Folio Vol. 37, Issue 18

8

The Navy’s Mothball Fleet At Green Cove Springs

Ted Hunt

12

Camp Declan Gives A Whole New Meaning To Camp

Ambar Ramirez & Carmen Macri

17

Let’s Talk About Period Poverty

18

Liberated Kelila Richie

20

Angry, Young And Poor: Student Activism Is More Active Than Ever Mallory Pace

22

Ben Frazier: June 23, 1943 - June 24, 2023

Shelton Hull

25

Teachers Wanted: How Politics Has Infiltrated Florida Classrooms

Mallory Pace

28

Dating In A Polluted Fish Bowl: It’s Not You, It’s Them...

Amiyah Golden

30

The Rise of the Awkward Interview

Su Ertekin-Taner

Words by Shelton Hull

Photo by Folio Staff

LETTER

LEGACY OF LOVE

As I was walking down Laura Street in downtown Jacksonville and thinking about the day’s agenda, a person in a motorized scooter came up to me while I was lost in my own thoughts. “Are you Mr. Phillips?” he asked. “John, but yes,” I said while trying to refocus on the here and now. He asked me if I represented Ben Frazier. “Yes, sir,” I replied. “Well, I just want to thank you for helping him. When I was at rock bottom, Mr. Frazier helped me both financially and with some words of advice which came at a desperate time and, well, he’s a life saver.” He couldn’t have said it better. Ben Frazier was a life saver.

The Ben I knew and loved liked a little bit of good trouble. As the founder and president of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, Ben fought for the removal of Confederate monuments, demanded accountability from Jacksonville’s leadership and advocated for social justice — all to better the lives of his community. I was lucky to know Ben as his lawyer. I was privileged to call him my friend.

Ben had a perfect, booming voice mixed with a tender and compassionate soul. He was willing to sacrifice his own health for the benefit of the disenfranchised. He understood the concept that you had to control both perception and reality at the same time, while also striving to do so for the betterment of others. It was never about Ben. It was about doing the right thing at the right time as ofte n as he could.

Some would certainly disagree with Ben’s definition of “right,” but those folks would also be providing judgment from a vastly different (and likely more comfortable) viewpoint. To them, Ben certainly outstayed his “welcome,” just like many of those monuments have. But those elected officials are not about unity in our communities. Instead, they hide behind the dais. They could have shown we ca n disagree without taking things to the next level. But they didn’t. They had Ben arrested. No one came down. No one said any words of understanding or compassion. Instead, they chose to throw a man in jail. After his death, many of the same leaders would provide his family with proclamations, honoring him as a champion of the people. I could see Ben flash that smile from here at the irony. He won again.

Ben Frazier was not quiet. He protested. He demanded. He was trespassed and fined. But good trouble is never quiet. I took his most recent arrest at city hall very personally, as I knew the health struggle he was going through. Ben Frazier changed me just like he changed the life of the man who came up to me on Laura Street. He helped life after life, leaving a legacy of love in his wake. This issue of “Folio” is dedicated to Ben Frazier.

Folks, everyone can make a difference to one person. Doing it repeatedly can change the lives of many. Ben did it almost every day. Accept his challenge and help someone as often as you can.

FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT JOHN M. PHILLIPS

On the night of March 21st, I was facing down the business end of defeat. But down at the Beaches, a different result was found . Rory Diamond was reelected to his second term on the Jacksonville City Council, only facing a write-in opponent. Write-ins would get just over 13% in the district that ran from San Pablo to the Atlantic with only one precinct, Southeast Atlantic Beach, casting over 20% of votes in protest. For the second cycle in a row, the people of the Beaches did not get a real choice, whether it be a straight party fight or between two visions of Republicanism.

My history with CM Diamond is well documented. For the year and change that the half-cent sales tax was being batted between the School Board and the City Council, the pages of this paper regularly saw my attacks on Mr. Diamond’s continued opposition to protecting our children and upholding his duty under the law. Fletcher High, the only high school in his district, had a large electrical fire that sent children running from the smoke and sparks, but you’d think it was a regular weekday from the desk of CM Diamond. His hand remained in a rigamortous-esque thumbs up while his eyes and ears closed to the problems facing our district.

His deafness led to hypocrisy as beach residents called out for relief from the unfair double taxation that came with the City Council refusing to increase the Solid Waste fee for Jacksonville proper. Diamond screamed “fiscal responsibility” while casting votes and passing bills that forced his constituents to pay more than their fair share.

But we shouldn’t be surprised. As has been laid out in an article by the Florida Center for Government Accountability, Diamond embodies the mantra “Fiscal responsibility for thee, but not for me!” We learned that, during his torrid tenure at K9s for Warriors, a great charity when under the leadership of the late Sheri Duval, it became a slush fund that financed the salaries of Diamond and his friends, a piggy bank Diamond use d to cover personal and political expenses, and a roll of duct tape that would be slapped on the mouths of any man or woman who was wronged by Diamond. We also saw the horrible reality confirmed that veterans were increasingly being given poorly trained dogs in a bid to up their numbers and bring in more grants that can go towards executive salaries. I raised money for K9s during my time at Fletcher and thought it was helping those who served us recover. Instead, I was fleeced. A lot of us were fleeced. Our veterans were fleeced.

A lot of ink has spilled over George Santos, the New York congressman who managed to lie his way into the US House and is now facing federal charges. But we have our own George Santos of the South: Mr. Rory Diamond. A man who has been shown by Folio to have lied about his resume to get his foot in the door of K9s, a man who dipped into the company coffers a few too many times, a man who profited off of tell ing us all that he was helping those who served us but was actually turning them into numbers on a spreadsheet.

Councilman Rory Diamond is a disgrace to his district, his city, his county, his state, and his nation. He has lied to us all on repeat since he crawled his way into town. He has defrauded our veterans. He must resign.

Sincerely,

Jack Rowan

BOUQS & BRICKS BOUQUETS BRICKBATS

To Equality Florida Action Inc. With hate crimes based on sexual orientation accounting for 22% of all hate crimes in the state of Florida, the organization is even more committed to securing full equality for Florida’s LGBTQ+ community. Projects include the Safe and Healthy Schools project which aims to create a culture of inclusion while countering the bullying, harassment, social isolation, and bigotry that dramatically increase risk factors for LGBTQ+ and ensuring every family is respected and every child is protected. Equality Florida Action also works to protect transgender and non-binary people, raising awareness and engaging in public policy issues supporting inclusive Human Rights Ordinances across Florida. Another mission, One Disarm Hate, addresses the epidemic of violence fueled by the normalization of hatred of LGBTQA+ people, people of color and immigrant communities. They also advocate for policies that help to keep more people safe from gun violence. Support Equallity Florida Action by attending the 2023 Greater Jacksonville Gala on Sept. 30 or by visiting eqfl.org.

To Governor Ron DeSantis (again) for… what should it be for this month? Should it be because members of his campaign are avid supporters of neo-nazis? Or for ostracizing gay kids? Or maybe banning the complete discussion of menstrual cycles for young girls in grades K-6? What about the fact he accepted multiple undisclosed private flights and lodging through wealthy donors? Wonder what he promised them. Tax breaks? Deregulation? Maybe a fun trip to a private golf course? But the fact is, he is just another corrupt Republican.

To the 100-year-old oak tree that fell on the governor of Florida’s mansion during Hurricane Idalia. Thank you for sacrificing your life to remind certain people climate change is real.

Venus and Jupiter will come together on Sept. 16, Aries, bring ing with it a sense of resolution. You may be feeling as if your head has completely cleared and that grogginess you’ve come to know and love will disappear. Now is the time to make those decisions you’ve been putting off.

Fall item: Cinnamon-scented candles

ARIES TAURUS

Fall is in the air, Taurus, and so is love … not the traditional love for another person, but love for everything around you. On Sept. 16 when Venus and Jupiter unite, they will bring you harmony and blessings. It’s time to stop and smell the roses, get creative, spend time with loved ones and don’t be afraid to take advantage of the overall serene energy entering your life.

Fall item: Pumpkin pie

GEMINI

You could say the leaves slowly falling off the trees is a met aphor for you, Gemini. As fall approaches and the seasons change, so will you. The endless cycles you find yourself in will come to an end, but it is up to you. As Mercury enters retrograde, you will feel the energy stronger than most as it is your ruling planet. Use it to your benefit.

Fall item: A witch hat

CANCER

Leaves are changing and so are people around you, Cancer. Believe it or not, you go through changes as well. It’s a part of this silly thing we call life. That said, when Neptune enters Pisces on Sept. 19 beware of miscommunication. It’s much too soon to be checking under your bed for monsters, so it would be wise not to jump to conclusions and stay around those who keep you grounded.

Fall item: Striped sweater

You are all too familiar with masks, Leo. And we don’t mean the masks we wear on Halloween. You have grown far too comfortable with hiding your feelings beneath a mask to keep yourself safe. The sun opposes Neptune in Pisces on Sept. 19 and with it will bring a sense of security for you. It may be time to show your true self to those you hold close. What is the worst that can happen?

Fall item: A domino mask

Happy almost Fall, Virgo! But most importantly, Happy Birth day! You may be feeling as though you are about to embark on a new journey in your life, and that’s because you are. When a New Moon takes place in your sign on Sept. 15, you will have the sense of a fresh start. Whether you’re dyeing your hair a new color or applying for a new job, embrace the change.

Fall item: Leaves (’cause your changing … get it?)

Happy solar return, sweet Libra! Sept. 22 marks the start of the Libra season, and if you’re someone who adores love, get ready for an abundance of it (that’s a whole lot of love!), especially on Sept. 29 when the full moon enters Aries and lights up your 7th house of partnerships. You might as well mark off the remainder of your September as “booked” because you’ll be quite occupied … perhaps in the sheets.

Fall item : Caramel apples

Mercury is in retrograde, Scorpio. You just can’t seem to catch a break, huh? It may seem like nothing in your life is going right: car breaking down, fights with your friends, a workload that seems suffocating. Harness the energy that Mercury brings and use it to your advantage. Take the upperhand. Be a step ahead of the stars.

Fall item: A black cat

They might as well rename September after you, Sagittarius, as this month is going to be as fiery as your spirit. As we enter Libra season, the next couple of weeks will challenge you to be more independent, which should be quite easy for you. Venus aligns with your social sector, turning you into a social butterfly on steroids. Your calendar will be bursting with invites, and your dance card will be fuller than a centaur’s quiver.

Fall item: Fur-lined coat

SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN

On Sept. 16, Venus and Jupiter will unite causing cataclysmic energy to come your way. Rather than folding under the pressure, use what you know. You are strong-willed and thick-skulled. You should see this energy as a challenge, rather than letting it swal low you whole, work your way around it. You know more than anyone how to overcome obstacles. Let’s see it happen.

Fall item: A wool blanket

AQUARIUS

Oh, Aquarius, brace yourselves for a month that’s as predictably unpredictable as your taste in music. With September comes Libra season which is practically a cosmic eye roll directed at your love life. Be prepared for past flames to resurface, making you wonder if the universe has run out of new options for you. Don’t worry (it hasn’t), but it’s clearly feeling nostalgic. Truthfully, the whole month may feel like a cosmic joke, but do what you do best and embrace the chaos.

Fall item: Portable campfire

PISCES

This is a good month, especially after you got through the somber full moon on Aug. 30 in Pisces. While you still may be feeling the effects of the full moon energy, you may also be feeling a shift. Planets entering and leaving retrograde may have your head feeling jumbled, but you know what they say? That first sunset after a storm is the most beautiful.

Fall item: A pumpkin patch

THE NAVY’S MOTHBALL FLEET AT GREEN COVE SPRINGS

Words by Ted Hunt

In 1940, WWII raged in Europe. Here in the states, President Franklin Roosevelt believed that the United States’ best chance to stay out of the war was to help the Allies. Training Allied troops and sending American tanks, ships and planes to Europe, hopefully, would prevent the need to send American soldiers.

As the threat of war increased, the United States took steps to prepare. In 1940, Congress and President Roosevelt approved the first-ever peacetime draft. Men between the ages of 21 and 45 had to register for military service. Also, the Navy began building naval ships and naval air stations throughout the U.S. On Sept. 11, 1940, the U.S. Navy opened Naval Air Station Lee Field in Green Cove Springs, renamed Naval Air Station Green Cove Springs in 1943. Lee Field was designed to train Navy and Marine pilots.

On Dec. 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Germany chose this moment to declare war against the United States. America was now at war in both Europe and Asia. Lee Field was now training thousands of pilots in support of the war effort — Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s sidekick, trained here as a pilot and became one of their flight instructors.

Aye, Aye Captain: Set Sail for Home

After unthinkable destruction and millions of casualties, World War II ended in 1945. The U.S. Navy was faced with a massive surplus of warships and a lack of storage space for the ships being deactivated. They needed ports where these now-obsolete ships could be berthed and held in reserve, in case they were needed later. Many ships were in good shape and the Navy didn’t want to scrap them when the fears of another war against the Soviet Union loomed large.

The solution was to find suitable ports and keep the ships outfitted and in reserve until needed. Green Cove, located on the St. Johns River was selected because of its freshwater, warm climate, deep-water access, hurricane protection and its width and depth. Also, it’s 32 miles upriver from the sea, so there’s no chance of storm surge. The Navy had to consider the draft of the ships (the distance from the waterline to the bottom of the ship) in determining what ships could be “mothballed” here. Green Cove became known as the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Green Cove Springs Group.

Ahoy, Green Cove

From September to December 1945, the Navy brought 350 warships into Green Cove, still fully manned. At the end of 1945, Green Cove Springs became one of the most populated cities in the state of Florida and the largest Navy base in the country. No piers were built then, so the manned ships nested in pods in the middle of the St. Johns River. (Nesting is where they take about 12 ships and put them bow to stern, and use steel beams and run cables through them to hold the ships.)

Since there were no barracks for the sailors at that time, they lived on the ships and kept them ready to return to service within 30 days if necessary. Many war-weary sailors had already lived on their ships for over two years. Navy tender ships would often ferry the sailors to the mainland for a little R&R. In 1947, 13 concrete piers were built on the St. Johns River to accommodate the ships. They were 1,800 feet long by 30 feet wide — and are still there today.

The ships were again nested but attached to the piers. Barracks, mess halls and family housing were also constructed to make life easier for the enlisted personnel. At its height, over 600 vessels, including destroyers, destroyer escorts, fleet auxiliaries, troop ships, minesweepers, amphibious landing ships and tank landing ships were stationed at Green Cove. Tank landing ships were the famous marine crafts in WWII, used in D-Day, which could carry tanks and troops. Over the course of a few years about 63,000 soldiers were stationed at Lee Field.

Naval Fleet Parade

Bringing the ships from the Atlantic Ocean to Green Cove was a unique navigational challenge for the Navy. The ships entered the river at Mayport, east of Jacksonville, and had to maneuver the 32-mile journey around shallow and shifting sandbars. Also, the ships differed in length, width and draft, adding to the difficulty of ensuring a safe passage to their final destination. As they entered the river by the hundreds, the St. Johns, normally a serene waterway, became a bustling procession of Navy vessels.

Communities along the river’s edge would gather to witness this maritime spectacle. People lined the shores, their eyes fixed on the majestic ships, paying their respects to the valiant service rendered during the war. Children waved small flags, and many saluted as the ships glided past.

Green Cove, with a population of 5,000 at the time, experienced a remarkable transformation as it became the temporary home for the Atlantic Fleet. This small riverside town buzzed with activity, as sailors and their families breathed new life into the community. The town became a hub of social interaction with dances, parties and community events organized to foster friendship among the military personnel and the townspeople.

The impact on the local economy was significant. Businesses flourished as military residents and their families’ patronized shops, restaurants and other establishments — and having 42 bars helped keep things lively.

Anchors Aweigh

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the United Nations Security Council authorized its members to send forces to repel the hostile invasion. The U.S. not only sent thousands of troops to support the effort but also recommissioned (i.e., reactivated) and sent over 150 of the ships stationed at Green Cove. Many ships were also recommissioned and deployed when the U.S. became involved in the Vietnam conflict. Being mothballed in ready-togo condition, enabled the ships to be equipped and depart quickly.

The Navy began to consolidate its reserve fleets in the 1960s to just three locations. Green Cove was not selected and was decommissioned in 1961. Most ships were mothballed elsewhere and sold for scrap or used as targets for live fire exercises, while others were sold to friendly foreign countries. As the Atlantic Fleet moved on to new assignments, Green Cove Springs returned to its tranquil state, forever marked by the memories and impact of its time as a naval hub. The town retained its charm and natural allure, a hidden gem nestled along the banks of the St. Johns River. Today, remnants of that era can still be found, serving as a reminder of the vibrant and unique chapter in the town’s history when it played host to the Atlantic Fleet.

Thank you, Green Cove, for your service!

Weird Wild Stuff

Words by Shelton Hull

Is summer over yet? Not until Sept. 23, according to the calendar, but the difference is purely academic here in Florida, where even Santa Claus wears shorts. The craziness of our news stories has tempered a bit, maybe because it’s too hot to go outside, which means a lower likelihood of heat-induced madness. But do not fear, there is still more than enough crazy to fill this space, easily.

Let’s start in Florida with arguably the most quintessentially #Florida story we’ve ever seen. It starts pretty normally with an incident of road rage that quickly turned lethal for one combatant. Here’s where it begins to deviate: The victim was 87 years old, and his killer was 75 — which is not normal in such cases. The killer absconded, and his identity was unknown until a detective recognized him as the man celebrating a rare hole-in-one in his local newspaper, resulting in his arrest. It further develops that the whole incident began after the victim backed into a car, which the killer thought was his, but didn’t realize the truth until it was too late. Now, where in the world could such a bizarre sequence of events unfold? At The Villages, of course.

Staying in Florida, in this case Sarasota, here’s another story about death, which is even weirder than the previous one. This death actually took place at the Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium in April, but we didn’t get the full story until recently because, to be fair, it is a lot to unpack. Apparently a couple of manatees were feeling frisky, which is no laughing matter when you weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds. The 38-year-old victim, whose name was Hugh, died mysteriously at first. However, a necropsy by the Florida Wildlife Com mission’s Marine Mammal Pathobiology Lab found a 15-centimeter “rip” in poor Hugh’s colon, which happened during a sexual encounter with another, larger male manatee. Now we all know that aquariums are basically prisons, but this is a bit too on-the-nose for our tastes.

Speaking of animals, most people are smart enough not to mess with snakes. But sometimes you have no choice. Sometimes a snake just falls from the sky onto you, and you just have to deal, as one Texas woman was forced to do recently. She was just minding her business, mowing her lawn, when the snake suddenly latched onto her arm. Turns out that the snake was in the midst of a near-death experience, having been seized for food by a hawk, which then came swooping down to pick up the meal it dropped. Fast forward a few seconds and the snake is dead, the hawk is satiated, and the woman is covered with snake venom, fang marks, claw marks and a disturbing amount of her own blood. But at least she gets a story that will impress anyone at any bar, anywhere, even in Texas.

Here’s a fun fact about animals: They hate people, and they hate your cars even more. How else to explain their persistent determination to block traf fic whenever possible. You’ll see different animals in different areas: bears, bison, moose, ducks, geese, possums, sloths, alligators or even — in this comparatively rare case from Washington state — a llama. Suffice it to say, llamas are not native to the Pacific Northwest, so this was far outside the wheelhouse of first responders, especially since even domesticated llamas are also dangerous llamas. Thankfully, the beast was soon returned to its owner, and no officers got spit on.

Everyone has their own views on religion, and this is not the place to get into that. We’re just here for the laughs, the memes and, of course, the gabagool. A Lutheran church in Germany has recently become just the latest house of worship around the world to outsource preaching duties to AI, specifically the Chat GPT platform, which delivered a whole-ass sermon (including sermon, prayers and even music) using the avatar of a bearded Black man, which probably didn’t help, in terms of PR. I would love to know what Martin Luther would think, having basically risked death to found his faith. Eventually, robots will be able to dress like pimps, endorse shady politicians and defraud their flocks, and then a lot of preachers will be out of business.

We’ll end this month with something that isn’t really weird but actually pretty fantastic. This story comes from San Francisco, which gets a bad rap from our scumbag governor and the greasy, slack-jawed yokels who love him. It’s one of the country’s greatest and coolest cities, one that has influenced American culture in many ways, perhaps most notably through music. That proud legacy is being celebrated by the San Francisco Public Library. Bay Beats is a new streaming platform built specifically to spotlight their local music scene. Artists will be paid a $250 honorarium to participate, and the site will also link to their own websites and social media. Anyone can access the site, but the nearly 500,000 SFPL card holders can download music for free. Similar platforms are already active in Nashville and New Orleans. It would be fun to try something like that in Duval, but folks would just complain about it and slander each other on social media, so no, never.

CAMP DECLAN GIVES A WHOLE NEW MEANING TO CAMP

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri

Do you remember the feeling of your parents dropping you off at summer camp? Driving the whole way with the windows down, smelling the summer breeze, anticipation swirling through your body. The feeling seemed fleeting, especially as we grew up and grew out of our beloved childhood summer camps. But why does growing up mean we must say goodbye to the lore of summer camp? Just because we are adults now doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still be able to enjoy the simple things in life — like hanging around a campfire by a lake or taking a midnight dive under the stars.

Well, luckily for those who live in North Florida, that summer camp feeling is not one of a distant memory. Not while Declan Reiley, owner of Camp Declan, has a say in the matter anyway.

Growing up in lake cabins across Florida, Reiley shares his fondness for the feeling it brought to not only him but his friends and family.

“It all started when I was a little boy. My mom and dad had a lake house in Keystone Heights, which is near Interlachen. It was a family affair,” Reiley recalled. “They built the lake house with their own bare hands. I remember being 9 years old and seeing the big concrete truck come and pour the slab that became the foundation for that cabin on Lake Geneva.”

Fast forward a few years, Reiley was flipping houses when his brother invited him and his family up to his own lake house.

“Going there with my family and enjoying my brother’s lake house reminded me of what I had forgotten about my childhood and my love of lake houses,” Reiley said. “So I said, ‘I’m going to buy a lake house.’”

While still working as an economic developer for the JAX Chamber, Reiley had some spending money left over from when he was flipping houses. Hence, began the search for the perfect lake house.

Of course, Reiley had a very specific vision in mind for what this lake house would look like, where it would be located and so on.

“I had a vision in my head for if I could find the ‘dream lakehouse,’ what would the characteristics be?” Reiley said.

The criteria for this perfect lake house:

Within a reasonable drive of Jacksonville.

• A clean swimmable lake for kayaking, canoeing, boating, fishing and swimming.

• A “not too nice” house (a house meant for purely for relaxation shouldn’t be a chore to keep up)

• Surrounded by a forest because trees are the perfect source of privacy (skinny dipping, maybe?)

• And the final request: a long winding driveway so visitors know they are approaching something special

With his sister and mom in tow, Reiley set aside a day to go look at some properties. They looked at houses on Black Creek, in Keystone Heights, but none were checking off any of the boxes. That is, until Reiley’s sister pointed out that they had one more property to check out in Interlachen.

So they drove to the final house, and one by one, Reiley slowly started checking off boxes on his criteria list. When they arrived at what is now known as Camp Declan, they were met with a long winding drive: check. As they approached the house itself, they saw it was nice but not “too nice”: check. When they hopped out of the car, Reiley and his mother went straight to the water because a clean swimmable lake was his number one priority… the big check.

While distracted at the lake, Reiley’s sister stumbled upon the unlocked front door of the cabin. At the time, Reiley had a Dalmatian. And like many dog owners, his life revolved around her. So, when Reiley walked into the abandoned cabin to find Dalmatian wallpaper plastered throughout, an internal box (maybe fate) was marked: check.

“First the driveway, then the lake, then the Dalmatian spots and the unlocked cabin,” Reiley recalled. “It was probably not three days later, I said to my mom and my sister, ‘I’ve got to buy it, and I’ve got to buy it before somebody else buys it.’”

And thus, Camp Declan was born After some much needed renovations, repairs and upgrades,the formerly abandoned cabin took on a new life as the main house, while the once-empty cabana was now packed with all the essentials you’d expect at a lake house (including our personal favorite, a swinging daybed). The rickety wooden dock was replaced with a sturdy stainless steel one that can easily accommodate 20 people. Reiley also added a floating dock in the middle of the lake, scattered hammocks throughout the trees, set up a fire pit, and brought in a bunkhouse that can comfortably sleep up to 18 people (that’s nine bunk beds, for those keeping count), along with ping-pong tables, volleyball nets, floats, canoes and kayaks for guests’ use.

While it does have a summer camp feel, Camp Declan can (and should) be enjoyed all year round. We know how hot our summers can be, so cooler seasons might be more enjoyable, plus, you can actually enjoy the fire pit. It’s a bonus that prices don’t fluctuate based on the season. The rates remain the same, no matter the date or the demand.

Everything you see in and around the cabins has a story: Reiley either found it secondhand or he and his family made it themselves. Those welcoming warm blankets on each bed? Reiley’s mom personally made each one by hand.

“At that point in my life, I just wanted a place to get away from all the pressures of my professional white-collar career and enjoy what I remember about the lake house, and so it was my ‘toy’ for many, many years, and it was just me,” Reiley shared. “And only after my friends and family started to come did they actually persuade me to even consider renting it out to anybody else.”

We guess we should send personalized thank you letters to those who persuaded Reiley to begin renting out his lake house because this is truly one of Florida’s greatest hidden gems.

As further proof, Netflix filmed part of the “Untold: Swamp Kings” documentary on the property. The docuseries delves into the transformation of the underdog 2000s-era Florida Gators football into a formidable winning powerhouse under the leadership of legendary and uncompromising coach Urban Meyer. The four-part untold series unfolds through exclusive interviews with Meyer himself, as well as prominent players such as Tim Tebow, Tate Casey, Dallas Baker, Major Wright, and others.

Now through Airbnb, Craigslist, lakehousevacations.com, Glamping Hub or through his direct website campdeclan.com, you, too, can stay at what we call adult summer camp (minus all the organized events; you can organize that yourself).

FOLIO WEED: MOODY’S BLUES

Words by Shelton Hull

The inaugural Camp Folio™ weekend retreat was held August 12-14 at Camp Declan in Interlachen, about 30 miles east of Gainesville. As team-building exercises go, it was a rousing success. From interns to management, folks formed bonds and strengthened others while working together to complete a series of increasingly complicated tasks, like buying groceries for a dozen people whose actual tastes are completely unknown; staying hydrated while also trying not to drown; and cooking breakfast in a kitchen where you don’t know where anything is.

Sitting lakeside on Sunday morning, as a long grueling grind of grillin’ and chillin’ lay before me, the rising sun got me in the mood to do something I almost never do on Sunday: work, at least a little bit. The setting was ideal for getting into this month’s weed column, which deals with what still seems the likely legalization of cannabis in Florida in 2025 and recent hiccups toward that end. So with my phone in my right hand and a red Solo cup of coffee in my left, let’s jump in.

As noted last month, activists have obtained the necessary signatures to get recreational weed on the November 2024 ballot. WIth polls indicating support well above the legal threshold, it’s all but certain to pass and then go into effect in January 2025. But not so fast, says Ashley Moody, our state’s Attorney General, who has taken a bold stand against the public will by challenging the petition. She correctly notes that legalization here does nothing to change its federal status, which should have been a priority in year one of the Biden Administration, but they were weak on the issue, and their window of opportunity closed, likely to never open again. She also notes correctly that Trulieve was the primary funder of the petition drive, and, as the largest cannabis company in Florida, is poised to profit bigly from legalization.

Now, I’m no lawyer, but I believe that you can never know too many. One of them, Sally Peebles of Vicente LLP, is an expert on cannabis law who’s turned up in this column before. (We even did some radio spots together, years ago.) “Moody is against the legalization of marijuana,” she said, “and she and her team are getting creative in their arguments to fight it.”

Peebles noted many do know about federal law, but it doesn’t stop the confu sion. “The questions I get from most people are specifically about that friction between state and federal law and the consequences of it. I think it is frus trating that initiatives are only given so much word space to dedicate towards the ballot summary, and then they are told they are not saying enough in the summary. It’s contradictory, and leaves every ballot summary open to attack for confusion.”

Cynics, like me, assume that Moody is carrying water for her boss, Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was notably laissez-faire in his handling of the subject to date. Much of the rollout of medical marijuana took place under the direction of Nikki Fried, formerly our state’s commissioner of agriculture and current chairwoman of the Florida Democratic Party. She will always be known for having birthed the state’s cannabis market, and clout will continue to accrue as that market grows into the billions when fully legalized. Now, as you may already know, Fried and DeSantis HATE each other, and that is the dynamic around which Florida politics will revolve over the next few years.

DeSantis didn’t really seem to care about cannabis (or anything, really), until beginning a bid for president that appeals to the hardest of hard-right by bashing all their favorite targets: Blacks, Latinos, women, Jews, immigrants and especially LGBTQIA folks, all of whom were targeted for systematic slander and occasional violence. With DeSantis now engaged in open warfare against his political benefactor, The Don Trump, this has driven a most welcome wedge between factions of Florida Republicans, many of whom will be essentially ruined between now and 2026. It’s all but given that Fried and fellow Dems will be waiting to run down any wounded Republicans trailing the pack, then serve them fools up blood-red and steaming to a base that is positively starving for fresh meat.

The winner of all this will be Moody, who’s managed to remain relatively clean of the awful offal stench that clings to so many of her peers. No one will declare for the governor’s race in 2026 until we see who’s still standing after 2024, but we know that Moody will be. Of course, the door is open for, say, Lenny Curry or even Casey DeSantis herself to jump in, but if I’m betting money today, I’m calling it as Moody vs. Fried with our next governor guaranteed to be the first woman to do so. In which case, this current argument may offer a little glimpse into the future of Florida politics. Cannabis may well end up being the issue that helps decide that future.

PERIOD POVERTY LET’S TALK ABOUT IT

Words by Su Ertekin-Taner

Alyx Carrasquel wasn’t surprised when I told her an estimated 500 million people lack access to menstrual hygiene products and facilities (according to worldbank.com). As a 27-year-old reproductive justice advocate, she expected as much, citing the stigma around periods and absence of legislation making period products free as the cause of this period poverty.

But Carrasquel doesn’t want period poverty, defined as menstruators’ struggle to access and afford menstrual hygiene products, to be a universally accepted truth. She wants change.

For the local activist, combating period poverty begins with community care and conversation. It was this fervor for starting a community-wide effort that led her to found the Jax Period Pantry initiative this July.

The initiative, which began as an Instagram account, aims to educate about menstrual health via informative posts and provide community resources for those suffering from period poverty. Carrasquel outlined her two-pronged approach: “I talk about periods in a positive way. and I make sure that people have the items that they need, so that it’s normalized.”

Inherent in this approach was Carrasquel’s desire to make the Jax Period Pantry available to all menstruators. According to American University, period poverty disproportionately impacts low-income households, prompting Carrasquel to note that removing stigma around periods and period poverty begins with open and equal access to products. “It doesn’t matter what financial demographic they’re coming from. I don’t care if you’re rich. I don’t care if you have no means or anything,” she said. “I just want people to know that the products are there.”

Carrasquel’s devotion to reproductive justice and period destigmatization first began with a robust education and openness from her family. “I’ve been exposed to — age appropriate always — [reproductive] education and information and from a young age. I knew that reproductive rights were the bare minimum and that people should have the access to anything they choose for themselves. That needs to include menstrual hygiene [tools] as well,” she added.

A young Carrasquel did not know that education would inspire her to go on to work full time in reproductive health. Carrasquel now works as coordinator of the Florida Access Network, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing reproductive rights. In her free time, she promotes reproductive justice on her personal social media and continues her education on the topic. By virtue of Carrasquel’s background, the Jax Period Pantry initiative was ripe for establishing.

Carrasquel started the cause’s Instagram page and Amazon wishlist in June. “I posted about my idea and what I would need from the community in order to make it happen,” she said, adding, “It sucks that it’s necessary but at the same time, it is necessary. It’s the reality and, you know, somebody’s got to do it.”

The post was succinct in its message — “period products should be free” — and branded with Carrasquel’s signature “Love + Access.” The Jacksonville community picked up Carrasquel’s message of period destigmatization and passed it along via Instagram stories and direct messages. She began to ramp up the initiative’s social media efforts, posting more frequently about period myths and sex education practices. Soon, donations for menstrual hygiene products and containers flooded the Jax Period Pantry founder’s inbox. The project received further social media traction from Carrasquel’s interview with News4Jax.

As Carrasquel’s friends and Jax Period Pantry followers began financially chipping away at her wish list of products — pads of all sizes, tampons, sanitary wipes, disposable flex discs, containers, labels, black bags to carry products — Carrasquel chipped away at her task of building the first period pantry from scratch. The project (the cabinet itself and the colorful icons painted on its exterior) took a day and a half. Now, the organization’s first pantry lives on the side of The Walrus in Murray Hill.

The current stream of seemingly never-ceasing donations finances bimonthly restocks of products and even some items like bins for an upcoming pantry in Springfield. But it’s the spigot of community passion for ending period poverty that never seems to be off. “It [the support] has been beautiful, and it makes me really happy to see people in the community wanting to be a part of something that, you know, it’s so necessary. It takes a village at the end of the day. I couldn’t do this alone. I’m not doing this alone,” Carrasquel said.

While Carrasquel receives financial and social media support, she maintains the pantry herself, checking in on her creation every other day. “I’m really bad at asking for help,” she explained.

Even as a one-woman show, the fundraiser, activist, and amateur builder-painter’s Jax Period Pantry initiative is promoting visibility for all women’s reproductive and menstrual health issues one pantry at a time. One post at a time. One product at a time.

LIBERATED

Words and photo by Kelila Ritchie

Racism in healthcare is alive and kicking and being delivered on a silver platter by the highest paid doctor. The Supreme Court case Estelle v. Gamble declared that prison staff’s “deliberate indifference” to crucial medical needs of people who are incarcerated constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. Jacksonville’s John E. Goode Pre-Trial Detention Center (aka the jail) has been under a microscope recently for their violations of the Eighth Amendment which protects individuals against cruel and unusual punishment.

“Americans living in rural areas are more likely to die from unintentional injuries, heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory disease than their urban counterparts,” according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

So, let’s combine the already huge lack of accessibility to healthcare with incarceration. Mass incarceration.

DISPARITIES IN INCARCERATION RATES

Currently, America is the leading country in incarceration rates. To dig a little deeper, one in every 81 black adults are currently incarcerated in a state prison. From 1980-2001 there was a 170% increase in arrests for nonviolent drug offenses. This rapid increase came as a result of President Richard Nixon’s War on Drugs policy that was later established by President Ronald Reagan. It is of utmost importance to note that even though drug usage and drug transactions were similar across races and ethnicities, Black people and other people of color were and are more likely to be detained or incarcerated than white people.

The tactics used during the height of the War on Drugs heavily stuck within the communities impacted most. There is an overwhelming lack of trust within these communities; black communities, in particular, do not feel safe around law enforcement. According to PBS, ⅔ of Black Americans do not trust police to treat them fairly. In the same breath, Black communities are often overpoliced and over profiled which often results in jail or fatalities. In this instance, the two are synonymous. The war on drugs has had a more than heavy lasting influence that has plagued America for decades and also further perpetuates the cycle of mass incarceration.

Michael Sampson, executive director of the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, recognizes the connection between mass incarceration and the statistics we’re seeing today. “If you take away the criminalization of marijuana as a crime, it gives officers less context to stop someone, pull them over, search their vehicle. They want to have all the tools at their disposal to arrest when they want to arrest,” he said. “So I think that law and order culture has created a culture of mass incarceration and over-incarceration that leads to dead inmates. People are dying because they’re not getting the right services they need and deserve.”

State-sanctioned violence is nothing new to Black people and people of color in America, but the war on drugs has desensitized the public to police brutality, abuse and an overwhelming misuse of power within the justice system and its processes.

HEALTHCARE IN PRISONS

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, mass incarceration has shortened the United States overall life expectancy by five years. Granted, health issues can and sometimes do present themselves prior to arrest, but these illnesses can become drastically worse due to the lack of care in jails and prisons. Let’s paint the picture together. If you’re in a room full of sick adults and you enter in good health, chances are you are going to get sick. These chances multiply greatly when the other sick adults are not receiving the care they need and deserve. So you’re stuck in this loop of sick people constantly getting each other sick. For instance, COVID-19 severely impacted people serving time in state prisons and county jails. Jacksonville’s jail, in particular, suffered greatly at the height of the pandemic. At its height, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office reported 100 COVID-19 cases in Duval County correctional facilities and thousands more inmates had to be placed in quarantine as the agency worked to get the outbreak under control.

Jails became a COVID hotspot met with no remedies or treatments or even empathy. Many people died as a result of bodies piling on top of each other with little to no medical attention or care. People who are incarcerated rely heavily on correctional officers and the justice system as a whole while they are serving time. They don’t have the luxury of going to the pharmacy to pick up their medicine, and they don’t have the luxury to take themselves to the hospital whenever they deem necessary. They don’t even have the luxury of medication or treatment they may have already had prior to arrest. Last month, 62-year-old Rebecca Faircloth died in the Jacksonville jail after experiencing a medical emergency — despite her husband writing a letter to the prosecuting attorney that highlighted his wife’s lupus, as well as an infection stemming from the disease. Faircloth also suffered from sleep apnea that required her to sleep with a breathing machine at home, but she was denied the breathing machine during her time spent incarcerated as well. Clearly, there is a blatant disconnect between incarcerated persons and healthcare professionals.

“There needs to be a switch back to outsourcing medical service. When medical services were run by public entities or even partnerships like UF Health, when it was the Jacksonville Department of Health there weren’t that many issues with bad healthcare,” Sampson said. “Why? Because you have public servants and staff who aren’t there to turn up a profit but to simply provide care.”

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced he would no longer work with Armor Correctional Health, and JSO has entered a $110 million contract with NaphCare Correctional Health. Both entities are privately owned. Both companies have a history relating to mistreatment of those incarcerated. Reports from News4Jax and The Tributary showed Armor Correctional Health had not reported past criminal convictions against their company, something that is required by federal law. In the last year — prior to privatizing healthcare — there were a total of two deaths in the jail. Deaths at the Jacksonville jail have tripled since privatizing healthcare, according to “The Tributary.” Dexter Barry, 54, spent a total of two days in John E. Goode Jail. During these two days, he was not given his anti-rejection medication needed for his heart transplant and died after being released. Lina Odom, 28, died after not receiving medical attention following extreme alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The National Commission on Correctional Health wrote a report criticizing the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office timeliness on the reviews of deaths in the jail or, rather, the lack thereof. Further, the agency revealed delays in medications and medical support to those incarcerated. In one case, the Sheriff’s Office didn’t review an inmate’s psychological records after an inmate’s suicide.

WHAT NOW?

There is an overwhelming need for healthcare reform in prisons and jails. How do we achieve this though? How do we make people in positions of power care about those who have no power? How do we humanize elected officials? These are all questions we have been asking as a community for decades. People are dying and they will continue to die unless something is done to prevent this.

We leaders who believe healthcare is a right, not a privilege. It shouldn’t be something that citizens that are incarcerated or even those not incarcerated should have to fight tooth and nail to get medical care. But how, as a society, do we get to a point where we all agree that people are worthy of a good or even just a comfortable life?

This is your call to action Jacksonville. We have to be the voice for the voiceless. Those whose voices are muffled and drowned out by a system that deems them less than human. A system that dares you to go against them. A system that has proven not to be trustworthy, fair or unbiased. One immediate way to get involved is to learn more about the Jacksonville Community Action Committee by visiting their website at jaxtakesaction.org. The grassroots organization is dedicated to fighting for justice and liberation right in our backyard, and they are consistent which is a crucial aspect to fighting for justice.

by

Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) is a national, student-led progressive activist organization founded in the 1960s. Back then, it was considered the largest and most influential U.S. radical student organization for its time and well-known for its activism against the Vietnam War. Since then, it has continued to grow, bringing together hundreds of students from over 40 different U.S. chapters with the same attitude: dare to struggle, dare to win.

The foundation of what the group advocates for is simple human rights, along with other complex topics like labor rights, police brutality and LGBTQ+ rights, among others. Through protests, rallies, unity and courage, SDS encapsulates the best parts of youth angst — channeling energy into change. Our very own University of North Florida’s SDS has been nothing short of active, especially since Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis became legislation-happy and introduced dozens of laws impacting education in Florida.

Founded in 2016, UNF’s chapter of SDS has remained a strong voice on campus, and they won’t stop until their voices are heard. Current UNF SDS president Lissie Morales is a senior double majoring in public policy and sociology. She explained that on campus SDS serves to bring militant grassroots action for better change through various issues.

In May, Gov. DeSantis signed a law preventing all 12 Florida public universities from using any state or federal funding to promote, support or maintain programs or campus activities that advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. At UNF, this means that resources like the award-winning LGBTQ Center and an uncertain number of others would be defunded. Although the tangible consequences of the law have yet to be discovered, anxiety is high. Before its passing, UNF SDS hosted a rally on campus where dozens of students and faculty showed their support for protecting diversity in education by waving signs painted with “Educate, don’t discriminate” and “You can’t erase what we learn!” A month later, over 100 students from across Florida, including UNF SDS, marched to the Florida Board of Governors meeting in Tallahassee in pouring rain to protest the passage of the bill. Although the bill would soon be passed and implemented in July, one thing remains certain: This generation won’t go down without a fight.

Joining that fight are also a wide range of professors who have been known to stand on the same side as students regarding the defunding of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and resources. UNF SDS has received an abundance of support from faculty who agree that diversity not only belongs in higher education but is also needed.

“You have a bunch of teachers and educators in higher education — people who teach all these things and they say these things are necessary. And then you have a couple of politicians who disagree,” said Austin Rolette, a recent UNF graduate and SDS member. “It’s just the fact that those clash, and the fact that a couple of politicians are winning is mind boggling.”

UNF SDS has also been working to stand with and defend the five University of South Florida students who were arrested in March as they stood in the university president’s office demanding her accountability and opposition to defunding DEI. Video footage shows a group of students holding signs and chanting when suddenly a police officer grabs a female student’s arm and chaos ensues. Five students were arrested and currently face felony charges of assault on a police officer and misdemeanor charges for resisting an officer without violence and disrupting an educational institution. County prosecutors have filed formal charges against the five students —

‘ANGRY, YOUNG AND POOR’: STUDENT ACTIVISM IS MORE ACTIVE THAN EVER

Words

Mallory Pace

‘F*ck around and find out’

dubbing them as the “Tampa Bay 5.” Since the incident, student groups and chapters of SDS across the state have stood in solidarity with the Tampa students, advocating for their innocence.

“We are trying to do as much as we can to show up and to support them through this whole situation because they’re in the same state as us,” said Icarus Olsen, a UNF sophomore and member of SDS. “They’re fighting the same fight that we’re fighting. And it’s also the fact that it could have been any of us.”

There are obstacles and opportunities to being young, energized and angry. On one hand, SDS has the advantage of being able to extend their reach to more students and organizations just by being on campus. They also all embody a certain attitude of, as Morales put it, “f*ck around and find out,” meaning they’re often willing to go the distance more than other people. But they’re also old enough to know how to strategize their activism rather than simply making noise.

“It feels nice to have that sort of volatile but not uncontrollable energy that allows us to really make our statements,” Rolette said.

There are also certain misconceptions around student activists — being often viewed as whiny, naive kids who just don’t understand the real world yet. But Olsen argues they’re the ones standing in 100-degree heat or the pouring rain trying to make their voices heard and creating change.

“We’re going out there and defending, raising money and doing all these other things. We’re not just sitting there whining about something on social media,” he said.

As students, they also have a lot to lose like facing expulsion or arrests for exercising their rights like the Tampa Bay 5.

“We also have to watch our steps when it comes to planning and organizing stuff here on campus because, like with the Tampa Five, peaceful protests in office could turn into a horrible situation,” Olsen said. “So it’s having to watch every single step that you make and making sure that you don’t cross the line that the university sets, even if you want to.”

With great risk comes great reward, and SDS is willing to continue fighting for as long as it takes.

“We are trying to get not only this education so we can work in this world that isn’t for us yet,” said Alivia Kalin, a recent UNF graduate and member of SDS, “but we’re also trying to change the world so that everybody can benefit from it, including us.”

To SDS, activism means a number of things. Jaye Dodge, a UNF student and SDS member, said it means letting those in power know that this generation sees through their actions and they won’t accept the story they’ve written. To Calvin Pell, a UNF sophomore and SDS member, activism means going out on the ground and doing whatever’s necessary to get substantive, lasting change.

Morales also clarifies that SDS’ purpose is not to be violent or reactionary. They focus on strategizing their efforts, not creating pointless disruption for the sake of chaos. They want change, not just attention. And they encourage anyone reading: join the movement.

BEN FRAZIER: JUNE 23, 1943–JUNE 24, 2023

Words by Shelton Hull

The death of Benjamin McVickers Frazier Jr. on Saturday morning, June 24, was initially overshadowed by a private mercenary army marching to the edge of Moscow, and that is to be expected. His second battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma ended after nine months, and it ended just one day after his 73rd birthday, which he spent surrounded by family and friends, the same way he’d lived his whole life as mortality slowly insinuated itself into his life.

Ben Frazier approached death with the healthy attitude of a man who, by all rights, should have never lived to even see the 21st century, let alone to help define it.

The news was broken on Twitter by Ben Brown of Jax Today, which is part of the WJCT team, and then it led the 11 p.m. news on all channels, where it remained in the “A Block,” well into the following week. As word began to spread through the community in the early hours of Sunday, into bougie brunches and church pews, and across all factions of #jaxpol, a man already established as a living legend had become just a legend, full stop. The words you’re reading right now were written within an hour of the news coming out.

Ben Frazier was a friend of ‘Folio” for years, and he might actually be the only person to appear on the cover of both incarnations of this paper. Remarkably, he has no Wikipedia entry, but that’s only because he lived and worked in a city whose value can seemingly be conferred through external validation.

He was a friend of my family for decades, but I only really got to know him over the last eight years. Once Frazier founded the Northside Coalition on socia media in 2015, the organization was linked with Take ’Em Down Jax on the effort to remove Confederate monuments from the city. Ultimately, the statue in Hemming Park was taken down, and the park was renamed after James Weldon Johnson, and all the schools named after Confederates were also re-named, and the same thing happened countless times all over the country, and Ben Frazier would be recognized on a national and international level for his leadership in helping dislodge so many deeply-rooted, firmly entrenched symbols of white supremacy from this city and this country in such a remarkably rapid amount of time — with virtually no violence.

But when he was telling me about his plans at a table at the original Breezy back in 2017, none of this had happened yet, and I didn’t know him well enough to fully appreciate the absolute certainty with which he said they could do what hadn’t been done before. The George Floyd stuff sped up the process, as political leaders here and elsewhere had no personal interest in that stuff, so it was an easy concession to make in the broader discussion of systemic racism. Claire Goforth was editor of “Folio” at the time, and she commissioned an article from me about Frazier. The result, “Man of the People,’’ was published in April 2018,

and it will forever stand as the definitive article about a man who was, without question, the definite article, himself.

His accomplishments in the activist realm are well-known. Less-known is the courage it took him to even get that far. Frazier was a pioneering Black TV newsman, in an era where every one of them had to be special to even get a taste of serious action. He ran hard, in the era of people like Bernard Shaw, Max Robinson, Michelle Clark, Ed Gordon, Rob Sweeting, Bryant Gumble and the gawd himself, Ed Bradley. Frazier was mentored by Ken Knight, who was Jacksonville’s very first newsman of color, and for whom Ken Knight Drive was named. Both men were the pioneers of what quickly and forever became a hotbed for Black TV news talent here in Northeast Florida, the products of which can be seen on-air in every broadcast on every channel in town, as well as cities around the country, all of whom will now continue to carry forward the legacies of these and countless other pioneers.

It’s ironic that it was the flooding of that the Ken Knight Drive area that helped spark so much of the activism that would soon define local politics in 2020 and beyond. Frazier and the Northside Coalition were involved in those efforts, and the matter was personal for their leader, not only because he knew the people who lived there, but because he knew the man that street was named after. So there’s that, and so much else.

The movement to remove Confederate monuments from Jacksonville is the core initiative for which Frazier will always be remembered. It was already clear that he risked his life for his principles, but it should now be clear that his life, ultimately, was probably shortened a bit by the energy expended. He had survived a stroke years ago and was already in remission from his first bout with cancer when the pandemic began, raising the danger level for him and millions of other seniors around the country. But the work doesn’t stop — it never stops. He was active in some role in pretty much all the local social protests of the past decade, often on the front lines.

Frazier got COVID-19 in the summer of 2021, and he beat it. But then the cancer returned, a year later. He was always very transparent about his flaws, his failures and his fears, and while he maintained a positive attitude and joyous spirit throughout, the extended silences and periodic pauses in social media activity made clear, to those who knew his nature, how serious his fight had become. Having gone through so much already, Frazier prioritized family, friendship and fun, even amidst all the heaviness of his life and work. He was an avid fisherman who made time for beaches and boating. His final public photo was taken on a beach somewhere. He looks good. He always looked good, even if he didn’t feel so good.

His last tweet was a salute to his friend Pat McCullough, who served as campaign manager for Donna Deegan and is now her chief of staff. That was June 18. A week later he was dead, having just missed the chance to attend Deegan’s inauguration, which was the apogee of local progressive politics in this era. He would have been featured prominently in that weekend’s festivities, but his spirit hovered just above the fray, much as he did in life.

Tributes poured in from far and wide. He was featured prominently on all the local newscasts; WJXT, in particular, gave him the lead segment on all their newscasts from 11 p.m. Saturday (when they were first to break the news on TV) through 11 p.m. Monday. Jim Piggott, who knew Frazier for decades, was visibly emotional while discussing their most recent encounters. Special tribute was paid by Ed Gordon, the iconic former BET News anchor who worked with Frazier in Detroit, where he reigned from 1980-85. “He was also a proud Black man who knew his value,” wrote Gordon. “Frazier quickly became immensely popular on-air and would soon demand money commensurate with his co-anchors, something that wasn’t done often by Black anchors at the time. Some say management didn’t look kindly on that at the time.”

Not only did Frazier know his own value, but he helped a lot of folks (myself included) come to recognize their own value, a vital service in a region where Black life, Black issues and Black creativity are so often used merely to enhance and embellish the majority white agenda. On Tuesday, June 27, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate his life in the place where he’d made so much news: James Weldon Johnson Park, which was an entirely different space five years ago — with a different name and a large Confederate statue in the center fountain.

I was one of the first handful of people to see the statue come down in the dark of night in summer 2020, the first among many remnants of white supremacy taken down under pressure from Take ’Em Down Jax, another organization that Frazier helped lead.

Formerly known as Hemming Park (and Hemming Plaza), the area might always be best-known for Ax Handle Saturday, a race-riot debacle from 1960, but contemporary observers will know it better for the bipartisan pushback against that legacy. The job that began at Woolworth’s 63 years ago was basically completed by Frazier and his colleagues in 2020. The wave of protests that followed the murder of George Floyd had wide-ranging consequences for the entire country, but in Jacksonville, those passions were directed into substantive action, and most of their objectives were ultimately achieved.

In the end, cancer killed Ben Frazier. But it took cancer nine months to do it, on its second try, and cancer needed stress, high blood pressure, COVID-19 and Frazier being dropped on the floor and manhandled multiple times by police to finish the job. And while the job may be finished, the work is far from it, so the Northside Coalition will continue, in his memory. With his ocean-deep tenor and jazz musician style, his presence was sometimes viewed with skepticism by people who didn’t know him. But, to be fair, there were few people who ever truly knew him, in the sense of being able to understand what drove him to push himself to the limit so often, and then so far beyond, for the sake of a cause that most of us can only perceive in the abstract. He wanted those monuments gone because he always wanted them gone, for his entire life. He wanted those statues gone the way Shad Khan wants his new stadium. And both men will ultimately get what they want, probably.

FLORIDA CLASSROOMS

Words by Mallory Pace

School is back in session for Florida students, but as the state faces another year with a short staff of teachers, both school and alarm bells are ringing.

Florida’s teacher shortage dates back to 2016 when the Florida Education Association first counted 2,400 open teaching positions. By 2021, that number more than doubled and continued to grow the next year with just over 6,000 “missing” teachers. Counties across the state are desperately seeking to lessen these numbers, including Duval County, which experienced its hardest hit last year. In July 2022, the county reported roughly 500 vacancies for certified teachers — double what it saw in 2020. However, this year sees a slight sign of improvement with 351 unfilled school-based certificated positions, according to Duval County Public Schools (DCPS).

A combination of factors are at fault for the statewide shortage, and it’s a tale as old as time — teachers are overworked and underpaid. Duval County recently approved a 2.5% increase of base wage for starting teachers, making it now roughly $48,700. A win, certainly, but the fundamental challenges of teaching don’t go away with a pay increase. Although the county’s new starting salary exceeds the standard “livable wage” for a single adult with no children, it’s still not ideal considering the amount of work that goes into teaching. Most public school teachers might agree that they aren’t teaching a 20-student classroom, filled with brats and divas, for eight hours a day as administration breathes down their necks all for the big payday. It’s typically not the money that makes someone want to become a teacher: it’s their love for it — and it’s a damn shame that some have to work two jobs or struggle financially with the weight of the next generation on their backs.

Then the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic hit and changed practically everything, especially school. Teachers and students were forced behind a screen, limiting interaction. Going back to “normalcy” was difficult for a lot of people, and public schools felt that shift. Some experts claim that the pandemic exacerbated a preexisting and long-standing shortage of teachers.

A report from the Economic Policy Institute claims “the shortage is not a function of an inadequate number of qualified teachers in the U.S. economy. Simply, there are too few qualified teachers willing to work at current compensation levels given the increasingly stressful environment facing teachers.”

Teachers are always walking across a tightrope, but the pandemic gave many the extra push to jump ship.

On top of the stress and lack of financial security teachers deal with is a new wave of politics washing over the classroom. It started back in March 2022 when Gov. Ron DeSantis passed the Parental Rights in Education bill or as opponents have dubbed it, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This banned public school teachers from instructing or discussing topics like gender identity, preferred pronouns and sexual orientation in the classroom, which was recently expanded to grades K-12. Then the Stop W.O.K.E. Act was passed in April 2022, which prohibits teaching certain concepts related to race like Critical Race Theory and numerous other vaguely described topics. It aims to ban teaching lessons or having discussions that would make students feel “guilt or anguish” for their race. Teachers caught breaking either law could face termination or risk suspension of their teaching license.

The Stop W.O.K.E. Act was challenged in several lawsuits, including one by the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, which sued the state on behalf of students and educators. Although the state is unable to enforce the Stop W.O.K.E. Act at this time, the thought of such a law is scary enough.

Then there are the book bans. In July 2022, DeSantis signed a new law requiring all library books to be reviewed by a certified media specialist. The county’s website lists 19 books as “not-approved,” but other reports claim that many more are currently inaccessible while the district works to “review” them. Many schools and teachers allegedly removed an abundance of books out of fear and panic that they would be accused of violating the law, for which the penalty is a felony charge.

A fifth grade English Language Arts teacher in Duval County, who preferred to remain anonymous, told “Folio” that when schools were first instructed to remove or cover classroom books as they went “under review,” she felt confused and devastated for her students.

“Teaching students how to read is one thing, but teaching them to love reading is another,” she said. “If you can teach a child to see the value in reading, then you have given them the power to learn anything.”

Although the aim of these laws is supposed to give parents more say in what their children are taught in school, it ultimately takes away what it means to be a teacher.

“Feeling like you cannot be trusted to judge what is appropriate and inappropriate in your classroom is discouraging,” she said. “Why would we want to work in a profession that undermines our expertise and takes away our autonomy?”

After placing so many rules, restrictions and penalties on teachers, it’s no wonder they’ve had enough. The job description is changing, and if so many teachers are leaving, where does that leave aspiring ones? Jordan Clark, a junior at the University of North Florida studying elementary education feels the stress of her future career. In the back of her mind, Clark knew she had a passion for teaching but ultimately decided to enter the university as a double major in criminal justice and psychology. But as she entered her sophomore year, Clark made the decision to listen to her heart and switched to education. She was first apprehensive about teaching because of the salary and stress, which Clark still has concerns about, but it’s hard to put a price on passion. While she knows she made the right decision, she still has worries about what’s to come.

“Teaching, to me, means giving kids the opportunity to think outside the box and grow their mindset, not just in school, but outside of school,” Clark said. “It’s giving them a quality learning experience … making sure kids have a place to express themselves and also learn at the same time.”

THE DREADFUL ‘DEAD SEASON’

Words by Carson Rich

Once a year comes the time when every sports fan’s worst nightmare comes back to haunt them … the dead season. This dreadful time is when most of the major sports have come to an end, and it seems as if life has no meaning anymore. The dead season also takes a toll on local bars and restaurants who rely on games to bring in customers

Owning and operating a local sports bar is a massive risk for business owners looking to get into the food industry. The money coming in during the season helps the place flourish, but maintaining that stability when a lot of the revenue starts to fade away becomes one of the biggest issues an owner can face. Cost management is the key during these months as bills still have to be paid, regardless of how much revenue is coming in. Rent, utilities and staff salaries are the biggest concerns but even after that comes the cost for inventory and any unexpected problems that just naturally go along with running a sports bar.

A fluctuating amount of inventory throughout each week can easily turn into a loss of profit for the company, as there is not enough traffic during days where games are not taking place for people to use up their resources. Sports bars can be very unpredictable if sports are not in season because there needs to be other ways to promote their business. A few ways to get around this can be weekly specials, happy hours and also trying to draw in as much attention towards the other sports that could be going on during the dead season.

Staffing can also affect not just the owners, but the entire team of employees. When it gets too slow and there are no new faces walking through the door, hours are hard to come by, especially for waiters and waitresses, whose paychecks usually rely on tips they receive to balance out their low hourly wages. For owners, labor cost becomes a main priority as they have to pay extra money so that the business does not have to keep their workers on the clock, and the only way to avoid that is to decrease the amount of people scheduled each shift. Downsizing during the dead season is a hard thing to do as the turnover rate rises exponentially, and seasonal employees are just about all you can advertise.

In the future, Jacksonville sports bars and should see a huge spike in revenue and traffic due to the renovations on TIAA Bank Field. The Jaguars’ success as a team plays a factor into it as well, as their entry into the NFL playoffs generated new promotions, and once again excitement for the following 2023-2024 season.

DATING IN A POLLUTED FISH BOWL:

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S THEM…

After taking a few months to heal and fill up my schedule with many arbitrary hobbies, It doesn’t exempt me from finding myself back in the never-ending circle of unprovoked exhaustive interactions with Jacksonville men.

I often catch myself turning my nose up in disgust when approached by the male species; particularly since my discovery of the Facebook group “Are We Dating the Same Guy.”

Although I had already heard my fair share of horror stories through numerous recounts of TikTok storytimes, I was intrigued to hear Jacksonville has its own group (with over 13,000 active members), exposing one cheating man at a time in the city and the surrounding areas.

With this group, women are able to confirm if the guy they recently have developed butterflies for is actually involved in a monogamous relationship or if there are any red flags to watch out for.

So, a parasocial sorority with standards, maybe?

Well, whatever it is, women of all backgrounds, cultures and statuses come together to avenge their love lives … or end them, depending on the responses received, and as soon as I was accepted by the administration I started scrolling, keeping my eyes peeled for any impending “tea.” I got a face full of extensive screenshots, heartbreaking stories and hundreds of comments of personal experiences from various different girls.

I was a bit gagged … how could a man live a double life? (But was I really surprised?)

My heart broke when I saw so many women posting pictures of themselves and their partners,pleading for any knowledge to ease or confirm any suspicions they had.

Some posts had no comments but much support from fellow women, and some were littered with threads of “Can I PM [private message] you? I have some information.”

Administrators regularly monitor posts and have complete control over what gets posted or commented on and what is not allowed.

With some guidelines including:

• “Don’t include even a single remotely negative word or accusation …”

• “No libel or defamation of character.”

• “Don’t post hot takes, politics, religion or solicitations.”

It is stressed by members and administration to keep posts within the group, but on social media, that’s virtually impossible. Members have the ability to post anonymously, taking steps to protect themselves just in case of potential retaliation. But screenshots are still often shared and sent to the men being posted by people in the group. This regularly causes conflict, and many women are then confronted by the individuals.

But is it a risk that each poster is aware of? Much of the backlash received from the guys is the consequence of a bruised ego and embarrassment on their part since they were caught.

Now this Facebook page doesn’t just feed into the bashing of men. (It’s not a warlock hunt. Calm down.) There are countless stories of women vouching for good men that they know.

Many endorse them as “the sweetest human ever” or “a bit shy but a great guy nonetheless.” This has encouraged a spin-off Facebook page, Vouched Dating — Jacksonville, which gives users the ability to recommend their sons, brothers, coworkers and even former lovers who are great … but it just didn’t work out.

Words and photo by Amiyah Golden

With over 13,000 Facebook users being a part of this group, there is a very good chance at least one person may directly or indirectly know the person being questioned or scouted.

I’ve seen baby mamas endorse their baby’s father, and I’ve also seen them say, “Run far away!” I’ve seen exes from 10 years ago recount intimate memories but follow up with, “That was 10 years ago. I’m sure he’s changed.” The entire page is truly a mixed bag of stories, reviews and advice.

With all these new avenues of dating available the subtle horror that may come with it continues to make my head spin, making the desire to date become a torn reality. I don’t want to become an old cat lady (although I’m already on that path: two cats deep already. Yikes.). But on the other hand I don’t want to subject myself to potential doom. OK, enough of me being cynical.

Jacksonville is full of so many beautiful people, and there is truly a person out there for everyone. With places like Ink Factory Brewing in Jacksonville Beach and Legacy Ale Works in St. Augustine holding dating events for an array of age groups. The ability to still meet people organically is on the table.

If you want to lean away from the bar scene, try out some local Jacksonville social groups such as Sunday Social or Jax Social Group which host a range of events aimed to promote intentional, fun connections.

Interactions aren’t limited to orchestrated group activities but can simply bloom out of your sole exploration of this beautiful city we call home. That spirit of voyage may just turn into a fated “meet-cute.”

With “Folio” now bringing back our infamous “I Saw You” column, there is no excuse as to why you’ll be freezing this winter, when you can be bundled up beside the cute brunette you saw at Chamblin’s last Friday. Or shoot your shot with the one who got away at Lynch’s Irish Pub that one night or the person you saw at Trader Joe’s but were too scared to say anything. You may think a passing interaction felt like the end of a love story before it even began, but we are granting you the opportunity to create your own ending.

To my single people out there, I know you read the first half of this story and maybe the idea of love is now a *bombastic side eye*, but my briefing wasn’t to scare you. I will always encourage the formation of authentic experiences and relationships.

Some men will be men (the key word being “some”) and the same goes for women (the women’s version of the page does exist, if you want to look for it). But love has always been known to be the biggest chance you’ll take out there. Fortunately, the reward almost always trumps the risk!

So go out and love freely (not if you’re in a committed relationship of course), and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there! You don’t want to carve pump -

THE RISE OF THE AWKWARD

Words by Su Ertekin-Taner

At 13, I watched my words, spoke quietly and re-evaluated my interactions. Because awkward silences and missed social cues were a warrant for social death, I preemptively planned conversations and decisive reactions. Authenticity was vulnerability, and I attempted to adapt. What choice did I have? In the 2010s, social dexterity was king and I was subservient to norms and taboos … that is, until awkwardness became orthodox in mainstream media.

***

In an increasingly algorithmic generation, a niche video from a quick TikTok scroll session can make for an omnipresent media trend just as quickly as it can be discarded as visual scraps. So when I came across a clip from Amelia Dimoldenberg’s web series “Chicken Shop Date” with rapper Jack Harlow six months ago, I didn’t think much of it. In the video, Dimoldenberg, the British CEO and host of the mock date/interview series, cheekily asks Harlow how many children he wants in the future. Harlow shoots back with a tongue in cheek response: “Many,” later adding, “all girls. I want eight daughters.” Dimoldenberg adds to the banter asking about the rapper’s potential living accommodations with his eight daughters.

The conversation, not more than a minute in length, ambles along equally as awkwardly, Dimoldenberg’s characteristic deadpan humor dictating the tone. With each almost-inappropriately forward remark, she hyperbolizes the discomfort of a first date for viewing pleasure. I was smitten by the “Between Two Ferns” and “The Eric Andre Show,” both similarly awkward-inspired series, quickly diving into more juicy content from Dimoldenberg.

But my new TikTok niche wasn’t all that nichey. The clips of “Chicken Shop Date,” all taken from the original six- to seven-minute “Chicken Shop Date” YouTube videos, were bringing in hundreds of thousands of views if not millions. Comments readily expressed their fascination with this awkward interview style. The awkwardness of each conversation was as potent a drug to TikTok users as the catered abyss of TikTok content.

Recently, a new queen of awkward has been on the rise, supplying more much-needed uncomfortable content for these social media users: Bobbi Althoff, host of “The Really Good Podcast” and “social media star with over 80 followers— as she sarcastically defines herself on YouTube.

Bobbi Althoff for Cosmopolitan by Davis Bates

Amanda Dimoldenberg for Washington Post by Philipp Raheem

AWKWARD INTERVIEW

Althoff’s 30- to 60-minute podcast episodes feature celebrities and pop culture icons as they attempt to crack her brand of soft-spoken dry humor and nearly trademarked bit of requesting money from her famous guests. The comedian, always engulfed by the couch she sits on, lets her interviewees steer the tide of the bit-filled conversation. She’s not on a date; she’s acquainted and entirely unfazed by the presence of her big guests.

Of course, with big guests like Drake, Mark Cuban, Tyga and Lil Yachty comes big numbers. Each of Althoff’s interviews has gone viral, averaging millions of views on YouTube.

Amid the rise of these budding stars, I can barely go a TikTok scroll session without seeing either Dimoldenberg or Althoff’s characters’ deadpan quips. While each clip is undeniably funny, I can’t help but wonder why these two haven’t fallen into the cracks of the algorithm like so many other comedians. Why has this awkward improv interview style attracted so many views, especially from a generation built on a foundation of avoiding that same social awkwardness?

“His personality and smile is contagious. I’m not even a fan of him like that, but this video made me smile throughout — raw, genuine and honest. I’ve fallen in love,” @k__1234 commented on her viral YouTube video.

The message is echoed in many of the YouTube comments: There’s something truly bewitching about watching Central Cee squirm as he attempts to define his romantic “type” or his outlook on love.

In addition to subverting the norms of talk shows, “Chicken Shop Date” and “The Really Good Podcast” subvert the norms of social interaction. Dimoldenberg and Althoff, unfazed by their discomforting inquiries and awkwardness, invite the audience to join a reality where that awkwardness is the norm, not the exception. There is no wrong comment or interaction, no rephrased question (at least in the final cut), no re-evaluated interaction. Any traditionally “wrong” interview question — which is usually taken to mean one that exposes a celebrities’ private life or veers off-topic — is prime content.

***

Much of Dimoldenberg and Althoff’s social media prowess comes from their awkward characters’ ability to unravel a celebrity’s persona on screen and render them completely unfamous.

Both are strictly anti-talk show. Seemingly no prepared questions, no extensive promotional talk and no traditionally laugh-out-loud jokes that sustain a superficial entertainment identity. Instead, the hosts employ off the cuff, irregular questions and requests — like when Dimoldenberg asks Jack Harlow if he can read or Althoff requests money from Drake for a plane ticket back home.

This subversion of traditional talk show format leaves unprepared celebrities vulnerable. When reduced to a satirical and somewhat fabricated (for entertainment) dynamic, each guest copes with authenticity or better, their own brand of humor. Whether or not a guest can get through a gauntlet of questions with high ratings from social media comments depends entirely on these authentic responses.

Each celebrities’ gradual adaptation to this interview style may cause uncomfortability and sometimes friction, but the resulting expulsion of artifice is why so many watch Dimoldenberg and Althoff’s content. Alluding to Althoff’s strategically deployed uncomfortable pauses during her Tyga interview, YouTube viewer @drstevefonso commented, “She has the capacity and confidence to endure silence, and it forces her guests to slow down and loosen the grip of their natural defen[s]es … Brings out their authenticity, which is totally refreshing in the entertainment world.”

A Dimoldenberg viewer even noted their newfound adoration of the rapper’s sincerity during his “Chicken Shop Date” interview.

While media content doesn’t always translate to daily culture, Dimoldenberg and Althoff’s media empires are ones of great influence — their combined number of YouTube views indicate as much — and sources of cultural conversation. So, as the now-household names carry out making their awkward content in the social media sphere, they’re also dictating a real-life trend in our quotidian spheres.

A slew of YouTube and TikTok comments, for example, calls for real-life applications of the cultural phenomenon of awkwardness. YouTube user @chiamika commented on Althoff’s conversation practices: “This is such a great way to get a little insight on who people are … I love how down to earth, smart, and funny Mark [Cuban] is, and how Bobbi keeps right up with him.” @realeques even claimed, “Amelias dry humor is what i need in a woman,” about Dimoldenberg’s interview with British rapper Fredo. Many other users indicate their willingness to try out the awkward conversation trend in their personal life.

With the rise of the awkward interview and its admiration, I feel my inner child mending its strained relationship with awkwardness. Instead of feeling a duty to abide by social cues like laws, I feel equipped to fumble a norm or violate a taboo like these exemplary comedic trailblazers; at 19, I finally found a comfortable enough internet space to do so.

Yes, I sit with my awkwardness, lean into it even. I’m a comedian with poor punchlines, a confrontational date, a forward friend because Dimoldelberg and Althoff among other sources of awkward have allowed me to be. Media has snuffed the flame of normalcy and lit a new one in celebration of everything awkward, and I couldn’t be happier.

The girls discuss last year’s word of the year and their predictions for this year’s

CARMEN: It has come to our attention that Webster’s word of the year in 2022 was “gaslight.” Now, I don’t know about you, but I think that is pretty incredible. I mean that word hardly existed prior to 2022 (at least to us) and with how social media took it and ran with it, I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it does.

AMBAR: And if you don’t know what gaslighting means, you’re probably prone to gaslighting. But jokes aside, according to Merriam-Webster, gaslighting is “the act or practice of grossly misleading someone especially for one’s own advantage.” Merriam’s words, not mine.

CARMEN: I think my favorite saying is “I’m not gaslighting you; you’re just crazy” whenever someone gets called out for “grossly misleading someone.” Now that the word has become more mainstream, it’s pretty easy to sense when you are being gaslit, though that doesn’t mean we (I) don’t still fall victim to it.

AMBAR: The word first appeared in the 1938 play and 1944 movie “Gas Light” in which a man is doing mysterious activity in the attic to cause the house’s gas lights to dim but attempts to make his wife believe she is going insane. But of course, the gas lights are dimming and he is, indeed, participating in some shady activities.

CARMEN: I know plenty of men who have tried to convince me I was going insane. Like when my ex-boyfriend convinced me he was not cheating on me … then my gyno appointment said otherwise. Read between the lines there.

AMBAR : Unfortunately, we’ve all been there. Hence the popularity of the word in 2022.

CARMEN: Plenty of other fun words have gained popularity on social media since, so here is where we begin to predict the next word of the year. Ambar and I are highly qualified to be making these predictions: I swear it.

AMBAR: Talk about gaslighting.

Words by Ambar Ramirez and Carmen Macri

CARMEN: Relax? Anyway, for my first-round draft pick, I am selecting the word “slay.” Now before you get upset with me for choosing this word, I must say, that slay has become so ingrained into the vocabulary of not only Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha, but I have seen quite a few millennials picking up on the word. Albeit, it’s cringe, but it conveys what it needs to convey.

AMBAR: While the archaic definition of slay is to kill a person or animal in a violent way. The informal and popular use of the term is defined as to greatly impress or amuse.

CARMEN: Slay is the new swag. I hate it, but it’s true. I wish I could not say “slay” in every sentence that leaves my mouth, but I simply cannot. It is the perfect word. Ambar brings me an orange to work? Slay. My boyfriend had a good day at work? Slay.

AMBAR: Combined Minds? Slay.

CARMEN : Though I do love “slay,” I must say that selecting the word of the year isn’t as straightforward as just picking a favorite word; it goes much deeper than that. The previous words of the year serve as a kind of summary of what that year meant to us. Here’s how I see it: In 2022, “gaslight” became the word of the year because it felt like the government was constantly trying to manipulate and deceive us. Prior to that in 2021, “vaccine” took the spotlight because the government was pushing for vaccine mandates, which had a huge impact on our lives. Of course, 2020 was all about the “pandemic” — no need to explain that one — it changed everything. And in 2019, “they” was the word of the year, reflecting a significant shift in how we think about gender and identity. You get the drift.

AMBAR : Going along with how Merriam-Webster traditionally comes up with the word of the year, maybe this year’s word of the year will be “aliens.” Or, to take it one step further, “conspiracy” ’cause God knows I love my conspiracies and aliens (cue last month’s “Combined Minds” podcast).

CARMEN: If we are being honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if “conspiracy” became the word of the year. It feels like every other week (or anytime Hunter Biden gets caught smoking crack with prostitutes) another conspiracy theory turns true. Maybe the word of the year will be “Hunter Biden.”

AMBAR: Or maybe the word of the year will be “activist,” considering all of the (necessary) protests and political movements going on.

CARMEN: If we are staying along the lines of government-esque words of the year, “plea deal” is my second-round draft pick. I mean how many people in politics have been “arrested” and granted a plea deal this year? Hunter Biden, for one.

AMBAR: You are obsessed with Hunter Biden.

CARMEN: He is so entertaining. I can’t help it.

AMBAR: Anyway … guess we’ll just have to wait and see what word Merriam-Webster comes up with at the end of the year.

Annabella suffered a meniscus tear but thanks to Injury Care Centers & our Biotarget Therapy she was back on the field in only 3 weeks.

CARMEN : Slay.

JME LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

2. Describe the person (ex. “You: Brunette, blue eyes, tattoos”)

3. Describe yourself (ex. “Me: Blonde, tall, brown eyes”)

TOASTED, TENDER, MULTI GRAIN

I saw you there, waiting patiently at the Publix Deli in River side. It was warm outside, but you were hotter. Toasted out the oven actually. You, dressed in lettuce, tomato, mustard, onion and a multi grain loaf like an armor against the world. You were chicken tenders and Gruyère. I was smitten, hungry eyes. Don’t let this be a missed connection.

9/12, 8pm. Brunette, white tank, burgundy spandex, with fam ily. You opened the door for me. Exchanged glances several times. You took my breath away. Hard to speak to you in that moment but would love another chance

Want to see it all?

You were out for the town, I was casual 5’6 brown hair/green eyes, long legs. I was grabbing a drink with my mom and you knew my mom. She had a glass of 5 too much and decided she was going to find me my match....it wasn’t you but I se cretly knew it was! We talked in the parking lot, had a kiss that forever changed my life....and yours too. 2 years later and “you’re gonna marry me” let’s do it!

For information, tickets, & more scan here & sign up. VISIT JAXMUSIC.ORG

Goodbye swipes and hello ‘I Saw You’. FOLIO wants to help YOU connect with that stranger you just cant stop thinking about.

1. write a five-word headline so the person can recognize the moment you two shared.

4. Describe the moment.

5. Meet, fall in love, book the wedding venue.

No more than 40 words. Revive your love life with FOLIO’s I Saw You.

In Your Own Words

“What inspired you to begin working with the Northside Coalition in Jacksonville, and what specific changes do you hope to bring about in your community through your activism?

What strategies and initiatives do you believe are most effective in addressing the unique challenges faced by communities in Jacksonville, and how do you see yourself contributing to positive change in the area?”

Mae Flaven

“I wasn’t part of the Northside Coalition, but I worked directly alongside the founder and former president Ben Frazier. As a young queer woman of Pacific Islander descent, I am directly affected by some of the injustices that this community has encountered. Therefore, it is my duty as an active citizen to hold the people in power accountable. Personally, I have worked with organizations helping queer and trans people, working to remove all symbols of white supremacy. I have worked to fight against whitewashing history in schools, and I have worked on campaigns as big as governor races and as small as Soil and Water [Conservation] Board positions. I just want to make our community safe and equal for people from all walks of life.

I think being a small voice in a big crowd of people is really powerful. To elaborate on that, you can have five big voices fighting for equality, but if you have 500 small voices you can do so much more. I think what Jacksonville really needs is for the people to work together to make this a better place for us all. We need to embrace our differences and work as a community of people. Jacksonville is struggling right now with the cost of living — rent, food, utilities — and we are so busy trying to keep ourselves afloat that we are overlooking what the government is doing to our state. A lot of our direct issues come straight out of Tallahassee, and if we don’t vote for better leaders, then the entire state is screwed. We need people to take action and VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!”

with the

Choreography: Roberto Forleo

Conductor: Kevin Fitzgerald

October 13 - 14, 2023

Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts Moran Theater

Solve this puzzle like a regular sudoku, but instead of using numbers, use the letters R-A-N-D-O-L-P-H (for Director of Economic Development Ed Randolph) to fill each row, column and box.

Dear Dumbs,

Dear Dumbs,

I listen to your podcast every Monday. Thank you for putting yourselves out there. You’re doing good in a lighthearted way.

I have a pretty big issue. It’s so big I’m using an alias to protect everyone involved.

My husband was in a toxic marriage for 11 years. It was so bad that he made the horrible decision of hiring a prostitute to help him through his “dark period.” His previous wife had cheated on him, and he felt that was a way to even the score.

He told me this while we were dating, and I thought I would be able to get over his use of a hooker. It’s so dirty and gross to think of him like that. We’ve now been married for three years, and it still makes me question his character. I’ve even gone to therapy about this, and it didn’t help at all.

Maybe you both could help me sort it out or at the very least do one of your classic reenactments.

All the best.

Viki Florida

TERRY: This is a great Dear Dumbs. We have hookers!

SHARI: Nothing better than a hooker, Terry.

TERRY: I have never employed the services of one, and I can’t imagine ever doing so. That being said, because of the Lex and Terry Show I do know a few who have become actual friends of mine. This will come into play later on …

SHARI: Yes, and I’ve met a few of them too. Nice people. I’m afraid I don’t have a lot of sympathy for your situation, Viki. I mean, I wouldn’t enjoy thinking about Terry using a hooker’s service, but if it was before we even met, I can’t see where it would have anything to do with me.

TERRY: Yes. Viki, you really should give him credit for being honest with you. He never had to tell you this. I’m not so sure I would ever reveal that information. You talk about character.

SHARI: Maybe this will help, Viki. Think of prostitutes as offering a valuable service, much like a barber or a manicurist. At the end of the day, it’s just a business transaction. Two consenting adults fulfilling a contract.

TERRY: Maybe this will also help. Time for you to start dressing like a hooker, Viki.

SHARI: Ha! Not at all, Viki! Don’t listen to Terry. Just because I’m advocating for prostitutes doesn’t mean I’m suggesting YOU have to be a hooker. You be you. But give your husband some slack here.

TERRY: Boring.

SHARI: Yup. Some guys like boring, OK? Seriously, Viki, I get that you can’t get past this. But I’m sure there’s probably something in your past you’re not completely proud of (I hope). Should your husband think less of you for that? I don’t think so. I would like to suggest that you worry about the things that matter, like if he’s a kind, caring person or if he pays his taxes.

TERRY: Great advice, Shari. I said earlier that I would get back to this point. You need to give him credit for his honesty. That is true character. He did it. He had his reasons for doing it and I’m sure he felt ridiculous for doing so. I’m sorry you can’t get the vision out of your head. You’re not wrong for feeling some kind of way about this, but it’s time to move forward.

SHARI: Yes, remember it really has nothing to do with you. He made a decision you don’t agree with and that is that. If he’s a good guy and he loves you, count yourself lucky to have each other.