all on you L. As far as I’m concerned, you already blew it. You justified your stance with her. Her busting your chops over something as innocent as that really needs to be dealt with

over the next few weeks. I’ve been married for six years now.

swiftly.

I’m in love and I’ve been completely faithful, never even

SHARI: I’m on board with this 100%. This is where trust comes

tempted.

into play. Distrust and insecurity is a bad combination.

Here’s the problem. My wife was using my laptop which happens from time to time. No big deal. For whatever reason she looked at my browsing history. Mind you, this was a link I clicked on the previous day. It was an article about what men find attractive in women and the number one answer to the survey was a sexy mouth. I then followed the link to pictures of sexy mouths.

She went through the roof! Saying that I’m addicted to porn. I feel guilty about looking at it, but I had to remind her that this was far from pornography. I said if anything, it’s a fetish at most. Nothing to be concerned about.

TERRY: According to your email, you haven’t given her any reason to react this way and Shari is right, this is all about her insecurities. Not your problem at the end of the day. If I were you I’d make it a short conversation. I’d say something like, “I don’t owe you any explanation. You’re out of line and I’m insulted by your accusations.” Then stand strong. Never bring it up again. You could also throw in something like, “I’ve never given you a reason for you to distrust me and I’m not going to justify your pathetic reaction by talking about this. If you don’t trust me, it’s your move.”

Can you please tell her I’m not a perv and this is fairly

SHARI: That comes off a bit harsh and I’m sure the problem

normal. This has changed how she looks at me and to be

is much deeper than that, She doesn’t feel very good about

honest, how I look at her. Our sex life is suffering. Help!

herself and there needs to be a discussion about that. But the blame shouldn’t be on you and that point needs to be made.

L.

You have nothing to feel guilty about.

ATLANTIC BEACH 43

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