This Bill Sucks by Folio Weekly

2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 3

4 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

THIS WEEK // 10.30.19-11.5.19 // VOL. 33 ISSUE 31

MAIN FEATURE

THIS BILL SUCKS

Jason Fischer’s J-1 is a power grab Story by Chris Guerrieri, Cover Image by Hannah Carle

COLUMNS + CALENDARS MAIL GUEST EDITORIAL OUR PICKS KIDS PICKS SPORTS PICKS LIBERTY PICKS WELLNESS PICKS

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THE MAIL LEGALIZATION LOOPHOLE

RE.: Legalize It by Shelton Hull, Oct. 23 I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COVERAGE OF legalizing marijuana. What I don’t see people addressing is employers who will still terminate an employee if they have a medical marijuana card and test positive for THC. When we finally legalize recreational marijuana, employers can still terminate employees for testing positive. What’s being done about employers who won’t change their policies to match the will of the Florida voters? The argument is it is still a federal offense. Anonymous by request via email

AN OPEN LETTER TO PUBLIX

FOR DWAINE STEVENS, THE LAKELAND-BASED Publix spokesperson who announced that the 20-year-old Publix grocery store in Jacksonville’s Gateway Town Center will close three days after Christmas, I imagine that “amenities” are builtin GPS, seat warmers and four-wheel drive. For residents of the Gateway area, Publix is one of the prime amenities of their neighborhood (after their houses of worship and schools). “For our customers shopping convenience, there are two Publix locations within close proximity of the Publix Gateway location, Dunn Avenue and Riverside,” Stevens stated in an email to the media. Really, Dwaine? It’s five miles to the Riverside Publix and six miles to the Dunn Avenue store from Norwood Avenue. If you rely on JTA, this could be a time-consuming trip. You surely won’t want to ride your bike or walk to either location; cars and trucks rule Jacksonville streets. Neither news story I read explained exactly what the problem is, but we can all guess. After all, Gateway Publix patrons live in zip codes 32206, 32208 and 32209. Publix does a lot of good works, and should be commended. But, would it bankrupt the chain to keep a store open even if it underperforms their stores in 32082? The northern urban parts of the city already have numerous food deserts. Charity starts at home: Take a write-off for the Gateway store, Publix. Sure, the grocery chain won’t be able to take public credit for this violation of the capitalist credo, but providing fresh foods and vegetables, good service, clean stores, excellent generics and (my favorite) BOGOs, qualifies as visible good works in a struggling neighborhood. Michael Hoffmann via email

FOLIO WEEKLY’S NEW LOOK

FALL HAS ARRIVED WITH ITS COOLER EVENING temperatures. This time of year, I always stop by the library to pick up a stack of free Folio Weekly’s. There is just nothing better to start a fire with on a crisp night. However I picked up this year to find the outer pages are thin and glossy. I hope these pages burn as cleanly and aren’t toxic (like most of the content)? I would like to respond to Michael Hoffman’s Oct. 23 letter to the editor. Our judges are permitted to be Christians and hold Christian values. The second amendment prohibits you from ‘being rid of’ those who practice Christianity. Judges can also be Republicans. You may want to pick up a book on tolerance. William J. Federer’s Backfired comes to mind. Bob DeGroat via email

POISONED PARKS

I HAVE BECOME INCREASINGLY ALARMED BY the overuse of poisons in our public parks. I first noticed this practice at Alexandria Oaks Park in San Marco, where maintenance contractors began using herbicide to edge around trees, the walking path and the park perimeter instead of manually trimming with a weed eater. One might make the case for cost efficiency, but doesn’t it seem totally irresponsible to apply a known carcinogen to areas where families and pets play? Not to mention applying the poison directly into the weep that runs into Marco Lake and the St. Johns River. Apart from the obvious danger to us all, it is simply offensive to see men driving around in golf carts spraying poison everywhere. As bad as the situation is at Alexandria Oaks, it is even worse at the St. Augustine Road Fish Management Area and adjoining Earl Johnson Park, where poisons are used to kill vegetation immediately surrounding the lake–and even in the lake itself to kill offending lilies. This lake is so mismanaged that what should be a wildlife oasis in the middle of the city is a virtual wildlife desert. Note the nearly complete absence of wading birds. Even the once-resident otters and alligator have moved on. And, while I have seen dozens of people fishing during my visits to the park, I have yet to see anyone actually catch a fish. If they did, I hope they did’t eat it. Again, this water and all of its poisons flows directly into New Rose Creek and, eventually, the St. Johns River. This practice must stop. Carlton Higginbotham via email

OUR DUTY TO IMPEACH

IT’S TIME FOR ALL AMERICANS TO TAKE A LONG and hard look at what our president is doing in the White House. Our Constitution was written with a framework for impeachment to assure that the new Republic would not be influenced by foreign governments. At that time, George Washington thought England would most likely try to interfere with our democracy by influencing a U.S. president. What would Washington think of our current commander-in-chief? Donald Trump, by his own admission, requested that the Ukrainian president find derogatory information on his political opponent. This behavior opens the door for another country to interfere in our elections and demonstrates that Donald Trump is a danger to our democracy and election security. Although Richard Nixon committed many crimes, he did not risk our democracy by requesting a foreign power to interfere in our elections. By his actions, Trump is making our county vulnerable to other foreign powers and their agendas. The funding fathers crafted the Constitution to ensure that no one was above the law, not even the President. If any other American committed these crimes, they would be behind bars. Just ask Michael Cohen or Paul Manafort. As President, Donald Trump took the oath of office “to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” Our Congress, however, has taken the oath to protect and defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” If you feel, as I do, that our president has endangered our country by inviting foreign powers to intervene in our election process, contact your representative and senators and urge them to support a full impeachment inquiry. Susanne Barker via email

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

BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS BOUQUET TO AL LAWSON On Oct. 23, the U.S. Representative (FL-05) sent a letter urging Department of Housing and Urban Development Director Ben Carson to examine substandard conditions at Jacksonville’s Valencia Way, formerly Eureka Gardens. For weeks, 790 residents of the apartment complex have been forced to live without gas and hot water. BOUQUET TO SONJA MONGAR The Florida Writers Association recently recognized the author, who is currently based in South Florida but has Northeast Florida roots (and has contributed to Folio Weekly). Mongar’s latest novel, Two Spoons of Bitter, won gold in the “Published Mainstream or Literary” category during FWA’s 2019 Royal Palm Literary Awards. DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? OR MAYBE A BRICKBAT? Submit your choice to mail@folioweekly. com; 50-word maximum, concerning a person, place, or topic of local interest.

6 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

FOLIO VOICES: GUEST EDITORIAL

LOVE THY NEIGHBOR

FAITH DEMANDS THAT WE PROTECT LGBTQ+ PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION DESPITE GAINS SECURED BY THE LGBTQ+ community in recent years, discrimination and violence continue to be real and pressing problems for many of its members in Florida. As a local faith leader, I frequently meet with LGBTQ+ people who have experienced discrimination while searching for a place to live—or even doing something as simple as shopping in a store. I’ve met with people who have been rejected by their own families and live in constant fear that harassment and mistreatment is right around the corner. These challenges weigh heavily on my heart and mind, especially as the U.S. Supreme Court just heard three cases about LGBTQ+ employment discrimination—cases brought by individuals who were fired from their jobs because of who they are or who they love. Sometime in the coming months, the court will determine whether United States federal law will protect LGBTQ+ people. I am one of many faith leaders across Florida who have met with lawmakers this year to highlight the significant harms of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and the urgent need for basic protections. The reality is that Florida is one of 29 states where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are left vulnerable to discrimination because of a lack of explicit protections at state and federal levels. As a person of faith, I know we cannot accept our state’s failure to protect some of the most vulnerable of God’s children. We are all called to work toward unity and peace in our communities, which means we must work to ensure that our LGBTQ+ brothers, sisters and siblings are protected from the dehumanizing

harms of discrimination. When I speak with lawmakers about LGBTQ+ dignity, my approach is the same regardless of that person’s political background, religious beliefs or personal familiarity with LGBTQ+ individuals. I try to find common ground and share what I believe in. I try to illustrate that we are all trying to do the right thing in this world. That means building community and treating all people with respect and kindness. Faith communities in Florida and across the South have long been engaged in generative conversations about our LGBTQ+ community members. It wasn’t so long ago that clergy support for LGBTQ+ equality was rare. But people of faith, like all Americans, have been on a journey. That journey has made us stronger and more inclusive. A supermajority of Americans now supports stronger nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people. Here in Florida, too, support for such protections only continues to grow. That’s why it’s so critical that the Supreme Court affirm protections for LGBTQ+ people and that we pass a bill both in Florida and on the federal level that backs up those protections across the nation. It’s time to send an unequivocal message that we love all of our neighbors, including the many who identify as LGBTQ+. Phillip Baber mail@folioweekly.com

_______________________________

Baber is a minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Jacksonville and a member of the Faith in Public Life movement. OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7

OUR

PICKS THIS WEEK’S BIGGEST

SAT

2 SWEET HARMONY

SOUTHERN EXPRESSIONS

The Jacksonville Children’s Chorus performs Songs of the South. Touring Americana duo Violet Bell (pictured) also appears. 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church, San Marco, jaxchildrenschorus.org, $25.

& BEST HAPPENINGS

SAT

GENTLE GIANTS

RIGHT WHALE FESTIVAL

With live music, educational exhibitions, art and games, this free annual event is a whale of a good time. For its 11th edition, the festival moves from Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach. Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 2 & 3, Main Beach, Fernandina Beach, rightwhalefestival.com, free.

SAT

RISE FROM YOUR GRAVE! HERE COME THE MUMMIES

Purveyors of undead funk, the eight-piece band performs a post-Halloween concert of apocalyptic proportions. Yes, there will be gauze! 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, pvconcerthall.com, $40/$45.

SUN MON

SIX-STRING SAVIOR WILL KIMBROUGH

The Nashville-based blues guitarist is an in-demand session player and accomplished solo artist. He performs in a historic and spiritual setting, 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Beaches Museum Chapel, Jax Beach, beachesmuseum.org, $25/$35. 8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

GALILEO!

WE WILL ROCK YOU

British comedy writer Ben Elton (of The Young Ones fame) penned this cyberpunk musical around the songs of Queen. The original production premiered in London’s West End in 2002 and has been revived around the world since. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, The Florida Theatre, Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $35.50-$59.50. Photo by Randy Feere

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9

PICKS

BY JENNIFER MELVILLE | KIDS@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

WED

30 WINGED FRIENDS ALL ABOUT BATS!

St. Johns County Naturalist Kelly Ussia leads an engaging, educational discussion about Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 13 species of winged mammals and the role they play in our ecosystem. Great for all ages and no reservation required. 2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Anastasia Island Library, 124 Sea Grove Main St., St. Augustine, sjcpls.org, free.

THU

DOWNTOWN HAUNTING HALLOWEEN IN HEMMING

Downtown Jacksonville is a great place to kick of Halloween festivities. There are food trucks, Halloween treats, music and more. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Hemming Park, 135 W. Monroe St., Downtown, hemmingpark.org, free.

FRI

SHOOT FOR THE STARS UNF ASTRONOMY NIGHT

Calling all aspiring astronauts! The UNF Physics Department sponsors this family-friendly public talk followed by stargazing on the roof of the Science and Engineering Building. Park in Arena Garage 38 and Lot 7 (free after 5 p.m. Friday). 8-10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, UNF Physics Department, 1 UNF Dr., Southside, unf.edu, free. 10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

PICKS

BY DALE RATERMANN | SPORTS@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

WED

30 DON’T BLINK ICEMEN HOCKEY

The Jacksonville Icemen battle the Atlanta Gladiators in an early season ECHL matchup. 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena, 300 Randolph Blvd., Sports Complex, jacksonvilleicemen.com, $17+.

FRI

BE BOLD

GATORS VS. DAWGS BASEBALL

Duuuval’s Bold City Bash includes an exhibition game between the preseason nationally ranked Florida and Georgia baseball teams, a concert featuring country stars Brett Young (a former pitcher at Ole Miss) and Chase Rice (a former linebacker at North Carolina)(pictured), as well as a fireworks show. 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, Bragan Field, Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville, 301 Randolph Blvd., Sports Complex, baseballgroundsjax.com, $15.

SAT

YOUR SCHOOLS, YOUR GAME, OUR FIELD FLORIDA-GEORGIA FOOTBALL

It’s the annual showdown between the nationally ranked rivals. Arrive early for pregame activities and stay late for celebratory (or sorrowful) tailgating. 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, TIAA Bank Field, Sports Complex, floridagators.com, $141+. Photo by Courtney Culbreath OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 11

PICKS

BY STEPHANIE THOMPSON | LIBERTY@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

THU

31 MOOSEHAVEN ADVENTURES HEART OF THE COMMUNITY TRICK-OR-TREAT

Moosehaven hosts its annual Halloween event includes an outdoor movie, concessions, a haunted house, trick or treat and lots of candy. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Moosehaven, 1701 Park Ave., Orange Park, moosehaven.org, free.

SAT

SUPPORT IN STYLE

VETERANS APPRECIATION GALA

The Filipino American Veterans Society hosts the eighth annual edition of this gala event in honor of Northeast Florida veterans, past and present. Wear formal attire or military dress uniform for active, reserve and retired. 6:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jacksonville Riverfront, 1201 Riverplace Blvd., Southbank, contact Gee Mercado at 904294-7132, $55. 12 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13

PICKS

SARAH McLAUGHLIN | WELLNESS@FOLIOWEEKLY.COM

On the other side of Florida, 350 miles due west, is a city with almost as much historical charm and natural beauty as our own St. Augustine. Indeed, Pensacola was the Ancient City’s administrative counterpart during colonial times. East Florida was governed from St. Auggie; West Florida, from Pensacola. Fast-forward a few hundred years, and Pensacola’s annual Foo Foo Festival (foofoofest.com) celebrates the city’s contemporary art and music scene. Named after the style of pick-up band formed by seafaring musicians aboard 19th-century sailing vessels, the twoweek fest spans more than a dozen featured and partner events. Here are this week’s highlights.

SAT

UNIVERSAL LAWS

MANIFESTATION WORKSHOP: A SURVEY OF VARIOUS TECHNIQUES

Hypnosis therapy practitioner Laura Bogen utilizes tools, intention, visualization and concepts to teach participants how to individually align with the frequency of abundance. 1-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Caring Palms Massage and Reiki, 301 10th Ave. N., Ste. B, Jacksonville Beach, caringpalms.com, $26.

THU

31 I’VE SEEN FIRE & RAIN

This year’s signature Foo Foo experience is a site-specific art installation made from Mylar and monofilament, suspended over Pensacola’s historic Intendencia Street and stretching several city blocks. Oct. 31-Nov. 11, free.

MON

SAT

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

FITNESS CLASSES: STRENGTH TRAINING

Healthy Jacksonville and Justice League of Fitness offer free, low-impact fitness classes every Monday night. 5:15-6:15 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Florida Department of Health in Duval County, 900 University Blvd. N., Arlington, healthyjacksonville.net, free.

STEP SHOW STOMPFEST

Haha “Mr. Big Fella” Davis hosts this celebration of HBCU campus life, including the tradition of the step show. Marsha Ambrosius performs live music; Mannie Fresh deejays. Saturday, Nov. 2, Pensacola Bay Center, $15-$25.

TUE

MON

INNER TRANSFORMATION TWIN HEARTS MEDITATION

Meditation instructor Falli Shah offers the powerful experience of Twin Hearts Meditation through all phases to enhance physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, Seventh Wonder Holistic Spa, 4236 St. Johns Ave., seventh-wonder.com, free. 14 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

SWING TIME

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY

The California swing revival band headlines an evening of old-time music. Local Dixieland outift Village Brass opens. 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Vinyl Music Hall, $25.

FOLIO: FEATURE

THIS BILL SUCKS Jason Fischer’s J-1 is a power grab story by CHRIS GUERRIERI ON NOV. 1, THE TWO STATE SENATORS

and six representatives who comprise the Duval Legislative Delegation will meet to discuss Florida Rep. Jason Fischer’s J-1. The controversial “local bill”—local policy decided partially at the state level—would change how Jacksonville’s school superintendent is chosen. The superintendent is currently selected by members of the school board, but Fischer wants the position to be elected. This proposal and the battle against the special tax referendum that Duval County Public Schools proposed last spring are tightly woven together in what at first glance appears to be a complicated plot with lots of players and moving pieces. However, when you distill this city government drama down to its basic elements, it’s not that complicated at all; it’s about money and control. Specifically, it’s about who will control the school district’s money, and there’s a lot of it. DCPS has an annual budget of more than $1.7 billion—larger than the city’s budget. The district also employs more people and manages more properties. And, if approved via referendum, the school board’s proposed half-penny sales tax would bring in an additional estimated $1.2 billion over fifteen years. All this makes for a pretty large chunk of change. Right now, the school board controls its budget, but a cabal of city officials and their political donors want to change that. Of course, Fischer, Curry and their friends don’t mention any of this when

they discuss the J-1 bill. No, they say it’s all about making the position of superintendent more responsive to the public. This is more than a little disingenuous given the original language of the bill, which was first intended to give the mayor the power to appoint school board members (currently elected). It’s also rich considering City Hall’s record of ignoring public outcry on key issues. Think school board referendum. Think JEA.

When you distill this city W government drama down to gov its basic elements, it’s not that complicated at all; it’s about money and control. No, this is about ideology, not democracy. Elected or appointed, it doesn’t matter as long as the official in question agrees with Fischer and his ilk on one issue: school privatization. The state representative is in the middle of his second term and has spent most of his time supporting legislation that benefits his employer, Florida’s school voucher king John Kirtley, and mega-donor Gary Chartrand, who has reaped millions for his charter school because of his relationship with Fischer. The Duval Delegation is currently divided over the J-1 bill. Republicans

Wyman Duggan and Aaron Bean join Fischer in supporting it while Democrats Audrey Gibson and Tracie Davis are adamantly against it. The other members of the delegation, Reps. Clay Yarborough, Cord Byrd and Kim Daniels have yet to commit. If the Duval Delegation decides the J-1 bill is a good idea, they will then ask the state legislature to authorize a referendum on issue. One problem: 112 members of that august body don’t live in or represent Jacksonville. If the Duval Delegation allows this discussion to move to Tallahassee, politicians from as far

away as Miami and Pensacola will help decide this local issue. The school board is obviously opposed, and several members of the Jacksonville City Council attempted to reassert local control as well. In early October, Councilmember Matt Carlucci introduced a resolution expressing opposition to J-1. On Oct. 22, nine councilmembers voted for local control; nine voted to give Tallahassee the final say. The resolution failed. Let’s assume for a moment that CONTINUES ON PAGE 16 >>>

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 15

“This is about ideology, not democracy. Elected or appointed, it doesn’t matter as long as the official in question agrees with Fischer and his ilk on one issue: school privatization.”

<<< FROM PAGE 15

this isn’t just about better controlling the school district, its budget and real estate assets. History shows there are many reasons not to support the idea of an elected superintendent. First, appointment assures that we have an experienced professional on the job. Elections often favor the best financed, not necessarily the most qualified candidates. Duval County had elected superintendents for most of its history. That came to an end when the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools threatened to strip Duval’s accreditation. Fischer likes to point out that many counties in Florida elect their superintendents, but these are predominantly rural. The 26 metropolitan counties that represent 2.2 of Florida’s 2.7 million students appoint their superintendents. Furthermore, only two states in the entire nation, Florida and Alabama, allow elected superintendents. Mississippi recently gave up on it. Fischer would have us do something that even Mississippi has determined is not in the best interests of students. All this begs the question, “Why?” If J-1 goes to Tallahassee, and if it becomes law, Fischer and Curry will have succeeded in chastening the school board for its independence from the mayor’s political machine. I mentioned that the original version of J-1 called for direct mayoral appointment of the school board, and that would have been preferable—if it was politically possible. Curry must have sensed it was a bridge too far. Not long after he publicly expressed his preference for an elected superintendent rather than an appointed board, Fischer duly modified his local bill. The new and hardly improved J-1 still defangs the school board by stripping it of appointing authority, plus it allows Fischer to pretend he’s a reformist. 16 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

If he really supported elections on the merits, he might have proposed this type of change while he himself served on the school board. Yes, Fischer was a board member before he quit to run for the Florida House of Representatives, and the school board has the authority to request a referendum allowing the people of Jacksonville determine whether the superintendent should be elected or appointed. Fischer was there for over three years and never brought it up once. That was under Superintendent Nikolai Vitti, a white man who had a reputation for courting the city’s elites—including Fischer’s political donor, Gary Chartrand. (He has also contributed extensively to City Councilmembers Rory Diamond, Leanne Cumber and Aaron Bowman, who voted down Carlucci’s resolution against J-1.) Now, however, we have Superintendent Diana Greene, a black woman who hasn’t made courting the city’s elites a priority. It’s no secret that Chartrand didn’t want Greene chosen by the school board. He wanted a larger role in vetting Vitti’s replacement. Superintendent Greene hasn’t been very receptive to Chartrand’s ideas, either. Chartrand tried repeatedly to insert himself in the referendum process by telling the school board how they should do things. Greene’s resistance is why many people think the J-1 proposal is nothing but political payback. Simply put, Greene wouldn’t and won’t bend her knee to the city’s elites. Still, DCPS is doing arguably better under Greene’s leadership than ever before. The district was less than one percentage point away from an overall “A” rating. The number of “F” and “D” schools has never been lower, and the graduation rate has never been higher. This is a transparent power grab made by the city establishment. The Duval Legislative Delegation should kill Fischer’s J-1 bill when it convenes on Nov. 1.

FOLIO A + E I THE DUALITY n every heart is a delicate dichotomy of good versus evil. This inner tension has inspired art and literature for ages. Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 gothic novella, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, took the metaphorical struggle and made it literal. It’s the tale of two men trapped in one body. Henry Jekyll is a passionate, romantic doctor; Edward Hyde is an unhinged, uncontrollable madman unleashed when the doctor makes himself the subject of his own experimental treatments. In print, on screen and on stage, the supernatural story continues to delight audiences more than a century later. Indeed, the questions it posed in Victorian England are just as timely today: How does a perfectly reasonable fellow transform into a terrifying fiend? If modern medicine could isolate and potentially eradicate evil, should it do so? Or would such experiments lead to catastrophe? The Alhambra Theatre & Dining revives the Stevenson classic with its latest production, Jekyll & Hyde. This isn’t a carbon-copy of the original, however. Leslie Bricusse’s musical adaptation introduces new characters and themes, a fascinating love triangle and a significantly more dramatic finale. “It’s a dark time. It’s Halloween,” producer and director Tod Booth told Folio Weekly. “What better time to tell a dark story? This is heavier [than our usual productions]. This is where you root for the good guy, and everything goes wrong. I would compare it to Phantom of the Opera in that it’s got that dark feeling to it. This show is very exciting. This show has a beautiful score. It’s a real theater-goer’s

ARTS & EVENTS CONCERTS Live & Local

OF BEING JEKYLL & HYDE TERRIFIES AND DELIGHTS

delight because of the size of it and the feel of it and so forth.” If you’re into light, uplifting plotlines, this isn’t the show for you. There’s murder, violence, prostitution and implied sexual assault—so leave the kids at home and prepare to be shocked. The dichotomy of good versus unbridled evil, the ugliness of social inequality and the tribulations of mental health are potent themes. Casting Jekyll & Hyde proved uniquely challenging even for Booth, a theater veteran of more than 50 years and 500 productions. “It’s very difficult to do,” he explained. “You have to have these tremendous, tremendous voices. And of course when I cast it, that’s what I had in mind—this big sound. You take two top artists or top actors and you put them together and you get a chemistry there, and that magic creates something wonderful, more than you could have ever anticipated. If you do it right!” Booth did it right, because the operatic vocals of his principal performers permeate the Alhambra’s dining hall and shake the audience to the core. Jacksonville resident Justin Murphy plays

Jekyll/Hyde, and his shocking battle-ofthe-soul performance of “Confrontation” finds him seamlessly morphing between alter egos in a frantic battle for identity. Traci Bair plays Emma Carew, Jekyll’s wife-to-be. The New York City-based performer has regional and national credits to her name. “I found her in New York last year and brought her in to do Kiss Me Kate,” Booth said. “She’s so wonderful and has this incredible soprano voice. That’s why I cast her opposite Justin. In other words, the voices have to match.” With the actors cast, the set had to be conceived and built, costumes had to be designed or acquired, props gathered, and out-of-town cast members flown in and housed locally. Cast and crew logged 52 rehearsal hours before opening night. According to Booth, it’s in the rehearsal hall where the magic happens. “You get a song, you get an actor, you get a moment in a show and you have to develop it to the most perfect level you can,” he explained. “Once the show is open, we put it on stage and ‘freeze’ it.

PG. 19 PG. 21

It grows from there, but in proportions. Each show has a unity to it like every painting does and a certain technique, a certain style.” By opening night, every detail has been meticulously considered, from the musical numbers and choreography to the incredible gothic library upon entry to the spooky set and period costumes waiting to transport audience members back to Victorian London. The atmosphere is all-encompassing. This is exactly what theater should be. “Theater has always played an important role in society,” Booth said. “It’s something live. It’s something that you sense. It’s not something [where] you sit back and relax. Theater does not exist without an audience. It takes that participation of the audience, sitting on the edge of their chairs, gasping. Everything is geared to that audience. It’s participation. Too much of life, you just sit back. You sit back and listen to music or watch a movie. You sit there and watch television. This is an experience. The theater always has been and always will be an experience. When it isn’t, then it will die. But if we as artists can keep making it exciting and something participatory, it’ll live forever.” Jekyll & Hyde is just such an experiential feast for the senses. “It’s real,” Booth said. “It happens right before your eyes. It happens each night. You can’t shoot a scene twenty times and choose the best take for this one and the best take for that one and put together what you want for an audience. It happens every night fresh and new. That’s what’s exciting about the theater.” Jennifer Melville mail@folioweekly.com

Photos by Jennifer Melville

JEKYLL & HYDE• Runs through Nov.24, Alhambra Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside, alhambrajax.com, $54-$61 OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 17

18 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

ARTS + EVENTS

VILANO FEST is an annual celebration Vilano Beach’s Art Deco heyday. This year’s shindig kicks off with a swingin’ 1920s-style Sea Turtle Soirée (starring local singer Ramona) and continues with a guided tour of the neighborhood’s historic homes. Friday & Saturday, Nov. 2 & 3, Vilano Pier, St. Augustine, vilanofest.com.

PERFORMANCE

THE ATTIC ENCORE PRESENTATION The oneman show runs again. The Cello Man opens. 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Corazon Cinema & Cafe, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, corazoncinemaandcafe. com, $15. NOEL COWARDS’ BLITHE SPIRIT A Classic Theater puts on an eerie show, 7:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Nov. 1 & 2, 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Lincolnville Museum and Cultural Center, 102 Martin Luther King Ave., St. Augustine, aclassictheatre.org, $22. RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE The queens come to Jacksonville on tour to Werq the World, 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $55165. WAKANDA MEETS ZAMUNDA African Village International & The Jacksonville Urban League Young Professionals fuse the worlds of Black Panther and Coming to America in one Halloween party, 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, B&Sun Arts & Culture Center, 2422 Myrtle Ave., Westside, Eventbrite.com, $15/ $20. THE TEMPEST The Flagler College Theatre department performs the Shakespeare classic, 7:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat., Oct. 30- Nov. 2; 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 3, Lewis Auditorium, 74 Kings St., St. Augustine, flagler.edu, $15. AMERICAN LA RONDE The fine arts students at FSCJ perform Steven Dietz’ French love story, 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat., Oct. 31- Nov. 2; 2 p.m. Sun., Nov. 3, Nathan H. Wilson Center for the Arts, 11901 Beach Blvd., Southside, fscj.edu, $5-$10. SOMETHING ROTTEN Theatre Jacksonville puts on a musical production about the birth of musicals. Opens 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, Theatre Jacksonville, 2032 San Marco Blvd., San Marco, theatrejax.com, $12-$26.

CLASSICAL & JAZZ

AKIA UWANDA The stunning writer, producer and singer comes to town, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, Jazzy’s Restaurant & Lounge, 901 King St., Riverside, akiauwanda.com, free. LAVILLA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 20th ANNIVERSARY The school celebrates with a mural unveiling 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, 501 N. Davis St., Downtown, duvalschools.org, free. FAURE REQUIEM MEMORIAL CONCERT Jacksonville Children’s Chorus performs French composer Gabriel Fauré’s spiritual fin-de-siècle composition, 6 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Southside United Methodist Church, 3120 Hendricks Ave., jaxchildrenschorus.org, free.

BOOKS & POETRY

KAREN WHITE The author signs copies of her new novel, The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 30, The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach, bookmarkbeach.com, free. ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS The author discusses his new book, Sailing True North, 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach, bookmarkbeach.com, free. ANCIENT CITY OPEN MIC NIGHT Writers share their work, 7-8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, Cultural Center of Ponte Vedra Beach, 50 Executive Way, ccpvb.org, free.

COMEDY

CODY KO & NOEL MILLER The comedy duo performs, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, floridatheatre.com, $30-40. BRUH MAN 7-10 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Onyx Sports Bar, 5611 Norwood Ave., Eventbrite.com, $20-$30. COMEDYZONE LOL Comedy Night with Christina Schriver 7:30 p.m. Wed., Oct. 30, $10; John Witherspoon 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Oct. 31; 7:30 & 10 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Nov. 1 & 2, $20-25; Comedy Hypnotist Rich Guzzi 7:30 p.m. Tue., Nov. 5, $1525, Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, comedyzone.com.

FILM

SUN-RAY CINEMA Evil Dead screens 7 p.m. Wed., Oct. 30; The Lighthouse plays daily; Joker runs through Oct. 31; Terminator Dark Fate starts Nov. 1, 1028 Park St., Five Points, 359-0049, sunraycinema.com. CORAZON CINEMA AND CAFÉ Showing Give Me Liberty and Brittany Runs A Marathon daily; Throwback Thursday: M noon Thur., Oct. 31, Throwback Thursday showing M at noon; The Rocky Horror Picture Show screens 7 p.m. Thur., Oct. 31, 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, 679-5736, corazoncinemaandcafe.com.

ART WALKS, MARKETS

RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET 10 a.m.–3 p.m. every Saturday, 715 Riverside Ave., riversideartsmarket.com, free. ATLANTIC BEACH ARTS MARKET 10 a.m.-5 p.m. every day, 1805 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach, atlanticbeachartsmarket.com. Twisted Trees art class 10 a.m. Sat., Nov. 2, $15; cement bowl workshop, 4 p.m., $40; Sun., Nov. 3, 10 a.m., acrylic pouring class, $40. DIG LOCAL MARKET Farmers’ Markets: Beaches Green Market, 2-5 p.m. Saturdays, Jarboe Park, Florida Blvd. & A1A, Neptune Beach; Midweek Market, 3-6 p.m. Wed., Bull Park, 718 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach; ABC Market, 3-6 p.m. Fri., 1966 Mayport Rd., AB, diglocal.org.

MUSEUMS

BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK 381 Beach

Blvd., Jax Beach, beachesmuseum.org. Annelies Dykgraaf’s exhibit Water.Life.Art. runs through Nov. 11. MANDARIN MUSEUM 11964 Mandarin Road, Saturdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m., mandarinmuseum.net, free. CUMMER MUSEUM of ARTS & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., cummermuseum.org. Louis Comfort Exhibit, Tiffany: Treasures from the Driehaus Collection runs through Jan. 5, Innovation & Imagination: The Global Dialogue in Mid to Late 20th Century Art runs through December. Kota Ezawa: The Crime of Art, through Dec. 1. Edmund Greacen & World War I, runs through Dec. 15. KARPELES MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfield, karpeles.weebly.com. Jerrod Brown’s exhibit Aurora Tribute runs through October. The Bible, an original manuscript exhibit of pages from the Gutenberg Bible and the first edition of the King James Bible, through Dec. 28. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., mocajacksonville.unf.edu. Camp/Wall/Flock, Khalid Albaih’s exhibit on display until Oct. 27. Of Many Ancestors runs through Dec. 28. Yoga in the Atrium noon Oct. 27, $20. MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND HISTORY 1025 Museum Cir., Southbank, themosh.org. Astronaut: Your Journey Begins on Earth runs through Jan. 4. XIMENEZ-FATIO HOUSE MUSEUM 20 Aviles St., St. Augustine, ximenezfatiohouse.org. Halloween Twilight Tours 6, 7, & 8 p.m. Wed.-Sat., Oct. 29-Nov. 2, $8-$10. BEACHES MUSEUM 381 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach, beachesmuseum.org.

GALLERIES

MAIN LIBRARY POP: Perceptions of Poverty exhibit features seven artists and several modes and mediums, highlighting and focusing on poverty and tackling stereotypes and generalizations. The exhibit runs through Jan. 19. Main Library, 303 Laura St. N., Downtown, jaxpubliclibrary.org, free. THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE 9451 Atlantic Blvd., Ste. 430, Regency Square, tacjacksonville. org. Portraiture classes, 1-4 p.m. every Sat., Main Gallery, Regency Square. Works by members on display include oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, photography, and sculptures. Nature Abounds exhibit on display now. THE ART STUDIO & GALLERY 370A A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, beachesartstudio.org. BUTTERFIELD GARAGE ART GALLERY 137 King St., St. Augustine, butterfieldgarage.com. Art Hughes is the featured artist for October, with their photography on display. CRISP-ELLERT ART MUSEUM Flagler College, 48 Sevilla St., St. Augustine, flagler.edu/crispellert. Jamiah Sabur’s Memory Palace runs through Nov. 26. OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19

ARTS + EVENTS THE CULTURAL CENTER AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH 50 Executive Way, ccpvb.org. 1¢ LIFE runs through Nov. 9. Jessica Burke & Laura Colomb’s Sensory Illusions runs through Nov. 9. CUTTER & CUTTER FINE ART GALLERIES 25 King St., St. Augustine, cutterandcutter.com. GRAY 1908 GALLERY 73 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine. Jenna Alexander’s The Flower Map of the United States, is on display. PAStA FINE ART GALLERY 214 Charlotte St., St. Augustine, pastagalleryart.com. Julie Noel’s photography works shown in Intentional. SOUTHLIGHT GALLERY 1 Independent Dr., Ste. 113, Downtown, southlight.com. A Marriage of the Imagined: A Husband & Wife Exhibition on display. THRASHER HORNE CENTER 283 College Dr., Orange Park, thcenter.org. Sweet Homegrown Traditions, an exhibit honoring Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Van Zant family legacy in Clay County, runs through Nov. 9.

EVENTS

START FARMING Experts speak in a series of seminars and workshops, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, Duval IFAS, 1010 N. McDuff Ave., Riverside, 2019startfarming.eventbrite.com. FSCJ & CAREER SOURCE CAREER FAIR More than 100 businesses seeking employment, and professionals giving guidance 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, FSCJ Downtown Campus Advanced Technology Center, 401 W. State St., Downtown, fscj.edu/careerfair, free. FLORIDA TRAVEL EXPO A wide variety of travel suppliers come together, noon-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Renaissance World Golf Village, 500 S. Legacy Trl., St. Augustine, thefloridatravelexpo.com, free. $MART WOMEN MAKE CHANGE A benefit event for the Junior Achievement’s Society, 5:30-8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Jacksonville Public Library, 303 N. Laura St., Downtown, janfl.org, free. FALL FESTIVAL Grassroots Natural Market and Down to Earth Farm organize this playful day on the farm, 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Down to Earth Farm, 9355 Old Plank Rd., Westside, Eventbrite.com, $15-25. SCARE FAIR OPEN HOUSE This annual campus

event boasts a haunted house, escape room and trick-or-treating. 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Keiser University, 6430 Southpoint Pkwy., Southside, keiseruniversity.edu, free. THE GREAT CHOWDER DEBATE Three restaurants compete, and you’re the judge. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, The Conch House, 57 Comares Ave., St. Augustine, free. SPAR MOSAIC MURAL SPAR puts together a mosaic mural with the help of Springfield residents, 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 1055 Main St. N., Springfield, sparcouncil.org, free. AUTUMN DEBUT TEA PARTY Curated tasting of seasonal tea. 7-9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, House of Leaf and Bean, 14474 Beach Blvd., Intracoastal, houseofleafnbean.com, free. JCA CULTURAL ARTS FESTIVAL The Jewish Community Alliance kicks off the 23rd edition of its annual, two-week-long festival with a performance by Canadian comedy duo YidLife Crisis, 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, Jewish Community Alliance, 8505 San Jose Blvd., Southside, jcajax.org, free.

HALLOWEEN EVENTS

FLOW IN-THE-DARK YOGA 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Black Cat Yoga, 1512 King St., Riverside, blackcatyogajax.com, $17. FAMILY HALLOWEEN SK8 PARTY 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Sk8 City, 9244 Arlington Expy., Arlington, skatecityjax.com, $5. HALLOWSCENE JAX BEACH 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Casa Marina Hotel, 691 First St. N., Jax Beach, eventful.com, $20. LATE NIGHT SNACK 003 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, River City Brewing Co., 835 Museum Cir., Eventbrite.com, $15-25. TRUNK & TREATS 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, CRC Health & Wellness Center, 5206 N. Pearl St., Springfield, Eventbrite.com, free. MALLOWEEN 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, St. Johns Town Center, 4663 River City Dr., simon. com/st-johns-town-center, free. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS PARTY 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Prohibition Kitchen, 119 St. George St., Downtown St. Augustine, pkstaug.com, $5.

In A MARRIAGE OF THE OBSERVED AND THE IMAGINED, Nicholas McNally and Christina Mastrangelo present works that complement each other visually and thematically, much like the artists themselves—they’re married! Southlight Gallery, 1 Independent Dr., Ste. 113, Downtown, southlightgallery.com, free. 20 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

CONCERTS

Seminal Chicago industrial outfit MY LIFE WITH THE THRILL KILL KULT has been churning out funky but far out electronic music since 1987. The Wax Trax! alumni are legend. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, 1904 Music Hall, Downtown, 1904musichall.com, $15.

LIVE MUSIC VENUES

AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA

SALTY PELICAN, 12 N. Front St. Davis Turner Oct. 30 The SURF, 3199 S. Fletcher Ave. The Macy’s Oct. 30, Full Moon Folk Nov. 2, Savanna Bassett Nov. 4

THE BEACHES

(All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)

BLUE JAY LISTENING ROOM, 2457B 3rd St S. Halloween with Kaleigh Baker Oct. 31. Raisin Cake Orchestra Nov. 1. Corey Kilgannon Nov. 3. Bay Kings Band Showcase Nov. 4. Blue Jay Jazz Jam Nov. 5 FLYING IGUANA, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach Lunar Coast Nov. 1-2 GUSTO, 1266 Beach Blvd. The Groov (every Wed.) Murray Goff (every Fri.) MUSIC in the Courtyard, 200 First St., NB Live music every Friday and Saturday

DOWNTOWN

1904 MUSIC Hall, 19 Ocean St. N. EXMAG– Halloween Oct. 31. My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult, Curse Mackey Nov. 1. Dreamers, IRONTOM, Arrested Youth Nov. 2. Glass Camels Nov. 3 MYTH Nightclub, 333 E. Bay St. Squnto, Wook Boys, Stupid Thick, Viiiral Oct. 30. G Rex, Zeke Beats, Twisted T, Paper Mushrooms, Chinua, Mfadelz Nov. 1. Mangler, Double L, Adrian Mars, Tyler Mathes Nov. 2 BASEBALL GROUNDS, 301 A Philip Randolph Blvd. Brett Young Nov. 1

INTRACOASTAL, ARLINGTON

JERRY’S Sports Grille, 13170 Atlantic Blvd. Sidewalk365 Nov. 1

MANDARIN

ENZA’S, 10601 San Jose Blvd. Pianist Carl Grant every Thur. Fri. & Sat. Pianist Brian Iannucci every Sun. Tue. & Wed. 25. Paul Lundgren Oct. 26

PONTE VEDRA

PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL, 1050 A1A N. Acoustic Alchemy Oct. 31. Here Come the Mummies Nov. 2 TAPS, 2220 C.R. 210., Redfish Rich Oct. 30. Bush Doctors Nov. 1

RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE

NIGHTHAWKS, 2952 Roosevelt Blvd. The Reality, Guavatron Nov. 1. RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St. Halloween Pre-Fest Party: Slack Bird, 5 Cent Psychiatrist, Kid You Not,

Lara Hope & The Ark-Tones, The Valley Ghouls, Mudtown, Rough Dreams, The Run Up, The Cattlefish Fritter Oct. 31. Black Stache, Unearthly Child, Chrome Fangs, The Gory Alices Nov. 2 Buchner’s Bierhalle, 1188 Edgewood Ave S. Junco Royals Trio every Wednesday

ST. AUGUSTINE

The AMP, 1340C A1A S. Sammy Hagar & The Circle, Night Ranger Nov. 1. Old Dominion, Scotty McCreery, Ryan Hurd Nov. 2 & 3 CAFÉ ELEVEN, 501 A1A Beach Blvd. Rob Ellis Peck, Will Kimbrough Nov. 2. Adam Ezra Group Nov. 3 COLONIAL QUARTER, 33 St. George St. Ramona Halloween Oct. 31 DOG ROSE BREWING, 77 Bridge St. Not Quite Dead Oct. 31. The Train Wrecks Nov. 2 PROHIBITION KITCHEN, 119 St. George St. Brett Bollinger Nov. 2 SARBEZ, 11 Anastasia Blvd. Timothy Eerie, Dad’s Day Off, The Dewars, Circles of Care Nov. 1 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd. Med.A.Sin, Nvmeless, Authentic, Tomokie’s Cup, FEID Nov. 2. The Turbos Nov. 3

STING Nov. 8, Daily’s Place ELVIS COSTELLO & the IMPOSTERS Nov. 8, The Amp The MIGHTY O’JAYS, GERALD ALSTON, The MANHATTANS Nov. 9, The Florida Theatre Porchfest: MAGGIE KOERNER, ALANNA ROYALE, MAMA BLUE, SPADE McQUADE, KING EDDIE & PILI PILI, CHRIS THOMAS BAND, OUIJA BROS., TAD JENNINGS, LET’S RIDE BRASS BAND, BRENT BYRD BAND Nov. 9, Springfield Porches The RACONTEURS, MARGO PRICE Nov. 9, The Amp RUNAWAY HOME Nov. 9, Story & Song Bookstore .38 SPECIAL, BRETT MYERS, The CURT TOWNE Band, PINTO GRAHAM Nov. 9, Thrasher-Horne Center The JAPANESE HOUSE Nov. 12, Jack Rabbits AUTHORITY ZERO Nov. 12, 1904 Music Hall Coast2Coast LIVE ARTIST SHOWCASE Nov. 13, Jack Rabbits The DOOBIE BROTHERS Nov. 13, The Amp Led Zeppelin Tribute: ZOSO Nov. 14, Surfer the Bar SUSTO Nov. 15, Jack Rabbits The SAUCE BOSS BILL WHARTON Nov. 15, Mudville Music Room GREG GUTFIELD Nov. 16, The Florida Theatre DWIGHT YOAKAM Nov. 17, The Florida Theatre The Last Waltz Tour: JOHN MEDESKI, JAMEY JOHNSON, LUKAS NELSON, DON WAS, WARREN HAYNES, TERENCE HIGGINS, MARK MULLINS & the LEVEE HORNS, CYRIL NEVILLE, DAVE MALONE, BOB MARGOLIN Nov. 17, The Amp JONAS BROTHERS, BEBE REXHA, JORDAN McGRAW Nov. 17, Veterans Memorial Arena FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, THREE DAYS GRACE, BAD WOLVES, FIRE from the GODS Nov. 18, Veterans Memorial Arena MIRANDA LAMBERT, MAREN MORRIS, ELLE KING, PISTOL ANNIES, ASHLEY McBRYDE, TENILLE TOWNES, CAYLEE HAMMACK Nov. 21, Veterans Memorial Arena The FAB FOUR Beatles Tribute Nov. 22, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SARA BAREILLES Nov. 22, Daily’s Place CRYSTAL BOWERSOX Nov. 23, Café Eleven JOE BONAMASSA, ANTON FIG, MICHAEL RHODES, REESE WYNANS, PAULIE CERRA, LEE THORNBURG Nov. 23, The Amp MASON JENNINGS Nov. 23, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JOHN OATES, The GOOD ROAD BAND Nov. 24, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The PEYTON BROTHERS Nov. 30, Mudville Music Room REHAB GALAGA TOUR Nov. 30, Jack Rabbits

ARIANA GRANDE Dec. 1, Veterans Memorial Arena KEITH HARKIN Dec. 3, Culhane’s Southside LEONID & FRIENDS (Chicago tribute) Dec. 6, The Florida Theatre TRISHA YEARWOOD Dec. 7, The Florida Theatre AMANDA ANNE PLATT & the HONEYCUTTERS Dec. 7, Mudville JIMMY BUFFETT & THE CORAL REEFER BAND Dec. 10, Veterans Memorial Arena TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Dec. 12, Veterans Memorial Arena TOM MASON & the BLUE BUCCANEERS Dec. 14, Mudville Music Room LEANN RIMES Dec. 15, The Florida Theatre HORTON’S HAYRIDE Dec. 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The ISLEY BROTHERS 60th Anniversary Dec. 22, Times-Union Center BLACKBERRY SMOKE Dec. 30, The Florida Theatre JJ GREY & MOFRO Dec. 31, The Florida Theatre DONNA THE BUFFALO Jan. 4, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ELVIS BIRTHDAY BASH Jan. 8, The Florida Theatre CELINE DION Jan. 8, VyStar Veterans Arena MALCOLM HOLCOMBE Jan. 9, Mudville Music Room THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS: BILL MEDLEY & BUCKY HEARD Jan. 16, The Florida Theatre GRACE POTTER Jan. 15, The Florida Theatre RISING APPALACHIA Jan. 16, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JOE MULLINS & THE RADIO RAMBLERS Jan. 17, Mudville Music Room QUEENSRŸCHE, JOHN 5, EVE TO ADAM Jan. 19, The Florida Theatre ROBERT CRAY Jan. 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall REMEMBER WHEN ROCK WAS YOUNG: THE ELTON JOHN TRIBUTE Jan. 19, Thrasher-Horne Center GAELIC STORM Jan. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS, THE VALLEY GHOULS Jan. 23, 1904 Music Hall VERLON THOMPSON & JIM LAUDERDALE Jan. 24, Mudville Music Room TODD SNIDER Jan. 25, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall LUCINDA WILLIAMS & HER BAND BUICK 6 Jan. 26, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BLACK FLAG, THE LINECUTTERS Jan. 26, 1904 Music Hall CITIZEN COPE Jan. 27, Vedra Concert Hall THE TAJ MAHAL QUARTET Jan. 29, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall RODNEY CROWELL Jan. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall THE GLORIOUS SONS, DES ROCS Jan. 31, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall

SAN MARCO, NORTHBANK

JACK RABBITS, 15280 Hendricks Ave. Roots of a Rebellion, Cloud9 Vibes, The Head Cheese Oct. 30. Cortege, Dead Scrolls, Thunderclap Oct. 31. Danny Attack, River City Sound System, The Bitters, Devin Austin Ernce, BLURG! Nov. 1. Satsang, Jonny Wayne Nov. 2. Demons Nov. 4

SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS

WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows Rd. Alex Affronti Oct. 30. The Great Dames Oct. 31. Don’t Call Me Shirley Nov. 1. Mojo Roux & Friends Nov. 3

SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE

PALMS Fish Camp, 6359 Heckscher Dr. Michael Ward & Friends Oct. 30. Taylor Shami Oct. 31. Double Down Nov. 1. Eric Alabiso, Chelsea Michelle Duo Nov. 2. Michael Ward Duo, Lisa’s Mad Hatter Nov. 3. Ciaran Sontag Nov. 4. Ryan Campbell Nov. 5

UPCOMING CONCERTS

ROY ORBISON & BUDDY HOLLY Tribute Nov. 6, The Florida Theatre The KRICKETS Nov. 7, Café Eleven BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY Nov. 7, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY Nov. 8, TimesUnion Center

Rain Dogs’ post-Halloween debrief features local favorites THE CHROME FANGS (pictured), Unearthly Child, Black Stache and the Gory Alices. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Rain Dogs, Five Points, facebook.com/raindogsjax, $5. OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 21

22 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

FOLIO PETS

LOCAL PET EVENTS & ADOPTABLES PUMPKIN CARVING & BINGO Prep your last minute jack-o’-lantern while sipping Oktoberfest beer. Need more? How about music bingo? It’s a feast for the senses. 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Kanine Social, 580 College St., Brooklyn, $25/pumpkin. RESCUE JUNKIE MONTHLY ADOPTION EVENT The beaches-based volunteer rescue organization hosts its monthly meet-and-greet, featuring potential pets saved from high-kill shelters across Florida. 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, EarthWise Pet, 3846 Third St. S. Jacksonville Beach, rescuejunkie.org.

ADOPTABLES

BEAR

FRIGHT NIGHT

HALLOWEEN CAN BE SCARY FOR ANIMALS

IT NEVER CEASES TO AMAZE ME THAT people in my neighborhood decorate for Halloween as much as they do for the winter holidays. Cobwebs, tombstones and pumpkins adorn the yards and front porches of homes up and down my street. And while it’s all fun and games for humans on Halloween night, it can be a truly frightful experience for dogs and cats. With that in mind, here are a few tips that will hopefully make Halloween a little less spooky for your pets. TREATS CAN BE TRICKY. Cats, those finicky eaters, may leave candy alone, but dogs will beg for anything. Before you share, however, beware! Many ingredients in Halloween treats are dangerous or even deadly for pets. You probably know that, even in small amounts, chocolate can be toxic for dogs. It’s important to make sure sweets of any kind are stashed away and safely out of reach. Keep in mind that raisins, nuts and candy wrappers are also serious no-nos. KEEP HALLOWEEN HAPPENINGS ON THE DOWN-LOW. Ringing doorbells and creepy costumes can send any pooch into a frenzy. If your dog is skittish, nippy or overexcited by strangely clad visitors, give them a safe, quiet spot away from the action—that means away the front door. My safe place is a comfy pillow, watching It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and eating sweet potato treats. PREVENT DOOR-DASHING. A cracked door looks like the perfect escape route to a rattled pup. If your dog does slip out the door, it’s crucial for them to have visible identification so they can make their way back home with the help of a kind soul

(or a friendly ghost). It’s also a good idea to update your pet’s microchip. WALK BEFORE DUSK. Danger lurks around dark corners, so walk early—and have your dog wear a harness, not a collar. A scary sound or creepy crawler could cause them to slip out and get away. A secure harness and strong leash will keep them close and safe from harm. BE BRIGHT TO AVOID A FRIGHT. If you do take a walk after dark, use a reflective leash and harness or reflective tape that will be visible. After all, ghouls and goblins will be roaming the streets.

Lions, tigers, and bears—oh my! My name is Bear, and I’m a looking for a new best friend who won’t mind snuggling on the couch while we stream my favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz, for the 20th time. I love treats and exploring the great outdoors. If you think we’d be a good match, come visit me at 8464 Beach Blvd.!

HAMBINGO FOR JHS Karissa Wade hosts this charity bingo event. Proceeds benefit the Jacksonville Humane Society. 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Hamburger Mary’s, 3333 Beach Blvd., St. Nicholas.

ADOPTABLES

MOLLY

BE CAUTIOUS WITH COSTUMES. You might want to dress up your dog for Halloween. My mom wants to dress me like a candy corn dog, even though I prefer my birthday suit. Be sure to choose a costume that is comfortable and lets your dog breathe, bark and see. Avoid small dangling pieces that could cause choking. STEER CLEAR OF DANGEROUS DECORATIONS. Take heed. Jack-OLanterns with candles can be a nightmare if knocked over by a wagging tail. Glow sticks look fun to chew, but the liquid inside tastes bad and makes animals act strangely. Be wary of wires and cords plugged into walls. One bite could cause a burn or, worse, a life-threatening shock. Mark my words: If you sniff out these dangers and play it safe, Halloween can be a howling good time for everyone.

Howdy! My name is Molly, and if I had to describe myself, I would say I’m affectionate, caring, and playful. I enjoy getting pets, playing with toys, and lounging around the house. Interested in being my new best friend? Visit jaxhumane.org for more information!

YOGA WITH THE TIGERS Black Cat Yoga leads a session in sight of some big cats, followed by a tour of the Catty Shack sanctuary. Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary, 1860 Starratt Rd., Northside, cattyshack.org, $10-$20.

Davi the Dachshund mail@folioweekly.com Subscribe to Folio Weekly Magazine’s Pets Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 23

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

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52 53 55 57 61 63 64 66 67 68 69 71 72 74 75 76

Big heart Screen type Key below X Scot's sock Pack leader Wowed Second-year JU student Chip brand Dada artist John Peyton's sign ___ Paulo Bagel topper 100 percent Dot follower Palais VIP "Spring ahead" Jax setting

1 Coppertone stat 2 Channel 4's "Ranger ___" 3 Futbol cheer 4 42nd most populous US city SOLUTION TO 10.23.19 PUZZLE E R I C I R A N A S E A 5 PC brand J A G S B A G S B O G S 6 Criminal's "why" E D I T I K E A B U Y S A D E N K A P P A C A V 7 Spa sound T G I S T Y T R E B L E 8 Atl-to-Jax dir. H O M E E E R O N C U E C R E V A S S E 9 Cocky walk B O A S P A L O B O O T 10 A Guthrie S I M O N I M P A L I N G 11 Jax mayor Ritter N I L A D H D M I A M L B E A S I L Y 12 ISP option I T C H D O E A D L I B 13 Jags' org. O S H A S A Y S S I G N K O A S K O A N K H A N 21 WJXX net. S T E T

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SPOOKTACULAR! Fans of fright this Halloween may want to travel to Summertown, Tennessee, to see if they can become the first visitor to make it all the way through the haunted house experience called McKamey Manor. The rewards are compelling. Along with notoriety, a person who completes the tour will receive $20,000. But the demands are great, too: Along with bringing a bag of dog food for owner Russ McKamey’s dogs, you need to be at least 21 years old, watch a two-hour video of other contestants failing, complete a sports physical with a doctor’s letter, pass a background check, bring proof of medical insurance, sign a 40-page waiver and pass a drug test. WFLA reports McKamey doesn’t allow cursing during the visit; if you utter a curse word, he’ll subtract money from the $20,000 prize. But don’t despair. McKamey does have a “safe” phrase for those who want to bail out: “You really don’t want to do this.” You’re right. We don’t.

OVERREACTION Truck driver Cesar Schmitz of Eneas Marques, Brazil, was just trying to make his wife happy when he launched an effort to rid their backyard of cockroaches. “She ... begged me to destroy their nest under the ground once and for all,” Schmitz, 48, explained. After chemicals failed to do the job, The Daily Mail reported, Schmitz decided that fire was the only solution. On Oct. 18, he poured a capful of gasoline into the hole and tossed in a lighted match. After a couple of misfires, caught on his home’s security camera, a match landed, and Schmitz and his dogs are seen ducking for cover as the resulting explosion sends turf and lawn furniture flying through the air. The gasoline itself had ignited but it had also set off the highly combustible methane from the bugs’ venom that had accumulated in an air pocket under the grass. “I wish I’d thought this through,” Schmitz said. He admitted it made a huge mess, but said, ultimately, his scheme was a success: The cockroaches are gone.

RECENT ALARMING HEADLINE The San Diego Humane Society was summoned to a convenience store parking lot in Del Mar, California, on Oct. 8 after law enforcement officers responded to calls of concern about a van parked there, near one of San Diego’s toniest neighborhoods. Officers found a woman living in the van with more than 300 pet rats. Humane Society Capt. Danee Cook told The San Diego Union-Tribune, “This was not a cruelty case. This was a relinquishment.” The unidentified owner said she had started with two pet rats, but the situation had gotten out of control, and she agreed to surrender all of them, many of which were juveniles or pregnant. Officers spent several days tearing the van apart and recovered 320 animals, about half of which were put up for adoption. Meanwhile, the woman has found a place to live with the help of a GoFundMe page.

WAIT, WHAT? Twenty-year-old Cody Christopher Meader of St. Petersburg, Florida, entered a Pinellas Park Target store on Oct. 22, where he sought a large Olaf stuffed doll from the Disney movie Frozen, the Smoking Gun reported. Meader placed the doll on the floor and climbed on to have his way with poor Olaf, according to the criminal complaint. After finishing, he returned the character to the shelf and proceeded to the toy department, where he “selected a large unicorn stuffed animal” and repeated his offensive behavior. Meader was detained in the store and later charged with criminal mischief. Meader’s father told police that his son “def has a history of this type of behavior.” Meader posted bond and was released from custody.

THE NAME GAME You probably thought Tupac Shakur died in 1996 in Las Vegas. Little did you suspect there’s another Tupac A. Shakur walking the streets—or pacing the jail cells—of Washington County, Tennessee. Shakur, 40, was arrested Oct. 19 after he threatened Johnson City police officers with a knife, Fox News reported. Police were able to wrestle Shakur to the ground; they also found a syringe and bags of methamphetamine and charged him with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, and simple possession of meth and unlawful drug paraphernalia. It is unclear whether Shakur’s name was his from birth or whether he changed it to match the rapper’s.

INEXPLICABLE Stacey Wagers, 45, of Tampa, Florida, is suing the Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach over an incident that happened in November 2018. She and a friend were celebrating her birthday at the hotel’s Maritana Grille when they observed a waiter pouring a liquid over a nearby table’s dessert that made it “smoke.” They commented to the waiter that the effect was cool, and he poured liquid nitrogen into their water glasses—which they then drank. “Of course I didn’t think it was dangerous at all,” Wagers told NBC News. “He had just poured it on a dessert.” But the lawsuit filed Oct. 11 says Wagers immediately fell ill, eventually having to have her gall bladder and parts of her stomach removed where the chemical had burned the tissue. Her attorney says she will have lifelong digestion issues. weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 25

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

LAST CONQUISTADORS by JIM MINION

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you have any skill in fulfilling the wishes and answering the prayers of your allies? Have you developed a capacity to tune in to what people want even when they themselves aren’t sure of what they want? Do you sometimes have a knack for offering just the right gesture at the right time? If you possess any of those aptitudes, now is an excellent time to put them in play. You are needed as a catalyst, a transformer, an inspirational influence. Halloween costume suggestion: angel, fairy godmother, genie, benefactor.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “One language is never enough,” says a Pashto proverb. I think the same is true for religion: one is never enough. Why confine yourself to a single set of theories about spiritual matters when more will enable you to enlarge and deepen your perspective? With this in mind, I invite you to regard November as “One Is Never Enough Month” for you. Assume you need more of everything. Halloween costume suggestion: a bilingual Jewish Santa Claus; a pagan Sufi Buddha who intones prayers in three different languages.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author Amy Tan describes the magic moment when her muse appears and takes command: “I sense a subtle shift, a nudge to move over, and everything cracks open, the writing is freed, the language is full, resources are plentiful, ideas pour forth, and to be frank, some of these ideas surprise me. It seems as though the universe is my friend and is helping me write, its hand over mine.” I suspect you’ll be offered intense visitations from a muse in the coming days. Make yourself receptive to these potential blessings. Halloween costume suggestion: your muse.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In his novel Zone One, Colson Whitehead writes, “A monster is a person who has stopped pretending.” He means it in the worst sense possible: the emergence of the ugly beast who had been hiding behind social niceties. But I’m going to twist his meme for my own purposes. When you stop pretending and shed fake politeness, you may indeed resemble an ugly monster—but only temporarily. Ultimately, you will feel so cleansed and relieved that you’ll naturally be able to express more of your monumental beauty. Halloween costume suggestion: your beautiful, fully exorcised monster.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): More than a century ago, author Anton Chekhov wrote, “If many remedies are prescribed for an illness, you may be certain that the illness has no cure.” Decades later, I wrote, “If you’re frantically trying to heal yourself with a random flurry of half-assed remedies, you’ll never cure what ails you. But if you sit still in a safe place and ask your inner genius to identify the one or two things you need to do to heal, you will find the cure.” Halloween costume suggestion: physician, nurse, shaman, healer.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I am glad that I paid so little attention to good advice,” testified poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. “Had I abided by it, I might have been saved from some of my most valuable mistakes.” This is excellent advice for you. I suspect you’re in the midst of either committing or learning from a valuable mistake. It’s best if you don’t interrupt yourself! Halloween costume suggestion: the personification or embodiment of your valuable mistake.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Marc Chagall (1887–1985) was a visionary artist. In the 1950s, Picasso observed that Chagall was one of the only painters who “understood what color really is.” In 2017, one of Chagall’s paintings sold for $28.5 million. What was the secret to his success? “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,” he testified. “If from the head, almost nothing.” Your current assignment is to authorize your heart to rule everything you do. Halloween costume suggestion: a heart. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Dead Sea is far saltier than the ocean, but on the lake’s bottom are springs that exude fresh water. They support large, diverse communities of microbes. It’s hard for divers to get down there and study the life forms, though. They carry 90 pounds of ballast that enables them to sink to the sea floor. Get inspired by all this. What would be the metaphorical equivalent for you of descending into the lower depths so as to research unexplored sources of vitality and excitement? Halloween costume suggestions: diver, spelunker, archaeologist. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “We have stripped all things of their mystery and luminosity,” lamented psychologist Carl Jung. “Nothing is holy any longer.” In accordance with current astrological omens, your assignment is to rebel against that mournful state of affairs. I hope you will devote some of your fine intelligence to restoring mystery and luminosity to the world in which you dwell. I hope you will find and create holiness that’s worthy of your reverence and awe. Halloween costume suggestion: mage, priestess, poet, enchantrix, witch, alchemist, sacramentalist.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Cleopatra was an ancient Egyptian queen who ruled for 21 years. All you need to know about her modern reputation is that Kim Kardashian portrayed her as a sultry seductress in a photo spread in a fashion magazine. But the facts are that Cleopatra was a well-educated, multilingual political leader with strategic cunning. Among her many skills were poetry, philosophy, and mathematics. I propose we make the real Cleopatra your role model. Now is an excellent time to correct people’s misunderstandings about you—and show people who you truly are. Halloween costume suggestion: your actual authentic self. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Around the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, Aquarius, will be capable of strenuous feats; will have the power to achieve a success that surpasses past successes; will be authorized to attempt a brave act of transcendence that renders a long-standing limitation irrelevant. As for the eleven days and eleven hours before that magic hour, the eleventh sign of the zodiac will be smart to engage in fierce meditation and thorough preparation for the magic hour. Halloween costume suggestion: eleven. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Robert Musil made a surprising declaration: “A number of flawed individuals can often add up to a brilliant social unit.” I think you have the potential to be a flawed but inspiring individual who’ll serve as a dynamic force in assembling and nurturing a brilliant social unit. So let me ask you: What would be your dream-come-true of a brilliant social unit that is a fertile influence on you and everyone else in the unit? Halloween costume suggestion: ringleader, mastermind, orchestrator, or general. Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

26 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019

EPISODE 6.0: SUMMIT Mischenko staggered to his knees and immediately wished he hadn’t. Everything spun. Off-world, up and down were relative. On Earth, they're fixed. It was going to take a while for his brain to learn that. “Start slow, big fella,” Anna counseled her new-fallen friend. “Oh, God, what’s that smell?” Mischenko gagged, moving on to a new sensory conundrum. “That’s life, all of it. This world is dinner table, toilet and respirator, all at the same time. Enjoy,” Donovin exclaimed, defiantly sucking in as much life aroma as he could before choking. Mikhail continued his inquisitorial battery. “Where are we again?” “Apparently, they used to call this place ‘Jacksonville’; the northeast corner of the Florida peninsula,” Donovin was happy to explain. “How do you know this was Jacksonville, Vin?” Mischenko continued to press. “Coordinates were one clue. Oh, and that,” Donovin answered as he pointed to an adjacent building nearest the inner shore. It wasn’t quite as tall as the tower they were on. Dimensional letters marched along the upper curve of the structure, spelling out “Jacksonville Landing.” This building’s glass was still mostly intact except in places where vegetation burst through, creating cool, green lava flows meandering down the surface. As they looked more closely, it appeared to have the multi-function of living space, commercial-industrial areas and vertical farming, all above the flood. “Doesn’t that look strangely like … ?” Mikhail began. “Yeah, Marius Landing in Marius Hills colony. The original habitat building. Weird.” Donovin agreed. Mikhail wore the squint of a man in deep thought. “Well, if this is Jacksonville, the Helios can’t be far to the south of here, like 50 kilometers.” “Always mission-focused-Mikky. Relax a minute. Get your feet underneath you. Breathe the living air like Vin over there. You are alive on Earth now,” Anna couldn’t help but preach. “Don’t know why you think it’s funny to call me ‘Mikky.’ And I don’t know why you don’t think it’s strange we haven’t heard from Menendez or the Bronco,” Mikhail flared. Donovin offered to increase the peace. “We did hear from Liu and she gave coordinates for the Helios. Apparently, she got

a visual, so she’s probably closer than we are.” “So, if suit-to-suit comms work, then why can’t we raise the Bronco and why can’t we hail Liu or Menendez?” Mikhail wondered. “Our suits and helmets work on nearfield protocols. But to communicate with helmets far away, the signal has to bounce off the orbiter or a comm satellite,” Anna inserted, carefully avoiding the morbid explanation. “And the atmosphere or, more specifically, the magnetosphere isn’t allowing the signal to get up there,” Mikhail added, remembering what had happened on the Lariat before the drop. “Then how did Liu’s message get to us?” Donovin asked. “I think there are windows of alignment when the comms can get through and then they close,” Mikhail asserted. “Since we can’t communicate with Liu or the Bronco, we just head toward the Helios,” he concluded, not really offering a vote. “Sounds fine, boss man. We’re gonna miss not having our gear, though,” Anna advised, thinking about the possible locations of the lander and its remaining gear, which included a comm laser and food for the crew. “We’re gonna miss not having gravity. If we’re leaving, we have to go down there,” Donovin sighed, looking down the inner shaft of the ancient building and its staircase into darkness within. “Well, we weigh a ton, we’ve never descended stairs in full gravity, this building is probably more danger than shelter … and my helmet has puke in it,” Mischenko enumerated cheerlessly. “Hey, why can’t we use our thrusters to get down?” he asked with fresh enthusiasm. “Sure … the way our tech is working? Sorry, but we’re a three-legged stool now. I can’t let you die as much as I’d like to see how high you’d bounce. Maybe one of them can give you a ride.” Donovin pointed down at a ring of large, brownfeathered birds circling the tower they stood on. He thought they might be eagles, even though he’d never seen one. Then he decided they weren’t. “Better start walk … ” Anna was interrupted by a tickle on her nose. She noticed a white flake land on Donovin’s head. He flinched. “What the hell is that, white volcanic ash?” Mikhail screamed in disbelief. “No, man. It’s snow!” Donovin laughed. The three stood atop the abandoned city and stared in wonder at this magical, new sky. TO BE CONTINUED NOV. 13

FOLIO WEED

COFFEE TALK

CIVILIZED BLENDS TWO OF OUR FAVORITE THINGS CANNABISSEURS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR their loyalty to the stuff, but there is one product to which they may pledge their allegiance even more readily. That product, of course, is coffee. I think that pretty much all of us share an affinity for the bold, black, bean-based brew, whose history goes back to at least the 15th century. As with almost everything else in the range of food and drink, Northeast Florida has established a dense and diverse array of retailers dealing in coffee. One of those local companies, in fact, has just launched a CBD-based coffee that goes well with pretty much everything. The Civilized Coffee Company (2100 Dennis St., civilizedcoffee.com) is just one among a number of new businesses populating the Emerald Necklace District, which encompasses an area spanning from North Riverside to the Beaver Street Farmer’s Market (one of my favorite places in town). My friend Mark Patterson co-founded the company with his friend Jeff Norton. He kindly sent samples of the whole line, and it has sustained me through several all-nighters. Civilized’s Silver (Mild) blend contains 78 mg of CBD; the Gold (Medium) blend contains 156 mg of CBD; the Black (Robust) blend contains a whopping 312 mg of CBD. In terms of the relative strength of the brew, and the concentration of CBD, the average user will find the varieties largely indistinguishable. The package was dropped on my chest (literally) while I dozed in near-delirium the morning after a long night of Florida Man fun. The timing was perfect, and so was the product. The first batch sustained my colleagues and I through a third day on-air with this year’s WJCT Pledge Drive,

where perkiness is plus. Each variety is made with a mixture of medium roast Tanzanian Peaberry Colombian Excelso beans, augmented with Full Spectrum CBD oil, certified and tested. The only hangup is that it’s not recommended for use with traditional coffee makers, whose paper filters may absorb the CBD oils. For best results, use a French Press, a metal filter or the pour-over method. Having no French press handy at home (though now I finally have an excuse to buy that R2D2 model on Amazon), I jerry-rigged a brew using an old teamaking gimmick from Teavana, and the results were pretty close to optimal. Several companies are working in this vein already—most notably one owned by Willie Nelson—but this is a first for our area. The owners import their product directly from Africa, resulting in fresher goods and lower prices for the consumer. “We want people to understand we are a coffee company that focuses on great coffee,” says Patterson. “That is why we researched the most reliable CBD company with the highest quality CBD.” Their supplier, and their process, are both trade secrets, but the pride they take in the results are obvious. With vaping suddenly under siege far and wide (more on that in the weeks to come), people are expressing a real preference for cannabis in its edible forms, and the quasi-medicinal nature of coffee makes it an optimal vehicle for the overall benefits of CBD. Shelton Hull mail@folioweekly.com Subscribe to the Folio Weed Newsletter at folioweekly.com/newsletters

OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 27

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FOLIO VOICES: BACKPAGE

THE EXTORTION QUESTION

CITY HALL’S SHAKEDOWN OF DUVAL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS SHAMEFUL IN THE 2019 FILM EXTORTION, A FAMILY

vacationing in the Bahamas gets stranded on a nearby island. Father, wife and son think they’re saved by two fishermen until one of the rescuers asks the father, “How much is your family’s life worth?” City Hall asked Duval County Public Schools a similar question when the school board sought $1.9 billion in sales tax dollars for dilapidated infrastructure. Now citizens have questions about the ethics and, frankly, legality of the referendum assistance offered by two of Mayor Lenny Curry’s close associates. Sam Mousa, a very recently retired city official, and Curry’s political consultant Tim Baker pitched their lobbying services to two DCPS school board members, Lori Hershey and Warren Jones. Mousa and Baker offered to grease the skids and convince a publicly skeptical mayor and City Council to approve the school board’s proposed half-cent sales tax referendum, which would fund the much-needed maintenance. DCPS would have to pay a price. First, it would have to spend up to $450,000 in consulting fees—when the mayor’s mouthpieces were disingenuously grumbling about the cost of a special election, no less. More importantly, though, the school board would have to accept a delay in the referendum timetable. Board members had originally recommended a 2019 referendum. City Hall preferred 2020, presumably to give charter-school interests time to earmark more of the potential sales-tax revenue. In fact, as Jones told Christopher Hong and Emily Bloch of The Florida Times-Union, Mousa demanded a $150 million upfront guarantee for the charter

schools. The deal was pitched during a June phone call that Jones said “blew him away.” As in the film Extortion, Sam Mousa and Tim Baker were, in essence, asking Lori Hershey, Warren Jones and DCPS, “How much is your schoolmaintenance plan worth?” According to Wikipedia, “extortion (also called shakedown, and, in a legal sense incorrectly, exaction) is obtaining benefit through coercion. In most jurisdictions it is likely to constitute a criminal offense, the bulk of this article deals with such cases ... In law extortion can refer to political corruption, such as selling one`s office or influence peddling.” Is that what Mousa proposed to Hershey and Jones? It sure sounds like it. Finally, the school board did not accept Mousa’s contract or assistance. The charter schools did not get the $150 million promise. And Mayor Curry’s City Council did not allow a public vote on the school board’s infrastructure plan. As a result, parents and grandparents are currently suing this City of Jacksonville for killing the referendum. Public corruption and cronyism run rampant in Jacksonville, though, and Mousa and Baker did get their no-bid contract. It wasn’t with DCPS, but rather with an old friend. As The Florida Times-Union’s Nate Monroe reported, “Mousa is Curry’s former chief administrative officer who, in August, landed a no-bid $120,000 per year consulting contract to, among other things, help the mayor develop policy and oversee special projects.” Juan P. Gray mail@folioweekly.com _______________________________ Dr. Gray is a very concerned citizen.

FOLIO WEEKLY welcomes Backpage submissions. They should be 1,200 words or fewer and on a topic of local interest and/or concern. Send your submissions to mail@folioweekly.com. Opinions expressed on the Backpage are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Folio Weekly. OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2019 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 29

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