Bold New Year

2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

THIS WEEK // 1.2.19-1.8.19 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 40 12

MAIN FEATURE

BOLD NEW YEAR

The faces of Folio Weekly stare down 2019 COVER PHOTO BY JOSH WESSOLOWSKI, THANKS TO RIVER & POST

COLUMNS + CALENDARS 4

MAIL/B&B

18

ARTS

33

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

6

OUR PICKS

22

SPORTS PICKS

34

CROSSWORD

8

GUEST EDITORIAL

23

ARTS + EVENTS

35

I SAW U

9

NEWS BITES

26

CONCERTS

36

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

10

POLITICS

28

FOOD

37

WEED

14

FEATURE

30

COOKING

38

CLASSIFIEDS

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MUSIC

31

BEER

39

BACKPAGE

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45 West Bay Street Suite 103 Jacksonville, Florida 32202 PHONE 904.260.9770 FAX 904.260.9773 JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 3

THE MAIL NOT A DONE DEAL RE.: “Season’s Beatings,” by A.G. Gancarski, Dec. 19 FOLIO COLUMNIST GANCARSKI IS CORRECT: NO ONE in Duval today can wage a successful, conventional campaign against Mayor Lenny Curry.

An asymmetrical campaign is the sole option: A fusion candidate, familiar to the electorate, who runs as an independent and requires no campaign contributions.

The 1880s in Jacksonville history were a brief era of fusion politics in which electoral tickets coalesced and dissolved based upon evolving local issues and personalities. The yellow fever epidemic of 1887-’88 and a temporary black majority in Jacksonville during the 1888 municipal elections incited a coup d’état by local segregationist whites (including the governor) who persuaded the legislature to strip city voters of home rule until 1892.

After 1892 Jim Crow was in the ascendance in Jacksonville, and localized, fusion politics became unimaginable due to the advancing color line that privileged race and would attempt to ignore class.

Local priorities were determined subsequently by the city’s white Democratic Party elites–who hasve been reincarnated as today’s white Republican Party elites.

From the county elections office online site: “A candidate may also file and qualify as a write-in candidate. Write-in candidates run without party affiliation. All write-in candidates appear on the General Election ballot. No qualifying fee or petitions are required by a write-in candidate.” Qualifying Period: Noon, Jan. 7, 2019 to noon, Jan. 11, 2019.

Some issues to consider: Mayor Curry shifting debt created by this generation to the next generation for payment; Curry squelching debate (and resolution) of the Confederate monument controversy; Curry accepting a “donation” to the city from the UAE, a police state; Curry spending $50 million to make traffic more congested around the municipal stadium complex, Mayor Curry appointing a non-district resident to the City Council. Plus, drainage and flood control.

Give the switch hitters in Duval a chance– we’re capable of voting for a Republican (Melissa Nelson) as well as a Democrat (like Nikki Fried). Give us a shot, Councilmember Anna Lopez Brosche–we vote!

Michael Hoffmann via email

BORDER WALL A BORDER WALL BETWEEN THE U.S. AND MEXICO IS racist, provocative and ineffective. The continental U.S. has borders between Canada, the Gulf and two oceans as well as our southern border. Why is the southern border the only focus for a secure America?

Would you feel secure by locking the front door and leaving the back door and windows unlocked?”

The provocation this in-your-face barrier confirms to our southern ally the ugly Americans we’ve become.

In addition, this giant step backward in global relations is impulsive, reckless and ill-considered.

Comprehensive immigration policy is what’s needed along with drones, surveillance equipment and border agents. We need judicial, medical and holding facilities to usher asylum-seekers with dignity through a difficult journey. We need reviewable, logical and clear policy. Congress has proposed bipartisan comprehensive immigration control but the floor won’t put it to a vote.

The chaos that follows from a lack of immigration specifics, policies and procedures is our failure, not those seeking asylum or a better life when we broadcast freedom and equality internationally. We are saying, “Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to be free.”

Then we label them criminals and drug smugglers, and separate children from their parents without a mechanism to track them.

We need to spend time in another’s shoes. Do we speak French in France or Spanish in Spain? Why insist immigrants speak English without schooling or assistance? Our reputation is tarnished by allowing a racist to rule unfettered.

Gilbert Mayers via email

LEND YOUR VOICE If you think you’d like to respond to something you read in the pages of Folio Weekly, please send an email with your name, address, and phone number (for verification purposes only) to mail@folioweekly.com, visit us at folioweekly.com or follow us on Twitter or Facebook (@folioweekly) and join the conversation.

BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS BOUQUETS TO THE JACKSONVILLE HUMANE SOCIETY The animal resource center reprised its annual Silent Night program in the run-up to Christmas.

JHS launched the program in 2012 to clear the kennels for the holiday. And it’s a success. Every year, hundreds of homeless dogs and cats are placed with volunteer families, at least for one day.

BRICKBATS TO DRIVERS WHO CRUISE IN THE LEFT LANE It’s not the longdistance lane. It’s not the fast lane. It’s the passing lane. Although difficult to enforce, it’s even written into Florida law. So, please, do everyone a favor and refrain from occupying the left lane unless you are passing a slower vehicle on your right. And make every effort to not pass on the right.

BOUQUETS TO ST. AUGUSTINE AMPHITHEATRE Thanks to its pioneering Green Hands program, the St. Johns County-owned amphitheater was one of four international concert venues to win Jack Johnson’s All At Once Sustainability Award. The singer/songwriter toured the world in 2017 and ’18, and created the special award to recognize the most sustainable stops.

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? HOW ABOUT A BRICKBAT? Send your ideas and submissions to mail@folioweekly.com; of a maximum limit of 50 words, concerning a person, place or topic of local interest.

4 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

THE MAIL SLAVIN’S ST. AUGUSTINE I VOTED IN FOLIO WEEKLY’S “BEST OF SAINT Augustine” readers’ poll (online now). Please do better next year.

The list of faux pas is longer than the list of Sheriff David Shoar’s sins, torts and crimes: Misspelling local beloved guitarist-songwriter-wit Sam Pacetti’s name. Listing Patrick Canan’s law firm TWICE in several categories. Allowing business owners to nominate themselves. Listing “Seaside Villas” in several categories, despite massive code violations reported by the St. Augustine Record for several years, and under administrative adjudication before St. Augustine Beach Code Enforcement Board.

Just five or fewer options, the wrong ones, in some cases (and no write-ins allowed–how bossy is that?).

You can vote every day?

Contrary to Folio Weekly’s history and tradition, the categories don’t make waves with the local Establishment. There are a few serious categories, like environmental activists, with only two (2) options (no write-ins allowed)–HARRUMPH, how haughty!

As Gertrude Stein said, there’s “no there there” in the nominations’ approach to St. Augustine. The character of our town, our people, history and nature and businesses are barely hinted at by this first effort.

Most of the nominations involve places to spend your money, of which there is no shortage here.

Folio Weekly’s nomination categories are far more intriguing than The St. Augustine Record’s dull “Best of St. Augustine” list, which was unadorned by any categories not involving sales of goods or services.

Best Elected Official • Jeanne Moeller, Anastasia Mosquito Control District of St. Johns County • Mayor Nancy Shaver, St. Augustine • Vice Mayor Margaret England, St. Augustine Beach • Commissioner Maggie Kostka, St. Augustine Beach • County Commissioner Henry Dean • County Commissioner Jeb Smith Best Former Elected Official • Sherman Gary Snodgrass, ex-St. Augustine Beach Mayor/Commissioner • Ben Rich Sr., ex-County Commission Chair • Joseph Kenneth Bryan, ex-County Commission Chair

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Worst Current Elected Official • Sheriff David Shoar • Richard Burtt O’Brien, St. Augustine Beach City Commission Best Nonprofit Group St. Augustine Historical Society (and Research Library) Worst Putative Nonprofit Group • St. Augustine Beach Civic Association Inc. (dodgy 501c4 that once ran Wednesday Farmer’s Market) • St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Four Star Association Inc. 501c3 Worst Developments • Antigua • Madeira • Fish Island (proposed) • The Collector Hotel (once Dow Museum of Historic Homes) • Embassy Suites Hotel, St. Augustine Beach • Nocatee (another Leviathan Levittown) Dodgiest Developer • David Barton Corneal • Hutson Companies • D.R. Horton • PARC Group Most Ineffectual Trade Association • Chamber of Commerce • Board of Realtors Best Local TV News • News4Jax • First Coast News Most Promising Local Newspaper Folio Weekly

Good start! Let’s do better next year, please.

Here are my nominations, FYI: Best Mayor Nancy Shaver, St. Augustine Worst Mayor Undine George, St. Augustine Beach Best First Amendment Lawyer • Thomas Elihah Cushman • William Sheppard • Bryan DiMaggio Best Public Interest Lawyer • Megan Wall • William Sheppard • Tom Cushman Best City Manager John Patrick Regan, P.E., St. Augustine Worst City Manager Bruce Max Royle, St. Augustine Beach (falls asleep in meetings) Best Investigative Reporter on St. Augustine & St. Johns County • Anne Schindler, First Coast News (ex-Folio Weekly) • Walt Bogdanich, The New York Times • Susan Cooper Eastman (ex-Folio Weekly) • Jared Keever, The St. Augustine Record • Jake Martin, ex-St. Augustine Record Best Lawman • Robert Hardwick, St. Augustine Beach Police Chief • Barry Fox, St. Augustine Police Chief Worst Lawman • St. Johns County Sheriff David Shoar • Deputy Jeremy Banks • Undersheriff & General Counsel Matthew Cline • James Parker, ex-St. Augustine Beach Police Commander, now at State’s Attorney Office Best Whistleblower–Conscience of Our Community • Ex-Deputy Debra Maynard • Jeffrey Marcus Gray • Capt. Lee Geanuleas, U.S.N. (Ret.) • Tom Reynolds • B.J. Kalaidi • Kenneth McClain

Worst Local Newspaper • St. Augustine Record • St. Augustine Beaches News Journal • The Florida Times-Union Worst Local Employer • Sheriff David Shoar • St. Johns County School Board • Flagler Hospital • City of St. Augustine Beach • Tourist traps underpaying workers, sometimes in cash under the table. • A potato farmer whose crew leaders were convicted of enslaving workers.

Worst Radio News on Local Issues • WFOY (ex-mayoral candidate Kris Phillips’ Limbaugh-loving Hate Radio hobby) • WFCF (Flagler College “Radio With a Reason,” which has no news but carries a 15-minute city of St. Augustine weekly PR program) • WJCT (Jacksonville NPR affiliate neglects St. Augustine and St. Johns County news. During December 2018 partial government shutdown, it read a press release about Jacksonville National Park Service facilities being closed, never mentioning St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos and Fort Matanzas were closed. Ouch.)

Biggest disappointments • University of Florida management of state-owned Colonial Quarter with contract to Pirate Museum owner Pat Croce • Sheriff David Shoar • St. Augustine Beach Mayor Undine Celeste Pawlowski George • League of Women Voters–no public local candidate election forum in 2018 • St. Augustine Record (and its new oligopolistic corporate master, GateHouse Media, neglecting its watchdog function since it was founded by Henry Flagler’s frontman in 1895.)

Ed Slavin via email JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 5

ARE YOU EXPERIENCED? GOD IS EXPERIENCE

Ebony Payne-English kicks off a year-long performance series with a five-woman show about family, femininity, life and creativity. The Jax poet and playwright revisits a troubled childhood and decides to forge a new family, rooted in sisterhood. 7 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 6, B&SUN Arts & Culture Center, ebonypayneenglish.com, $24.97.

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THIS WEEK’S BIGGEST & BEST HAPPENINGS

MAGNIFICO

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

When Leonard Cohen intoned, “The rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor,” he may have had Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 18th-century comic opera in mind, in which Spanish Count Almaviva tries to seduce the servant Susanna (Christina Rivera), who’s just married the count’s butler Figaro (Ryan Kuster). First Coast Opera’s production runs 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, Flagler College’s Lewis Auditorium, St. Augustine, firstcoastopera.com, $40.

ISLAND & PENINSULA CARLOS C ARLOS R ROLÓN: OLÓN: LLOST OST IIN NP PARADISE ARADISE

Puerto Rican tile artist Rolón presents works inspired by his experiences of Florida and his native island. Both are alive with lush landscapes that have suffered from industrial agriculture, overdevelopment and climate catastrophes. Until Oct. 21, The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, cummermuseum.org.

ALL-TIME HIGH RITA COOLIDGE

The easy-listening singer celebrates a half-century of hits including “We’re All Alone” and “All Time High.” She’s got Florida credentials, too. Coolidge went to high school in Jacksonville and studied art at Florida State University. Last year, she moved back to Tallahassee. 8 p.m.

Wednesday, Jan. 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, pvconcerthall.com, $39-$48.

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THE PLAY’S THE THING SOMETHING ROTTEN!

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After an award-winning Broadway run, the hit musical hits the road. Something Rotten! takes us back to Elizabethan England, where a pair of hapless playwrights conspire to steal William Shakespeare’s thunder–but the Bard is a hard act to follow. 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, Thrasher-Horne Center, thcenter.org, $43-$73.

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7

GUEST EDITORIAL

COOKING THE BOOKS

STATE INVESTIGATES superintendent’s former district

TUESDAY, DEC. 11 SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT day for Cynthia Saunders. The interim superintendent of Manatee County’s school system, who’d been serving since July 1, was poised to become the official superintendent—and get a nice raise, too.

Then the Florida Department of Education stepped in and blew it all up.

State officials accused Saunders of misconduct during the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 as they launched an investigation of district policies. The state accused Saunders of violating professional ethics in misrepresenting data, using institutional privileges for personal advantage, failing to maintain honesty in all professional dealings, using coercive means to influence others, submitting fraudulent information—all in violation of Florida codes and statutes. Perhaps the most damning accusation was that Saunders manipulated the district’s graduation rate.

You might be asking why we should care about this situation here in Duval County. Well, Saunders was then deputy superintendent of her district, and she served under Superintendent Diana Greene, the same superintendent who now holds the top spot for Duval County Public Schools. Indeed, Saunders became interim superintendent of Manatee County after her boss relocated to Duval. All of Saunders’ offenses, however, supposedly happened on Greene’s watch.

Furthermore, at least one Manatee County school board member thinks if anyone is responsible for what happened, it was Greene. The Bradenton Herald quoted Scott Hopes, who said, “Diana Greene was in charge, not Cynthia Saunders. I have every expectation that she’s going to challenge it, and she’ll have her day in court.”

The issue seems to stem from one alternate school whose students were unlikely to graduate. Instead of allowing their failure to affect the district’s graduation rate, someone reclassified the students The district blamed a retired assistant principal, saying it was shoddy paperwork on his behalf that led to the district’s woes. The employee, predictably, claims to be a scapegoat.

For her part, Greene does not believe that Saunders was involved in any wrongdoing: “Ms. Saunders is well known as a person of the highest ethics and character. The episode you reference occurred just as I became superintendent of Manatee. The school board was fully informed of the miscoding and corrective actions. The internal investigation 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

concluded that Ms. Saunders directed staff to follow an approved process for coding students. I have full confidence in Ms. Saunders and the district’s actions at the time.”

For the most part, I am pleased with Superintendent Greene. While I think she has spent too much time hobnobbing with new friends at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund rather than rebuilding relationships with staff—communication between the district and teachers continues to be an issue—she’s off to a good start. All the more reason these accusations are troubling.

I was pleased when Greene’s predecessor, Nikolai Vitti, first came to town, too. Soon after his arrival, however, he engaged in the same unsettling behavior with which Saunders is now charged. During Vitti’s tenure, fear and intimidation were two of the tools he used most often. He didn’t respect teachers. He even admitted he often thought of them as replaceable widgets. Then there were accusations that Vitti used questionable means to raise the grades of the schools of which he was in charge in Miami, an issue local media never explored. Is any of that starting to sound familiar? His Miami experience helped Vitti get the job here, just like Greene’s Manatee County ‘success’ story propelled her to Duval.

Right now, these are only accusations— worrisome and serious accusations, to be sure, but still only accusations. The state has just begun its investigation. At least one Manatee County school board member, however, is pointing the finger at Greene as the accountable authority.

Where does the buck stop?

If these allegations prove to be true, it’s not credible to think such misconduct happened without Greene’s knowledge, unless she was willfully ignorant after imposing her will on her subordinates to “get it done” at any cost. Even if Saunders was a rogue employee, it’s still bad management. Saunders’ good day might ultimately arrive, but probably not anytime soon. The investigation is expected to drag on for months. In the meantime, we are left with more questions—like what did Greene know and when?—than answers. Either way, local media outlets have a responsibility to let the people of Duval County know that Greene’s former deputy of the School District of manatee County has been accused of some heinous violations.

Chris Guerrieri mail@folioweekly.com

NEWS BITES TES TOP HEADLINES FROM NE FLORIDA NEWSMEDIA

JACKSONVILLE LLE DAILY RECORD WARSHIP WOES

The nonprofit Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association has been hunting oned for a decommissioned naval warship to serve as a um for a full Downtown museum decade. It’s clear now, however, that the organization’s target—the USS —is out of range. range Charles F. Adams—is On Dec. 21, The Jacksonville Daily Record’s David Cawton reported that the JHNSA has officially given up on the 437-foot USS Adams, which was commissioned in 1960 and spent 20 years in Mayport before being taken out of service in 1990. It is currently at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. According to the organization, the U.S. Navy has decided to scrap the ship instead of donating it.

“The association planned to transform the retired warship into a naval museum along the Northbank of the St. Johns River,” Cawton wrote. “JHNSA President Daniel Bean said that after years of negotiations with naval officials, ‘it became clear they didn’t want to release the ship.’”

Indeed, though the world hardly needs another monument to warfare, the JHNSA raised $2.8 million “through donations, private capital, bank loans and state grants to refurbish the ship and moor it Downtown.” The Downtown Investment Authority was also tentatively on board.

The dream is by no means dead. “Bean said the group will look at other retired Navy ships or try to obtain one on display in another city,” according to Cawton.

Cawton went on to quote Bean, who spoke these ridiculous words (possibly while pounding on his chest): “We believe Downtown needs a warship, needs a symbol. So we’ll continue to work for other opportunities.”

JACKSONVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL SKYWAY OF THE FUTURE

With parts of Downtown being demolished and other parts bereft of buildings, blades of grass or purpose, the sky’s the limit for future development. Some plans are sound; others not so much. In a Dec. 21 story, Will Robinson of the Jacksonville Business Journal reported that the Jacksonville Transportation Authority got a federally funded shot in the arm to pursue automated public transit, begging a question as old as the Skyway–who’s gonna ride it?

“The Jacksonville Transportation Authority,” Robinson wrote, “is among 20 agencies in the country to receive a portion of $16.6 million in federal funds to plan transit-oriented development, a strategy of development that relies on new or expanded transit systems to fuel economic growth.”

The proposed Ultimate Urban Circulator–which sounds more like a fitness challenge– would be an expanded transit system, building on the foundation provided by the JTA Skyway. That foundation may or may not be solid. Since its introduction in 1989, our free people-mover has consistently served far fewer than anticipated. The U2C would add 7.5 miles to the Skyway’s 2.5-mile footprint for a grand total of 10 miles, connecting the Jacksonville Regional Transportation Center to the west and TIAA Bank Field to the east.

And the U2C is only one leg of an ambitious, two-legged stool. The other is the Bay Street corridor, a project that has received even more federal grant funds ($25 million) “to deploy an autonomous vehicle fleet along Bay Street–and to tear down the Hart Bridge ramps into Downtown, implement an innovation corridor, install solar roads and more.”

Georgio Valentino mail@folioweekly.com

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9

FOLIO VOICES : POLITICS Not much drama DOWNTICKET IN JAX

COUNCIL

CONUNDRUM THE DEADLINE FOR HOPEFUL CANDIDATES TO qualify for the Jacksonville City Council races is Friday, Jan. 11. If you’re holding out hope for some seismic drama, though, you’re most likely to be disappointed. Of the 19 council races at the time of this pre-holiday writing, the vast majority will be won by candidates who jibe with the agenda of Mayor Lenny Curry.

In At-Large Group 1, the smart money is on Terrance Freeman’s filing to run, if he hasn’t already. Freeman will have a sixfigure bankroll and a raft of endorsements after getting his sea legs on the council … after Rick Scott appointed him to sub for indicted Democrat Reggie Brown.

At-Large 2: Republican Ron Salem is as connected as connected can be, and he’s got all the scrill. In At-Large 3, it’s “Mr. Human Rights,” Tommy Hazouri, who serves as Curry’s lead blocker on the City Council. Republican Matt Carlucci can likewise be counted on to play ball in At-Large 4.

And in At-Large 5, incumbent Republican Sam Newby is yoked to Curry, just like the lot of them. While Newby will draw a challenge (Lisa King? Tracye Polson?), he’s also going to get serious about fundraising this campaign. Last time, he won citywide with a measly $10,000 bankroll.

So all five At-Large seats might well go to CurryCrats.

Looking at district races, there’s a tale that Bill Bishop may have had a path to victory over incumbent Joyce Morgan in Arlington’s District 1. The price?

Endorsing Lenny Curry’s re-elect. Bishop hasn’t cut that deal, clearly. Meanwhile, the Jax Chamber has already endorsed Morgan, who looks poised to have a political future well beyond Jacksonville City Council.

Al Ferraro, another Curry guy, will likely be victorious in District 2 again.

Council President Aaron Bowman, of District 3, backs the Curry agenda, just as the next council president (Scott Wilson, District 4) does. In District 5, LeAnna Cumber will be just as formidable an enforcer of consensus as incumbent Lori Boyer is now. In District 6, Rose Conry is almost certain to take the win, barring any last-minute wackiness. Hard to beat 10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

a Gaffney in District 7. (Yes, Reggie’s a Lenny guy). And in District 8, Ju’Coby Pittman is rapidly climbing the ladder of political success, having already summited so many others. Though a Democrat, she plays the game, too.

Right there, you have 13 votes for whatever.

District 9 is up in the air at the moment, as the world waits for Garrett Dennis to get off Twitter and get down to the SOE to file. Likewise, District 10 is hard to handicap without a serious fundraiser. District 11’s Danny Becton often talks a game of dissidence, but a lack of other options in his district keeps the money on his side and the wolves at bay. And Becton usually votes the way everyone else does in the end.

Meanwhile, District 12’s Randy White and District 13’s Rory Diamond (both the only candidates currently in) align with the mayor’s office: two more reliable votes.

District 14 does not yet have a certain conclusion, but there are, by a cursory count, no fewer than 15 votes for #JaxOnTheRise.

Three years ago, no one really expected that the last year of city politics would be a flamewar between two city councilmembers and the mayor’s office.

Anna Brosche and Garrett Dennis worked really hard with the current body to propose and sell reform measures of various types. They couldn’t get through the line. Transparency? JEA Board reform? Confederate statues? Pick your favorite hot-button issue and recall how theatrically they were gaslit and sandbagged time after time.

The next four years won’t deviate too far from consensus.

Leaving aside the mayor’s race and the structural difficulties challengers are burdened with, even if someone beats Lenny Curry in March (LOL) or May (probably LOL also), that person will be working with Lenny Curry’s council.

Can you imagine the level of sabotage that could arise from all this? Somebody would have to slap a TV-14 rating on City Council meetings.

A.G. Gancarski mail@folioweekly.com @aggancarski

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 11

BOLD NEW YEAR

Photos by Devon Sarian and Josh Wessolowski

The faces of FOLIO WEEKLY stare down 2019 The tail end of the year has arrived, giving me official calendar-changing permission to feel fresh and take on whatever bone life throws my way. It’s time once again to shed the old and prepare to unleash new possibilities. That said, I plan to start 2019 on the right paw and follow new leads, sniff out stories and bark about all things pet.

Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews from local pets and people, helpful pet care tips and veterinary advice from local vets.

As the hound-around-town, I’ll spill the deets on local digs where you can sit, stay and play every day. Some might say I have a nose for it.

SHELTON HULL FOLIO WEED

GEORGIO VALENTINO EDITOR

The Old Year brought change to the Folio Weekly newsroom. The New Year gives us a chance to really start again. This independently and locally owned alternative community weekly is your forum, folks.

We’re digging into local issues, naming and shaming local villains and shining a welldeserved spotlight on our local heroes. And we want to hear from you. As editor of this fine publication, my mission in 2019— should I choose to accept it (and I do)—is to put my pen down and listen. Reach out and, like The Four Tops, I’ll be there. Tell me a story, give me a lead, and I’ll assign one of our fine writers on the case. Hell, maybe you want to be one of those writers. (It is a noble profession.) I’m listening.

DAVI FOLIO PETS

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ED HALL FOLIO POLITICS

I was extremely excited to be added to the Folio Weekly crew in 2018. The venue has opened up an array of opportunities for political satire, and gives Northeast Florida something it has been missing for a number of years: a local cartoonist. The editor and publisher have both given me a long leash to explore topics rich for satirical evaluation, and I am excited about the prospects for 2019. My goal is to continue to report truth to power, with cartoons that are both funny and biting. I would also like to experiment with more sequential graphic reporting, utilizing a strip format to tell stories that relate to the residents of Jacksonville. One other idea is a series of caricatures, focusing on both the fire and flaws of local personalities

As a general rule, I try to avoid making New Year’s resolutions. I lack the discipline for long-term planning, and I prefer to improvise as the moment demands. But in terms of the work, I’m looking forward to 2019 being even busier than last year, which was easily my most productive year ever in the business. The medical marijuana market will continue to expand, almost exponentially, as the push for full legalization begins in earnest. Meanwhile, Northeast Florida’s arts and music scene is finally realizing its vast potential. The local elections in spring will go a long way toward determining the shape and scope of our community for the next decade to come; whether that’s a good thing remains to be seen. Overall, it’s a great time to be alive in Jacksonville. Let’s hope it stays that way!

In the year of our Lord Two-Thousandand-Nineteen, (or twenty-nineteen, as our esteemed Senior Editor Marlene Dryden would have us say) I’d love to see a DIY music revolution in the Jacksonville area. As someone who likes to keep his ear to the streets, I will make it my duty to highlight musicians who are producing independent creations that don’t fall into scene traps. I want to share singular visions that were recorded in bedrooms, among other places. I want to tell the stories of musicians who have been performing to an audience of 10 most nights since the early 2000s, as well as tell you about performers who take the rock/punk/hiphop/noise/barbershop/etc. genres to strange new places. This is the year in which we throw open the curtains on local music to take a look at the legends and new contributors who are destined to be your new favorite artists.

JASON IRVIN FOLIO MUSIC JENNIFER MELVILLE FOLIO ARTS

I look forward to interviewing Jacksonville’s movers and shakers in 2019, attending lots of art shows, and writing about those who are elevating Jacksonville’s cultural scene in exciting new ways. While I write mainly about art and culture, I’m also excited to launch Folio Weekly’s Kid Picks this month, bringing the very best of Northeast Florida’s youth events, classes and cultural attractions to families on a weekly basis.

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13

OPEN TO ALL

Getting G etting tto ok know now Jacksonville trial lawyer Hank Coxe

I

n a world where ego is king, his modesty is refreshing.

High-profile Jacksonville trial lawyer Hank Coxe has much of which to be proud. Coxe, director of the Bedell Firm, has served as president of The Jacksonville Bar Association and The Florida Bar. A good number of awards have been bestowed upon him and many of his cases have received national attention. Yet you won’t likely hear him brag about his accomplishments. Instead, Coxe fondly regales friends and acquaintances with stories about grandkids, his love of fishing or his wife of 38 years. This legal maverick has quite the tale to reveal. story by JENNIFER MELVILLE

14 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

photos by DEVON SARIAN

After graduating from Washington & Lee law school in Virginia, Coxe visited friends in Gainesville and quickly ran out of funds. He decided to try his luck in Jacksonville—bigger city, more opportunities—and hit the road in an old car with $90 in his pocket.

Coxe was no stranger to hard work.

Hailing from a working class family in the Northeast, Coxe worked his way through college and law school with the Merchant Marines. His travels brought him to Jacksonville on more than one occasion.

The young lawyer did indeed find work in Jacksonville, though perhaps not the careerstarter one would expect. He had already passed The Virginia Bar, but there was no reciprocity in Florida and he had to wait about a year to take the exam.

“I worked in a warehouse at night from 5:30 in the afternoon until 2 in the morning, counting automobile parts,” he recalls. “And in the daytime, I pumped gas at a gas station.”

One day, while pumping gas, Coxe met Ed Austin, who was general counsel for the city of Jacksonville at the time. The two struck up a conversation. Austin connected Coxe with Chief Assistant State Attorney Harry Shorstein. Soon after, Coxe began his first job as an attorney.

“I think I just received the bar exam results the day before or two days before, so I figured, well, with all these student loans that are about to become due, I had better stop the gas and the warehouse routine and get serious about this,” Coxe recalls. “And I did. That’s really how it started.”

He’s eternally thankful for the mentorship he received as a young lawyer. Coxe learned early on that the purpose of life is to do what you can to help others. It all started at home.

“Both parents were big influences, though they were different,” he says. “My father, on the one hand, never made much money but was incredibly talented in terms of mechanical skills, electricity, automobiles, you name it. He could do it all. So he did what she preached.

We lived in a really small town and he would help an old lady fix a screen door, he would help someone fix their plumbing who couldn’t afford to fix it, he could do it all and he would.

Every Saturday and Sunday, he would be around town doing stuff for other people.”

“My mother’s social conscience was as strong as anybody’s I’ve ever known. She was determined that people existed on this Earth to help other people who needed help. That’s just the way it was and that’s the mission she spoke.”

His parents’ advocacy for those in need would inspire Coxe to use his talents to help out whenever and wherever possible: “I think people who really believe in this profession will probably look back at the cases they handled that are pro bono—helping the less fortunate— those are the ones you really feel best about.”

You may have seen his work on the news, but Coxe prefers not to discuss specific cases with the press without a client’s approval.

Without naming names, it’s clear that he can’t stand an unfair fight and is fiercely determined to help those who cannot help themselves, especially adolescents being tried in the adult legal system.

“If you care about children and how they’re treated and you couple that with the fact that you think you have the ability to help or the training to help, then you put the two together and you do it,” he says.

That applies even if the client can’t pay big bucks.

“I think pro bono work is important to anybody in any profession. I don’t think it’s magic about the legal profession,” Coxe says.

“My mother’s commitment was that you got put on this Earth to help people who need your help if you can help them. So you should.

I don’t quite understand how somebody goes through life not taking the time to help people who need help if they are in a position to do it.”

While working at the State Attorney’s

Office, Coxe met Jacksonville native and fellow attorney Mary. Hank and Mary Coxe have been married 38-plus years now and have three children—Katie, Matson and Anne—and four grandchildren.

“To a great extent, Mary is a daily reminder of what the right thing is to do for other people.

That’s what she does and she reminds others of it by example,” Coxe says. “I sort of characterize her as the best combination of my parents: the commitment and the moral standard and the incredible social conscience, too. That’s what she does. The children have it, too, but they have it because of her. They don’t have it because of me and they admit it—all three children are attorneys.”

Making time for those you love isn’t always easy, but it’s vital. Coxe’s recent bout with cancer reminded him of this truth.

“I remember how often the great lawyer Eddie Booth told me, ‘Don’t let the time run by on those children. You can’t get it back.’ That was coming from the ultimate workaholic. And there’s a lot of truth to that,” Coxe says.

Becoming a trial lawyer was not a lifelong dream, nor was it a role that came easily at first. It took a lot of hard work, mentorship and grit to succeed. Coxe recalls his first court experiences: “The best way to describe it—and it’s a true story—the first time I spoke in court in front of a judge, it was like a 12-year-old’s voice cracking or an 11-year-old going through puberty. That’s exactly what it was, a high-pitched squeal.

The judge made me repeat what I said because he couldn’t understand it … then a highpitched squeal again.”

Coxe was incredibly discouraged, but he persevered.

“It’s the only job I had. I didn’t have any choice. That’s what prosecutors did, go in the courtroom. You practice it and get used to it. I think you’ve got to make a decision what sort

of meaningful purpose you’re going to serve in this life and do it.”

Late-night walks help Coxe rehearse what he’ll say in court. Even after all these years, he still deals with a bit of stage fright.

“In my world of trials, I don’t care how many cases or how recently I’ve tried a case or how major or minor or however you want to call it—I’m absolutely terrified before it starts,” he says. “Even now, going into that courtroom, it’s the same as it was in the beginning.”

In addition to practicing criminal defense in both state and federal courts and serving on a number of influential committees, Coxe is recognized among The Best Lawyers in America, appears in Florida Trend’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame, and has been listed several times among the Top 10 Florida Lawyers in Super Lawyers Magazine. He is a recipient of The Florida Bar Foundation Medal of Honor. The lawyer has served on the Constitution Revision Commission (appointed by the Florida Supreme Court), Florida Supreme Court Judicial Qualifications Commission and the Florida Supreme Court Innocence Commission. He’s been awarded The Florida Bar President’s Pro-Bono Award as well as the city of Jacksonville Pro Bono Award. Coxe recently co-chaired the 2018 city of Jacksonville Transparency Task Force and the 2018 Florida Bar Criminal Summit in Tallahassee.

While he’s certainly proud of these accomplishments, it’s the more personal achievements that stand out in his mind.

“One of the highlights I look back on was when I had finished presiding over a meeting of The Jacksonville Bar Association at the Omni Hotel and the catering crew—the wait staff—one of them asked me if I would stick around after the meeting and I did,” Coxe recalls. “They gathered around and made me an honorary member of the catering

staff. They gave me a badge. They’d already made it—it said ‘Omni Hotel’ with ‘Hank’ on it—and they said the reason they did it was because I was ‘one of them.’”

Other memorable moments include interviewing Judge Rosemary Barkett at the program of the Annual Dinner of the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society, interviewing Justice Barbara Pariente for the Supreme Court oral history, and receiving the American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the 11th circuit.

“Those are fun,” Coxe says. “Those—to me—are the kinds of things I remember.”

Despite the grandeur of the historic building in which the Bedell Firm operates, there’s none of the stuffiness one might expect of one of the most successful law firms in the state. Above the pillar-flanked door are engraved the words <Open to All.> “I’ll give you an illustration of what drives the thought process in this building, and that is the tone set by Chester Bedell,” Coxe explains. “Chester Bedell’s been dead for 37 years, but to this day his leadership, examples and commitment to the profession are still the standard by which other people measure things. He was considered, in his day, the best trial lawyer in the state of Florida, so everyone here demands excellence. He did not graduate from college or law school. And to this date, you will not see a diploma of any kind on any wall in this building for anybody, out of respect for the fact that he didn’t have any and he ended up great. But it’s a tradition that’s carried on to this day. Nobody hangs a diploma in this building.”

Like the firm he represents, Coxe is straightforward and unpretentious, and he is unafraid to challenge the status quo. His legal battles and successes make Jacksonville a more equitable place to reside.

Jennifer Melville mail@folioweekly.com

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 15

FOLIO A + E

E

very rock band has a talker. I don’t mean a spokesperson, mind you. I mean a talker— someone who can’t abide silence, someone who regales an audience of one or 1,000 as a matter of life and death, in both a tour van and in interviews with Folio Weekly.

This is as it should be, by the way. Talk may be cheap, but it’s what interviews are made of. As for those long, empty hours between tour stops, they’re better filled with words than heavy breathing or trumpet scales. (Trust me.)

So, to reiterate, every rock band has a talker. For Jacksonville’s Chrome Fangs, it’s drummer James David McMurray. The hard-rock group’s founding members— singer/guitarist Donovan Wolf and lead guitarist Greg Black—are more measured, speaking occasionally and with evident reflection. Bassist Thad Cotton mostly just likes to watch.

The four musicians are gathered around a high-top at The Justice Pub to discuss their new EP, Witch Mountain, which dropped on the winter solstice, Dec. 22. The five-track set is a follow-up to their 2017 debut album Release the Hounds, and was recorded at the same studio (Stay Tuned), by the same engineer (Don Ringhofer).

The band’s sound has remained fairly consistent, too: fuzzed-out blues riffs, strung-out drum beats and out-there lyrics. It’s not exactly ‘fusion,’ but there is a cross-pollination of rock subcultures going on.

WITH TEETH The Chrome Fangs BARE NEW EP

“The way I describe the music is something between Sonic Youth and Queens of the Stone Age,” begins McMurray (I told you he was the talker).

“There’s a wide variety. With this EP, especially, every track is diverse. It adds a new element to our music.”

Wolf reflects for a moment before drawing a line under the subject: “We’d like to think of our sound as a kind of psychedelic stoner rock, but one could drown in the sea of genres and subgenres. In the end, it’s all just rock-androll.”

As the title Witch Mountain suggests, esoterica figures heavily in the imagery.

Wolf, the band’s designated lyricist, finds thematic inspiration in both the peyote trance of desert stoner rock and the pagan mythology of European metal.

The EP cover art is borrowed from British sci-fi illustrator Bruce Pennington’s 1970s

portfolio.

The Chrome Fangs formed in 2015, when Wolf reached out to Black. Both guitarists are Fort Lauderdale transplants, and they’d jammed together down south.

Early iterations of the group featured a different rhythm section. McMurray actually attended the Fangs’ first-ever show, but was playing in a different group at the time. He would eventually join the toothsome ranks. Their fourth bassist, Cotton was the latest addition. Last year, he answered an open call on Craigslist— and impressed with his skill and stoic demeanor.

“We loved him right from the start,” says Wolf (to which McMurray nods and adds, “He fit right in”). “We all knew this was our guy.”

When it came time to plan their EP release soirée, the boys wanted to celebrate not just the record, but

Jacksonville’s rich live music scene. They invited a cross-section of groups to share the stage: quirk-rockers Secret Cigarettes, art-punk duo Dancing with Ghosts and GovClub spin-off Send Him Off! “There’s lots of talent in this town,” says Black (to which McMurray nods and adds, “a whole lotta talent”).

“For me, coming from Fort Lauderdale,” says Wolf, “I think Jacksonville is a good city with a lot of venues, and they’ve been supportive of us.”

His only complaint: pyramid schemes foisted on local bands by certain predatory promoters. It goes something like this: A talent “buyer” will sell stage time— sometimes a choice support slot—to the young and hungry in the form of advance tickets. (‘Put your money where your mouth is, kid.’) From there, the local band can re-sell them like Cutco Knives, or simply shred ’em; the talent buyer cares not. The support act has already underwritten the headliner’s guarantee, and the promoter needn’t assume the risk of, ya know, promoting the show.

“Pay-to-play is pretty much bullsh*t,” Wolf says. “Bands should avoid at any cost.”

The Chrome Fangs plan to ride Witch Mountain through 2019. McMurray predictably gets the last word in when asked the obligatory New Year’s question: “We’re gonna play more shows and make more music! We’ve already got new songs written.”

Georgio Valentino mail@folioweekly.com

THE CHROME FANGS, DANCING WITH GHOSTS, SECRET CIGARETTES, SEND HIM OFF! • 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, Rain Dogs, Riverside, facebook.com/raindogsjax, $5 16 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

FOLIO A+E : FILM

SPAGHETTI

TEST

Italian director’s WRETCHED WESTERN won’t stick, but you make the call

A

s the awards season and the many retrospectives for 2018 films draw near, here’s one film and award that might’ve escaped your notice. It’s among the more unusual films and unsung awards this last year.

IThe movie is Sergio Corbucci’s The Great Silence, originally released in 1968 but seldom, if ever, seen in the United States on the big screen. More about the politics on that matter later.

Finally released this summer in a stunning restoration on both Blu-ray and DVD, The Great Silence won a special award for Best Rediscovery of 2018 from the Boston Society of Film Critics. Good for the Yankee Bluestockings as well as Film Movement, the company responsible for the new release. Interested viewers can see what’s been called the best spaghetti Western not made by Sergio Leone.

In a sense, however, Silence (and the entire spaghetti Western genre) really began four years earlier in 1964, with the release of Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars, the first of his eventual trilogy—unburdened by an excess of dialog—gunslingers starring the perfectly cast flinty-eyed Clint Eastwood, whose previous credits included the TV star Rowdy Yates. With the unexpected international success of Leone’s film, floodgates opened for other Italian directors to import American actors (to lend legitimacy to the Italian market) and crank out bullet-ridden, corpse-laden oaters.

Sergio Corbucci had already worked on a variety of other genre flicks, sometimes with friend and colleague Leone, before breaking into the newly popular mold. He had great success in 1966 with the release of Django (starring Franco Nero), Johnny Ringo & His Golden Pistol (Mark Damon) and Navajo Joe (staring the late Burt Reynolds).

Corbucci, Italy’s Kubrick, made his greatest contribution to the genre with Silence, possibly the most controversial of all spaghetti Westerns due to its nearly unrelenting bleakness. Set in the snowcovered wilderness of Utah (filmed in the Italian mountains), the film is a truly chilly Western, right up there with Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. And like Tarantino’s Django Unchained, Hateful was also directly influenced by Corbucci.

The scenes shot in the town of Snow Hill were actually filmed in various studios, the “snow” convincingly created by gallons upon gallons of shaving cream. The many mountain sequences, though, were the real thing and must have been arctic hell for actors, horses and crew.

The film’s stars are French actor JeanLouis Trintignant and German thespian Klaus Kinski. Both were international stars, particularly Trintignant. associated with

arthouse dramas like Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman (’66), Eric Rohmer’s My Night at Maud’s (’69), and Bertolucci’s The Conformist (’70). Kinski, one of the notorious wild men of film, had a major success with Werner Herzog in films like Aguirre, the Wrath of God and Fitzcarraldo.

Trintignant plays Silence, aka The Mute.

As a child, he saw his mother raped and killed by a man who then slashed the boy’s throat, rendering him incapable of speech.

He grew up to be a gunslinger, defending harried, starving outlaws from ruthless bounty hunters. Silence never draws first.

Rather than kill his prey, he sometimes shoots off their thumbs, rendering the sorry villains unable to ever shoot a gun again.

Pauline (Vonetta McGee), the widow of a man killed by the bountyhunters, falls for the strong Silent type.

The scumbags’ jefe is vile, vicious Loco (Kinski). The lone soul up against Loco and the rotten town council is good guy Sheriff Gideon Burnett (American B-actor Frank Wolff, whose career was boosted by this genre). Gideon and Silence join forces against the obvious insurmountable odds.

The set-up recalls every other Western cliché, spaghetti or otherwise, but what sets Silence apart is its sheer grimness. No happy ending here. It’s said Corbucci intended the massacre of the “good guys and gals” at the end to reflect the untimely, unnecessary ends of Che Guevara and Malcolm X. International distributors were irate, so Corbucci had to shoot an alternate “happy” ending; it’s in many new video releases.

Beyond ridiculous, the alternate conclusion still failed to appease American studios, so Silence lapsed into legend for American audiences.

And it’s back—your big chance to see what miffed studio heads 51 years ago—plus you can hear the great Ennio Morricone’s Western score. You’ll see why The Great Silence earned its reputation.

Pat McLeod mail@folioweekly.com

NOW SHOWING CORAZON CINEMA & CAFÉ First Man and The Dawn Wall currently screen. Throwback Thursday is The Imitation Game, with Benedict yum Cumberbatch, Jan. 3. Distant Drums starts Jan. 4. TBT for Jan. 10 is Cool Hand Luke. 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, 679-5736, corazoncinemaandcafe.com.

WGHF IMAX Aquaman, Great Barrier Reef 3D, Pandas 3D, America’s Musical Journey 3D and Polar Express currently screen. Glass starts Jan. 18. World Golf Hall of Fame, St. Augustine, 940-4133, worldgolfimax.com.

SUN-RAY CINEMA Aquaman and Mary Poppins Returns currently screen. 1028 Park St., 5 Points, 359-0049, sunraycinema.com.

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 17

FOLIO A+E : ARTS

Photo by Jihan Grant at the CCGJ

T

18 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

he arts breathe life into our humanity, they document, they communicate […] the arts build bridges and tear down walls; they animate life and represent history.” Those were the words with which Joy Young, the new executive director of the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville (CCGJ), greeted the audience at a Dec. 20 press conference.

Hers is a tacit statement that art isn’t easy, but it should be accessible.

In the best-case scenario, art in the public realm can reflect a bigger vision of a place than perhaps the residents of that place can even acknowledge or articulate.

This reflection can then be used to help build identity and the attendant economic stimulus that character provides (because it is OK to want more than just “easiness”).

Yet, art can also exist for its own sake.

This dichotomy is one that is partially expressed in the mission of the Cultural Council, which states that its duty is to “enrich life in Northeast Florida by investing in arts and culture.”

But what does “enrich” mean, and who determines which—or whose—arts and cultures are promoted?

It is worth noting (and paying close attention to) the new gift policy that regulates art donations to the city collection. While the CCGJ can advise on the acceptance or denial of a gift, the ultimate decision rests with the mayor’s office.

But gifts to the city collection are just one small part of the art scene that Young is set to tackle. Perhaps the largest hurdle she faces is the one that our largest of small towns places in front of so many newcomers: muttered resistance from the (art) community itself. These whispers might be explained in part by acknowledging that Jacksonville boasts one of the “goodest” of good-ol’-boy networks. Then there are the limited arts opportunities and some simple feelings of entitlement.

However, unlike previous executive director Tony Allegretti, Young is an artist.

COMMITMENT

TO THE CITY An informal(ish) press conference with JOY YOUNG

A singer, she has supported herself as a Sunday soloist and by teaching music.

“I know what it means to pay your bills as an artist […] I know what it means to have to go home [after a full day’s work] and practice,” she said.

Young was an artist before she was an administrator, a singer before she was an executive director. She has a bachelor of arts in music, a master’s degree in art, and has attained candidacy for a doctorate in organizational leadership.

Taking the helm of the CCGJ after seasons of uncertainty and dissonance, she’s relocating to Jacksonville from South Carolina, and brings with her more than a decade of experience at South Carolina Arts Commission. There, she built artistfocused programs, including ArtsGrow, a matched-savings plan for artists to help grow the creative economy.

Prior to the press conference, the members of the board had an opportunity to begin to get to know the new executive director. While the tone was restrained, it was hopeful, and a bit of a reality check, too. When asked by two board members what she’d heard about Jacksonville arts and artists outside of the city, Young replied that the only artists with whom she is familiar are the Johnson brothers, James Weldon and Rosamond, who wrote/ composed “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.”

Then the new executive director asked

how the Johnsons’ legacy is reflected here.

One of the board members replied that there’s a plaque “somewhere.”

It is clear by observing the thoughtful manner Young used as she talked about Jacksonville that she’s thought quite a bit about how the city can move forward, even if she hasn’t yet gotten to know the individual players. If the city doesn’t have a huge arts reputation, the void creates an opportunity to build something based on NEFLa’s specific heritage.

“I am sensitive to the fact that a lot of communities have been working for a long time […] my first impression of the unique identifier: this city has such potential, but the story of Jacksonville isn’t an easy one to find.”

To find the story, Young talked in terms of having intentional conversations, and traveling “outside of our networks.”

She talked in terms of “joining a team” and contributing to the vibrancy of our community through “the arts, leadership, teamwork, vision, advocacy and inclusion […] This is a real opportunity for change,” she said.

She also noted that she “believes in the power of arts […] and as far as challenges are concerned, I think of them as opportunities. I see many opportunities to get to know artists, to get to know organizations. And the strategy is to utilize the people here to help me gain entry into communities. I do not feel it is my role to go barging into someone’s community, but to use the connections that already exist as the invitation to go into and work in a community.”

Hers seems to be an approach that synthesizes artists and the arts within the community and, in so doing, creates a more level—and fertile—field. She seems ready to get right to work, too: “I commit to you that I will hear, I will listen and I will work very hard to contribute to the life of the arts in Jacksonville. I want to make sure that artists are supported as well as our cultural organizations.”

Madeleine Peck Wagner mail@folioweekly.com

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19

BE A READER OF INFLUENCE PREVIEW BALLOT AT FOLIOWEEKLY.COM/SAINTAUGUSTINE VOTING Starts Wednesday, December 26, 2018 | Ends Midnight, Friday, January 11, 2019 WINNERS Announced in the Wednesday, January 30, 2019 Issue of Folio Weekly AUTOMOTIVE Best Auto Body Shop Best Auto Detailer Best Auto Service / Repair Shop Best Car Wash Best New Car Dealership / Asian Import Best New Car Dealership / Domestic Best New Car Dealership / European Import Best Tire Store Best Used Car Dealership

BEAUTY Best Barber Best Day Spa Best Hair Salon Best Hair Stylist Best Laser Hair Removal Best Lash Extensions Best Nail Salon Best Tanning Salon Best Waxing Studio

EDUCATION Best Charter Elementary School Best Charter High School Best Elementrary School Best Middle School Best High School Best Kindergarten Best Private School

ENTERTAINMENT Best Actor Best Actress Best Art Festival Best Art Gallery Best Band - Cover Band Best Band - Original Music Best Club DJ 20 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

Best Comedian Best Community Theater Best Concert Venue Best Dance School Best Female Vocalist Best Food Festival Best Karaoke Night Best Large Band / Orchestra Best Male Vocalist Best Movie Theater Best Museum Best Music Festival Best Musician Best Nightclub Best Open Mic Night Best Parade Best Performing Dance Group Best Pirate Group Best Place to Hear Local Musicians Best Reenactor Group Best Visual Artist

GROCERY Best Farmers Market Best Grocery Store Best Health Food Store

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HOME IMPROVEMENT Best Bathroom Remodeler Best Carpet Cleaning Service Best Flooring / Carpet Store Best Garden Store / Nursery Best Heating & Air Conditioning Company

Best Home Improvement Contractor Best Kitchen Remodeler Best Pest Control Best Pool Maintenance Best Roofing Contractor

HOUSING Best Apartment Community Best Condo Community Best Home Decor Store Best Moving Company Best New Community Best Real Estate Agency Best Real Estate Agent Best Residential Builder

ISSUES Best Environmental Activist Best Reason to Love St. Augustine Best Nonprofit Organization Best Thing to Happen to St. Augustine Best Use of Local Public Money Best Volunteer Effort Best Cause Worst Environmental Abomination Worst Thing to Happen in the Last Year Worst Waste of Local Public Money

KIDS & FAMILY Best Local Attraction for Kids Best Child Care Best Family Entertainment Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant Best Kids Clothing Store

LAWYERS Best Criminal Lawyer Best Divorce Lawyer

Best DUI Lawyer Best Family Lawyer Best Law Firm / Lawyer Best Marijuana Lawyer Best Personal Injury Lawyer

MEDICAL Best Acupuncturist Best Assisted Living Facility Best Chiropractor Best Cosmetic Surgeon Best Dentist Best Dermatologist Best Eye Clinic Best Hearing Aid Store Best Medical Marijuana Clinic Best Orthodontist Best Urgent Care Clinic

MONEY Best Bank Best Credit Union Best Insurance Agent Best Mortgage / Home Loan Provider

PEOPLE Best County Commissioner Best Community Activist Best Personality Best School Board Member Best Social Justice Crusader Best Weirdo Worst Local Zero

PET PARENTING Best Animal Hospital Best Dog Park Best Pet Accessories Store Best Pet Day Care / Overnight Boarding Best Pet Groomer

RETAIL Best Antique Store Best Bookstore Best Boutique Best Consignment Store Best Cupcake Store Best Florist Best Frozen Yogurt / Ice Cream Best Furniture Store Best Gift Shop Best Jeweler Best Liquor Store Best Mattress Store Best Outlet Mall Best Record Store Best Smoke Shop Best Thrift Store Best Vape Shop Best Wine Shop Best Women’s Clothing Store

SPIRITUAL Best Church Best Synagogue

SPORTS & RECREATION Best Bait & Tackle Shop Best Bicycle Shop Best Dive Shop Best Fishing Tournament Best Golf Course Best Karate Studio Best Kayak Shop Best Public Park Best RV Sales & Service

TOURISM Best Attraction Best Beach Best Bed & Breakfast / Inn

Best Carriage Ride Best Historic Architectural Structure Best Hotel / Motel Best Place to Take Out-of-Town Guest Best Train / Trolley Tour Best Walking Tour Best “Historic” Street Best Graveyard Best On The Water Tour

WEDDINGS Best Bridal Registry Best Place to Get Married Best Reception Entertainment Best Rehearsal Dinner Restaurant Best Wedding Cakes Best Wedding Florist Best Wedding Photographer Best Wedding Photo Spot Best Wedding Planner

WINE & DINE Best American Restaurant Best Bagels Best Bakery Best Barbecue Restaurant Best Barista (Name & Workplace) Best Bartender (Name & Workplace) Best Beach Bar Best Breakfast Best Brewery Best Brunch Best Burger Best Burrito Best Catering Best Chef (Name & Workplace) Best Chicken Wings Best Cocktail Selection

Best Coffeehouse Best Desserts Best Diner Best Dive Bar Best Doughnuts Best Family Restaurant Best Fine Dining Restaurant Best Fish Camp Best French Fries Best Fried Chicken Best Gastropub Best Gluten-Free Menu (Name Restaurant) Best Happy Hour Best Hot Dog Best Italian Restaurant Best Japanese Restaurant Best Late Night Menu Best Locally Owned Restaurant Best Margarita Best Martini Best Meal Under $10 Best Mexican Restaurant Best New Bar Best New Restaurant Best Organic Restaurant

Best Oysters Best Pastries Best Pizza Best Pub Best Restaurant Server (Name & Workplace) Best Ribs Best Seafood Restaurant Best Shrimp Best Smoothie Best Sports Bar Best Steak Place Best Sub Sandwich Best Sushi Restaurant Best Vegan / Vegetarian Restaurant Best Waterfront Dining Best Wine Bar Best Wine List

CAMPAIGN TO WIN With 27 years of voting for the Best of Jax, our readers are eager to now exercise their influence in Folio Weekly’s VERY FIRST BEST OF SAINT AUGUSTINE. From People and Local Makers, from Wine & Dine to Attractions, the 250 CATEGORIES of the 2019 Best of Saint Augustine are in THREE PHASES: NOMINATING, VOTING and HALL OF FAME. Download your free campaign kit at FOLIOWEEKLY.COM/CAMPAIGNKIT.HTML For more information contact your account manager or SAM TAYLOR at (904) 860-2465 or Sam@folioweekly.com JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 21

PICKS

BY DALE RATERMANN | MAIL@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

TUE

SAT

08

5

REAL MEN WEAR SEQUINS

SOMETIMES I CAN ALMOST HEAR THE CLAYS LAUGHING

WWE SMACKDOWN LIVE

Featured wrestlers on the card include AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Daniel Bryan, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Rey Mysterio. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 8, Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 Randolph Blvd., jaxarena.com, $20 and up.

FRI

4

SPORTING CLAYS SHOOT

It’s the National Sporting Clays Association’s Ring in the New Year shooting competition.

(Bring your own earplugs.) 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, Jacksonville Clay Target Sports, 12125 New Berlin Rd., jacksonvilleclaytargetsports.com, free for spectators.

IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS, SCARE YOUR MOM BARREL RACING

More than $35,000 in prize money is on the line in the No Bull Grand Slam event.

Watch the riders and horses fly around barrels in a cloverleaf pattern in a race against the clock.

8 a.m. Friday-Sunday, Jan. 4-6, Jacksonville Equestrian Center, 13611 Normandy Blvd., jaxequestriancenter.com, free.

SAT

5

O.B.D.: OBSESSIVE WBASKETBALL DISORDER

UNF OSPREYS VS. NORTH ALABAMA LIONS

The UNF women’s and men’s basketball teams tip-off their ASUN Conference seasons against the University of North Alabama in the day/evening doubleheader. 1 p.m. (women) and 5 p.m. (men) Saturday, Jan. 5, UNF Arena, 11852 UNF Dr., unfospreys.com, $5 for the women’s game, $10-$15 for the men’s game.

22 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

SAT

5

BASKETBALL BOGO

FLAGLER SAINTS VS. GEORGIA COLLEGE BOBCATS

The Flagler College women’s and men’s basketball teams battle Peach Belt Conference foe Georgia College in the matinee doubleheader. 1:30 p.m. (women) and 3:30 p.m. (men) Saturday, Jan. 5, Flagler Gymnasium, 12 Granada St., St. Augustine, flaglerathletics.com, $10.

ARTS + EVENTS

Piano virtuoso EVREN OZEL performs Beethoven, Haydn and Sibelius with the JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4 and Saturday, Jan. 5, Times-Union Center, Downtown, jaxsymphony.org, $19-$76.

CLASSICAL, CHORALE

ART WALKS, MARKETS

JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY Young piano virtuoso Evren Ozel joins the symphony for a performance of Beethoven, Haydn and Sibelius, 8 p.m. Friday, January 4 and Saturday, January 5, TimesUnion Center, Downtown, 354-5547, $19-$76, jaxsymphony.org.

RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET Local and regional art, produce and crafts, Jan. 5, under the Fuller Warren Bridge, free admission, 389-2449, riversideartsmarket.com.

FIRST WEDNESDAY ART WALK Themed ‘Dress the pART’ for 2019’s first Art Walk, held 5-9 p.m.

Jan. 2, with more than 36 venues, live music, restaurants, galleries, museums, businesses and hotspots (some open after 9 p.m.) spanning 15 blocks Downtown Jacksonville. iloveartwalk.com.

FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK The tour of Art Galleries of St. Augustine is 5-9 p.m. Jan. 4 and every first Fri., with more than 26 member galleries participating, 829-0065.

BOOKS & POETRY JAZZ POETRY CAFE Monthly event combines poetry, live music and food in a sultry ambience 7 p.m. Friday, January 4, Elks Lodge, 712 W. Duval St., Downtown, 853-1262, $20-$35, jazzpoetrycafe.com.

BLACKOUT POETRY Organized by non-profit Hope at Hand, this free monthly poetry workshop is open to anyone who wants to try their hand at self-expression, 1-3 p.m. Saturday, January 5, Chamblin’s Uptown, 215 N Laura St, Downtown, 674-0868, free, hopeathand.org.

BARDS AND BREW Local poet Keri Foster hosts this monthly gathering, at which poets of all stripes are invited to read their work in a convivial atmosphere, 9 p.m. Wednesday, January 9, The Silver Cow, 929 Edgewood Ave. S., Murray Hill, 513-8621, silvercowjax.com.

COMEDY DREW THOMAS The Jamaica-born, Bronx-raised stand-up comic brings his brand of wry social commentary to NEFla. He appears 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 3, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Friday, January 4 & Saturday, January 5, The Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, 292-4242, $15-$18, comedyzone.com.

PHATT KATZ COMEDY OPEN MIC NIGHT This first open mic of the year is a chance to discover Phatt Katz Comedy’s new home at XO Lounge. 8 p.m. Thursday, January 3, XO Lounge, 3535 Saint Johns Bluff Road South, 980-9065, $20-$25, phattkatz.com.

MUSEUMS BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, 241-5657, beachesmuseum.org.

Jeffrey Luque’s Vibrancy & Illumination, through February.

CRISP-ELLERT ART MUSEUM Flagler College, 48 Sevilla St., St. Augustine, 826-8530.

CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., 356-6857, cummermuseum.org.

Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman, through April.

KARPELES MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY & MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfield. #Mylove, Jeffrey Luque’s solo show through January, jeffreyluqueart.com.

LIGHTNER MUSEUM 75 King St., St. Augustine, 808-7330, lightnermuseum.org..

MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., 366-6911, mocajacksonville. unf.edu. Gideon Mendel: Drowning World exhibits.

Frank Stella Unbound: Literature & Printmaking displays until Jan. 13.

GALLERIES BOLD BEAN SAN MARCO 1905 Hendricks Ave., 853-6545. Brook Ramsey’s figurative oil paintings are on display.

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 23

ARTS + EVENTS BREW 5 POINTS 1026 Park St., Riverside.

Chip Southworth exhibits his bridge-based works in Connections.

BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY 137 King St., St. Augustine, 825-4577. January’s featured artists are jewelry makers Kathryn Carlyle and Cheryl Gibbs, known collectively as CarlyleGibbs.

CATHEDRAL ARTS PROJECT 207 N. Laura St., Ste. 300, Downtown, capkids.org.

CULTURAL CENTER at PONTE VEDRA BEACH 50 Executive Way, 280-0614, ccpvb.org. Jacksonville Coalition for Visual Arts winter show is on exhibit.

Artisan Market, with pottery, jewelry, photography and paintings, is open.

FLORIDA MINING GALLERY 5300 Shad Rd., Mandarin, 268-4681, floridamininggallery.com.

Slamdance Cosmopolis, a collaborative exhibit of works by Matt Allison and Matthew Usinowicz, is on display.

JENNA ALEXANDER STUDIO 73 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, 850-384-3084, jenna-alexander.com.

Alexander’s new works, Stripes and Buns, display.

MAIN LIBRARY’S MAKERSPACE 303 N. Laura St., Downtown. Ties and Knots, an exhibit of contemporary textile works, is up through Jan. 21.

PAStA FINE ART GALLERY 214 Charlotte St., St. Augustine, 824-0251, pastagalleryart.com.

RAIN DOGS 1045 Park St., 5 Points, 379-4969.

SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY 1 Independent Dr.,

Downtown, southlight.com. New works by Kevin Arther, Maiya Elaine, Justin Drosten and J Adam McGalliard on exhibit.

THE YELLOW HOUSE 577 King St., Riverside, 419-9180, yellowhouseart.org. Piercing the Veil, Thony Aiuppy’s experimental works, are on display.

STUDIO ZSA ZSA LAPREE 233 E. Bay St., Downtown.

THE VAULT@1930 1930 San Marco Ave., thevaultat1930.com. Local abstract painter Princess Simpson Rashid displays her works in Odyssey of Abstraction.

EVENTS THE RAT PACK IS BACK Dinner show features note-for-note recreations of classic Rat Pack tunes, performed by uncanny likenesses of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. 6 p.m. Thursday, January 3, 6 p.m.

Friday, January 4, 11 a.m. & 6 p.m. Saturday, January 5, noon Sunday, January 6, Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., 641-1212, $65, alhambrajax.com.

________________________________________

To list your event, send time, date, location (street address, city/neighborhood), admission price and a contact phone number to print to Marlene Dryden, mdryden@folioweekly.com or 45 W. Bay St., Ste. 103, Jacksonville FL 32202. Space available policy.

Deadline noon Wed. for next Wed. printing.

Jamaica-born, Bronx-raised stand-up comic DREW THOMAS brings his brand of wry social commentary to NEFla. He appears 7:30 p.m. Jan. 3, 7:30 & 10 p.m. Jan. 4 & 5, The Comedy Zone, Mandarin, 292-4242, comedyzone.com, $15-$18.

24 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

FOLIO A+E : MUSIC

H

SLITHERING

impact on the finished eavy metal product. And our is presented audience seems to in countless enjoy it, even if it’s flavor combinations, completely different and the push-andfrom the last batch pull among separate of songs.” stylistic strands And they plan to can grow heated as continue evolving. A adherents of specific South Florida metal trio newly recorded single, subgenres jockey for “Flowerhead,” is set the purest positions.

SEVEN SERPENTS for release later this Will the real deal head north spring. On it, Seven please stand up? Is it Serpents take another doom? Is it sludge? left turn, this time into Or is it stoner? Seven psychedelic territory.

Serpents will take ’em The sludgy grooves all. Indeed, the South and bone-crushing heft Florida trio wears its of the band’s music remains, however, sludgy, stoner, doom-drenched badge which jibes perfectly with fellow South with honor, describing those three Florida purveyors of doom Iron Buddha. categorizations as signposts for anyone “We became close to Iron Buddha new to the band. right after Seven Serpents formed,” says “We always try to experiment within Darling, “and we’ve helped each other our songs,” says guitarist and vocalist grow while the scene down here has Michael Darling, “but that definitely nails unfortunately dwindled. When they the bulk of what we play.” started playing, they were a two-piece Darling and bassist/vocalist Samuel outfit and always sounded more massive Ogonuwe formed Seven Serpents out than any band on the bill. They also have of the ashes of various other West Palm these long, instrumental psychedelic jazz Beach-area metal and hardcore bands. parts that caught my eye and show off When their original drummer moved to what great musicians they all are.”

California in 2015, they started jamming The two bands set out this week on a with Colin Casey—and the new lineup short tour of the Southeast. It’s the first instantly clicked. time Seven Serpents have “No matter what the had the chance to slither subject matter, we try to outside their home state. convey a lot of emotion SEVEN SERPENTS, IRON Michael Darling is ready and ambience through BUDDHA, SUN RAGA for anything. our material,” Darling 9 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 6, “We’ve done some says. “We just play what Planet Sarbez, St. Augustine, small tours around sounds good to us, and 342-0632, $3-$5 Florida but this will be we want you as invested our first run breaking in listening to our music state lines into Georgia,” he explains. as we are playing it.”

“Our crowds are usually very mixed Seven Serpents sought out the dark wherever we go. From mosh pits corners of doom metal on a self-titled opening up, to wedding parties slow 2015 debut demo, which Darling wrote dancing to our set—if our crowds are and recorded himself. But in 2018, the anything, they’re diverse.” band implemented a collective writing Their maiden concert is held in St. model for the Garden of Eyes EP. After Augustine. The prospect of it has Darling listening to “nothing but Black Sabbath” and company excited: “I think the shared for a spell, Darling, Ogonuwe and Casey goals for both bands on this run are entered the studio with producer Mike branching out of Florida and playing Strivelli. some new cities. I’m hoping to see some “We feel we found our sound weird bands on these shows as well.” through that release,” Darling says.

Nick McGregor “Recording with Mike made for a mail@folioweekly.com very smooth process that had a lot of

HOUSE

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 25

CONCERTS

Local lo-fi troubadour CHARLIE SHUCK weaves minimalist yarns about life lived on the margins. He opens for San Diego punk trio SOME KIND OF NIGHTMARE, Atlanta’s FORSAKEN PROFIT$ and Jax Beach skatepunk outfit THE WASTEDIST, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4, Rain Dogs, Riverside, facebook.com/ pg/raindogsjax, $6.

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA

The SALTY PELICAN, 12 N. Front St. Live music most weekends.

S J BREWING, 463646 S.R. 200 Shawn Layne Jan. 5 SLIDERS Seaside Grill, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave. Pili Pili Jan. 2. Tad Jennings Jan. 3. Hupp, Michael Hulett Jan. 4.

Backbeat Blvd. Jan. 5. JCnMike Jan. 6. Mark O’Quinn Jan. 8 The SURF, 3199 S. Fletcher Larry & the Backtracks Jan. 3

AVONDALE, ORTEGA

CASBAH Café, 3628 St. Johns Ave. Goliath Flores every Wed. Jazz every Sun. Live music every Mon. ECLIPSE Nightclub, 4219 St. Johns Ave. KJ Free Tue. & Thur. Indie dance Wed. ’80s & ’90s dance music Fri.

THE BEACHES

(All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted) ATLANTIC BEACH Brewing, 725 Atlantic Blvd. Particles Collide Jan. 4 BEACHES MUSEUM, 381 Beach Blvd. Jon Stickley Trio Jan. 10 BLUE JAY Listening Room, 412 N. Second St. The Howlin’ Brothers Jan. 3. Caitlin Mahoney Burn the Book Show Jan. 5. Bay Kings Band Showcase Jan. 7 COOP 303, 303 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach Live music most weekends CULHANE’S Irish Pub, 967 Atlantic Blvd., AB Michael Funge every Sun. FLYING IGUANA, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach Evan Michael & the Well Wishers Jan. 11 & 12 GREEN ROOM Brewing, 228 Third St. N. Live music most weekends GUSTO, 1266 Beach Blvd. Groov every Wed. Michael Smith every Thur. Milton Clapp every Fri. LYNCH’S Irish Pub, 514 N. First St. Live music every night MEZZA, 110 First St., NB Gypsies Ginger Wed. Mike Shackelford, Steve Shanholtzer Thur. House Band Mon. Trevor Tanner Tue. MUSIC in the Courtyard, 200 First St., NB Live music every Fri. & Sat. RAGTIME Tavern, 207 Atlantic Blvd., AB Neil Dixon Jan. 2. All You Need Jan. 3. Party Cartel Jan. 4 & 5 SURFER the Bar, 200 First St. N. Whiskey Beach Jan. 2.

Squish Jackson Jan. 4. Uncommon Legends Jan. 5 WHISKEY JAX, 950 Marsh Landing Pkwy. Dalton Ammerman, Michael Bennick Jan. 3. Boogie Freaks Jan. 4. Forerunner Jan. 5

DOWNTOWN

1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 Ocean St. N. Metal for Mutts Jan. 12 26 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

DOS GATOS, 123 E. Forsyth St. DJ Brandon Thur. DJ NickFresh Sat. DJ Randall every Mon. DJ Hollywood Tue. The FLORIDA THEATRE, 128 E. Forsyth St. Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular The JAX LANDING Paul Ivey & the Souls of Joy Jan. 4. Dia de los Reyes Magos Jan. 5. Conch Fritters Jan. 6 MAVERICKS Live, Jax Landing Corey Smith Jan. 11 MYTH Nightclub, 333 E. Bay St. Johnny Oz, Kelvin Hayes, Jon Kinesis, Artik, Romeo Jan. 2. Now That’s What I Call Music Jan. 4. Reflections Jan. 5. Minesweeoa Jan. 11 TIMES-UNION Center, 300 Water St. Rock of Ages Jan. 10, Moran Theater. NBA Youngboy & Crew Jan. 19 VETERANS MEMORIAL Arena, 300 Randolph Blvd., 630-3900 Winter Jam: Newsboys United, Ledger, Danny Gokey, Mandisa, Rend Collective, Newsong, Hollyn, Ty Brasel, Manic Drive, Dan Bremnes, Adam Agee Jan. 11.

VOLSTEAD, 115 W. Adams Live music most weekends

FLEMING ISLAND, GREEN COVE SPRINGS

BOONDOCKS, 2808 Henley Rd., Green Cove Mark Johns Jan. 2. Random Tandem Jan. 3. Colby Word, Overdrive & Collette Jan. 4. Matt Henderson, Duval County Line Jan. 5 WHITEY’S Fish Camp, 2032 C.R. 220 Live music most weekends

INTRACOASTAL

CLIFF’S, 3033 Monument Rd. Live music every weekend JERRY’S, 13170 Atlantic Blvd. Sidewalk 65 Jan. 5

MANDARIN

ENZA’S, 10601 San Jose Blvd. Brian Iannucci Jan. 2, 6 & 8 IGGY’S, 104 Bartram Oaks Walk The Prom Kings Jan. 4.

Jason Evans band Jan. 5. Corbitt Bros. Jan. 6

ORANGE PARK, MIDDLEBURG

CHEERS, 1138 Park Ave. Love Monkey Jan. 5 DALTON’S, 2620 Blanding Live music every weekend The HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd. John Michael Tue.-Sat. THRASHER-HORNE Center, 283 College Dr. Pavlo, Guitar Giveaway Jan. 12

PONTE VEDRA

PONTE VEDRA Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N. Rita Coolidge Jan. 9. Karl Denson & His Tiny Universe Band, The Iceman Special Jan. 11. Marcia Ball & Her Band Jan. 12.

Restaurant MEDURE, 818 A1A N. Chris Thomas Jan. 5.

Will Hurley Jan. 11 TAPS Bar & Grill, 2220 C.R. 210 Live music every Wed. & Fri.

RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE

MURRAY HILL THEATRE, 932 Edgewood Ave. Flipturn,

Teen Divorce, The Citrus Trees Jan. 12 NIGHTHAWKS, 2952 Roosevelt Blvd. Open mic Jan. 7. Echo Daze Jan. 5. Brain Emoji Jan. 11. Progressive Comedy Tour: Graham Elwood, Ron Placone Jan. 12. Bells & Robes, Hive Mind Jan. 19 RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St. Some Kind of Nightmare, Wastedist, Forsaken Profits, SCUM Jan. 4. The Chrome Fangs EP release party, Dancing with Ghosts, Secret Cigarettes, Send Him Off! Jan. 5.

RIVER & POST, 1000 Riverside Ave. Live music most weekends

ST. AUGUSTINE

PLANET SARBEZ, 115 Anastasia Blvd. When Particles Collide Jan. 3. Seven Serpents, Iron Buddha, Sun Raga Jan. 6.

PROHIBITION Kitchen, 119 St. George St. Skip & the King Jan. 2. Smokestack Jan. 3. Kaiya Cash, Honey Hounds Jan. 4. The Raisin Cake Orchestra Jan. 5. Aslyn & the Naysayers Jan. 8. The Vegabonds Jan. 10 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd. Europa Jan. 12 TRADEWINDS, 124 Charlotte Blistur Jan. 4 & 5

SAN MARCO, NORTHBANK

GRAPE & GRAIN Exchange, 2000 San Marco The Snacks Blues Band Jan. 5. Bold City Improv Jam Jan. 8 JACK RABBITS, 15280 Hendricks Ave. Gone to Plaid Jan. 4.

Cracker, Camper Van Beethoven Jan. 6. Corey Smith Jan. 11 MUDVILLE Music Room, 3104 Atlantic Blvd. TBA Big Band Jan. 7. NFFN Artist Showcase: Dixie Rodeo, Tom Edwards, Dr. Paul Jan. 9

SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS

MELLOW MUSHROOM, 9734 Deer Lake Ct. Cortnie Frazier Jan. 4. Ryan Campbell Jan. 5 VETERANS UNITED, 8999 Western Way Dennis Fermin Jan. 4 WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows Rd. Open mic 3-year anniversary. Don’t Call Me Shirley Jan. 4. Invasions Jan. 5.

SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE

COPPER TOP Bar, 12405 Main St. The Remains Jan. 5 PALMS Fish Camp, 6359 Heckscher Dr. Double Down Jan. 4. Ciaran Sontag, Bill Ricci Jan. 5. Lisa & the Mad Hatters Jan. 6 SHANTYTOWN Pub, 22 W. Sixth, 798-8222 Molly Gene, Freight Train Rabbit Killer Jan. 7. Crunk Witch Jan. 10.

Lung, Terrain, Jean Street Sound Jan. 14

ELSEWHERE

BELUTHAHATCHEE PARK, 1523 S.R. 13, Fruit Cove, 206-8304

Elaine & Sam Mahon Jan. 13

UPCOMING CONCERTS

BLUE SUEDE Elvis Birthday Bash: MIKE ALBERT, SCOT BRUCE & the BIG E BAND Jan. 12, Florida Theatre FRANKIE VALLI & the FOUR SEASONS Jan. 13, Florida Theatre PICKWICK COMMONS Jan. 13, Jack Rabbits MR. PROTEGE Jan. 13, Myth Nightclub LISA KELLY/JB SCOTT Quintet Jan. 15, Ponte Vedra Library LAKE STREET DIVE, MIKAELA DAVIS Jan. 15, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The BIG TROUBLE Jan. 15, UNF Fine Arts Center ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK Jan. 16, Thrasher-Horne Ctr. SOUTHERN CULTURE on the SKIDS Jan. 17, 1904 Music Hall The KENNEDYS, ROUGH & TUMBLE Jan. 17, Mudville NORTH by NORTH Jan. 17, Rain Dogs; Jan. 19, Sarbez BRADD MARQUIS Jan. 17, Ritz Theatre MIKE EPPS, SOMMORE, EARTHQUAKE, MARK CURRY, GEORGE WALLACE Jan. 18, Veterans Memorial Arena The LISA KELLY JAZZ 4TET: Lisa Kelly, Jeff Phillips, Mike Perez, Jeremy Smith Jan. 18, Casa Monica Cobalt Lounge LINCOLN DURHAM Jan. 18, Jack Rabbits RANDY STONEHILL, SUMMER FROST, TIM SERDYNSKI Jan. 18, Murray Hill Theatre LANDSCAPE of GUITAR Jan. 18, Thrasher-Horne Center BIG ENGINE Jan. 18, Cliff’s Bar The VEGABONDS Jan. 18, 1904 Music Hall DREW CAREY, GREG PROOPS, JEFF B. DAVIS, JOEL MURRAY Jan. 19, The Florida Theatre MUTTS GONE NUTS Jan. 19, FSCJ Wilson Center SPACE JESUS Jan. 20, Myth Nightclub DAVID WILCOX Jan. 20, Café Eleven You & Me Solo Acoustic: PETE YORN Jan. 22, Jack Rabbits CURT CASTLE Jan. 22, Nighthawks ARLO GUTHRIE Jan. 23, Florida Theatre CHER, NILE RODGERS, CHIC Jan. 23, Vets Memorial Arena MILE TWELVE Jan. 23, Mudville Music Room EL TEN ELEVEN, JOAN of ARC Jan. 23, Jack Rabbits JOHN FULBRIGHT Jan. 23, Café Eleven MAIN FOCUS, ARTIFAKTS Jan. 24, 1904 Music Hall RECKLESS KELLY, NIKKI LANE Jan. 24, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MONTANA OF 300, SKVD ROCK, BEAZIE, SQUADRANT 4, MIZZY RAW Jan. 24, Nighthawks JANET GARDNER Jan. 25, 1904 Music Hall DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, LUCINDA WILLIAMS Jan. 25, The Florida Theatre VOODOO VISIONARY Jan. 25, Jack Rabbits The OUTLAWS Jan. 25, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MARK LAVENGOOD, The COPPER TONES Jan. 25, Café Eleven SULTANS of STRING Jan. 25, Mudville Music Room OLD 97s, SHOOTER JENNINGS Jan. 26, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ROCK BOTTOM STRING BAND Jan. 26, The Justice Pub WINDHAND, GENOCIDE PACT Jan. 26, 1904 Music Hall SETH GLIER Jan. 26, Café Eleven SARA EVANS Jan. 27, The Florida Theatre JB Scott’s SWINGIN’ ALLSTARS Jan. 27, Riverside Concert ANDY FRASCO & the U.N. Jan. 27, Jack Rabbits CRASH TEST DUMMIES Jan. 28, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PINK MARTINI Jan. 28, The Florida Theatre DAVID CURLEY & ANDREW FINN MAGILL Jan. 29, Mudville MARCO BENEVENTO Jan. 30, Jack Rabbits EMERY, OH, SLEEPER Jan. 30, Murray Hill Theatre LARA’S HOPE GOLD HOPE DUO, JEAN STREET SOUND, CAIN’T NEVER COULD Jan. 30, Rain Dogs NEKO CASE, KIMYA DAWSON Jan. 31, Ponte Vedra

CONCERTS Concert Hall EAZYBAKED, PROPHET, ZAYLIEN Jan. 30, Nighthawks JOYCE MANOR, JEFF ROSENSTOCK, REMEMBER SPORTS Jan. 31, 1904 Music Hall THAT 1 GUY Feb. 1, Café Eleven BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY Queen’s ‘A Night at the Opera’ Feb. 1, Thrasher-Horne Center Awakening Tour: STOVALL & KERRI WEEMS, CELEBRATION WORSHIP, TASHA COBBS LEONARD, MICAHN CARTER, STEVEN FURTICK, ELEVATION WORSHIP Feb. 1 & 2, Daily’s UNDER the STREETLAMP Feb. 2, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall RHETT WALKER, SIDECREEK Feb. 2, Murray Hill Theatre SATSANG Feb. 2, Surfer the Bar BETHEL MUSIC Feb. 5, T-U Center, Moran Theater GAELIC STORM Feb. 5, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG Feb. 6, 1904 Music Hall DAVID BROMBERG QUINTET Feb. 6, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall STEVE POLTZ Feb. 6, Café Eleven BJ BARHAM Feb. 6, Jack Rabbits The MAGPIE SALUTE Feb. 7, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE Feb. 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ANDREW McMAHON in the WILDERNESS, FLOR, GRIZFOLK Feb. 8, Mavericks Live CODY JINKS Feb. 8, Florida Theatre NOEL FRIEDLINE Feb. 8, Ritz Theatre PATTI LaBELLE Feb. 9, Times-Union Center AARON LEWIS Feb. 9, The Florida Theatre LISA KELLY JAZZ 4TET Feb. 9, Casa Monica Cobalt Lounge RAYLAND BAXTER Feb. 10, Murray Hill Theatre ALAN DOYLE & GREAT BIG SEA Feb. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MICHAEL BOLTON Feb. 10, The Florida Theatre SEAN K. PRESTON & the LOADED PISTOLS Feb. 10, Prohibition Kitchen G JONES, TSURUDA, CHEE Feb. 10, 1904 Music Hall SPAMALOT Feb. 11, Times-Union Center AL DI MEOLA Feb. 12, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall CREEPING DEATH, HOMEWRECKER Feb. 12, Nighthawks TAJ MAHAL & his TRIO Feb. 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, HANDMADE MOMENTS Feb. 13, 1904 Music Hall KEIKO MATSUI Feb. 14, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MORE. Feb. 14, Nighthawks JO KOY Feb. 14, The Florida Theatre TOM RUSH, MATT NAKOA Feb. 15, PVedra Concert Hall MATT & KIM, YUMO Feb. 15, St. Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage HOTEL GARUDA Feb. 15, River City Brewing FRED EAGLESMITH, TIG GINN Feb. 16, Mudville DAVE MASON, STEVE CROPPER, GRETCHEN RHODES Feb. 17, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LEE ‘SCRATCH’ PERRY, SUBATOMIC SOUND SYSTEM Feb. 17, Jack Rabbits COTTER HILL Feb. 17, Blue Jay Listening Room The FLOOZIES, TOO MANY ZOOZ, DREAMERS DELIGHT, The TERMINUS HORNS Feb. 18, 1904 Music Hall LOS LOBOS Feb. 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JAKE SHIMABUKURO Feb. 19, Florida Theatre An Evening with DAWES Feb. 19, St. Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage The ZOMBIES Feb. 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall T.S.O.L., PIÑATA PROTEST Feb. 20, Surfer the Bar MURDER by DEATH, J RODDY WALSTON & the BUSINESS Feb. 20, St. Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage

The seventh annual New Year’s Throwdown features a dozen metal bands, many of them homegrown–including headliners DROWNING ABOVE WATER (pictured)– 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 5, 1904 Music Hall, Downtown, 1904musichall.com, $13/$20.

TOBYMAC, JEREMY CAMP, RYAN STEVENSON, AARON CORE, WE ARE MESSENGERS Feb. 21, Vets Memorial Arena KASEY CHAMBERS & the FIREFLY DISCIPLES, CASEY BURRUSS Feb. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall HAVANA CUBA ALL STARS Feb. 21, Thrasher-Horne Center TYLER HILTON Feb. 21, Café Eleven SEVEN NATIONS Feb. 22, Jack Rabbits TONY MacALPINE, MONTE PITTMAN, LONERO Feb. 22, Nighthawks CAN’T SWIM, HOMESAFE, SAVE FACE, SMALL TALKS Feb. 23, Nighthawks Havana Nights, Neon Lights: THE BASS MENT, DIGITAL ETHOS Feb. 23, River City Brewing SARAH McLACHLAN Feb. 24, The Florida Theatre CHRISTOPHER CROSS Feb. 27, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The EXPENDABLES, BALLYHOO! Feb. 28, St. Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage ALABAMA March 1, St. Augustine Amphitheatre PAM TILLIS, TERRI CLARK, SUZY BOGGUSS March 1, The Florida Theatre OUIJA BROTHERS March 1, River City Brewing PUDDLES PITY PARTY March 1, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall STEEL PANTHER, WILSON March 1, Mavericks Live BEACH BOYS March 1, Thrasher-Horne Center BROTHERS OSBORNE, RUSHTON KELLY March 2, St. Augustine Amphitheatre MORGAN JAMES March 3, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LANDT March 3, Planet Sarbez GIN BLOSSOMS March 4, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN March 7, T-U Ctr. Terry Theater BLAKE SHELTON, TRACE ADKINS, The BELLAMY BROTHERS, JOHN ANDERSON, LAUREN ALAINA March 7, Veterans Memorial Arena The AVETT BROTHERS March 7, St. Augustine Amphitheatre The INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS, ROOSEVELT COLLIER March 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall TRAVIS TRITT, The CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, CADILLAC THREE March 8, St. Augustine Amphitheatre 10,000 MANIACS March 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JUICE March 9, Jack Rabbits MILES JAYE, TONY TERRY, The SYSTEM March 9, T-U Ctr. HIGH TIME March 9, Mudville Music Room TANK & the BANGAS, ALFRED BANKS, MAGGIE KOERNER March 10, St. Augustine Amphitheatre JEFF TWEEDY, JAMES ELKINGTON March 11, PVC Hall SHWAYZE March 14, Surfer the Bar David Bowie Alumni Tour: MIKE GARSON, EARL SLICK, GERRY LEONARD, CARMINE ROJAS, BERNARD FOWLER, COREY GLOVER, LEE JOHN March 15, PV Concert Hall ELTON JOHN March 15, Veterans Memorial Arena DAN + SHAY, MORGAN EVANS March 15, St. Aug. Amp. BLUNTS & BLONDES March 15, River City Brewing CLARK BECKHAM March 16, Jack Rabbits TREVOR NOAH March 16, St. Augustine Amphitheatre ROGER McGUINN March 16, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall CALLING ALL CAPTAINS March 19, Jack Rabbits LITTLE FEAT March 20, The Florida Theatre BUCKETHEAD March 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JOAN OSBORNE March 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The DUKE ROBILLARD BAND March 21, Café Eleven ANGELA INGERSOLL March 22, FSCJ’s Wilson Center ANVIL March 24, 1904 Music Hall The MESSTHETICS, BRENDAN CANTY, JOE LALLY, ANTHONY PIROG March 26, St. Aug. Amp. Front Porch KELLER WILLIAMS’ PETTYGRASS, The HILLBENDERS March 28, St. Augustine Amphitheatre Backyard Stage PUNCH BROTHERS March 28, The Florida Theatre DARK STAR ORCHESTRA March 29, St. Aug. Amphitheatre CASTING CROWNS March 30, Daily’s Place COLLIE BUDDZ March 31, Surfer the Bar NAPPY ROTS April 3, Surfer the Bar The TRIBUTE April 6, St. Augustine Amphitheatre ANITRA JAY April 6, Riverside Arts Market PAT MATHENY, JAMES FRANCIES, NATE SMITH April 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BOZ SCAGGS April 10, The Florida Theatre KISS April 12, Veterans Memorial Arena MIDLAND April 12, St. Augustine Amphitheatre MICHAEL CARBONARO April 12, T-U Center DAVE ALVIN, JIMMIE DALE GILMORE, The GUILTY ONES April 12, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall KANE BROWN April 13, St. Augustine Amphitheatre KENNY CHESNEY April 13, Daily’s Place TAB BENOIT April 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BUCK CHERRY, JOYOUS WOLF April 14, Surfer The Bar EDWIN McCAIN April 17, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LEON BRIDGES, JESS GLYNNE April 17, St. Aug. Amp. SAM RIGGS April 18, Jack Rabbits TINSLEY ELLIS April 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SANTANA April 20, St. Augustine Amphitheatre LONG BEACH DUB ALL STARS & AGGROLITES July 14, Surfer the Bar ________________________________________ To list your band’s gig, send time, date, location (street, city or neighborhood), admission and a contact number to Marlene Dryden, email mdryden@folioweekly.com or 45 W. Bay St., Ste. 103, Jacksonville FL 32202. Space-available basis. Deadline noon Wed. for next Wed. publication.

OVERSET

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 27

FOLIO FOOD

PAST REPASTS

IT’S BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR FOOD IN JAX. WE’VE had some tried-and-true favorites depart and we’ve made friends with the new kids on the block. The food scene is ever-changing here, and that means exciting options throughout the region nearly every day.

I’ve eaten a lot of food this year (personally and professionally) and some dishes are clear favorites I still crave. Here are my top picks of new-to-me dishes I tried in 2018! If you were introduced to something delectable this year, I want to know!

SNOW NA-DA AT SNOWGENIX

Dessert first! The Taiwanese shaved ice and liquid nitrogen ice cream shop in Baymeadows are delicious, but the Snow Na-Da is the apex of all frozen treats.

The composition is simple. Kinda sorta.

A cup of mango “snow” is layered with freshly diced mango, with a healthy shake of chamoy “hot” sauce, topped with a tamarind straw. Many cultures add a spicy element to fresh fruit like papaya, mango, pineapple and other tropical produce and it’s time we got on board! Chamoy’s traditional spicy-sour recipe is designed to go with fruit. The tamarind straw’s texture is like a grown-up fruit roll-up. Sweetened tamarind paste is dipped in a little extra spice and formed around a plastic straw (to get at it, nibble from the side). Each spoonful of this spicy, sweet, refreshing, clean choice is a masterpiece.

Snowgenix 9932 Old Baymeadows Rd., Southside, 503-5992, facebook.com/snowgenix

SISIG AT FIL-AM EATERY & BBQ

I’ll always remember 2018 as the year I was introduced to some killer 28 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

Filipino/Asian fare by Agnes Lopez, a local photographer who specializes in shooting weddings and food, not necessarily at the same time. Sisig is every bit the sizzling, crispy, rich masterpiece it was said to be. You must order it “sizzling,” which simply means it’s served on a skillet, bubbling hot, with a single, beautiful raw egg cracked in the middle. It doesn’t stay raw for long.

Mix it up so the egg coats everything evenly. The combination of tender meat, fresh ginger, crispy bites and spices, egg yolk richness and fresh pepper spiciness make devouring sisig a pleasure nonpareil. It’s sooo good.

Fil-Am Eatery & BBQ 14185 Beach Blvd., Ste. 3, Jax Beach, 992-9893, filambbq.com

GREEN CURRY MUSSELS AT LULU’S AT THE THOMPSON HOUSE

If I could have steamed mussels with Thai green curry every day, I would. The marvy mollusks arrive piled high and steaming hot in the caldera pot where they were cooked. The day I ordered the mussels, the darlings of the briny deep were notably huge. From Maine’s famed Bangs Island, these behemoths would cower the Incredible Hulk. Add coconut milk and green curry paste and it’s a happy little party. LuLu’s really gives you a lot in an appetizer. All the mussel shells were open—that should be a given, but it ain’t always so. Call for another order of crusty bread and you’ve got a full meal!

LuLu’s 11 S. Seventh St., Fernandina Beach, 432-8394, lulusamelia.com

Brentley Stead reflects on 2018’S FAVE FARE YELLOWTAIL COLLAR AT SUSHI BEAR

This is a neighborhood sushi joint. Like a lot of places in town, it has the usual rolls, hibachi, and so on. The rolls are good, but direct your attention to the app menu. There’s a dish there called Hamachi Kama, aka roasted yellowtail tuna collar ($12.95). Encountering this one was an angelic food moment for me—you know, that brief flash of time when you can hear seraphim and cherubim harmonizing. It was like I was in Ollivanders and the dinner chose the diner. I’d never had such an amazing piece of fish. It was the most moist, tender, succulent, juicy seafood that ever crossed my lips. The collar—the part just behind the head and gills—is protected by a fairly pliable bone. The bit of effort you exert for that perfect bite is worth it. It’s oven-roasted and basted with a light, citrus soy sauce that just kisses the delicate flavor of the fish. I can’t say this often enough: Go try it!

Sushi Bear Japanese Restaurant 4530 St. Johns Ave., Ste. 9, Avondale, 503-0690, sushibearjax.com

TACOS AT LOS PORTALES

Tacos are a dime a dozen in this area, but Los Portales is a mecca for the practitioners of the cult religion of Corn-or-Flour Shells. The taco shell is replete with shredded pork, imbued with bits of flavorful, well-seasoned fat that melts on your tongue. The carnitas are among the very finest in town. It was so well-spiced, I thought I detected a tinge of cinnamon, but the server said they just cook the meat down with some good Mexican beer, slow and low!

There are myriad other variations on the humble taco and plenty more authentic fare, but I need the carnitas like Eva needs Juan. Don’t cry for me—I’m goin’ to Los Portales!

Los Portales 4100 Belfort Rd., Ste. 4, Southside, 332-4610 2245 C.R. 210, St. Augustine, 819-1486, losportalesgrill.com

JAPANESE A5 WAGYU AT MATTHEW’S RESTAURANT

It seems foolish to go to one of the fanciest restaurants in all of Northeast Florida and order an appetizer you’ve made yourself, but this delicacy is worth the trip. The dish features a hot stone (on which you sear each side), fried garlic, wasabi and smoked shoyu soy sauce and thinly sliced rectangles of marbled wagyu. The cooking set-up has a variety of salts: truffle, matcha and smoked. Why is wagyu so revered?

It’s a breed of Japanese cattle. ‘Wagyu’ refers to all Japanese beef cattle; literally, ‘wa’ means Japanese and ‘gyu’ means cow.

It has higher fat or marbling content and a finer grain, resulting in a traditional buttery texture and excellent flavor.

Matthew’s Restaurant 2107 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 396-9922, matthewsrestaurant.com As we dig into 2019, we’ll find some exciting changes! We’ll be discovering more about what moves and shakes around Northeast Florida’s culinary sphere. So embrace the changes and try new things … and happy dining!

Brentley Stead mail@folioweekly.com

Moon River Pizza

Brett’s Waterway Café

925 S. 14th Street 904-321-3400

Fernandina Harbor Marina at the foot of Centre Street 904-261-2660

Moon River Pizza treats customers like family.

Cooked in a brick oven, the pizza is custom-made by the slice (or, of course, by the pie). Set up like an Atlanta-style pizza joint, Moon River also offers an eclectic selection of wine and beer. Open for lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. Dine in or take it with you.

Overlooking Fernandina Harbor Marina, Brett’s offers an upscale atmosphere with outstanding food. The extensive luncheon and dinner menus feature daily specials, fresh Florida seafood, chicken and aged beef. Cocktails, beer and wine.

Casual resort wear. Open at 11:30 a.m. daily.

The Mustard Seed Cafe 833 T.J. Courson Road 904-277-3141

T-Ray’s Burger Station

Inside Nassau Health Foods, The Mustard Seed is Amelia Island’s only organic eatery and juice bar, with an extensive, eclectic menu featuring vegetarian and vegan items. Daily specials include local seafood, free-range chicken and fresh organic produce. Salads, wraps, sandwiches and soups are available – all prepared with our staff’s impeccable style. Popular items are chicken or veggie quesadillas, grilled mahi, or salmon over mixed greens and tuna melt with Swiss cheese and tomato. Open for breakfast and lunch, 8 a.m.3 p.m. Mon.-Sat. nassauhealthfoods.net

202 S. Eighth Street 904-261-6310

T-Ray’s offers a variety of breakfast and lunch items. In addition to an outstanding breakfast menu, you’ll find some of the best burgers you’ve ever put in your mouth. The Burger Station offers a grilled portabello mushroom burger, grilled or fried chicken salad and much more. The spot where locals grab a bite and go! Now serving beer & wine. Open Mon.-Fri. 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Closed Sundays.

The Pointe Restaurant 98 S. Fletcher Avenue 904-277-4851

The Pointe, located at Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, is open to the public daily from 7 a.m.–10 a.m. for breakfast and 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. for lunch.

Sunday brunch is served one Sunday each month from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. Oceanview indoor and outdoor seating is available. Please call the Inn to reserve a table or to enquire further about the restaurant.

Amelia Island is 13 miles of unspoiled beaches, quaint shops, antique treasures and superb dining in a 50-block historic district less than one hour north of Jacksonville JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 29

FOLIO COOKING Chef Bill isn’t SILENT about HIS LOVE OF LAMB

BAAA NONE

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I’M REALLY STOKED IT’S 2019.

Now I can say “New Year-New Me” over and over. It’s never gets old. Say it with me: “New Year-New Me.” Feels awesome!

My first New Year-New Me project is to reinvent myself, from a mild-mannered culinary instructor into an old-school, hard-core restaurateur. I’m already immersed in changing my work habits, learning to compartmentalize tasks, organizing lists and multitasking like a corporate beast. It’s quite an adventure and it’s just the beginning of my New Year-New Me plans. Once I’ve begun to find the comfort zone within my new daily routines, the real work begins. What work?

I mean to change the concept and theme of the current location. Rather exciting stuff indeed. I’ll keep y’all informed as I get closer to unveiling the new concept, but for now, I want to have another little talk about lamb.

In my opinion, lamb is lamb-o-licious but sadly underappreciated in these here parts. In the 904, the protein of choice tends to be chicken. That’s OK, but man cannot live by chicken alone. Some variety in your protein preference is a good thing.

Everyone loves a vacation from work, so how about a vacation from chicken? Yes, let’s go somewhere new this trip.

Next stop: Downtown LAMBVILLE, official home of tasty adventures!

Right now, I’m flipping through the pages of The National Association of Meat Packers meat buyers’ guide. Yes, I know you’re jealous. Who doesn’t love to spend time with a nice, light read now and again?

I’m reading that lamb is broken down into five primal cuts: shoulder, rack, loin, leg and shank/breast. Each of these are then broken down into smaller cuts and portions, and as each new piece is created, it gets a new name. For example, the rack can be fabricated into lamb chops, the shoulder can become chops, a boneless shoulder roast or ground lamb.

As far as eat-ability, the more tender cuts are carved from the rack and loin, and chewier, more intensely flavored cuts from the shoulder, leg, breast and the fantastically delicious shank. The shank, the toughest section, is best prepared as a braise, like this unbelievable yogurt braise.

CHEF BILL’S YOGURT BRAISED LAMB SHANKS Ingredients • 3 oz. canola oil • 3 cups sliced almonds • 6 cardamom pods • 1 Tbsp. fenugreek • 2 Tbsp. mustard seeds • 2 Tbsp. cumin seeds • 1 tsp. cinnamon • 2 star anise pods • 1 Tbsp. coriander seeds • 3 oz. orange juice • 4 Tbsp. honey • 3 onions, medium dice • 10 garlic cloves • 3 Tbsp. ginger, grated • 1/4 cup tomato paste • 40 oz. plain yogurt • 2 lager beers • 2 pint chicken broth • 12 lamb shanks • 1 bunch cilantro • 3 oz. white wine • Seasoned flour as needed

Directions 1. Toast the first 8 spices. Process in blender. Add onion, garlic, ginger and 1 cup broth. Process until it’s slightly coarse.

2. Dredge lamb shanks in seasoned flour, brown on all sides. Remove from pan, wipe away excess oil.

3. Toast tomato paste in pan, add white wine, yogurt, beer and remaining broth.

4. Add spice/vegetable mixture, return lamb shanks to pan.

5. Bring to a simmer, cover with foil, put in a 325°F oven for 2 to 3 hours or until lamb is tender.

6. Remove lamb, degrease sauce, add orange juice and reduce to sauce consistency.

7. Adjust seasoning, pour over lamb shanks.

Until we cook again,

Chef Bill Thompson cheffedup@folioweekly.com ___________________________________ You can email Chef Bill Thompson, owner/chef of Fernandina Beach’s Amelia Island Culinary Academy, at cheffedup@ folioweekly.com, to get inspired and get your menus Cheffed-Up!

FOLIO COOKING’S GROCERY COMMUNITY EARTH FARE 11901 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 250, Arlington GRASSROOTS NATURAL MARKET 2007 Park St., Riverside

30 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

NATIVE SUN NATURAL FOODS MARKETS 11030 Baymeadows Rd. 10000 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin 1585 N. Third St., Jax Beach

JACKSONVILLE FARMERS MARKET 1810 W. Beaver St., Westside

PUBLIX MARKETS 1033 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine 2033 Riverside Ave. 4413 Town Ctr. Pkwy., Ste. 100

NASSAU HEALTH FOODS 833 T.J. Courson Rd., Fernandina

THE SAVORY MARKET 474380 S.R. 200, Fernandina

ROWE’S 1670 Wells Rd., Orange Park 8595 Beach Blvd., Southside FERNANDINA BEACH MARKET PLACE Art & Farmers Market, North Seventh Street WHOLE FOODS 10601 San Jose Blvd., Mandarin

FOLIO BEER FOLIO BEER’S BREWERY COMMUNITY

STIFF WINTER

AARDWOLF BREWING COMPANY 1461 Hendricks Ave., San Marco

BREWS

AMELIA TAVERN RESTAURANT & BREWPUB 318 Centre St., Fernandina Beach ANCIENT CITY BREWING 3420 Agricultural Ctr. Dr., St. Augustine ANHEUSER-BUSCH 1100 Ellis Rd. N., Northside ATLANTIC BEACH BREWING COMPANY 725 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 3, Atlantic Beach BEARDED BUFFALO BREWING COMPANY 1012 King St., Downtown BOG BREWING COMPANY 218 W. King St., St. Augustine BOLD CITY BREWERY 2670 Rosselle St., Ste. 7, Riverside

When the mercury dips, UP THE ALCOHOL

BOLD CITY DOWNTOWN 109 E. Bay St., Jacksonville BOTTLENOSE BREWING 9700 Deer Lake Ct., Ste. 1, Southside DOG ROSE BREWING CO. 77 Bridge St., St. Augustine ENGINE 15 BREWING CO. DOWNTOWN 633 Myrtle Ave. N., Jacksonville

WINTER IS HERE, AND THAT MEANS COOLER weather. (We can’t really say cold—it is Florida, after all.) Get ready for cozy fireplaces, footed jammies and, of course, winter warmers and barleywines. It wouldn’t be a Folio Beer column without some history, so stoke the coals and settle in for a tale of two wintertime staples.

Barleywines have been around in one form or another since the 18th century.

Typically brewed by the butlers of wellto-do British families, this strong ale wouldn’t go into mass production until the Bass Brewery created Bass No. 1 in 1903. The style is characterized by alcohol levels in excess of 8 percent—sometimes even as high as 12 percent. Bass No. 1 boasted a 10 percent ABV. According to a 1909 issue of the Aberdeen Journal, doctors often recommended the bevvy for their patients as “a sustaining and nourishing food-beverage for the winter months, and for such persons as need a safe pure malt liqueur.”

“The beer possesses a decidedly nourishing value,” the Journal continued, “and more so than many so-called nourishing stouts.”

Over the years, though, barleywines have fallen out of favor with English drinkers. Only a few remain in production in Dear Old Blighty today.

Old Foghorn, made by San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company, holds the distinction of being the first American barleywine. Brewers carefully studied British recipes and methods to produce this amber-hued libation with aromas of apple, cherry and caramel and robust malty flavors, braced with a slightly bitter hops finish. Another outstanding American barleywine is Sierra Nevada

Bigfoot. This brew is true to the style, with lots of flavor and tons of hop goodness.

Bitter, oily, sweet and earthy, Bigfoot is a beer to be sipped and enjoyed slowly.

The winter warmer is another seasonspecific beer. Like barleywine, this style of beer also originated in England, where peasants solicited drink from their feudal lords through song. The tradition was called wassailing, and it earned the wassailer a cup of strong, warming beer.

That warming sensation is from the brew’s high alcohol content. Though not as stiff as barleywine, winter warmers typically range from 6 to 8 percent ABV (though they can go as high as 10 percent). They typically display a malty profile with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger or allspice.

One excellent example of a British winter warmer is Samuel Smith’s Winter Welcome. In 1990, this fine beer was welcomed as the first warmer to be imported into the United States. The brew has a strong biscuit flavor, with caramel and toffee notes as well as dark fruits and spices. Another winter warmer to look for is 21st Amendment Brewery’s Fireside Chat. Another San Francisco treat, the ale contains the caramel and toffee notes so common in the style, combined with cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve with rich desserts or meats.

Now that you know some of the history behind these two highly alcoholic and rich brews, head on out and pick up a few bottles for the cold winter nights ahead. If the alcohol and spices don’t warm you, just wait … Florida’s winter climate will warm again in a few days.

Marc Wisdom marc@folioweekly.com

ENGINE 15 BREWING CO. 1500 Beach Blvd., Ste. 217, Jax Beach FISHWEIR BREWING CO. 1183 Edgewood Ave. S., Jacksonville GREEN ROOM BREWING, LLC 228 Third St. N., Jax Beach HYPERION BREWING COMPANY 1740 Main St. N., Springfield INTUITION ALE WORKS 929 E. Bay St., Downtown MAIN & SIX BREWING COMPANY 1636 Main St. N., Northside OLD COAST ALES 300 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine PINGLEHEAD BREWING COMPANY 12 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park RAGTIME TAVERN SEAFOOD & GRILL 207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach REVE BREWING 1229 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach RUBY BEACH BREWING 131 First Ave N., Jax Beach RIVER CITY BREWING COMPANY 835 Museum Cir., Southbank SEVEN BRIDGES GRILLE & BREWERY 9735 Gate Pkwy., Southside S J BREWING CO. 463646 S.R. 200, Ste. 13, Yulee SOUTHERN SWELLS BREWING CO. 1312 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach TABULA RASA BREWING 2385 Corbett St., Northside VETERANS UNITED CRAFT BREWERY 8999 Western Way, Ste. 104, Southside WICKED BARLEY BREWING COMPANY 4100 Baymeadows Rd.

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 31

PETS FOLIO LIVING

LOCAL PET EVENTS & ADOPTABLES

DAVI

REPTILES! • Here’s your chance to learn everything you’ve always wanted to know about reptiles, and then some. Live animal guests are on hand along with their handlers, to answer questions and amaze all with their quirky skills, 10-11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 4 at The Players Community Center, 175 Landrum Lane, Ponte Vedra, 209-0335, free admission, sjcfl.us.

RUNNIN’ DOWN A

DREAM

ADOPTA ADOPTABLES

BUD

Davi has tips for when you TAKE TO THE HIGHWAY

WE ALL HAVE THINGS WE WANT TO DO IN 2019.

I want to take roads less travelled, dip my paws in uncharted waters and see more of the world. Mark my barks, this year will be adventurous!

For all those humans who think they have all the time in the world to do the things they want to do, I’m here to be a loving interruption. We are not guaranteed any more time than the woof we are making in this very moment. So if not now, when?

Since life seems to fly by in the blink of an eye, I think it’s important to make lists of the things you want to do each year—and that includes finding creative ways to carve out more time with your pets. Be inspired by my list.

TAKE A DAY TRIP

Part of the appeal of a quick road trip is the ability to go on a moment’s notice without the hassle of planning a vacation. Be sure to assemble an on-theroad bag with all the essentials—and pack a spirit of adventure, wherever you and your dog may roam. Even the shortest day trip can deliver memories for years to come.

DO DOGGIE YOGA

This might sound a bit silly, but doing yoga with your dog has many benefits.

You get to spend quality time with Rufus or Ginger, and it helps your dog to learn to trust you. Dogs can’t do human yoga poses (though they can perform an awesome downward dog), they’ll like the stretching, some aspects of pet massage and soothing energy.

The serenity that is so much a part of yoga spreads to both you and your

dog, encouraging a sense of calm and peacefulness.

DIG UP SOME ROOTS

The smarter you are about your dog’s past, the smarter you can be about his future. Genetic testing can help identify breeds and specific health issues that may be important to the health and happiness of Pongo or Perdita. You can work with your veterinarian and use the results to come up with a training, nutrition or even long-term healthcare plan.

LEARN CANINE CPR

It’s best to be prepared for any situation, especially when it comes to your pet.

Your dog could suddenly go into cardiac arrest, or suffer a seizure and stop breathing, while you and White Shadow are away from home. Having some basic training in CPR could start the process of helping your dog before you get to the vet—and can save your pet’s life.

Sometimes, the days fly by so quickly you want to find a referee to stop the clock. Lucky for us, 2019 still has plenty of ticks on the ticker—364, to be exact.

If you need some inspiration to try something different, let this be your push. You don’t need to travel the world to have an invigorating new year with your best friend.

Remember, pets thrive from the time they spend with you. Make the most of the year with your four-legged friend before it’s 2020 already!

Davi mail@folioweekly.com _________________________________ Davi the Dachshund has a wanderlust he can barely control. Hey, hit the highway!

PET TIP: NO CLUCKING AROUND SO YOU WANT BACKYARD CHICKENS? Check the laws in your town. Some allow hens only, some hens and roosters. Be a considerate citizen.

For coops, size matters. Coops offer security at night from predators, like coyotes, dogs, even cats.

Hens lay eggs for about two years. Don’t expect a lifelong production. And learn their egg-laying habits.

Start with adult chickens. If you’re a newbie, don’t begin with little chicks.

Find the breed for you. There are myriad breeds; learn all you can then make your choice.

It’s Florida. Pick the breed that can thrive in the heat and humidity. We’re thinking probably not Rhode Island Red. 32 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

NO RELATION TO BUD FROM PLEASANTVILLE • But I’m just as nice and thoughtful as he is!

I’m everyone’s friend and a true-blue, social, goofy boy who loves people, going for long walks, and cuddling. I also enjoy participating in dog playgroups here at Jax Humane Society. Want to be buddies? Is it too soon to ask if I can move in? I know we haven’t met yet, but you can change that by vsiting 8464 Beach Blvd. on the Southside. JHS is open 7 days a week!

LOVE ME TRUE RESCUE • The new facility provides a home for kittens and cats before they find a forever home. Adoptions are held every Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at 5150 Palm Valley Rd., Ste. 403, Ponte Vedra, lovemetruerescue. com. They’re looking for adult volunteers, too, so do a mitzvah and sign up. Email lovemetruerescue@gmail.com.

ADOPTABLE ADOPTABLES

GIZMO

COOL, CALM, COLLECTED • Unlike the Little Mermaid, I know you don’t have gizmos a-plenty– because you don’t have ME! I’m a loving, laid-back tabby cat who gets along quite well with all people– including children–and other cats. I’d love to ring in the new year in a home. Whaddya say? I’ll bring the glitter, you bring the champagne (I’m only 4). Check me out at jaxhumane.org.

NASSAU COUNTY ANIMAL SERVICES ADOPT A PET • Dogs and cats are waiting for a warm, happy home. Hours are Tue.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m., 86078 License Rd., Fernandina, 530-6150, nassaucountyfl.com. Downloadable application has details and fees.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD HEY, IT’S FLORIDA

Indian River County sheriff’s officers stopped Earle Stevens Jr., 69, on June 27 when another driver called 911, saying Stevens’ Mercury Grand Marquis kept tapping her bumper in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane. The officers noted “a strong odor of alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath ... His speech was slurred and his eyes were red and glossy.” He had an open bottle of Jim Beam bourbon in a brown paper bag riding shotgun. Stevens, of Vero Beach, struggled to find his ID and said he’s never had a valid Florida driver’s license, according to Treasure Coast Newspapers. Stevens argued he hadn’t been drinking while driving, but when the cops asked where he’d been drinking, Stevens said, “Stop signs.” After failing several field sobriety tests and a breath test, he was charged with driving under the influence and driving without a license.

UP, UP & AWAY

On Jan. 25, 71-year-old Alan Abrahamson of Palm Beach Gardens went for his usual pre-dawn walk to Starbucks.

What happened on the way stumped investigators until March, reported The Washington Post. On July 13 they made the findings public. Images from a surveillance camera show Abrahamson leaving of his community at 5:35 a.m.

About a half-hour later, a gunshot is heard. Just before 7 a.m., a dog found Abrahamson’s body, near a walking path. Police found no weapon, no signs of a struggle; his wallet and phone were still there. Investigators first worked it as a homicide, but as they dug into his computer searches and purchases for nine years, a theory grew: Abrahamson tied a gun to a weather balloon filled with helium, shot himself, and then the gun drifted away to parts unknown. A thin line of blood on his sweatshirt told cops “something with the approximate width of a string passed through the blood on the outside of the shirt,” the report says.

As for the balloon, investigators said it would’ve ascended to about 100,000 feet and exploded north of the Bahamas in the Atlantic Ocean.

A CUP O’ KINDNESS & I’LL GO NONSTOP

Taisei Corp., a Tokyo-based construction company, announced in December 2017 it would use autonomous drones called T-Frends to combat karoshi, or overwork death, reported The Independent. The drones hover over desks of employees who’ve stayed at work too long and blast “Auld Lang Syne,” a tune commonly used in Japanese shops getting ready to close. A company statement said: “It will encourage employees who are present at the drone patrol time to leave, not only to promote employee health but also to conduct internal security management.” Experts are skeptical: Scott North, professor of sociology at Osaka University, told the BBC that “to cut overtime hours, it is necessary to reduce workloads.”

WHICH ONE WAS THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS? Police in Mainz, Germany, responded to an apartment building after cries were heard from one unit early on Feb. 17, The Associated Press reported. When officers arrived, they saw two men, the 58-year-old tenant and a 61-year-old visitor, “hopelessly locked up” with a mannequin dressed as a knight and a large remote-controlled car. The men were too drunk to explain how they got entangled.

One officer remarked “the whole thing would have remained a funny episode” if the younger man hadn’t become “more than impolite.” He now faces a charge of insulting officers.

DID SHE DIE BEFORE OR AFTER SHE GAVE BIRTH?

A woman claiming to be on a mission from God led a Kentucky State Police trooper on a 120 mph chase on Feb. 10, stopping only when another trooper pulled in front of her car. According to Elizabethtown News-Enterprise, Connie Lynn Allen, 52, of Goodlettsville, Tennessee, told cops she was Mother Mary, going to pick up Baby Jesus, and God gave her permission to speed. She said she’d died six years ago.

Charged with several offenses, she’s being held in Hardin County. weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 33

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FOLIO WEEKLY CROSSWORD 1

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Covetous Bad gut feeling Book flap bit Word with “exam” or “history” Sex cells I-95 hauler 2018 Pantone Color of the Year ___-CIO Akel’s, e.g.

Skate type Dirty digs Brief times, briefly Deal makers

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18

God of Islam Bête ___ Rawlings work Mono$5 portrait Lily plant Ski hill Mongrel Fla. neighbor Forces of Nature star ___ Aid a felon Make change UPC part Say “#%@&"

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Cancels Strikebreaker HBO alternative Canadian coin Doozy Short life story 2019 Pantone Color of the Year Seminoles lineman Is relative? ___ d’etat Urban Grind order Adele hit “Ta-ta!”

Auto pioneer UPS delivery Get in sync Flirty signal Elf creation Marsh plant One of the Jags’ Colors of the Year Fish dish PC linkup Where you can buy a 1980 JU yearbook for $24.95 Revises Kids’ card game Mission House offering

55

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23 Shorebird 25 Like “The Swamp” after a Gators touchdown 27 It’s a long story 28 Reb’s foe 30 Jax Chamber chair Buckland 32 Oodles 33 See 41-Across 34 Eagles: “Lyin’ ___” 35 A Guthrie 36 See 41-Across 37 Care for 38 Technique 42 Pack cargo 43 Bear’s advice 45 iPod attachments

47 49 50 52 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 65 66 67

Roughing up Jumbo Shrimp VIP Ms. Breckinridge Nobel Prize-winning author Lessing QB Kaepernick Florida Theatre to-do Hyatt listings Beach tops Hoist Like a fabled duckling Nike rival HSMcDuff Ave. Breaking Amish net. ____ Miss

SOLUTION TO 12.26.18 PUZZLE F A V O C A C H C A R O H S H O H U N A L E E Q U A R S O T S R O A S P O L I H T T P A L E S N E D

R R N E R E B A L O P I A R R I D E T R T H A T Z W E E T A L L M L I T S C I A P P P S A E D

C A R A V A N C I V I L L Y

C O B J A A L C T K S P O R N E G D O E M

S P A N L E O S U R K A R N A M I M O S N O B O O K Y N A M C A V E L L I Z E G A Z A A T O N E S S

Folio Weekly helps you connect with that dreamboat you saw in the produce aisle or the hot hunk by the lifeguard stand. Go to folioweekly.com/i-saw-u.html, fill out the FREE form correctly (40 words or fewer, dammit) by 5 p.m. THURSDAY for the next Wednesday’s FW. And who knows? Even the losers get lucky sometimes!

The New Year is here, all squinty-eyed and querulous, ready for a fight. We’re ready, too, to defend mankind against 2019’s biggest danger: driving in the rain without turning on your car’s headlights. Look at your car. Chances are it’s grey, white, taupe–the same color as the road in a rainstorm.

Doesn’t take an engineering degree or a doctorate in meteorology to figure out that oncoming vehicles cannot see you. Cars behind you can’t see you either, because you don’t have your lights on. And BTW, oh genius Floridian drivers (and everybody flying on I-95 at 90 mph on your way back up North) it’s the law. Meaning it’s illegal to drive in the rain without turning on your headlights. Never mind that half the cops you see don’t have theirs on, either. Arrive alive so you can use Folio Weekly’s handy ISUs to find love!

GARROD’S MOM, GREAT SMILE You: Long coat, boots, walking Garrod (white Maltese) outside Flying Iguana; stopped, said hello. Me: Red long-sleeved shirt. I petted Garrod, we talked, you smiled–something clicked. Let’s meet again. Maybe a “rare thing” happening. When: Dec. 12. Where Beaches Town Center, outside Flying Iguana. #1714-1219 AFC EAST HAIL MARY You: Pretty ponytail through Bills hat; passionate about your team. Me: Mind racing under Jets hat when you appeared. We talked for a minute before you left with friends. Our teams suck. We wouldn’t. When: Oct. 14.

Where: Hoptinger, Jax Beach. #1713-1107 RED HAIR MONSTER HOOTS You: Dancing; one of the twins fell out your top -) Me: Accordion player, tripped on mic cord, hit my head! Awoke from coma, thought of you! I’ll be at the Pot Sunday, boogieready. Be there. When: July 4, 1998. Where: Crab Pot. #1712-1024 I WONDER U Saturday thrift-store shopping. U said u liked my shirt and showed me your ankle tattoo.

Very symbolic meeting. Wish we’d talked a little more. Let’s trade bootlegs. Acknowledge me. When: Sept. 22. Where: Betty Griffin Center Thrift Shoppe, St. Augustine. #17111003 HARVARD AVE. UBER RIDER You: Tall, attractive student advisor. Me: Drove you from friend’s house. Thanks for $10 tip.

I liked our conversations along the way; key things in common. Talk again? If you feel same, respond. When: Sept. 8. Where: Riverside. #1710-0919 GOLDEN CORRAL SAN JOSE You: Dining solo, booth behind us, blonde hair/beard, gorgeous blue eyes, blue shirt, jeans, white van. Me: With mom, son; brunette, Jags shirt, black shorts, black car. Let’s meet. Single?

Coffee? When: Aug. 18. Where: Golden Corral. #1709-0829

PETITE BRUNETTE, BICYCLE You: Bicycling.

Me: Driving. I stopped, asked for directions.

You seemed shy but friendly. Coffee at Bold Bean? When: Aug. 7. Where: Avondale. #1708-0822 SOUTHERN GROUNDS BLEND You: Pretty lady, khaki shorts, print top, recommended dark roast coffee. Me: Blue shirt, jean shorts.

Single? Would’ve liked to chat, but with yoga friends. Namaste! When: July 29. Where: San Marco Southern Grounds. #1707-0808 HAWAIIAN SHIRT, GIN & TONIC Outside bar. You said my drink looked good. Me: “Only drink worth bootlegging.” You: Sharp, white slacks, heels, blue blouse; late friends.

Wish they’d stood you up; we would’ve had fun. Try again? When: July 18. Where: PV Pussers. #1706-0725 SUN-RAY FRONT LINE You: Cool couple.

Man, button-up. Woman, hip glasses, platforms. Us: Tall brunette, floral dress. Man, average height, white button-up. In Hearts Beat Loud crowd. Bonded over Sun-Ray’s beauty. Dig your vibe; meet again? When: July 8. Where: Sun-Ray Cinema. #1705-0711 FIREHOUSE “O” You: Silver shorts, black hat, orange nails. Me: Camo hat, brown T-shirt.

Wanted to talk; you left. Thought of you rest of day. Make it every day? When: 12:30 p.m.

June 21. Where: 5 Points Firehouse Subs. #1704-0627 BLACK 4-DOOR CADILLAC You watched me putting a shot back in my car. You stopped and had your flashers on and I was too shy to stop. I wish I had. When: June 13. Where: Home Depot Lane Ave. #1703-0620

ISU Connex Made

SANDY TOES & A ROSE You: Mocked my princess-wedding dreams, then strode over sand, rose in hand. Young men admired your moxie. Me: Sure you’re a romantic. Hard to surf the pier’s 1-2’ without longboard. Hang yours in my garage? When: May 21. Where: Jax Beach Pier. #1702-0620 JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 35

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

PANGEA, PIET HEIN, BALD EAGLES & WITCHCRAFT ARIES (March 21-April 19): No one has resisted gravity’s force with more fevor than Roger Babson (1875-1967).

His essay, “Gravity–Our Enemy Number One,” sought to develop anti-gravity technology. His Gravity Research Foundation awarded scientists who advanced the understanding of gravity. If that foundation still existed and offered prizes, Aries researchers would win ’em all in 2019. For your tribe, the months ahead feature escape from heaviness, soaring flights and lofty epiphanies.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Australian night parrots are so elusive, for nearly 60 years none were seen. But in 2013, after searching 15 years, photographer John Young spotted one and recorded a 17-second video. Since then, more sightings have occurred.

According to my astrological vision, your life in 2019 features experiences akin to the night parrot’s reappearance. A major riddle will be partly solved. Hidden beauty will materialize.

Long-secret phenomena will no longer be secret.

A missing link will re-emerge.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Millions of years ago, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica and North and South America were one. Earth had a single land mass, the supercontinent Pangea. Stretching across its breadth were the colossal Central Pangean Mountains. Eventually, Europe and America split, making room for the Atlantic Ocean, dividing Central Pangean range. Once, the Scottish Highlands and Appalachian Mountains were joined; now they’re thousands of miles apart. In 2019, look for similar things in your life. What parts of your world had the same origin? Re-establish connection. Get them back in touch. Cultivate unity.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): 2019 will be a great time to swim in unpolluted rivers, utter sacred oaths by beautiful fountains, and take leisurely saunas to purify mind and body. You’re likely to attract cosmic favor if you cry more, seek experiences to enhance emotional intelligence and ensure your head respectfully consults with your heart before making decisions. Another way to get on life’s good side: Cultivate duties that consistently encourage you to act out of love and joy rather than out of guilt and obligation.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here are four key questions to meditate on throughout 2019: What is love? What kind of love do you want to receive? What kind of love do you want to give? How could you change yourself to give and receive more of the love you value most?

To kick-start your efforts, read words of teacher David R. Hawkins: “Love is misunderstood to be an emotion; actually, it is a state of awareness, a way of being in the world, a way of seeing oneself and others.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Most living things begin in the absence of light,” writes Virgo author Nancy Holder.

“The vine is rooted in the earth; the fawn takes form in the womb of the doe.” Your original gestation also took place in the dark. And I see a metaphorically comparable process unfolding in 2019. You’ll undergo an incubation period that may feel cloaked and mysterious. That’s as it should be: the best possible circumstances for your life’s vital new part. Be patient. You’ll see tangible results in 2020.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Many plants modern Americans see as weeds were tasty food to Native 36 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | JANUARY 2-8, 2019

Americans. A prime example is the cattail, which grows wild in wetlands. Indigenous people ate the rootstock, stem, leaves and flower spike.

Use this scenario as a metaphor for potential opportunities in 2019. Things you’ve regarded as useless, irrelevant or inconvenient may revealed as assets. Be alert for such shifts. Wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson: “What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The slow, gradual, incremental approach will be your magic strategy in 2019. Being persistent and thorough as you take one step at a time will give you power to accomplish wonders. You may be tempted to seek dramatic breakthroughs or flashy leaps of faith and there may be one or two mixed with your steady rhythms. For the most part, your glory will come through tenacity. Study this from mystic Meister Eckhart: “Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.”

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian polymath Piet Hein wrote a poem in which he named the central riddle of his existence. “A bit beyond perception’s reach, / I sometimes believe I see / That life is two locked boxes / Each containing the other’s key.” Adopt this scenario to symbolize a central riddle of your existence. In 2019, one of those boxes will open as if through a magical fluke–no key needed. The mysterious blessing isn’t really a magical fluke, but a stroke of well-deserved, hard-earned luck, the result of work you’ve been doing to transform and improve.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): What themes and instruments are least desirable in a piece of music? Composer Dave Solder figured the worst song would have bagpipes, cowboy music, tubas, advertising jingles, operatic rapping and kids warbling of holidays. He collaborated with other musicians to record such a song. As you go into 2019, it’ll help to imagine a comparable monstrosity: a fantastic mess that sums up all the influences you’d like to avoid. With that vivid symbol, you’ll disallow any of it to sneak into your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In Canada, it’s illegal to pretend to practice witchcraft. It’s OK to actually do witchcraft, though. Be strict to embody your authentic self in 2019. Be sure to never lapse into merely imitating who you are or who you used to be. Don’t fall into a trap of caring more about image than actual output.

Focus on standing up for what you really mean rather than what you imagine folks expect. In the coming months, summon pure, authoritative expressions of your kaleidoscopic soul.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the 1700s, Founding Father Benjamin Franklin played a key role in getting the United States up and running. He wasn’t happy with the new nation’s choice of the bald eagle as its animal symbol. The supposedly majestic raptor is lazy, he wrote. It doesn’t hunt for its food, but steals grub obtained by smaller birds of prey. Furthermore, bald eagles are cowardly, Franklin believed. Even sparrows may intimidate them. With that as our theme, I invite you to select a proper creature to be your symbolic ally in 2019. Since you’ll be building a new system and establishing a fresh power base, don’t pick a critter that’s merely glamorous. Choose one to excite ambition and animate willpower.

Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

WEED

WHITHER

Amendment 4 will THE NEW YEAR IS NOW definitely help. upon us, and if you’re Stroke the jokes: like me, you’ll agree Cannabis advocates it’s not a moment too went all-in for Team soon. 2019 will be the Gillum last year, and third year of medical they were bitterly marijuana in the state disappointed to see him of Florida and our first “lose” that election. under incoming governor But my sources tell Ron DeSantis, who me there’s room for will be sworn in later The struggle hope, because they this month. Hardcore expect DeSantis to activists and casual continues in 2019 temper the sloppy, cannabisseurs alike have right-wing posturing a lot on their plate this that characterized year, and those of you his campaign and try who are worn out from to lead from a more last year’s political scrum moderate position. After all, his margin of will have about six months to decompress “victory” was slim, and he’ll need some before the whole cycle begins anew. leverage to preempt the inevitable challenge We all have our slate of New Year’s in 2022. This would presumably mean resolutions, and I’m sure many of you have greater freedom for incoming Agriculture already broken yours by now. The marijuana Commissioner Nikki Fried, whose office scene is no different, with activists keen oversees all things pot. As those interests to follow up on another highly successful enhance their lobbying presence in legislative year and retailers hoping to expand Tallahassee, DeSantis may prove far their commercial footprint. So, more malleable than anyone to that end, here are a few would’ve ever expected. suggestions for resolutions The same goes for worth pursuing on Washington, where an behalf of those isolated president interests. now finds himself Sign ’em up: under siege from The No. 1 question congressional readers ask (besides Democrats who “Hey, you wanna have scuttled any hit this?”) concerns further legislative the possibility of adventures for the full legalization in rest of his term. They Florida. Some folks, hope to impose lameespecially transplants duck status on him with the from more open-minded goal of weakening him even states, assume it’s already a further before giving him the ooh-ladone deal, which has led to a few la in 2020. Under these conditions, he might awkward moments in public places. Having also be swayed in a useful direction. Having a Republican governor and legislature means already legalized hemp via last month’s farm the only path to legalization is through the bill, Trump could be convinced (in theory) that ballot box–specifically, an Amendment 2-style a push for full legalization might be just the plebiscite in November 2020. thing to keep progressive voters from turning Advocates need to begin the petition out. He’s always signaled a willingness to process now, because opponents know two consider it; the only question now is how to things: 1) Reefer-related referenda have get that through the Republican majority in passed every time they were sent to the the Senate. voters, and 2) These initiatives have a way Shelton Hull of boosting progressive turnout, and that’s mail@folioweekly.com already a given in the brutal 2020 super________________________________ election cycle (which, by the way, has really Do you have questions about medical already begun). So expect all manner of marijuana? Let us answer them for you. Send obfuscation and every possible challenge to your inquiries to mail@folioweekly.com. those signatures. This is another area where

WEED

JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 37

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FOLIO VOICES : BACKPAGE EDITORIAL

DEAD MAN’S

CHANGE

YOU MIGHT THINK IT’S SOMEONE’S JOB TO CLEAN UP

in the aftermath of car accidents, but it’s not. Yes, the city knows about the debris.

After all, its first responders, EMTs and police are often the first to be notified when there’s a traffic incident. The insurance companies know, too. But often the detritus of these unfortunate events are left right where they landed. This is one of the many things I notice that most people don’t because I choose to commute on foot, by bicycle and via city bus.

In 2017, Hurricane Matthew took down a large oak tree along my daily route. Someone chainsawed the tree and piled the pieces it so close to the road, it obscured visibility at the intersection, causing a major accident. The cars involved were towed immediately, debris remained in the street, on the sidewalk and in the homeowner’s yard, where one of the vehicles ended up. There was also a heap of broken glass near the curb.

For weeks afterward, as I crested the hill on my bicycle, I could see the glass shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. I noticed the heap got smaller and smaller as time passed. At first I was mystified, then I realized it was being blown all over the neighborhood.

I also noticed coins strewn in the same area. Though it is instinctual to pick up quarters and dimes, I am careful not to do so in these accident zones. I am not religious, nor am I particularly spiritual, but I am superstitious, and I do not want a dead man’s money jingling in my pocket.

All this wreckage does serve a purpose for some of us. It can serve as a warning to be on guard or become road-kill. From the I-10 exit south to the Roosevelt Boulevard Bridge, U.S. Highway 17 is as likely a place to die as anywhere else, whether you’re a motorist, cyclist or pedestrian. Cars are traveling at speeds that vary greatly, some in excess of 55 mph while others are attempting to merge from a dead stop. Making matters worse, Roosevelt Boulevard has a lot of curves and bends, reducing visibility. I have seen the aftermath of two wrecks at Roosevelt and Wabash. Once I was so close, I heard the impact. Wrecks always sound the same: a screech of tires, then that unmistakable crunch followed by an eerie silence and,

A view from THE STREET

eventually, sirens. A few days later, you might notice a cross or a bouquet of flowers or a teddy bear near the site.

I travel up that stretch of road nearly every day, and it’s not unusual to find chunks of bumper, shards of mirror and glass, even hood ornaments (I’ve started a collection). Though this stretch of road has signs that implore motorists to “share the road,” you’d have to be suicidal to ride your bike there—even where “bike lanes” suddenly appear. The sidewalk is uneven and cracked, and offers little safety.

Based on my encounters with everyone from cops to motorists to bus drivers, a dismissive attitude toward pedestrians and cyclists is all too common. My experience suggests that drivers even make distinctions about how to treat pedestrians and cyclists based on their socio-economic status. If someone is obviously out for a walk with their dog, for instance, drivers afford them more status than someone who is shabbily dressed and carrying a backpack. In other words, if you commute on foot or bicycle, you’re seen as a lesser person than someone who has a car but is outside for recreation.

About a year ago, while riding my bike, I was struck by a motorist who was distracted by his cell phone. My prized vintage bicycle was ruined, my ribs were bruised and my shoulder was injured.

(It still hasn’t fully healed.) I called the police and, despite the fact that the guy admitted it was his fault, the cop did not write him a ticket.

It would seem that for pedestrians and cyclists, it’s a lose-lose situation.

Half the people don’t see you, and the other half consider you a cockroach. My advice for motorists: slow it down a bit.

My advice for cyclists and pedestrians: avoid intersections where you often see accident debris. As to whether or not you should pick up any loose change you find scattered on the pavement in those danger zones, you’re on your own.

Eric Mongar mail@folioweekly.com _____________________________________

Mongar, a full-time student attending Florida State College at Jacksonville, is a part-time social critic.

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JANUARY 2-8, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 39