Feb. 24 Issue

FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | VOLUME 12 | NUMBER 08 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

COUNTY PREPARES FOR THE WORST

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Contents COLUMNS

3 WINNERS & LOSERS 4 OUTTAKES

26 NEWS OF THE WEIRD 27LAST WORD

NEWS/FEATURES/ARTS

6 NEWS: PENSACOLA CITY WORKERS UNITE 9 COVER STORY: BUDGET SQUEEZE COMING 15 HEALTH & WELLNESS 19 A&E: UNEARTHED TREASURES 23 A&E: LET’S GET MEDIEVAL 24 COMEDY: MAKE ‘EM LAUGH OR DIE TRYING 25 STAY LOCAL: THE BAKERS’ HOUSE

2 | INDEPENDENT NEWS |

FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bradley “B.J.” Davis, Jr., Joani Delezen, Hana Frenette, Ashley Hardaway, Rob “Bubbs” Harris, Erica House, Brett Hutchins, Chelsa Jillard, 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.

winners & losers

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newest restaurant earned a nomination as one of the best new restaurants in the country from the James Beard Foundation. The Beard Awards are the most prestigious food honors in the United States, bestowing medals upon chefs, restaurants, cookbook authors and journalists. Elise Coastal Dining is among 33 Best New Restaurant contenders and among three in Florida, including The Refinery in Tampa and Sugarcane Raw Bar Grill in Miami.

CONNIE BOOKMAN The executive director

of Pathways For Change has been named to “Social Work Today” magazine’s “10 Dedicated and Deserving Social Workers” list. Bookman is the founder of Pathways For Change, an organization that provides education, prevention, and intervention for people who are substance abusers and/or live criminal lifestyles in the Pensacola area.

SEVILLE QUARTER The Pensacola entertainment icon was given the Liberty Award by the Pensacola Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge for its support of numerous non-profits. Seville Quarter has opened its doors consistently to help groups with their fundraisers. This award is well-deserved.

Kudos to the Mitchell family.

PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE The Anna Lamar

Switzer Center for Visual Arts scored a major coup by landing the works of internationallyknown contemporary artist Christo.

Pensacola State College is one of only three venues for this retrospective of drawings and objects, after Metropolitan State College and Bemis Arts Center in Omaha, Neb. The show “Christo and JeanneClaude, Prints and Objects” is on display at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts through March 25.

losers HARVEY ALMORN UPDYKE, JR. The

Dadeville, Ala. man was arrested last week for poisoning two heritage oak trees at Toomer’s Corner, a symbol of tradition in Auburn, Ala. Updyke grew up in the Milton area and had only lived in Dadeville about six months before his arrest. ESPN reported that Updyke, an Alabama fan, has a daughter named Crimson and a son named Bear. Police have said neither offspring was involved in the crime.

ESCAMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT The

School Board will require, effective August 2011, any high school or middle school students who participate in extracurricular activities, athletics and campus parking submit to random drug testing as a condition of having those privileges. The IN understands that being “tough” on drugs wins votes, but wouldn’t the money be better spent protecting the teachers and good students in the classrooms? Chess clubs and school bands aren’t the problem.

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SCOTT WALKER The Wisconsin governor

wants to break the state employee and teachers’ unions. Last month, he pushed through a $140 million spending package and a series of tax cuts. Now Walker says he has a $3.6 billion budget deficit, which must be partially covered by making state workers pay half of their pension costs and at least 12 percent of their health care costs. If Scott gets his way, the unions will lose bargaining rights for anything other than pay. There is strain in the right wing of the Republican Party that is out to destroy unions, and teachers are taking the brunt of its venom.

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It takes $674 million to run Escambia County. That total includes the 2010-2011 budgets for the City of Pensacola, Escambia County and the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority. I didn’t include the Town of Century’s budget because I think it’s run on the fees from the collection of recycled aluminum cans.

If we add in the $328 million budget of the Escambia County Public School District, the cost jumps over $1 billion. According to the 2009 U.S. Census estimates, Escambia County has 303,343 people, which means the cost to educate, protect and serve our citizens is $3,302 per person.

The cost of local government has shrunk for every entity since 2007.

Escambia County is operating on $39.8 million less, the City of Pensacola on $44.5 million less and the School District on $66 million less. The efforts of Gov. Charlie Crist, Florida Legislature and Escambia County TaxWatch to force local governments to operate on less ad valorem revenues have been successful.

Local government has been reduced by 15 percent over the past four years.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that tax revenues are projected to continue to shrink, too. The fat has been trimmed, so the next series of budget cuts will be much more painful. Local governments will have to decide what truly defines essential services.

The county, city, utility and school bureaucracies will be forced to consolidate functions and services. How many central garages do we need? How many different computer systems and IT departments are necessary? How many Human Resources and Purchasing departments are required?

Escambia County has started its own

in-house clinic for its employees. The City of Pensacola has had one for years. School Board member Jeff Bergosh brought the concept to the School Board at a November 2010 workshop. Could these clinics be combined?

Or better yet, why not privatize it and let Baptist Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital and West Florida Hospital bid on providing the health care?

The City’s Sanitation Department and the County’s Perdido Landfill are two examples of departments that should be merged into ECUA. The functions need to be under one entity. The dispatch services are another.

Functional consolidation is how we can deal with the forecasted reductions in tax revenues. It must happen. Officials have to drop their egos, remove the imaginary boundaries and figure out how they can reduce the cost of government another $20 million over the next five years.

There isn’t one elected official in this county that doesn’t endorse the concept, but no one will take the lead and force it to happen. No, it’s easier to point fingers and tell how another entity can merge into their operations. No one wants to give up control or lay off people.

It’s time for a functional consolidation task force to be formed that can independently examine how to make it happen and make recommendations that can be enacted over the next few years.

There has to be give and take from all entities.

Local governments are being reshaped as revenues decline. Will we be proactive in how they are reshaped or will we simply react on a year-to-year basis? rick@inweekly.net

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PENSACOLA CITY WORKERS UNITE BEHIND THE SCENES OF UNION VOTE THAT ROCKED CITY HALL

BY DUSTIN TONEY

T

he City of Pensacola has a new union. On Feb. 17, city workers voted to unionize with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). The union was backed by the workers 102-47, a 70-percent margin, which is in significant contrast to the failed attempt to unionize the city workers by UNITE HERE eight years ago.

The economy, recent budget cuts to workers’ compensation and benefits, and the erosion of trust between the workers and senior city leadership fueled the victory. While the Pensacola police officers’ pay and benefits are protected by the Fraternal Order of Police and the local firefighters by the International Associa-

tion of Firefighters, workers in various positions in the city, such as Energy Services of Pensacola, Parks & Recreation and Public Works, have been subject to large cuts since 2007.

AFSCME is one of the larger labor unions in the country and has over 3,500 councils throughout the country. Members of each local union compose their own constitution and elect their own officers.

“The organizing started because a lot of the employees had gone a period of time in which the budget cuts affected us.

That’s really where this stems from,” said Kim Aguiar, Lead Worker for Parks & Recreation and new interim president for the local AFSCME. “As an employee, dig-

nity and respect are first and foremost.

As civil servants, we fall in line. We just want to be thought of that way.”

Of the 166 general employees in the city, many have seen their compensation and benefits cut. Some had their longevity pay taken away. Many were reduced from 740 hours of leave time to 560 hours. Most had not received step raises in the past four years, and it has been proposed that those raises be withheld an additional two years.

“The workers contacted AFSCME, and we went from there,” said AFSCME Council 79 organizer Josh LeClair. The organizing effort began in the fall of 2010 and has been in the works since. “There are some problems that were across the

board, including loss of their step pay,” LeClair told IN. “The police and firefighters were safe from some of the cuts in pay, due to them being in a union. That was polarizing for the general laborers.”

“Some of the problems were separated by different departments,” LeClair continued. “There were all sorts of policies that were unfairly implemented.

One department would be strict while another wouldn’t. If certain departments work overtime, some would pay overtime, others would not pay, while others would only pay partial amounts.”

In support of the workers, local college students held demonstrations at workplaces and encouraged workers to vote in favor of the union. Lee Pryor, organizer for the Progressive Student Alliance and delegate for the Workers’ Solidarity Alliance, was able to organize a handful of locals enrolled in Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida.

“A couple of weeks before the vote, the PSA was contacted by AFSCME. We jumped aboard near the end of the campaign for external support,” Pryor told IN. Students demonstrated the day before and the day of the election outside the Field Service Center on North Palafox Street. Participants held signs with slogans such as, “Vote ‘Yes’ For Justice.”

Despite the large amount of support the union received from city workers, organizers spoke about how difficult it was at first to work with city employees.

“One of the things we realized early was how hard it was to get in touch with some

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buzz of the workers,” said LeClair. “Some of these workers were working two or three jobs. To be able to find them and talk to them proved to be a really difficult task.

That was probably the biggest obstacle in our organizing campaign.”

Aguiar also pointed out another major factor that hindered their abilities. She noted, “Participation is difficult because of the pressure that we get from the city. Over a period of time a culture forms. There are trust issues. Workers couldn’t say what they wanted to say without some kind of repercussion if it’s not in line with management.”

Pryor remained a little more critical of local government and pointed towards the anti-organizing efforts of the city. He stated, “It’s not so much that they have forgotten the workers. It is more that they don’t care about the people keeping the infrastructure intact. Some of these workers have not seen raises in five years, and now they are trying to eliminate accrued hours that workers can gain over time.”

He stated that while the city is quick to cut the pay for workers, they should consider cutting salaries of the managers and higher officials—for example, the Mayor and City Manager.

Now that the union has been voted in, and the local officials have been elected, the time has begun for collective bargaining between the workers and their bosses. “It’s all up to the workers what will be brought to the table,” said LeClair. “They are all concerned about retaining their insurance and getting their longevity pay back.”

Pryor also thinks that the recent vote will encourage other workers, locally and nationally, to follow in the footprints of the city workers as national events in the labor movement like those in Wisconsin make headlines, and budget-cut proposals that target state, county and municipal workers become more common. “It’s going to galvanize the community and the labor movement, especially when they are being attacked

by Rick Scott. With all of these budget cuts going on, it will help mobilize people to fight back,” stated Pryor.

A celebration took place the night of the vote at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 676.

Officials were elected, workers discussed what the future held for them, and everyone showed their gratitude for the work of AFSCME and of those who participated and voted for the union.

Aquiar said at the celebration, “We are really happy about the vote, and we are ready to move forward.” info@inweekly.net

ing the commission of a robbery of July 9, 2009 of the Billings’ residence. According to Judge Geeker, the avowed purpose of the home invasion was to rob the home safe which the robbers believed had a substantial quantity of money.

2. The couple were killed by Gonzalez.

3. The murders were heinous, atrocious and cruel. The couple were terrified for both their safety and that of the nine children in the home. They knew their lives were in jeopardy. Byrd Billings was shot in each leg and dragged into Patrick Gonzalez / Photo by Katie King / Pensacola the master bedroom. He was shot News Journal in the side of the face, which wasn’t fatal, and then shot fatally twice in EXPULSIONS DOWN, REALLY? The Escambia the cranium. Melanie Billings witnessed County Public School District has slowed these shootings and was shot first in the down on its student expulsions. In January head and then twice in the chest. Her and February 2010, the District expelled death was more instantaneous.

46 students. During the first two months of 4. Gonzalez was more than an ac2011, only 25 have been recommended for complice and was proven to be the expulsion, eight of which were holdovers ringleader of the crime. He directed the from the canceled December 2010 meeting. others. He was not under any mental However, there may be more to the duress or dominated by others. story. A reader emailed the IN after these “The death sentence is not disprostatistics were posted on Rick ’s Blog, portionate given his role in the crimes,” ricksblog.biz. said Judge Geeker.

“You might want to dig a bit deeper These factors outweighed the mitiinto this and not take the numbers at gating factors: face value,” wrote the reader. “My spouse 1. Community service with children. is a teacher. The numbers have decreased 2. Good father and good with those not due to better behavior but due to children he taught. the fact that it now takes a child getting 3. Though he came from a broken home, numerous referrals—and an incredible he didn’t have a deprived childhood. amount of paperwork—in order to be After the court was adjourned, Ashley expelled.

Billings Markham gave a brief statement “The numbers were so bad last year to the media. Thanking the community that the teachers are now under a new for its continued support and prayers, the mandate making it much more difficult. daughter of Byrd and Melanie Billings Therefore, the schools look like they said, “Justice has been served. There have have improved—funny how it works.” been long days, but we now have a little One teacher that the IN interviewed more hope to face the days ahead.” (who asked to stay anonymous to proBefore leaving the media room, tect her job) said that her school adminMarkham hugged State Attorney Bill Edistrators have discouraged any disrupdins, thanking him for his efforts. tive students from being written up for disciplinary issues, unless the students BP CLAIM PAYMENT OPTIONS Ken have been written up before.

Feinberg, administrator of the The teacher questioned, “How can I Gulf Coast Claims Facility ever write up a student, if they don’t let (GCCF), has announced the final us write the first report?” methodology for the payment of Final and Interim GCCF comLITTLE POFF GETS DEATH It took five pensation of claims arising out of minutes for Judge Nicholas Geeker to the BP oil spill. sentence Leonard Patrick “Little Poff ” On Feb. 2, the GCCF pubGonzalez, Jr. to death for the murders lished a draft on the methodolof Byrd and Melanie Billings and an ogy. Over the following two additional 10 minutes to read his findweeks, the GCCF has received ings in regard to the aggravating and some 1,440 comments from mitigating circumstances that led to his claimants, businesses, experts, decision on the sentence. By 1:45 p.m., public officials and other interGonzalez was led out of the courtroom ested parties expressing opinhaving had the sentence pronounced ions concerning these and other and imposed. related issues.

The aggravating circumstances that Under the final methodology, supported the death penalty were: claimants have three payment op1. The murders were committed durtions: final, interim and quick.

A Final Payment will provide compensation to the claimant for all documented past damage, plus estimated future damage due to the oil spill and will resolve the claimant’s entire claim against BP and all other potentially liable parties for any and all past and future damages.

To receive a Final Payment, a claimant will be required to sign a release precluding the claimant from seeking further compensation from the GCCF, the Coast Guard, or in court from either BP or any other defendant companies allegedly responsible for the oil spill.

An Interim Payment will provide compensation to the claimant for all past documented damage due to the oil spill; the damage must be documented but no release will be required. Under this option, the claimant may return to the GCCF once each quarter of the calendar year seeking additional documented past damage. This Interim Payment option does not require that the claimant surrender any litigation rights.

A Quick Payment of $5,000 to an individual claimant or $25,000 to a business claimant is available to any claimant who has received either an Emergency Advance Payment or an Interim Payment from the GCCF without any requirement that the claimant provide additional documentation. This option will be accompanied by a full release, similar to one that is required with the final payment.

BYE, LINDA The co-host of the most

popular local morning show in the Pensacola market was fired and escorted off the property last week. Linda Lawrence, the “Linda” of the “Marty & Linda” morning show on WXBM is no longer on the air. Marty White is currently listed for the morning show solo.

Lawrence has been completely dropped from the station’s website, w xbm.com.

Ken Feinberg

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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E

scambia County Government has run out of quick fixes for its ever-shrinking budget.

Property Appraiser Chris Jones is projecting property taxes for the 2011-12 fiscal year to drop $3-$5 million. There’s no windfall of Pensacola Beach property taxes or federal stimulus dollars this time to bail out the Board of County Commissioners (BCC), Escambia County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) and the other constitutional officers.

And the budget fireworks have already begun. On Feb. 10, County Administrator Randy Oliver wanted to make a PowerPoint presentation, titled “Escambia County Budget Preparation,” to commissioners at their Committee of the Whole meeting. The report was pulled from the agenda after the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office objected to the tone of the presentation, claiming it was an unfair representation of the ECSO’s budget history.

The smoke still hasn’t cleared. Sheriff David Morgan and his senior staff believe that they were blindsided. Oliver says he was trying to take a proactive approach to what will be a difficult budget year. The

county commissioners hope to avoid any finger-pointing during the budget workshops, but few believe it can be avoided.

The funds simply aren’t available to make everyone happy with next year’s budget.

Escambia County budget deliberations between the commissioners and the Sheriff are often contentious. Because the

If t he BCC rejects a constitutiona l of f icer’s budget, t hat of f icer can appea l t he decision to t he Florida Cabinet. Sherif f Morgan hasn’t had to do t hat…yet. However, his t wo prev ious budgets have been a struggle to get BCC approva l.

Par t of t he problem is Morgan’s stubbornness and his unwillingness to do “IT WAS TERRIBLE WHAT GOV. SCOTT WAS TRYING TO thing that DO. ESSENTIALLY IT WAS TAKING $6 MILLION OUT OF THE any he believes will EMPLOYEES’ PAYCHECKS AND GIVING IT TO THE STATE.” compromise public safety.

–COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR RANDY OLIVER Remember he’s from Missouri county has no charter and consolidation and that he doesn’t bend his principles, efforts failed, the BCC only truly controls an admirable trait as long as you’re on about half of the overall budget. Sheriff his side of the argument.

David Morgan, Clerk of Court Ernie Lee T he ot her pa r ts of t he budget Magaha, Property Appraiser Chris Jones, cr isis a re a depressed economy t hat Tax Collector Janet Holley and Supervihas been h it ha rd by t he col lapse of sor of Elections David Stafford prepare t he rea l estate ma rket, t he statew ide their own budgets that the commissionpush to force loca l gover n ments to ers can only approve or disapprove. The rol lback t hei r proper t y ta x rates a nd commissioners can’t change line items in t he i mpac t of t he BP oi l d isaster on those budgets. proper t y va lues.

BUDGET HISTORY: FAT MAN IN TINY SPORTS COAT These issues have made the Escambia County budget look like Chris Farley doing his Matt Foley-Motivational Speaker skit for “Saturday Night Live.”

County government has become that huge, 350-pound man trying to fit into a tiny, plaid sports coat made for someone who weighs only 140 pounds. The coat can’t be buttoned and the seams are screaming as they’re stretched to their limits.

Escambia County’s property tax revenues peaked at $137.4 million in 2007.

That year marked an unprecedented period of revenue growth, fueled by a booming real estate market. Despite ad valorem rates staying the same, the annual tax revenue jumped 65 percent from 2002 to 2007. County government, led by George Touart as the county administrator, absorbed the nearly $54 million increase into its operations.

The budget world changed dramatically in 2007 when the Florida Legislature and Gov. Charlie Crist began to address the failure of county governments across the state to reduce their ad valorem rates

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

9

as property values skyrocketed. House Bill 1B was passed that required local governments to reduce their property tax rates to 2006 levels by 2009.

Touart and his newly-elected county commission, which had added Grover Robinson and Gene Valentino in the 2006 elections, dropped the property tax rate from 8.756 to 8.017. That would be Touart’s last budget. He was ousted from office for not disclosing his personal business relationships and replaced by Bob McLaughlin.

In preparing the 2008-09 budget, McLaughlin was faced with more legislative mandates that forced further reductions in millage rates and caps on ad valorem values.

The county reduced the ad valorem 13 percent, from 8.017 to 6.976 mills, which cut $20 million from the budget.

To help deal with the revenue shortfall, McLaughlin led a massive county reorganization. Eighteen departments were merged into six bureaus. Some department heads were forced to take pay cuts, and the county offered early retirement buyouts to others. Thirty-seven supervisors and department heads took advantage of the generous plan. The net savings in personnel costs to the county was $5.6 million.

The next year, the county maintained the same ad valorem rate, but the reduced property values decreased property tax revenues by $6.5 million. Sheriff Morgan

proposed his first budget that year, in When the dust cleared, the 2009-10 which he had about $4 million in cuts.

General Fund budget was reduced by $17 The commissioners combined that reducmillion, 8.85 percent. The county had cut its tion with nearly $2 million in savings on total personnel costs to $59.7 million, which insurance premiums and other one-time was within 3.4 percent of the 2006 levels. revenues to balance the budget.

However, that was not enough for Bob Though the revenue losses were McLaughlin to keep his job. In December covered, there still were a few heated mo2009, the BCC voted 4-1 to not renew his ments over the budget contract as county in the summer of administrator.

“RANDY OLIVER I HAVE NO 2009. Sheriff Morgan Eventually DOUBT IS A BRILLIANT NUMBERS had requested an exLarry Newsom, PERSON, BUT WHERE OLIVER SEES who headed the tra $2 million to provide a 3 percent pay TransportaNUMBERS, I SEE PEOPLE.” raise for his officers, tion Bureau, was –SHERIFF DAVID MORGAN as he was required to named the interim seek under the terms administrator. of the collective bargaining agreement The 2010-2011 revenue projections weren’t with their union. The BCC turned good for his first budget. Property values down the increase. continued to decline. Even though the Later, commissioners got upset with commissioners maintained the same ad Morgan when they learned his off icers valorem rate, they had $5.5 million less in would continue to get longevity pay revenue from property taxes. that builds from 2 percent af ter f ive Every constitutional officer, except years of ser vice to a cumulative 10 perSheriff Morgan, made cuts to help the cent af ter 25 years, and which would BCC handle the shortfall. The ECSO asked add an additional $100,000 to future for a $2.6 million increase to cover statebudgets. mandated increases to its contributions to Morgan defended the longevity pay the Florida Retirement System and higher as necessar y to retain deputies, who of- health insurance costs. ten leave for more pay or benef its af ter Though Commissioner Grover Robina few years of experience. The commisson argued that the county had the same sioners approved his budget, but the issues and managed to reduce other areas stage was set for future budget battles. to cover them, the BCC overruled him and

voted 4-1 to approve Morgan’s $77.2 million budget.

Still, the 2010-11 county budget, which is the one under which the county is currently operating, is significantly lower than the budget five years ago. It has been reduced $81 million, a whopping 18 percent reduction, over that period.

NEXT BUDGET: WHAT TO CUT AFTER FAT IS GONE Unfortunately, Escambia County hasn’t seen the last of its budget cuts.

Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones predicts that valuations will continue to decline.

“We’re just sta r t i ng to look at ou r assessments,” Jones told t he I N. “I told t he Budget Of f ice t hat we a re look i ng at a 3-5 percent reduc t ion i n overa l l va lues.” Each percentage poi nt equates to about $1 m i l l ion i n ad valorem revenue.

“We told the county 5 percent ($5 million shortfall) for planning purposes,” he said. “Ever y thing will hinge on the commercial market, where unfortunately there’s not a lot of sales data.”

County Administrator Randy Oliver hopes the actual shortfall will only be about $3 million, and he wants the Sheriff ’s Off ice to share half the burden, which led to the dispute over the Feb. 10 presentation.

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“There is no doubt this is going to be a tough year for the budget,” said Oliver.

“The budget is about half public safety and the Sheriff, and half BCC. What happens is going to depend on what happens with the Sheriff ’s side of the budget. I’m pretty comfortable that I can get $1.5 million (of the $3 million reduction) from my side.

It’s going to be painful, but if I have to take the whole $3 million from my side of the budget, it’s going to be very painful.”

Oliver believes he can save money by retooling the bureau structure that McLaughlin instituted in 2008.

“We are going to the board in two weeks with a f lat reorganization that will save a couple hundred thousand dollars,” he told the IN. He will eliminate two bureau chief positions, Community & Environment and Transportation.

“What they created two years ago were super department heads. I think there is a better way to do that,” said the county administrator, who was hired in late October 2010. “When somebody brings me this kind of structure (pointing to the McLaughlin organization chart), I shoot them because the question is always ‘what does this person do.’”

Oliver wants to place Development Services, Environmental, Community Services, Public Works and Parks and Recreation under the Assistant County Administrator Larry Newsom. The remaining departments—Budget, Corrections, Economic Development, Government Relations, Human Resources, Information Resources, Public Safety and Solid Waste Management—will report to Oliver.

BALANCING BUDGET ON BACK OF EMPLOYEES There was a panic in county government when Gov. Rick Scott initially announced his pension plan reforms. On the surface, it sounded like a good deal for the counties.

Employees would be required to contribute five percent of their pay towards the Florida Retirement System, which could have saved Escambia County nearly $6 million. However, Scott initially intended for the savings to be passed on to the state, not the counties.

“I don’t think asking the employees to contribute is a bad thing,” said Commissioner Grover Robinson. “It has been happening in the private sector for years. However, the cost savings needs to be directly realized by the counties, but Scott has been saying for every dollar saved in FRS he is going to reduce in sales taxes and other distributions back to the counties.”

Robinson and other commissioners from around the state must have gotten their message across to Gov. Scott. By Feb. 17, Gov. Scott had dropped that notion of using the employee contributions to balance the state’s budget.

“It was terrible what Gov. Scott was trying to do,” said Oliver. “Essentially it

12 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011

was taking $6 million out of the employees’ paychecks and giving it to the state.”

However, the county being allowed to use its employee contributions to reduce its FRS payments doesn’t mean that those funds will cover the county’s budget shortfall.

“We still don’t know what the FRS contribution for next year will be,” said Oliver. “We don’t know what our overall percentage payment will be to FRS. Every percentage point costs us about $1.2 million, $600,000 for the county and $600,000 for the sheriff.”

Sheriff Morgan doesn’t believe it’s fair to ask law enforcement officers, who haven’t had a pay increase since 2007, to take a hit on their paychecks.

“The problem we’ve got is our guys have gone four years without a pay raise,” said Sheriff Morgan. “If we hit them with anything and say, ‘Oh by the way, you’re now going to have to contribute to your retirement’ that is patently unfair.”

ANOTHER BUDGET BATTLE BREWING And that is a perfect example of how differently the BCC and the ECSO see the budget process and how revenue shortfalls should be handled.

“There is no way the BCC can absorb all

One idea being kicked around by Oliver is to breakout that portion of the ad valorem necessary to cover the ECSO budget. That, too, was part of the aborted Feb. 10 presentation.

The county already has a Law Enforcement MSTU, Municipal Service Taxing Unit, to pay for law enforcement patrols in the unincorporated areas of the county. The rate is 0.685 mils, which generates about $6.74 million annually.

“In places where I’ve worked, we’ve broken up the General Fund so the Sheriff is separate from the rest of the ad valorem rate,” said Oliver. “That way the consumer has the right to know. Whether they do that or not, that will be up to the Board.”

Chief Deputy Larry Aiken disagreed.

“Oliver wants to present his budget and show the millage rate needed to support it,” said Aiken. “Then he wants to take our certified budget and show a millage increase to fund it. That’s a sheriff ’s tax, and we don’t support that.”

“What he is not seeing is that we believe we have been cut to the bone,” said Aiken.

“The only reasons our budget increased for this current year are fuel costs and mandatory increases in FRS and health insurance.”

“Randy Oliver I have no doubt is a brilliant numbers person, but where Oliver

“WHAT HE IS NOT SEEING IS THAT WE BELIEVE WE HAVE CUT TO THE BONE. THE ONLY REASONS OUR BUDGET INCREASED FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR ARE FUEL COSTS AND MANDATORY INCREASES IN FRS AND HEALTH INSURANCE.” –CHIEF DEPUTY LARRY AIKEN this,” said Robinson, who is clearly frustrated

by Morgan’s inflexible approach to budgeting. “I think we made a mistake last year. I think he is a very good sheriff, I don’t think he is a very good political boss. I wish he would stick to being the sheriff.”

While Escambia County has reduced its budget by $81 million since the 20062007 fiscal year, the Escambia County Sheriff ’s Office has only reduced its budget by 3 percent, $2.5 million.

The ECSO budget consists of three components: Sheriff ’s Office, Escambia County Jail and Court Security. The Sheriff ’s Office has cut its budget $4.4 million over the past four years, but the jail and court security have seen their budgets jump up $1.9 million over the same period.

“We are all teammates in this together, and last year we really needed him to hold the line on his budget, and when he didn’t, it put us in a bad position,” said Robinson. “We’ve decreased every single year. If you look at the BCC expenses as a percentage of the total budget, every year that I’ve been in office we’ve gone down as a percentage. The Sheriff ’s Office has not.

They are actually becoming a larger and larger percentage of the budget.”

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sees numbers, I see people,” said Sheriff Morgan. “He is practicing bureaucratic equivalency, meaning a government worker is a government worker is a government worker. Well, there is a significant difference between an administrative worker working for the Board of County Commissioners and a deputy. We don’t have the luxury of working 9-to-5 weekdays with weekends and holidays off.”

Morgan believes that the first critical step in budgeting is identifying wants and needs.

“You need public safety,” said Morgan.

“You want bureaucrats.”

Commissioner Robinson doesn’t believe more dollars necessarily translate to safer neighborhoods.

“We increased what we gave the sheriff last year,” said Robinson. “Has it stopped crime? No. Just because you pay more money in doesn’t mean you’re going to have less crime. People’s propensity to commit crimes isn’t dependent on how much money we spend on law enforcement one way or the other or jails.”

While he agreed that the ECSO had made budget cuts, Robinson doesn’t believe the sheriff is absorbing his fair share of the revenue shortfalls. “Yes, two years ago Sheriff Morgan had a substantially big

ESCAMBIA COUNTY OVERALL BUDGET 2006/07: $458,839,188 2007/08: $417,127,265 2008/09: $391,665,064 2009/10: $367,489,211 2010/11: $377,217,198

ESCAMBIA COUNTY SHERIFF’S BUDGET 2006/07: $79,754,796 2007/08: $79,700,000 2008/09: $78,717,845 2009/10: $74,681,845 2010/11: $77,234,263 decrease ($4.1 million),” said Robinson.

“Last year, he increased it ($2.6 million increase) and almost negated his decrease from the prior year. Does he have unfunded mandates related to the pension?

Absolutely. Did the county have those?

Absolutely. Did the county still find a way to decrease its budget? Yes.” Morgan didn’t budge when asked about dividing the ad valorem rate in to sheriff and non-sheriff rates.

“The glaring thing for me with Budgeting for Outcomes is that government will provide the services for which you’re willing to pay for,” said Morgan. “If you want street lights, we’ll give you street lights. If you want roads, we’ll give you roads. However, they will be applicable tax increases if you want that.”

Sheriff Morgan believes that such budgeting methods work in a strictly business environment, but not in local government.

“How do I provide services to Districts 3 and 5?” asked Morgan. “District 3 has the some of the highest crime areas, but the lowest return on taxes. Using Budgeting for Outcomes, I would pull out of that area because they aren’t paying their fair share.

I would load up on Districts 2 and 4, our wealthiest areas.”

He adds, “When you’re coming out of a recession like this economy is, Budgeting for Outcomes is the proverbial recipe for disaster.”

OTHER SOLUTIONS: FUNCTIONAL CONSOLIDATION A year ago, the county commissioners refused to support a consolidation referendum that would have let the voters decide whether to combine city and county governments. Without the support of the BCC, Pensacola City Council and the Century Town Council, the local legislative delegation refused to take the referendum to the state legislature for approval to place it on the 2010 ballot.

Instead, the commissioners agreed to “What Randy is pushing is we’ve work on functional consolidation between got to find a better way to deal with the the BCC, constitutional officers and the prisons,” said Robinson. “We need to be City of Pensacola. The IN wanted to know sending more of these people, who don’t if any progress had been made in that efneed to be at Leonard Street (county fort. The answer was…not really. jail), to the road prison. We need to “I’ve had discussions both with the find a way to make that happen, because Sheriff and the new Mayor of Pensacola,” they almost pay for themselves at the said Oliver. “There are some very tangible road prison.” things on the table with the new mayor.”

Sheriff Morgan smiled when he was The county administrator said that he told about the effort to move prisoners had identified 15 areas ripe for consolidafrom the county jail to the road camp. tion and has ranked them based on their “That’s another one of those smoke technical and political aspects. He cauand mirrors things,” said Morgan. “I’d tions against being too aggressive with have given them a thousand people functional consolidation. today, if we could. Why would I want “We need to take one or two “I THINK WE MADE A MISTAKE LAST YEAR. I and get successes THINK HE IS A VERY GOOD SHERIFF, I DON’T THINK under our belt and not roll out HE IS A VERY GOOD POLITICAL BOSS. I WISH HE all 15 areas at one WOULD STICK TO BEING THE SHERIFF.” time and get all –COMMISSIONER GROVER ROBINSON 15 of those areas up in arms,” said Oliver. He believes that Building Inspecto load my jail up? I save them money tions and Permitting may be the easy when I give them inmates. They don’t areas to consolidate with the City. meet the legal criteria.”

Commissioner Robinson is less optimistic. “Yeah, we’ll do functional con- WHAT'S NEXT solidation if I’m the one we functionally Oliver plans to kick-off the budget consolidate into,” said Robinson with process at the next Committee of the sarcasm in his voice.

Whole meeting, scheduled for March “The Sheriff talked about putting 10. Before then, he and BCC chairman his payroll over to the Clerk, but I’ve Kevin W h ite w i l l me e t w it h Sher i f f never heard any more on it. We’ve Morga n a nd C h ief A i ken . T he Feb. talked about the need to consolidate 10 pre s ent at ion w i l l most def i n itely 9-1-1 with the city and the county. We b e re worke d . have a state-of-the-art dispatch system “At the budget kick-off, we will that is all part of the EOC. There is no outline where we are at,” said Oliver. reason why we shouldn’t all be together, “Hopefully we will know more about but no one steps forward on that.”

FRS, and then we can set up a process Robinson believes the budget crisis by which we will evaluate services.” will force functional consolidation on Oliver plans to ask the commissionthe city and county. ers to rank county services and make “You have to say the budget is only budget cuts based on the priorities that going to be X, then people get serious they set. about finding ways to solve it,” said Sher i f f Morga n e x p e c t s t he de c iRobinson. “As long as they think they sion s to b e d i f f ic u lt . “ T h i s cou nt y get whatever they want, there is no real ha s pa re d bac k a nd pa re d bac k t he incentive to consolidate.” pa s t s e ver a l ye a rs . We’re dow n to Oliver will propose to the BCC other e s s ent ia l s er v ic e s a nd w hat do you ways to save money. He plans to crossdo? ” s a id Morga n . “P ubl ic s a fe t y i s train building inspectors so that he can a n e s s ent ia l s er v ic e .” approve more aspects of a project. “We Robinson still believes this budget have to find ways to streamline and do pain could have been avoided if the things more efficiently and effectively, BCC insisted that ECSO hold its budnot just faster,” said Oliver. get to its 2009-10 level.

He also plans to reduce the amount “We messed up last year. We absoof paperwork in county offices. “The palutely messed up,” said Robinson. “We perwork here is amazing,” he said. “We decreased last year and we had to abneed to get to electronic invoicing and sorb his increase with the retirement bill paying. We’re going to paperless pay- system. I think we’re getting to the checks for everybody on April 1. Most point where we’re going to be as tight entities moved to that 15 years ago.” as we can be. We can’t keep giv ing, Oliver also believes placing more and at some point, a ll of us are going inmates at the county’s road camp can to have to give.” save money, and he has the support of Commissioner Robinson. rick@inweekly.net

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VETTING AMERICA’S “ORGANIC” FIELD TESTING AND THE NATIONAL ORGANIC PROGRAM

BY JESSICA FORBES

For most consumers of organic food, the “USDA Organic” seal is a familiar sight. This emblem, printed on the packaging of whole and processed food items, informs many shoppers’ buying decisions and has contributed to the rapid grow th of the organic food industry in the United States over the last decade.

In theory, the seal indicates a food item is certified organic, meeting a set of standards that guarantees it is free of pesticide, sewage sludge and chemical fertilizers, among other stipulations.

So it seems likely that with such stipulations in place, someone or something verifies that the food is meeting the standards—right?

Probably not a safe bet, as recent studies have indicated. Last spring, a report published by the Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed problems with many aspects of the nation’s organic program, including the lack of residuetesting (also called field- or spot-testing) for pesticide or chemical fertilizer residue on certified organic products. The USDA administers the National Organic Program (NOP), which sets the standards for organic food production and certifies growers and their products as organic.

In revealing its own shortcomings, the agency confirmed doubts that many crit-

ics of the program have had for years.

“People are distrustful of USDA organic, which can even contain a certain amount of non-organic products, because there are so many loopholes in the program,” Dr. Gregory Tomso recently explained.

Tomso, a professor in the University of West Florida English Department, is currently teaching an Honors seminar titled “Politics of Food,” which examines numerous issues related to organic and local food production. Among the topics addressed in the course is the fact that organic is indeed an industry, earning billions of dollars annually (an estimated $1.2 billion in 2007), primarily for large-scale food producers.

The increasingly expansive scale of organic food production contributes to the difficulties of monitoring the industry. While the initial certification process is set, and relatively straightforward, ensuring that producers and processors comply with the federal standards is an ongoing process. Periodic residue testing and annual onsite inspections of organic farms and processing facilities are requirements of the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act, which also established the NOP. Though the federal government has had the NOP in place for over 20 years, lack of funding resulting in lax regulatory oversight has been a constant challenge.

Until recently, that is. The Obama Administration, making good on a campaign promise to support organic agriculture, increased the NOP’s budget to $ 6.9 million in 2010, up from $ 3.9 million in 2009.

Due to increased funding for the NOP, the program is more able to act in response to the audit findings, and is commit ted to making improvements in the program.

Last spring, the NOP announced it would begin implementing field-testing regu-

lations to confirm that USDA certified organic products were indeed free of synthetic chemical residue.

As well-known advocates of organic and sustainable farming, President and Mrs. Obama most famously drew attention to the issue when, in 2009, the First Lady organized the planting of a vegetable garden on the White House lawn. The efforts of the Obamas reflect a growing national concern about how our food is produced. In many communities, the importance of the certified organic label is taking a backseat to that of locally-produced food, grown with the methods of pre-World War II generations (the original organic, if you will).

Natalie Treadway of Port City Farmer’s Market has observed that typically there are two types of shoppers drawn to organic products: those “who want to do what’s right for the environment…and those who buy organic because that’s what they grew up with—a generation with memories of gardening.” More and more, the former group is implementing food production methods of the lat ter, creating an alternative to the existing certified organic option.

With questions regarding the integrity of the organic industry ever present (including concerns about the amount of fuel required to transport organic food products across the country, and sometimes the globe), the focus on local, sustainable food production, much like the refining of the NOP, is intensifying.

But outside of buying cer tified organic, are there other ways for consumers to know how their food is grown? As Sarah Bossa of Manna School Gardens puts it, the answer is simple: “Know your farmer.”

Bossa, who works to promote community and school gardening efforts in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, stated that for many, “Organic is a word, a set of regulations. Knowing your farmer, going to the farm, looking around and seeing that there is nothing there you wouldn’t eat,” is the best way to

quash doubts about the purity of the food you are purchasing.

It should be acknowledged, of course, that simply because residue testing wasn’t carried out in the past doesn’t mean producers and processors were not adhering to the standards. The federal organic standards exist, however, to prevent food items from intentional and unintentional exposure to synthetic chemicals alike; that’s what the certification (and the corresponding retail price) protects against.

Fortunately for consumers, the National Organic Program is improving the residue-testing program. Early this month, the NOP published new instruction documents outlining practices for pesticide residue testing on organic agricultural products. How frequently and stringently the testing will be practiced remains to be seen.

For consumers commit ted to reducing the amount of chemicals in America’s food supply, buying organic, whether produced locally or elsewhere, remains a worthwhile investment, if for no other reason than to express their desire for an alternative means of food production. With continued funding for the NOP, consumers may actually know they ’re get ting what the USDA cer tification promises.

For additional information on local community gardening initiatives, check out Community Gardening Day on Saturday, March 12 at Bayview Community Center, 2000 E. Lloyd St. The program, which runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., will feature speakers from the Atlanta Urban Gardening Program and the American Community Gardening Association, as well as workshops with local leaders and experts. The registration fee is $ 5 for students and $ 8 for adults, and a lunch prepared with local ingredients is included. For more information or to register, contact Manna Food Gardens at 4 32-2053. info@inweekly.net

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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WE CAN HEAR CLEARLY NOW THE SAENGER THEATRE INSTALLS NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY

BY K ATE PE TERSON

The Saenger Theatre in Pensacola recently installed a high-tech induction loop system that provides crystal clear sound for the hearing impaired.

According to Loop America, the company that installed the system, the induction hearing loop system works in the following way: the loop system amplifies sound to people wearing hearing aids with a t-coil (or telecoil) set ting. The “looped” room or area has a thin wire running around it. This wire is connected to a special amplifier that sends the sound to the t-coil (receiver) in the hearing aid. The sound heard by the person with the hearing aid is of ten described as crystal clear—as if someone is talking directly into his or her ear. Trying to sort out confusing sounds is no longer a problem because background noise and distractions are eliminated. People without a telecoil in their hearing aid can also benefit from a hearing loop system by utilizing a portable telecoil receiver.

“In the past when patrons of the Saenger arrived, they didn’t know our previous system existed,” explained Wesley Odom, Friends of the Saenger president. “The system was subpar, and worked on an FM radio signal. Occasionally, someone would ask an usher for hearing receptors or headphones.

Audience members could check out the headphones. However, they were airplane cockpit-sized, and made the person feel self-conscious. With the new loop system, if they have a hearing aid, they can switch it to t-coil mode and hear the performance clearly. Also, a person with

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any level of hearing difficulty can check out a smaller hearing device that works with the newly installed system,” he said.

Built in 1925, the Saenger Theatre is a historic Pensacola icon. In July 1976, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

While it was almost destroyed in the 1980s, Friends of the Saenger, Inc. came to its rescue.

They are a non-profit organization whose primary goal is to provide much needed financial support to the historic theatre.

The Saenger is currently owned by the City of Pensacola. The City contributed funding for the recent renovation, but it does not provide support above normal operating expenses; that is where the Friends of the Saenger come in. They recently provided funding to enlarge the lobby and also created an additional entrance.

“It was important for us to provide the new technology while still preserving the integrity and historical appearance of the Saenger. We chose a company that specializes in old theatre installations. They

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used small, hidden cords located in places no one would see them,” added Odom.

In 2000, the Saenger underwent a massive renovation. At that time, the cost of installing a new hearing aid or loop system was cost-prohibitive; they would have to continue using the old system. This year, Saenger management was approached

by The Hearing Center at Medical Center Clinic, who asked if the Saenger had considered installing the loop system. After discussing the financials, The Hearing Center came in with a contribution that made it economically feasible. Those funds, along with contributions from the Friends of the Saenger, made it possible to install the $14,000 induction loop system.

“This technology is an idea a lot of audiologists across the country are excited about,” said Dr. Jennifer LaBorde, Au.D., an audiologist with The Hearing Center.

“My patients, and myself, are hearing impaired; many have stopped going to events because they are not able to hear the performances. Previously, if someone wanted to see a play or the symphony, they

had a bulky device to deal with. The new system allows the user to make a small adjustment in their hearing aid and enjoy the show. Prior to attending a show, I recommend having your hearing aid checked by your audiologist to ensure the telecoil setting is made available. My staff and I will have a table set up during events to assist with questions and help with instructions,” she explained.

When asked if the new loop system had been tested on a live audience, Odom chuckled and said, “Yes it has; we tried it right af ter being installed. However, when everyone reported hearing birds in the Saenger, we knew it needed some tweaking. The company came back and made some adjustments. On Tuesday, March 15, we are officially showcasing the new system for the premiere of the Broadway show, ‘Mamma Mia’. The ushers will have general instruction cards for anyone entering the theatre.”

“The Saenger’s general manager, Doug Lee, has always wanted to install the system. We are really excited about it; we feel as if every generation will need to use it someday,” Odom added.

Lee stated, “We are really glad that patrons will no longer have to check out cumbersome headsets and feel in any way conspicuous. The installation also made us more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. We are very proud of the Friends of the Saenger and The Hearing Center for making this happen.” info@inweekly.net

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EVER’MAN PARTNERS WITH LEAP FOR SCHOOL GARDENS PROJECT Ever’man Natural Foods is partnering with LeaP (Leadership Pensacola) and Manna Food Bank for the 2011 Let’s Grow schools project. Ever’man is donating organic seeds, preparing take-home recipes and offering healthy cooking classes for the selected Let’s Grow area schools.

The “Let’s Grow” project is a program initiated by the Leadership Pensacola class of 2011 that will provide children an opportunity to cultivate healthy foods through school gardens and gain real world knowledge about nutrition to achieve greater health and wellness.

The LeaP Class of 2011 is committed to breaking new ground in the fight against childhood obesity through school gardening projects. The goal is to feed our children’s hunger with knowledge and opportunity to grow with good nutrition and plant healthy roots for their future health and wellness.

With childhood obesity at 37 percent in Escambia County (a figure that is 20 percent higher than the national average), this challenge is a perfect fit for the current LeaP class. Research on the growing problem sprouted into a project with a mission to foster the growth of Fit Kids through the nutritional side of a fundamental health equation, “Good Health=Regular Exercise plus Good Nutrition.”

For more information on the “Let’s Grow” project, please email letsgrowinfo@gmail.com.

DR. MICHAEL REDMOND RETIRES FROM MEDICAL CENTER CLINIC After 35 years of practicing at Medical Center Clinic as a Pediatric Ophthalmologist, Michael Redmond, M.D., has retired.

Dr. Redmond was compassionately devoted to the care and well being of his patients, and this commitment made him highly respected within the community and among his colleagues. He was also instrumental in the development and growth of Medical Center Clinic. “Dr. Redmond is a remarkable physician and leader and he will be greatly missed,” stated Kimberly Grant, VP of Corporate Marketing & Strategies.

Dr. Redmond has entrusted his patients to the capable and caring hands of Brenda Connors, M.D., who has worked alongside him for the past year. Dr. Connors will continue to provide services in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Adult Strabismus at Medical Center Clinic.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed caring for you, my patients, and becoming a part of your family. I would like to thank you for all of the support and trust you have provided me over the years,” stated Dr. Redmond.

For more information or to schedule an appoint-

ment at with Dr. Brenda Connors, please call the Eye Institute at 474-8436.

SCHEDULE CHANGES AT BREATHE YOGA STUDIO Breathe is now offering the following classes: -Hot Yoga and Conditioning with Tyler Montieth Sundays at 9 a.m.

-Everybody Yoga with Zoe Pryor Saturdays at 4:30 p.m.

Zoe is Kripalu certified, has taught at the prestigious Omega Institute in New York and had her own studio for six years in Vero Beach.

-Hot Yoga with Colleen Donovan Thursdays at 9 a.m. and Fridays at 5:30 p.m.

UPCOMING CLINIC AT BREATHE YOGA STUDIO: RESTORATIVE YOGA—THE ACTIVE PRACTICE OF DEEP RELAXATION WITH SANDRA SANFORD, LMT Banish stress with this nurturing, therapeutic approach to yoga. Sandra will guide you through a series of easy yet effective postures (using blankets, bolsters and straps) designed to encourage the body to naturally let go of deeply held tension. The session ends with Yoga Nidra, a deep relaxation technique. Positive affirmations, gentle massage, a plethora of essential oils and soothing music rounds out this wonderfully relaxing experience. Suitable for persons with high stress levels, autoimmune deficiencies and anyone wanting a deep, relaxing yoga experience. Sunday, Feb. 27 from 1-3 p.m. $25. Reservations required.

most comprehensive pediatric healthcare program in the region, as well as to provide fun ways to educate children on the importance of good health care,” said Carla Cross, owner of Lullabies and Mudpies.

For more information about the Nemours Teddy Bear Clinic, please call Cortney Owens at 505-4739. For more information about the event, visit lullabiesandmudpies.com.

NEW YOGA CLASSES AT ABHAYA YOGA CENTER -Happy Hour Class with Beckie Sathre Fridays from 5-6 p.m. A great way to quietly unwind from the work week and to begin the weekend.

-5 Dollah, No Hollah! $5 classes on Saturdays from 4:30-5:45 p.m. with Melanie Summers. Melanie took her first yoga class in 2008 at Abhaya Yoga Center and was hooked, not only on Abhaya but on Pensacola’s yoga community. Before she knew it a weekly practice turned into four classes a week and 18 months later she began the 200-hour teacher training program at Dragonfly Yoga School in Fort Walton Beach with Laura Tyree. She is currently studying with JJ Gormley and Laura Tyree with the Surya Chandra School at the 500-hour level. Melanie is also a certified Usui Reiki practitioner and Thai Yoga Massage practitioner. Melanie blends her love for asana, energy work and philosophy with her passion for music in all her classes.

NEMOURS CHILDREN’S CLINIC TO HOLD TEDDY BEAR CLINIC Does your child have an “injured” teddy bear or other stuffed animal in need of medical attention? Nemours Children’s Clinic welcomes children of all ages to bring their torn, ripped and loved-worn furry friends to the Teddy Bear Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to the Lullabies and Mudpies Children’s Consignment Event located at 4682 Highway 90 across from the Target in Pace.

Nemours’ staff members will mend your child’s “injured” loved one in efforts to help kids become more comfortable with the hospital or doctor’s office environment.

“We’re very proud to partner with the professionals at Nemours to provide our community with the

• Very high quality Swiss-made Sewing Machines by Bernina • Professional Service on most all brands of home and commercial sewing machines • We also sharpen scissors

850-438-5444 5559 N Davis Highway INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

17

health & wellness h&w NOW A PREMIUM AUTHORIZED DEALER WITH THE LARGEST SELECTION IN TOWN OF PRESCRIPTION AND NON-PRESCRIPTION

| SPECIA L ADV ERTISING SEC TION | FEBRUA RY 2011

featured health and wellness services FIXED ON FITNESS, INC. 554-1648, fixedonfitness.com Fixed on Fitness boot camp provides an ideal combination of personal training, accountability, camaraderie and hard work, which results in a dynamic approach to total fitness. Throughout the six weeks of boot camp, you are introduced to a variety of workout techniques, exercises and challenges. Each workout is different, so campers experience 24 new workouts. In addition, Fixed on Fitness prides itself on the personal touch that each client receives during boot camp.

COSTA DEL MAR SUNGLASSES

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

Don’t Miss!

From Russia Miss! with Love: Don’t Selections from

The Rabourn Collection through January From Russia with 23rd Love: Selections from Art Collection Focus TheYouth Rabourn Enjoy the artwork of over 500 K-12 through January 23rd Escambia County School students as well as their teachers showcased in Youth Art Focus thisthe annual exhibit beginning Enjoy artwork of over 500 K-12 January 7th. students as Escambia County School Paul as Strand: Mexican Portfolio well their The teachers showcased Coming January 28th Strand’sin Jointhis us for this exhibit highlighting annual exhibit beginning Paul Strand: The Mexico Portfolio historic workJanuary from his second 7th. journey to 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.

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

LUMINOUS LIFE HYPNOTHERAPY

Day Spas STILL WATERS DAY & MEDICAL SPA 20 N. Tarragona St., 432-6772, stillwatersmedspa.com Still Waters Day & Medical Spa offers world class spa treatments and medical aesthetic treatments to enhance the appearance of your skin and body.

The spa menu includes a blend of medical aesthetic and laser, skin and body services designed to help you escape from a busy world or greet it with fresh confidence. Still Waters also offers hard-to-find spa gifts and home spa accessories.

Eye Specialists DR. GENE TERREZZA – TERREZZA OPTICAL 113 Palafox Place, 434-2060, terrezzaoptical.com The practice, which includes Dr. Gene Terrezza and Dr. Ruben E. Carlson, offers services in complete family eye care, including routine vision exams, glasses and contact lenses, therapeutic interventions, dry eyes and pre-operative and post-operative management of cataract and refractive surgery patients. Dr. Terrezza also specializes in primary eye care, contact lenses, and specialty fits for keratoconus and bifocals.

Health Care Organizations

SACRED HEART HEALTH SYSTEM 416-7000, sacred-heart.org Sacred Heart is a regional leader for highquality, compassionate health care to children and adults in Northwest Florida. More than 600 primary and specialty physicians practice at Sacred Heart, a not-for-profit healthcare organization. Its main services include Sacred Heart Medical Group, a network of primary care physicians, a 24-hour Emergency Trauma Center, a Pediatric Trauma Referral Center and centers of excellence specializing in women’s health, cardiac care, orthopedics, cancer care and the care of children.

Health Clubs And Weight Management ANYTIME FITNESS 100 S. Alcaniz St., 469-1144, anytimepensacola.com Anytime Fitness is a 24-hour fitness facility. Cardio equipment includes Life Fitness treadmills, elliptical trainers, stair steppers and Expresso Bikes. Strength training equipment includes Life Fitness machine weights, Hammer Strength plate loaded machines, dumbbells, free weights and benches. A Functional Fitness Area has mats, workout balls, jump ropes and resistance bands. Personal trainers are available, and new members receive two free sessions. Call to schedule a tour or start a seven-day pass.

BAPTIST HEALTH CARE

THE CLUB FAMILY SPORTS COMPLEX

434-4071, ebaptisthealthcare.org Baptist Health Care is a community-owned, notfor-profit health care organization serving Northwest Florida and South Alabama and is nationally recognized for performance excellence and quality achievement. Baptist Health Care includes four hospitals, two medical parks, Baptist Manor, Baptist Home Health Care and Durable Medical Equipment, Baptist Leadership Institute, Andrews Institute for Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine and Lakeview Center.

1230 Crane Cove Blvd., Gulf Breeze, 916-7946, theclubfamilysports.com The Club offers something for everyone, including an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool, a 25 yard indoor pool, beautiful rubico tennis courts, a 10,000 sq. ft. fitness center, and much more. Club staff and members develop life-long relationships that support your progress toward health, wellness and a balanced lifestyle.

18 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

346-7865, luminouslifehypnotherapy.com Susan Dunlop, M.A., C.H.T., offers hypnosis as therapy for a variety of issues such as bereavement, relationship problems, divorce recovery, stress management, depression, phobias, negative habits, motivation, sleep problems, trauma, sports excellence, pain management and more. Dunlop is an internationally certified hypnotherapist trained in the United States by the American Academy of Hypnotherapy, the nation’s foremost hypnotherapy institute.

Women’s Health Services THE WOMEN’S GROUP 4900 Grand Drive, 476-3696, thewomensgroup.org The Women’s Group physicians and nurse midwife have a combined over 130 years of experience in gynecology and obstetrics. The Women’s Group offers adolescent gynecology, laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, menopausal medicine, urinary incontinence, minimally invasive surgery, hormone replacement therapy and basic infertility. On-site ultrasounds, urodynamics and bone density studies are also available.

Skin Care DR. KEVIN WELCH Pensacola Office: Medical Center Clinic, Dermatology and Laser Center, 8333 N. Davis Highway, 474-8386 Gulf Breeze Office: 2874 Gulf Breeze Parkway, 916-9969 kevinwelchmd.com Dr. Kevin Welch offers everything from skin creams to advanced laser and rejuvenation procedures. Popular treatments and services at the Dermatology and Laser Center include Thermage, Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), Photofacials, laser hair removal, Microdermabrasion and Silk Peels. The Skin Care Center offers high-end dermatology products, including Obagi products, Kinerase, Jane Iredale cosmetics, Tilley Hats and more. Services are also available at the Skin Care Center in Gulf Breeze.

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

UNEARTHED TREASURES

WUWF ’S GALLERY 88 HOSTS THE ART OF SHAUGHNE SSY JOHNSON

BY KATE PETERSON

he show is called e•mer•gen•ti•a, Medieval Latin for the verb “emergere,” meaning “bring to light.”

That is exactly what Shaughnessy Johnson does when sculpting his work. He works in sandstone and metal cast off from foundries and quarries—bringing to light the forms within.

Shaughnessy grew up in Evanston, Ill. As a young man, he was not like other children; he didn’t care to play with conventional toys—he was into being much more creative. A friend of his father saw this creativity emerge, and placed a paintbrush in his hand. By the age of 10, Shaughnessy had his first show: “Birth of a Painting.”

Later, the sculptor emerged in him.

During a high school welding class, he was allowed to choose what he wanted to make; he chose to make an eagle. He was given three weeks to complete the work. At the end of the three weeks, he had only completed one wing. That one wing was deemed worthy of more time; his teacher gave him the rest of the year.

Upon completion, the school bought the work as the senior class gift of 1990.

After such auspicious beginnings, he went on to work as a high school newspaper illustrator and T-shirt designer.

When looking for a college, he chose Tuskegee University, in Tuskegee, Ala. There he discovered a quote by Booker T. Washington: “Dig deep down into the soil of Tuskegee, and utilize its resources to build a future.”

Utilizing resources became the cornerstone of his work. He used clay and stones from the riverbeds around Tuskegee, and core sand from the 57th Street Foundry in Chicago to sculpt. Since then, actor Danny Glover, U.S. Chief Justice Clarence Thomas and basketball legend Michael Jordan have all become collectors of his sculptures.

Four years passed at Tuskegee; afterwards, he went on to the American Academy of Art in Chicago. He then took eight years off in order to work

T

for his dad’s construction company. At one point, Johnson also lived in Amsterdam for a while, until moving to Atlanta in 1998 to be near his family. The body of work on display in Gallery 88 was created in the last year.

Shaughnessy was commissioned by actor Wesley Snipes to create sculptures for films in Holly wood.

The company was called Amen-Ra Films—they rented various art works to studios to show in movies.

There he functioned as art consultant, curator and artist.

The director of promotions and outreach for WUWF Public Media, Lynne V. Marshall, described how Shaughnessy was chosen for a show at Gallery 88: “As director of the gallery, I’m always on the lookout for interesting work. I met Shaughnessy through a mutual friend, Lisa Puzon, a painter from Atlanta whose work was shown in Gallery 88 several years ago. Lisa and I are on the board of a non-profit called Wings to the Spirit, which encourages the arts in service to humanity. Every two years we hold an arts conference at Pensacola Beach. Lisa suggested Shaughnessy as a workshop leader at our May 2010 conference. The theme of the conference was “Transforming Vision”: out of the darkness, into the visible world. It was at the conference that Shaughnessy began the piece that initiated this body of work.

“From all of the pieces that I have seen in person or in photos, I believe this particular body of work speaks to both personal transformation (in every sense and meaning from intellectual to spiritual) as well as the transformation

Artwork by Shaughnessy Johnson of works of art from the imagination of the artist to the concrete form.”

Marshall also commented on what it means to have a show like this in Pensacola. “Shaughnessy is a very talented sculptor who had a lot of early success and withdrew from the art world for a time. I think he has a very finelytuned sense of self and personal integrity, which made him seek his own balance. But the thing for an artist is that even if you are not showing your work, the work will get out. Gallery 88 is very fortunate to be hosting the first viewing of this particular group of pieces.”

When asked what is next for him, Shaughnessy explained, “After the Pensacola show I will be traveling back to Chicago. I am involved in the gallery district there.”

Marshall added, “It can be enjoyed on so many different levels—from

the intrinsic meaning to the extrinsic simple beauty—there is something for everyone to relate to.” info@inweekly.net

E•MER•GEN•TI•A: THE ART OF SHAUGHNESSY JOHNSON

WHEN: Reception: 5-7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28.

Exhibit: Feb. 28-March 31, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday.

WHERE: Gallery 88, located inside WUWF Studios, 11000 University Parkway, Building 88 COST: Free DETAILS: wuwf.org/events/gallery88.shtml

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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hot times THURSDAY 2.24 ‘TAGGED 2011 STUDENT ART’ RECEPTION 6-8 p.m. The University of West Florida Art Department invites the public to the Student Art Ex ‘SUMMER AND SMOKE’ 8 p.m. A play by Tennessee Williams. $5-$16. University of West Florida, Studio Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway. 857-6285 or uwf.edu.

‘FROM THE ASHES: REBUILDING THE PARTHENON’ 6-7 p.m.

Art historian and archaeologist Kara K. Burns presents “From the Ashes: Rebuilding the Parthenon and Other Monuments after the Persian Invasion”. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

‘SHIPWRECKS OF THE BLACKWATER’ 7 p.m. Dr. Della ScottIreton of West Florida Archaeology Network will speak on Shipwrecks of the Blackwater. Bagdad Community Center, 6860 Pooley St. 474-3015.

SOCIAL JUSTICE MUSIC AND WORKSHOP 7 p.m. Internationally-touring activist folk/pop/punk singer/songwriter Evan Greer returns to Florida on her sixth tour to the region. Greer comes to town wielding an arsenal of fiercely radical songs that vary in style from pop-punk poetry to bluegrass singalongs.

College of Arts and Sciences, UWF, Bldg. 11, Room 122, 11000 University Parkway. 281-1322 or uwf.edu.

TAPAS CLASS AT DK 6 p.m. Chef Josh House will guide the class through making grilled shrimp tostada with avocado, orange olive salad with black olives with raspberry cumin vinaigrette, steamed mussels with chorizo, citrus and saffron aioli, bone-in lemon pork lollipop with Israeli couscous, and crema catalan with cinnamon. $44.95. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox St. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

‘BIG PLANS, LITTLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS’ 12 p.m. John Appleyard will continue his “Rediscovery” lecture series for the Pensacola Heritage Foundation. $10 for lunch provided by New York Deli. The Bowden Building, 120 East Church St. 438-6505 or pensacolaheritage.org.

MILITARY RECOGNITION DAY LUNCHEON 12 p.m. The Pensacola Council Navy League of the United States will be hosting their Annual Military Recognition Day Luncheon and Margaret Flowers Civic Award. $12.50. New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. 436-8552.

DINNER AND AN ARIA 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Pensacola Opera and Jackson’s Steakhouse are proud to present another installment of “Dinner and an Aria” featuring Pensacola Opera’s 2011 Artists in Residence. Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox.

469-9898 or jacksons.goodgrits.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: The Crawfish. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

MUSIC: MO JILES 9 p.m. End ‘O the Alley Bar in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: HOLLY SHELTON 7 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: TAYLOR HICKS 7:30 p.m. $25-$30. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com.

Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway. 857-6285 or uwf.edu.

‘LILY’S LOUNGE’ 8 p.m. Lily and Madge are having a hard time keeping things afloat, until two strangers appear and the world is changed. The play takes place in the early 1940s, and the world is realizing that the war is close, even on a hill in the center of a vast country. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 211. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

SOCIAL JUSTICE MUSIC AND WORKSHOP 7 p.m. Internationally-touring activist folk/pop/punk singer/songwriter Evan Greer returns to Florida on her sixth tour to the region. Greer comes to town wielding an arsenal of fiercely radical songs that vary in style from pop-punk poetry to bluegrass singalongs.

Sluggo’s, 101 S. Jefferson St. 791-6501 or sluggos.net. ▶TIM CONWAY & FRIENDS 7 p.m. Tim Conway, the comedian best-known for his 11-year stint on The Carol Burnett Show, recreates the vertically-challenged Dorf character, ages himself for the Old Man sketch and does some wacky onstage dental work. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3882 or pensacolasaenger.com.

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

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

WARRIORS BALL 7:30 p.m.-12 a.m. Hosted by the Krewe of Warriors, this celebration is open to the public (21 and over) and dress is Mardi Gras festive, costume, casual, or formal.

Lectric Mullet will perform. $30-$35. Hadji Shrine Temple, 800 W. Nine Mile Road. 994-6723 or 492-8389.

STUDIOAMPED: THE INTERNATIONALS 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: March 4: Rumor Mill. Free. 1000 College Blvd. 484-1211.

‘KING LEAR’ 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Pensacola State College Lyceum Series. $6-$10. Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, 1000 College Blvd. 484-1847 or pjc.edu/lyceum/ events.asp.

MUSIC: TIM SPENCER 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd.

549-4444 or the-oar-house.com.

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

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

MUSIC: MO JILES 9 p.m. End ‘O the Alley Bar in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: REDDOG 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

FRIDAY 2.25

MUSIC: TBA 7 p.m. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 4349060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

KREWE OF AVANT GARDE BALL 6 p.m. Dinner and dancing.

Formal attire required. $30 for non-members. Pensacola Yacht Club, 1897 Cypress St. 458-7988.

MUSIC: MOST WANTED 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s Downtown, 312 E. Government St. 469-1001 or hubstaceys.com.

‘SUMMER AND SMOKE’ 8 p.m. A play by Tennessee Williams. $5-$16. University of West Florida, Studio Theatre of the

MUSIC: KNEE DEEP 7 p.m. Hub Stacey’s At The Point, 5851 Galvez Road. 497-0071 or hubstaceys.com.

20 | INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

MUSIC: ENTER THE HAGGIS, SHIN WIGGIN 8 p.m. $10. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.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: JASON TURNER BAND 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox.

497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

SATURDAY 2.26 ‘SUMMER AND SMOKE’ 8 p.m. A play by Tennessee Williams. $5$16. University of West Florida, Studio Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway.

857-6285 or uwf.edu.

‘LILY’S LOUNGE’ 8 p.m. Lily and Madge are having a hard time keeping things afloat, until two strangers appear and the world is changed. The play takes place in the early 1940s, and the world is realizing that the war is close, even on a hill in the center of a vast country. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 211. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

GULF COAST RENAISSANCE FAIRE 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The only real live jousting on horseback with medieval knights in full armor on the Gulf Coast. Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. 429-8462 or gcrf.us.

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

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

‘KIDS AND KRITTERS’ PARADE 11 a.m. Line up at 10:30 a.m.

Procession begins at 11 a.m. from the Beach Fire Station, east along the bike path to the Beach Church. Kids are free. Kritters are $5 each. Both must be well-behaved. Beach Fire Station to Beach Church. 916-5258 or pensacolabeachmardigras.com.

‘RED AND BLACK BALL’ 6:30 p.m. Ballet Pensacola will host the first Red and Black Ball, an Oscar Gala on the eve of the Academy Awards. The event will take place at New World Landing and will feature cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, live music, dinner, a dancing competition, live and silent auctions and dancing for all. Ladies are invited to wear red gowns, and gentlemen are invited to wear black-tie attire. $150. New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. 432-9546 or balletpensacola.com.

‘BOURBON, BEADS AND BAD DECISIONS’ PARTY 10 p.m.

Featuring DJ Madflip. Capt’n Fun’s Beach Club, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 384-2347 or myfavoritesin.com.

Theme: Cocoa in the Tub. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/ pensacola.

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

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

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

MUSIC: SCHOFIELD 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: FIRST CITY BLUES BAND 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: IT STARTS TODAY, THE ALMA PERSONA 7 p.m. $5-$7.

The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

MUSIC: FREE DANCE PARTY FEAT. DJ NICK B WITH GUESTS 9 p.m.

Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com.

MUSIC: NACE BROTHERS 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.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: KNEE DEEP 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

SUNDAY 2.27 ‘SUMMER AND SMOKE’ 8 p.m. A play by Tennessee Williams. $5-$16. University of West Florida, Studio Theatre of the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, 11000 University Parkway.

857-6285 or uwf.edu.

PIRATES OF THE LOST TREASURE BOAT PARADE 12:30 p.m. The fleet will travel to various Perdido Key bars. Victory party at Flora Bama, 17401 Perdido Key Drive. 492-0611.

GULF COAST RENAISSANCE FAIRE 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The only real live jousting on horseback with medieval knights in full armor on the Gulf Coast. Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway. 429-8462 or gcrf.us.

‘JAZZ FEST GOES ON’ 6-10 p.m. The annual fundraiser to support JazzFest will kick off the Mardi Gras season. $5-$25. Will Call Sports Grille, 22 S. Palafox. 433-8382.

THE OAKRIDGE BOYS IN CONCERT 7 p.m. With guest, Florida native Billy Dean. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3882 or pensacolasaenger.com.

‘KING LEAR’ 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Pensacola State College Lyceum Series. $6-$10. Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, 1000 College Blvd. 484-1847 or pjc.edu/lyceum/ events.asp.

PUBLIC SKATING 1:30-2:30 p.m., 3-4 p.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 432-0800 pensacolafigureskating.com.

ART CLASS AT PAINTING WITH A TWIST 5:30-8:30 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.

‘KING LEAR’ 7:30 p.m. Presented by the Pensacola State College Lyceum Series. $6-$10. Ashmore Fine Arts Auditorium, Building 8, 1000 College Blvd. 484-1847 or pjc.edu/lyceum/events.asp.

hot times MUSIC: TIM SPENCER 7 p.m. The Oar House, 1000 S. Pace Blvd. 5494444 or the-oar-house.com.

MUSIC: BRYAN LEE 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

MUSIC: AUSTIN PAUL JR. 12 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: JEFF GLICKMAN 6 p.m. The Leisure Club, 126 Palafox.

912-4229 or tlcdowntown.com.

MUSIC: TWOTHIRTEEN, NIK FLAGSTAR & HIS DIRTY MANGY DOGS 7 p.m. $5-$7. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. 434-9060 or handlebarpensacola.com.

WEDNESDAY 3.2

MUSIC: NACE BROTHERS 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

MUSIC: RONNIE LEVINE 12-3 p.m. The North Drop Bar at The Grand Marlin, 400 Pensacola Beach Blvd. 677-9153 or thegrandmarlin.com.

MONDAY 2.28 VIETNAMESE CUISINE AT DK 6 p.m. Chef Dot Champ will teach the class to prepare Vietnamese egg rolls, spring rolls, bien nah (Vietnamese hoagies) and pho (noodle bowl). $44.95. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

‘E.MER.GEN.TI.A’ OPENING RECEPTION 5-7 p.m. Shaughnessy Johnson, Atlanta based sculptor, will exhibit his most current body of work. Gallery 88 at WUWF Center for Public Media, 11000 University Parkway.

GULF COAST SCHOOL OF ROCK WINTER 2011 SHOW 6 p.m. $5.

Phineas Phogg’s in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

‘BAROQUE SPRING’ Members of the UWF Chamber Music Class perform well-known songs and chamber music pieces of Scarlatti, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and more. Old Christ Church, 405 S. Adams St. 857-6057 or uwf.edu.

LUNCH AND LEARN 12 p.m. Chef Josh House will teach “Aloha Cooking”. $15. Distinctive Kitchens, 29 S. Palafox St. 438-4688 or dk4u.com.

MAGNOLIAS AND WHITE LINEN LUNCHEON 11 a.m. Hosted by The Pensacola Symphony Orchestra Guild, the guest speaker will be Lee Meriwether, an American actress, model and former Miss America. There will be door prizes and a silent auction. $40. New World Landing, 600 S. Palafox. 469-4559.

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: Blue Horse. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45.

471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

MUSIC: SKYLA BURRELL 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

THURSDAY 3.3

TUESDAY 3.1 GULF COAST SCHOOL OF ROCK WINTER 2011 SHOW 6 p.m. $5. Phineas Phogg’s in Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

PMA CULTURE CLUB 5-7:30 p.m. Culture Club is open to the public and free. Join the crowd for great music, and great art. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. 432-6247 or pensacolamuseumofart.org.

SNOWBIRD ROOST 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce is happy to welcome their returning guests and announce the 3rd and final Snowbird Roost of the season. $2 donations appreciated. Perdido Bay Community Center, 13660 Innerarity Point Road. 492-4660 or perdidochamber.com.

fer a variety of musical genres including rhythm & blues, rock, reggae, indie and country. Free. 1000 College Blvd. 484-1211.

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS V. FAYETTEVILLE FIREANTZ 7 p.m.

The Hanger, Pensacola Civic Center, 201 E. Gregory St. 4320800 or pensacolaiceflyers.com.

‘LILY’S LOUNGE’ 8 p.m. Lily and Madge are having a hard time keeping things afloat, until two strangers appear and the world is changed. The play takes place in the early 1940s, and the world is realizing that the war is close, even on a hill in the center of a vast country. Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 211. 439-3010 or loblollytheatre.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: Almond Branches. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/ pensacola.

KREWE OF LAFITTE MARDI GRAS PARADE 8 p.m. The only illuminated nighttime parade in Pensacola. The crowd can expect to be entertained with marching bands, lighted floats and great throws as the Krewe of Lafitte kicks off Pensacola Mardi Gras. Begins at Spring and Garden streets and winds through downtown Pensacola. pensacolamardigras.com.

MUSIC: HOLLY SHELTON 7 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

‘MOON OVER BUFFALO’ AT PLT 7:30 p.m. A pair of fading stars learn they have a last chance at glory, but in comic tradition, everything that can go wrong, does. A madcap comedy by Ken Ludwig. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-4042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

MUSIC: GRADY CHAMPION 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

MUSIC: RONNIE LEVINE 7 p.m. Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. 932-4139 or pegletpetes.com.

MUSIC: TIMBERHAWK 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

FRIDAY 3.4 STUDIOAMPED: RUMOR MILL 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 of-

SMOKIN’ IN THE SQUARE BBQ COOKOFF 10 a.m. Professional barbecue teams from around the U.S. will gather to compete at the first barbecue contest locally to be sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KSBS). Seville Square, Government and Alcaniz streets. 516-2622.

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: Monet’s Lilies 2. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $35. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

A SALUTE TO DIFFERENCE MAKERS The School District of Escambia County, Florida is pleased to announce the top five finalists for the Teacher of the Year.

The five finalists include:

Theresa Anderson – Oakcrest Elementary School Emily King – Woodham Middle School Maribeth Majewski – Brentwood Elementary School Emily McMillan – Ferry Pass Elementary School Dynita Padgett – Warrington Elementary School

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

21

hot times MUSIC: JAMES ADKINS 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

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

MUSIC: ULTRAVIOLET 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

MUSIC: TOMATO DUO 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: MARDI GRAS MADNESS WITH BIG SAM’S FUNKY NATION 8 p.m. $10-$15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox. vinylmusichall.com.

MUSIC: THE NOUVEAU HONKIES 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

MUSIC: 3 AMIGOS DUO 7 p.m. Peg Leg Pete’s, 1010 Fort Pickens Road. 932-4139 or pegletpetes.com. ▶MUSIC: TIMBERHAWK 9 p.m. End O’ the Alley, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: KATEGORY 5 9 p.m. Lili Marlene’s, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

MUSIC: DOG SPANKING MONKEYS 9 p.m. Apple Annie’s, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. 434-6211 or sevillequarter.com.

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

SATURDAY 3.5 BAYVIEW PARK SPRING FLEA MARKET 7 a.m.-12 p.m. Vendors will be selling items such as art, jewelry, pottery, clothing, baked goods and much more. Bayview Park, 2000 E. Lloyd St. 436-5190 or playpensacola.com.

‘LILY’S LOUNGE’ 8 p.m. Lily and Madge are having a hard time keeping things afloat, until two strangers appear and the world is changed. The play takes place in the early 1940s, and the world is realizing that the war is close, even on a hill in the center of a vast country.

Loblolly Theatre, 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 211.

439-3010 or loblollytheatre.com.

‘THE PLANETS’ 8 p.m.

The fourth Masterworks concert of the season will feature your Pensacola Symphony Orchestra in two of the most famous works in the modern repertoire. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. 595-3880 or pensacolasaenger.com.

AKC DOG SHOW AND RALLY 9 a.m. The seven-hour show will include conformation, featuring many of the dogs seen at

the Westminster show, and obedience, including the newest obedience trials. Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway. 478-9202.

BALLROOM DANCE 8-11 p.m. Rhythm Lovers Dance Club invites all dancers over 21 from beginners to advanced to dance to the music of Exit 105. Knights of Columbus Hall, 519 N. Palafox St. 455-5579.

GRAND MARDI GRAS PARADE 2:30 p.m.

One of the country’s original celebration sites, Pensacola hosts the Mardi Gras parade in the historical downtown area. Begins at Spring and Garden streets. pensacolamardigras.com.

LUMBERJACK FESTIVAL 8 a.m.

Includes bluegrass music, nature and wildlife exhibits, firefighting equipment demonstrations, food and children’s activities. Learn about the environmental degree programs offered by PJC and the University of Florida at the Milton campus.

Pensacola State College Milton Campus, 5988 Highway 90.

484-4436.

‘MOON OVER BUFFALO’ AT PLT 7:30 p.m. A pair of fading stars learn they have a last chance at glory, but in comic tradition, everything that can go wrong, does. A madcap comedy by Ken Ludwig. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. 432-4042 or pensacolalittletheatre.com.

SMOKIN’ IN THE SQUARE BBQ COOKOFF 10 a.m. Professional barbecue teams from around the U.S. will gather to compete at the first barbecue contest locally to be sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbecue Society (KSBS). Seville Square, Government and Alcaniz streets. 516-2622.

WILD TURKEY BANQUET 7 p.m. Farmer’s Opry, 8897 Byrom Campbell Road. 994-6000 or farmersopry.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: Vangogh’s Cafe. Painting with a Twist, 4771 Bayou Blvd., Suite C-11. $45. 471-1450 or paintingwithatwist.com/pensacola.

MUSIC: KATALYTIC 9:30 p.m. Free. Hopjacks Pizza Kitchen & Taproom, 10 S. Palafox. 497-6073 or hopjacks.com.

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

MUSIC: ULTRAVIOLET 9 p.m. Bamboo Willie’s, 400 Quietwater Beach Road. 916-9888 or bamboowillies.com.

MUSIC: REDDOG 9:30 p.m. Five Sisters’ Blues Café, 421 W. Belmont St. 912-4856 or fivesistersbluescafe.com.

MUSIC: SAUCE BOSS 7 p.m. Paradise Bar and Grill, 21 Via de Luna Drive. 916-5087 or paradisebar-grill.com.

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LET’S GET MEDIEVAL

YE OLDE RENAISSANCE FAIRE RETURNS FOR A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST

BY ROB “BUBBS” HARRIS

H

ear ye, hear ye! Prepare to be taken on a most excellent adventure into the past. No, Bill and Ted aren’t going to let you hitch a ride in their radical phone booth, but something equally as bodacious is returning to Pensacola. Ah, yes, the Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire (GCRF) is coming up.

Ren-Faires have long been a very interesting, not to mention fun, way to satisfy your hungry mind’s craving for a journey to a world from the past to learn about early civilization and its impact on the way we live today. Rich with interesting characters and mind-blowing entertainment, the GCRF will

try to provide Pensacola with the most authentic medieval experience possible. There are, however, a few surprises this year.

“We have a great festival put together this year,” says Gulf Coast Renaissance Faire President Steve Melei. “We’ve upped the ante, so to speak, by adding another stage and some really cool new features and activities.

Of course, there will be the usual attractions, like the Knights of Valor jousting team, world class falconry, full armor sword fighting, you name it. We have something for everyone.”

Something for everyone? Let’s look into that some more, shall we?

There will be jesters, jugglers and all sorts of talented, if not odd, showmen.

“There will be sword swallowing, fire breathing and stilt walkers, as well as gypsy, middle eastern and Irish dance troupes,” Melei adds. “There are also a number of costumed characters that will be mingling with the crowd throughout the festivities also, which is really cool. We have a tree man who is about fifteen feet tall and is basically a walking, talking tree. He is very impressive. There is also Torok, the Good Troll. He’s one of our resident characters. He has a big skull throne that he takes pictures with people on, and he roams around, sprinkling troll dust on people. Nightmare is a demon character that is about 12 feet tall with huge demon wings and fangs. She’s pretty intimidating, but perfectly harmless. She also does an awesome fire show. There will also be great music provided by Good Neighbors All, Drunk N Sailor and more.”

In addition to the entertainers and attractions, there will be educational and interactive aspects of the festival. The Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds will be turned into a living, working 250-person village.

“We’ve turned the fairgrounds into a full-on medieval village. Every one of our villagers will speak the King’s English and walk you through the daily lives of our ancient brethren. We have a wonderful female blacksmith, who will be making and selling pieces and taking orders for more detailed works. You will experience authentic medieval life here.

We take great care to make everything true to the time period. Of course, we will also have our usual 50-75 vendors and merchants, selling both period and modern food, as well as all your medieval wares.”

For the kids, there will be bounce houses and all sorts of fun stuff to do, including horse and camel rides, as well as rides on jousting steeds offered by the Knights of Valor. The newly added stage will be used by a troupe of puppeteers, who will be doing shows for the both the young and young at heart. The wee ones can also visit the local wizards for a trick, or say hello to the dragon who keeps guard over the village. There are all kinds of adventures to get into, which is why this thing is two days long.

For those of you who like your action with maximum adrenaline, check out the jousts. This age old sport has been carried on into the now by the toughest of tough, who seek glory in the highest form.

However, there is a new ingredient to this manliest of sports—estrogen. What? Yes, you read that right. This year’s joust will feature the first appearance by the world’s

first ever female jouster. That’s right, boys.

It’s not just a guy thing after all.

Knights of Valor captain and world jousting champion Shane Adams tells of how a woman came to enter the ranks of the male-dominated profession. “I met Jessica Post two years ago after doing a big equestrian event. She was there in attendance and came up to talk to me about jousting. She mentioned that she was into the whole medieval scene and did a lot of sword fighting and weapons play type stuff.

She told me how she always wanted to try jousting but thought that women couldn’t be knights. I said ‘Why not?’ There have been many women throughout history that have worn armor and ridden into battle alongside men and competed in some of the sporting events of the time, such as Joan of Arc. She asked me if I would train her, and I said I would be glad to, as long as she had the heart and the will to follow it through.

As long as she really wanted it, I could turn her into a full-contact jouster. Well, she came out to our training camp and picked it up like a natural. After about a year, she entered the World Jousting Championships and went to the finals twice, placing seventh overall. Not too bad at all. Jessica now rides with the Knights of Valor and we are proud to have her aboard.”

The action will be fast and furious as the jousters ready their lances to put on a show for us bloodthirsty spectators. Not only will you get to see Jessica Post in action for the first time on the Gulf Coast, but Shane Adams is no slouch, and will definitely make it a tough day at the office for anyone trying to remove him from his saddle. If you go to the Ren-Faire for one thing, this should probably be it. But, that isn’t to say that you shouldn’t check out the rest of the great attractions and cool things to see, do and eat while at the Renaissance Faire. Don’t be afraid to give in to your curiosity and feed your mind. info@inweekly.net

GULF COAST RENAISSANCE FAIRE

WHEN: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday Feb. 26-27 WHERE: Pensacola Interstate Fairgrounds, 6655 Mobile Highway COST: $10 adults, $5 ages 5-12, Free 4 and under DETAILS: gcrf.us

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

23

comedy

MAKE ‘EM LAUGH OR DIE TRYING

LOCAL COMEDIANS BUILD UP SCENE FROM SCRATCH

BY ROB “BUBBS” HARRIS

T

he best medicine isn’t an over-thecounter antidote. You can’t cure a bad case of the blues with anything your pharmacist can give you.

There is only one thing that is good for what ails you, and that is simply looking on the bright side and not being afraid to laugh at life’s little ironies and obstacles. It’s what keeps parents going when their kids have worn them out long before bedtime. It’s how we let go of the stress of a long and trying day. We even ease the mourning process when losing loved ones by thinking back on all of the good times.

Yes, laughter is a cure for so many things, and it is absolutely free.

Comedy, especially stand-up, has been a means of supplying people with their prescription for good feelings since the dawn of entertainment. From the jesters in the courts of ancient kings to modernday comedians, there have always been those brave souls that are willing to get up before any crowd, big or small, to help them forget about the bad things by making them laugh.

Here in Pensacola, we have such a wide variety of entertainers and musicians that keep us entertained on a nonstop basis. We are very lucky in that respect.

However, stand-up comedy has remained curiously obscure. Sure, you could catch the occasional comedy night at Seville Quarter, or a big name touring act at the Saenger Theatre, but what about the local front? We know that the Gulf Coast is a veritable gold mine of music and artists, but what about comedians?

24 | INDEPENDENT NEWS |

Fret not, good readers, for there is indeed an uprising upon us. For the past year, a small group of fearless funny people have been working on building a comedy scene here in Pensacola, as well as along the entire Gulf Coast region, even if it kills them. “Open Mic” events have been popping up at bars and clubs all over the place recently. The only problem is, nobody really hears about it. There are plenty of folks out there who would be interested in either catching a good comedy show, or even trying their hand at shtick, but by the time they hear about it, it’s over.

Matt Moseley is one of the local comedians who, along with like-minded pals, are hungry to get themselves, and most importantly, comedy, out there as a viable source of local entertainment.

“I was around 10 years old, I think, when I first became interested in standup and comedy in general. It was always something that I’ve been sort of fascinated by; I just never really had the balls to do it.

Hell, there were no places to do it, even if I wanted to,” says Moseley. “Then a place called Savanna Blue (now closed) opened up and I saw that they were having comedy nights. I decided to go check it out and thought, ‘I can do this.’ So I went up and did seven or eight minutes, and I fell in love with it. I met a few more comedians that wanted to do more, so we decided to work together on setting up more shows at different places.”

Savanna Blue’s days were short lived, but the idea was firmly planted. Through tireless work and endless schmoozing, the

FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET

local comics began convincing bar owners to let them do comedy at their establishments. The only problem after that was convincing people to come—and stay.

“It’s been hit or miss so far. It’s hard to get this stuff across and have people wanting to come see us.”

Moseley goes on, “This guy Kirby Hullett set up a night at Coyote’s Sports Bar, which has been doing pretty well actually, but that place is already popular. Shooters in Cordova Lanes was open to doing comedy after Alan Shaw talked to them and set up an open mic. We do Shooters every Thursday as sort of a workshop for trying out new material. They love us up there and we are very thankful for them giving us a chance. Now, there are a lot more venues opening their doors to us, but you can never tell what the crowd is going to be like, you just have to go out there and treat it like a packed house each time. As long as I have a stage and someone to listen, I’m cool with that.”

It’s true. More venues around the area have been giving comedy a shot, with places like Brews Brothers, Big Easy Tavern, Helen Back, and even The Handlebar hosting local jokesters, but it’s been a struggle to find the right crowds. Nevertheless, the proud gut busters go up and do it whether anyone likes it or not.

“You’re going to have to deal with hecklers any time you are doing this,” says Karry Johnson, another comedian here in Pensacola, by way of Liverpool, England.

“It depends on what kind of heckler you have as to how it turns out for you. Sometimes, someone might shout something at you that you can feed off of and play to your advantage. It actually helps you out a little. You have to watch out though— sometimes you get the kind of idiots who want to try and ruin your entire show. I once did a set at Paddy O’Leary’s, and this guy was right up in my face talking smack.

It took a lot to keep my cool on that one, but it’s all part of the business. For the most part, those who have seen the local comics have loved it and had a great time.”

Johnson continues, “Personally, I love doing this, and I am passionate about it. I happen to know that most of the comedians in the area feel the same way I do.

We’re doing what we can to let people know, hey, we’re here and we want to make you laugh.”

You hear that, Pensacola? They’re here and ready to make you laugh. Are you ready to accept? While the Gulf Coast comedy scene claws its way up and earns the respect of those who scour this city in

search of quality entertainment, it probably wouldn’t hurt to give you a good idea as to where you can find them and their kind. There are more and more places to catch comedy, so here are some places to start.

Smile, it’s free! info@inweekly.net

REGULAR OPEN MIC EVENTS

Shooter’s at Cordova Lanes 2111 Airport Blvd.

Every Thursday Night 9 p.m. No Cover

Coyotes Sports Bar 5030 Bayou Blvd. #B Every Last Wednesday of the Month 9 p.m. No Cover

UPCOMING COMEDY SHOWS

Comedy Night at Brews Brothers 8030 N. Navy Blvd.

Every Second Wednesday of the Month 9:30 p.m. No Cover The New Comedy Central (Featuring three local comedians) 9:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28 Helen Back Again 8651 Navarre Parkway $5 18 and up

“Laugh-Core” 2011 (Three bands, Six Comedians) Featuring Drayton Sawyer, X-Ray Vision and Unnatural Soundz with six local comics 9 p.m. Friday, April 1 Big Easy Tavern 710 N. Palafox St. Brian Posehn 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 25 Phineas Phogg’s at Seville Quarter 130 E. Government St. No Ticket Info Yet myspace.com/glorydaysgulfcoast

GULF COAST COMEDY PAGES

facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pages/Gulf-CoastComedy/176144622412987 youtube.com/bolting nebula twitter.com/pensacolacomedy

stay local

THE BAKERS’ HOUSE

BEER, TACOS AND A UNIQUE ATMOSPHERE AWAIT AT JACKALOPE’S SALOON

BY GRANT HUTCHINSON

U

pon first glance, Jackalope’s Saloon is just another hole-inthe-wall. A dive. A quaint trailer planted on a patch of dirt between Jerry’s Drive-In and a pet grooming salon.

But take a step inside. Have a seat, and order a glass of wine or a PBR. It won’t be long before you see why coowners Leer and Windi Baker, as well as many of their regular patrons, don’t refer to Jackalope’s as a dive.

They have another word for it: home.

Inside, Jackalope’s is a monument to kitsch. Animals poke their heads through the walls, trophies of hunts that likely never occurred. Velvet Elvises curl their lips and bellow into silver microphones, glowing neon in the dim light. Shadows Fitness Fashionistas Private Studio

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of antelopes and deer prance through trees and vines across the ceiling, emanating from painted light fixtures.

The design lies somewhere between Grandpa’s hunting lodge and a Vegas-inthe-70s mobile home. It’s cool because it’s ironic, or is it ironic that it’s cool? No one can be sure.

A small kitchen serves up Mexican staples cooked fresh. The bar provides beer in a can, wine in a glass, and a carefree attitude that will make even the weariest of downtown bar-hoppers feel at home.

“I think that everybody that comes in here, they see it as our little house,” says Leer.

And that’s no coincidence. The entirety of the bar’s décor, from the taxider-

mal oddities to the velvet Elvis paintings to the racks of votive candles above the bar, is taken directly from Leer and Windi’s first home.

“Literally, this is what our house looked like,” says Leer.

Even the walls, pink and orange but appearing red in the dim light, are colored to match the interior of the Bakers’ house.

But why model a bar and restaurant af ter an abode you lef t long ago? “(That house) was our first step into adulthood. It’s where we brought our first child home.”

Jackalope’s represents a similar milestone for the Bakers. A carpenter by trade, Leer’s dream of opening a bar and restaurant was many times delayed by familial obligations.

“The opportunity for us to take those risks wasn’t there because of the kids,” says Leer. “We weren’t willing to risk failure.”

The economy would soon take the decision out of their hands. “When the recession hit, I started to feel it as a carpenter. I could not get work in Pensacola,” says Leer.

He packed up and moved to Austin, Texas, where a better job awaited.

Perhaps a change in geography could help him escape the recession’s grip. It didn’t work.

“The same thing happened,” says Leer. “I got laid off and decided to move back (to Pensacola.)”

After working at the Elbow Room and saving his money, Leer made up his mind. It was now or never.

“I figured it was time to take the plunge,” says Leer. “I took my tax refund and just did it. I had to at least try.”

After 10 months in business, Leer has seen Jackalope’s grow from a place where

family friends would stop by for a beer or a taco into a Cervantes hotspot.

“We’re getting a lot of college kids, and an older crowd for wine and dinner,” says Leer.

The bar’s growth is most evident on Wednesday nights. Dollar beers and dollar tacos bring in a varied, boisterous crowd. Twenty-something hipsters rub elbows with senior citizens. Regulars down PBRs at the bar while fresh faces munch on nachos, quesadillas and vegan hotdogs.

“It’s exciting,” says Leer. “Last week, people had to wait outside to get in.”

Despite the sluggish economy, Leer doesn’t foresee any stall in the growth of his business.

“We’re going to introduce lunch when it warms up a bit,” says Leer.

“We’ll have Sunday brunch. And we’re adding a lounge.”

Leer’s optimism infects staff and customers alike. With his easy grin and cando attitude, it’s tempting to believe Leer could persist in any economic climate.

And it’s impossible to spend more than five minutes at the bar without wanting Jackalope’s to succeed.

But no matter what the future holds for Jackalope’s, one thing is certain: the Bakers’ little house of kitsch has forged an indelible mark on the Pensacola culture of cool. info@inweekly.net

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GETTING OLD, YOUNG: (1) Jack Smeltzer broke a record in the tractor pull championships in Columbus, Ohio, in January — doing a “full (track-length) pull” of 692 pounds. Jack is 7 years old. The National Kiddie Tractor Pullers Association (holding 80 events a year for ages 3 through 8) uses bicycles instead of motors. Ms. Brooke Wilker, 5, was the youngest champ, lugging 300 pounds 28 feet. (2) Walmart announced in January that it would soon offer a full line of makeup especially for 8-year-olds (and up), by GeoGirl, including mascara, sheer lip gloss, pink blush and purple eye shadow, all supposedly designed for young skin. (An executive of Aspire cosmetics said her research revealed a potential market of 6-year-olds.)

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION! Everyone washes hair, but those who want a license to apply shampoo in Texas need 150 hours of training, with 100 hours in “theory and practice of shampooing,” including a study of “neck anatomy.” A February Wall Street Journal report on excessiveness of state regulation highlighted California’s year-long training to be a barber, Alabama’s 750-hour schooling standard for a manicurist’s license, and Michigan’s 500 practice hours for performing massages. (By contrast, many less-tightly regulated states seem not to suffer. Connecticut, without licensing, fielded only six complaints last year against manicurists— four of which involved disputes over gift cards.) Next up for licensing, perhaps: cat groomers in Ohio.

WHAT BUDGET CRUNCH? The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported in January that despite an array of pressing problems, the Broward County public school system has paid about $100,000 per year since 2004 to build and maintain special gardens at selected schools in order to lure butterflies for pupils to study.

GOVERNMENT THAT WORKS: (1) The 2009 federal stimulus program came through just in time with $34,000 for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Kearneysville, W.Va., laboratory. Work on the recent dangerous increase in Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs was in jeopardy because money had run out for design of a workable air distribution system for the offices. (2) The City Commission of San Antonio, Fla. (population 1,052), passed an ordinance in January restricting, to a tiny portion of town, where registered sex offenders could live. However, San Antonio has only one sex offender, and that man is exempt from the law because he already lives there.

GREAT ART! David Morice, of Iowa City, Iowa, a teacher at Kirkwood Community College, was best known for a series of “Poetry Comics” until he decided last year to write 100-page poems every day for 100 days, until he had a book totaling 10,000 pages (actually, 10,119). For some reason, the University of Iowa Libraries has published the finished poem, online and in a 2-foot-

BY CHUCK SHEPPARD high hardcopy stack. (Strangely, in a 480word article describing Morice’s feat, the Iowa City Press-Citizen included not even a hint about the poems’ subject matter.)

• In January, Toronto sculptor-photographer Lisa Murphy added to her reputation for devising “porn for the blind” by producing four more hand-molded erotic figures generated by using clay to replicate photographic scenes of nude and lingerie-clad models (accompanied by descriptions in Braille). “The butt was the hardest to sculpt,” she said. “I wanted to get it nice and even, and give it a feminine softness so it would actually feel like a woman’s butt.” Her first book, “Tactile Mind,” with 17 such raised erotic works, sells for $225 (Cdn).

•Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum is already home to an artist’s rendition of da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” made from burned toast, and now comes a recent version by Laura Bell of Roscommon, Mich.: da Vinci’s masterpiece made with clothes-dryer lint. Bell said she did about 800 hours of laundry of various-colored towels to obtain lint of the proper hues, and then worked 200 more hours to construct the 14-foot-long, 4-foot-high mural.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS SURPRISE! (1) New Zealand traffic officer Andy Flitton cited an unnamed speeder recently for the second time in two years — 11,000 miles from the spot of the first ticket. Flitton had moved from the U.K. to New Zealand, and unknown to him, the motorist himself had relocated to New Zealand last year. When Flitton stopped the man in Wellington in December 2010, the motorist recognized Flitton as the one who had ticketed him on the A5 highway near London. (2) Rap singer Trevell Coleman, trying to bring “closure” and “get right with God” for having shot a man in 1993 (since he was never caught), confessed the assault to New York City police in December, hoping that his humility might impress a judge. However, police checked and then booked Coleman—for murder. Said Coleman, “(F)or some reason, I really didn’t think that (the victim had) died.”

THAT WAS EASY! (1) Several students at Texas’ Carrizo Springs High School were suspended in December, and a teacher placed on leave, after a parent complained that her son had been grabbed by the shirt and stapled to a classroom wall. She said it was at least the second time that it had happened. (2) Jodi Gilbert was arrested in Jamestown, N.Y., in January and charged with domestic violence—stapling her boyfriend in the head several times with a Stanley Hammer Tacker.

Send your Weird News to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to www.NewsoftheWeird.com.

FROM UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE CHUCK SHEPHERD’S NEWS OF THE WEIRD

by Chuck Shepherd COPYRIGHT 2010 CHUCK SHEPHERD

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THE UNIVERSAL CROSSWORD EDITED BY TIMOTHY E. PARKER HEAD TO TAIL by Adam Crosse

ACROSS 1 Happy-golucky song part 6 “Offside” official, for short 9 Trigonometric functions 14 Elephant king of stories 15 What causes Fred to be fired?

16 If-possible connector 17 “Halt!” to a salt 18 Swindle 19 Assault on the eardrums 20 Highly amusing 23 Carry-out drink topper 24 Bar intro?

25 Disco lights 27 Plays out history 32 Bygone music system 33 No matter which 34 Mogul mogul (Var.) 36 Weight-loss ad caption word 39 You might bounce it off someone 41 Kind of barrier or boom 43 Missile ­storage building 44 Colony r­ esident of yore 46 Play the ­guitar, in a way 48 Apprehend 49 Like some hygiene 51 Calls before a court 53 Give authority to 56 Hostel work environment?

57 Bellhop’s expectation 58 Very scary 64 Suspect eliminator 66 Right to decide 67 Out on the waves 68 Divided, as a window 69 Seventh letter, to

BRITTAN SNELLING

SENIOR MARKETING REPRESENTATIVE, MEDICAL CENTER CLINIC What is your chief characteristic?

Laid back and outgoing

What do you appreciate most about your friends?

They are all genuine and never take life too seriously. They are all truly wonderful people, and things never get old.

Who is your favorite non-fiction character?

Wentworth Miller—the man is just gorgeous!

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

Plato 70 Ma’s instrument 71 “A Wrinkle in Time” author Madeleine L’___ 72 Projected, as a film 73 Participate in a bee DOWN 1 Way up for a downhiller 2 George’s sitar teacher 3 Simple rhyme scheme 4 Part of LIFO 5 Crafty person?

6 Fifteen-ball cluster 7 Kind of organic compound 8 End of a French film 9 Spanish wine beverage 10 Widely ­televised judge of 1995 11 Worrier’s habit 12 Commercial milk cow 13 Wintertime toys 21 Shrubs with intoxicating leaves 22 Indefinite degree 26 “Tip” or “rip” finish 27 Balcony encloser

28 “The Neverending Story” author Michael 29 Incredible to behold 30 Ark units 31 ___ Monica, Calif.

35 Monetary unit of Ethiopia 37 Distinctive style 38 Burglarizes 40 Prefix with “nautical” 42 Ancient Roman senate 45 Eastwood series of old TV 47 Lunatics 50 Shepherd’s domain 52 Arched foot part 53 A day’s march 54 Italian f­ashion city 55 Vertical stair piece 59 Pro ___ (proportionally) 60 Spielberg’s private 61 Gilligan was stranded on one 62 “Ain’t ­Misbehavin’” actress Carter 63 Wilde’s “The Ballad of Reading ___” 65 “The Fresh Prince of ___-Air”

What is the best thing you have ever won?

A Kindle What did your mother always tell you?

“Treat people the way you wish to be treated.”

What is your favorite food?

I am a sucker for Mexican food.

Which talent would you most like to have?

Singing—I love to sing, but only in the comfort of my car. I won’t subject innocent people to me attempting to karaoke.

What movie do you love to watch repeatedly?

It would have to be a tie between “Step Brothers” and “The Hangover”.

What was your most embarrassing moment?

Too many to count I am sure…

What TV show is your guilty pleasure?

I am starting to realize I am addicted to “Tosh.O”.

What is the last book you read?

“Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang”

INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |

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INDEPENDENT NEWS | FEBRUARY 24, 2011 | WWW.INWEEKLY.NET |