Feb.10,2011Issue by Inweekly

FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | VOLUME 12 | NUMBER 06 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

WHAT WILL OUR STRONG MAYOR DO NEXT?

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Contents COLUMNS

3 WINNERS & LOSERS 4 OUTTAKES

25 NEWS OF THE WEIRD 27LAST WORD

NEWS/FEATURES/ARTS

6 NEWS: IN INTERVIEW—STATE SEN. DON GAETZ 9 COVER STORY: WHAT WILL OUR STRONG MAYOR DO NEXT? 15 A&E: LOVE LOCALLY 20 VALENTINE’S GIFT GUIDE 23 ART: CHRISTO LECTURE IN PENSACOLA 24 CULTURE: SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Ashley Hardaway, Scott Huhn, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Erica House, Brett Hutchins, Jennie McKeon, Kate Peterson, Chuck Shepard, Will Strickland, Trevor Webb PRODUCTION MANAGER Joani Delezen ART DIRECTOR Samantha Crooke SALES DIRECTOR Jennifer Passeretti

P.O. Box 12082 • Pensacola, Fla. 32591 850-438-8115 • 1-866-724-9396 Fax: 850-438-0228 • info@inweekly.net

Standard postage paid at Pensacola, Fla. All stories are compiled from press releases, submissions, news wires or assignments. Comments and opinions expressed in this newspaper represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and are not necessarily those of INDEPENDENT NEWS or the publisher. Neither the advertiser nor the publisher is responsible or liable for misinformation, misprints, typographical errors, etc., contained in INDEPENDENT NEWS. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

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winners & losers

Mayor Ashton Hayward Since his first week in office, Mayor Ashton Hayward has issued press releases on what he has accomplished each week. The nosy cubicle of the political investigation wing of the downtown Pensacola branch office of the Independent News media and entertainment empire has found these series of accomplishments by the city’s first strong mayor that have gone unreported...until now:

HIRES NATIONAL SEARCH FIRM Mayor

Hayward hired Double Bubble Productions to do a nationwide search for a theme song for his administration. Early suggestions include “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman Turner Overdrive, “Welcome to the Working Week” by Elvis Costello and “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Fred Said.

RENTS OUT THIRD FLOOR In an effort to

increase efficiency and increase revenues, Mayor Hayward rented out the third f loor of City Hall to Domino’s Pizza. It saves time on those long working nights. The pizza delivery guys can walk the deliveries upstairs. They can also use the city vehicles that will be parked at night, starting March 1. It’s truly a win-win decision.

INITIATES NEW PROGRAM Mayor Hayward

has completed the finishing touches on his new “Drive a Department Head to Work” program. Citizens will be asked to volunteer to drive the city employees who lost that take-home car benefit to work every day. Stops at Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s and What-a-Burger might also be required.

ORDERS STAMP For the first time in

Pensacola history, the mayor will have the power to veto legislation passed by the Pensacola City Council. Mayor Hayward ordered his veto stamp. It reads, “Hell, No!”

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FINDS SECRET FLOOR Mayor Hayward

finds “Man Cave” on the eighth f loor of Pensacola City Hall. Although the elevator only shows seven f loors, there is a secret stairway in former Assistant City Manager Robert Payne’s office. The cave has a refrigerator full of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Tab and pool and beer pong tables, It is wallpapered with the membership certificates of people booted out of the McGuire’s Irish Politician’s Club.

SELLING NAMING RIGHTS Mayor Hayward

has explored the possibility of selling the naming rights to Pensacola. The most obvious corporate targets are the soda companies, Pepsi and Coca-Cola. However, don’t rule out Pepto-Bismol (Peptocola) or the Sarah Palin presidential campaign (Palincola).

BREAKS UP CITY HALL CLIQUES Mayor

Hayward decreed during his second week that city employees can no longer refer to themselves as Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, Slytherins and Huff lepuffs. They are not to call him “Harry,” Larry Johnson “Ron” or Maren DeWeese “Hermione.” Staff also had to turn in their wands and agree to quit casting spells on the city council. Hayward made former City Manager Al Coby give up his cloak of invisibility, too.

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has been jokingly called “The Land of Potential,” but it really is “The Land of Missed Opportunities.” People complain about the lack of jobs, shrinking military presence and loss of political and economic power along the Florida Panhandle, but they fail to understand that their root causes can be linked to missed opportunities years and decades ago. In 1967, Jacksonville and Duval County voted to consolidate their governments. Three years later in 1970, Pensacola and Escambia County did not. Within two years of consolidation, the new Jacksonville repaved every road. It cleaned up St. Johns River by eliminating sewer outfalls that were dumping almost 20 million gallons of untreated sewage a day. It invested $60 million into downtown redevelopment efforts that in turn attracted about $200 million in private construction. It lowered property taxes each of the first nine years. Pensacola and Escambia County wouldn’t deal with its downtown sewage treatment plant and launch a focused downtown redevelopment plan until over 30 years later. In the 1990s, attorney M.J. Menge tried to convince Escambia County Commissioners that they needed to buy up land around NAS Pensacola to protect the base from encroachment. They only made token purchases. Three years ago, the base graduated its last Aviation Officer Candidate class. The bulk of flight training has moved elsewhere. It was during that decade that Congressman Joe Scarborough tried to get the chambers of commerce and elected officials from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties to agree on a highway connector from Interstate 10 to Interstate 65 in Alabama. Part of the proposal was to extend Interstate 110 to Nine Mile Road and create a commerce park next to the University of West Florida. Leaders couldn’t agree. Instead, Bay County and the St. Joe Company took the initiative, and economic development shifted east of Escambia County. The Westside Development Plan took nearly seven years of meeting, planning

and debate to create. It contains 117 pages that outline a complete redevelopment of the west side of Pensacola, including community centers, library, new urban school, improved street lighting and sidewalks, and enhanced entrances into the city limits. The funding mechanism was to be a Community Redevelopment District, but when the property values failed to increase sufficiently to fund the plan, no one said a word. The plan, which embodied the hopes of that part of the community, was forgotten. It took the 2010 mayoral race to spark interest in it again, but three years were lost–three years that have seen an increase in shootings, homicides and vandalism in those neighborhoods. The Brownsville Middle School is yet another opportunity. Friendship Missionary Baptist Church and School Superintendent Malcolm Thomas couldn’t agree on a purchase price. George Hawthorne has a contract, but has yet to raise the $2 million he needs to buy the property, develop 10 acres for Habitat for Humanity housing and redevelop the buildings. The church planned to fund its programs with monies from its congregation and supporters. Hawthorne’s proposal is a for-profit venture that needs both investors and support from local agencies that will lease space on his campus. The middle school is in a location that needs revitalization. Unfortunately, there is no real discussion being held as to how that property can be best used for the surrounding neighborhood. Rev. May and his church board saw possibilities for tutoring, daycare, after-school activities and a medical clinic. Hawthorne tried to merge a gang prevention plan with a family resource center. Thomas appears primarily interested in getting top dollar for the property, regardless of the buyer. No one has asked the community what it truly wants. Because of that missing step, yet another opportunity to make a difference may be lost. rick@inweekly.net

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rant & rave TOO MUCH PAPERWORK Real estate agents,

and their sellers, are under a county mandate requiring all sellers of property to disclose that there is an airport nearby, and what noise level the airport is in. This form is such a waste of everyone’s time. All people can look on any map, and see all airports. Most people have a smart-phone with GPS that show the runway’s direction. For those living under an imaginary rock, our airport is in the center of Pensacola.

Please, let’s get back to common sense and do away with yet another useless form. Common sense is not so common, huh? Please put a stop to this form. —Al Ingram, Pensacola

KUDOS Two great articles in the IN: Deluna

Fest (Independent News, “Rock, Paper, Sand,” Feb. 10) and the Firefighters (Independent News, “Budget Woes Handicap Fire Service,” Feb. 10). Very well written and informative. —John Asmar, Pensacola

PLEASE, LET’S GET BACK TO COMMON SENSE AND DO AWAY WITH YET ANOTHER USELESS FORM. COMMON SENSE IS NOT SO COMMON, HUH? PLEASE PUT A STOP TO THIS FORM. —AL INGRAM, PENSACOLA For 100 years, we have enjoyed the United States Navy onboard NAS Pensacola. The Navy, Air Force, Army, and most military, have propeller planes, bi-wings, and now jets. These machines make noise. Thankfully, this is not Valparaiso, Fla., where most of the residents receive Air Force retirement but don’t want the airplanes near them. When I hear a jet, I hear freedom. Real estate sales people are in an environment that causes us to work harder to finally make a sale, then the county comes up with a three page, notary signed and witnessed, document that is as useless as mud grips on a Cadillac. The car will still move, but the ride is rough. This is true in our industry, with needless forms like airport environs. “What is an airport environ,” a customer asked me before signing the useless paper. I explained to him the county had one nut that had a hallucination one day that airplanes were noisy. That guy probably came to Pensacola on a jet. Trains are all over the place. They are more noisy than airports, and stop traffic for long periods of time. No train-discloser person has thought it up yet to force agents to disclose the fact that we have trains, they are noisy, and they will crush you when you stop on their track.

GROWTH AND PROSPERITY

Most cities in the U.S. have operated on the assumption that growth is inherently beneficial and that more and faster growth will benefit local residents economically. Local growth is often cited as the cure for urban ailments, especially the need for local jobs. But does the empirical evidence show that growth is actually providing these benefits? To test claims about the benefits of local growth, I examined the relationship between growth and prosperity in U.S. metro areas. This study looked at the 100 largest U.S. metro areas (representing 66 percent of the total U.S. population) using the latest federal data for the 2000-09 period. The average annual population growth rate of each metro area was compared with unemployment rate, per capita income and poverty rate using graphical and statistical analysis. The “conventional wisdom” that growth generates economic and employment benefits was not supported by the data. The study found that those metro areas that have fared the best had the lowest growth rates. Even metro areas with stable or declining populations tended to fare better than fastgrowing areas in terms of basic measures of economic well-being. Some of the remarkable findings: • Faster-growing areas did not have lower unemployment rates. • Faster-growing areas tended to have

lower per capita income than slower-growing areas. Per capita income in 2009 tended to decline almost $2,500 for each 1 percent increase in growth rate. • Residents of faster-growing areas had greater income declines during the recession. • Faster-growing areas tended to have higher poverty rates. The 25 slowest-growing and 25 fastestgrowing areas were compared. The 25 slowest-growing metro areas outperformed the 25 fastest-growing in every category and averaged $8,455 more in per capita personal income in 2009. They also had lower unemployment and poverty rates. Another remarkable finding is that stable metro areas (those with little or no growth) did relatively well. Statistically speaking, residents of an area with no growth over the nine-year period tended to have 43 percent more income gain than an area growing at 3 percent a year. Undoubtedly this offers a ray of hope that stable, sustainable communities may be perfectly viable—even prosperous— within our current economic system. While certain businesses prosper from growth, apparently the balance of the com-

Public policies and plans regarding urban growth typically involve tradeoffs between economic, environmental and social impacts. Local residents may view a policy to encourage land development or growth as negatively affecting their quality of life through increased traffic congestion, environmental quality impacts, loss of farm and forest lands and loss of amenity values (such as tranquility, sense of community and open space). They may also be concerned about higher taxes to fund the cost of the new public infrastructure (roads, schools, sewer and water systems, etc.) required to serve growth. However, the prospect that new growth will bring jobs and economic prosperity that may benefit local residents is often viewed as compelling enough to outweigh these costs. So if growth is actually not providing these benefits, then the decisionmaking balance shifts towards the fiscal, environmental and quality-oflife impacts. With greater awareness of the relationship between growth and prosperity, perhaps we will see a shift in our focus toward making our cities better places, not just bigger places. Most U.S. cities have been actively pursuing growth with all the policy and financial tools at their disposal under the presumption that they are fostering local prosperity. As U.S. cities seek a path out of the recession, this study suggests that new economic development strategies will be needed that do not rely so heavily on growth. A link to the full study, “Relationship between Growth and Prosperity in 100 Largest U.S. Metropolitan Areas,” can be found at fodorandassociates.com. —Eben Fodor, Fodor & Associates, Eugene, Ore.

LOCAL GROWTH IS OFTEN CITED AS THE CURE FOR URBAN AILMENTS, ESPECIALLY THE NEED FOR LOCAL JOBS. —EBEN FODOR, FODOR & ASSOCIATES, EUGENE, ORE. munity does not. The statistics showing that fast-growing areas tend to have lower and declining incomes indicate that any gains by the businesses that directly benefit from growth are more than offset by losses to the rest of the local population. In other words, a small segment of the local population may benefit from faster growth, but the larger population tends to see their prosperity decline. Population growth tends to be directly linked to urban growth. There is a close, linear relationship between the two, as more people require more housing units and more commercial buildings for employment and shopping.

WE WELCOME YOUR RANTS AND RAVES to the Independent News. All letters should be 200 words or less and should include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address (if you have one). All viewpoints should be no more than 700 words. The Independent News reserves the right to edit letters and opinions.Send letters and opinions to P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, Fla. 32591 • FAX 850-438-0228 • E-mail opinions@inweekly.net

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news

IN INTERVIEW: STATE SEN. DON GAETZ REDISTRICTING POINT MAN TALKS CANDIDLY

BY RICK OUTZEN

tate Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) must have upset Senate President Mike Haridopolos. The former Okaloosa County Superintendent of Schools was appointed by Haridopolos to chair the Senate Reapportionment Committee. In the past, that chairmanship gave a senator the opportunity to build his political power base and make a run for Senate

president or a statewide office. Dan Webster (R-Winter Garden) chaired the committee in 2000 and went on to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Gaetz may find it hard to keep his own Florida Senate district in tact, thanks to Amendments 5 and 6 that passed last November. The two amendments require that the district lines for Congressional and Florida legislative districts be drawn so as not to

favor or disfavor an incumbent or a political party. The voting districts must also be compact, contiguous and respect city and county boundaries when possible. U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown (D-Jacksonville) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Miami) have filed a lawsuit to overturn Amendment 6. The Florida House, led by House Speaker Dean Cannon, asked last month to join it. Gov. Rick Scott and his Secretary of State

Kurt Browning sent on Jan. 7 a letter to the Department of Justice withdrawing Gov. Charlie Crist’s preclearance of Amendments 5 and 6. Preclearance is required in five Florida counties before any law regarding voting in those counties may take effect. That delay prompted a lawsuit to be filed by the League of Women Voters and Fair Districts Florida for delaying the implementation of the amendments. All this is happening before Gaetz and his commiteee have even drawn their first district boundary. “As Churchhill said about Russia, ‘It’s going to be a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma,’” Gaetz told the IN when he dropped by the office last week. “We have the Federal Voting Rights Act, which is dominant. We have state laws, and now we have Amendments 5 and 6.” While the two amendments create some standards which by themselves sound very good, Gaetz believed the challenge will be to maintain all those standards consistently. Experts have told him that no state has ever had a template to apply to redistricting that is as inconsistent as the one his committee is required to use. While Gaetz opposed the amendments during the election, he has not been in favor of the Florida Senate intervening in the federal lawsuit filed by Brown and Diaz-Balart. “I did everything I could to make sure the Senate didn’t intervene, and we didn’t intervene,” said Gaetz. “As chairman of the Reapportionment Committee, I believe we should follow the law, but I’m not insensitive to the apparent inconsistencies in the law.” According to Gaetz, the amendments have a hierarchy of requirements. “The

N EWS STOR I E S YOU M AY H AV E M IS SE D NEW ORLEANS NOW WHITER, RICHER, EMPTIER

Bloomberg: Some troubling facts revealing the extent of the damage caused by Katrina have emerged courtesy of the city’s 2010 census data. New Orleans lost 140,845 residents, a drop of 29 percent from 2000, and the percentage of the city’s black population fell to 60.2 percent from 67.3 percent.

6 | INDEPENDENT NEWS |

IMMIGRATION ACTIVISTS SAY THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN

Florida Tribune: Florida legislators hear from citizens as they weigh whether or not to emulate an Arizona law that would give law-enforcement officers the right to ask anyone they detain or arrest about their legal status.

FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

DOES CASINO GIANT HAVE INSIDER STATUS WITH SCOTT?

Florida Clarion: Genting Berhad is the giant Asian casino company that recently paid $400 million for the rights to develop a casino at Aqueduct race track. He has retained the services of the law firm and lobbying powerhouse of Foley & Lardner, whose partner, Chris Kise, is working as Gov. Scott’s de-facto General Counsel.

SHARK ATTACKS UP 25 PERCENT IN 2010

MSNBC: Last year saw a skyrocketing number of shark attacks worldwide and the risk factors could continue for the foreseeable future. According to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File annual report, there were 79 attacks in 2010, up 25 percent from 63 in 2009.

THE FINAL APPROACH

Financial Times: Everybody’s heard they are more likely to die in a car accident than on an airplane, but they probably don’t know how skewed those numbers are.

buzz preeminent requirement is that no line may be drawn with the intent to favor or disfavor any incumbent or any political party,” said Gaetz. “Well, draw the first line.” He believes that when that first line is drawn, a cause of action is created. “It’s pretty hard to draw any line distinguishing one district from another without someone taking a position that you’re favoring or disfavoring an incumbent or political party,” said Gaetz. “Thus this becomes rich ground for litigation for a politician who thinks the district isn’t drawn as favorably as he would like. Interest groups that thought 5 and 6 would be some sort of electoral Nirvana creating a desired election result may find the lines drawn might favor or disfavor a political party. Then they may sue.” Gaetz says ordinary citizens have sent him what they believe are fair redistricting plans. “Any of those plans that I’ve seen could be attacked for favoring or disfavoring,” he said. There is a second tier of values: compactness and contiguity. “Compactness by itself you can achieve, but compactness where you don’t favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party creates another level of problems,” said Gaetz. The state senator sees a similar problem with contiguity. “Contiguity in some people’s minds shouldn’t involve water,” he said. “I live in Niceville. My senate district and the house district in which I live cross Choctawhatchee Bay and includes Destin and Okaloosa Island. Some people believe contiguity means land touching land and you can’t cross water. We have thousands of bays, rivers, estuaries, bayous and coves. We’re not North Dakota. Florida isn’t shaped like a rectangle.” On top of Amendments 5 and 6, the Senate Reapportionment Committee must almost satisfy the requirements of the federal Voting Rights Act. “We must ensure we don’t go backwards and regress in providing minority representation,” said Gaetz. “We can draw our districts with the 5 and 6 amendments as your standards and be accused of not being serious about the federal standards.” Can Gaetz complete the assignment given to him by Senate President Haridopolos? “We’re going to try,” said Gaetz. “I am advised by wise scholars in this field to expect that we will be in court a good deal of the time because of these different values that can be played off of each other. “Depending on how you draw the lines, somebody, somewhere is going to arguably have a cause of action.” rick@inweekly.net

penalty against Douglas for the murder of Broxson, whose body was found in the woods on Gulf Power property on Nov. 29, 2010. She was found with duct tape over her forehead and arm. The autopsy found evidence of sexual assault, and the death was the result of asphyxia. Douglas was linked by DNA to the crime.

NOT ONE OF US Escambia County’s Repub-

Joshua Wayne Douglas

HUNTING BAN Joshua Wayne Douglas,

who has been indicted for the murder of Jamie M. Broxson, may have had early signs of trouble. In January 2007, Douglas pled guilty after Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers charged him and a Milton teen with killing three small spotted fawns that they shot from a roadway on Christmas Eve near Munson on Division of Forestry property. Douglas was sentenced to 120 days in jail and 30 hours of community service, fined $1,000, and ordered to pay $330 in court costs. His hunting privileges were revoked for life. He also forfeited the shotgun used to kill the deer. It was Douglas’ second time before a judge in a two-month period for shooting deer illegally or at night. He and an accomplice were charged Nov. 5, 2006 for night hunting deer after the pilot of an FWC airplane and ground units spotted the pair as they attempted to shoot a deer using a spotlight. In that case, Douglas had to pay $500 in fines and court costs, was sentenced to 10 hours of community service and had his hunting license suspended for three years. State Attorney Bill Eddins announced on Feb. 3 that he will seek the death Rendering of Pensacola’s Aquarium Plan

lican Party took offense to the founder of the Aquarium for Pensacola identifying one of his former board as a member of their organization. Bill Young, president of the Aquarium for Pensacola, wrote an apology letter to U.S. Senator Marco Rubio and other elected officials concerning Rodney Rowe, who Young blamed for misrepresenting the support of Rubio and others for an aquarium that would use the tanks of the Main Street Sewage Plant. His letter to Senator Rubio stated, “I met Mr. Rowe back in October when he called me from the Republican campaign booth at the Pensacola Interstate Fair, which he was manning.” Local GOP Chairman Susan Moore issued a statement after the letter was published: “Although I am sympathetic to Mr. Young’s issues with Rodney Rowe and the aquarium, I want to be clear that I have never met Rodney Rowe and he is not, nor has he ever been, a member of the local Republican Party. Our booth at the Pensacola Interstate Fair was manned exclusively by Escambia County Republican Executive Committee members. “No matter what he may have said to Mr. Young, Rodney Rowe never manned our Republican booth at the Pensacola Interstate Fair and again, is not a member of the local Republican Party.” In the apology letter, Young also stated that his organization had legal concerns with Rowe. The IN pressed him to further explain what those concerns might be. In an email, Young replied: “We are currently assessing the validity and im-

pact of all actions, statements and transactions for which Mr. Rowe was responsible. We are also cognizant of the disturbing possibility of incidents with which his personal life may have been impacted, although the validity has not been determined. We will seek full remedy for all assets of Aquarium for Pensacola which Mr. Rowe may have converted or misapplied for personal gain. “Additionally, Hancock Bank and the local authorities will have to assess whether any criminal activities have occurred. Mr. Rowe has been removed as a member of the board and all accounts on which he had signature support have been amended.”

SIGN-GATE CASE DISMISSED Greg Brown,

II, a candidate for the Florida House, was charged last year for petty theft when he was caught removing the campaign signs

Judge says Brown could remove signs of his competitor, Doug Broxson, from the property of J. LaDon Dewrell. Judge Gary Bergosh dismissed the case finding that Broxson’s signs were unlawfully on the Dewrell’s property or the right-of-way, and Brown had a lawful right to remove the campaign signs of Doug Broxson. Brown, who lost the Republican primary to Broxson, released the following statement to the media: “Today our faith in government was restored. Over the course of the campaign, we learn first-hand the cruel nature of some politicians who will do anything to not only win, but continue to maliciously attack ones character and cause irreversible damage. My wife and I never wavered from the fact that we did nothing wrong. “It is clear from the order that either the signs were unlawfully placed on private property, or were illegally placed in the public right of way and considered litter by Santa Rosa County. “We appreciate all those that supported us during the campaign and well beyond. We are anxious to move forward with our lives and to be productive members of our community who facing much bigger challenges.”

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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inyl Music Hall was packed Nov. 2, 2010. The crowd was an eclectic mix of people–old, young, black, white, white collar and blue collar. They weren’t there for the music. They were at Vinyl to celebrate the election of Ashton Hayward, Pensacola’s first strong mayor and the man who personified their hopes and dreams of a new city. The people laughed, they cried. They shook hands, they hugged. However, not everyone in Pensacola was overjoyed. The election of the upstart Hayward sent a ripple of uncertainty throughout Pensacola City Hall. For the first time since the Great Depression, outsiders would have unfettered access to the inner workings of Pensacola city government. Secrets hidden for decades, budget line items that gave staff caches of cash for pet projects, and favorable contracts that kept the Good ol’ Boys at bay would now be exposed to the light. The old game under the city-manager form of government was to keep six city council members happy, give the council only one recommendation on every issue and embarrass those that stepped out of line. When the council seemed to be getting restless or rebellious, then inundate them with minutia, pack their agendas with long presentations, and make the meetings last hours. On that warm Nov. 2 night, everything was about to change. Hayward was not a City Hall insider. He had vowed to change city government. He was supported by that same radical bunch that had gotten the new charter passed the prior year. The 2008 City Council elections had produced flies in the ointment, like Maren DeWeese, Larry Johnson and, at times, Diane Mack, but nothing like Hayward, who would have the power to hire and fire the city employees. Hayward had no political track record. He was an unknown commodity. He also was inexperienced—a fact that may have

given some hope to city staff, since surely he would have to rely on their institutional knowledge, at least until he hired his city administrator. Many of the senior city leaders had contracts with expensive termination clauses. Change was not going to be as quick as Hayward’s supporters expected. There would be time for city staff to adjust.

CRASH COURSE IN CITY GOVERNMENT

The mayor-elect, however, had a little time to adjust. Hayward had 69 days before he was sworn into office. He had less than 1,650 hours to get ready to take the reins of the primary economic engine in the county, outside of the beaches. Hayward had campaigned on 20 Solutions for 2011 and his ambitious Westside Plan, but he had spent little time planning for the execution of those ideas. The Thursday after the election, Hayward began to assemble his transition team. Their mission was to figure how in the heck he was going to do all that he had promised. Transitions can be rocky. In 2009, Escambia County saw both ends of the spectrum. David Morgan took over the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, replacing most of his predecessor’s cronies with sworn officers and professionals from inside the agency. Few people noticed the changes in leadership. James Owens took a radically different approach when he took over the Public Defender’s Office. Owens fired 14 of his 125 employees and hired 12 new attorneys on the day after he was sworn into office. The news media interviewed the fired employees as they were leaving the M.C. Blanchard Building with boxes in their hands. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Which example would Hayward follow? Blaise Adams, city president for RBC Bank, was named chairman of the Hayward Transition Team, with Rev. LuTimothy May, pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, as the co-chairman. The

other members included Cynthia Williams, senior planner, West Florida Regional Planning Council; Ron Ellington, business consultant who worked with Innisfree Hotels; Bo Carter, former president and CEO of Coastal Bank and Trust; David Penzone, former Southeast Managing Tax Partner, Deloitte Private Client Tax Advisors; John Asmar, attorney, former Assistant County Administrator and City Manager of Homestead, Fla.; Bruce Partington, attorney, Clark Partington Hart Larry Bond & Stackhouse; Gordon Sprague, retired Global Partner, Invesco; Taylor “Chips” Kirschenfeld, Senior Scientist and Division Manager, Escambia County Water Quality and Land Management. Jerome Watson, retired deputy administrator for Escambia County Public School District, was added later in January. On the original team, only Asmar, Kirschenfeld and Sprague had any government work experience. Both Adams and Carter had served as chairman of the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. The team members weren’t made public until mid-December. In the press release on the team, Hayward said, “One of my priorities as Mayor will be to ensure that everyone has a voice in the process, and that we take advantage of the incredible talent we have right here at home. I’m happy to have such an impressive group of community leaders and policy experts who have volunteered to assist me in building a better future for our city." Hayward said that his transition team was part of a deliberate, reasoned approach to ensure that that would lead to a “more transparent, more accountable and more responsive city government.”

CITY GOVERNMENT 101

The Hayward Transition Team was under no legal requirement to be transparent, accountable to the public, or responsive.

There were no public meetings held or reports issued on its deliberations. Its emails, reports and meeting minutes weren’t subject to Florida’s Public Record laws. IN knew Hayward and some of his team members were meeting with city staff, but little else. The daily newspaper reported that the Hayward Transition Team gathered a stack of documents three feet high, containing summaries, memos, contracts, lawsuits, financial documents, budgets and more. Since those documents represented what potentially could be an unprecedented view into the workings of Pensacola city government, the IN made a public record request for them so the paper could review the same information given to the Hayward Transition Team. They provided a “City Government 101” primer on how the city operates and what are some of the biggest issues facing it in the coming year. They also offer a peak into what Hayward may be planning for the first few months of his administration. The stack of documents received were considerably less than three feet high. Some of the reports could be easily found on the city’s website, such as the budget, financial reports and Community Redevelopment Plan, 2010. Other documents were reports and presentations previously given to the Pensacola City Council on the Port of Pensacola, Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport, Energy Services of Pensacola and the pensions. Based on the emails the IN reviewed, dozens of meetings were held by transition team members with department heads. Some heads, such as Al Garza Jr., Director of Public Works, and City Attorney Rusty Wells, followed up their meetings with letters and emails in which they made recommendations and pointed out significant issues. It doesn’t mean that others didn’t make recommendations, only there are no written communications from them.

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

CITY ADMINISTRATOR

The new city charter replaced the city manager position with a city administrator who is hired by and works under the mayor. Hayward committed in his campaign that he would conduct a nationwide search for that position. The public records revealed that the Hayward Transition Team considered six firms: Bob Murray & Associates, Gilbert Tweed International, Waters-Oldani Executive Recruitment, Slavin Management Consultants, The Mercer Group and Gans, Gans & Associates. All six firms were listed and analyzed in a Excel spreadsheet. Eventually Hayward would select Gilbert Tweed International, which, according to the decision grid released, had no senior government staff placements in Florida, but significant corporate search work in the state. Its president, Stephanie Pinson, was given credit for extensive experience in transportation, government and industrial companies worldwide. The estimated timeline for completion of the search was 12 weeks, which includes development of the position profile; designing evaluation and selection process; identifying qualified candidates; screening of applicants with recommendations; doing more extensive background checks, if requested; and assistance with negotiations and presentation of offer of employment. The estimated cost listed is $40,000.

POSSIBLE VACANCY WINDFALL

A week before the general election, Hayward stated in his opening remarks at the chamber’s mayoral debate that he would rollback the millage rate. That promise put pressure on the Hayward Transition Team to find money in the budget. Based on the records given to the IN, the team may have found $3.1 million, of which $1.62 million was in General Fund dollars. The savings would come from eliminating positions in the budget that have not been filled. The $1.62 million savings to the General Fund came from not filling 24 positions, including the assistant city manager ($157,586, salary plus benefits), fire chief ($141,130) and assistant police chief ($138,826). Of the 24 positions up for elimination, six were in the Fire Department and 14 in the Police Department. The remaining $1.48 million in savings was split among various funds, such as Community Redevelopment Agency, Sanitation and Gas Utility funds. The biggest impacts were in the Airport and Gas Utility funds with savings of $439,194 and $247,163 respectively. The highest paid position in the fund accounts recommended for elimination was the Management Information Services Administrator ($89,176 salary plus benefits). Of the total potential savings of $3.1 million, only $1.87 million was in actual salaries, about 60 percent of the total. The balance was in Fire & Police Pen-

sions ($335,200), FICA & Social Security Replacement ($123,482), Group Insurance ($633,466), Disability Insurance ($3,257) and Florida Retirement System ($139,721).

RESTRUCTURE PROPOSAL

Al Garza Jr., Director of Public Works, gave the Hayward Transition Team his analysis of the general issues and recommendations on the organization structure. Garza pointed out that Pensacola has suffered from a declining population growth rate since the 1970s as people migrated to the unincorporated areas of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties primarily because of lower tax rates. What kept Pensacola from shrinking to a population base of 40,000 or less was the development near the airport along Spanish Trail during the late 1980s and early 1990s. “It’s easy to say let’s revisit annexation, but without any incentives to offer residents outside the City I can’t imagine anyone voluntarily being incorporated into the City,” wrote Garza. “We need to find the carrot that we could hold out to areas just outside the City Limits so they feel it would be economically advantageous to be within the City.” The City needed to do a better job of selling the efforts the City is providing to improve urban services and conditions, such as police, fire, parks, roadways, stormwater, street lighting and business development and opportunities, according to Garza. “We don’t blow our own horn enough.”

Garza saw that the demolition of apartment complexes in the City after Hurricane Ivan created a lack of fair market housing that pushed renters to the area slumlords’ low rent/poorly-maintained homes in the central and western portions of the City. “Stimulation of economic redevelopment in these areas is essential,” wrote Garza. The Director of Public Works pointed out the duplication of services within the different departments. There are three different electrical/instrument control operations, four different grass cutting operations, right-of-way operations split between three different departments, as well as Code Enforcement in three different departments. “It’s hard to coordinate your activities when you don’t know what the other guy is doing,” he wrote. “A consolidation of similar activities would help with this situation and allow an organizational downscaling as well as improve service delivery.” Last fall, the Pensacola City Council led by Mayor Mike Wiggins rejected a stormwater rate increase. Currently the stormwater capital project program has been scaled back by $400,000 to offset decreased revenue. Garza believed the City needed to determine if rates should be adjusted to current expenditure levels or if operations should be cutback further to the current revenue. Garza also looked at the City’s organization structure. Based on the management concept that no one individual can realistically control more than six activities

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directly at any one time, he proposed that Mayor Hayward place under his direct control the City Administrator, City Attorney, City Clerk and Finance Department. Under the City Administrator there would be six major departments: Fire, Police, Human Resources, Public Enterprise, Public Service and Community Development. Functions under the department level would be classified by division level. The proposed organization would decrease the number of department directors and downscale administrative staffs.

CITY LEGAL ISSUES

City Attorney Rusty Wells provided on Dec. 7 Mayor-elect Hayward and his Transition Team an update on the major lawsuits against the City and what he had indentified as upcoming significant matters. Gulf Power’s 30-year franchise agreement expired in December 2009. The renewal negotiations are still on-going. Mayor Hayward will have to complete them under his administration. The City is negotiating the fire collective bargaining agreement, which expired Ju1y 1, 2010. The police agreement expires in 2012. The police and fire pension issues will be a part of those negotiations. In addition, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which is part of the AFL-CIO, is in the process of attempting to organize the City’s blue-collar employees. Wells also identified the 2010 Charter as an issue requiring an in-depth briefing on the charter’s relationship with the current Code of Ordinances in order to determine those areas of authority that are clear-cut under the Charter so the new mayor can take an informed approach to resolve them. The other big issue was the Maritime Park, which has seen CMPA fire its master developer and file suit against it, alleging fraud in the inducement of the contract. The Studers also announced the purchase of a Double A baseball team, which is affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds, and a commitment of $2 million to expand the stadium to 5,000 seats. Five cases are regarded as significant pending litigation against the City. Following the completion of the airport’s runway extension, the contractor Phoenix Construction Services, Inc. filed a $5.87 million lawsuit against the City and the construction project manager, Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc. Phoenix alleged breach of contract by failing to adjust the contract time and price and that the plans and specifications provided by the City were incomplete, insufficient and not constructible within the contract’s time frames, causing time and cost overruns. Another lawsuit (DooleyMack Constructors of Northwest Florida, LLC v. City of Pensacola) also involves a recent capital project, the renovation of the Saenger Theatre. According to Wells, the alleged damage, approximately $1.2 million, is “composed of several discrete elements of the construction project” which DooleyMack claims were not properly handled by the City and/or its

architect, Caldwell & Associates. Mediation was unsuccessful, although one of the major components is still being discussed by the parties. The City has filed a Motion to Dismiss. If that isn’t successful, the City will advance a claim against Caldwell & Associates and its insurance carrier. The City Attorney anticipated bringing details of the claim to the city council in early 2011. The lawsuit G.H. Skipper v. City of Pensacola was filed in 2003. The plaintiff claims that its contract to provide as-needed plumbing and installation work for Energy Services of Pensacola was deprived of revenue because ESP’s own in-house staff performed some of the work instead. The claim was dismissed in court, but reversed on appeal. Mediation in 2010 was unsuccessful and the case, whose damages claimed are $400,000, is scheduled for trial in 2011. The City has a racial discrimination suit (Derrik Streeter, et al. v. City of Pensacola) filed in 2005 in federal court by four minority firefighters against the City and its union. The District Court entered in 2009 a Summary Judgment, but the Eleventh Court of Appeal remanded it in 2010 back to the District Court, where the City is awaiting disposition of a renewed Motion for Summary Judgment. In 2006, a lawsuit (Estate of Nathaniel Wesley McCants v. City of Pensacola) arose from an explosion due to a gas leak at a Roads, Inc. worksite. The City, which owned the gas line, and Roads, Inc., which apparently damaged it, are co-defendants. ESP’s gas policy is covering this case. Wells also instructed the Transition Team that he anticipates an additional significant lawsuit to be filed regarding the 2009 death of Victor Steen. The teen died when he was knocked off his bike and run over by a police cruiser. A Chapter 768 claim has been lodged and is covered under the Police Liability Insurer. The City Attorney was asked to list the City’s outside counsel. Former City Manager Tom Bonfield entered in 2008 into a five-year retainer agreement with Richard Lott as bond counsel and Rick Miller of Edwards, Angel and Palmer as disclosure counsel. Keith Wells is the attorney for the City’s Civil Service Board. Gary Leuchtman of Beggs & Lane has been retained by the Fire Pension Board. Mike Stebbins serves the same function for the Police Pension Board. Lou Ray and Ed Fleming are the board attorneys for the Code Enforcement and Community Maritime Park Associates, respectively. Jack Fiveash is the City’s environmental legal consultant and Deborah Little is on retainer to pursue collections of liens on various properties in the City.

ENERGY SERVICES OF PENSACOLA

ESP is a critical revenue source for the City. It provides $854,000 as its allocation of overhead and an additional $8,000,000 to the General Fund. The natural gas supply contract with BP North America (yes, the same BP involved with the Deepwater Horizon disaster) expires on March 31, 2011. The budget is $30 million annually and is currently out

CITY OF PENSACOLA FISCAL YEAR 2011 VACANCY REPORT / GENERAL FUND IMPACT Salary, plus benefits City Manager Assistant City Manager

$157,586

Parks & Recreation Administrative Officer Maintenance Worker I Maintenance Worker I

$40,036 $34,716 $34,716 $109,468

Fire Fire Chief Fire Captain II Fire Captain II Fire Captain II Fire Captain II Professional Firefighter

$141,130 $83,536 $83,536 $83,536 $83,536 $55,529 $530, 804

Police Assistant Police Chief Police Officer Police Officer Police Officer Police Officer Police Officer Police Sergeant Crime Scene Analyst II Public Safety Telecommunicator II Public Safety Telecommunicator II Police Cadet Police Cadet Police Cadet Police Cadet

$138,826 $63,077 $63,077 $63,077 $63,077 $63,077 $92,363 $56,068 $40,036 $40,036 $35,504 $35,504 $35,504 $35,504 $824,731 $1,622,589

Total General Fund Impact

CITY OF PENSACOLA FISCAL YEAR 2011 VACANCY REPORT / IMPACT TO OTHER FUNDS Salary, plus benefits Community Redevelopment Agency Fund Library Fund Stormwater Utility Fund Section 8 Housing Fund Gas Utility Fund Sanitation Fund Port Fund Airport Fund Insurance Retention Fund Central Services Fund Total Impact

$38,312 $83,151 $75,934 $194,047 $247,163 $160,711 $33,558 $439,194 $35,898 $174,149 $1,482,117

for bid. The natural gas is transported to the City through the Gulf South Pipeline, and that contract expires March 31, 2012. ESP is in discussion with Gulf South to purchase the pipeline that serves three NAS Pensacola locations.

PARKS & RECREATION

A priority for Mayor-elect Hayward is the Pensacola’s Westside. Dave Flaherty, Director of Parks & Recreation, suggested to the Transition Team that by reallocating funds in the 2011-2014 Capital Plan the new mayor could build both the Woodland Heights Community Center and the Legion Field Activity Center. INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

Flaherty also suggested either moving the City towards contract services, particularly in the areas of park landscaping and building maintenance, or the Mayor could pursue consolidating those functions with the county. He also made reorganization recommendations similar to those proposed by Garza. Flaherty suggested moving all construction projects under Engineering, which would put one department in control of planning, coordinating and overseeing capital improvements. The mayor should also consider eliminating some mid- to upper-level management positions.

WESTSIDE PLAN

The Hayward Transition Team did look at the affordable housing. According to an email exchange between team member Ron Ellington and Pat Hubbard, Director of Housing, the team discussed the old school site on the corner of C and Chase streets, which was sold in 2004 for $400,000 by Frank and Vickie McGinley to Blount Redevelopment, LLC, as a possible redevelopment project for the Hayward administration. “The transition committee agreed that the Blount St. site is of interest for all the reasons we discussed, as is the parallel issue/ opportunity that you raised; tighter code enforcement on blighted properties and aggressively pursuing the owners to the full extent of the law,” wrote Ellington in an email to Hubbard. “We agreed that this will also be a key part of the Mayor’s plan to be announced after he takes office.”

Ellington wrote that the transition team had talked about the Westside plan, affordable housing and the Blount Street site. They had agreed that Mayor Hayward would appoint a Westside Improvement Committee to be announced shortly after he takes office. “The committee will be representative of the service area constituency,” wrote Ellington, “and will hold a series of meetings as well as one-on-one conversations to gather the community’s input on how they would prioritize the elements of the plan and what values they would seek to derive from each.” Mayor Hayward did announce on the day that he was sworn into office a Westside Improvement Committee: Rev. LuTimothy May, Rev. Bernard Yates, Rev. Lonnie Wesley, Rev. Joseph Marshall and Rev. Charles Morris.

CITY MEDICAL CLINIC

Another interesting report found through the Public Record request was an explanation of the City’s Medical Clinic. The City’s Risk Management Department has its own medical clinic that is staffed with two nurses. A citizen reading the annual budget wouldn’t find it because it’s buried inside the Insurance Retention Fund under Risk Management. The budget for Risk Management jumped 28 percent over the past four years and has an approved budget this year of $1.25 million. The Hayward Transition Team asked for a report on the City Clinic. Risk Management described the clinic as its

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12 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011

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“medical resource and front line defense to assist Risk in controlling the City’s selfinsured workers compensation cost.” In 2008 fiscal year, the City spent $2.7 million on claims. This year it has budgeted $4.2 million, a 55 percent increase. Not all those claims are workers compensation related, but clearly the City has a problem in this area. The City Clinic files the Notice of Injury and serves as a sort of M.A.S.H. unit providing triage and then determining if an injured worker needs treatment beyond the skill level of the clinic. According to the report, there were 70 accidents in calendar year 2010 that did not incur medical treatment beyond the clinic, saving the City an estimated $50,000. The City Clinic gives the City and its claim adjuster medical information on its employees. The report states “The Clinic is privy to health information that may provide a clue to a previous injury or medical condition that could be contributory to the work-related injury at hand.” This access to the medical records provides insider information that is not readily available to adjusters without the clinic.

WHAT WILL HAYWARD DO?

Mayor Hayward has selected his search firm for his city administrator and has named his Westside Improvement Committee, but there has been little noticeable movement on the other recommendations made to his Transition Team.

His management team at City Hall is the same one that ran the City before he was elected. If Gilbert Tweed International’s timeline holds true, then Hayward is about three months away from hiring his administrator, which will be towards the end of his budget preparations. On Jan. 10, Hayward held a press conference after he had taken office. His staff handed out six priorities for his administration: • H ire a city administrator • Appoint Westside Improvement Committee • E xamine personnel vacancies for potential savings • E xplore budget reductions • E xpedite tree fund and beautification projects • Partner with local governments to recoup lost revenues from oil spill He accomplished the second priority the day he announced it. All others are still pending, as of our Tuesday, Feb. 8 press deadline. The crowd that packed Vinyl Music Hall on the night of his election are waiting to see how he will use the information supplied to him and his Transition Team by city staff to take action on the remaining priorities as well as all the commitments and promises he made during the campaign. The honeymoon period is quickly evaporating. info@inweekly.net

Laura Ingraham 8-11am

Lou Dobbs 2-5pm

Mark Levin 5-8pm

850-433-1141 John Teelin Papa Don Schroeder

Michael Schroeder

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

14 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011

| WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

arts + entertainment ART, FILM, MUSIC, STAGE, BOOKS AND OTHER SIGNS OF CIVILIZATION...

LOVE LOCALLY

IN ’S ALTERNATIVE GUIDE TO A UNIQUE , THOUGHTFUL VALENTINE ’S DAY BY KILEY A. BOLSTER

Olde Seville Chiropractic 208 S. Alcaniz St., 607-2105 oldesevillechiropractic.com

Olde Seville Chiropractic is offering $45 one-hour-massage gift certificates as a Valentine’s Day Special if you mention this article.

BETTER TOGETHER

In lieu of objects, check out the following ideas for giving your partner the ultimate gift—time together.

Ice Flyers Hockey Game ($11-$25 per person) Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St., pensacolaiceflyers.com

A perfect gift idea for a sports-loving couple. Cheer on the Ice Flyers as they face the Louisiana Ice Gators Feb. 13 at 3:05 p.m. And don’t forget the cold beer and hotdogs.

Shakespeare Theatre’s “Just Desserts” ($35 per person) Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox pensacolashakepearetheatre.org

h, Valentine’s Day—That sentimental day that provides new and old sweethearts alike the opportunity to excite and impress, or fail miserably trying. Celebrated in this country since the mid-1800s, some Valentine’s Day gifts today are a far cry from the humble offerings of our ancestors. The valentines of the nineteenth century were not unlike those first handmade valentines each child creates with their first grade class. In an effort to return to the roots of the holiday and foster a more unique way to express the love you have for your sweetheart, continue reading for a few ways to celebrate the lovey-dovey festivities this year with some verve and creativity without breaking the bank. Instead of

shopping at a Big Corporate Warehouse, consider buying gifts from local purveyors. You may opt to spend Valentine’s Day with your significant other, your single friends, your children or with your parents. Regardless of who you spend the day with or whether your gift is handmade from construction paper and glue or professionally gilded from silver and gold, just remember to send it from the heart—and love local.

LOCAL GIFTS

Try a local purveyor for a special something that gives back to the community.

Oh Snap! Cupcakes 707 E. Cervantes St., Suite A, 387-4777 ohsnapcupcakes.com

Send your sweetheart a fun alternative to boxed chocolates by choosing from a selection of Valentine’s Day themed cupcakes. Cupcakes will be paired with roses for the holiday. Featured f lavors will include red velvet, pink champagne, white chocolate and strawberry strawberry.

Cordova Cigar and Smoke Shop 6050 N. Ninth Ave., Suite C, 473-0080 cordovacigars.com La Palina Cigar ($18 to $22 per cigar; Ten percent box discount if you buy a box of 10)

La Palina recently returned to the cigar making industry and Cordova Cigar and Smoke Shop is one of a limited number of cigar shops that carry this brand. Don’t know a thing about cigars? The knowledgeable shop staff will gladly assist you.

On Feb. 14, attend “Just Desserts,” an evening of gourmet chocolate and love songs. A guided chocolate tasting will be hosted by Pensacola chocolate experts Dr. Greg Tomso and Connor Cronin. A performance by Pensacola vocalist Sheila Murphy will follow the tasting.

Painting with a Twist ($35 per person for two-hour class) 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11, 471-1450 paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola

Everybody is an artist at Painting with a Twist, especially after a little wine. PWAT offers a relaxed atmosphere to imbibe and express your inner Picasso. Two classes will be offered in honor of Love Day: one for families and children and one for couples. Not in a relationship? Grab a friend and attend a class together to celebrate your singlehood. ▶cont’ d to page 16

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

Cooking Class at Distinctive Kitchens

Apple Market 1021 Scenic Highway, 433-4381 applemarketpensacola.com

($45-$60 per person, per class) 29 S. Palafox, 438-4688, dk4u.com

Spend an evening together enjoying a demonstration-based culinary class. Wine and generous tasting samples are prepared for attendees. Toss in a bottle of sparkling wine or champagne for a real treat.

More of a home-based couple? Pick up a bottle of wine and ingredients from Apple Market and try cooking dinner at home, together. info@inweekly.net

Roasted Zucchini Spears Ingredients Cooking spray 2 medium to large zucchini, each cut lengthwise twice, and then cut in half across the middle 1 tbsp olive oil Salt and ground black pepper 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp dried thyme

Instructions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange zucchini spears, flesh side up, on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over zucchini. Season the flesh with salt and black pepper, garlic powder and thyme. Roast 8 to 10 minutes, until tender and golden brown.

Brie and Apple Stuffed Chicken Breasts Ingredients 2 medium onions, chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 tart apple, cored, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp. dried leaf thyme, divided 1/2 tsp. salt, divided 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided 1/2 cup apple cider, divided 2 oz. Brie cheese, without rind, cut in small chunks 2 medium chicken breasts Instructions Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until quite tender, about 7 to 8 minutes. Add chopped apple, 1/4 tsp. thyme, 1/8 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper and splash of cider; cook until apples are tender, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, stir in Brie. Divide stuffing into 2 equal portions.

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Heat oven to 375 degrees. Carefully butterfly chicken breasts, making sure not to cut all the way through. Spoon half of the stuffing into each chicken breast; press gently to distribute filling evenly and secure with a toothpick. Season chicken with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Place in an oven-proof baking dish. Bake until chicken is tender and juices run clear when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes to one hour. The chicken should read about 180 degrees on an instant-read meat thermometer. Remove chicken to serving dish and keep warm. Prepare sauce: Skim fat from baking dish and spoon drippings into small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. Add remaining apple cider; simmer briskly to reduce by half. Stir in remaining thyme and salt. Spoon over chicken. Serves two. Make it vegetarian by substituting chicken breasts with portabello mushroom caps. Fill four caps with stuffing and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

| INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

Mexico in 1936 when he deepened his Coming January 28th involvement with The Mexico’s revolutionary art Paul Strand: Mexico Portfolio and politics through his photographic studies and work in film.

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Opens January 28th Youth Art Focus In partnership with The Escambia County School District, PMA Presents the 56th Annual Youth Art Focus. Enjoy the artwork of over 500 K-12 Escambia County pensacola museum art students as well as their of teachers.

407 s. jefferson street . pensacola, fl 32502 On display through February 27th 850.432.6247 www.pensacolamuseumofart.org pensacola museum of art 407 s. jefferson street . pensacola, fl 32502 850.432.6247 www.pensacolamuseumofart.org

113 Palafox PL, Pensacola 850-434-2060 800 N Fairfield Dr, Pensacola 850-456-5059 5593 Stewart St, Milton 850-623-0319

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NACHO DADDIES

MEXICAN FOOD FINALLY RETURNS TO PALAFOX STREET DINING SCENE BY KILEY A. BOLSTER

THURSDAY 2.10 ‘SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE’ 7:30 p.m. Love, hate, friendship and comedy. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Sunflower on Red. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/ pensacola. ART HISTORY LECTURE Free, reservations appreciated. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org. MUSIC: AUSTIN PAUL JR. 7 p.m. No cover. Five Sister’s Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fiversistersbluescafe.com. MUSIC: HERITAGE, CHRONIC JESTER 8 p.m. Free. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com. MUSIC: THIS MEANS CHUK, FOOLISH NONSENSE, DAMN DRUGS, CASSEIGH SELF 7 p.m. $4. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

FRIDAY 2.11 ‘SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE’ 7:30 p.m. Love, hate, friendship and comedy. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

reservations required. New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. 436-7857.

MUSIC: EDWIN MCCAIN 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com.

MUSIC: SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

MUSIC: BEACH MICE 7-11 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Boulevard. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

MUSIC: JAY WILLIAMS 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.

MUSIC: RONNIE MCDOWELL 7 p.m. Farmer’s Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-6000 or farmersopry.com.

alafox Street will be welcoming its newest dining addition on Feb. 14 when Nacho Daddies opens its doors. The brainchild of Pensacolians Ryan and Chef Erika Thomas, Nacho Daddies will feature made-toorder Tex-Mex style entrées such as nachos, tacos, quesadillas and burritos. The menu will also include fresh salads, as well as house-made salsa, guacamole and queso dip. Beer and wine will be available. The couple is not new to the downtown dining scene. They own and operate local favorite Portabello Market, located inside the Pensacola Little Theatre. Co-owner Ryan Thomas states that they have had the idea for Nacho Daddies in mind for years, and are excited to see how the downtown crowd embraces the new concept. Chef Erika Thomas will no doubt continue to please the palates of Pensacolians with her culinary skills at the new location. Though Nacho Daddies already offers an extensive menu of Tex-Mex options, an abundance of fresh ingredients will also be available to design your own tacos. Taco toppings include a variety of proteins such as beef, chicken, fish, pork and shrimp, as well as vegetarian options like grilled zucchini and portabello mushroom. For around $10, you can enjoy an entrée and beverage in the restaurant’s quick service, unpretentious

Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fiversistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: THE FLYING GUILLOTINES, FOREVER’S CALLING, PINK FOR PRESDENT, THE DEVIL & MRS JONES 7 p.m. $6. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com. MUSIC: SAM GLASS BAND 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. MUSIC: SKYLINE KINGS 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s At The Point, 5851 Galvez Road. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.

SATURDAY 2.12 dining area, or take your meal to go. Nacho Daddies will offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night snacks, as well as free delivery to those who live or work downtown. All major credit cards are accepted. For coupons and daily dining and drink specials, “Like” Nacho Daddies on Facebook.

NACHO DADDIES 34 S. Palafox 433-5333 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 5 p.m. until Thursday-Saturday

ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 6-9 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Summer Paisleys. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola. QUAYSIDE EXHIBIT RECEPTION 5-8 p.m. Area artists Debbie Andress and Valerie Aune will present an exhibition of paintings celebrating life in Pensacola, which will run through March 23. Quayside Gallery, 17 E. Zaragoza St. 438-2363 or quaysidegallery.com. STUDIOAMPED: MAMA LUCKY 6 p.m. Doors open. 7 p.m. Concert, Fridays through March 4. StudioAmped is an eight-week concert series featuring bands performing original material at the WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio on the campus of Pensacola State College. The concert series will offer a variety of musical genres including rhythm & blues, rock, reggae, indie and country. Upcoming bands: Feb. 18: Morris Minor; Feb. 25: The Internationals; March 4: Rumor Mill. Free. 1000 College Blvd. 484-1211. JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT MARDI GRAS BOWL 4:30-7 p.m. Cordova Lanes, 2111 Airport Blvd. 477-1420. MUSIC: SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com. MUSIC: TIM SPENCER 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Boulevard. 549-4444or the-oar-house.com. MUSIC: PAT PRITCHARD GROUP 9:30 p.m. No cover. Five Sister’s

MARKET FESTIVAL DOWNTOWN 9 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be poetry, music, artwork and other items for sale. 500 Belmont St. 433-0593. DRINK & DROWN 9 p.m. $10 cover for 18 and up. DJ Dewight Barkley spins. Emerald City, 406 E. Wright St. 433-9491 or emeraldcitypensacola.com. WORLD DANCE SAMPLER 10 a.m. Kym Atwood, dance and fitness instructor at UWF, leads the class through a sampler of the newest trends in dance exercise. Come dressed to work out. Free for members, $2 for non-members. Ever’man Natural Foods, 315 W. Garden St. 438-0402 or everman.org. ‘SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE’ 7:30 p.m. Love, hate, friendship and comedy. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 2-4 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Vibrant Heart. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 6-8 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Circles and Wine. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

MUSIC: TOMATO DUO 9:30 p.m. No cover. Five Sister’s Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fiversistersbluescafe. com. MUSIC: WHITE NOISE WITH SHANOOK, EDDIE GOLD, THE DILLS 9 p.m. $10-$12. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com. MUSIC: SAWMILL VALENTINE SHOW 7 p.m. Farmer’s Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-6000 or farmersopry.com. MUSIC: BEACH MICE 7-11 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com. MUSIC: JUCIFER, THE MIDNIGHT GHOST TRAIN, ACORNS 7 p.m. $9-$12. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

SUNDAY 2.13 HYPNOSIS AND THE RECOLLECTION OF PAST LIVES 2:30-5:30 p.m. International hypnotherapist Susan Dunlop presents an intensive, experiential workshop exploring the use of hypnosis in the recollection of past lives. $7 donation requested. Gulf Breeze Recreation Center, 800 Shoreline Drive. 346-7865 or luminouslifehypnotherapy.com. PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS V. LOUISIANA ICEGATORS 7 p.m. The Hanger, Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaiceflyers.com. AFTER GAME SKATE 10-11 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 pensacolafigureskating.com. MUSIC: TOMATO AND DENNIS 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com. MUSIC: RONNI LEVINE 12-3 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Boulevard. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

MONDAY 2.14 KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS PAGEANT 9 p.m. Hosted by Penny Holiday and Regine Phillips. Emerald City, 406 E. Wright St. 433-9491 or emeraldcitypensacola.com.

ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 6-8 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Circles and Beer. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

THE RUNGE STRINGS AND JAZZ ENSEMBLE 7:30 p.m. The performance will feature the Runge Strings and Jazz Ensemble joining forces. Free, but tickets required. UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts Mainstage, 11000 University Parkway. 857-6825 or uwf.edu.

‘CHRISTO’ LECTURE 2 p.m. The artist Christo will present a lecture at the Saenger Theatre in conjunction with an exhibition at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts on the Campus of Pensacola State College. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3882 or pensacolasaenger.com.

VALENTINE’S SWEETHEART DINNER 6 p.m. Join DK and Chef Keith Hoffert for a romantic and entertaining evening of wine and food. $49.95. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS 7 p.m. $24. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com. FREE CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF FORT BARRANCAS 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War, Gulf Islands National Seashore will present a free candlelight tour of Fort Barrancas which will highlight Pensacola during that time period. Reservations required. Naval Air Station, Pensacola. 455-5167 or nps.gov/guis.

‘JUST DESSERTS’ 7:45 p.m. A gourmet chocolate tasting, guided by Dr. Greg Tomso, a local expert, followed by love songs and jazz standards performed by Sheila Murphy. $35. Reservations recommended. Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox St. 462-8880 or pensacolashakespearetheatre.org. MUSIC: KID ROCK ‘BORN FREE’ TOUR 7 p.m. $29.50-$89.50. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com.

MUSIC: BLUE MONDAY 6 p.m. Jazz Pensacola at Five Sisters GOVERNMENTAL PRAYER BREAKFAST 9 a.m. The purpose of Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fiversistersbluthe Prayer Breakfast, hosted by Charity Chapel Church, is to escafe.com. encourage moral and spiritual values in government. $12-$100, INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET | 17

hot times MUSIC: BEACH MICE 6-10 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Boulevard. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

WEDNESDAY 2.16 CELTIC WOMAN ‘SONGS FROM THE HEART’ 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaciviccenter.com. CHEF IRV: COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS AND COCKTAILS 5-6:30 p.m. and 7:30-9 p.m. Cooking with Wine: Chef Irv will explain how to cook with wine and discuss the cause and effect of wine and food pairing. Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. 217-2347 or jacksons.goodgrits.com. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 5:30-7:30 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Dragonfly. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/ pensacola. PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE STUDENT RECITAL 2:30 p.m. Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, 1000 College Blvd. 484-1000 or pensacolastate.edu/lyceum/events.asp. LUNCH & LEARN ‘ITALIAN WITHOUT TOMATOES’ 12 p.m. Bruschetta with cannellini bean bruschetta over grilled radicchio, gemelli pasta with asparagus and shrimp and chocolate biscotti. $15. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com. SEAFOOD WITH DAN DUNN AT DK 6 p.m. Join Executive Chef Dan Dunn from Hilton Pensacola Beach Gulf Front as he prepares several of his new menu items. $44.95. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

THURSDAY 2.17 HANDS ON THAI-ADVANCED 6 p.m. Join DK and guest Chef Panita as she teaches the fine art of Thai cooking and cuisine. $59.95. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u. com. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 6-9 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Tiffany’s. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola. THEATRE PRODUCTION ‘SUMMER & SMOKE’ 8 p.m. Also Friday-Sunday. A play by Tennessee Williams. The aesthetics of the set design and the punctuated, yet brilliant moments of rhetorical wit bound together with existential concern to prove that beauty cannot be stifled by the scrim of smoke caused by the character’s burning desperation. UWF, Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. For more

information contact CFPA at 474-2146 or jbrisky@uwf.edu. MUSIC: HOLLY SHELTON 7 p.m. No cover. Five Sister’s Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fiversistersbluescafe. com. MUSIC: AFROMAN, UNNATURAL SOUNDZ, PIMPY K 7 p.m. $12-$15. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com. MUSIC: SISTER HAZEL, JUNIOR DOCTOR, JERAD FINCK 7:30 p.m. $20-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com.

FRIDAY 2.18 PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS V. AUGUSTA RIVERHAWKS 7 p.m. The Hanger, Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 or pensacolaiceflyers.com.

SAME TIME, SAME PLACE ▼BAR GAMES

MONDAY: Millers Ale House Bar Bingo 9:30 p.m. weekly. 5906 N. Davis Highway. 505-2670 or millersalehouse.com. Play 8 p.m. weekly Skee Ball League. Free Skee Ball Tournament. Great weekly prizes and Apple prize pack for grand winning team. New teams can join any time. 16 S. Palafox, 2nd Floor. iplaypensacola.com. Sandshaker Lounge 7:30 p.m. Texas Hold’Em 4 Fun. 731 Pensacola Beach Blvd., Pensacola Beach. 932-2211 or sandshakerlounge.com. Seville Quarter-Apple Annie’s 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Texas Hold’Em Presented by Pensacola Poker Alliance. 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. Seville Quarter-Fast Eddie’s and Lili Marlene’s 8 p.m. Gamer Night. 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

AFTER GAME SKATE 10 p.m. Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 pensacolafigureskating.com.

TUESDAY: Paddy O’ Leary’s 7 p.m. Texas Hold’Em. 49 Via De Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com. Seville Quarter-Apple Annie’s 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Texas Hold’Em Presented by Pensacola Poker Alliance. 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

TENOR LEO DAY IN OPERA SALON SERIES CONCERT 6:30 p.m. Cocktails and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served before the concert. $125 and reservations required. Max Lee Bear House, 1022 Spring St. 433-6737 or pensacolaopera.com.

WEDNESDAY: Seville Quarter-Apple Annie’s 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Texas Hold’Em Presented by Pensacola Poker Alliance. 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

THEATRE PRODUCTION ‘SUMMER & SMOKE’ 8 p.m. Also Saturday and Sunday. A play by Tennessee Williams. The aesthetics of the set design and the punctuated, yet brilliant moments of rhetorical wit bound together with existential concern to prove that beauty cannot be stifled by the scrim of smoke caused by the character’s burning desperation. UWF, Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. For more information contact CFPA at 474-2146 or jbrisky@uwf.edu.

SATURDAY: Paddy O’ Leary’s 4 p.m. Texas Hold’Em. 49 Via De Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com.

STUDIOAMPED: MORRIS MINOR 6 p.m. Doors open. 7 p.m. Concert, Fridays through March 4. StudioAmped is an eight-week concert series featuring bands performing original material at the WSRE Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio on the campus of Pensacola State College. The concert series will offer a variety of musical genres including rhythm & blues, rock, reggae, indie and country. Upcoming bands: Feb. 25: The Internationals; March 4: Rumor Mill. Free. 1000 College Blvd. 484-1211. ‘LYRIC LIBATIONS’ 5:30-8:30 p.m. The Choral Society of Pensacola presents a gala evening of food, wine and entertainment. Patrons will also be treated to musical entertainment by talented singers from the Choral Society of Pensacola Chorus. $25. Dollarhide Music Center, 41 S. Palafox. 484-1806 or choralsocietyorpensacola.com. LIGHT OF THE MOON TOURS OF THE LIGHTHOUSE 7 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Hear true stories of the blood-stained rooms and ghostly encounters. Climb to the top of the lighthouse for a breathtaking view of Pensacola Bay. Reservations required. $7$15. Pensacola Lighthouse, 2081 Radford Blvd. 393-1561.

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THURSDAY: Paddy O’ Leary’s 7 p.m. Texas Hold’Em. 49 Via De Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com. Play 7 p.m. Are You Board Game Night. Monopoly, Taboo, Jenga, Connect 4, Chess, Checkers and more. $3 shot specials all night. 16 S. Palafox, 2nd Floor. iplaypensacola.com.

SUNDAY: Paddy O’ Leary’s 7 p.m. Texas Hold’Em. 49 Via De Luna, Pensacola Beach. 916-9808 or paddyolearysirishpub.com. Seville Quarter-Apple Annie’s 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Texas Hold’Em Presented by Pensacola Poker Alliance, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com. ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 7-9 p.m. Bring your favorite bottle of wine or beverage, and paint a picture step by step that you will take home. 16 years and older. Theme: Pensacola Sunset. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola. ‘SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE’ 7:30 p.m. Love, hate, friendship and comedy. $10-$17. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com. MUSIC: BEACH MICE 7-11 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com. MUSIC: CHUCK WAGON GANG 7 p.m. Farmer’s Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-6000 or farmersopry.com. MUSIC: MARC KAUL 8 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

MUSIC: MR. FAHRENHEIT, THE SPANX, COSMONAUT PLOY 7 p.m. $5-$7. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com. MUSIC: ROAD APPLES 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com. MUSIC: MOST WANTED 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s At The Point, 5851 Galvez Road. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com. MUSIC: ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, HOLLOWMAN BADWATER 8 p.m. $20-$25. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com. MUSIC: TIM SPENCER 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 549-4444 or the-oar-house.com. MUSIC: TRUCK MONKEY 9 p.m. The Fish House, 600 S. Barracks St. 470-0003 or fishhouse.goodgrits.com.

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PREMIERES FEB. 15 ▲ IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY Available On Demand February 8, Same Day As DVD Release STARRING: Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis and Emma Roberts DIRECTORS: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck GENRE: Comedy, Drama MPAA RATING: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic issues, sexual content, drug material and language.

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PREMIERES FEB. 22

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Available On Demand February 8, Same Day As DVD Release STARRING: Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel DIRECTOR: Greg Berlanti GENRE: Comedy, Drama MPAA RATING: Rated PG-13 for sexual material, language and some drug content.

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INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

2/3/11 9:53 AM

Valentine’s

gift guide

ADORN

Adorn the people closest to you with unique jewelry they’ll love for years to come.

Dolphin Charm ($9) Half-Inch Sterling Silver Charm

Available at Flight Deck Cordova Mall

Circle of Love Charm in Silver with Diamonds ($315)

Available at Susan Campbell Jewelry

18K Eternity Ring with 1.89 ct of Diamonds ($7,900)

Available at Susan Campbell Jewelry

Shake Pendant in Vermeil with Topaz ($145)

Available at Susan Campbell Jewelry

CHARM

Give your sweetheart something cuddly and cute to remember you by.

Plush Aviator Bear ($12) Twelve Inches Tall Wearing Aviator Gear

Available at Flight Deck Cordova Mall

20 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

INDULGE

Indulge the palate with wines and sweets for every taste.

Selection of Sparkling Rose Wines (From $6-$65) Choose from a wide selection of wines for your sweetheart, from Chandon to Laurent-Perrier.

Available at Aragon Wine Market

Sampler Gif t Tin (From $20.95-$47.50) Filled with four delicious choices of pecans

Available at Renfroe Pecan Company

INSPIRE

Surprise your loved ones with unique, locally-produced gifts.

Variety of Locally-Produced Arts and Craf ts Choose from a wide selection of jewelry, clothing, wind chimes and original gif ts.

Available at Port City Market

PAMPER

Pamper your friends and loved ones with relaxation, stress relief and serenity.

Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Spa Packages Combine a variety of decadent spa services for the ultimate spa day for your friends, coworkers and loved ones.

Available at Still Waters Day & Medical Spa

Spa Gif t Certificates Convenient purchase and delivery options available online at stillwatersmedspa.com or by calling 432-6772.

Available at Still Waters Day & Medical Spa

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

↴Valentine's Day Date Night Dining 2011 ↴ cupcake trio created by award-winning pastry chef Trina Confusione. The specials will be offered in addition to the regular Fish House dinner menu. All seating is on a first come, first served basis.

GENO’S PIZZA & ITALIAN RESTAURANT

9276 N. Davis Highway, 477-2365

Don’t want to hassle with your own Valentine’s Day feast, or want to make sure everything goes off without a hitch? Luckily, area restaurants will have your favorite date night covered. Whether you’re looking for gift cards for Valentine’s Day gifts for your foodie sweetheart, or just a great place to celebrate the day, check out the following sampling of Pensacola’s finest. From low-key to upscale, these restaurants have you covered for all of your Valentine’s Day indulgences.

ELISE

22 N. Palafox, 332-7227, elisecoastaldining.com Elise, Pensacola’s newest fine dining restaurant, offers a truly unique culinary experience with its openkitchen architecture allowing diners to see each dish being created. Head chef and Pensacola native Blake Rushing has worked under Chef Gordon Ramsay in London and New York and at Vancouver’s Lumiere. In addition to Elise’s regular menu, Blake will offer a special Valentine’s Day 5-course evening meal Saturday, Feb. 12 and Monday, Feb. 14. Call for reservations at 332-7227.

THE FISH HOUSE/THE DECK BAR

600 S. Barracks St., 470-0003, goodgrits.com Beginning Feb. 11 at 5 p.m., The Fish House will offer a selection of chocolate-inspired chef’s creations, which will be available through Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14. Special menu items include a chocolate shrimp appetizer, espressorubbed tuna and espresso-rubbed tuna steak with roasted Peruvian potatoes and golden beets, finished with white chocolate and raspberry “caviar” and pomegranate syrup; and the Brazilian Lover’s Filet: grilled filet over white chocolate whipped Yukon mashers with grilled sweet gem finished with a dark chocolate-infused beef jus. The specials will also feature a chocolate mini

22 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

Take a break from the kitchen and let the Geno’s family prepare a Valentine’s Day meal for you and your loved ones. Geno’s will be offering a Valentine’s Day Special that includes your choice of appetizer (excluding bruschetta); choice of entrée—chicken parmesan, lasagna or pasta alfredo— and cannelloni for dessert, all for just $32.99 per person. All dinners include salad and garlic bread.

THE GLOBAL GRILL

27 S. Palafox, 469-9966, dineglobalgrill.com

Want to impress this Valentine’s Day? With an excellent bar and one of the most distinctive menus in town, Global Grill is the drinks, tapas, dinner or dessert destination for anyone who enjoys an upscale but low-key dining experience. Global’s wait staff and ambiance are top notch, and they also offer one of the most extensive wine lists in the area. Every meal must be finished off with the gooey-centered Spanish chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream or the crème brulee. Check out their new and improved (if that’s possible) menu with your sweetheart, friends or family.

HOPJACKS PIZZA KITCHEN & TAPROOM

10 Palafox, 497-6073, hopjacks.com Romantic Valentine’s Day destinations not your thing? Hopjacks offers a fully stocked bar with an unbelievable beer selection. The pizza is just as noteworthy because of its topquality ingredients and wide variety of toppings you won’t find at other pizza joints, such as real steak filets. And like any self-respecting pizza restaurant and bar, they cater to the late-night munchies crowd until 2:30 a.m., so you can celebrate with your sweetheart into the wee hours.

JACKALOPE’S SALOON

2907 E. Cervantes St., 434-0050 One of Pensacola’s newest dining additions, Jackalope’s serves up TexMex cuisine in a cozy place across

from Jerry’s Drive-In. Only a year old, Jackalope’s has already made an impression on locals, winning a coveted 2010 IN Best of the Coast award in its first year of business. Check out Ladies Night on Mondays with $1 off wine, beer and appetizers; Red Hot Two-For-One Wine Night on Tuesdays; and $1 beer and $1 tacos on Wednesdays. Visit facebook.com/jackalopesaloon for additional details. Perfect for a low-key Valentine’s.

JACOS’S BAYFRONT BAR & GRILLE

997 S. Palafox, 432-5226, jacosbayfrontbarandgrille.com One of downtown’s newest dining additions, Jaco’s is a superb lunch, dinner and happy hour destination. Chef Tricia Horton prepares a diverse assortment of salads, small plates, flatbreads and pastas. IN staff favorites include the Bella Mushroom Stack, the Tender Bleu flatbread and fried Snickers. The sunset alone is reason enough to check it out for a casual but romantic Valentine’s waterfront dining experience.

NACHO DADDIES

34 Palafox (Formerly Breaktime Café by Dawn), 433-5333 For Valentine’s Day, Palafox newcomer Nacho Daddies will be offering a “Share the Love Taco Platter”, which includes chips and salsa, four tacos of your choice, and a cinnamon sugar tortilla topped with chocolate ganache, strawberries and Chantilly cream. Hours are lunch MondayWednesday and lunch and dinner Thursday-Saturday. Like Nacho Daddies on Facebook. Soups and specials are updated daily.

NEW YORK NICK’S

9-11 Palafox, 469-1984, newyorknicks.net

Nick ’s has the requisite paraphernalia covering the walls, every sports package in the free world, more than 40 T Vs, nightly drink specials, happy hour, and a great selection of madefrom-scratch-food that makes you forget that you’re eating in a sports bar. Nick ’s caters to the business lunch crowd in need of a wrap and a Wimbledon update, the hockey fan hankering for a meatball sub, and the March Madness devotee craving wings. If you’d rather watch sports and drink a beer than celebrate love, hugs and kisses, Nick ’s is your place.

PORTABELLO MARKET

400 S. Jefferson St., 439-6545, portabellomarket.com

Portobello is tucked away inside the cozy atrium of the Pensacola Cultural Center and caters to the downtown lunch crowd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. with an array of unique entrees. For Valentine’s Day, enjoy “Lunch with your Honey” with grilled mahi with a crab mango and pineapple salsa served over cilantro rice with grilled asparagus and your choice of house salad or daily soup for starters. The special dessert of the day is a version of strawberry shortcake with poundcake topped with a cointreau caramel and chocolate drizzle. Catering is also available for all of your special events. Like Portobello Market on Facebook. Soups and specials are updated daily.

SEVILLE QUARTER

130 E. Government St., 435-0543, sevillequarter.com Seville Quarter isn’t just a place to shake your stuff. It also offers dining in a New Orleans-style atmosphere with historic features and decor. There is plenty of American fare to enjoy, including appetizers, soups, salads, seafood, sandwiches, wraps, fried chicken and seafood baskets, pizza, desserts and more. Customer favorites include the popular Apple Annie’s burger and Palace Oyster Bar’s oysters on the half shell. Visit Seville for a Valentine’s Day lunch or check them out later for a celebratory cocktail or two.

art

VISUAL , TACTILE AND FLOWING

CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE EXHIBIT AND LECTURE IN PENSACOLA

BY KATE PETERSON

Unfortunately, Jeanne-Claude was engaged to someone else. And, at first, Christo was smitten with Jeanne-Claude’s sister. Eventually, everyone went his or her own way, and Christo and JeanneClaude became a couple in 1958. They have one son, Cyril, born Christo, Surrounded Islands, Biscayne Bay, Greater Miami, Florida, in 1960. 1980-1983 The work he Anna Lamar Switzer Center for had very auspiVisual Arts on the Pensacola State cious beginnings, quickly gaining internaCollege campus, as part of the Distional recognition and fame. tinguished Artists series, welcomes In 1961, Christo created “Dockside Packthe artist Christo, and the work of ages”, a one-month show at the Haro Lauhus Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Gallery in Cologne, Germany. Concurrently, Inside the confines of the oddly shaped Christo and Jeanne-Claude initiated their buildings at the corner of Ninth Avenue and first collaborative work of art, using several Airport Boulevard in Pensacola is an art exhioil barrels, covering them with tarpaulins and bition of international importance. The works securing them with ropes. It would not be have been on display in only three other cities until 1994 that Jeanne-Claude would receive in the United States. The exhibit, titled “Chrisretrospective equal credit for their collective to and Jeanne-Claude: Prints and Objects,” was works of art. organized by the Metropolitan State College Over the next half a century, Christo in Denver and is on display at Pensacola State and Jeanne-Claude created a number of College until March 25. The exhibit includes notable works: Christo’s conceptual drawings of their collab“Running Fence”, completed in September orative environmental installations. 1976, was an 18-foot-high, 24-and-a-half“This exhibition and visit from Christo is mile-long white nylon fence, running along an indicator of the leadership role the Switzer the countryside in Sonoma and Marin CounCenter Gallery is playing in the Visual and ties, Calif. It remained in place for two weeks. Cultural Arts. This is our gift to this wonder“Surrounded Islands” was completed in ful community,” said Vivian Spencer, Gallery Biscayne Bay in Miami, Fla., in 1983. ConsistDirector for the Visual Arts Department. ing of 6.5 million square feet of pink woven Christo Vladimirov Javacheff was born fabric surrounding 11 islands and extending in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. From 1953-1956, he 200 feet from each island into the bay, this inattended the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, stallation also lasted two weeks once installed. where his mother had been secretary. In In 1985, “The Pont-Neuf Wrapped” was 1958, Christo moved to Paris, lost his Bulcompleted with the help of many employgarian citizenship and met his future wife, ees and volunteers. The artists wrapped the Jeanne-Claude. 2,000-year-old bridge, Pont-Neuf, in the heart Jeanne-Claude Denat de Guillebon was of Paris, using a golden sandstone fabric and born in Casablanca, Morocco. She earned securing it with ropes. a baccalaureate in Latin and philosophy at An international project simultaneously Tunis University in Tunisia. installed in Ibaraki, Japan, and Tejon Pass, CaDestiny may have played a part in their lif., “The Umbrellas”, was completed in 1991, union. Christo and Jeanne-Claude were remaining on display for two weeks. 1,340 blue born on the same day, in the same year and umbrellas were made and installed in Ibaraki, at the same time of day. They met while and 1,760 yellow umbrellas were erected in he was painting a portrait of her mother. Tejon Pass. Each umbrella was 28-and-a-half

feet in diameter and weighed 448 pounds. “Wrapped Reichstag” in Berlin, Germany, was completed in 1995 after the artists struggled for 24 years to get approval. In the 1930s the building served as the house of parliament for the German Empire. For two weeks the building was wrapped with silver fabric secured with ropes. After a 26-year quest, “The Gates” in Central Park, New York City was completed in 2005. The work consisted of 7,503 saffroncolored, fabric-covered structures, each 16 feet high, stretching for 23 miles. The concept for “The Gates” sprang out of an idea the original Central Park landscape architects had in 1856 to install steel gates and lock the park every night. Christo and Jeanne-Claude paid for all of their installation pieces through sales of Christo’s renderings of the vision. And, not to be taken too seriously, as part of the permanent collection of the Charles M. Schultz Museum dedicated to the creator of the comic strip “Peanuts”, there is a whimsical work by Christo which depicts Snoopy’s doghouse wrapped. Over 50 years, Christo and Jeanne-Claude conceptualized 40 or so works on paper, although only 19 of those projects have been realized. The reasons vary, from rejection to the artists’ loss of interest. Each work realized built momentum for the next. All of the works are meant to be temporary. Both felt that people care more for something that is short lived. It makes a stronger impact on the viewer, and the effects are long lasting. Many people have the misconception that they wrap everything—that is not the case. They are actually changing an everyday landscape by demonstrating a sense of impermanence. Jeanne-Claude had what was termed a “contagious optimism”—she felt they were an unstoppable force together. Their’s was an inseparable partnership of love and art. On Nov. 18, 2009, Jeanne-Claude died at the age of 74. Since her death, Christo has chosen to continue their projects. Currently, Christo is working to garner approval for a project called “Over The River”. Designed to be in place for two weeks, it is a 40-mile-long suspension of fabric over the Arkansas River in Colorado. According to the design specifications, it will be visible for about 1.5 miles from a nearby highway. The real beauty of the experience will be rafting down the river, a six-hour journey. Will it be made? Christo’s answer, “I don’t know”, may be the story of their life and work.

Spencer commented on Christo’s current venture and his trip to Pensacola. “As one could imagine, Christo is focused on the current project ‘Over the River’ in Colorado. He and his team are in the midst of the environmental impact study for the installation of 5.9 miles of fabric suspended over the Arkansas River between Salida and Canon City, Colo. Yet he continues to accept invitations such as ours. As a matter of fact, he will be in Miami the night before he arrives in Pensacola to give a similar lecture. Then shortly thereafter he will be in Los Angeles to receive an honorary degree, on behalf of himself and his late wife, from Occidental College.” Regarding the scheduled slide show and lecture, Spencer said, “His visit to Pensacola is to give a slide overview of his and JeanneClaude’s work, followed by a question-andanswer period with the audience. This unique opportunity to talk directly with Christo will be held at the Saenger Theatre on Feb. 12 at 2 p.m. The following day, he will give a taped interview discussing their life’s work at WSRE, PBS for the Gulf Coast, before heading back to New York.” Visual Art Department Head Krist Lien added about the exhibit and its importance, “My vision and mission is to develop a regional arts center–that is what we are trying to achieve. The visit from Christo, the exhibit and lecture are just part of the quest to continually raise the bar.” info@inweekly.net

CHRISTO AND JEANNE-CLAUDE: PRINTS AND OBJECTS EXHIBIT WHEN: 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday; Now-March 25 WHERE: Pensacola State College, Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts, 1000 College Blvd., Bldg. 15. COST: Free DETAILS: pensacolastate.edu/visarts/gallery/ gallery.htm

SLIDE LECTURE WHEN: 2 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 12 WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox COST: VIP tickets $100; VIP tickets include entry into VIP reception and book signing with Christo immediately following lecture, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Orchestra Level $52.50, tickets for slide lecture only, 2-4 p.m., available at Ticketmaster. DETAILS: For more information and to purchase VIP tickets contact Pensacola State College Foundation at 484-1560 or 484-1788, or email amcghee@ pensacolastate.edu.

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

culture

LAUGH WITH YOUR VALENTINE

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS “SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE”

BY JENNIE MCKEON

or guys out there who are dreading the pressure that comes with planning a perfect Valentine’s Day date, there’s the “Short Attention Span Theatre” at Pensacola Little Theatre. Instead of the average “chick flick” you can see six, short comedic plays. Your girlfriend will think you’re original and you don’t have to see “No Strings Attached.” “It’s a lot of comedy that portrays several different kinds of relationships,” explains Ashley Sapp, one of the three directors, in an email interview. “There are ridiculous situations and there are those that are closer to real life, but all of them deal with that sense of relationship, and all of them are bound to make you laugh.” That doesn’t mean you’re off the hook from wining and dining your date.

“There are always dinners, chocolates, f lowers and jewelry…that stuff will always be available for Valentine’s Day, but I’m not saying you should skip that stuff gentlemen,” Sapp said. “But these shows will never be seen again. We would love to be a part of your Valentine’s Day and from a girl’s point of view, I would be thrilled if my boyfriend took me to a show–after the dinner and f lowers of course.” The popular Studio 400 production began with three directors and pages upon pages of original and unpublished one-act plays. Each director chose two plays that are as diverse as they are hilarious. Some plays contain complex stage tricks, some have rich dialogue, and some are simply fun. The plays include: “In his Own Fashion” by Robin Pond, “The Gig is Up”

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by Abe Jablonka, “Nothing” by Philip Dawkins, “Saver” by Mark Harvey Levine, “Up on the Roof ” by Mark Harvey Levine, and “Undying Love” by Steve Gallagher. Ken Armitage is directing “In his Own Fashion” and “The Gig is Up.” In “In his Own Fashion”, a father defends himself in court against his embarrassing parental tactics. The latter is about three thieves at a party who get caught in the act. “It’s been a long time since I directed,” said Armitage. “I chose plays that wouldn’t cause me too many grey hairs. It’s been a great experience for me so far.” As for the plays, in “Nothing” and “Saver” there’s more to the script than the titles suggest. “In ‘Nothing’ a teenage boy and his father get in a heated discussion,” said director Ben Petsel. “Before they fight, the father asks ‘How was your day?’ and the boy replies using his imagination. He says ‘My school was invaded by aliens’ and suddenly everything he imagines is coming to life on stage. “Saver” is much like “Nothing,” but instead of the imagination coming to life, it’s memories. “In ‘Saver’ the whole play takes place in a living room,” Petsel continued. “Two people are going through junk and wondering why their dad ever kept this stuff, and then his past starts to come to life and interact with the objects.” Sapp and assistant director Roxie Alyssa Smith are directing “Up on the Roof ” and “Undying Love”. The plays deal with relationships both realistic and unrealistic. “‘Up on the Roof ’ is a conversation between a couple trying to figure out their relationship and whether or not they should continue with it, a conversation I think we all can relate to on some level,” Sapp said. “When a couple is dating I think there is always that point where they think

‘Is this the person I’m supposed to spend forever with?’ This show is an honest look into those thoughts. When I read ‘Undying Love’ I just thought it was hilarious. It’s a very funny situation…slightly unrealistic, yes, but so much fun to direct.” The “Short Attention Span Theatre” will run Thursday, Feb. 10 through Saturday, Feb. 12, and Friday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 20. Limited café seating is $17 and general admission is $10. Sunday performances are at 2:30 p.m. all other performances begin at 7:30 p.m. Whether it’s your first date or tenth anniversary, the best way to spend Valentine’s Day is laughing, which you will do plenty of at this show. “It’s a great way to test their sense of humor,” said Armitage. “That’s what I love about the theatre,” Sapp said. “No matter what goes on the stage it’s all entertainment. Plays are appropriately named because that is what they are: play. The actors are presented these situations on paper and they bring them to life for the audience. Regardless of your relationship there is bound to be a lot of laughter in the room.” info@inweekly.net

“SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THEATRE” WHERE: Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 10 through Saturday, Feb. 12 and Friday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 20. Sunday performances at 2:30 p.m. All others start at 7:30 p.m. COST: $17 for café seating, $10 general admission DETAILS: 432-2042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com

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news of the weird “TALL, SLIM, FACIAL SYMMETRY,” “good

teeth,” along with classic makeup and dress and graceful movement, might comprise the inventory list for any beauty contest winner, and they are also the criteria for victors in Niger’s traditional “Gerewol” festival — except that the contestants are all males and the judges all females. Cosmetics are especially crucial, with symbolic black, yellow and white patterns and stripes (with white being the color of “loss” and “death”). A special feature of the pageants, according to a January BBC television report, is that when the female judges each select their winners, they are allowed to marry them (or have flings), irrespective of any pre-existing marriage by either party.

CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE It was a prestigious hospital on a worthy mission (to recruit hard-to-match bone marrow donors to beef up dwindling supplies), but UMass Memorial Medical Center (Worcester, Mass.) went hardcore: hiring young female models in short skirts to flirt with men at New Hampshire shopping centers to entice them to give DNA swabs for possible matches. Complaints piled up because state law requires insurance providers to cover the tests, at $4,000 for each swab submitted by the love-struck flirtees, and the hospital recently dropped the program, according to a December New York Times report. In December, McCaskey East High School in Lancaster, Pa., established a dynamic new program to improve their students’ educational outcomes: racial segregation. At least three of the 11 junior class homerooms were designated as black-only with black girls “mentored” during homeroom period by black female teachers and black boys mentored by black male teachers (on the theory that kids will learn more from people who look like them). Vietnam veteran Ronald Flanagan, in the midst of expensive treatment for bone cancer, had his medical insurance canceled in January because his wife mistakenly keyed in a “7” instead of a “9” in the “cents” space while paying the couple’s regular premium online, leaving the Flanagans 2 cents short. Said the administrator, Ceridian COBRA Services, that remittance “fit into the definition in the regulations of ‘insufficient payment’” and allows termination. (Ceridian said it warned the Flanagans before cancellation, but Ron Flanagan said the “warning” was just an ordinary billing statement that did not draw his attention.) UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT From a December memo to paramedics in Edmonton, Alberta, by Alberta Health Services: Drivers should “respond within the posted speed limits even when responding with lights and siren.” “Our job is to save lives,” AHS wrote, “not put them in jeopardy.” According to drivers interviewed by Canadian Broadcasting Corporation News, police have been issuing tickets to drivers on emergencies if they speed or go through red lights.

BY CHUCK SHEPPARD In January, Thalia Surf Shop of Laguna Beach, Calif. (named by OC Weekly in 2009 as Orange County’s best), ran a special Martin Luther King Jr. promotion featuring “20 Percent Off All Black Products,” illustrated with a doctored photograph of Dr. King, himself, in one of the shop’s finest wet suits (black, of course). (Following some quick, bad publicity, the shop’s management apologized.) Questionable State Regulation: (1) William MacDonald, restricted by state law wherever he and his wife relocate to because he is a “registered sex offender,” told The New York Times in January that his case is particularly “galling,” in that his only crime was violating Virginia law by having oral sex with consenting adults, which most legal scholars believe is not a crime (following a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court decision). (Virginia still believes that its law is valid.) (2) Tennessee, the “second-fattest” state, according to a recent foundation report, continues to pay for obese Medicaid recipients to have bariatric surgery (at an average cost of about $2,000), but to deny coverage for an overweight person to consult, even once, with a dietitian. THE REDNECK CHRONICLES Johni Rice, 35, eating at a Waff le House restaurant in Spartanburg, S.C., was charged in January with beating up two diners at another table over the quality of their conversation —a man and a woman who were discussing “women with hairy armpits.” Rice was assisted in the pummeling by two other diners, and weaponized food was involved. (2) Among the annual events marking the New Year (similar to the balldropping at New York’s Times Square), according to a CBS News report: a pickle dropped into a barrel in a North Carolina town, a dropped bologna in Pennsylvania, a dropped frozen carp in Wisconsin, and, in Brasstown, N.C., the dropping of the opossum. (However, according to Clay Logan, founder of the event, the opossum is merely lowered, not dropped.) FIRST THINGS FIRST As of early November, 150 people had been killed by the 2-week-old, erupting Mount Merapi volcano in Central Java, Indonesia, and the government had created shelters in stadiums and public halls for 300,000 jammed-together evacuees. By that time, however, some had petitioned authorities to open up private shelter locations so that the displaced could attend to certain romantic, biological needs. Apparently some evacuees had become so frisky that they had left the shelter and returned to their homes in the danger zone just so they could have sex. Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to www.NewsoftheWeird.com.

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INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

A SALUTE TO DIFFERENCE MAKERS The Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce recently announced it has raised more than $7.3 million, $800,000 more than its goal of $6.5 million for Vision 2015. Investors at the founder level, pledging $50,000 or greater per year for five years, are the City of Pensacola, Escambia County, Baptist Health Care; Cox Communications; Gulf Power Company; Lewis Bear Company; and Sacred Heart Health System. At the charter level, pledging $15,000 to $30,000 per year, are Clark, Partington, Hart, Larry, Bond, and Stackhouse; Goldring Gulf Distributing; Innisfree Hotels; Jerry Pate Turf and Irrigation, Inc.; Navy Federal Credit Union; Pen Air Federal Credit Union; Pensacola News Journal; Regions Financial Corp.; Wendco Group; and West Florida Healthcare. At the ambassador level, pledging $5,000 per year, are Appleyard Agency; Beck Property Group; Buffalo Rock; Carver, Darden, Koretzky, Tessier, Finn, Blossman & Areaux; Coastal Moving and Storage; Compass Bank; Great Southern Restaurant Group; Hixardt Technologies; Kia Autosport; Morette Construction; PBS&J; Perdido Key Area Chamber of Commerce; Total Employee Leasing; and Vince Whibbs Automotive Group. At the partner level, pledging $2,500 per year, are Baroco Electric Construction; Beach Community Bank; Covenant Hospice; Edward Jones-John Peacock; Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon; Engineered Cooling Services; Fisher Brown Insurance; Florida First Capital Finance Corp.; H2 Performance Consulting; MARCOR Remediation, Inc.; McBride Construction; McMahon Hadder Insurance; and New World Landing.

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THE UNIVERSAL CROSSWORD EDITED BY TIMOTHY E. PARKER AN AMAZING PUZZLE by Carol Ross

ACROSS 1 Jane Austen novel 5 Kenneth or Bart 10 “Scram!” 14 Mean partner 15 Distinctive atmospheres (Var.) 16 “Comus” composer Thomas 17 1966 sci-fi classic 20 With a passion 21 Brothers and sisters, e.g. 22 Nothing at all 23 It may make you light-headed 24 Soda buys 27 Give the impression 29 Ancient Athenian statesman 32 “To Wong ___, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” 33 Climactic whodunit cry 36 Designated, perhaps incorrectly 38 Types of rapid transit 41 Interpret 42 Walton of Wal-Mart 43 Word with “Spice” in a brand name 44 Tidal flood 46 “Ali ___ and the Forty Thieves” 50 Metered lines 52 Cry from a litter 55 Baby food 56 Chi ___ (religious symbol) 57 Popular serving in France 60 “Man of La Mancha” tune (with “The”) 63 Schedule guesses, briefly 64 Beauty of Troy 65 Bad spots on the way to adulthood?

JENNIFER ALLEN

PROGRAMS & EVENTS COORDINATOR, PENSACOLA BAY AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE What is your chief characteristic? Commitment. I am incredibly goal oriented and rarely let anything keep me from achieving those goals. What do you appreciate most about your friends? Their character, selflessness and sense of humor Who is your favorite fiction character? Dagny Taggart from Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged”. She’s mysterious and unbelievably intelligent at the same time. What is the best thing you have ever won? A fully paid scholarship to college. I can not describe in words how much that changed my life.

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

66 Comedic actress Martha 67 Plant malady 68 Hymn of praise (Var.) DOWN 1 Pixies 2 Blue Beatles baddie 3 Yankee great Mickey 4 Poker payment 5 Prone to sarcastic replies 6 Private teacher’s students 7 Bittersweet coating 8 A bit blue 9 Abbr. for Jesse Jackson 10 “___ with flowers” 11 Mosquitolike nonbiter 12 “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” director Lee 13 Ball peg 18 Indication of things to come? 19 Historic Japanese island 24 Scottish bays 25 Small, agile deer 26 Plot of grass 28 Cartographer’s

output American dogwood Place for a bump They’re straight Set out for display White-fleeced animal of rhyme 38 Time to shine for a musician 39 Give less than is deserved 40 Show of affection 41 Person with a collar? 45 Insignia 47 Pricing word 48 Fruit for a split 49 Hypothetical missing links 51 The ones yonder 53 Catherine ZetaJones’s “The Mask of Zorro” role 54 Take the plunge 57 Evened, as a score 58 In a position to help 59 Do a pre-Christmas chore 60 “Cash” add-on 61 Org. that keeps New Yorkers on track 62 The woman in question 30 31 34 35 37

What did your mother always tell you? “No dessert until you’ve eaten all of your vegetables.” What is the worst idea you’ve ever had? Trying to hide my vegetables underneath my chair. What is your favorite food? Sushi. The Jinja Roll at The Fish House will change your life. Which talent would you most like to have? The ability to speak more than one language What movie do you love to watch repeatedly? “Tombstone.” I’m not one to watch movies more than once. This is the only exception. What TV show is your guilty pleasure? “The Sing-Off.” I have an obsession for a-cappella music. What is the last book you read? “Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People” by Rich DeVos. Simple phrases of affirmation and gratitude are incredibly powerful in all areas of our lives. What is your theme song? “525,600 Minutes” from the musical “Rent”

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 10, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, AND VALENTINE’S DAY MONDAY!

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