“It’s kind of a statement that our culture is obsessed with violence.”
“It has been a fun new show and all of the pieces are lower in price.”
Brace yourself to utter a few “Oooos” and “Ahhhhs” over this bunch.
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Independent News | December 05, 2013 | Volume 14 | Number 46 | inweekly.net
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for Adoption has awarded a $70,000 grant to FamiliesFirst Network of Lakeview. The money will be used to find forever families for children who have been waiting in foster care the longest. The grant is through the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, which awards funding so that agencies like FamiliesFirst Network can hire specialized adoption recruiters and provide them with the time and resources to aggressively seek permanent placements for children most in need of loving families.
ESCAMBIA SEARCH AND RESCUE
AAF Pensacola has officially announced Escambia Search and Rescue as their selection for the 2013-2014 public service campaign. Annually, the Pensacola chapter of the American Advertising Federation selects a non-profit organization for a public service advertising campaign directed to that organization’s specific needs. Escambia Search and Rescue is a non-profit organization that trains for and responds to many different types of incidents including lost children and missing persons. The organization was chosen from more than 90 applications.
CARLA BESTOR This active duty nurse case manager at Naval Hospital Pensacola was recently selected by the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery as the 2013 Navy Medicine Case Manager of the Year. Bestor has been a case manager at the hospital for 15 years.
losers BLACK FRIDAY CREEP Thanksgiving Day has traditionally been one of the two holidays that retailers let their employees spend the day with their families. Not this year. Walmart, Kmart, Target, Best Buy and others started their “Black Fridays” on Thanksgiving Day, as they tried to make up for a holiday shopping season that’s six days shorter than usual. It doesn’t appear to have worked that well. The overall retail spending for the weekend was estimated to be $57.4 billion. That's down from $59.1 billion last year. Healthy ideas
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body in this country may go down as the least productive in our history. According to the website Politico, this Congress has enacted less than 50 laws as of Nov. 30. In the last 66 years, there are just four occasions in which fewer than 100 laws were enacted by a similar point in the legislative calendar. The previous Congress held the record passing only 62 laws through November.
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113TH CONGRESS The top legislative
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KEN DETZNER Florida Secretary of State has instituted new restrictions for how people can return their absentee ballots. He instructed supervisors of election to only accept completed absentee ballots at their offices. Supervisors have in the past set up multiple sites to accept them. Detzner wants to put a stop to that.
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outtakes
by Rick Outzen
THE GREEDY PARTNER A few years ago, I was looking into the business dealings of a man who had passed away. Several of his former business partners told me he was always great at the beginning of a business deal, but when the operation began to make money, he figured out ways to cut out his partners. “He wasn't happy with his share of the profits,” said the wife of one former partner. “He had to have yours, too.” Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward and his administration appear to be the same type of business partner. Eight years ago, Rishy and Quint Studer pledged to enter into a use agreement for the yet-to-be-built maritime stadium for their independent minor league baseball team and to build a $12-million office building near it. The couple has more than delivered on those promises. Their Blue Wahoos is a Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and has won national recognition of its fan-friendly atmosphere. Their office building has added a fourth floor and now will add $16 million to the tax rolls. Yet their business partner, the city of Pensacola, wants to renegotiate their use agreement that’s barely three years old, even though the city appears to have no legal basis for their demand. The mayor just wants more of the Studers’ share.
The mayor’s dispute over the Pitt Slip leases is very similar. In 1985, the city wanted to create a public-private partnership for a marina project outside the gates of the Port of Pensacola. The city provided the land for a nominal ground lease and the private sector would make the capital investment in the marina and the retail and office buildings. If the developer owned any of the businesses on the site, he would pay five percent of his gross sales and rents if they exceeded the ground lease payments. In return, the developer got a lease for 30 years that would renew for another 30 years. For the first 15 years of the lease, a succession of developers failed at delivering on the original vision for the property. That changed in 1998 when Great Southern Restaurant Group rented space for The Fish House, which has become nationally famous. Now Mayor Hayward wants to change their deal, demanding, with apparently little legal basis, five percent of its gross sales since April 2000. He wants their share of the profits, too. Maybe greed is just in the DNA of Pensacola. I hope wiser minds will prevail over the mayor to help him work with, not against, those who have invested in downtown Pensacola. {in} rick@inweekly.net
I hope wiser minds will prevail over the mayor to help him work with, not against, those who have invested in downtown Pensacola.
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buzz RUMBLINGS IN HEALTH CARE The federal government has changed how it pays hospitals for their Medicare patients, and that shift could have a negative impact on our local economy while the hospitals adjust to the new revenue model and modify their financial forecasts. Sacred Heart Health System CEO Susan Davis explained, “The biggest change is the shift in how we're being paid.” The Medicare will no longer pay on a fee-for-services basis when a patient is discharged from the hospital. Instead reimbursements will be based on the overall quality of care, both inside and outside of the hospital, which will be taken into account in the final payments made by Medicare. The hospitals, doctors and other providers will be paid a flat fee for their services. If the patient improves, doesn’t have to be readmitted and there is an overall cost savings, the hospitals and the other providers will share in those savings. “The objective is to improve the quality of health care,” said Davis, “and to make sure the continuum of care—the community, doctors’ offices, acute care, long-term care and hospice—are working together to provide the care the patient needs.” Health care costs have tripled over the past two decades. Hospital charges represent the biggest single segment and are the largest driver of medical inflation, according to a new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association. The theory behind the reimbursement shift is for hospitals to partner with their doctors to reduce hospital stays and the numbers of readmissions—which is a good thing. However, for hospitals that have built their capital expansions, debt and
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return on investments on a fee-for-service revenue stream, the change can be, in the short-term, financially challenging. For the Pensacola area that has five hospitals—Sacred Heart, Baptist, West Florida, Gulf Breeze Hospital and Santa Rosa Medical Center, the change in reimbursement could have a negative impact on the local economy as the institutions shift personnel around. The area has already seen some layoffs in the health care sector. “I think as we move along this new continuum of care that there will be less hospital admissions so there will be empty hospital beds,” said Davis, “and care will most likely happen outside of the hospital.” However, she sees opportunities in the change. “I'm a nurse; my background is ICU (Intensive Care Unit). The skill set I have will still be needed, but there will be many more opportunities today because the care will be provided in an environment that is perhaps better for the patient and less costly.” Sacred Heart was approved as an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid, the goal is to offer coordinated care that ensures that patients, especially the chronically ill, receive the right care at the right time, while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors. When an ACO succeeds both in delivering high-quality care and spending health care dollars more wisely, it will share in the savings it achieves for the Medicare program. Davis said, “The idea is the payment system will be based on how accountable we—the doctors, hospitals and home health care—are, as providers. We will be paid a fixed amount for those services. If
“I think as we move along this new continuum of care that there will be less hospital admissions so there will be empty hospital beds.”
Susan Davis
we're able to provide some savings, we then share in those savings.” The Sacred Heart CEO said she personally had trouble understanding Gov. Rick Scott’s decision to opt out of the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. “The state not participating in ACA is going to cost $55 billion in revenue over a 10-year period,” said Davis. “The citizens of Florida pay taxes to the federal government. The states who do participate will get the benefits of our tax dollars.” “Meanwhile we still have patients who need care.”
WINE WALK, NOT FESTIVAL
Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) may have a more creative replacement for its Pensacola Wine Festival, which had to eventually cancel for 2013 after Tropical Storm Karen threatened its scheduled date in October. “Wine festivals may be a dying breed because the vendors themselves don’t really like them,” said Jane Birdwell, who handles the DIB’s marketing, at the board’s regular meeting on Dec. 3. Joe Abston, who owns Hopjacks and The Tin Cow on South Palafox, suggested replacing the festival with a smaller, more exclusive wine walk that would initially accommodate 100 participants and gradually grow to 150 people for subsequent walks.
"The walk would be two hours, 4 - 6 p.m., on a Saturday afternoon focusing on four retail—non-food and beverage—establishments," said Abston, who had also organized the Pensacola Wine Festival for the DIB. He has commitments from retailers Susan Campbell Jewelry, Elebash's, Jewelers Trade and is looking for one more establishment. "It's four locations, four vendors and probably no more than four wines per stop. We are looking at having the wine tiered in three price points—low, middle and high.” Customers won’t have to carry their wine purchases to their cars or from shop to shop. Instead they can place orders with the vendors and have select wines delivered to their homes by the following Tuesday. “These are such small events, the vendors are willing to do them every two months,” said Abston. “Instead of enlarging the number of participants, we look at a higher dollar mark so that six or 12 months down the road this is a coveted $50 or $60 ticket.” He hopes that vendors will see the event being more than a “drink fest.” Instead, he hopes they will come to view it as a way to market their boutique wines to an exclusive clientele. Councilman Brian Spencer liked the proposal. "Joe, I think your business plan is much more consistent with the way wine vendors, the higher-end and more boutique ones, expect to reach customers. They measure success by the number of orders they get." He pointed out the success of the wine festivals in the Sandestin area. "I think Pensacola can capture something that we've overlooked. What you describe is right on target." Abston is tentatively looking to hold the first wine walk on Saturday, Jan. 25, but the event is still in the planning stage. {in} ▶ For the whole story everyday check out ricksblog.biz
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The restaurant’s party and catering businesses have also been hurt by the city’s threat. "We’ve definitely lost business,” said Merrill. “Over Thanksgiving weekend, there were brides in town booking their parties for next October. They didn't want to take the chance that we might not be in business next year. People are now hesitant to book their Christmas parties with us.” Why would the mayor’s office resort to such strong-arm tactics? Many would expect a default notice to be sent by Mayor Hayward only after his negotiations with Seville Harbour and Merrill Land had hit an impasse, especially when the notice is a public record that could hurt two landmark restaurants. However, there had been no negotiations with the city, though Russenberger's attorney had asked to combine the leases in 2009. The leases were properly renewed in July 2011, and the mayor had never sent them any written proposals concerning the properties. Merrill told the IN that he had only two meetings with the Hayward administration on the lease—one in 2011 with City Attorney Jim Messer and then Chief of Staff John Asmar, the other this past September with City Administrator Colleen Castille. Neither time did the city officials bring up anything about the restaurants owing millions in back rent. Never did the city ask for five percent of his restaurants’ sales. “We have been waiting for the city to get back to us,” said Merrill. “We had no idea this was an issue or the mayor’s position on the leases.”
PENSACOLA LANDMARK
By Rick Outzen The title of the Pensacola News Journal’s (PNJ) article on Tuesday, Nov. 26 could have easily been “Mayor Accuses Fish House of Cheating City Out of Millions.” It wasn’t, but that is how some interpreted the article about the default notice sent on behalf of Mayor Ashton Hayward to Collier Merrill, co-owner of the restaurant. But PNJ readers didn’t know what Merrill knew—that the notice was a negotiation ploy by the city, unsupported factually or legally, according to his attorney. They also didn't know that the notice itself was leaked, Merrill believed, to media to hurt his business. The notice demanded that Seville Harbour, Inc. (owned by Ray Russenberger) and Merrill Land LLC (owned by Burney, Collier and Will Merrill) pay as additional rent payments five percent of The Fish House and Atlas Oyster House’s gross sales since April 2000, plus interest—an amount that could total well over $5 million. December 05, 2013
Seville Harbour, Inc. has the ground lease for Pitt Slip, the name given to the three parcels owned by the city that include the anchorage between the Port of Pensacola and Bartram Park. Merrill Land LLC bought in April 2000 the building on the property from Seville Harbour for $1.3 million and subleased the parcel upon which it was built. The default notice stated that the two companies had 90 days to pay up or the city would terminate the master lease, which would shut down the two restaurants on Feb. 13, 2014. The impact of the article on The Fish House was immediate. Merrill tried to prepare his staff for any questions from customers.
"I had a meeting with the managers the next morning at 9:30 after the written article came out,” he said. “As much as you can say everything is fine, a few were a little hesitant. They were getting calls from other restaurants; one guy was offered a job.” Jean Pierre N'Dione, the general manager of the two restaurants, said that the holiday business has been slower than prior years. He's also dealt with questions from customers. “The day of the article, a couple came in and said they were here to get a meal before the restaurant closed,” said N’Dione. “They were thinking we were going to be shut down in a few days. It was difficult to say if they were jokingly saying that or if they really believed it.”
“We have been waiting for the city to get back to us. We had no idea this was an issue or the mayor’s position on the leases.”
Collier Merrill
For many, The Fish House is an iconic Pensacola landmark. The restaurant has hosted presidents, governors, senators, congressmen and other celebrities. During the 2008 presidential election, John McCain, Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson held campaign fundraisers there. This past election cycle, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, with McCain, actor Jon Voight and Mayor Hayward, held a rally on The Fish House deck, pictures of which appeared in the Washington Post and New York Times. Chef and co-owner Jim Shirley has served his famous Grits a Ya Ya for dignitaries in Washington, D.C. and New York City. Pensacola native, former congressman and author Joe Scarborough has hosted his MSNBC show “Morning Joe” several times from the restaurant. Three reality shows have been filmed there. The Travel Channel aired an episode of "Bizarre Foods" that featured The Fish House's grouper throats. “American Pickers” also filmed an episode from The Fish House, which featured the Merrill brothers trading some of their memorabilia for a model of the USS Atlanta. This past August, Chef Emeril Lagasse showcased The Fish House as part of his show “Emeril’s Florida” on the Food Network. The Fish House and Atlas Oyster House have made Pitt Slip a destination for many visiting our area, serving an estimated 500,000 customers a year. They also are part of what was one of the city’s first public-private development projects. 7
In the 1980s, the Pensacola City Council wanted a marina built on Pitt Slip, the inlet across from the town’s historic district and outside the gates of the Port of Pensacola. Three parcels were combined—the water area for the docks (Parcel 1), the area along Barracks Street that the city leased from the state (Parcel 1A) and the lot south of the marina (Parcel III). The intent was to lease to a developer the parcels for 30 years with a renewal option for an additional 30 years. When the original lease was executed in 1985, the city learned that its lease for Parcel 1A with the state only had 27 years remaining. The city had to amend the original lease to adjust its end date. The state required that it be renewed for five successive five-year periods. The history of the development was filled with ownership changes and business failures. The project never was as successful as the council had hoped until Russenberger and the Merrills got involved. In January 1998, Chef Jim Shirley rented the space formerly used by the closed Beef & Ale House in the Seville Harbour building on Parcel 1A. He opened the Fish House
with Brian Spencer and Dr. Roger Orth as his investors. By the spring, Spencer and Orth baled on the project to start Jackson’s with Chef Irv Miller, which ironically later was also bought by the Merrills. The Merrill brothers stepped in as investors in The Fish House, forming Great Southern Restaurant Group of Pensacola, Inc. that put about $2 million into the restaurant, according to Merrill. “At the time, my brothers and I had invested in several businesses downtown,” said Merrill. “We bought the Bass building on the corner of Palafox and Gregory and were the landlord to Jim Shirley and the Screaming Coyote. We bought Seville Tower on the corner of Palafox and Government streets, which is where my grandfather had his offices in the 1940s.” He said, “We wanted to move downtown. At the time, our offices were near the mall at Madison Park. Though not a lot was going on downtown, we loved it and saw the potential.” In 2000, Merrill learned Russenberger was looking to sell the Seville Harbour building. Merrill Land LLC, the brothers’ real estate development company, bought
“We’ve tried to be good citizens by giving back to the community, trying to get downtown going and helping to promote Pensacola.”
Merrill
Don't Forget The Airport
Mayor Hayward has been in a dispute with The Fish House over the food services contract at the Pensacola International Airport. Hayward recommended to the city council at its Sept. 26 regular meeting the 10-year concession contract should be awarded to OHM Concessions—which included Chick-fil-A, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Surf City Squeeze and Corona Beach House. Collier Merrill’s The Fish House had joined forces with Bagelheads, Varona’s, and Pensacola Bay Brewery to offer a more local option that had placed second to OHM during the selection process. The issue was tabled at the meeting when Merrill, the other local business owners, their employees and citizens spoke out in favor of their proposal. Since then, Mayor Hayward has pulled the item off the council’s agenda twice. Those familiar with council politics say the mayor simply doesn’t have the votes to win approval for OHM. Did the mayor’s office leak the default notice to the daily newspaper to tarnish the image of Merrill and The Fish House to gain the one or two votes needed to bring Chick-fil-A to the airport? “I certainly hope not,” said Merrill, “because I would hate to see them use those tactics (the notification of default and subsequent leak to the media) to win on a completely separate issue and to punish my 88
250 employees and my family.” The next week in his “Upwords” newsletter Hayward criticized Merrill and the others who spoke out at the council meeting claiming they “ambushed” the council. “It is a terrible idea to disregard our objective business processes in response to a few influential people politically strongarming our elected officials,” said the mayor. Merrill was dumbfounded by the mayor’s comments. “I spoke before the city council because City Administrator Colleen Castille said that was what I should do,” he said. “She said she was going to let the Airport Director, Greg Donovan, stand on his own. We could make our argument and then we let the council make the decision.” After the newsletter, he met with Castille and City Attorney Jim Messer and asked for explanation of the mayor’s comments. “I asked Colleen, didn’t I do what you told me do?” he told the IN. “Basically she told me that she didn’t think we would be that organized.” On Tuesday, Oct. 15 at his first “Mornings with the Mayor” session, Hayward bristled when asked about his “ambush” comment. “That's what I called it," said Hayward, "It was an ambush." The IN asked how so, especially since Merrill had been instructed by the City Administrator to make his case at the council meeting. “They did, but in my opinion I said it was an ambush,” said the mayor.
Mayor Hayward on stage at Mitt Romney rally in 2012 outside The Fish House. / courtesy photo it for $1.3 million and agreed to sublease the ground lease for parcel 1A upon which it was built at the same terms of the master lease. The purchase and sublease were both recorded with the clerk of courts. Great Southern Restaurant Group went from renting from Seville Harbour, Inc. to renting from Merrill Land LLC.
Mayor Hayward said of the upcoming council vote on the issue, “We will see what happens. They might win. If they do, we will move on. We’re going to support them and we’re going to say let’s make Pensacola a better place. I’m a big boy. Sometimes you win ’em; sometimes you lose ’em.” When the council agenda for its Oct. 24 meeting was released, the food services contract was on it. The following Sunday, Hayward supporter Bob Kerrigan wrote a viewpoint in favor of OHM getting the contract. Ads appeared in the daily newspaper supporting the mayor’s proposal. A website was set up for Hayward supporters to send emails to council members. Then at the council’s agenda review meeting, City Administrator Castille, on the mayor’s behalf, unexpectedly pulled it off the agenda. The mayor appeared no longer willing to lose on the issue. The airport food services recommendation was not on any of the council’s agenda. On Dec. 2, Merrill received an email from the city that stated the issue would not come up in December either. “Please be advised that the Airport Director will not be bringing the Food and Beverage concession lease agreement to the Pensacola City Council during its December, 2013 meeting,” wrote Airport Administration & Contracts Manager Michael Laven. “Both the Director and the Mayor will be out of the country on business. We believe that the scheduling of this concession will take place in January or February of 2014.” Stay tuned.
“Merrill Land got a loan to buy the building, on which it is still making payments,” said Merrill. “It’s like any business. It rents out spaces. We charge rent and hope that those collections are enough to cover our mortgage, lease payment to Russenberger for the ground lease, utilities, repairs and maintenance. At the end of the day, we hope to make a profit like any landlord does.” Merrill admitted he has been surprised by how much he has come to like the restaurant business. He enjoys the positive feedback he receives from customers and is proud of the role The Fish House plays in the community. “Maria Goldberg, our marketing director, and I get together once a week,” said Merrill. “We go over all the requests for donations from charities, and there’s always a stack of them. We try to help every one of them, from the high school booster clubs to the NICU at Sacred Heart.” The Fish House caters events for charities, hosts parties and donates appetizers and the services of its chefs for other fundraising events. He said, “We’ve tried to be good citizens by giving back to the community, trying to get downtown going and helping to promote Pensacola.”
LEGAL BATTLE
The default notification from the city asserted that it was entitled to five percent of the gross sales of the restaurants because Merrill Land had been partially assigned the master lease when it bought the Seville Harbour building. The city claimed Great Southern Restaurant Group was a subsidiary or business combination of Merrill Land and therefore should have paid rent based on its gross sales. Attorney Bruce Partington responded on Nov. 27 on behalf of Seville Harbour and Merrill Land LLC. First, he made it clear that the leases had been properly renewed. According to Partington, the renewals required nothing more inweekly.net
History of Pitt Slip, Pre-Fish House
Borrow for anything you want.
Source: Pensapedia.com
It also gave credence to rumors that Harbour Corp.'s selection had been influenced by State Sen. W. D. Childers, who allegedly told city officials he would secure funding for other city projects if Yates was awarded the project. Childers and several councilmen denied all allegations of political pressure. On Sept. 27, 1983, Baird and Yates announced they wanted to end their development agreement, saying the city had failed to deliver marketable title "within a reasonable time" as stated in the contract.
City map of the parcels under Pitt Slip master lease. The expiration of the Parcel 1A original lease was 6/14/13, not 9/18/12 as shown. Pitt Slip is named for B. R. Pitt, whose mill was located on the site at the turn of the 20th century.
DEVELOPMENT ATTEMPTS
In the early 1970s, the Historic Pensacola Preservation Board drafted a master plan for the Historic Seville area that included a marina-type development at the Pitt Slip site. On July 26, 1979, the Pensacola City Council voted to seek an Economic Development Administration grant to develop the land as a public marina complex. A proposal presented by the Harbour Corporation—made up of Cooper Yates, F. A. Baird, Jr., John S. Carr, Dick Baker and Buzz Ritchie—that included a restaurant, retail shops, office space and a 98-slip marina was given tentative approval by the Preservation Board on July 14, 1981. Later that year the city opened the project to other bids, sparking a complaint by Yates, who said he had met informally with city manager Steve Garmen and city planners in creating their proposal and had been "assured back then that we were the only people that were even interested.” Three of the Harbour principals — Baker, Carr and Ritchie—splintered off and submitted their own proposal. The $3.4 million plan from Harbour Corporation was selected by the city council in early 1982. The selection sparked complaints that the CRA's evaluation process did not give weight to the city's projected financial return to the city and mistakenly equated "open space" with "public accessibility."
December 05, 2013
SPACE & FINANCING ISSUES
Harbour Corp. changed hands to James R. Tanck and New Orleans developer Bernard Mason, who presented a revised proposal that added an antique carousel, an amphitheater, a railroad half-roundhouse attraction and a hotel. This plan required a much larger footprint, extending into Bartram Park and using a Port of Pensacola spoil site as parking for the hotel. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers forbade the latter, Harbour scaled back its plan. The City Council gave approval to the project on Sept. 17, 1984. However, the developers had trouble securing retail commitments. When construction had not begun on Feb. 8, 1985, the city's lease with Harbour Corp. was terminated.
SEVILLE HARBOUR
In 1985, the City of Pensacola hired Florida Sun International, which had recently built the marina at Port Royal, to develop "Harbour Village at Pitt Slip." The first phase, included a 106-slip marina with a floating pontoon dock system and two 10,000-square-foot buildings. Later phases were planned to add three more buildings along the southern portion of the property, but this never reached fruition. The complex was renamed "Seville Harbour." The land in the Seville Harbour block was rezoned by the Pensacola City Council on June 24, 1999 to allow residential construction. Ray Russenberger, John Carr and Doug Halford planned to build upscale condominiums on the site, but the project fell through.
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9
and has never been, a ‘subsidiary or business combination’ of Merrill Land.” “Merrill Land has no ownership or other interest in Great Southern Restaurant Group, nor does Merrill Land receive any portion of the revenues from the operation of the restaurants on the property.”
responsible for any damage that the leak may have caused Great Southern Restaurant Group.
THE LEAK
Merrill admitted that when he first received the letter from Daniel he was not that concerned. He was surprised the attorney brought up gross sales, but believed that the restaurants were on solid legal ground. He said, “I wasn’t really worried about it. I don’t even think I told my brothers about it because I knew it was baseless.” He sent the letter to Stephen Moorhead, Russenberger’s attorney, to review. Then on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 21, Merrill received a call from the PNJ saying that they had heard about a letter sent to him saying The Fish House owed the city millions of dollars. The reporter would not tell him how they got that information, but he admitted they had not yet seen the letter. Merrill called City Administrator Colleen Castille, who denied any responsibility for the leak. “Colleen, I don’t think you understand the severity of this. This is going to be a front-page story and I’m going to lose business immediately.” A meeting was set up for the following morning between the daily newspaper, Castille and Merrill. He hoped that the City Administrator, whom he had given the details of the leases in September, would say the letter was wrong. That did not happen.
“I told the City Administrator that to send out a totally baseless letter with inaccurate facts to hurt my business is almost criminal.”
Merrill
The Deck was added to The Fish House in 2007 at a cost of $1.8 million. / courtesy photo than delivery of a written notice. The letter exercising the renewals was sent July 21, 2011 by Leo Cyr on the behalf of Seville Harbour. Seville Harbour never partially assigned its lease to Merrill Land. “Seville Harbour retains multiple rights and duties with respect to the property sub-leased to Merrill Land,” said Partington. “The fundamental concept of an assignment is that the assignor’s entire interest is transferred to the assignee which did not occur here.”
He pointed out that the city had refused in 2000 to approve any assignment to Merrill Land, which is why the transaction was done as a sublease. He asserted that the city’s new position of the relationship between the two companies being an assignment was “irreconcilable and fundamentally inconsistent” with its position 13 years ago. He pointed out the two restaurants are not owned by Merrill Land. The owner, Great Southern Restaurant Group, “is not,
Partington believed that the city’s position is without merit and based on “two dubious propositions which are unsupported factually or legally.” He expressed Merrill’s concerns about how the daily newspaper got wind of the letter one day after the certified letter was received. “It is extremely troubling that Seville Harbour’s multiple attempts over several years to meet with representatives of the city to discuss the lease were ignored,” wrote Partington, “and then, after years without a response, receive a notice of default, which was then leaked by the city to the media for dramatic effect.” He put the city on notice that it was
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Big Legal Question
The city of Pensacola has attempted to go after a percentage of the gross sales of The Fish House and Atlas Oyster House by claiming that its owner, Great Southern Restaurant Group, is a subsidiary or business combination of Merrill Land LLC, the company that subleases the land and is the landlord for the restaurants. If that claim is held up in court, the city would be entitled to five percent of the restaurants’ gross sales, but only as far back as 2007 due to the statute of limitations on the lease. Collier Merrill asked his real estate attorney Steve Shell to analyze whether Great Southern Restaurant Group could be considered a subsidiary or business combination of Merrill Land LLC. He concluded that it could not. The Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary defines a subsidiary as “a company that is owned or controlled by another company.” Florida law states “subsidiary means, as to any corporation, any other corporation of which it owns, directly or indirectly through one or more subsidiaries, a majority of the voting shares.” Black’s Law Dictionary defines a subsidiary corporation as “a corporation in which a parent corporation has a controlling share.” None of these definitions would qualify Great Southern Restaurant Group to ever be considered a subsidiary of Merrill Land.
According to Merrill, she said the letter was a negotiating tool. “I said that’s fine if you want to sit down at the negotiation table. We’ve been wanting to do it for years,” Merrill recalls what he told Castille at the meeting. “But to say something that bad about my business is just wrong. I told the City Administrator that to send out a totally baseless letter with inaccurate facts to hurt my business is almost criminal.” The IN asked the city for an interview with Castille for this article. The city’s communications director, Tamara Fountain, replied the following week, “Colleen has decided not to do any further interviews.” The city did not offer for anyone else to explain the mayor’s decision to send the default notice or talk about the negotiations and did not give the paper permission to talk to its attorney Nix Daniel. Who does Merrill think leaked the letter? “Obviously it had to come from the city. It was either someone with the city or they gave the information to someone who then leaked it to the News Journal,” he said. “The last thing I wanted was this inaccurate letter to come out, because it’s hard to get that genie back in the bottle. I knew people were going to think The Fish House owes the city millions and the city was going to shut us down.” Merrill said that the city knows the letter is totally inaccurate. “We’ve paid December 05, 2013
The fact that the two companies have some of the same shareholders does not create a subsidiary relationship. Great Southern Restaurant, Inc. is not—by any definition—a subsidiary of Merrill Land LLC. The term “business combination” is not defined in dictionaries or Florida statutes, and provided somewhat of a challenge for the law firm. According to the attorneys, the term is most often used as an accounting term to refer to “a transaction or other event in which an acquirer obtains control of one or more businesses. Transactions sometimes referred as ‘true mergers’ or ‘mergers of equals’ also are business combinations,” according to the Financial Accounting Standards Board. According to Shell, the two companies are not a business combination because “neither company has nor is seeking to acquire control of the other, despite the presence of partial identity of ownership.” The two entities have very dissimilar purposes. Great Southern Restaurant Group owns and operates a chain of restaurants. Merrill Land LLC operates in the real estate industry. “None of the definitions located in the course of performing research for this memorandum came to the conclusion that Great Southern Restaurant Group, Inc. is a subsidiary or business combination of Merrill Land LLC,” concluded Steve Shell. “While the two companies may be characterized as affiliates, the lease does not contemplate the payment of a percentage of gross sales and/or rents by affiliates, only subsidiaries or business combinations.”
every bit of rent we owe. We've shared our financial information. I’m shocked that the mayor’s office would use this tactic. We sat down with Colleen, explained all the details of the leases and we thought it was all good—until we got the default notice.” He said for the city to send out a default notice demanding millions of dollars without any discussion is unconscionable. “We properly and legally renewed our leases in July 2011. We got a letter from the city attorney that our attorney responded to almost immediately. We received nothing in writing until two years later and it’s a baseless default notification about something that the city has never mentioned to us was even an issue.” Merrill asked, “What kind of message does this to send to businesses looking to invest in Pensacola and possibly partner with the city?” {in}
Editor’s notes:
• Collier Merrill owns a five percent interest in the Independent News. Ray Russenberger owns 2.5 percent of the paper. Neither has, or has ever had, any control over the paper’s editorial coverage. • At the time of print, the mayor and his attorneys had scheduled a meeting for Monday Dec. 9 to discuss Pitt Slip with Ray Russenberger, Collier Merrill and their attorneys. 11
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WEEK OF DECEMBER 5-12
Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...
The Thermals Heat Up Florida by Jessica Forbes
“It’s kind of a statement that our culture is obsessed with violence, but not saying whether that’s good or bad.” With songs written less as protests or indictments, but more as examinations of certain aspects of American culture and politics, war, and sometimes love, The Thermals have consistently captured the ethos and then took the band to his house where they basic elements of oldstayed for five days with his family. “He’s school punk filtered such a generous, warm guy.” through a 21st century Equally happy with their new label indie rock lens. Saddle Creek, Foster said the label’s comFoster and vocalparatively small staff helped turn out an ist and lyricist Hutch album in virtually no time to accommodate Harris grew up in Calitheir desired early-2013 release date. fornia and met in 1997 “We recorded the record not knowing as teenagers while what the label was going to be,” said Foster. playing in bands in San The band had only two weeks to get all Francisco’s South Bay the album components together, including area. The two began making their own art, once they signed. “It playing together and was a cool marathon session,” remembered relocated to Portland Foster. “I feel really good about working in 1998. The Thermals with them.” formed in 2002 with And so a new album and U.S. and Eutwo other musicians they knew from playropean tours earlier in the year have at last ing the all-ages scene, and the band went led the band to Florida again. Hollywood, through a few different incarnations before Fla.’s own Beach Day—who The Thermals arriving at their current lineup with drumfirst saw sound checking at Portland’s Bunk mer Glass in 2008. Bar—will open each date of tour. “We knew The trio recorded “Desperate Ground” that they were from Florida, so when we in New Jersey in October 2012 with were talking about the tour we thought producer John Agnello, who has worked we’d see if they would want to do it,” said with Dinosaur Jr., Patti Smith, and Sonic Foster. “That will be really fun.” {in} Youth among multiple others. “We got along with him so well,” Foster stated. “We like to have a pretty organic, analog sound. Just set up and play, and get the sounds the way we want them—the way we play, without a ton of effects. He WHAT: The Thermals with Beach Day and was totally into that.” Deadly Fists of Kung Fu The recording process was sped WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 up due to Hurricane Sandy, which WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox hit during the band’s last week of COST: $10 - $12 All ages show; $5 surcharge scheduled studio time. “He mixed at the door for those under 21 it and got it all done and we got out DETAILS: 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com of there the night before the storm,” Foster marveled of Agnello, who
“We like to have a pretty organic, analog sound. Just set up and play, and get the sounds the way we want them—the way we play, without a ton of effects.” Kathy Foster
press photo Within the contiguous United States, Florida and Oregon are essentially as far apart as two states can be. So when the Portland-based band, The Thermals, goes on tour, sometimes the sunshine state gets left out of the party due to time constraints. To rectify matters, The Thermals are playing an eight-date Florida-only tour in December, and their show in Pensacola will be the first in the band’s 11-year history. “It seems like we only get down there every four or five years,” said bassist Kathy Foster. “There are a lot of people who want us to come there, so we just decided to do a Florida tour. We always have fun shows there.” The Thermals are touring in support of “Desperate Ground,” their sixth studio album, and their first on Saddle Creek Records. Released in April 2013, many, including Foster, have noted the 26-minute, 10-song album is a return to the faster, more driving pop-punk sensibility of the band’s first three albums. Originally, the music Foster and drummer Westin Glass were writing for “Desperate December 05, 2013
Ground,” the band’s first album since 2010, was a bit slower and heavier in tone. Foster said she grew weary of the sound and soon wanted to write faster songs. The concept for the album—a look inside the mind of a killer— came after the music started to take shape. “We started with a handful of epic songs and Hutch [Harris] started working on lyrics for those. They were kind of inspired by fantasy metal,” Foster said. “We started there, kind of epic lyrics about the sword and battling. We started writing faster songs, but that idea kind of stayed.” Similar to 2006’s landmark “The Body, The Blood, The Machine,” lyrics for one song soon inspired others, and the individual songs wound up telling an overarching story. “We were watching and talking about all kinds of action movies from ‘Die Hard’ to ‘Lord of the Rings’ to ‘Game of Thrones,’ and talking about how in American culture there is a lot of violence in entertainment. We’re always at war. People are always having problems with guns,” Foster stated.
THE THERMALS AT VINYL MUSIC HALL
13
art
by Sarah McCartan
Get Fired Up for the Holidays
photo by Tim Nolan It’s that time again. It’s time for the holidays, and time for the eagerly anticipated “Hot Glass, Cold Brew” event at First City Art Center (formerly the Belmont Arts and Cultural Center). Although Friday, Dec. 6 marks the fifth event of its kind since the center’s move to its current Guillemard St. location last November, this particular occurrence is especially designated as the holiday edition. “The ‘Hot Glass’ events are fundraisers and are a huge part of our success,” said Executive Director Meredith Doyen. “Last year they represented almost 10 percent of our annual budget, so they are very important and very fun.” When it comes to the fun, for starters, there’s the signature component of each recurring event—the glass cup or clay mug you get to carry with you the entire night
through to fill with complimentary beverages and then take away as a keepsake at the close of the evening. It’s best to arrive on time if not early to make sure you get your hands on one of these prized vessels, made by members of the center’s guilds. “The glass and pottery departments operate on a guild structure,” explained Doyen. “This means the guilds are committed to helping the center succeed and do so by gathering and creating art pieces we can sell in order to fund the center’s operations. Both pottery and glass guilds make cups and mugs for the event.” Event sponsors Pensacola Bay Brewery and Escambia Bay Homebrewers, will be providing local craft brews for guests to leisurely sip, while enjoying the evening’s sights and sounds—live art demos and live music. Pizza and festive non-alcohol beverages will also be part of the festivities. As a new addition, there will even be something for the kids. The event will include supervised children’s art activities, available to children ages four to 11, allowing attendees the option of forgoing the babysitter and simply milling about while the younger ones make something crafty to bring home. This children’s art time is a joint effort of First City Art Center and Gulf Coast Kid’s House. “We are partnering with Gulf Coast Kid’s House to offer some kids art projects so that families will feel more encouraged to come,” said Doyen. “Families will also be introduced to the Kid’s House mission and be able to learn about child safety and abuse prevention.” Not only is this a great opportunity for First City Art Center to include kids in the mix, it doubles as an education and outreach effort, and supports the center’s goal of building community through the arts. Thanks to the expanded space at the new location, the center is now able to include both an art gallery and studio spaces, not to mention host a range of workshops.
“The studio spaces are leased out to local working artists at an affordable rate to enable them to pursue their art,” said Doyen. “The gallery is their space to show their work. Presently there are six studios with 13 artists.” Some of the fruits of their labors are on display in the gallery, as a part of the current exhibit “Small Works.” “The ‘Small Works’ show was the idea of the studio artists to encourage everyone to make smaller pieces and expand their collections. It has been a fun new show and all of the pieces are lower in price,” said Doyen.
HOLIDAY ART SALE
WHEN: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., Saturday Dec. 7 DETAILS: firstcityart.org If you’re looking for a hands-on art opportunity and holiday fun for your younger ones, consider signing up for the parent and child clay ornament workshop taking place on Dec. 7 and 14.
PARENT AND CHILD CLAY ORNAMENT WORKSHOP
WHAT: Children will make three ornaments and a necklace out of clay. Ornaments will be fired after first session and children will glaze during the second. WHEN: Saturday Dec. 7 and Saturday Dec. 14; pick up Dec. 21 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., ages 5-9 (parents must be present on FCAC premises) 12:30 – 2: 30 p.m., ages 10-14 (Space is limited to 12 children per age group) COST: $20 per child DETAILS: firstcityart.org
“The guilds are committed to helping the center succeed and do so by gathering and creating art pieces we can sell in order to fund the center’s operations.”
Meredith Doyen In addition to “Hot Glass, Cold Brew,” the weekend marks the return of First City Art Center’s Holiday Fair, that will be taking place during Friday’s event as well as Saturday. The Holiday Fair includes a collection of unique glass, pottery and gallery pieces available for purchase, providing a prime opportunity to bring home items for individuals on your holiday shopping list—or even just yourself.
HOT GLASS COLD BREW
WHEN: 5 – 9 p.m., Friday Dec. 6 COST: $20 for members; $25 nonmembers DETAILS: firstcityart.org
If you are interested in additional ways to support First City Art Center this season, consider purchasing a membership, contributing items listed on the center’s donation wish list, or signing up to serve as a volunteer. To learn more, visit firstcityart.org. {in}
FIRST CITY ART CENTER 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org or 429-1222
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happenings
THURSDAY 12.5
RUNNING: SIX AT SIX 6 a.m. Running Wild, 3012 E Cervantes St. 435-9222 or werunwild.com. FIRST CITY ART CENTER 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. “Small Works” currently on display. Museum Hours: Monday- Friday and Saturday 9 a.m. - noon. 1060 N. Guillemard St. 429-1222 or FirstCityArt.org. ARTEL GALLERY 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The 2013 Members’ Show is on display through Jan. 3. Museum Hours: Tuesday –Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. 223 Palafox, Old County Courthouse. 432-3080 or artelgallery.org. QUAYSIDE ART GALLERY 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Presenting the gallery’s Christmas Members’ Show, which will be on display through Dec. 31. For the 10th year, Quayside is also showcasing Christmas ornaments created by local Pyramid School artists, available through Jan. 6. Museum Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sunday 1– 5 p.m. 17 E. Zaragoza St. 438-2363 or quaysidegallery.com. BLUE MORNING GALLERY 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. "All Member Holiday Exhibit" on display through Dec. 28. This annual exhibit includes holiday works from the Gallery's member artists ranging from paintings to pottery, all of which are priced at $100 or under. Special holiday hours: Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., and Sunday 12:30 - 4 p.m. 21 S. Palafox. 429-9100 or bluemorninggallery.com. PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Currently on display: "The American Indian: Original Art and Artifacts and Interpretations Through Western Eyes," extended through Dec. 31, and “The Design of War: World War I and II Posters and Flags,” through Jan. 3. Museum Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday 12 – 5 p.m. 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.com. TAG UWF 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. “Eleven,” a BFA Exit Exhibition by Richard Rodriguez and Charles Greenberg opens on Dec. 5, remains on display through Dec. 14. Museum Hours: Tuesday – Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Saturday 12 – 4 p.m. The Art Gallery (TAG) 11000 University Pkwy. Bldg. 82, Room 240. 474-2696 or tag82uwf.wordpress.com. MESS HALL 2 – 5 p.m. The Pensacola MESS Hall (Math, Engineering, Science & Stuff ) offers weekly themes, special activities and workshops that captivate curious minds of all ages and inspire a lifetime of discovery. School Year hours are Tuesday – Friday 2 –5 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 116 N. Tarragona St. Admission is free for members; $8 for adults and children ages 3 and over. 877-9376377 or PensacolaMESShall.org. WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. Ninth Ave. 433-9463 or aragonwinemarket.com. WINE & GLIDE SEGWAY TOUR 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. This one-hour Segway tour includes a stop at Seville Quarter or Aragon Wine Market for a wine tasting. Offered every Thursday and Friday night. December 05, 2013
Call ahead for availability and information about other tour offerings. Emerald Coast Tours, 701 S. Palafox. $45. 417-9292 or emeraldcoasttours.net. EXPLORE PENSACOLA HISTORY: BELMONT DEVILLIERS 6 -7 p.m. Documentary filmmaker Robin Reshard presents “Belmont DeVilliers: The Making of a Neighborhood.” Explore the history of this vibrant community from its beginnings as an enclave of progressive ideals, its evolution into the “Black Downtown” during Segregation, up to its ongoing renaissance in modern times. West Florida Public Library, Main Library, 229 N. Spring St. Free. 436-5060 or explorepensacolahistory.com. VEGAN DINNER AT END OF THE LINE 6 - 9 p.m. While End of the Line offers vegan dinner options every day (except Mondays, when they’re closed) every Thursday night the café serves up a different three-course dinner menu. 610 E. Wright St. $15. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com. 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL 7:30 p.m. A resounding hit in Chicago and New York, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, “50 Shades! The Musical” opens with a ladies book club deciding to read Fifty Shades of Grey. Through their interpretation of the novel, the audience is led on an uproarious roller coaster ride of this unlikely bestseller. The show is full of dance numbers and original songs delivered by an outrageous
cast with a live, on-stage band. The Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. $38 - $58. 595-3880 or pensacolasaenger.com. GOOSE ISLAND PINT NIGHT AT HOPJACKS 9 p.m. Buy the fi rst Goose Island beer, keep the glass. Each Goose Island beer after the fi rst is $1.00 off. 10 South Palafox. 497-6076 or hopjacks.com.
Custom Framing at its Finest
live music
WUWF RADIO LIVE 6 p.m. Musical guests include: Nora Jane Struthers & the Party Line, Wild Ponies (formerly Doug & Telisha) and Cliff Eberhardt. Museum of Commerce, 201 E. Zaragoza St. 474-2787 or wuwf.org. KARAOKE NIGHT 6 p.m. VFW Post 706 5000 Lillian Highway, 455-0026. LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. THE DAVENPORTS 6 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. JAMES & FRIENDS 7 p.m. Hub Stacey's Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. DUELLING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’ Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. KRAZY GEORGE KARAOKE 8 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.
Thank You Pensacola For Your Continued Support Certified Picture Framers On Staff Conservation Framing • Shadowboxes Specialty Mats • Needlework • Photos • Prints Quality, Price & Service • Open Tuesday – Saturday, 9:30 – 6:00 Closed the week after Christmas
4718 North W Street • 432-5519
FOREVER DIETING? TIME TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT FOOD. A LUMINOUS LIFE HYPNOTHERAPY
SUSAN DUNLOP, MA, CHT
INTERNATIONALLY CERTIFIED HYPNOTHERAPIST
850-346-7865 EAST HILL “The Design of War: World War I and II Posters and Flags”
www.luminouslifehypnotherapy.com 15
12.6-12.8, 12.13-12.24 & 12.26-12.29 ZOO LIGHTS 6 – 10 p.m. The Gulf Breeze Zoo invites you to enjoy the beauty of the zoo at night as you admire thousands of sparkling holiday lights. 5701 Gulf Breeze Pkwy. $10 for adults; $10 for children. Season Pass holders receive half off ticket price. 932-2229 or gbzoo.com. 12.6 SAINT CHRISTOPHER’S CHRISTMAS CARAVAN 10 a.m. Saint Christopher’s Episcopal Church presents its 56th Christmas Caravan with the theme “Sharing Christmas Joy and Peace.” A Holiday Home Tour takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for $10; luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $10; gala with live music at 6:30 p.m. for $25; and bazaar and bake sale throughout the day. For more information, contact Pat Fogg at 4799962. 3200 N. 12th Ave. scpen.org. 12.6 BIG SCREEN ON THE BLACKWATER: “A CHRISTMAS STORY” 6 p.m. Presented by the City of Milton and area Tom Thumb stores, “A Christmas Story” will be the first film in a three-week holiday movie series shown on a 25-foot inflatable screen alongside the Blackwater River. Be sure to pack a lawn chair and if it’s too cold to sit outside, a radio to tune into the soundtrack from the comfort of your car. Santa Claus will be at the South Riverwalk Pavilion on Dec. 6, also. Parents can bring kids to have photos made with Santa; $10 for each 5” x 7” print. S. Willing St., Milton. 983-5466 or miltonlocal.com.
complimentary beverages all evening long. FCAC’s glass and pottery artists will be demonstrating their creative skills throughout the evening. Patrons will enjoy complimentary pizza, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, live music, live art demos and more. In addition, there will be a Holiday Art Sale with gift items made by the FCAC Pottery and Glass Guilds and Studio artists this evening as well as on Saturday, Dec. 7 from 10am to 3pm. 1060 N. Guillemard St. $25 for non-members; $20 for members. 429-1222 or firstcityart.org.
12.7 CAMP FIRE KIDS FESTIVAL OF TREES: KIDS DAY EXTRAVAGANZA 9:30 a.m. The Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds hosts a day of family activities including a parade, model of Santa’s Workshop, and a Gingerbread Kitchen at the Expo Hall. 6655 Mobile Hwy. $6 for adults; $4 for children 13 years and younger; children 2 years old and younger are admitted for free. 476-1760 or campfirekids.com.
12.6 PENSACOLA BEACH LIGHTED BOAT PARADE 6:30 p.m. Dozens of captains compete for prizes as the nautical parade officially delivers Santa Claus to Santa Rosa Island. Children can visit Santa Claus at his workshop at Bamboo Willie's, 400 Quietwater Beach Rd. The Boat Parade will cruise from Sabine Marina to Portofino Boardwalk. 932-1500 or pensacolabeachchamber.com.
12.6-12.8 & 12.13-12.15 UWF THEATRE DEPARTMENT PRESENTS “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” 8 p.m. This holiday classic is back for its seventh season as a Pensacola tradition. Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8 p.m. and Sunday shows at 2:30 p.m. Mainstage Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, on the main UWF Pensacola Campus, 11000 University Pkwy. Tickets are $16 for adults; $12 for senior citizens and active military; $10 for non-UWF students, UWF faculty and staff; and $5 for high school students. 857-6285 or uwf.edu/cfpa.
12.6 FIRST CITY ART CENTER PRESENTS “HOT GLASS COLD BREW” 5 – 9 p.m. Patrons receive a one-of-a-kind handblown glass cup or clay mug to fill with
12.7 BLIZZARD ON THE BEACH 5K FUN RUN AND SNOW PARTY 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. 5K Events and the Pensacola Ice Flyers are bringing up to 20,000 pounds of real snow
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to Old Seville Square and Bartram Park in Pensacola. The 5K fun run participants can choose to run, jog or walk through a route that will take them through downtown Pensacola and along Pensacola Bay. During the 5K, the runners will pass twice through each of the three "Blizzard Zones" that will blow artificial snow on runners. Santa Claus will also be in attendance. Separate Snow Play passes are available for those who do not wish to participate in the 5K. 5K registration is $35, and includes a free ticket to a Pensacola Ice Flyers regular season home game. Snow Play passes are $7 in advance; $10 on the day of. blizzardonthebeach.com.
12.7 & 12.14 FIRST CITY ART CENTER’S KIDS’ HOLIDAY CLAY ORNAMENT WORKSHOP 10 a.m. Students will make three ornaments and a necklace from clay using cookie cutters. Sessions for ages 5-9 will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and the workshop for ages 10-14 will be held from 12:30 – 2 p.m. Parents of children in the younger class must be present on FCAC Campus. Ornaments will be fired after the first session and the students will glaze during the second session. A ribbon will be added for hanging. Finished pieces will be ready pick-up on Dec. 21st. Students can enjoy cookies and cocoa at the end of the session. 1060 N. Guillemard St. $20 per student. 429-1222 or firstcityart.org. 12.7 PENSACOLA LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS GALA 6 –9:30 p.m. The Pensacola Lighthouse and Museum hosts its annual free Christmas Gala event, with the lighting of Pensacola’s Tallest Christmas tree at 6:30 p.m. Guests can sip on hot chocolate and cider, while enjoying live music, hayrides around the grounds, and even visiting Santa Claus and touring the Keeper’s Quarters, which are decorated for a traditional Victorian Christmas. 393-1561 or pensacolalighthouse.org.
12.7, 12.13 & 12.18-12.22 WINTERFEST TROLLEY TOURS 6 p.m. The Red Trolley Repertory Theatre entertains families with a variety of programs, including the Performance Tour featuring 16 performances during a 60-minute trolley ride through Downtown Pensacola. Other offerings include the Santa’s Express Tour on Dec. 18 and 19 only. Trolley tours take off every 10 minutes beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Friday nights, and 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights. Tours begin at the Old County Courthouse, 221 S. Palafox. Depending on the day, adult ticket prices range from $18-$22; kids’ ticket prices from $13-$15. 583-1365 or pensacolawinterfest.org. 12.7 GULF COAST CHORALE PRESENTS “WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS” 7:30 p.m. For this special concert event, the Chorale will be presenting traditional holiday favorites that you can sing along to plus a few jazzier arrangements. Joining the Chorale will be special guests, the Guffman Trio and Tate High School’s Vocal Jazz and Cantus Chorus. St. Anne Catholic Church, 100 Daniel St., Gulf Breeze. $10 for adults; $5 for students; free for children ages 10 and under. gulfchostchorale.org. 12.7 HANDEL’S MESSIAH 7:30 p.m. St. Paul Catholic Church hosts the Choral Society of Pensacola’s performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” The performance will feature the society’s 60 singers, the Choral Society of Pensacola Orchestra, and four excellent guest soloists, all under the baton of Choral Society Artistic Director, Xiaolun Chen. Soloists include Carla Connors, soprano; Anne Duraski, alto; Leo Day, tenor; and Patrick Jacobs, bass-baritone. 3131 Hyde Park Rd. $20 reserved seating, $15 general admission, $5 for students. 484-1806 or choralsocietyofpensacola.com. 12.7, 12.14 & 12.19-12.21 WINTERFEST AT THE PMA 12 – 5 p.m. The Pensacola Museum of Art will be transforming into a wonderland of model trains this holiday season. The Museum is working with Pensacola’s Winterfest to provide children of all ages exciting experiences in December. Families and model-train lovers are invited to the Museum on special dates in December to view the exciting and amazingly detailed model trains in action. Two very scenic railroad systems will be in operation along with art activities and refreshments. An N-Gauge and G-Gauge train layout will be operated by engineers from the Pensacola Model Railway Club and the Emerald Coast Garden Railway Club. Also featured will be the much-loved Brio and Thomas wooden train sets for the littleones. $5. 407 S. Jefferson St. 4326247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. inweekly.net
12.13-12.15 & 12.19-12.22 PENSACOLA LITTLE THEARE PRESENTS IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Come see the theatrical production of the film classic on PLT’s Mainstage. George Bailey dreams of escape and adventure, but he has been quashed by family obligation and civic duty. On Christmas Eve, an angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday performances are at 7:30 p.m. Sunday performance begins at 2:30 p.m. 400 S. Jefferson St. $14-$30; tickets for children 12 and under are half price. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. 12.8 TAKE YOUR PET TO SEE SANTA 12 - 2 p.m. The Pensacola Humane Society invites you to dress Fido or Fifi in holiday attire and head to PetCo. Take home a festive photo for only $8.95 per frame. Multiple animals may be in a single photo. All proceeds go to benefit the not-forprofit, no-kill shelter. 1670 Airport Blvd. 432-4260 or pensacolahumane.org. 12.8 SURFING SANTA BEACH PARADE 2 p.m. Santa oversees the parade from high atop his bright red fire engine that delivers him to the Gulfside Pavillion where children of all ages can speak to him personally. Via de Luna to Casino Beach. 932-1500 or pensacolabeachchamber.com. 12.13 BIG SCREEN ON THE BLACKWATER: “ARTHUR CHRISTMAS” 6 p.m. Presented by the City of Milton and area Tom Thumb stores, “Arthur Christmas” will be the second film in a three-week holiday movie series shown on a 25-foot inflatable screen alongside the Blackwater River. Be sure to pack a lawn chair and, if it’s too cold to sit outside, a radio to tune into the soundtrack from the comfort of your car. S. Willing St., Milton. 983-5466 or miltonlocal.com. 12.13-12.15 CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Children’s Chorus under the direction of Allen and Susan Pote, will present its annual production of “Christmas on the Coast” at the Saenger Theatre. Friday and Saturday evening, the show begins at 7:30 p.m.; on Sunday, a 2:30 p.m. matinee will close out the weekend of music featuring traditional carols, Christmas favorites, exciting African music, a “Gingerbread World,” “The Grinch,” “Skating at Rockefeller Center,” the lights of Chanukah, and an inspirational nativity scene. Tickets are available at the Saenger box office and online at ticketmaster.com. 118 S. Palafox. $23-$39. 434-7760 or pensacolachildrenschorus.com. December 05, 2013
12.14 CHUMUCKLA REDNECK CHRISTMAS PARADE 1 p.m. Over 250 floats are said to participate in this increasingly popular event. Parade rolls for 1.5 miles from the cotton gin on Chumuckla Springs/Gin Road to Chumuckla Highway at Salter Road. Search the parade name on eventful.com for more details. 12.14 CHRISTMAS PARADE DASH 5 p.m. Just before the Downtown Christmas Parade rolls, runners (and walkers) of all ages have a chance to race along the one mile parade route in the Christmas Parade Dash to Plaza Ferdinand. Adult registration is $10; middle school age children and younger are $5. 255-1610 or pensacolarunners.com. 12.14 DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA CHRISTMAS PARADE 5:15 p.m. Cox presents the annual Pensacola Christmas Parade, featuring high school marching bands from throughout Escambia County and the Gulf Coast. Hundreds participate in this festive tradition. Parade route begins at Spring and Garden streets. coxpensacolachristmasparade.org. 12.15 “CANDLES & CAROLS” CHRISTMAS CANTATA 6 p.m. The Beach Church, Via de Luna & Avenida 18. 9321500 or pensacolabeachchamber.com. 12.15 UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER PUB CRAWL 1:30 p.m. Pub crawl to seven stops on the beach, beginning at Paddy O’Leary’s. Be sure to wear your ugliest Christmas sweater. 932-1500 or pensacolabeachchamber.com. 12.20 –12.21 HOLIDAYS IN THE PARK 4 –7 p.m. Big Lagoon State Park gets in the holiday spirit during this annual event, featuring light displays and kids’ activities. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be welcoming kids to take pictures, and may have early Christmas gifts for those who’ve been nice this year. 12301 Gulf Beach Hwy. Free admission; park fees are waived for the event. 492-1595 or floridastateparks.org/biglagoon.
Fri. 12/6 vs River Kings Scholarship Night
Sun. 12/8 vs Ice Gators Family Fun
s Drop ay Puck Frid 5 pm nday 0 : 7 @ Su 5 pm & 3:0
pensacolaiceaflyers.com 17
happenings
Ears & Fingers by Jason Leger
Cut Copy—‘FREE YOUR MIND’
In continuance of last week’s series of 2013 albums that slipped through the cracks, this is one slip that I am most ashamed of. I got extremely excited when I heard the first single, “Let Me Show You Love,” way back in July. I’m only a little less than a month behind, as the album was released the first week of November. I had every intention of following this train until it pulled into station. I kept up with every article, and I listened to every stream. “Free Your Mind” was not going to blaze by me; its proverbial ass was grass. Then, as it often does, life got in the way,
SCHOFIELD 8 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. LYON’S LIMOZINE 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley Courtyard at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. VAGABOND SWING 9 p.m. Vagabond Swing with Honky Suckle. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or pensacolahandlebar.com.
FRIDAY 12.6
CDAC TRAINING: ALCOHOL AND DRUG ABUSE DURING THE HOLIDAYS 9 a.m. –12:15 p.m. Sponsored by Bradford Health Services and presented by Angela Camp, M.A. and Denise Manassa, B.S. “Alcohol and Drug Abuse During the Holidays: Who does it Impact?” Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., training begins at 9 a.m. CDAC The Center 3804 N. 9th. Ave. $30 in advance; $35 at the door. 434-2724 or CDAC. info/CEU-registration. TOURS OF HISTORIC ST. MICHAEL’S CEMETERY 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Forty-five minute tours of this eight acre green space in the heart of historic Pensacola give you a unique look at 818 1
other things stole my attention, and crime of all crimes, I forgot about Cut Copy’s new long player. That is, until it came back into my consciousness last week, when I saw it resting on my hard drive. I felt so awful; I opened it immediately and took it for a spin on my Thanksgiving trek to be with family. All in all, “Free Your Mind” is comfortable. By no means have Cut Copy been recovering trajectories traveled before, a la Franz Ferdinand, but rather are existing in the same vein of club friendly, festival welcomed, dance requiring electronic pop. Their set was actually one of the most memorable from DeLuna Fest (RIP) 2011, as they brought a real party to the closing day of the festival. “Free Your Mind” continues to give the listener more than enough to satiate aurally, but also instills a craving to see this worked out live, on stage. One wants to become a part of what’s happening. This is something that Cut Copy is very good at, and why the band has grown quickly in popularity. The urgency which is created on tape, leads to hyper, ecstatic concerts, thus creating a wide appeal. Personally, my favorite track on the
over 200 years of local history. Learn about symbolism behind the images, the people and places associated with this community, and preservation efforts in this historic cemetery. Tours offered every Tuesday and Friday. 436-4643 or stmichaelscemetery.org. WINE TASTING AT SEVILLE QUARTER 5 p.m. Palace Café at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. WINE TASTING AT CITY GROCERY 5 - 7 p.m. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. 469-8100. FIRST CITY ART CENTER’S “HOT GLASS, COLD BREW” HOLIDAY EDITION 5 – 9 p.m. A suggested donation of $25 for non-members and $20 for members gets patrons a hand-blown glass cup or clay mug that they can fill with complimentary beverages all evening long. Patrons will enjoy complimentary pizza, brew courtesy of Pensacola Bay Brewery and Escambia Bay Homebrewers; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, live music, live art demos, raffles and more. Small art workshops for ages 4-11 will be taught by FCAC and the Gulf Coast Kid”s House. 1060 N. Guillemard St. 429-1222 or FirstCityArt.org. ICE HOCKEY 7:05 p.m. Pensacola Ice Flyers vs. Mississippi River Kings. Pensacola Bay Center.
album is “We Are Explorers” as it sounds as though I’m not the only person in the world who has fallen asleep to Pet Shop Boys one too many times. As with most Cut Copy albums, a posi, upbeat vibe carries throughout, and will make even the hardest heart want to move. “Free Your Mind” is out now via Modular Records.
IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD:
Vancouver Sleep Clinic
There is an old adage that claims youth is wasted on the young. While there does tend to be some truth to this saying, it’s not a universal style truth. It’s also very common in the world we live in for prodigies to rise up and make art that speaks to us in ways even they are still incapable of understanding. Vancouver Sleep Clinic is this style of anomaly. The project of 17 year old Australian Tim Bettinson, VSC is catching major buzz overseas, and is beginning to turn heads stateside, which was only a matter of time. His raw, ethereal emotiveness and penchant for lush layering is drawing strong comparisons to some lofty names like Bon Iver and James Blake, which is certainly something for the kid to be proud
201 E. Gregory St. pensacolaiceflyers.com. NIGHT BRUNCH AT POT ROAST AND PINOT 10:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Night-time version of the regular Saturday and Sunday morning brunch menu, including Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Sagrias as well as your favorite brunch dishes with exciting twists. 321 E. Cervantes St. 607-7336 or potroastandpinot.com.
live music
LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 5 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. THE NAMES AT THE HANDLEBAR 6 p.m. The Names. No cover. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or pensacolahandlebar.com VINYL MUSIC HALL PRESENTS BONERAMA 8 p.m. Bonerama, brass funk rock from New Orleans. 2 S. Palafox. $10. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com. REDDOG 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com DUELLING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’ Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. SCOTT KOEHN 8 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.
of. The first track I spun was called “Vapour.” After the first spin, I hit repeat once. Then, I hit repeat again, and again, and again. It’s haunting, chilling, moving, and will draw you into a dreamy haze, and make you hate the reality it tosses you back into when it ends. VSC has recently finished recording his debut EP, and has released an equally transcendent track called “Collapse.” He is currently on the road, opening up for fellow Aussies, Battleships, but it would take quite a bit of traveling to get to their shows. Be on the lookout for an EP early next year and expect some big things, as Vancouver Sleep Clinic is only gaining steam day to day. {in}
THE BLENDERS 8:30 p.m. Hub Stacey's Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. RAISING KARMA 8:30 p.m. The Tin Cow, 102 South Palafox. 466-2103 or thetincow.com. A FLOCK OF SEA MONKEYS 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. BIG JIM BROWN & THE SPEED KINGS 9 p.m. End o’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. KATAGORY 5 9 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. JAMES ADKINS 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks, 10 South Palafox. 497-6076 or hopjacks.com. DJ MR. LAO 10 p.m. Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.
SATURDAY 12.7
12th AVENUE PATIO SALE 8 – 11 a.m. Spend your Saturday morning shopping local. 12th Avenue Patio Sale is a group of locals offering the Pensacola-made goods and more. Every Saturinweekly.net
happenings day brings fresh vendors to the mix. 1010 N. 12th Ave. 438-3580 or facebook.com/12thAveSale. PALAFOX MARKET 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art, and antiques are just a few of the items offered by vendors at Palafox Market in Downtown Pensacola. Items originate directly from onsite vendors who grow, make, or create the fruits, vegetables, herbs, and art for sale. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox St. Palafoxmarket.com. DAY BRUNCH AT POT ROAST AND PINOT 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Regular Saturday and Sunday morning brunch including Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Sagrias as well as your favorite brunch dishes with exciting twists. 321 E. Cervantes St. 607-7336 or potroastandpinot.com. FIRST CITY ART CENTER’S HOLIDAY ART SALE 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. 1060 N. Guillemard St. 429-1222 or FirstCityArt.org. RICKEY SMILEY & FRIENDS 7 and 9:30 p.m. Comedian, television host, and top rated nationally syndicated radio personality Rickey Smiley performs two shows at the Saenger Theatre. 118 S. Palafox. $42 $54. 595-3880 or pensacolasaenger.com. NIGHT BRUNCH AT POT ROAST AND PINOT 10:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. Night-time version of the regular Saturday and Sunday morning brunch menu. 321 E. Cervantes St. 607-7336 or potroastandpinot.com.
a.m. – 3 p.m. Regular Saturday and Sunday morning brunch, including Bellinis, Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Sagrias as well as your favorite brunch dishes with exciting twists. 321 E. Cervantes St. 607-7336 or potroastandpinot.com. THE FISH HOUSE BRUNCH 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Enjoy a delicious Sunday brunch overlooking Pensacola Bay. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. END OF THE LINE BRUNCH 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. This vegan café offers its unique three-course brunch every Sunday, with a menu that changes each week. 610 E. Wright St. $15. 429-0336 or eotlcafe.com. SEVILLE QUARTER SUNDAY BRUNCH 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Whether it’s a special occasion, an opportunity for friends to catch up, or a pleasant start to a lazy Sunday, brunch at Seville Quarter’s is a great way to treat your family every Sunday. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter. com. FIVE SISTERS JAZZ BRUNCH 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. A blend of southern flavors and live music featuring Clarence Bell. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivessistersbluescafe.com. ICE HOCKEY 3:05 p.m. Pensacola Ice Flyers vs. Louisiana Ice Gators. Pensacola Bay Center. 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolaiceflyers.com.
live music
live music
DIZZY JUKE BAND 8 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com. DUELLING PIANOS 8 p.m. Rosie O’ Grady’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. BIG JIM BROWN & THE SPEED KINGS 9 p.m. End o’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. KATAGORY 5 9 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. VINYL MUSIC HALL PRESENTS THE THERMALS 8 p.m. The Thermals with Beach Day and Deadly Fists of Kung Fu. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $10 - $12. 607-6758 or vinylmusichall.com. DAVE POSEY & FRIENDS 8 p.m. The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com. NIKKI FORGIONE 8:30 p.m. The Tin Cow, 102 South Palafox. 466-2103 or thetincow.com. KRAZY GEORGE KARAOKE 9 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 4691001 or hubstaceys.com. PETTY CASH 9:30 p.m. Hopjacks, 10 South Palafox. 497-6076 or hopjacks.com.
SUNDAY 12.8
BUBBLES & BRUNCH AT THE LEISURE CLUB 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Enjoy Gourmet Brunch Trios for $12. You pick the three delicious items to build your perfect brunch. Bottomless Champagne & Mimosas for $5. TLC opens at 9 a.m. for coffee and pastries. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. DAY BRUNCH AT POT ROAST AND PINOT 10 December 05, 2013
NOLAN COSTA DRUMMING FOR TOYS FOR TOTS 1:30 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. HARPER & MOTOR CITY JOSH 3 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via De Luna Dr. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. KRAZY GEORGE KARAOKE 9 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. BROOKS HUBBERT 9 p.m. McGuire's Irish Pub, 600 E. Gregory St. 433-2849 or mcguiresirishpub.com.
MONDAY 12.9
RUNNING: SEVILLE QUARTER MILERS CLUB 5 p.m. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. WORLD OF BEER TRIVIA NIGHT 7 – 9 p.m. Drink beer, play trivia for free, and win WOB Bucks if your team makes the top three. 200 S. Palafox St. 332-7952 or wobusa.com/locations/Palafox. BAR BINGO 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.
live music
HARPER & MOTOR CITY JOSH 6 p.m. Paradise Bar & Grill, 21 Via De Luna Dr. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. JSOP’S BLUE MONDAY AT FIVE SISTERS 6:30 – 9 p.m. Jazz Society of Pensacola's "Blues" night, featuring Al Martin and friends. The restaurant offers a special menu of fine homestyle southern cuisine as well as a full bar. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Five Sisters Blues Café, 421 Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivessistersbluescafe.com. PAPER STREET SOAP CO. 8 p.m. End o’ the Alley at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. 19
happenings
"The American Indian: Original Art and Artifacts and Interpretations Through Western Eyes" BLUES SOCIETY OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA’S MONDAY NIGHT BLUES 8 p.m. Blues jam session. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.
TUESDAY 12.10
RUNNING: SIX AT SIX 6 a.m. Running Wild, 3012 E Cervantes St. 435-9222 or werunwild.com. NATIVE AMERICAN ART LECTURE AT PMA 10 a.m. Cindy Sommerkamp of the University of West Florida's Archaeology Institute will give a special presentation titled, "Native American Art
t
in
and Cosmology" at the Pensacola Museum of Art. 407 S. Jefferson St. Lecture is free to the public, and admission to the museum is free on Tuesdays as well. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.com. HALF-PRICE SUSHI 5 p.m. Atlas, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or atlas.goodgrits.com. TWO FOR ONE 5 p.m. 2 for 1 Tuesday Nights features 2 for 1 house Wines, 2 for 1 Domestic Beers and 2 for 1 Ice cream Scoops All Night. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. SHAKESPEARE CLUB 5 – 7 p.m. Club members
will read and discuss the works of Shakespeare. The club is ongoing and meets every Tuesday. West Florida Public Library, 239 N Spring St. 662-278-8383. PRIME TIME TUESDAYS 5:30 p.m. Jackson’s, 400 S. Palafox. 469-9898 or jacksons.goodgrits.com. YOGA AT EVER’MAN 6 p.m. $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 4380402 or everman.org. MCGUIRE'S RUNNING CLUB 6 p.m. McGuire's Irish Pub, 600 E Gregory St. mcguiresrunners.com. STRUT YOUR MUTT 6:45 p.m. Join fellow dog owners for a 45-minute leisurely stroll in East Hill. Dogs must be leashed and wellbehaved. Owners should be prepared to pick up after their pets. Meet at the entrance of Bayview Park, 20th Ave. and East Mallory St. 291-7658. PENSACOLA ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY LECTURE SERIES: TALKING SMACK 7 p.m. Nicole Bucchino, Florida Public Archaeology Network Northwest Region Outreach Coordinator presents "Talking Smack: The Sailing Vessels of Pensacola's Fishing Industry." West Florida Public Library, Main Library, 229 N. Spring St. Free. 5950050 or uwf.edu/archaeology/archsoc.
live music
TUESDAY JAZZ JAM: THE GINO ROSARIA QUARTET 6:30 p.m. Lili Marlene’s at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 6 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.
WEDNESDAY 12.11
IN MARTINI NIGHT 5 p.m. The Global Grill, 27 S. Palafox. 469-9966. WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS 5 p.m. All bottled wines are 50 percent off. Jackson’s, 400 S. Barracks St. 469-9898 or jacksons.goodgrits.com. RUN4WINE 5:30 p.m. The Wine Bar. 16 S. Palafox. run4wine.net WINE DOWN WEDNESDAYS 6:30 p.m. Halfpriced bottles of wine and live music. The Leisure Club, 126 S. Palafox. 912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com. RUNNING: TAP IT AND RUN 6:30 p.m. Half off select drafts for runners. After 10 runs, receive a “Tap It and Run” shirt. World of Beer, 200 S. Palafox St. 332-7952 or wobusa.com/locations/Palafox. PUB TRIVIA NIGHT AT GOAT LIPS 7:30 9:30 p.m. General trivia, pop-culture, sports, and more. Goat Lips Beer Garden, 2811 Copter Road. 474-1919.
live music
LUCAS CRUTCHFIELD 5 p.m. The Deck at The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.
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music
by Jessica Forbes and Sarah McCartan
Music at the Box
Underhill Family Orchestra / photos by Luke Lindgren Although downtown Mobile’s only all original music venue, Alabama Music Box, hosts shows year round, and between karaoke and dance parties, has something going on nearly every night in between, we’ve handpicked a few of the venue’s live music performances taking place in the coming week to help you get your December started off on a good note. So dust off your AMB membership card (or at least remember to carry a few bucks with you if you’re like us and always end up having to buy a new one), fuel up your gas tank, and consider hitting the road to Mobile to catch one, or all, of these upcoming AMB shows.
THE UNDERHILL FAMILY ORCHESTRA CD RELEASE PARTY
The time has come for Mobile’s own Underhill Family Orchestra to release their second album, a follow up to their 2011 debut release, “This Is…” This much-awaited official release party performance is sure to be quite the bash, boasting ample face paint, and endless energy—between the return of old favorites and fresh tracks to share. The new album promises to carry with it a similar knee-stomping and hand clapping energy to the single that was released earlier this fall, “The Showdown at St. Lawrence.” Be sure to arrive at this show on time—the first 100 friends and fans inside the doors of AMB get to take a complimentary copy of the album home with them. Supporting acts of the evening include Engine, a group of self-proclaimed space-western storytellers from Northwest Louisiana whose albums each tell a single December 05, 2013
narrative. While “Lands of Sleep” is their most recent effort, they have an upcoming album in the works. Mississippi Shakedown is also joining the evening’s lineup. WHAT: Underhill Family Orchestra with Engine and Mississippi Shakedown WHEN: 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7 COST: $10
ALABAMA SHAKES AFTER-PARTY
Whether you are already planning on attending the sold-out Alabama Shakes show at the Mobile Saenger or didn’t manage
to snag one of those coveted tickets, the official after-party at Alabama Music Box promises to be just as much of a good time. After opening for Alabama Shakes at the Saenger, Clear Plastic Masks will head over to AMB to headline the after show with Birmingham’s Banditos. With similar rock and soul influences, it’s easy to see why the Shakes invited Clear Plastic Masks to open a run of shows with them. Formed in Brooklyn, CPM is now based in Nashville where they found a sonic home of sorts after previously recording at The Bomb Shelter. Like Alabama Shakes, Banditos found their way to Nashville from North Alabama, recording at The Bomb Shelter earlier this year. Banditos’ bluesy swing-rock features banjos and the occasional kazoo along with the serious vocal chops of front woman Mary Richardson, who could wow at an upscale jazz joint just as easily as at any hard-nosed blues dive.
with every instrument under the sun—including oboe, violin, guitars, accordion, percussion, piano, and keys. If you’re a sucker for harmonies that rival Local Natives, or an ambiance that is right up there with Fleet Foxes and Beach House, brace yourself to utter a few “Oooos” and “Ahhhhs” over this bunch. We recommend getting your hands on a copy of The Soil & The Sun’s album “Wake Up, Child” in advance, or at least downloading a track or two, since the band’s crowds have been known to sing along. WHAT: The Soil & The Sun with The Volks WHEN: 9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 10 COST: $8
DONATE SOME DOLLARS
If you can’t make it to one of the aforementioned shows but still want to show the AMB a bit of love and spread some holiday cheer this season, consider donating to their Indiegogo crowdfunding project. Although the venue was originally using the platform to raise funds for sound proofing the building on account of the longstanding lawsuit battle it’s been fighting with its neighbors, it has recently announced the funds will now go toward a springtime move into a new location. AMB has hosted some of our favorite locals of the last few years, and has even brought national acts to town—Jenny Lewis, Okkervil River, Dr. Dog, Kurt Vile, and GIVERS, just to name a few. AMB continually supports the community, and has even served as a host venue for SouthSounds Music Festival (returning April 2014). AMB has given us nights we will never forget, and nights that were so good the details blur together. Why not throw a little bone to help AMB keep on keeping on, so we can continue reaping the benefits? And you’ll have the good feeling of knowing that you are giving back to a venue that is constantly opening its doors to worthwhile acts. If that’s not enough, other incentives for donating include screen-printed Tshirts, koozies and free entrance to shows. To top it off, you will be invited to attend the fundraiser finale event on Dec. 14. Visit indiegogo.com/projects/alabama-musicbox to learn more. {in}
Dust off your AMB membership card, fuel up your gas tank, and consider hitting the road to Mobile to catch one, or all, of these upcoming AMB shows. And with AMB hinting that Brittany Howard and members of Alabama Shakes may show up and join in, there’s really no reason not to stop by AMB and check out this set of new-school Southern alt rockers. WHAT: Alabama Shakes Official After-Party with Clear Plastic Masks and Banditos WHEN: 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8 COST: $8 General Admission or $3 for Saenger ticket holders
THE SOIL & THE SUN
For starters, this Michiganmade act travels on something of a tiny house on wheels. Yep, a converted bus turned house on the road, complete with a living space and kitchen. Appropriately self-described as part "experiential spiritual orchestra rock" and part "New Mexican space music," this delightful 455 Dauphin St., Mobile arrangement that began alabamamusicbox.net or (251) 441-8934 as an intimate two piece
ALABAMA MUSIC BOX
Alabama Shakes / photo by Autumn de Wilde
has grown into a seven piece ensemble packed
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LIVE MUSIC UNDER THE DECK TENT!
New Year’s Eve Celebration! Five-course food and wine dinner with two seatings at 6 and 9 p.m.
Reserve your table for our New Year’s Eve fixed-price, five-course dinner with paired wines. We’ll be offering two seatings in the main dining room at 6 and 9 p.m. The cost per person is $125 with complimentary favors included. (Excludes tax and gratuity)
THE FISH HOUSE AND ATLAS OYSTER HOUSE WILL ALSO BE ACCEPTING EARLY RESERVATIONS BEGINNING AT 5 P.M. WITH SERVICE FROM OUR REGULAR DINNER MENUS. WALK-INS WELCOME ALL EVENING!
(850) 470-0003 · 600 S. BARRACKS ST. · CREDIT CARDS OK · WWW.GOODGRITS.COM
NEW YEAR’S EVE D OW N TOW N
HAPPY
NEW
R E S E R V E Y O U R TA B L E TO D AY · T W O S P E C I A L S E AT I N G S
NEW YEAR’S EVE D O W N TO W N AT J A C K S O N ’ S There will be two seatings in the President’s Room, 7 and 9 p.m., featuring a fixed-price, three-course menu, with bottomless champagne. Favors and complimentary valet services are included in each of the seatings at $125 per person. (Excludes tax and gratuity)
We will also be offering dinner reservations in the Governor’s Room with full service from our new fall/winter menu beginning at 5 p.m. R E S E R VAT I O N S : ( 8 5 0 ) 4 6 9 - 9 8 9 8
THREE-COURSE MENU
C H A M PAG E N
·STEAKHOUSE·
AFTER THE PELICAN DROP, STOP BY FOR COMPLIMENTARY HOPPIN’ JOHN!
D O W N T O W N , S O U T H 4 0 0 P A L A F O X · W W W . J A C K S O N S R E S T A U R A N T. C O M 222 2
inweekly.net
news of the weird SOMETHING IN THE AIR Is the signature smell of Texas A&M University more "Italian lemon, bergamot and iced pineapple" (that open into "a body of vivid florals, raw nutmeg and cinnamon") or more "bat feces" and "chilifest stink"? The two commentaries were contrasted in a November Wall Street Journal report on the introduction of Masik Collegiate Fragrances' Texas A&M cologne (one of 17 Masik college clients) at around $40 for a 1.7-ounce bottle. Louisiana State University's scent conjures up, insisted one grad, the campus's oak trees, but so far has pulled in only $5,500 for the school. (To a football rival of LSU, the school's classic smell is less oak tree than "corn dog.") The apparent gold standard of fan fragrance is New York Yankees cologne, which earned the team nearly $10 million in 2012. RECURRING THEMES Among America's most prolific "fathers" (in this case, perhaps better considered "egg-fertilizers") are Nathaniel Smith, age 39, who claimed on TV's "Divorce Court" in September that he is the father of 27, and the late Samuel Whitney, whose grown stepdaughter Lexie Woods learned that he claimed 54 before he died in July at age 87. Smith (known in Dayton, Ohio, as "Hustle Simmons") insisted that he is a fine father (doesn't smoke or drink, keeps contact with most of the kids, has "only" 21 child-support orders out), and besides, he told WHIO-TV, "I know of people who have even more than me." (Among Whitney's belongings, said Woods, were a "pile" of birth certificates and a stash of maximumstrength Viagra. "He was a likable man, a ladies' man.") • Latest Collateral Damage: (1) In October, a 28-year-old man, reeling from a domestic argument in Port Richey, Fla., put a gun to his head and, against his girlfriend's pleas, fired. As a neighbor across the street stood on her porch, the suicide bullet left the victim's head and made three wounds on the neighbor's leg, sending her to the hospital. (2) About a week later, on the Norwegian island of Vesteroy, a moose hunter missed his target
by Chuck Shepherd
but hit an obscured cottage in the distance, wounding a man in his 70s as he answered nature's call. He was airlifted to Ullevaal University Hospital in Oslo. • Animal Sacrifice—in America: In September, Orthodox Jewish communities once again staged traditional kaparot, in which chickens are killed in a prescribed way for the purpose of "transferring" a believer's latest sins over to the chicken (whose death banishes the sins). (In many such ceremonies, the chickens are donated for food, but protesters in Los Angeles criticized rogue practitioners who simply tossed carcasses into the trash.) In November, Miami-Dade County animal services found a severely injured chicken with a family's 4-by-6 photograph protruding from its chest, having been haphazardly "implanted," along with a note containing several hand-written names, apparently a casualty of local Santeria services. • Some Americans still believe that stock market sales are typically made human-tohuman, but the vast majority of buys and sells now are made automatically by computers, running pattern-detecting programs designed to execute millions of trades, in some cases, less than one second before rival computer programs attempt the same trades. In September, a Federal Reserve Board crisis involved, at most, seven milliseconds' time. The Fed releases market-crucial news typically at exactly 2 p.m. Washington, D.C., time, tightly controlled, transmitted by designated news agents via fiber optic cable. On Sept. 18, somehow, traders in Chicago reportedly beat traders elsewhere to deal an estimated $600 million worth of assets— when theoretically, access to the Fed's news should have been random. (In other words, the drive to shave milliseconds off the "speed of light" has become quite profitable.) {in}
WU W F P U BLI C M EDI A P RES EN TS
From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2013 Chuck Shepherd
Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to newsoftheweird.com
DO IT.
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Independent News | December 05, 2013 | inweekly.net