Inweekly Dec 2 2021 Issue

TICKET TO CHEER Independent News | December 2, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 48

A Guide to Holiday Concerts + Shows FREE ▶

winners & losers

outtakes

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news

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6, 7

So this is an exciting stretch for me.

a&e

feature story

buzz 8

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publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

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editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Gina Castro, Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, Sydney Robinson, C.S. Satterwhite

Independent News is published by Inweekly Media, Inc., P.O. Box 12082, Pensacola, FL 32591. (850)438-8115. All materials published in Independent News are copyrighted. © 2018 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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winners & losers

Ashton Reichard / Courtesy of UWF

winners ASHTON REICHARD The junior interna-

tional studies major at the University of West Florida won the gold award at Japanese Learning Inspired Vision and Engagement Talk, a national presentation contest administered by the Japanese program at George Washington University. Reichard competed in the College Division I against a finalist from Rice University and another from Baylor University. Three finalists for each division were narrowed down from 55 applications at the start.

CAMILLE BARR Last month, the Escambia

County School Board approved naming the gymnasium at Brown-Barge Middle School after its founding principal. Barr served as principal of the award-winning magnet school from 1987 until 1997. She established a nationally and internationally recognized integrative curriculum model, which is still used today. Barr also received the award for Principal of the Year for the state of Florida and the Betty Castor Award.

GROVER ROBINSON In November, the Emerald Coast Regional Council presented Pensacola's Mayor Grover C. Robinson, IV, with the 2021 Emerald Award at the Emerald Coast Transportation Symposium. Established in 2019, the award is given to individuals or organizations in Northwest Florida that have shown exceptional leadership and dedication to the communities they serve.

GULF WINDS CARES FOUNDATION Ju-

nior Achievement of Northwest Florida has announced they have received a $75,000 pledge from Gulf Winds Cares Foundation. This grant will support full programming at Lincoln Park Elementary School over the next five years.

The schoolwide initiative will support Junior Achievement learning experiences within every classroom at the elementary school, enabling hundreds of young people to participate in JA's nationally recognized programs.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD

The board approved a $1,000 reimbursement to administrative, professional, instructional and educational support personnel who worked during the 2020-2021 academic year and are currently still full-time active employees of the School District. In June, Governor DeSantis approved Senate Bill 2500 that included a similar payment to principals and classroom teachers.

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losers SEMINOLE TRIBE OF FLORIDA In Washington, D.C., U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich ruled that the online sports betting aspect of the compact negotiated

by Gov. Ron DeSantis with the tribe earlier this year violates the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which creates a framework for gambling activity on tribal lands. The agreement had been approved by Florida Legislature and signed off by the U.S. Department of the Interior. It allowed bets online as long as the wagers were run through computer servers on tribal property. Judge Friedrich didn't accept the argument that the servers were where the gambling took place. She wrote, "When a federal statute authorizes an activity only at specific locations, parties may not evade that limitation by 'deeming' their activity to occur where it, as a factual matter, does not."

U.S. SUGAR CORP. The U.S. Department of Justice filed the lawsuit in federal court in Delaware to block U.S. Sugar Corp., based in Clewiston, Fla., from purchasing Imperial Sugar, which operates a sugar refinery in Savannah, Ga., from Louis Dreyfus Co. The federal antitrust officials asserted that the deal would reduce competition and lead to higher prices. U.S. Sugar announced in March that it had reached an agreement to purchase Imperial Sugar for about $315 million. In announcing the deal, U.S. Sugar said the purchase would provide customers with a "more dependable, secure supply of sugar."

The announcement said U.S. Sugar would increase production capacity at Imperial's Georgia plant.

FLORIDA GREYHOUND RACING Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey Friday rejected a lawsuit that alleged a 2018 voter-approved ballot measure banning greyhound racing in Florida resulted in an unconstitutional "taking" of property.

Dempsey's 12-page ruling granted summary judgment to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in the lawsuit filed in 2019 by Christopher D'Arcy, a Pinellas County greyhound-kennel owner.

Florida voters passed the ballot measure to stop greyhound racing at pari-mutuel facilities. Attorneys for D'Arcy contended that he was entitled to compensation because the measure led to a taking of his property. inweekly.net

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outtakes

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NOT IN THE DISTANT PAST On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, people gathered at the Hunter Amphitheater behind Blue Wahoos Stadium for a special service acknowledging and lamenting Pensacola's racist past. The service was organized by the descendants of T.T. Wentworth, a Pensacola historian, once namesake of the local state museum run by the University of West Florida and head of the Pensacola chapter of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s.

Sharon Yancey, a minister, president of the Wentworth Foundation and Wentworth's niece, read a statement from the family. She lamented Wentworth's role in losing the American-African component of Pensacola's history and how he shaped the city's history to exclude its Black citizens.

Ministers from Gadsden Street United Methodist Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church and Temple Bethel's rabbi made remarks.

Those from the black community in attendance saluted the Wentworth family for putting the event together. Rev. Freddie Tellis, Allen Chapel AME Church's pastor, commended them for their courage and steadfastness for not shying away from Wentworth's past.

In reading the news account, the impression is that racism is Pensacola's past, not the present, and the restoration committee organized by the Wentworth Foundation will address actions that took place nearly a century ago.

Sadly, it's not that simple. Disrespect for the Black community isn't ancient history.

In 2015, a police officer barged into a church service demanding a crying child caught in a custody battle be removed. The minister, the child's grandfather, welcomed the officer from the pulpit but asked that she wait until the service concluded. With her hand on her holstered pistol, she dragged the young girl out of the church.

The minister grew up in Pensacola.

Upon graduation from high school, he entered the U.S. Marine Corps, where he

served for 30 years. He taught at Escambia High for almost nine years and was a wellknown, respected minister in the community. The granddaughter lived in California and was visiting her grandparents. Her mother and estranged father were locked in a custody battle.

The pastor explained to me that he was about to start Communion when he saw the child's father and the police officer in the foyer. He told his ushers to invite the officer to have a seat, and the service would finish shortly—about 15 minutes.

"I went on my knees to start the Communion prayers," the pastor shared with me. "Partway through that, I hear a commotion, and she has come down the aisle with her hand on her pistol and trying to force the child out of the seat."

He continued, "One of the ladies asked her to call her supervisor, so she got on her walkie-talkie, and I guess the sergeant told her to wait in the foyer. When she left out, they asked me did I want to cut it short. I said, 'No, we're going to finish,' and within five minutes or so, her supervisor had shown up. When we finished, then they both came marching in, which I still thought was improper because we could have done it in the foyer and not make a big spectacle of that."

The pastor added, "This could have been avoided. She was asked to have a seat, we'll be done shortly, and she refused."

The event was captured on a cellphone and went viral. Pensacola Police Chief David Alexander defended the officer and her supervisor's actions.

Alexander said the officer acted appropriately and has accused the pastor of using his church as a shield to block the officer from retrieving the child. However, it's hard to imagine a police officer doing the same thing at First Baptist Church, Christ Church, and any predominately white church in Pensacola.

People's outrage ebbed after we reported it, so why do I bring it up? The minister was Rev. Freddie Tellis. {in} rick@inweekly.net

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Sadly, it's not that simple.

Disrespect for the Black community isn't ancient history.

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A MINOR (LEAGUE) VICTORY

Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Blue Wahoos

By Rick Outzen Over the past few years, housing has been an issue for many minor league baseball players unless they were among the few fortunate ones making six-figure salaries. Major League Baseball's (MLB) farm system players have no union to fight for better working conditions. According to the nonprofit Advocates for Minor Leaguers, some players earn less than $15,000 a year and somehow have to find places to live as they move from team to team during the season.

According to Pensacola Blue Wahoos coowner Quint Studer, the housing issue became direr during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It's one of those things that I think we always dealt with it, but it wasn't so bad," said Studer. "And what happened this year with COVID is they didn't allow host families. And for us specifically, we have a bigger challenge than some teams because it's the hot tourist season during the season.

So these players really have had a rough time finding housing."

Minor league players around the country started posting on social media photos of eight players in two bedrooms and others sleeping on couches or in their cars. Players complained about having to sign annual leases for apartments that they might only need for a few months.

"A rental management company's going to 66

say, 'Well, you're not going to stay here without a lease,'" explained Studer. "Then, all of a sudden, the players move to another team or get cut. So it was a lose-lose for everybody."

On Nov. 18, the MLB owners announced a new housing policy to improve the situation. Starting next season, the MLB teams will provide housing at the club's expense for players playing or practicing at the Triple-A, Double-A, High-A and Low-A levels and during spring training. The only exceptions are players with existing Major League Uniform Player Contracts or those scheduled to earn six-figure minor league salaries over an entire season.

The move by the MLB owners was made more accessible because of the MLB's takeover of the farm system this past February, eliminating 43 minor league affiliates to reduce the total teams to 120.

Taking control allowed the MLB clubs to improve player wages, cut down on travel and upgrade rundown facilities.

In its press release, MLB called the new housing program the "next phase of Major League Baseball owners' dedication to addressing longstanding issues that have impacted minor league players." The league asserted that the takeover created an "environment to promote overall player health and development, including increased minimum salaries between 38-72%, fewer total miles and hours spent traveling, more frequent off days to improve rest and recov-

ery, and new standards for facilities and clubhouse amenities."

The reduction in minor league teams did move the affiliates over 200 miles closer to their parent clubs, "reducing the need for call-ups to take cross-country flights and allowing more fans to watch an organization's players progress in their careers from the minor leagues to the big leagues in their home region."

The Blue Wahoos survived the cut, but the city of Pensacola needed to spend nearly $2 million on upgrades that were required by the MLB and the team's new parent club, the Miami Marlins. The improvements included new LED stadium lights, artificial turf that matches the Marlins' field, and upgraded practice and locker room facilities. The Blue Wahoos fronted the money for the improvements and will be paid back by the city.

The Studers' other baseball team, the newly christened Sky Carp, opened this season in the new ABC Supply Stadium in Beloit, Wis. The $37 million ballpark has a 3,500 gameday capacity, is privately funded and took 13 months of construction. ABC Supply Stadium was built in full compliance with new Major League/Minor League Professional Development License facility guidelines and requirements.

The 2022 Minor League Housing Policy requires clubs to provide housing accommodation options located at a reasonable, commutable distance from the ballpark. Bedrooms must contain a single bed per player, and there shall be no more than two players per bedroom at all minor league levels.

The accommodations must be furnished, and clubs will be responsible for basic utility bills at club-provided living arrangements. If apartments, rental homes or host families are not feasible, clubs may choose to provide hotel rooms that satisfy standards put in place.

Both the Blue Wahoos and Beloit Sky Carp have 10-year professional development license agreements. The teams have begun working with the parent club to arrange housing for players in 2022.

"We're working with the Marlins, both in

Beloit and Pensacola, to find apartments or homes with bedrooms and making sure that they're available for the players," said Studer.

The Marlins will pay the cost, which makes it a lot easier for everybody. So what we're doing here is we're actually purchasing some homes."

The current housing plan calls for the Blue Wahoos to purchase homes that will serve as dorms for the team's players, which Studer admitted might not be an easy task in downtown Pensacola's hot real estate market.

"Even though the Marlins are paying, you still have to find them homes," he told Inweekly. "That way, the Marlins can lease them during the season. The team would be in charge of the players coming in and out. Because that's the challenge, the players coming in and out, and there's a lot of moves. And then when the players aren't there in the off-season, they can turn it into an Airbnb."

In the future, some teams might look at building actual dormitories or apartment complexes. However, the housing needs to be as close to the ballpark as possible.

Studer explained, "Cars are another issue.

A lot of these players don't have cars. Some of the players don't have driver's licenses because they're not from the United States."

"I think you're going to see there are all sorts of flexibility," he said. "In Beloit, CCI, a construction company owned by Diane Hendricks who owns ABC Supply Stadium, has actually designed a possible dorm.

They're talking to Major League Baseball to see if this is something that it would be interested in looking at putting dorms into various cities because we have to find housing for 30 people, players and coaches."

Studer added, "There's still some possibility of host families, but it just has changed. And this last year was really, really difficult for housing for players."

After the announcement of the new housing policy, Advocates for Minor Leaguers Executive Director Harry Marino issued a statement calling it "a historic victory for players, who forced the league's hand by speaking up throughout the 2021 season."

"While the magnitude of the victory cannot be overstated, it is important to recognize that minor league players had no formal say regarding the details of the plan, some of which create cause for concern," said Marino. "We look forward to receiving a full round of feedback about the new policy and to advocating for changes where appropriate."

He added, "As we head into the 2022 season, minor league players remain committed to working together to improve their working conditions through all means available, until at last, players obtain the seat at the table that all workers deserve." {in} inweekly.net

THE BROWNSVILLE BLESSING

Black History Month at Brownsville Community Center, Feb. 2020 / Photo Courtesy of MyEscambia

By Rick Outzen Since opening in May 2017, Escambia County's Brownsville Community Center has been the hub that has served thousands of citizens with its after-school, fitness, summer youth employment and job training programs. The facility that the county renovated with $1.8 million of local option tax funds is the most prominent publicly owned meeting place in the county, except for the Pensacola Bay Center.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sally, it housed FEMA relief efforts, providing water, ice and supplies to city and county residents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Brownsville Community Center has been one of the area's busiest facilities offering testing, vaccines and booster shots.

"It's a community center that we had been connected to before COVID, but certainly, in the pandemic, the staff became part of our family." Chandra Smiley "Brownsville Community Center is such a blessing to the community," said Community Health Northwest CEO Chandra Smiley. "Over COVID, it became our second home. And certainly, the partnership and the unwavering support from Commissioner May gave us open access to the facility to be able to stand up and set up those services during COVID that the community desperately needed."

She continued, "It's a community cenDecember 2, 2021

ter that we had been connected to before COVID, but certainly, in the pandemic, the staff became part of our family. The Brownsville Community Center became the best practice and the role model for how to do a vaccine clinic."

When the community center opened four years ago, Commissioner Lumon May had a vision of creating the county's first professionally staffed center. May promised the daily newspaper before the grand opening, "This isn't an ordinary community center where we're just going to open the door and roll in a basketball."

Community Center Manager Leroy Williams told Inweekly, "Commissioner May made it clear that he wanted to make this a very viable facility for this community—not only to enhance Brownsville but also to be a hub for the community where everybody can come out, reach out and be able to get to certain services that innercity residents don't typically receive."

May added, "We wanted this place to be where the positive efforts in the community could be consolidated and focused."

A decade earlier, former Sheriff Ron McNesby had launched the month-long Operation Brownsville to clean up the area that had been a vibrant neighborhood during the 1950s and 1960s, when the main highway that connected Pensacola to Mobile, Ala., ran through it. The News Journal ran nearly daily updates of prostitution, weapons and narcotics arrests made by McNesby's deputies. Crime, unfortunately, returned after the deputies and reporters left.

Brownsville is named after Lucius Screven Brown, who moved to Pensacola in 1906 at the age of 31 from Georgia, where he worked as a bookkeeper for $50 a month.

Brown began building wood-frame, shotgunstyle homes west of downtown Pensacola in 1908. His Norwegian business accomplice, Haakon Paulsen Sr., called the neighborhood "Brownsville" until the name stuck.

Brown lost lots of money on Brownsville and tried his hand at several other business ventures, starting Fisher-Brown Inc., a local insurance company, which he sold after his divorce. He moved around quite a bit, eventually settling in Chicago as a landlord, but lost his two apartment buildings to rent controls during World War II. He moved back to Pensacola in 1940, served on the city council and was an assistant postmaster.

The 1950s saw Brownsville reach its heyday. Families filled the neighborhoods and shopped in the laundromats, corner stores and specialty shops. It was the place everyone around Pensacola came to shop for shoes, purses and entertainment. February 1955 brought a resounding defeat of attempts to annex Brownsville into the city of Pensacola.

A year later, Town and Country Plaza opened and enticed customers away to the corner of Pace and Fairfield streets. In 1971, Cordova Mall stole more shops and shoppers from the Brownsville strip. And in 1978, Interstate 10 opened up a new, more direct path to Mobile, siphoning off much of the casual through-traffic.

When he was elected in 2012, Commissioner May felt an active community center could make a difference. Before he took office, the county's community centers kept irregular hours and were manned by volunteers.

"I think the greatest investment is in human capital," he told Inweekly. "We were investing money in roads, bridges, economic development and infrastructure, but we never invested in the people. And, to me, my challenge was if we're going to save the young people, we just can't depend on volunteers to do it. We needed a structured and organized program, and that's when we stood this up with Marilyn Wesley, God bless her. And, we hired Leroy, and we got running."

He continued, "And what we've seen is the effectiveness of having a real professional staff in a community center. This functions at a completely different level than Wedgewood, Lexington Terrace or

any other community center. I'm thankful my colleagues that were there at the time— and Commissioner Barry has still been there—saw the importance of community centers. They were doing it in the city; they just weren't doing it in the county."

May learned the value of community centers from his grandmother, the late Ruby Lee Jackson, who worked at the city's Fricker Center for 33 years, often opening the gym for the young Lumon May and his brothers and friends.

"I saw how my grandmother made a difference and an impact on the lives of people," the commissioner shared. "To this day, I can be campaigning, and somebody will say, 'I remember Ms. Ruby.' And so a community center is more than a building and just servicing children. It becomes a family. I had a good mom and a good dad, but community centers enhanced my life."

Commissioner May maintains an office in the Brownsville Community Center. He explained, "I just think government should be close to the people. I don't think people should have to navigate coming downtown to see their commissioner. I think people want their representative to be a part of them."

He continued, "And so, for me, I'm not a guy that wants to be downtown; I want to be in the community. This is where people come to find me—people that would be challenged to come downtown, who wouldn't feel comfortable coming downtown."

Describing Brownsville as a forgotten neighborhood, May believes the community center has brought pride back.

"This is a neighborhood that part of the community needed to see that Brownsville is safe," he told Inweekly. "It had a stereotype of prostitution, drugs, low income, but now people can come here, and this is a safe haven. The center has brought life to a once lifeless community and hope to a hopeless community."

Clara Long, the county's Neighborhood & Human Services director, agrees that the community center has raised the positive profile of the Brownsville neighborhood. She said, "I was talking to someone the other day, and they said when they pull up Brownsville on Google maps, it had medical beside it. I realized it was because of what has transpired with the vaccinations and testing here.

Brownsville is definitely a name that everybody knows around in the community."

Commissioner May believes the Brownsville Community Center can be a model for not just Escambia County but a model for the state.

"We can show how you can do sports, performing arts, food giveaways, rental assistance, philanthropy, fundraisers, summer youth employment program and our Block by Block program all out of here," he said. "This center has something for everybody." {in} 7

Rendering of The Clark Family Cultural Center by Carter Quina

THE CLARK FAMILY CULTURAL CENTER During the 2021 Foo Foo Festival,

the Pensacola Little Theatre, in partnership with local branding experts idgroup, revealed a $3 million redesign of their Pensacola Cultural Center.

With nearly 30 years of history within the Cultural Center, Dave and Cynthia Clark contributed $1 million toward the project. The historic downtown building has been renamed The Clark Family Cultural Center in the family's honor.

"The Clark family has been immersed and involved in that building, truly since its creation in the late '80s, Pensacola Little Theatre Executive Director Sid WilliamsHeath told Inweekly. "They've served on the board and helped with the fundraising. They helped make that general creation have a little bit more than theater, a cultural center, and they've been involved ever since."

He continued, "Their children grew up on the third floor in the ballet, and it is just truly the right name and the right time and, for me, certainly the right amount to make some really, really good re-imagination and redesign in that building."

Williams-Heath explained the building—now rebranded as The Center for short—is home to the Pensacola Little Theatre, Ballet Pensacola, Liberty Church, West Florida Literary Federation, IMPROVable Cause, EntreCon, Pensacon, the Stamped LGBTQ Film Festival and countless other community organizations.

The Center connects talent, heritage and arts education with the community across multiple platforms.

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The Clark Family Cultural Center restorations include a theatre overhaul, atrium redesign, courtroom enhancement, restroom renovations, gallery repurposing to include art and historical displays for self-guided tours throughout the building, a Terrazza expansion and the addition of a rooftop venue.

"Who, where, what are you showing visitors when you come to downtown?" said Williams-Heath. "The answers are all unanimously kind of the same—this one favorite restaurant or this one favorite bar—but there wasn't that sense of arrival, and that's what we want this building to be."

He added, "Every time you're in Pensacola, you go up to the rooftop to see a view. You go downstairs to have a sip.

You see a show. It's that 24/7 access of where you want to show people your version of Pensacola." idgroup spearheaded the campaign's design after generously awarding Pensacola Little Theatre their Brand on Us grant to help create and spread awareness of the campaign. More information on the project and how to get involved can be found at findyourcenterpensacola.com.

PRECIOUS PUBLIC BOAT SLIPS By all

accounts, there is a dearth of public boat slips in downtown Pensacola. That is still the case following a recent Pensacola City Council decision. The Baylen Slip, south of the Harbourview on the Bay building, can accommodate two boats and is the only public slip near downtown. It has also been proposed as a launch point on the Florida

Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail.

City council members were asked on Nov. 18 to consider a proposal from Gulf Marine Construction, Inc. to develop and operate a nine-boat marina.

"At this time, I don't feel comfortable giving up our public slips, but thank you for some great ideas," Councilwoman Ann Hill told GMC's Peter Gaddy. "I would like to see it kept by the city and let us have time to really evaluate what we need there."

The councilwoman had earlier fielded the issue on social media.

"I put it up on Facebook, and I asked people what they thought of it, and the overwhelming response was they did not even know there were public slips there," Hill told her fellow council members, "and I do believe the majority did not want us to do anything with it, to leave it alone until we know exactly what we want there."

The proposal put forth by Gaddy was in response to a request for proposals aimed at attracting a project with public access built into it. Mayor Grover Robinson acknowledged that the city had not received the submittal it was seeking, but Gaddy had tweaked his project to accommodate public access.

"I was very clear with Mr. Gaddy when we talked on the phone that unless I saw public amenities, I didn't think this council would approve it," the mayor said.

Gaddy told the council that he was up for including public access in his plans. Two slip spaces would be reserved for public use. He added, "It will enable both public access and private enterprise to utilize this property to its full potential."

Gaddy's plans were still in the developmental stages. Preliminarily, they called for nine slips for boats ranging in size from 60 feet to 30 feet, as well as a launchpad for kayaks. He proposed lease and renewal options, but the discussion with the council never reached those particulars.

While Council President Jared Moore said he was a "huge fan of leveraging the private dollar" to realize public improvements and Councilwoman Sherri Myers agreed, contending that the arrangement would save municipal dollars for use elsewhere, the council ultimately voted 5-2 against the Baylen Slip proposal.

The vote was reflective of a position local boat Captain Glen Sefcik had expressed a few moments earlier, telling the council that the city couldn't afford to chance losing the only available public slips—"You can't give away our only spots to a private investment."

"There's less than a dozen slips in the greater Pensacola area. I know because I look for my customers all the time. There's no place to go," Sefcik said. "If we're a maritime city but you can't access it … that seems silly to me."

Mayor Robinson noted that the city would eventually have about 48 slips available at the Community Maritime Park.

However, that project is awaiting federal funds through the National Resource Damage Assessment process.

PROJECT HOMECOMING Last week,

Stephen M. Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud related to his attempt to illegally obtain $25 million, purportedly in exchange for securing a presidential pardon.

At his guilty plea, Alford admitted that, between March 16 and April 7, he engaged in a scheme—known as Project Homecoming— to defraud former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz out of $25 million based upon Alford's false promises and guarantees to secure a presidential pardon for Congressman Matt Gaetz. The scheme involved a series of meetings and text messages between Alford and Don Gaetz, as well as undercover recordings arranged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During the talks, Alford repeatedly promised the victim that Alford had access to President Joe Biden.

Don Gaetz provided Inweekly a copy of the letter he said he received from Don Kent, an associate of Alford. The money would be used to free Robert Levinson, a political prisoner in Iran for 14 years, even though Levinson's family declared him dead in the spring of 2020.

"Our strategy for Congressman Gaetz is to mitigate his legal and political troubles would be for him, or someone else, to arrange for the funds required to obtain the immediate release of Robert Levinson from captivity and Iran," wrote Kent. "In exchange for the funds being arranged, and upon release of Robert Levinson, Congressman Gaetz shall be given credit for facilitating the release of Mr. Levinson.

Congressman Gaetz shall also be on the plane that returns Mr. Levinson to freedom and shall be the person to 'reunite' Mr. Levinson with his family and bring Mr. Levinson back to the United States."

Kent added, "The team that delivers Mr. Levinson to the president of the United States shall strongly advocate that President Biden issue a presidential pardon or instruct the Department of Justice to terminate any and all investigations involving Congressman Gaetz. The team has been assured by the president that he will strongly consider such matters because he considers the release of Robert Levinson a matter of National Urgency." inweekly.net

He said the $25 million was a six-month loan that would be repaid from the reward offered by the United States government for Levinson's release.

Kent later was interviewed by CNN's Chris Cuomo and said his effort to get a $25 million loan to free Levinson was "not an extortion attempt." He insisted that he had evidence Levinson was alive and remained a hostage of the Islamic Republic. He only brought up Gaetz's son's possible legal problems because he thought the congressman was "in need of good publicity."

Kent said that attorney David McGee introduced him to Alford, who had been the lawyer's client in the past. Kent has not been charged with any crime.

Alford's sentencing is set for Feb. 16, 2022, at 9 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before Judge M. Casey Rodgers. He faces up to 20 years imprisonment to be followed by a term of supervised release.

POP! The City of Pensacola Parks and Recreation Department has launched the POP! Story Map website, a guide to outdoor art in the Pensacola area. POP stands for Pensacola Outdoor Project.

"Pensacola has always celebrated our arts, history and parks, and this new story map is an excellent way to share the stories of sculptures all across our city," Mayor Grover Robinson said in the press release.

The site can be launched from the POP! website at pensacolaoutdoorproject.com or playpensacola.com. Visitors can also find it by scanning the QR code located on stickers near many of the sculptures on the map.

The site has maps to each of the sculptures and their background, including the artist, donor and the piece's significance.

"This was a great team effort by arts, history and business leaders from our community in partnership with the city," said Holly Benson, the project's organizer. "We have so many people who are passionate

December 2, 2021

about our city and its treasures, and this is a fun way to share this information."

A DUD Escambia County Commissioner

Doug Underhill held three town hall meetings the week before Thanksgiving to rally support for keeping the Perdido Key area his district. The town halls were the first held by the District 1 commissioner since June 2018.

One meeting was held in The Beulah Church on Mobile Highway, which is inside District 1 Commissioner Jeff Bergosh's district. Bergosh wasn't impressed with the turnout or Underhill's political strategy. He told Inweekly the town hall in Beulah was sparsely attended.

"I think it was a dud. It was like a firecracker that he was trying to light, and it just didn't go off," said Bergosh. "Here's what happened—he didn't think (redistricting) would go so quickly. He wanted to do it this year. He certainly didn't think that the lines would change the way they did, but his own counterpart on the school board brought a map that was fantastic."

According to Bergosh, School Board member Paul Fetsko's map pulled all the west side communities, including Myrtle Grove, back together. The Perdido communities were returned to District 1, where they voted before the 2020 census.

Bergosh said no one asked Underhill at his town hall two questions.

"Number one, why'd you blow off the first (redistricting) meeting? Well, we know he went to a jet ski race. OK, big deal.

But why didn't you leave a map for us to consider when you were gone? He didn't," said Bergosh.

"And number two is, why didn't you Zoom into the meeting? Why didn't you at least show up?" said the District 1 commissioner. "So he blew it off. Now he's at the 11th hour, 59th minute, 59th second; he's trying to scramble to do something, and it's getting no traction at all."

TENNIS & TREES After wading into the

public discussion, Pensacola City Council President Jared Moore surfaced with two, not necessarily conflicting, takeaways.

"So, obviously, we hear tonight, 'Fix the courts'—I think that's a clear message— and, 'Save the trees.' Those are the two loud messages that I'm hearing," Moore assessed during the Nov. 18 council meeting.

The issue on the table—renovations at Roger Scott Tennis Center, including repairs to tennis courts, as well as landscaping and lighting, and, in particular, the addition of more parking and an accompanying stormwater pond that would mean cutting about 70 trees.

The city is partnering with Escambia County on this work at Roger Scott, with each entity expected to contribute about $1.3 million to the effort. However, the project has stalled after the council requested the plans be reworked to save trees on the property.

"I think we should go slow, do the courts and postpone parking and the pond," suggested Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier, whose district contains the municipal tennis center.

Brahier said her constituents favored saving trees on the property and suggested that the city could forgo plans for additional parking, and thus the stormwater pond if they considered creating street parking as part of a road-diet project on Summit Boulevard.

Councilwoman Brahier also noted that leaving trees on the property at Roger Scott would be beneficial insofar as stormwater issues were concerned.

"I just want to be real clear here—trees mitigate stormwater," she said, calling removing the trees to make way for a stormwater pond "shortsighted."

Local environmental advocates expressed support for this approach, as did the local tennis community. Mainly, they stressed the tennis courts just needed the renovations completed.

David Mayo, who founded the Pensacola Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship, which ran from 2004 to 2016, said court conditions at Roger Scott eventually led to the event's demise.

"Sadly, because the conditions of the court deteriorated over those years, with cracks and dips, it became such a safety problem that we lost our sanction, so we had to disband the tournament," Mayo explained. "Frankly, it was a bit of an embarrassment to me."

He agreed with other members of the tennis community that spoke at the council meeting that the additional parking area wasn't of paramount importance. Players can make do with the current dirt lot.

"The condition that they're in now, I have no problem in a wheelchair going around through the hardpack dirt, going around to the front," Mayo said. "It's really not even an issue to me."

Mayor Robinson explained city planners drafted the Roger Scott improvements based on the requirements of city ordinances. The additional paved parking mandated a stormwater retention pond.

Because these improvement plans are based on the requirements of city ordinances, the mayor said, it's within the council's power to sidestep such requirements.

"You are welcome to waive that. It's your ordinance; you can waive that," Robinson said, telling the council that without such constrictions, staff could "be more creative" in its planning.

Council decided unanimously to go ahead and approve an interlocal agreement with Escambia County to solidify the funding but with the caveat that the plans be reworked without the additional parking and required stormwater pond.

"There's just so many ways to do this thoughtfully and consciously and over time instead of rushing into something silly and very shortsighted," concluded Councilwoman Brahier. {in}

9

TICKET TO CHEER

By Sydney Robinson

In a year of sometimes-normalcy, the ability to return to comfortable, entertaining traditions around the holiday season is something to treasure. The local holiday lineup of concerts, shows and cultural performances in 2021 is a welcome sight after the cancellations and virtual events of last year.

From Ballet Pensacola's twirling wonderland to Pensacola's Children's Chorus annual singing spectacular to the Choral 010 1

Society of Pensacola's new show that centers female composers, there's something taking the stage for just about everyone this season.

A CLASSIC RETURNS

Pensacola's ballet company is set to once again bring audiences the ultimate holiday classic, "The Nutcracker," with a bit of a twist from the company's new artistic director.

Darren McIntyre, artistic director for Ballet Pensacola, is excited to be working on his second show with the company since taking on the role in July of 2021.

"I had a 23-year career as a dancer, so I've been very inspired by many different versions of 'The Nutcracker,' but I would say that this version kind of stands a little bit closer to Rudolf Nureyev's version," said McIntyre, who is also the choreographer for the show.

McIntyre says he has witnessed a lot of

growth at the company since he joined in the summer.

"Pretty much every single dancer in there is now a new dancer from my perspective," said McIntyre. "I mean, they've just really developed and become so technically strong, efficient and consistent."

The company currently has 12 professional dancers from all over the globe.

"We have dancers from all around the world," said McIntyre. "We have a couple inweekly.net

of dancers from Colombia, Brazil, Russia. But yeah, they also come from all over the country."

"They're young, but they're very, very talented and just really driven," said McIntyre.

"So they feel very passionate about not just their own careers but also the community."

Like most in the performance art world, McIntyre recognizes how special it is to be performing live and in-person once again.

"We had all these virtual streamings and things which were great during the pandemic, but it's not the same as going live," explained McIntyre. "The arts are so vital to the community, and it helps everybody in a different way. So I think that having access to that again, this year is definitely special."

"Pretty much every single dancer in there is now a new dancer from my perspective." Darren McIntyre HOLIDAY HARMONIES

The Choral Society of Pensacola is taking their return to in-person events with a measure of caution. But that caution does not mean that audiences will miss out on the traditional concert experience at their upcoming holiday performance—"Her Christmas."

"The Choral Society has an 86-year tradition with Handel's 'Messiah,'" said artistic director Peter Steenblik. "Coming out of the pandemic, hiring a full orchestra or bringing in four soloists from out of town and renting the Saenger just didn't seem like a wise choice financially or artistically."

Steenblik was careful to emphasize the upside of such a break from tradition.

"If we're not doing [Handel's 'Messiah'], then let's do something wildly different and

take this as a chance to commemorate and to recognize some of our underrepresented composers, particularly the female composers," said Steenblik.

Featuring soloists Carla Connors and Hanan Tarabay and the Choral Society's 80-voice chorus, "Her Christmas" will feature songs composed and arranged by women spanning five centuries, plus contemporary music ranging from Alice Parker to Amy Grant.

"This concert is made up of women composers from the 17th century on up to modern times. But it will very much feel like a 'Messiah' performance, in that it's sacred in nature. It's simply a meditation on Christ and Christmas," said Steenblik.

By focusing on these underrepresented conductors, including 17th-century nun Sister Juana Inés de la Cruz and 20th-century concert pianist Amy Beach, Steenblik says "Her Christmas" will provide a variety of compositions that concertgoers may never have heard before.

"As a 19-year professional conductor, only one of these songs is one that I've ever conducted before," said Steenblik. "So this is an exciting stretch for me."

Steenblik considers the Choral Society to be a special and unique group of singers, noting that they are all local performers.

"The Choral Society of Pensacola is made up of your neighbors, church group, teachers, students, representatives of the PTA, members of the armed forces, nurses, insurance agents, clerks, clergy, contractors, community activists and social workers," said Steenblik. "A few have been members of this group since the early '70s, and there are others who are experiencing choir for the very first time. It's what I love most about this group—the everybodyness. The music-making is a delightful and gratifying byproduct." {in}

HOLIDAY CONCERTS AND SHOWS Choral Society of Pensacola Presents "Her Christmas"

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 WHERE: Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1212 E. Moreno St. COST: $10-$20 DETAILS: choralsocietyofpensacola.org

Pensacola Children's Chorus Presents "Christmas on the Coast"

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10 and Saturday, Dec. 11; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox COST: $15-41 (plus applicable fees) DETAILS: pensacolachildrenschorus.com or pensacolasaenger.com

Pensacola Little Theatre Presents "1940's Radio Hour"

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, Thursday, Dec. 16, Friday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, December 2, 2021

Dec. 18; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 and Sunday, Dec. 19 WHERE: Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. COST: $27-$33; $9-$17 for students in select seats (plus applicable fees) DETAILS: pensacolalittletheatre.com

Ballet Pensacola Presents "The Nutcracker"

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17 and Saturday, Dec. 18; 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18; 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19 WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox COST: $33-53 (plus applicable fees) DETAILS: balletpensacola.org or pensacolasaenger.com

Pensacola Symphony Presents "Celebrate the New Year!"

WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 31 WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox COST: $23-$103 (plus applicable fees) DETAILS: pensacolasymphony.com or pensacolasaenger.com 11

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF DECEMBER 2-9

Arts & Entertainment art, film, music, stage, books and other signs of civilization...

Black History Highlighted

By C. Scott Satterwhite

"2000 Men: Black Politicians During Reconstruction" Exhibit / Photo Courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

A quote on the John Sunday Society's website reads, "It's disappointing that John Sunday is treated as a footnote in Pensacola's history … in reality, he's an entire chapter."

Sunday, a Reconstruction-era politician who rose to the rank of first sergeant in the United States Colored Infantry, fought against the Confederacy in the Civil War and returned to Pensacola afterward to help rebuild the city. Sunday dedicated his life to Pensacola, serving at several levels of government, and later founded Pensacola's chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic—an early veterans' organization.

Despite incredible achievements, and even great wealth, Pensacola's white establishment largely dismissed Sunday toward the end of his life. He died in 1925 with a onesentence obituary in the Pensacola Journal.

Thanks to the efforts of many historians and the Pensacola Museum of History, Sunday and several other Reconstruction-era politicians are no longer footnotes but are being celebrated in the exhibit "2000 Men: Black Politicians During Reconstruction."

Until very recently, the entire Reconstruction history has been misunderstood, and often maligned, in a racist attempt to paint the post-emancipation interracial governments following the Civil War as wildly corrupt. According to this prominent December 2, 2021

ideology, known as "White Redemption" and made famous with films such as "Birth of a Nation" and "Gone with the Wind," the white South was finally redeemed when the interracial governments ended, Black votes were suppressed, racial segregation was implemented and white supremacy once again ruled the South.

This was the story throughout the South, including Pensacola.

This racist ideology would dominate American thought about Reconstruction until historian W.E.B. Du Bois reframed the era in his groundbreaking book "Black Reconstruction in America."

Du Bois wrote, "Nations reel and stagger on their way; they make hideous mistakes; they commit frightful wrongs; they do great and beautiful things." Then, as if speaking to recent fights over Critical Race Theory, Du Bois concluded, "And shall we not best guide humanity by telling the truth about all this, so far as the truth is ascertainable?"

Du Bois' question is at the heart of the Pensacola Museum of History's exhibit.

Never in the museum's history has such a showcase taken place where Pensacola's post-Civil War story—one of interracial government following centuries of slavery—been presented.

The exhibition follows revelations by local historian Tom Garner—who discov-

ered the landing site of Tristan de Luna— that the namesake of the T.T. Wentworth State History Museum was the "Exalted Cyclops" of Pensacola's 1920s Ku Klux Klan.

During the tumultuous 2020 summer of racial justice following the murder of George Floyd, many institutions used the opportunity to address issues of inclusion, or lack thereof.

"2000 Men" is the first exhibit in years to focus solely on Pensacola's Black history.

The exhibit features several large portraits of figures from Pensacola's history who served during the Reconstruction era. Of the notable figures, Sunday is just one. Another is Zebulon Elijah. Both Sunday and Elijah were born enslaved but grew to prominence in the region's political establishment, eventually serving in the Florida legislature.

Sunday, however, will be the most recognizable name to many.

In recent years, Sunday entered the public conversation in a way he hadn't since his 1925 death when news of the imminent destruction of his home brought renewed attention to the lack of protection to Pensacola's Black historic sites.

As developers plotted to destroy this remnant of Pensacola's Black history, the John Sunday Society formed to fight for the home and further promote African American history in the area.

Though developers ultimately destroyed Sunday's historic home, the president of the John Sunday Society, Teniadé Broughton, grew to prominence in local politics. In 2020, Broughton easily defeated her well-funded opponent Ron Helms for a seat on Pensacola's city council.

Further demonstrating Sunday's modern legacy, the green space closest to the spot where John Sunday's house once stood was officially renamed John Sunday Plaza in 2021. His birthday, March 20, is now marked in the city as John Sunday Day. As part of renewed attention and reappraisal of Reconstruction, a newly commissioned portrait of Sunday, painted by renowned artist Carter J, hangs in the museum formerly named for the "Exalted Cyclops."

Carter J described his inclusion in the "2000 Men" exhibit as "an honor."

Despite their large community presence, the photos that exist of these politicians are rare. Using these few photos, the artist constructed

images using bright colors and his recognizable style reflected in many of his other works, seen in several galleries and murals in the region.

"So the original pics they sent were really old. I had to do a little improvising on what the details of their faces look like," said Carter J. "To be included in an exhibit that's going to be up for so long, and have such an impact on the minds of the city, is truly an honor," said Carter J. "I look forward to doing more exhibition art, with UWF and the historic museum."

Besides the portraits, several historic artifacts from the era are on display as a short documentary about the history of Reconstruction plays on loop.

Reflecting this moment of racial inclusion, the exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of History is not the only space centering on Black history and art in the downtown area. The Pensacola Museum of Art is currently hosting two exhibits featuring works

by Haitian and Afro-Cuban artists, as well as historical exhibits at the Florida Public Archaeology Network and Artel.

In collaboration with the UWF Historic Trust, Councilwoman Broughton organized a free night in the participating museum entitled "Highlights in Black" to bring the public to celebrate the broader inclusion of Black history and art in the Pensacola institutions. {in}

2000 MEN: BLACK POLITICIANS DURING RECONSTRUCTION

WHAT: An exhibit highlighting local Black politicians from the Reconstruction Era WHEN: On view now WHERE: Pensacola Museum of History, 330 S. Jefferson St. DETAILS: historicpensacola.org

HIGHLIGHTS IN BLACK

WHAT: An evening viewing five museum exhibits highlighting Black culture hosted by Councilwoman Teniadé Broughton WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 WHERE: The tour starts at Florida Public Archaeology Network, 207 E. Main St. DETAILS: instagram.com/blackpensacola 13

a&e happenings ticket counter. For more information, email mcates@navalaviationmuseum.org.

PENSACOLA WINTERFEST Celebrate Christmas in downtown Pensacola with Santa and a cast of holiday characters at Winterfest Plaza, 223 S. Palafox. Various holiday-themed trolley tours run Nov. 26-Dec. 24. For more information, visit pensacolawinterfest.org/tickets.

CRAFTERNOONS: DECORATIVE TREES Visit Pensacola Library, located at

239 N. Spring St., for a creative adventure on Thursday, Dec. 2, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. December's project will be Decorative Trees.

All materials are provided by the library.

Visit mywfpl.com for more information.

Photo Courtesy of First City Arts Center

HOLIDAY GIVING

WREATHS OF JOY GALA Arc Gateway Foundation's Wreaths of Joy Gala is their largest annual fundraising event, and it's happening this year on Thursday, Dec. 2.

Visit arc-gateway.org for details.

CALLING ALL SANTAS! BEACH CLEANUP 'Tis the season to join Keep

Pensacola Beautiful for a holiday beach cleanup on Saturday, Dec. 4. All children in attendance will receive a book and custom-made coloring sheet while supplies last. Close-toed shoes are a must for all volunteers. Santa costumes and holiday outfits, however, aren't mandatory but are strongly encouraged. Email volunteer@ keeppensacolabeautiful.org or call (850) 438-1178 for more information.

CLASS FOR COATS From now until Dec. 9, every Thursday, bring in a coat and receive a free class at Disko Lemonade.

Coats can be new or gently worn and will go to the Gulf Coast Kid's House. Visit facebook.com/diskolemonade for details.

CHRISTMAS FOR SENIORS Senior

citizens have had another rough year, especially those who are still living in isolation to avoid the risk of COVID exposure. Organizations such as Council on Aging of West Florida have been helping to make sure seniors have all their basic needs. During the holidays, they host the annual Christmas for Seniors initiative, asking for donations of gift cards to stores like Walmart, Dollar General, Target, etc. so seniors can purchase something for themselves that they need or want. You can send gift cards by mail to 875 Royce St., Pensacola, FL 32503, or drop it off in person by Friday, Dec. 10.

For more information, visit coawfla.org.

HOLIDAY EVENTS

ALL I WANT HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY

The Downtown Improvement Board has announced the return of the "All I Want" $1,000 giveaway. Every time you make a purchase of at least $10 at downtown restaurants, bars and shops, you can earn an opportunity to win a $1,000.00 downtown 414 1

Visa gift card. The promotion runs through Dec. 24. For more information, visit downtownpensacola.shop.

SANTA AT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC LIBRARY Santa is making an early visit to

Escambia County and will make 11 stops to visit all the children and finalize his list.

Bring your family to your local library for Santa pictures this holiday season.

UPCOMING DATES: •Thursday, Dec. 2, 5:30-6:30 p.m.—Century Library, 7991 N. Century Blvd.

•Monday, Dec. 6, 10:30-11:30 a.m.—Molino Library, 6450-A Highway 95A •Tuesday, Dec. 7, 10:30-11:30 a.m.—Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway •Tuesday, Dec. 7, 5:30-6:30 p.m.—Westside Library, 1301 W. Gregory St. •Wednesday, Dec. 8, 10:30-11:30 a.m.—Genealogy Library, 5740 N. Ninth Ave. •Thursday, Dec. 9, 5:30-6:30 p.m.—Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway •Tuesday, Dec. 14, 3-4 p.m.—Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Ave. •Wednesday, Dec. 15, 10:30-11:30 a.m.— Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. •Thursday, Dec. 16, 10:30-11:30 a.m.—Tryon Library, 1200 Langley Ave. •Thursday, Dec. 16, 5:30-6:30 p.m.—Molino Library, 6450-A Highway 95A •Saturday, Dec. 18, 11-noon—Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St.

POLAR EXPRESS PAJAMA PARTY

The National Naval Aviation Museum will present "The Polar Express" Pajama Party at 2:20 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday on the Giant Screen Theater through Sunday, Dec. 19. All Department of Defense (DoD) ID cardholders and their sponsored guests are welcome.

Children are encouraged to wear their pajamas. All children will receive a free cup of hot chocolate and cookie from the refreshment counter.

Ticket prices are $7 per person. Infants 1 and under are free and do not require a ticket purchase. Please arrive early and purchase tickets in person at the museum ticket counter. Advanced tickets are available in person at the Giant Screen Theater

CARAVAN ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW Get

some holiday shopping done and enjoy a variety of items, including a bake sale and raffle prizes, at St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 3200 N. 12th Ave. The show is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 3. Admission is free.

COASTAL COUNTY BREWING TOY DRIVE Coastal County Brewing, located at

3041 E. Olive Road, is hosting a holiday toy drive to benefit Salvation Army of Pensacola's Angel Tree. Bring new, unwrapped toys or cash donations and enjoy live music from Classic June Saturday, Dec. 4, from 1-3 p.m.

SANTACON 2021 Join the crowd and party with other crawlers at the O'Riley's SantaCon 2021 from 4-10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. There is a $15 participation fee plus a donation for Shriners International or an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots is appreciated. The fee and donation will secure you a T-shirt (while supplies last), 22 oz. stein (drink specials) and the raffle ticket. Everyone must be 21 and older to participate. Please bring your ID. Santa costumes are mandatory. Visit orileyspub. com for more information.

THE PROPHECY SHOW: MUSIC OF TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA

Launching their 15th touring season of an extravagant Christmas musical production, Trans-Siberian Orchestra will perform 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $58-$88.

Visit pensacolasaenger.com for tickets.

A LITTLE WOMEN CHRISTMAS Shining

Light Players' award-winning cast serves up a helping of Christmas magic in this live stage production of Louisa May Alcott's beloved novel on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 3-5 p.m. at the Rex Theater. Tickets are $17-$25 and can be purchased at shininglightplayers.com.

FIRST CITY ART WINTER ART MARKET First City Art Center's Winter Art Market event takes place on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1060 N. Guillemard St., where more than 20 local artisan and student vendors will be selling handmade goods. New and gently used coats will also be collected for Gulf Coast Kid's House.

Live demonstrations from glass and pottery artists will also take place. For more information, visit firstcityart.org.

"SOMEWHERE ON SATURDAY" ART COLLECTIVE Local authors and artists

team up for this event, which is happening Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at 2005 Escambia Ave. There will be book signings, poetry readings, live music, and art and books for sale.

LIGHTED BOAT PARADE The Lighted

Boat Parade will set sail at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, from Sabine Marina and make its way around the Santa Rosa Sound to the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk where it will dock. Leading up to the boat launch, a kid's party will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Shaggy's Pensacola Beach. Directly following the boat parade, Santa will make his way to the Quietwater Shell on the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk to greet the children, and then a dazzling firework display will take place over the Santa Rosa Sound by 8 p.m.

HER CHRISTMAS Join Choral Society of Pensacola Saturday, Dec. 4, at 7:30 p.m. for a program of sacred music composed and arranged by women from five centuries. The performance will be at Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1212 E. Moreno St. Admission is $10-$20. For tickets, visit choralsocietyofpensacola.org.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING AT ALYSSA'S

The next 5&Dime shopping event will be 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Gift Markets will be held Dec. 4, 11 and 18 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Alyssa's is located at 4856 Chumuckla Highway in Pace. Visit shopalyssas.com for more information.

K-LOVE CHRISTMAS K-LOVE Radio

brings their annual Christmas Tour to Pensacola Bay Center with a lineup including Casting Crowns, Mac Powell, CAIN, Dante Bowe and Jordan St. Cyr. Show is 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $22.50$104.50. For more information, visit pensacolabaycenter.com.

DECK THE HALLS In celebration of the holidays and back by popular demand, Jackson's will present "Deck the Halls," a lunch event featuring Pensacola Opera, on Saturdays, Dec. 4, 11 and 18, at Jackson's Steakhouse, located at 400 S. Palafox. Seatings are at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (850) 469-9898 or visiting jacksonsrestaurant.com.

SURFING SANTA BEACH PARADE The annual Surfing Santa Beach Parade will be Sunday, Dec. 5, at 2 p.m. From Avenida 10, the parade will make its way down Via De Luna toward Casino Beach and end at the Gulfside Pavilion, where kids will be able to meet and greet with Santa until 3 p.m. For those wanting to participate in the parade, the deadline to register is Tuesday, Nov. 30, at noon, and the entry fee is $50. inweekly.net

a&e happenings CAROLS ON THE COAST: A HOLIDAY BRUNCH EVENT WITH PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS In celebration of

the holidays, Angelena's will present "Carols on the Coast," a special brunch event, on Sundays, Dec. 5, 12, and 19, at Angelena's, located at 101 E. Intendencia St. There are two seatings for each event at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. with carolers from Pensacola Children's Chorus and special entrees from Chef James Briscione. Reservations can be made at (850) 542-8398 or by visiting angelenaspensacola.com.

GARDEN GREENERY SERIES: GIFTS FROM THE GARDEN Join UF/IFAS

Extension Escambia on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 6-6:45 p.m. to learn how to use garden items and plants to make meaningful gifts this holiday season at the Pensacola Library, located at 239 N. Spring St.

FOURTH ANNUAL HOLIDAY HARRY POTTER TRIVIA NIGHT Join Perfect

Plain on Tuesday, Dec. 7, for their Fourth Annual Holiday Harry Potter Trivia Night.

Dress as your favorite wizard, warlock or fantastic beast and receive Happy Hour Beers all night long and all the Butterbeer you could ever want. $100 gift cards are up for grabs to the winning team and the best dressed attendee. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for more information.

SECOND ANNUAL PENSACOLA VIBES HOLIDAY SALE AT ODD COLONY Add some local flair to your gifts this

year with a little help from Pensacola Vibes.

They will be set up at Odd Colony on Wednesday, Dec. 8, from 5-8 p.m. selling canvases, prints, apparel and more. Visit pensacolavibes.com for more information.

HOLIDAYS AT THE HANGAR This

holiday season, Hellcat Hangar, located at 1008 N. Navy Blvd., is unveiling a new 4,000-square-foot production house by opening its doors for a holiday market on Thursday, Dec. 9, from 4-9 p.m. The event will feature over 30 local vendors, and all proceeds will benefit FavorHouse of Northwest Florida and Autism Pensacola. Vendors include Tap the Coast, The

Crafted Makerie, Mrs. Jones Cold Brew, Urban Botanic Studio and more. Santa Claus will be in attendance, plus there will be music by local artist Hane Skot and food

by RJ's Tasty Plates soul food truck. Tickets start at $25 for adults 21+ and come with two drink tickets. Visit facebook.com/hellcathangar for more information.

SANTA PAWS & PINTS Visit Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, located at 208 Newman Ave., for craft beer, cider, seltzer or wine and enjoy the day with Santa, Mrs. Clause and The Elf on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Pictures with Santa & Mrs. Clause from 1-4 p.m. Visit facebook.com/garysbrew for more information.

RALLY PENSACOLA HOLIDAY SHOPPING SOIRÉE Rally Pensacola is hosting

KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL JINGLE BELL WRAP: DIY WRAPPING PAPER WORKSHOP KPB has partnered

this festive shopping event that supports local businesses while raising crucial funds for childhood cancer research at the SCI Building, located at 220 W. Garden St., on Friday, Dec. 10, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. In addition to shopping, the event will feature light hors d'oeuvres, champagne and more. The first 125 attendees will receive a swag bag, and a percentage of all on-site purchases will be donated directly to Rally.

After the pop-up, the event will continue with al-day shopping at partner stores and restaurants in downtown Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. The full list of participating businesses will be announced soon. If you're interested in becoming a partner or vendor, please email dana@rallyfoundation.org. Visit facebook.com/rallypensacola for more information.

THE PENSACOLA CHORAL SOCIETY WOMEN'S ENSEMBLE Enjoy an engag-

ing holiday musical presentation by The Pensacola Choral Society Women's Ensemble as they perform seasonal selections under the direction of Isabelle Peterson on Saturday, Dec. 11, from noon-1 p.m. at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St.

SANTA DROP AT FLORA-BAMA Watch Santa parachute on the beach at FloraBama at noon on Saturday, Dec. 11. FloraBama is located at 17401 Perdido Key Drive.

Visit florabama.com for more information.

LOTIONS AND POTIONS CLASS AT PENSACOLA LIBRARY Make your own

body scrubs, powders, lotions and potions to keep for yourself or give as a gift this holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 11, from 1:30-3 p.m. at Pensacola Library, located at 239 N. Spring St.

with Maker's Loft to host the Jingle Bell Wrap from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at Maker's Loft, 6675 Pine Forest Road, #2.

They will be creating sustainable wrapping paper by upcycling paper grocery bags.

Tickets are available through the event link at keeppensacolabeautiful.org.

PENSACOLA CHILDREN'S CHORUS PRESENTS: CHRISTMAS ON THE COAST Pensacola Children's Chorus annual

holiday show will be 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, and Saturday, Dec. 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 13, at Saenger Theatre. Tickets are $15$41. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for tickets.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS AWARDS AND CAROLING PARTY Join Pensacola Beach for

their caroling event on Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk. Winners of the holiday lights contest will be announced at 4 p.m. that day and Santa will be present. The Boardwalk shops will be open for holiday shopping, and the public is invited to enjoy the lights on Pensacola Beach. In the event of inclement weather, announcements of winners and caroling will take place at Bamboo Willie's on the Boardwalk.

ODD COLONY HOLIDAY MARKET Odd

Colony, located at 260 N. Palafox, is hosting their biggest market yet on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. featuring over 20 local makers and vintage vendors, plus brunch

by MI SU Street Food and treats by Casita Bread and Maker's Coffee Co. Odd Colony will also be accepting winter coat donations for Pensacola Dream Center, which is a volunteer-driven organization that finds and fills needs in our community. Visit facebook. com/oddcolony for more information.

NICK’S PICKS

TUESDAYS

6-8 PM CENTRAL ON RADIO

FREE PENSACOLA streaming world wide www.radiofreepensacola.com December 2, 2021

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SEVILLE QUARTER INDOOR MARKET PLACE Seville Quarter, located at 130 E.

Government St., will host an indoor market on Sunday, Dec. 12, starting at 1 p.m. The event will feature over 50 vendors under one roof plus live music and food and drink specials. Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.

JINGLE JAZZ PRESENTS NORTH POLE PANIC & FOOD DRIVE Jazz Pen-

sacola invites the community to a blast of seasonal fun Monday, Dec. 13, at Phineas Phogg's, Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Music starts at 6:30 p.m.

This year's Jingle Jazz is a gift from Jazz Pensacola's Board of Directors. However, donations are always accepted. This event is also a food drive. Please bring non-perishable items. Visit jazzpensacola.com for more information.

IT GULF COAST UGLY SWEATER CONTEST AND TOY DRIVE IT Gulf

Coast invites you to Black Sheep Tavern, 3102 E. Cervantes St., from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 15, for an Ugly Sweater contest and Toys for Tots drive with free appetizers. The event is open to the public, and a free drink coupon is provided to anyone who registers for the event at itgulfcoast.org. There will be prizes for the contest winners. One lucky recipient will win a Comp TIA Security+ class courseware and test voucher (value of $2, 495).

You must be present to win.

KREWE OF AVANT GARDE & THE PENSACOLA MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (PMOAA) TOYS FOR TOTS DRIVE AND SILENT AUCTION

The Krewe of Avant Garde and Pensacola Military Officers Association of America (PMOAA) invite the community to their first combined Holiday Dinner Event from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at the Pensacola Yacht Club, 1897 Cypress St. The event will host a Toys for Tots drive as well as a Silent Auction with music for dancing. A cash bar will be provided. Ticket information is available at facebook.com/ avantgardekrewe.

An Official Florida Lottery Retailer Home of the

D.D.D.

(Downtown Day Drinkers)

Open: 11am-3am Every Day 15

a&e happenings THE NUTCRACKER WINE DINNER

Chef Daniel Watts of Classic City will be preparing a special menu inspired by the classic holiday tale Thursday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m. at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Tickets are $99 and can be purchased at bodcaciousshops.com.

SANTA PAWS AT PERFECT PLAIN Bring

your pet to Perfect Plain Brewing Co., located at 50 E. Garden St., for a pet photo for $10, which includes a printed 4x6 picture or digital image. Bring a donation from the Joy Committee Rescue's wish list and receive a free 12-ounce pour. Event is Saturday, Dec. 18, from noon-3 p.m. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for more information.

BALLET PENSACOLA PRESENTS: THE NUTCRACKER Don't miss the holiday

classic from Ballet Pensacola 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 17, and Saturday, Dec. 18; 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18; and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 19, at Saenger Theatre, located at 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $33-$53. Visit pensacolasaenger.com to purchase.

WHITE TIE CHRISTMAS Enjoy a familyfriendly, rocking holiday concert featuring the festive music of The Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Saturday, Dec. 18 at the Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets are $25-$118.50. Visit pensacolabaycenter.com for tickets.

CHRISTMAS MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE Celebrate the season

with our holiday-themed dinner and show Sunday, Dec. 19, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Garden & Grain, located at 50 E. Garden St. Tickets are $55 per person and are available in the event link at facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

KIDS CULINARY CAMP: HOLIDAY EDITION Send your young elf to this special holiday edition of our Bodacious Kids Camp where they will learn just what it takes to be Santa's elf at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Dates are 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, Tuesday, Dec. 21 and Wednesday, Dec. 22. Classes are $165. Tickets can be purchased at bodaciousshops.com.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GOLF TOURNAMENT Join Pensacola Habitat

for Humanity for the Fifth Annual Habitat FORE! Humanity Golf Tournament on Friday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Scenic Hills Country Club, located at 8891 Burning Tree Road. Admission is $500 for a team of four, which includes lunches, four ditty bags, two carts and tee sign for advertisement.

Visit golfforhomes.org for more information.

AGAPE LOVE FOR ART: VIRTUAL AUCTION FOR BRIDGING THE GAP Fleur de Pensacola is hosting a virtual

auction event to benefit Bridging the Gap, a ministry that serves those without homes every Thursday evening under the Lee Street bridge. In a collaboration with Pamela Nichols Fine Art, Jade Tree Succulents and Fleur de Pensacola, the highest bidder of the virtual auction will receive an original oil painting, a beautiful succulent creation and a floral arrangement customized to the winner. Bidding starts Nov. 30 and will end Dec. 14. Winner must either be able to pick up items in Pensacola, or shipping will be available for the oil painting, but not the succulent or floral arrangement. Contact Anna Orbik at (850) 417-0312 for more information.

CALL TO ARTISTS

2022 PENSACOLA JAZZFEST POSTER

Jazz Pensacola invites fine artists and graphic designers to submit renderings for the 2022 Pensacola JazzFest. The commission is $500. The Jazz Pensacola Board of Directors will consider all renderings and make a selection. Initial drafts are due by Jan. 18, 2022. If selected, the completed submission deadline is Feb. 24, 2022.

The poster design should reflect the deep, rich, diverse jazz music heritage of Pensacola and communicate a sense of place. Submissions should conform to a vertical orientation using a ratio that will fit, with margin, on a final poster size of 18 inches wide by 24 inches high. All content must be

the submitter's original creation and must be unpublished. The submitter must have all rights to images and graphics used in the final artwork and during the design process.

The poster must include the name of the festival, 2022 Pensacola JazzFest.

The festival event information, including date, location, sponsors and any additional information, will be added to the poster in the graphic production process.

There is no need to include this information within the artwork.

Any mixed media suitable for twodimensional mechanical reproduction is allowed, including both hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics. Submissions must be in low-res (72 PPI) JPEG format and emailed to info@jazzpensacola.com.

There is no limit to the number of entries by a single artist. Each entry must include the artist's name, address, email and telephone number.

The selected artist is responsible for the preparation of the art for highresolution reproduction. The artist will be contacted following the selection process and receive technical specifications for the production file.

ARTS & CULTURE

BALLET PENSACOLA'S DRACULA AVAILABLE FOR STREAMING Ballet

Pensacola's take on the haunting and legendary tale is now available to stream. Cost

Winner Best Late Night Eats & Runner Up Best Bar–West Pensacola/Perdido Key, Best Bar Ambiance, Best Bar Food & Best Bar for Games

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inweekly.net

a&e happenings is $25 per view. For more information, visit showtix4u.com/event-details/57601.

ANTARCTICA: SEASONS OF WATER AND ICE Antarctica: Seasons of Water and

Ice is on exhibit on the second floor of UWF's John C. Pace Library, Room 215, through Dec. 12. For more information on the exhibit and presenting partners, visit uwf.edu/tag.

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART "The Rescue" will be play-

ing 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St. Now streaming— SXSW Short Film Festival. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy

shopping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Market on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave., from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Admission is free.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ pensacolaartsmarket.

EASY GOING GALLERY ART MARKET

Every Sunday, Easy Going Gallery and Carter J Studios present a weekly art market Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Easy Going Gallery, located at 701 N. V St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Vendors can participate for a $20 fee. For more information, contact easygoinggalleryart@gmail.com.

AN EVENING WITH SEAN OF THE SOUTH Join Big Brothers Big Sisters of

Northwest Florida for an evening of storytelling and music with storyteller Sean Dietrich for belly laughs and good ole' Southern hospitality Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. at Imogene Theatre, 6866 Caroline St. in Milton. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at e-activist.com/page/89275/event/1.

CANDLE MAKING AT PENSACOLA LIBRARY The art of candle making is relax-

ing, easy and fun. Visit Pensacola Library, located at 239 N. Spring St., in the STEAM lab and make your very own candle from scratch on Friday, Dec. 3, from 5-6 p.m.

Learn about tools to help you recreate this year-round favorite at home. Visit mywfpl. com for more information.

HEATHER MCMAHAN Comedian Heather McMahan will perform at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, 8 p.m.

Friday, Dec. 3. Tickets are $32-$72. Visit pensacolasaenger.com.

HIGHLIGHTS IN BLACK Join Council-

woman Teniade Broughton on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 6-8:30 p.m. for a special evening viewing of five museum exhibits highlighting Black culture, including "Faces of Freedom: Free People of Color of the Julee Cottage" at Florida Public Archaeology Network, 207 E. Main St.; "2000 Men: Black Politicians During Reconstruction" December 2, 2021

at Pensacola Museum of History, 333 S. Jefferson St.; "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow" at African American Heritage Society, 200 Church St.; and "The Kingdom of this World, Reimagined" and "Visionary Aponte: Art & Black Freedom" at Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. An afterparty will be held at 309 Punk Museum, 309 N. Sixth Ave. Suggested attire is vintage chic and modern dandy.

WHEN QUEENS LINK UP When Queens Link Up is a quarterly social gathering where quality vendors, networking Queendom vibes and good times collide. Join over a dozen Pensacola women business owners to shop, support, educate and unwind from 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at Onyx Event Space at 4400 Mobile Highway. Cost is $7 per person. Purchase tickets at wqlu6. eventbrite.com.

1781 A REVOLUTIONARY TRIBUTE

Pianist Maria Dolores Gaitan will be performing live at the Rolfs Music Hall in the UWF Center for Fine & Performing Arts at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 5, to celebrate 240 years of friendship and cooperation between Spain and the United States. Tickets are $20 and free to UWF students. For more information, visit uwf.edu.

JAZZ BY THE BOOK: HOSTED BY JOE OCCHIPINTI Join premier saxophonist

Joe Occhipinti, one of Pensacola and the Gulf Coast's musical legends, as he and his jazz ensemble enliven your afternoon with classic jazz favorites on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 1-3 p.m. at the Pensacola Library, located at 239 N. Spring St.

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: 1940'S RADIO HOUR A different

time is evoked in this marvelously theatrical show, a live broadcast of The Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade from the Hotel Astor's Algonquin Room on Dec. 21, 1942. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 16, 17 and 18 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 12 and 19.

Tickets are $27-$33; $9-$17 for students in select seats. There is a $2 discount for military, seniors and students. Thursday shows are half price. To purchase, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

WE SEE YOU Presented by the HER Foundation and Kate Treick Photography is an exhibit saluting female veterans in Pensacola and the Florida Panhandle on view through Nov. 28 at Cordova Mall, located at 5100 N. Ninth Ave. THE ART GALLERY - BFA SYNTHESIS EXIT EXHIBITION The UWF BFA exit

exhibition will be on view at TAG Nov. 18-Dec. 11 in the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, located at 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82. For more information, visit facebook.com/tag82uwf. for more listings visit inweekly.net

17

free will astrology WEEK OF DECEMBER 2 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): It's a favorable time to get excited about your longrange future—and to entertain possibilities that have previously been on the edges of your awareness. I'd love to see you open your heart to the sweet dark feelings you've been sensing, and open your mind to the disruptive but nourishing ideas you need, and open your gut to the rumbling hunches that are available. Be brave, Aries! Strike up conversations with the unexpected, the unknown and the undiscovered.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): A Tumblr blogger named Evan (lotad.tumblr.com) addressed a potential love interest. "Do you like sleeping, because so do I," he wrote.

"We should do it together sometime."

You might want to extend a similar invitation, Taurus. Now is a ripe time for you to interweave your subconscious mind with the subconscious mind of an ally you trust.

The two of you could generate extraordinary healing energy for each other as you lie together, dozing in the darkness. Other recommended activities: meditating together; fantasizing together; singing together; making spiritual love together. (P.S. If you have no such human ally, sleep and meditate with a beloved animal or imaginary friend.)

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Gemini au-

thor Chuck Klosterman writes, "It's far easier to write why something is terrible than why it's good." That seems to be true for many writers. However, my life's work is in part a rebellion against doing what's easy. I don't want to chronically focus on what's bad and sick and desolate. Instead, I aspire to devote more of my energy to doing what Klosterman implies is hard, which is to write sincerely (but not naively) about the many things that are good and redemptive and uplifting. In light of your current astrological omens, Gemini, I urge you to adopt my perspective for your own use in the next three weeks. Keep in mind what philosopher Robert Anton Wilson said—"An optimistic mindset finds dozens of possible solutions for every problem that the pessimist regards as incurable."

818 1

By Rob Brezsny

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): An organization in Turkey decided to construct a new building to house its workers. The Saruhanbey Knowledge, Culture, and Education Foundation chose a plot in the city of Manisa. But there was a problem. A threecenturies-old pine tree stood on the land.

Local authorities would not permit it to be cut down. So architects designed a building with spaces and holes that fully accommodated the tree. I recommend you regard this marvel as a source of personal inspiration in the coming weeks and months. How could you work gracefully with nature as you craft your future masterpiece or labor of love?

How might you work around limitations to create useful, unusual beauty?

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Author Melissa Broder wrote a preposterous essay in which she ruminated, "Is fake love better than real love? Real love is responsibility, compromise, selflessness, being present and all that shit.

Fake love is magic, excitement, false hope, infatuation and getting high off the potential that another person is going to save you from yourself." I will propose, Leo, that you bypass such ridiculous thinking about love in the coming weeks and months. Here's why—There's a strong chance that the real love at play in your life will feature magic and excitement, even as it requires responsibility, compromise, selflessness and being present.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Virgo author

Andre Dubus III describes times when "I feel stupid, insensitive, mediocre, talentless and vulnerable—like I'm about to cry any second—and wrong." That sounds dreadful, right? But it's not dreadful for him. Just the opposite. "I've found that when that happens," he concludes, "it usually means I’m writing pretty well, pretty deeply, pretty rawly." I trust you will entertain a comparable state sometime soon, Virgo. Even if you're not a writer, the bounty and fertility that emerge from this immersion in vulnerability will invigorate you beyond what you can imagine.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "The problem with putting two and two together is that sometimes you get four, and sometimes you

get 22." Author Dashiell Hammett said that, and now I'm passing it on to you—just in time for a phase of your cycle when putting two and two together will probably not bring four, but rather 22 or some other irregularity. I'm hoping that since I've given you a heads-up, it won't be a problem. On the contrary. You will be prepared and will adjust faster than anyone else—thereby generating a dose of exotic good fortune.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): In her

poem "Is/Not," Scorpio poet Margaret Atwood tells a lover, "You are not my doctor, you are not my cure, nobody has that power, you are merely a fellow traveler." I applaud her for stating an axiom I'm fond of, which is that no one, not even the person who loves you best, can ever be totally responsible for fixing everything wrong in your life.

However, I do think Atwood goes too far. On some occasions, certain people can indeed provide us with a measure of healing. And we must be receptive to that possibility. We shouldn't be so pathologically self-sufficient that we close ourselves off from tender help.

One more thing—Just because that help may be imperfect doesn't mean it's useless and should be rejected.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): "All my days I have longed equally to travel the right road and to take my own errant path," wrote Norwegian-Danish novelist Sigrid Undset. I think she succeeded in doing both. She won a Nobel Prize for Literature. Her trilogy about a 14th-century Norwegian woman was translated into 80 languages. I conclude that for her—as well as for you in the coming weeks and months—traveling the right road and taking your own errant path will be the same thing.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Capricorn author Susan Sontag unleashed a bizarre boast, writing, "One of the healthiest things about me—my capacity to survive, to bounce back, to prosper—is intimately connected with my biggest neurotic liability—my facility in disconnecting from my feelings." Everything about her statement makes me scream NO! I mean, I believe this coping mechanism worked for

her; I don't begrudge her that. But as a student of psychology and spirituality, I know that disconnecting from feelings is, for most of us, the worst possible strategy if we want to be healthy and sane. And I will advise you to do the opposite of Sontag in the coming weeks. December is Stay Intimately Connected with Your Feelings Month.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In some

small towns in the Philippines, people can be punished and fined for gossiping. Some locals have become reluctant to exchange tales about the sneaky, sexy, highly entertaining things their neighbors are doing. They complain that their freedom of speech has been curtailed. If you lived in one of those towns, I'd advise you to break the law in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, dynamic gossip should be one of your assets. Staying well-informed about the human comedy will be key for your ability to thrive.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): "Originality consists in thinking for yourself, and not in thinking unlike other people," wrote Piscean author James Fitzjames Stephen (1829–1894). Another way to say it—Being rebellious is not inherently creative. If you primarily define yourself by rejecting and reacting against someone's ideas, you are being controlled by those ideas. Please keep this in mind, dear Pisces. I want you to take full advantage of your astrological potential during the next 12 months, which is to be absolutely original. Your perceptions and insights will be unusually lucid if you protect yourself from both groupthink and a compulsive repudiation of groupthink.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: I invite you to send me your holiday wish list. What do you want? What do you need? newsletter.freewillastrology.com.

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

inweekly.net

news of the weird

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

HIGH STANDARDS The 10-foot-tall artificial Christmas tree that the town council installed in the Grimsby town center in England left locals underwhelmed, Grimsby Live reported—to the point that the council had the expensive decoration removed. Snarky comments included one from a resident who said he had a bigger tree in his house, and another called it "an insult to Grimsby."

The council responded that the tree cost more than 1,000 pounds but said it had been installed too early, and the traditional live tree from a nearby farm would be installed on Nov. 25. The fake tree will be reinstalled for a Christmas market.

ROCK ON Missouri man Kyle Scheele, with the help of friends, made a cardboard cutout of himself "jamming out with a pizza guitar" and advertising something called the "Kyle Scheele Meal." He then placed the cutout in a local gas station and waited to see how long his prank would last. But after the fake ad went viral on TikTok, convenience store chain Kum & Go made the Scheele Meal real. It included a Red Bull and a pizza sandwich, "which is just two pieces of pizza smashed face-to-face," Scheele said. The promotion ran for about a week, with Kum & Go donating $2 of every $5 meal to the charity No Kid Hungry.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL Jerry McDonald of Chattanooga, Tennessee, was with an acquaintance when he passed out from drinking. His friend, trying to help out, took McDonald's phone to text his boss that he wouldn't be in to work that afternoon. But instead, the friend found alarming texts in which McDonald detailed a plan to kill an unnamed woman and take her money: "Please kill her babe, please. I'm begging you. There's over a million in her dad's safe. I'm saying I won't get caught," McDonald had texted, according to NewsChannel9-TV. But, of course, he did get caught, and now is held in the Hamilton County jail on $75,000 bond.

DO YOU HEAR THAT? Residents of Barwell, a small English town, have been dealing with an unexplained noise for about a year. It's been described as "a humming noise," a "lowfrequency droning sound" and a "horrible din" that never stops. Resident Ange Redshaw said, "At night, even lying on the pillow, you can feel the vibration, it's that loud. During the day, I can hear it over traffic noise." And now it seems to be spreading: Brian Heath, a resident of nearby Stapleton, says he has heard the "slow, rolling, rumbling sound" for a few weeks. "It's quite a heavy noise ... You can feel the pressure on your body," he said. No cause has yet been identified.

•Canada may want to rethink opening its border to Americans after Vivian Richards, 48, of Oakland Park, Florida, tried to smuggle 56 guns into Sarnia, Ontario, in the trunk of her car on Nov. 1. Richards was referred for secondary inspection, DH News reported, after officers of the Canada Border Services Agency looked in her trunk. Along with the firearms, they found 13 overcapacity magazines, 43 pistol magazines and 100 rounds of ammunition. She faces several charges, including possession for the purpose of weapons trafficking.

NOPE In Aswan, Egypt, recent inclement weather—including "vicious rain, dust storms and snow"—has forced hordes of scorpions from their usual hiding places and into homes and streets. BBC News reported that three people have died so far from scorpion stings, and 450 have been injured. The injured are being treated with antivenom. Health officials have even had to recruit doctors who were on vacation to help with the influx of patients.

TERRIFYING AND GROSS Seizures are frightening enough, but seizures caused by tapeworms add an element of "eww."

According to doctors in Massachusetts who recently described the case in the New England Journal of Medicine, the otherwise-healthy 38-year-old man had had dead tapeworm cysts lodged in his brain for decades—a relatively rare form of infestation called neurocysticercosis. When these cysts become stuck in the brain, they can cause pressure, inflammation and neurological symptoms that are sometimes confused for brain tumors. But symptoms may not manifest for years. This man's cysts caused no problems until three years ago, when he fell out of bed, "shaking and speaking gibberish," then had a two-minute seizure on the way to the hospital. Luckily, he was discharged after five days of treatment and remains in good health today.

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com

LOST AND FOUND A special bear is back home where he belongs. Stuffed bear Teddy was the first gift Ben and Addie Pascal of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, sent to their daughter Naomi before adopting her in 2016.

Naomi, now 6, brought Teddy on family trips to Ethiopia, Rwanda, Croatia, Greece—and, last October, to Glacier National Park in Montana. By the time the family realized Teddy was lost, snowfall had closed the higher elevations of the park for the season.

Ranger Tom Mazzarisi found Teddy on a trail and couldn't bring himself to throw out the toy, instead keeping it as a mascot on his dashboard all winter. Nearly a year later, the Pascals' family friend Terri Hayden visited Glacier and spotted a stuffed bear in a ranger's truck. After confirming it was Teddy, Mazzarisi returned the bear—along with a junior park ranger badge and ranger hat. {in} From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2021 Andrews McMeel

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com December 2, 2021

Adoption • Paternity • Dependency/DCF Hearings Prenuptial Agreements • Postnuptial Agreements Divorce • Child Custody and Timesharing Child Support • Child Support Modifications Alimony • Collaborative Divorce • Divorce Mediation • Pre-Suit Family Law Mediation

Tired of suffering from droopy eyelids? Uplift your eyelids with the once daily eye drop, Upneeq. Call now to schedule your appointment with the eye care specialists at Terrezza Optical: 850-434-2060 19

Find your stage.

The Center serves as downtown Pensacola’s cultural and artistic hub.

It is home to local theatre, ballet, education, events, community organizations and more. As we look to the future, we plan to reimagine our space, and we invite you to join us on the journey. learn more at findyour center pensacola.com

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Independent News | December 2, 2021 | inweekly.net