Folio Vol. 36, Issue 14 by Folio Weekly

2022

7.20

Behind the Lens Looking back on the golden era of Folio with longtime photojournalist Walter Coker Interview & Photos by Vincent Dalessio

F O L I O W E E K LY

VOL. 36, ISSUE 14

CO N T E N T S C OLUMN S

FE AT U RE S

Kale Boucher

Janie Day

Molly Britt

Shelton Hull

Vincent Dalessio

A swig of something saccharine

CSI Companies Swoop in for UNF

Looking back on the golden era of Folio with

Partnership

longtime photojournalist Walter Coker

Clayton Tinkle

Vincent Dalessio

Nikki Fried versus

Do What I Want To

the Democratic Party

Kales Boucher

Horoscopes

Weird, Wild Stuff

Folio Sports

Folio Weed: Crist Crossed

Shelton Hull

Skyway Surfers

The Timucua Aren’t Extinct

Behind The Lens

It’s My Body and I’ll

Is 2022 Anti-LGBTQ?

Dirty Talk Rain Henderson

Small Screen Reviews Harry Moore

Talk Nerdy To Me Flipping pages: book review Rain Henderson

Archive Follow-Up

In This Climate?!

Rain Henderson

Small Islands, Big Fight

& Vincent Dalessio

Joseph Guiffre

CO N T R I B U TO R S JOHN M. PHILLIPS, ESQ. publisher

HARRY MOORE contributor

KERRY SPECKMAN copy editor

KALE BOUCHER contributor

TERESA SPENCER general manager

DREW ARNETT illustrator

ROB NICHOLSON sales director

CLAYTON TINKLE contributor

RAIN HENDERSON creative director

JOSEPH GUIFFRE contributor

VINCENT DALESSIO staff writer/photographer CASEY ALIXANDRA account executive/contributor MOLLY BRITT account executive/contributor

SHELTON HULL contributor JANIE DAY intern

Behind the cover: AC be damned! Nestled between the Matanzas River and the Atlantic Ocean, Coker’s home feels natural and inviting with salt breezes hitting from both directions. Here he has his full archive laid out in his front yard.

In 1987, Folio Weekly made its debut—and Northeast

the return of Folio. Phillips made the announcement on

Florida hasn’t been the same since.

Twitter: “Independently, locally owned journalism is back. No paywalls. Your stories. Bolder than ever.”

The “alternative newsweekly” brought a fresh, no holds barred approach to local journalism and served it up

Today, as we celebrate Folio’s 35th anniversary, we

with a generous side of sarcasm and sass. No subject

pay homage to the visionaries, like Taylor, who made

was off limits, and the staff were eager to explore them

the publication a “must-read” for all residents for three

all, the good, the bad and the WTF.

decades. And we thank everyone who has picked up a copy of Folio 2.0 since. We intend to carry on the

Fast forward to 2020 (speaking of WTF!), and Folio

legacy of those who came before us and continue to

Weekly became its own story. More than 30 years after

bring independent and local storytelling to the people

the paper’s publisher Sam Taylor announced Folio was

of Jacksonville and beyond.

ceasing publication due to economic issues related to the pandemic.

In this issue, we look back on some of Folio’s most significant stories—and the people who made them

But that wasn’t the end of the story.

happen, including you.

In June 2020, attorney and civil rights advocate John

-Folio Staff

Phillips announced the formation of Boldland Press and

F O L I O W E E K LY

BRICKBATS + BOUQUETS BOUQUET to St. Aug Amp

BRICKBAT handsy street fellow

As the concert industry looks to make a strong comeback in 2022, The

Hi, please don't touch random girls and call them "baby". It's unwarranted

St. Augustine Amphitheatre is leading the way according to industry-

and unwanted. Just because someone smiles politely at you when you're

leading publication, Pollstar Magazine. The publication’s 2022 Mid-Year

staring doesn't mean they want to be pulled into an alleyway for god

Ticket Sales Report ranks The St. Augustine Amphitheatre #1 in the United

knows what, ya creep!

States and #2 in the world based on tickets sold from January 1 to June 27, 2022. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre has a history of ranking as a top venue, but this most recent ranking is due to the venue’s record-breaking number of ticketed events and overall sales. In the world, The Amp is only second to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, Australia by 20,384 tickets. In the US, The Amp was seconded by the Famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre selling 49,223 more ticket than they did.

B HER

HOR O

BY KALE

S PE

CANCER

CAPRICORN

Your season is coming to an end, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave

Cap, you may be still riding the boost from the full moon in your sign on

the spotlight. Leo season is up next, meaning we can all make everything

the 13th. It allowed you to pursue some professional growth. After you’ve

about ourselves. In the last couple weeks you should’ve noticed your

confirmed your hard worker status, make sure to relax. Keep it chill and

energy shift from extroversion to your home (and perhaps romantic?) life.

renew your energy toward the end of the month.

Embrace the creative (and kinky).

LEO

AQUARIUS You tend to keep your cards close to your chest. You’ll find it easier to

I would say get ready for your season, but we know you’re always ready

be open this month. Just in time … new romance is on its way. Stay out

to be the center of attention. It’s a good time to vocalize your desires;

of your head, try to be social and enjoy the rest of your summer.

be assertive about your wants. It’ll be easy to manifest them as the New Moon is in Leo on the 28th. Asteroid Ceres enters your sign on the 23rd.

PISCES

It’ll inspire you to further play with fun and experimentation.

Recently, you’ve had a good time as a homebody. Leo season, however, will encourage your extroverted side. Asteroid Juno goes into retrograde

VIRGO

in your sign on the 25th. For the next few months you’ll feel inclined to

This time is all about healing for you. You’ll gain new clarity in reflecting

settle down and make longer term commitments.

on past heartbreaks, not exclusively romantic ones. You’ll also find ease in articulating your thoughts and moods. Focus on vulnerability and

ARIES

remaining centered.

Others might be leaning on you to support them with their stress. Be kind, but your time is better spent working on yourself right now. It’ll

LIBRA

take a while to get your sh*t straight, but you’ll come back better for it.

Get back in touch with your platonic connections. Temptation to attach yourself to one person is strong. However, support is a network. We’re

TAURUS

meant to have communities, so remember to keep your friends close,

You’re set to achieve balance. You’ll be strong willed in your beliefs but

even if you want to keep your new flames closer.

able to stay patient and understanding of your flaws. With this balance in mind, it’s a good time to address any communication problems you want

SCORPIO

fixed. You’ll also feel inspired to reorganize all other areas of your life.

The end of July will have you reevaluating. Chiron’s retrograde encourages you to work through unprocessed trauma. You’ll also

GEMINI

become more aware of how you’ve changed. Feel free to readjust with

Deeper connections will form for you this month. You’ll be feeling a draw

new goals in mind. Just make sure to keep your community in the loop.

toward bonding experiences, so take advantage of it. In reaching new

They’ll help you grow.

conclusions about some dynamic situations, you may want to toss some things to the wayside. Do so carefully as not to cause any drama.

SAGITTARIUS You’ll also benefit from this Leo season, since you’re both fire signs. Sags are known for their desire to travel, and you’ll be able to scratch that itch this month. Just be careful to keep it positive. Don’t run away from any discomfort. Work through it.

F O L I O W E E K LY

Weird, Wild Stuff

Now because it’s California, officials were willing to give this

Words by Shelton Hull

now increased vigilance because, at this point, officials have lost

anonymous goof-trooper the benefit of the doubt, but there is count of the number of times this has happened in recent years.

Summer is here now, but Florida Man has been in mid-season form

We laugh because it’s funny, but also extremely dangerous, not to

since late last year. He is called upon by destiny to defend his crown

mention illegal. So, whoever you are, cut that shit out and just come

as champion lunatic of this somehow still great nation-like thing of

to Jacksonville. We’ve got plenty of open land for you to fly around

ours. He holds firm against stiff competition coming from coast to

in. And if you know how to build a jetpack, I’m sure our publisher

coast, amidst an overall bull market on scams, shake-downs and

would happily buy one from you right now, so holla if ya hear me.

shenanigans of all kinds—and the election hasn’t even started yet. It’s like the old saying, “Never gamble with someone who doesn’t

As mentioned, Florida Man is facing contenders from coast to

know the rules.” I might have just made that up, but I’m pretty sure

coast. But we can take pride that, for now, we retain the crown for

I read it somewhere, long ago.

crazy with the decisive victory claimed by a man from right here in Jacksonville on June 25. Let’s call this man out by name because he

Florida Man is weird enough, but how do you make him weirder?

damn well deserves it: Guido Reichstadter. The father of two, whose

Why, you make him a youth pastor. Consider the 39 year-old man

family I’ve been proud to call dear friends for many years now,

who was arrested at a Kissimmee Starbucks on June 29. What was

literally risked his life in a brazen display of direct action, making

he arrested for, you ask? (Come on, take a stab at it.) If you said

himself instantly famous. It was a Saturday, and the Supreme Court

masturbation, you are correct. Naturally, it was the only kind that ever

had overturned Roe v. Wade the day before. While the rest of us

happens at Starbucks—chronic masturbation. Turns out, the pastor,

were rage-tweeting or sitting in stunned silence or shouting into our

whose name will be withheld because creepers get no clout from

local echo chambers (all of which are perfectly legitimate responses;

me, had been arrested, according to Folio news partner Orlando

we all process trauma differently), Reichstadter was climbing to the

Weekly, for “similar acts at the same location." Sorry, but as the

top of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which spans the

reader, the word “similar” doesn’t cut it. We need details. Or maybe

Anacostia River in Washington, D.C. He was on IG Live the whole

not.

time, speaking truth to power from a perspective that demanded attention.

Meanwhile, California looks at Florida and says, “We’ll see your chronic masturbating youth pastor at Starbucks, and we’ll raise

After scaling one of the bridge’s 70-foot arches, he held police at

you with jetpack-based domestic terrorism.” OK, that may be an

bay for over four hours, until he surrendered peacefully. This was his

exaggeration, but officials at Los Angeles International Airport took

second such protest recently, having chained himself by the neck

no chances following an incident on the afternoon of June 23. A

to the fence in front of the Supreme Court after the draft decision

pilot had to abort his landing after coming way too close to what he

leaked a month earlier. Reichstadter takes the crown because his

first thought was probably a bird but turned out to be a grown-ass

crime was not only spectacular but also 100% justified. At the end of

man flying a jetpack around the tarmac of the fifth busiest airport

the day, no one tells Florida Man what to do, except Florida Woman,

in America.

and her basic human rights are not up for debate. Not now, not ever. We got plenty more Guidos for dat ass, so the thugs and the haters are welcome to f*ck around and find out, losers.

CSI Companies Swoop in for UNF Partnership Words by Clayton Tinkle

In June the University of North Florida announced extensive upgrades for the UNF Arena, including replacement of the original hardwood floor laid in 1993. The $2.1 million partnership with the Jacksonville-based CSI Companies is planned to cover seven years and will happen in conjunction with other athletic facility upgrades expected to break ground this summer. The most noticeable project will be the new UNF Arena floor, which will be known as CSI Companies Court upon completion. The floor will feature the CSI Companies logo and Atlantic Sun Conference logo, as well as new “SWOOP” graphics under each basket. Center court will see an update too with UNF’s banner logo overlaying an outline of the state of Florida. New navy and gray talon graphics will line both sidelines of the court. In addition to the updated arena floor, renovations are set to begin on new office space, a new sound system, a new weight room and new locker rooms. The university also confirmed the agreement includes branding on other athletic venues on campus. Also breaking ground this summer, the Bank of England Hospitality Suite will add a much-needed space to showcase the arena to boosters and potential recruits visiting campus. The total cost of renovations on campus will be $3.4 million, according to UNF’s Director of Athletics Nick Morrow. “The CSI Companies agreement is the largest in UNF Athletics history, and it will help fund facility enhancements and provide professional development opportunities for our student-athletes,” Morrow elaborated. As far as the impact on the men’s basketball program, the ever-animated head coach Matt Driscoll wasn’t shy about how he felt. “I’m a big believer when you’ve got a hammer, when you’ve got a shovel in the ground [is] when you’ve got things moving.” He continued: “When you’re from ’72, you’re still pretty new. So you’ve got to have that ability to say we are moving forward, and I think when you put a shovel in the ground, that’s the greatest thing in the world.” Coach Driscoll thinks UNF’s time is now. “I’ve always said that, and obviously we’ve proven it with three championships. This place has always been a diamond in the rough, but it’s not anymore,” Driscoll exclaimed.

F O L I O W E E K LY

From the CSI Companies’ perspective, the partnership was a no-brainer. CEO Chris Flakus and CFO Josh Bowling graduated from UNF. Bowling also played basketball for the Ospreys from 2000-2004 before the school transitioned to NCAA Division I competition. According to UNF, just under 40 current CSI employees graduated from the school with 16 of them being student-athletes during their academic career. With headquarters on the Southside, CSI Companies provides services to Fortune 500 companies in the fields of technology and talent acquisition. Bowling commented about what the partnership means for his company. “This marks a pivotal point in our company’s history … The magnitude of this agreement alone speaks to our growth and strategic direction. We’ve been in Jacksonville for more than 20 years, and we wanted our first major sponsorship to be unique and most importantly benefit the local community.” Bowling wasn’t alone in his praise. “This partnership enhances our commitment to our community and our local college graduates,” Flakus added. “Both CSI and UNF are growing rapidly, and together we can help facilitate bigger and better things.” The CSI Companies Court is slated to be completed before the upcoming winter sports season.

Skyway Surfers Words & Photos by Janie Day As a kid growing up in Jacksonville, the Skyway always intrigued me. Zooming through the sky, twisting and turning between all the buildings of a city that was so large to a little girl—the ride had me captivated. One of my earliest core memories was my younger sister’s 6-year-old birthday party. The party was at the Treaty Oak Park, but my parents took me, my sister, and all of her friends on a Skyway ride to get there. My sister had wanted to take the Skyway for her birthday because it fascinated her and she wanted to share the experience with her friends. Now that I go to college away from home, I find myself coming back to Jacksonville and noticing and appreciating all that makes this city unique. So, when I came back for the summer, I decided to spend an afternoon with my sister riding the Skyway, taking pictures and talking to the people there. Throughout the two hours I spent going back and forth on the Skyway, hopping in and out at various stations, I saw few people, but the people that were there were diverse and had various reasons for riding. One woman I met had her bike with her and said that she uses the Skyway to go to her doctor’s office in San Marco because of how expensive gas is currently. Another woman says she rides because it’s air-conditioned. A couple was headed home, and a man told me he was going to work. Many people had their earbuds in and were staring down at their phones. Others without a destination were there for the thrill of it, especially kids who pressed their hands against the windows to watch the city roll by. The Skyway proved to be an environment of both friendliness and hostility. When a woman was confused about where we were headed, a friendly man helped her out, telling me that it’s common for people to accidentally go to the wrong stops. However, at another stop, a woman stormed out of the car screaming at someone back inside and then proceeded to yell at me for glancing in her direction. Some cars were fairly clean and comfortable while one had no air conditioning and another had wet, sticky handrails from a leak in the roof. The Skyway has always had somewhat of a laughable reputation. There are only eight stops covering 2.5 miles and in a city as spread out as Jacksonville, it’s not a very practical system. It was built in 1989 with the hope that downtown Jacksonville would soon be booming—unfortunately, that never became the case. The ridership during 2021 was 1,200 people daily and 296,300 for the whole year. Everyone in Jacksonville agrees that the Skyway’s main issue is that it needs to be expanded to stop at more popular destinations. The future of the Skyway is uncertain but the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s current plan—the “Ultimate Urban Circulator” or “U2C” program—is to eventually replace the monorail system with autonomous vehicles that would run above ground and on the streets. The proposal includes expanding the route to include stops in Springfield, Riverside (including Five Points and RAM), the Sports Complex, and more in San Marco.

10 F O L I O W E E K L Y

Professor Keith Ashley surveying the dig site

“I feel a connection to indigenous history, more so than I do Ireland or Scotland, or wherever my ancestors are from because it's like we're sharing the same kind of space and place.” - Keith Ashley

12 F O L I O W E E K L Y

The Timucua aren’t extinct Words & Photos by Vincent Dalessio

Shell rock crushed underfoot as we stepped out of my car into the Big Talbot jungle. The backroad we just followed for miles ended in seemingly nowhere with the thicket too dense to even see a few feet off the road. The sun was at its peak yet was barely peeking through the canopy above us, no-see-ums buzzed at our faces, and sweat was already running down my neck. A wiry middle-aged man appeared in a narrow clearing and motioned for us to follow him. The man in question was Keith Ashley, professor of archaeology at the University of North Florida, who was taking us to see the progress he and his students have made on one of the most unique archaelogical discoveries in North Florida: the long forgotten Indigneous community center of Sarabay from the late 1500s. Ashley first started work in the area back in 1998. Sampling through small shovel excavations, usually only a few feet wide and a few feet deep, Doctor Ashley and colleagues discovered countless Indigenous artifacts, like bits of pottery, remnants of animal bones from meals and shell made arrowheads, and what they thought to be a large Indigenous structure belonging to the Mocama. This distinct group within the Timucuas, North Florida's most prominent Indigenous group, spoke with a Mocama dialect. Mocama roughly translates to “of the sea,” due to their living proximity and dependence on North Florida's salt marshes, although no one knows how these Indigenous groups referred to themselves given they didn’t have a written form of communication. Without a written language system, there is no written documentation from the perspective of these Indigenous groups. Everything we know is from the perspective of colonizers. Ashley is looking to change this by deepening understanding of what life was like for Indigenous Peoples. “One of the biggest things I have a problem with is we have this Indigenous history and these Indigenous people are in the forefront. As soon as Europeans arrive, all of a sudden, the Indigenous get pushed to the background, it's all about the French, it's all about the Spanish. And [Indigenous People] became little bit players of no significance. So, we're trying to keep them front and center from the beginning of time and when the Europeans arrived, they're still front and center. That’s what this is really about. What is it really like to be Indigenous in the 1500 and 1600s,” explained Ashley.

After that initial year-long survey on Big Talbot, Ashley decided to return to the area in 2020 to build upon what they found and pursue a deeper understanding of what village life was like for the Mocama. The University of North Florida and local state officials agreed to open the area for a four-year research period. Ashley has been working with UNF archaeology students to not only deepen understanding of Indigenous life but to also foster the next generations of archaeologists and anthropologists. Since their return to the area, the increased manpower on site has allowed them to open up incredibly large areas; since 2020, they’ve dug and excavated the equivalent of a 6-foot-deep trench longer than the length of a football field. The scale of this dig is incredibly impressive given their process for excavation; shoveling and scraping mere inches at a time as to not harm anything buried beneath. Their most important find is one they’re continually excavating. Wiith every shovel full comes more confidence in the fact that the large structure they found in the late '90s is indeed a council house, although further excavation is still required to solidify the hypothesis. A council house is one of the most significant features in an Indigenous village and was the location for political and intertribal conversations and possibly religious ceremonies. When you hear of archaeologists excavating a large structure, it's easy to assume they’re pulling large foundations from the ground, but in reality that’s not the case. The Mocamas did not have access to stone and masonry for construction given the landscape, so they used organic materials like woody trees and cross hatched palm fronds to build their structures. Over time, these organic materials decay, especially in the hot and humid climate found on North Florida barrier islands, so excavators are looking for nothing more than changes in soil color and density. Students and excavators dig in the dirt wearing only socks so as to not impact the soil samples they're walking on. The excavation takes place at a soil depth untouched by man since the days when the Mocama walked were here, and well below the sediment layer from when this area was used for farming which they call “the plow zone.” “To us, finding structures has always been the most elusive. It's not masonry ruins. This is not tabular stone that they're building up. We don't have what they have in the Southwest, or in California, where you can actually see the ruins of where these things were. This is all wood and thatch that decomposed for a long time. So I think it really surprises people that the organics from those posts will still stay in the soil, even though the posts themselves have decomposed. And then we can look for these stains to form these various alignments,” he explained.

Ashley, alongside the UNF humanities and history departments, is

other groups like that. To me, I want to make this connection between

working to bring his understanding of Indigenous history from the area to

the past and our history here.”

the general public in a way that's easily accesible. About four years ago, they opened a permanent exhibit at the Beaches Museum, the product of a class he joint-taught with history professor Denise Bossy. He believes it to be the most accurate representation of these Indigenous groups, featuring a place where you can hear Timucuan spoken for the first time in 500 years. They are looking to expand upon this through a digital humanities project; a website outlining the narratives and livelihoods of local Indigenous groups. He hopes for it to be ready for the public by the end of this year. When I asked Ashley about common misconceptions on Indigenous life,

Students of UNF archaeology dept. on the dig site

he left me with this. “I think one big thing is that some people think Indigenous people aren’t still here today, they are here. And sometimes we just want to think about them as in the past, but I think it's really important to try to connect the history of the past with Indigenous people who are living here today. And one of the things I've really moved away from, that I don't like at all, are these terminal narratives of extinction. The Timucua aren’t extinct. Maybe as a coherent group they are, but I think people with Timucua heritage are still alive today, among the Seminoles and the Miccosukee. One thing we read about in documents from the 1600s is the Spanish constantly writing about Indigenous people who are running to the woods. They're in these backwater areas where they try to survive, and eventually, they're probably going to become part of the Seminoles and

Socks are worn while digging to prevent any imprints from shoe soles

14 F O L I O W E E K L Y

PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITIES

TOGETHER REPORT HATE CRIMES 1-800-CALL-FBI tips.fbi.gov 15

Stopped at the Bridge of Lions, Coker stepped out of the car to tell us this is why people want to replace the bridge with a highway

Behind the Lens Looking back on the golden era of

Folio with longtime photojournalist Walter Coker Interview & Photos by Vincent Dalessio 16 F O L I O W E E K L Y

“This isn’t any of my best or favorite work,” Walter Coker joked as

Your Folio career coincided with perhaps the fastest advancement

he pulled a quite impressive stack of Folio Weekly issues out from

of technology in human history. How did you see your work

under the bottom shelf of his bookshelf. The other shelves, lined

progress alongside it?

with photography books authored by some of the most impressive photographers of all time, photojournalism textbooks, stories by

Well, it was interesting to live through the transition for sure. What

local novelists and a beachcombing collection, stood as a sort of

I recall the most is obviously going from film to digital. I love the

ingredient list for what Coker created within the pages of those

darkroom, but I didn't love the darkroom when I was printing or

copies of Folio humbly stashed on the bottom rack.

developing a bunch of film for issues where the photos were not really meaningful to me. Our darkroom didn't have good ventilation,

Coker’s 21 years with Folio is one of the only reasons we still have a

and I spent a lot of time in there with chemicals. When we started

publication today; his photos stand as one of the greatest historical

going digital, I was pretty happy about it because I could shoot a

records for this area and still inspire journalists longing for a time

restaurant issue and just bang it out. I still remember going to this

when newsrooms were filled with talent and drive. He’s most known

place called Digital Dark Room in the late ’90s. Kodak was making

for his work on his photo column, “Through the Lens,” where he

the first big digital cameras that were high resolution. Charles Bäck,

published outtakes from stories and images from walking around

the art director, and I went and demoed one and it was jaw dropping.

the city.

They had a studio lighting setup in there, so we shot a photo of each other. They printed it out on 11 by 14 [in] like a minute or two, and we

Flipping through the pages, the unpresuming stack revealed an

we're just like “holy shit, is this really happening?”

Association of Alternative News first place cover, interviews with the area’s top environmental activists, sources who became best

What was the photo process like during that cusp of innovation?

friends and a whole swath of emotions, stories and memories. When our art department got the ability to use Macs and do For me, much of Coker’s work is familiar, mostly due to the time I've

composites, they went a little overboard. I could send them a

spent digging through the archive room here at Folio HQ. When we

perfectly good photo, and they'd have to change it somehow. I would

reached out about doing a retrospective interview, he invited us into

be like, "just leave it alone. It's a good photo, it's photojournalism."

his home to have a chat about his time spent behind the lens for

They got to a point where it became "let's just jazz this thing up

Folio. To no surprise, though, sitting with him in his living room, he

somehow because we can." It was a tool that we had at our disposal

told us stories never heard or told before. Buckle up.

all of a sudden that nobody ever had before. We went through a lot of battles about stuff like that. I was kind of a purist and had a certain sensibility as a trained photojournalist. I learned a photo should be a photo; it should be unaltered. Your guidelines should be what you could do in a wet darkroom, which was contrast control,

So, just to get started, for those that don’t know, can you give us

cropping, etc. You can't take a branch out of the picture, a bird out,

a rundown of how you got started at Folio?

I mean, that's an age-old argument. National Geographic did it in a famous case. It's like they couldn't help themselves either, except

I moved to St. Augustine in ’90. I used to work at the University

they moved the pyramids in Egypt in one photo.

of Florida as a staff photographer and moved to start a freelance business. Back in those days it was a pretty closed town and getting

Your stack of Folios seems pretty slim for how much work you put

photo business was pretty hard. After a couple of years, I realized

into the publication, what’s that about?

it wasn’t working out so well. I ran into a photographer friend of mine at the post office who tipped me off to Folio looking for a

Let me tell you a story. In the film days in my darkroom, which was

photographer. I applied and got an interview with Sam [Taylor, former

always locked, I kept a file box of every issue. I would put all the

publisher]. I worked on a trial shoot for them and got hired in April

negatives I shot for that issue and a copy of the issue in a folder that

of 1992.

says, you know, January 5 or whatever the date was. I had one for every week, and I kept all those because nobody else prioritized

Do you remember what that shoot was like? What was the subject?

archiving. I could just see that what we were doing was history, that it needed to be preserved. The staff kept issues in the warehouse in

It was with the owners of the Raintree Restaurant up there in St.

stacks, but the ad team would raid them for ad leads, and they just

Augustine near my shop. They were this British couple that were

slowly disappeared. Nobody kept track of them. So I kept a copy of

sailing around the world in the ’80s and stopped in St. Augustine

every one in a very orderly file, nine or 10 boxes.

and fell in love with the area. I guess they were in the restaurant business back in England and decided to convert an old house into

I had a planned vacation, and we were actually renovating the

a restaurant. And we were doing a profile cover story about their

darkroom and turning it into an office because we were going from

journey and restaurant. I shot an environmental portrait of the couple

a wet darkroom to digital. So I took all my boxes out of there and

in the restaurant garden on my Hasselblad.

put them out in my studio, which was also the warehouse. It was like 17

18 F O L I O W E E K L Y

a bunch of random storage and stuff, but on the one end is where

did that kind of cover with something unappetizing, the pickup rate

I did my studio work, seamless backdrops, lighting and equipment

would be too low. I understand back in those days, advertisers were

like that. So I put all my archived boxes far against the wall and away

our bread and butter. I mean, our salaries were paid by advertisers.

from everything else. I thought, “everything is totally safe here.”

It was obviously the business model. It was a legit concern, but you also have to balance it with doing real journalism, real stories that

Well, I was gone for a week and didn't notice anything right away

people needed to read.

when I came back. I started looking around, and I couldn’t find my boxes anywhere and started freaking out a little bit. It's about 10

What are some things during that time you felt that the publication

years worth of work, which is 51 issues a year. I started looking

was doing well?

around and they're all gone. I can't find them anywhere. I'm asking everybody what's going on? Where were the boxes that were in my

When Bob Snell came on as editor in 1995, he assembled a strong

studio? They're clearly labeled with my handwriting.

team. He hired the all-star team of reporters including Anne Schindler, Tricia Booker and John Citrone a little later that year. I worked with

It turns out that every so often, they would bring a mobile shredder

all of them on some real, serious and memorable stories. We started

to get rid of the old bookkeeping. And they shredded all that while I

doing stuff that was pretty much unheard of around here. We got

was gone, along with my archive of my first 10 years worth of work.

to the point where we could do more cutting edge stuff because

There was no excuse for it, I mean, physically, they were like 30 feet

people were picking us up and wanting to read us. There was a

from the bookkeeping. I don't see why it would be on purpose, but

buzz on the street every week when we put out an issue. There's

I also can’t see how it could have been accidental. So to this day, I'll

an old adage in alternative weekly circles that a paper has come of

never know what actually happened.

age when you can afford to piss off your advertisers. And we started pissing off our advertisers. That was when we turned the corner

It was gut wrenching. It was like a part of me was gone, a part of

and started doing stories like the migrant workers and stories that

Northeast Florida history gone forever. People even wrote me letters

other people weren’t writing, stories that made a difference. That

like I’d lost a loved one.

era lasted for a pretty long time.

Why do you think you had such a strong writer and story pool to

We covered a lot of stuff like the Fleeman Tract, a pristine piece

pull from when you were working here?

of land up here that got mowed down, and a lot of environmental issues that I was really deeply involved with and emotional about.

For one thing, there was no Internet, so print journalism was

That was one of the coolest things I remember. We did journalism

where you got your information. So I mean, the Internet has been

with a point of view, and it wasn't trying to be fair and balanced.

responsible for the bombardment of information now. We had great

We were very left, I mean, for Northeast Florida, for the Bible Belt,

journalists because they loved what we're doing and wanted to write

but we had the platform to advocate for issues. Being a voice for

for us. They wanted to work at Folio. I mean, I had students always

the voiceless, whether it be a piece of land or an individual from

calling me to see if they could be interns because they wanted to

a marginalized group. And that was super important to our staff,

get involved.

that's what alternative weeklies were for, advocating. It was really rewarding.

How did y’all decide covers and feature stories at the time? We had a great team of journalists that were tapped into the area and a great rapport with readers, who would often tip us off to stories. Other times, we would discover other stories while working on current stories. But the cover was everything to the publishers. They had “the sixfoot-test,” which was if you're standing somewhere six feet away, and you look, you have to know what's going on and want to pick it up. They just beat us over the head with it all the time, like “does that stand up to the six-foot-test?” When we started doing more hardhitting stories about minority issues or people living in impoverished areas like LaVilla, they didn't want to see that on the cover. I was like, f*ck you. This is journalism, man. And you want to put this fluffy restaurant shit on the cover. It was an ongoing war between editorial and advertising. And the advertisers, you know, they would say if you 19

Crist Crossed

Nikki Fried versus the Democratic Party Words by Shelton Hull By the time you’re reading this column (and how long it takes you to read it), we will be just over a month away from this year’s statewide primaries in which our two main political parties (Democrats and Republicans, for the uninitiated) will select their nominees for a variety of positions on the local, state and national level. Depending on what county and neighborhood you live in, you can expect to see everything from your local school board to the U.S. Senate (which is apparently still a thing) on the ballot Aug. 23. Our main event pits Nikki Fried against Charlie Crist for the Democratic nomination for governor, which carries with it the honor of getting housed by Ron DeSantis in the general election on Nov. 8. Of course, it’s way early to declare a victor, but that hasn’t stopped political writers up and down the state from repeating the same tired cliches about the incumbent’s inevitability. Let’s face it, statewide media has been baby-soft on the guy, offering minimal pushback to his record of hate-speech and his frequent abuse of power. These folks could make you believe the Jaguars were absolutely winning the next Super Bowl, such is the power of circular thinking. It’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy, as all prophecies tend to be. As agriculture commissioner, Fried is directly responsible for the successful creation of Florida’s medical marijuana program. She built this system basically from scratch with minimal oversight by a governor who, surprisingly, actually respected the voters’ wishes on the matter. Fried is leaving that office in order to run for governor, which is a huge risk. Ryan Morales is my favorite among her potential successors, but the seat is probably destined to fall back into GOP hands. If Fried wins, she will probably find some way to allow for expanded recreational use, by way of bypassing the legislature. (Pro tip: Always bypass the legislature. They suck.) Assuming a Republican sweep, however, there’s no telling what they will do. 20 F O L I O W E E K L Y

The capitalist argument is to keep doing exactly what they have been doing, but it will be hard for the famously petty DeSantis, having crushed all opposition, to punish his enemies by gutting the Office Of Medical Marijuana Use, raising license fees to punitive levels or simply refusing to permit any new investment in the industry. After all, the new scuttlebutt is that DeSantis is feeling himself so much now (having seen that Dems are stifling Fried, who is the only one with any chance of beating him) that he’s maybe looking to untether himself from Trump’s coattails, assume full control of the MAGA gimmick and parlay that into a 2024 run against Joe Biden, who is, by any objective standard the weakest Democratic president in living memory. Even at his lowest point, Harry Truman didn’t give off such strong “doormat” vibes. Is Fried underfunded? No: her party is withholding funds, giving her little logistical support. Gossip and rumors follow her everywhere, while many rank-and-file Dems have expressed fear of working for her, lest they face retaliation from other party leaders. The fix is in, and they’re fixing to tank this election. Washington, meanwhile, appears to have no enthusiasm whatsoever in regard to the historic opportunities being presented in Florida, Georgia and Texas, three battleground states, redder than a baboon’s booty, all with weak, vulnerable governors and visionary new Democratic challengers, two of whom (Fried and Stacey Abrams) are women. Charlie Crist can’t give you a good reason why he’s running, and no one really cares to ask him. Behind the scenes, political reporters across the state are saying the same thing: Democrats would rather see Ron DeSantis on Pennsylvania Avenue than see Nikki Fried on North Adams Street in Tallahassee. Like, these are exactly the stakes; everyone knows it, but the only one with any real sense of urgency is Fried. It’s like she sees the next five years so clearly that she’s willing to risk ruining her very promising political career (if not literally her life, as well) in order to stop him. And if she leaves her fate in the hands of the same people who lost the last six consecutive governor’s races, well, that’s exactly what might happen.

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22 F O L I O W E E K L Y

It’s My Body and I’ll Do What I Want To Words by Kale Boucher & Imagery from A Woman's Book of Choices by Rebecca Chalker and Carol Downer Content warning: This is a story about abortion. It includes descriptions of medical procedures. *I am in no way encouraging the procedures described in this piece, nor am I condoning self-administered medical care in general.*

Let’s take a step back to the 1960s, a pre-Roe v. Wade era. Abortion is illegal in 30 states, legal only under specific circumstances in the 20 others. Difficult to imagine a time like that, huh? Carol Downer, mother of six and Los Angeles resident, starts hearing of protests. This is the second-wave feminist movement, focused heavily on reproductive rights. She learns of the pushback against back alley abortions, the fight for abortion to be legalized. A reminder, it wasn’t until 1972 that the contraceptive pill was legally available to everyone. With little access to contraception, obviously rates of unwanted pregnancies—and thus, abortions—were higher. Downer herself had an illegal abortion in 1963. She got a phone number from a friend, went to an “office” to meet a man who she assumed was a doctor and endured a painful procedure without anesthesia. The man didn’t explain what he was doing, so she can’t say definitively what method he used. He just told her to call back in a week. When she did, he informed her he had left gauze in her vagina and now she had to remove it. She found the

a vagina or cervix or understood where any of her own basic sexual organs were located. She describes these parts of the body as only accessible to “doctors and boyfriends or husbands” at the time. In this clinic, however, the mystery of uterine anatomy is revealed to her. Downer realizes, it’s actually pretty simple. She watches many procedures, IUD insertions and early-term abortions. Downer practices performing abortions herself and begins recruiting others to learn the procedure. While the notion of those outside the medical community performing abortions may seem outlandish, it’s important to note the long history of midwives who oversaw gynecological care. It wasn’t until the mid-1800s, that the male-dominated medical establishment claimed such responsibilities. Once they did, the information became more inaccessible to patients. Gynecologists, 93% of whom were men in 1970, often wouldn’t answer patients' questions. They took an “I know all, just trust me” approach. Learning about this anatomy was radical in and of itself. Downer starts traveling with a group calling themselves “the self-helpers.” They hold gatherings where they pass out speculums (a medical device that allows a better view of the cervix and vagina). Attendees are curious about their own bodies and excited to have this information made accessible. A CDC physician taught them how to do pap smears more effectively than most gynecologists at the time. They learned how to do pelvic exams. As more and more of the self-helpers learn these techniques, underground clinics pop up. They encourage curiosity, make sure patients are well informed and perform early abortions.

gauze had hardened. It was a long and gruesome time spent, pulling the now sharp and inflexible material out little by little. (I couldn’t find any evidence that leaving gauze in the vagina is common practice or safe. Instead, I learned gauze should not be left in wounds for more than two days due to risk of infection.) With her experience and all the other stories of illegal abortions she’d heard in mind, Downer attends a meeting held by a national feminist group. The meeting inspires her to brainstorm: What can she do to help the fight? Downer lands on a controversial idea. Instead of waiting on legislators, pro-choice activists could take matters into their own hands and learn how to do abortions themselves. You see, if you’re wealthy, you can find a doctor to perform an illegal abortion. However, those without substantial funds are forced to resort to riskier alternatives. During the ’60s, abortions were often performed by people with little to no medical training. Seeing as other laypeople could do it, Downer believed it was well within the realm of possibilities that she and others could learn the skill as well. She begins shadowing at an illegal clinic. Never before had she seen

Lorraine Rothman, another self-helper, takes the suction device they learned to use when shadowing at the clinic and improves upon it. She names the new device the “Del-Em.” At the time, abortions were popularly done by dilation and curettage (D&C). This technique 23

requires a significant dilation of the cervix, then the contents of the

While their medical methods may be irrelevant today (again, not

uterus are painfully scraped out. With the Del-Em, a small flexible

recommending laypeople attempt any medical procedures), the

tube called a cannula is inserted into the cervix. A syringe creates

self-helpers’ determination to pursue bodily autonomy and desire

a vacuum which suctions out the contents of the uterus through

to educate are aspirational. They claimed their own agency and

the cannula. This technique only works in the first few weeks of

brought about a wave of self-determination. In treating each other

pregnancy.

with respect and encouraging an open dialogue, basic health information was made more accessible.

They refer to this method as Menstrual Extraction (ME). Because ME is performed during or shortly after a period, often with no pregnancy

Reproductive rights are intrinsically linked to other, basic human

test, it may exist within a legal gray area. ME has other uses aside

rights. In realizing women and trans people are not explicitly

from abortion; it’s been used to shorten periods and for fertility

guaranteed bodily autonomy in the United States, we understand

awareness. With tweaks, they used the method to fertilize a patient

how much power the Supreme Court holds. We are one of the only

who wanted a child, with donor sperm, resulting in a pregnancy.

“developed” countries that does not assert gender equality in our

There’s even a story in Downer’s book A Woman’s Book of Choices

constitution. Instead, many of our rights hinge on the right to privacy

that explains how one self-helper utilized ME to curtail a patient’s

and the court’s interpretation of what that means. At any time, the

post-miscarriage bleeding in a blizzard. While there’s no concrete

Supreme Court can roll back decisions that make contraceptives

data, there’s also no evidence of major complications as a result

accessible, allow women to have credit in their own names and

of abortions performed by the self-helpers. Similar processes are

more. It feels like we’ll be trapped in the same battles—for agency,

utilized in other countries to circumvent abortion laws.

autonomy and access to healthcare—until these rights are explicitly codified.

In 1972, the police were aware of the self-helpers. They eventually raided the clinic and Downer was charged with practicing medicine

It looks like the fight for equality and self-determination continues…

without a license. After an especially publicized case, the prosecutors couldn’t prove Downer had actually performed any abortions or practiced medicine. She was found not guilty. Shortly after, Roe v. Wade was decided. Many of the underground clinics found doctors and became legal abortion sites. Downer went on to manage legal clinics.

Read Claire GoForth's 2015 piece on reproductive rights

24 F O L I O W E E K L Y

FAC T S O N A B O R T I O N IN 2020, THE UNITED STATES RECORDED 930,160 ABORTIONS PERFORMED

6 OUT OF 10 UNINTENDED PREGNANICES END IN INDUCED ABORTION, OF THAT 45% ARE DEEMED UNSAFE

OF THAT 45% OF UNSAFE ABORTIONS, 97% ARE PERFORMED IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

ESTIMATED IN 2006, COMPLICATIONS OF UNSAFE ABORTIONS COST HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES $533 MILLION PER YEAR IN POST-TREATMENTS

ESTIMATED IN 2006, HOUSEHOLDS EXPERIENCED $922 MILLION IN LOSS OF INCOME DUE TO LONGTERM DISABILITY RELATED TO UNSAFE ABORTIONS

APPROXIMATELY 700 WOMAN DIE FROM PREGNANCY-RELATED COMPLICATIONS EACH YEAR. AS OF 2022 (MOST RECENT CDC DATA), THE DEATH RATE OF LEGAL AND SAFE ABORTIONS WAS 0.7 PER 100,000. IT'S ESTIMATED THE NUMBER HAS DECREASED SINCE 25

Barely walkable marsh mud in The Small Islands

Joseph Guiffre kayaking through The Small Islands F O L I O W E E K LY

North Florida Land Trust

Small Islands, Big Fight Words by Joseph Guiffre & Photos by Rain Henderson The beginning of the quarantine back in 2020 was a perfect storm

Some protesters took it so far to publicly disclose the names and

for people starting to pay attention to the things, big and small,

contact information of the individuals involved. Mostly the discourse

that they found to be important: from how to grow corn properly to

remained civil and centered on the unique nature of the islands

protest movements across the nation. On a local level that storm

and the breakneck pace of development in the area. The activists’

threw down a lightning bolt right in the heart of Jacksonville Beach.

campaign worked and organizations with the power to stop the situation took notice.

During our collective containment inside of our homes, a big fight began about a few small islands that any Jacksonville resident has

As quickly as they could, our local defenders of nature stepped up in

probably passed dozens of times. Blink at the right moment and you

a big way. The North Florida Land Trust announced they would seek

could easily miss these tiny islands just north of the Arthur N. Sollee

the funds needed to purchase the Small Islands and protect them

Bridge where J. Turner Butler Boulevard crosses the Intracoastal

from development forever. The NFLT struck a deal with the property

Waterway, The Small Islands, as they came to be known, would end

owners that if they could come up with the money within a year, the

up at the center of a big fight.

developers would sell the land to the Trust at a discounted price. In July of 2022, NFLT closed on the first phase of the purchase, saving

A sign appeared one day, as if it were a perfectly placed omen for

28 acres of land. In December, NFLT acquired an additional 252

the outrage that was to come. It was a “for sale” sign, complete with

acres and announced that the chain of islands and the surrounding

proposed development plans. The company behind the sale was

marsh would become River Branch Islands Preserve. The money to

offering the islands to be divided into lots and have single family

complete the mission was provided by local donors and with the

homes built on them. These weren’t just any houses you would

help of the newly formed River Branch Islands Preserve Foundation.

see in the countless developments across North Florida. The plans

Unfortunately, two acres within the area were sold by the developers

called for extravagant McMansions with private helipads, for, y’know,

before the one-year deadline had expired.

parking your helicopter because if you're going to buy an island, you might as well have a helicopter.

Too often fights like this end up with the underdogs fighting for the environment losing and the big guys on the side of development

At a time when most people were focusing on staying healthy and

winning. But not this time. What residents and NFLT have

keeping food on the table, this proposal struck a nerve, especially

accomplished is astounding: 280 acres of marshlands and several

with the locals. A large social media movement began protesting

forested islands are safe from bulldozers and helicopters. And the

the development of the islands that rise gently above the salt

people of Jacksonville Beach feel safer knowing the protected

water marshes of the Intracoastal. Residents of the Beaches and

marshlands will continue to buffer storm surges without fear of

environmental activists alike were furious with the developers.

pieces of McMansions flying through the air.

LIVING A LIFE OF SERVICE TO HIS COMMUNITY AND HIS COUNTRY

Erik Colquitt, of Snyder AC, reflects on his 20-year career of service in the HVAC industry following his time as an Infantrymen in the US Army.

We sat down with Erik to learn more. How do you think about service as it relates to your role as a Comfort Advisor? I love my job. Every day I get to help people, there’s nothing better. Serving customers in this industry really boils down to education- educating customers on the best decision for them. First it’s about listening to the client’s needs, then it becomes about coaching and teaching customers so that they can make the right decision for their needs and priorities.

How has your time in the Army helped you in your residential HVAC career? Well, I think it’s helped me in numerous ways. Firstly, would have to be the

importance of being a technical expert in what you do. If you can’t maintain and

manipulate your rifle and your equipment to the highest proficiency, you are failing. The same thing in the HVAC industry- you must be the best with your

tools and equipment or you’re doing the customer a disservice. Secondly, being part of team. Every company is a team. Poor communication or poor teamwork will end up in problems for the most important people, our customers. And lastly,

understanding the importance of serving others. In the HVAC world your job is

to serve the customer and listen to their needs. A lot of comfort advisors try to over-sell or not really address customers need- that’s bad service and a recipe for failure.

What has helped you have such success in the industry? During my time in this industry, I have learned that patience is a true virtue. One must take the time to find the root of the problem and find the solution. It’s important to slow down when diagnosing a problem or recommending a solution. Erik Colquitt always knew he wanted to live a life of service. Erik’s father,

Just because you’ve seen something one way in the past does not mean that

Welsey Colquitt, served as a combat engineer during the Vietnam War and both

solution will always work.

D-Day invasion in Normandy. Following in their footsteps, he immediately joined

What advice would you give to the next generation of HVAC

excelled as a member of the elite 101st Airborne Division and completed some

Teaching has always been a passion of mine. New technicians need to know

and Ranger School.

having a conversation. You can’t truly serve a customer without getting to know

Upon completion of his time in uniform, he wanted to find a career path where

customer to make a recommendation. They need to be able to clearly explain

that path of service in residential air conditioning service and repair. Erik quickly

decision and the installation process.

and eventually into his current position as Senior Comfort Advisor and Sales

Lastly- have fun! In this job you get to meet awesome people, work with your

his grandfather’s fought in World War Two, with one having been part of the

the United States Army when he turned 18. During his time in uniform Erik

technicians?

of the Army’s most challenging leadership courses including Airborne School

that effectively helping is all about building a relationship and that starts with

he could continue to serve others and play a role in his community. He found progressed up the ranks from helper to installation technician, service technician, Trainer as Snyder Air Conditioning.

During this lengthy career he has received numerous accolades and awards

including the AHS Crown Champion Award, given to the highest performing comfort advisors in the industry.

Erik credits his success to three things: 1. Work ethic and pride in what he does 2. Always striving to learn and be an expert in the ever-changing HVAC field,

and 3. Seeking to lead a life of service, whether to provide the best care for his customers or to serve his company and co-workers.

28 F O L I O W E E K L Y

them. From there, HVAC technicians need to understand what’s important to the the company’s guarantees, so that customers have total peace of mind in their

hands, and provide a valuable service to your community, there’s nothing better!

Archive Follow-Up

Words by Rain Henderson & Kerry Speckman

Words by Vincent Dalessio

In 1995, Folio spoke with Cindy Mosling, co-founder of B.E.A.K.S. (Bird

Back in 2003, Holly Bass wrote about a turning point in the trajectory of

Emergency Aid and Kare Sanctuary) on Big Talbot Island, about pelicans.

the Cummer Museum, speaking with then-museum director Maarten van de Guchte about an exhibit looking to extend an olive branch to the Black

“Here we go again,” Mosling said about reports from concerned local

communities of Jacksonville: “African American Masters.”

workers in Mayport regarding pelicans dying in the St. Johns River. But something was different this time. Instead of being caused by an oil spill,

Prior to this exhibit, the Cummer was synonymous with fine art tailored

Mosling insisted, a massive petroleum fire occurring two years prior was

mostly toward the financial elite. A majority of work on view came from

the culprit. After she learned 600,000 gallons of fire retardant, known

the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, produced by privileged bloodlines.

as Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), were dumped in the St. Johns River, she started asking questions of the state officials, who, in turn, cut

This exhibit marked the time when van de Guchte and his team made

funding to B.E.A.K.S. leaving Mosling and volunteers struggling to care

a conscious effort to make the museum more inclusive. He was even

for the dying birds. She filed a lawsuit and optimistically awaited answers.

quoted as saying, “When the show closes, if there are people in Black communities who have not heard of this exhibit, then we would have

Earlier this year, B.E.A.K.S. closed after 40 years. That’s the bad news.

failed to achieve our outreach goals.”

The good news is the military announced plans to phase out the use of PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances), like those found in AFFF, by 2024. A

Since then, the museum has made great strides toward inclusivity with

little birdie also told us the organization’s phone number is still in service

the main indicator being Andrea Barnwell Brownlee, taking the helm as

and Mosley continues to assist with injured birds and baby birds.

museum director, the first Black woman to hold the position. The Cummer has since hosted a multitude of Black History Month and LGBTQ+ events,

While the EPA knows the chemicals cause harm to living things, they

a plethora of Black artists and integrated days where admission is free

don’t understand how much, how to manage or dispose of the chemicals,

to further expand upon accessibility to the museum.

which do not naturally degrade, or how to detect them in our environment. According to the most recent State of the River Report for the Lower St.

One quote from this story that really stood out to me was by van de

Johns River Basin, it is “highly likely” these chemicals are still present in

Guchte: “Visiting the museum should be as normal as visiting a park or

our river. The way the chemicals are bonded also enables them to pass

going to the grocery store.” I believe this has come to fruition, as The

through water filtration systems.

Cummer is not only one of the most visited art museums in the city but one of its most visited attractions.

Though you cannot avoid drinking water, you can stay away from certain products that contain PFAS such as: • paper packaging, like microwave popcorn bags and takeout packaging • stain-resistant carpets, rugs, and furniture • sprayable stain protectors • non-stick cookware • outdoor gear with a “durable water repellent” coating 29

Is 2022 Anti-LGBTQ?

states have enacted sports acts, requiring team players to participate

Words by Molly Britt & Illustration by Drew Arnett

identification. Others have enacted bills allowing doctors to deny

on the teams of their biological gender, no matter their gender medical practices that disregard their own beliefs.

According to data compiled by the Human Rights Campaign, over 650 pieces of “potentially LGBTQ-related legislation” have been

However, many allies around the country are taking their efforts to

introduced or are pending in 2022 with nearly 340 “anti-LGBTQ”

courts as a way to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s

pieces of legislation introduced this year, with more thought to come.

handling of such social issues. The Human Rights Campaign is

2022 has been in a constant state of panic. The ever-changing

suing multiple states, including Florida, Arkansas, Mississippi, and

status on government decisions and consistent questioning of

Tennessee. In 2020 the HRC decided to collaborate on a pro bono

morals and ethics have not treated us kindly, especially women’s

program with the goal to switch courts’ perspectives on LGBTQ

rights and LGBTQ rights. Florida, unfortunately for the large LGBTQ

experiences across the country. They began their move against

community here, has made some things difficult when navigating a

Florida in 2021, following the passing of Florida’s law restricting

life that our government is biased against.

transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports. The challenge represented a 13-year-old transgender girl who would

Of all 50 states in the United Sates, Florida is one of only eight that

have to either play on a boys’ team, despite her identity, or quit

have taken to sign “anti-LGBTQ bills” into law. Some of the bills

sports completely. According to the HRC, this “would be detrimental

include the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and FL H0007, which discourages

to her academic and social development, while also potentially

teachers and businesses from discussing “hard topics” such as

risking her personal privacy and safety.”

race, gender identity and privilege. Essentially, this bill allows consequence on “uncomfortable topics.”

Now that the line between church and state has been challenged, many worry gay rights and free speech will be targeted next term

Florida is not the only state to enact such threatening legislature.

following a Colorado woman’s challenge of the state law prohibiting

Nationwide, of the 337 opposing pieces of legislature, over 143 are

businesses from discrimination based on multiple factors, including

deemed “anti-trans.” Over 75 bills are discriminatory education bills

sexual orientation. In total, these 337 pieces of legislation considered

and another 34 are discrimination in the form of religious refusal

to be anti-LGBTQ, are a direct target against those who simply feel

bills.

the need to express themselves in a country intent on controlling such things.

In Ohio, HB454 was introduced to combat “child experimentation,” or as we call it, gender reassignment surgery on minors. Multiple F O L I O W E E K LY

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WE THE KINGDOM PONTE VEDRA CONCERT HALL BENISE - SPANISH 21 NUTCRACKER! NIGHTS MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS HOTEL CALIFORNIA BALLET -A SALUTE TO THE EAGLES

floridatheatre.com 904-355-2787

7/11/22 8:23 AM

A SWIG OF SOMETHING SACCHARINE Words & Photo by Rain Henderson Though Shirley Temple denied having anything to do with kid-friendly drink bearing her name (she actually hated the “saccharine sweet, icky drink”), the sparkling, red mocktail has been delighting little ones since the 1930s. Since then, the childhood favorite has been tainted with a helping of vodka and dubbed the Dirty Shirley. A recent New York Times piece dubbed the Dirty Shirley “the drink of the summer,” only for The New Yorker to bash it in their 100 tips for restaurants stating “no one over the age of 22 should be ordering one.” Shame on them! The drink has an ironic air to it and has become part of a recent pull to all things nostalgic. People are using film again, buying vinyl, reading books, so shit, why not drink a Dirty Shirls?! Plus, the easily-created, exquisitely-colored drink makes for a good Instagram photo, and that’s enough for anyone to do anything! I personally love maraschino cherries and will do anything to get one. If that means ordering the same drink I ordered at TGI Fridays for my eighth birthday, so be it. At least, I can get drunk off it now. Using Folio as a guise to enable my drinking habit, I went on the hunt for the best Dirty Shirley in Jacksonville.

Jordan Hoover sipping a homemade dirty shirley 34 F O L I O W E E K L Y

GRAPE AND GRAIN EXCHANGE

BLACK SHEEP

Wading through a surprisingly thick crowd for a Wednesday

Conveniently located mere steps from Prospect, the

afternoon, I met eyes with the lovely bartender of the laid-

popular upscale establishment wasn’t so eager to serve

back San Marco bar and ordered a Dirty Shirley with no

me, quickly IDing me after the words “Dirty Shirley” slipped

strange looks or questions. The concoction was a perfect

from my lips. The bartenders at the concrete, rooftop bar

mix of WÓDKA Polish vodka, Jack Rudy grenadine, Sprite

changed their mood once my friend showed up to meet me,

(from a can) and two cherries. Yes, two!! The low carbonation

probably relieved they wouldn’t have to entertain someone

and extra dirty feel mixed into an easily digestible, funky

with tastes similar to that of a child. I returned a week later

forward Shirley that left my prior knowledge of the classic

to try the drink again, not remembering much from my

syrup-slicked drink in the dust. At five bucks a pop, you

first go around and still can hardly describe the drink…I

could get delightfully hammered for a low price of standing

ordered more than one though so it must’ve been good!

in a small room with a bunch of yuppies, or you could opt for the outdoor seating and melt away in your nostalgia.

PROSPECT

THE VOLSTEAD

Just off Five Points’ notorious roundabout sits a small,

The swanky Downtown speakeasy-like bar seemed to

house-like building that hasn’t held the same business for

be a promising place for an updated cocktail classic,

longer than a couple years. The casual wine bar, which

and they didn’t disappoint. The mildly hesitant bartender

opened in 2020, gives the strange vibes it always has

served a drink that appeared not to be a Dirty Shirley. I

being tucked away between a dentist’s office and Larry’s

was convinced she was on the side of The New Yorker

Giant Subs. Despite the eclectic menu of chicken lollipops

and was punishing us for ordering such a disgraceful

and pistachio-crusted goat cheese balls, the Shirley was

drink, but with one stir of the straw, the seemingly

conventional, a mix of classic grenadine, Sprite and

Shirley-less glass transformed into a blood red, easily

Tito’s vodka all served in huge beer glass sans cherries.

poundable cocktail topped with two Luxardo cherries.

Ordering a big plate of French fries is necessary to take

The deliciousness of cherry juice versus the ordinary

down this beast of a drink. Order more than one of

grenadine reassured my taste buds that we too had

them and you're sure to be walking home syrup-slicked.

matured much like the pasteurized cherries. I left buzzed and happy, and it was only 4 p.m. on a Thursday.

HOMEMADE A Dirty Shirley is extremely easy to make. The only real decision is whether you want grenadine or cherry juice. Grenadine gives a sweeter, brighter drink while cherry juice gives a darker, heavier feel. If you want the flavor and color, opt for both. My recipe: two shots of vodka over ice with Sprite, a dash of Luxardo cherry juice, a dash of grenadine and four cherries because I’m obnoxious.

FRIDAY, JULY 22 – SUNDAY, JULY 24

FRIDAY, JULY 22, 7:05 PM

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36 F O L I O W E E K L Y

BAPTIST HEALTH

TICKETS START AT JUST

6/29/22 1:53 PM

Small Screen Reviews

time, never blaming both sides equally but showing the unfettered

Words by Harry Moore

to stop them. The latest series sees The Boys team up with Soldier

damage one side causes and the ineffectiveness of the other side Boy (Jensen Eckles), a superhero, who much like Captain America,

The Boys

was frozen in the mid-20th century and reanimated in the modern

With superhero films and TV series dominating Hollywood for over

day in order to bring down The Homelander. But unlike Steve

a decade, it was inevitable a project would come along that sends

Rogers, Soldier Boy is not a vision of goodness, but rather more

up the mechanics of the genre and gives a satirical look at the

representative of a powerful white man from that era.

cape and spandex-clad characters. The Boys, which is in its third season on Prime Video, shows us a world in which superheroes

The large ensemble is terrific and perfectly cast. Karl Urban, who

are depraved egomaniacs who act above the law and whose

is something of an icon in geek culture having appeared in Star

public images are handled buy a shady multinational corporation;

Trek, The Lord of the Rings and starred in the excellent action film

essentially answering the age-old question of “what would the

Dredd, gives a career best performance. But Starr is transcendent

world look like if superheroes were real?” that has echoed around

as Homelander, creating a character whose actions are impossible

comic book shops for decades. Based on Garth Ennis’ transgressive

to predict and imbuing every scene he is in with a sense of dread

graphic novel series of the same name, The Boys comes off as the

and anxiety that makes it hard to look away. He is perhaps the most

anti-MCU, where the supes are far from heroic and could not care

intense and terrifying villain put on screen since Heath Ledger’s

less about saving people, unless, of course, if it helps improve their

Joker.

public perception, while leaving a trail of destruction and gore in their wake.

The Boys elevates and redefines the superhero genre. If you can stomach the gore, graphic sex and subversive depictions of our

The series follows a group of humans who have each been gravely

current political climate, it is well worth binging.

wronged in some way by the premier superhero team, The Seven,

Available on Prime Video

led by the maniacal Homelander (Anthony Starr), a deeply twisted version of Superman that makes Zack Snyder’s interpretation

Barry

of the character in Man of Steel feel positively inspirational. The

The third season of Bill Hader’s dark comedy about a hitman trying

Boys are comprised of Hughie (Jack Quaid), a perceptively meek

to be an actor is another brilliant installment of what might be the

person whose girlfriend was killed due the actions of a supe; the

best show on television. Following the events of the previous

uncompromising Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso), who lost his family at a

season, the relationships between Barry (Hader), his acting teacher,

young age due to superpowered violence; Frenchie (Tomer Capone)

Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), and his handler, Fuches (Stephen

a former enforcer for the Russian mob, who wants to use his unique

Root), have deteriorated to the point where both men want to see

skills for good; and the team’s leader Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), a

him dead, while his girlfriend, Sally (Sarah Goldberg) achieves

cockney hardman who has a personal vendetta against Homelander.

career success and no longer needs him. Hader continues giving

The Seven works as a kind of bizzarro world version of DC’s Justice

a revelatory performance that has seen him win two Emmys with

League with each member being a degenerate version of their

a third likely coming his way, but he also takes the reins as both

DC counterpart; A-Train (Jessie T. Usher) is fast like The Flash and

writer and director of the series, and his work in those departments

has caused civilians to disintegrate after running into them, while

is simply astonishing. His construction of scenes and choices in

The Deep (Chace Crawford) is an Aquaman-like figure who’s been

cinematography are never less than exemplary, which makes me

inducted into a cult and sleeps with the fishes—and not in the same

excited to see what he will be able to accomplish as a feature

way as Luca Brasi.

filmmaker.

Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar once complained that Marvel’s

It is hard to explain what makes Barry without spoiling its plot

film output has drained the sexuality out of their characters, and it

which consistently unfolds in unexpected but satisfying ways,

is safe to say that The Boys does not fall victim to any mandate for

creating twists and turns that wouldn’t be out of place on Breaking

family-friendly prudishness. Producers Erick Kripke, Seth Rogen and

Bad, and expertly woven with a unique sense of humor that feels

Evan Goldberg bring a wicked sense of humor to the series with

entirely original to the show. Barry is an incredibly original show

explosions of bodily viscera and fluids often underlining a punchline.

that manages to fit side splitting jokes within the same scenes as

The show is a biting satire of not only the superhero genre but also

depictions of the deep depths of human darkness. Who would have

of modern American culture, taking aim at how major corporations

thought Stefon had such a work of dark art in him?

dig their claws into the government (which is surprising considering

Available on HBO

it is produced by one of the largest and most powerful companies in the world) and the influence social media has on cultural consensus. It is among the most astute and perceptive satires of our current 37

38 F O L I O W E E K L Y

TALK NERDY TO ME

Flipping Pages Words by Rain Henderson

Tacky:Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King

Office Girl by Joe Meno

After a recent deep dive into all things Chuck Klosterman, the

I want to start off by saying someone recommended this to me

American essayist who focuses on popular culture, I became

without reading it first. Something about a girl with unevenly

unsure if it was his constant mansplaining or my partner's sudden

cut bangs riding a bicycle on the book’s cover screams “Rain!”

crack-like addiction to his books that suddenly turned me off.

I guess. Odile, the manic pixie dream girl weaving every hipster

Luckily for me, I have many pals who consume books at an ungodly

cliche known to man in this novel, is a former-art student hoping

rate and are always willing to give suggestions, so I found myself

to change the world with the meaningless ideas she writes in her

with a copy of Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have

Moleskine while working her various random office jobs where

to Offer by Rax King. King is the woman’s version of Klosterman

she falls into unfortunate relationships with people she barely

and I hope she doesn’t take that in offense. Heavily-adjectived,

likes. Office Girl basically follows the plot of the endearing hipster

prolonged sentences describing the ins-and-outs of growing up

flick, 500 Days of Summer, a seemingly perfect relationship gone

in the ’90s hit a nerve hidden in the depths of the sticky pink

to shambles because of a fickle girl with big eyes. Jack, the “office

gum hanging out in my skull, primarily, the chapter titled Warm

boy,” lacks self-confidence and struggles with mental health

Vanilla Sugar. Yes, the Bath and Body Works warm vanilla sugar,

issues, especially after his wife leaves him and his mother finds

you know what I’m talking about. Were you a cucumber melon

him masturbating with a vacuum nozzle. Jack and Odile join forces

b*tch or a warm vanilla sugar b*tch (sweet pea or Japanese cherry

and bike around town defacing advertisements with illustrations

blossom if you were otherworldly)? King bases all of her sexual

of genitals, performing silly stunts and questioning anything

tendencies off this saccharine scent: She chose to be dessert

popular. Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love and Odile is planning

and would continue to satisfy other’s unnecessary cravings for

to move away, which she eventually does. The sickeningly twee

the rest of her life. The way she lends her entire livelihood to

plot is exaggerated with little doodles, handwritten notes and

a bottle of pungent liquid is masterful. The chapter is followed

Polaroid scans. The book ends leaving the reader with the notion

by You Wanna Be on Top?, a seemingly sexual reference (she

that everything is meaningless and no one is special: Have you

talks about sex a lot) that only a certain type of teenager would

ever done anything extraordinary? Probably not. Office Girl lacks

know. Despite my terrible memory, King’s recollections have the

structure, a plot and anything you expect from a book, each

ability to refill the drug-induced absence of mental souvenirs from

chapter jumping into a scenario you weren’t briefed on, but

my younger years. America’s Next Top Model was, on its own,

that’s the point … I think. The quasi-experimental novel is thinly

an entire phase of life, one that fits so perfectly into the trash

sketched and extremely digestible. I read the whole thing in four

culture King does such a good job at compartmentalizing and

hours and am not even sure if I liked it (but I did buy another one

tacking subsistence to. Creed, hiphugger jeans, cute Starbucks

of his books, just to see.)

boys and all the other game changing moments of adolescence are wrapped up neatly and handed to us with a bow in this book of coming of age essays. King’s phenomenal colorful way with words gives meaning to all the things you might’ve once hoped to forget. Her words weave your embarrassing memories into a star-map no therapist could ever decipher. I felt I knew myself better after reading this book and found myself hoping that she had slept with Klosterman.

23 26

25 29

34 39 44

43 47

40 F O L I O W E E K L Y

56 57 58 59 60 61

Flying prefix Broil alternative Crew equipment Small bird Snow transport Estimation words

DOWN 1 Ponte Vedra Inn & Club amenity 2 Underground passages 3 Many a seller at RAM 4 Restrain 5 Turned to ice 6 Queues, or some cues 7 Aspire PC maker 8 Beatle bride 9 Publicly state 10 Punish severely 11 Dodged 12 Former Jax City Council president Newby 20 ___ Allan Poe 21 Viral bug 22 Former college football ranking sys. 24 Dr. of rap 26 Canine's "kiss" 27 Jacksonville Symphony woodwind 30 UNF bigwig 31 Glasgow gal 33 Baptist MD ___ Cancer Center 34 Sleepy, e.g. 35 Part of GOP

36 Mike Buresh's WJAX newscast segment 37 Diner sign 39 Like penne or ziti 40 I-95 rubberneckers 41 West Coast winter hrs. 43 Anger 45 Gaffe 47 Not sleeping 48 Hollowed out 50 Tide movements 51 Jags color 52 Tool with teeth 55 GI entertainers

T W

A V V J W X X J W X A X T J

Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters W-J-A-X-T-V (for the local CBS affiliate, Channel 47) to fill each row, column and box.

S A M

ACROSS 1 The Florida ___ (local weekly newspaper) 5 TV chef Bobby 9 Cobras' kin 13 Undiluted 14 Puerto ___ 15 JU sports org. 16 Opposed 17 Short race, for short 18 Good name for an average guy 19 Local 33-Across 22 Furthermore 23 Glaringly vivid 25 Trolley sound 26 Easy chair 28 Florida tax ID 29 Go off script 32 Relinquish 33 19- or 49-Across in Jax 35 Wilson of "Midnight in Paris" 38 Governor who appointed the first Black justice to the Florida Supreme Court 39 Recipe amt. 42 Intros 44 Borders on 46 Library stamp 47 Circus performer 49 Soon-to-be additional local 33-Across 52 Tom Petty's soundtrack album: "___ the One" 53 Jax Zoo critter 54 Cheese choice

D R E

P A R R I E D

S C O U R G E

P S T

L A I C N E E R S L L I A C S K S

W T X V A J

V X J A T W

A J W T X V

X V A J W T

J A T W V X

T W V X J A

U S O

S T A R E R S

T U B U L A R

Y A O N K N O F O L U O U N B C O D E E W A B C R O O F O R B E O D O

A W A K E

T E A L

F R O E Z D E G A D R E A I N R E E B B S

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

3, 2, 1 BLASTOFF! Help Scampi’s firework find its way to the night sky before it explodes and turns our mascot into a blast-scot!

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42 F O L I O W E E K L Y

ADULT ADVICE SHARI AND TERRY JAYMES

TERRY: Hey, at least your husband is off the hook on this one. #teamhusband SHARI: Whoa, this is crazy, Donna. You’re a bigger person than me. I’d probably stop inviting her to my house for dinner. And if I were you, I wouldn’t offer to dog sit. Who knows what the dog expects from you?! TERRY: Ewwww, Shari. Let’s get on track here. It sounds like you are a little like me, I really wish you guys would do a few shows a week. I love your

Donna. I’m not a big fan of confrontation with loved ones. In this case, I think it’s

insight but what I really love is hearing about your day to day life.

time to talk to her about the plate licking. The other stuff is just in Shari’s fantasy.

Your love for one another and your acceptance for your individual quirks is beyond couple goals.

SHARI: It’s totally possible, Terry. I’m just warning Donna to keep the peanut butter in the pantry.

I have an issue. For once it’s not with my husband. It’s my sister. She has a great dog, and it’s with her 24/7. I feel as though her

TERRY: OK, obviously we could joke about this all day. Seriously, Donna, you have

relationship with this dog is a little strange to say the least. When

to tell her no more plate licking at your house. Time to set some boundaries here.

she comes over for dinner she lets the dog lick her plate when she’s finished. That’s just gross, and it’s my dinner plate. She lets this dog

SHARI: Yeah, yeah, yeah, boundaries. Donna, tell her to either stop the dog from

shove its tongue down her throat, which is gross. She showers with

licking your plates, or you’ll not be inviting her to your house again. Or tell her to

this dog which is gross and creepy. I hate to think what else happens

leave the dog at home. This definitely gives a new meaning to “dog lover.”

behind closed doors. TERRY: You really have to, Donna. No joke here. The opened mouth kissing, as well I have expressed my displeasure about the plate licking, but she

as the showering and the unproven allegations are bigger asks.

doesn’t care. Should I say something about all the other strange antics?

SHARI: Truly, what she does behind closed doors is no one’s business.

Donna W.

TERRY: You’ve received your marching orders, Donna. Lay down the rules in your

Orange Park

house. Be calm and let her know how much it bothers you. I don’t expect this to go smoothly. But time will pass, and she may do the right thing. Please let us know how this goes and call the podcast. Shari obviously has some more questions for you.

44 F O L I O W E E K L Y