Inweekly Feb 17 2022 Issue

Remembering the Tuskegee Airmen and

The Legacy of Chappie James Independent News | February 17, 2022 | Volume 23 | Number 7 | Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. / Photo Courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

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It doesn't mean I wasn't an idiot.

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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. © 2022 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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February 17, 2022

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winners & losers

Sweet Heat

Pam Childers / Courtesy of escambiaclerk.com

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PANDA EXPRESS The company has pledged $1.25 million to the Studer Family Children's Hospital at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola to support programs and services that provide compassionate, healing care for patients and their families. The pledge will be fulfilled over 10 years.

As part of this pledge, a room inside the Children's Hospital has been renamed "The Panda Cares Center of Hope™ Movie & Multipurpose Room." The Panda Cares room is a respite area for young patients undergoing cancer treatment and their families. With its underwater submarine theme, two movie screens, arcade-like games and comfortable seating, the room offers an escape from a hospital stay and medical procedures.

PAM CHILDERS We don't mean to pick on the Escambia County Clerk, but her latest effort to derail the 401(a) lawsuit is like an episode of "Laverne & Shirley." Childers bypassed the attorneys involved in the case and sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioners chairman claiming an email by a newly-hired employee proved County Attorney Alison Rogers believed three commissioners weren't eligible for the plan. A simple phone call would have clarified the matter, but then the clerk wouldn't have been able to create a public record. We can't wait for the court hearing, so the county can end this melodrama.

REGIONS FOUNDATION The nonprofit

Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of having "gazpacho police spying on members of Congress, spying on the legislative work that we do, spying on our staff, and spying on American citizens that want to come talk to their representatives." Police armed with cold soup is just wrong, and it's time to make it end. But first, could we sample a bowl?

organization primarily funded by Regions Bank presented the YMCA a $50,000 donation to launch the YReads! program at West Pensacola Elementary School. The school is the first site in the Florida Panhandle to host the YMCA program designed to close reading achievement gaps. YReads! will serve nearly 100 students at West Pensacola Elementary.

The program will also include family outreach activities and provide opportunities for community members to volunteer as mentors.

PENSACOLA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Passenger travel through Pensacola International Airport (PNS) last year soared back to prepandemic levels, beating 2019's numbers by an increase of 4%. From January to December 2021, 87,197 more passengers passed through PNS when compared to 2019, for a total of 2,324,044 passengers. The jump is mainly due to increased tourism throughout Pensacola and the surrounding communities. Last summer, the airport experienced 25% more passengers than it did in 2019.

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state announced the award of over $404 million in grant funding for 113 environmental resilience projects across the state through the Resilient Florida Grant Program. Escambia County was among the recipients, receiving $1,282,368 in grant funding, which will be used on the Surrey-Windsong Pond and drainage improvements in Ellyson Industrial Park, Oakfield Acres and Frinchez Heights.

GAZPACHO POLICE Congresswoman

LAS VEGAS SANDS According to the latest campaign finance reports, the Nevada-based gaming company gambled $73.5 million on a petition drive to put a constitutional amendment on next November's General Election ballot. It may be the most ever spent for a statewide constitutional amendment campaign. The petition drive failed to get enough verified voter signatures to qualify for the ballot. The nearby Poarch Creek Indians of Alabama contributed $2 million to the effort.

OMICRON VARIANT While many believe the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is less harmful than the Delta variant, statistics show that the daily American death toll has been higher than during last fall's Delta wave. The Associated Press reports the seven-day rolling average for daily new COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. has been climbing since mid-November, reaching 2,267 on Thursday, Feb. 10 and surpassing a September peak of 2,100 when Delta was the dominant variant. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

BOLD, AUDACIOUS FAILURES In 2006, community leaders created Every Child A Reader in Escambia (ECARE). The original planning group was chaired by Judge John Parnham and included former school Superintendent Bill Maloy and his wife, Nancy, School Board member John DeWitt, The Early Learning Coalition, Escambia County School District, Gulf Coast African American Chamber, Rotary Clubs of Pensacola and United Way of Escambia County.

ECARE set bold, audacious goals. Every child entering kindergarten in the Escambia County School District would be ready to start school by 2011. By 2014, all third graders would have proficient scores on FCAT reading. They raised $235,984.

As the 2011 deadline approached, it became clear that the goals would not be met. ECARE's executive director told our reporter, "We didn't intend to set a goal that couldn't be accomplished.

At the time, we were naïve to think that we could accomplish it that fast.

This effort is more than a five-year process. This is an ongoing effort."

She admitted that ECARE had good intentions and a worthwhile philosophy but not the strategy and initiatives to complement its goals and objectives. Its leaders told us it had narrowed its focus to kindergarteners at the Global Learning Academy and voluntary pre-kindergarten students within the downtown attendance zone.

How did that work? Not well. In 2012, 30% of Global Learning Academy's third graders read on grade level. Last spring, only 23% were reading on a third-grade level. Even narrowing the goals failed.

Ten years after the formation of ECARE, Navy Federal Credit Union, Gulf Power, Baptist Health Care and Ascension Sacred Heart joined forces to create Achieve Escambia. Cox Communications and Pen Air Federal Credit Union also put up money.

Again, bold, audacious goals were set. Achieve Escambia focused on kindergarten readiness because its research found that children ready for school were 17% more likely to graduate high school, four times more likely to graduate college, 19% less likely to be arrested and significantly less likely to need public housing assistance.

The organization created a dashboard and set the goals of having 60% of Escambia children ready for kindergarten by 2020 and improving the percentage to 75% by 2025. When the Achieve executive director was asked about where they would begin tackling the issue of kindergarten readiness, she told the daily newspaper, "We believe it begins by understanding the data and by having that conversation. The solution lies in the community, and the power is in the community."

The "solutions" and "power" never surfaced.

Achieve Escambia came nowhere near meeting the 2020 goal, and the numbers have gotten worse during the pandemic.

The Florida Department of Education recently released its fall 2021 kindergarten readiness scores.

The percentage of kindergarten-ready children dropped statewide from 57% to 50% and in Escambia from 48% to 42%. For those keeping track of ECARE's 2011 goals, kindergarten readiness at Global Learning Academy was 27.5% last fall.

The Greater Pensacola Foundation has established a new set of bold, audacious goals for children that it wants the community to accomplish. By 2030, the chamber wants all kindergarteners ready for school, all third graders reading at or above their grade level and all eighth-grade students performing at or above an eighth-grade math level.

The chamber's intentions are as well-intended as ECARE and Achieve Escambia's. But having failed twice in attaining bold, audacious goals, what will make this third attempt successful?

It won't be creating another dashboard.

Somewhere along the way, people have come to confuse dashboards with actually working on a problem. A dashboard may track progress but doesn't feed or clothe children or teach them their letters and numbers. Setting bold, audacious goals doesn't accomplish anything.

Goals with arbitrary deadlines and without anyone responsible for implementation are worthless. We need to stop seeing dashboards as accomplishments. We need action plans that people execute and adjust as needed. Then we may begin to see progress. {in} rick@inweekly.net

A dashboard may track progress but doesn't feed or clothe children or teach them their letters and numbers.

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FIGHTING SYSTEMIC RACISM

Brian Wyer / Courtesy Photo

By Tom St. Myer As he headed toward another section of the store, Brian Wyer overheard a conversation between two women. Their disparaging remarks served as a cruel reminder of how some in the community only see him through racist lenses.

"I heard, 'That little boy ran from us,'" said Wyer, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce. "I'm 6-foot, 300 pounds. That took me down a notch. No matter who I am or where I am, I'm still seen as a little black boy."

Wyer shared his story during an Equity Project Alliance (EPA) meeting. EPA is a local initiative dedicated to confronting systemic racism and promoting transformative thinking, unity and equity in the community. Its vision is a collective focus to live in a community of authentic relationships that reflect equity and a deep appreciation of inclusion.

In the wake of the social unrest surrounding the murder of George Floyd, hotelier and philanthropist Julian MacQueen invited business leaders to participate in a series of conversations designed to allow persons of privilege to hear and understand how systemic racism impacts the lives of minorities in the community. The EPA held its first meeting in June 2020 and is up to about 30 sessions overall.

A longtime advocate for equity dating 66

back to his late teens, MacQueen and his wife, Kim, established the EPA believing that the business community can ignite change that positively fights systemic racism and injustices that persist in society. MacQueen cited the Highlander Research and Education Center as an inspiration for the EPA. A social justice leadership training school and cultural center in Tennessee, Highlander has served as the training grounds for civil rights leaders such as Rosa Parks and movements that featured Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis.

"My hope for EPA is we can establish not a big organization but a series of smaller organizations around Pensacola, Escambia County and Santa Rosa County," MacQueen said, "and then use that as a model for scale regionally and nationally so that we can create these moments where we can start to understand the African American experience as best we can."

MacQueen grew up affluent in a Birmingham suburb that embraced segregation. He said his family employed Black maids, butlers and kitchen staff, but he was oblivious to racism or racist undertones until he left for college and worked the night shift at a downtown Mobile hotel. He began to question his view of equity, especially after accepting the Baha'i faith, which believes in the oneness of humanity and the abolition of racial, class and religious prejudices.

Spend a few minutes on social media and humanity's oneness is easy to question.

Strangers spewing vitriol is commonplace any time the topic turns to race, religion, gender, sexual preference and politics.

"It just breaks my heart," MacQueen said.

"We used to have civil disagreement, and now it's turned personal."

EPA plans to address systemic racism through a methodical approach. Their guidelines include learning about their own participation in racism; finding equitable and creative solutions; seeking a positive impact in their own lives, businesses, communities and the region as a whole; and striving for genuine consultation, community care, innovative ideas and building trust.

Wyer cited results from the 2021 Quality of Life Report by the Pensacola Young Professionals as evidence of the disconnect between

Black and white populations in the region on racism. The report released a survey that revealed 83% of Black participants believe that systemic racism exists in Escambia County.

Only 42.3% of their white counterparts agreed.

The survey further revealed that 83.8% of Blacks versus 58.6% of whites rate the relationship between the Black community and the police in the county as negative. Overall, 13.1% of Black survey participants versus 34.7% of white considered rate relations in the county to be positive.

"It's not the overt racism that people in the '60s experienced with hoses and attack dogs. It's behind the scenes that's holding back the community." Brian Wyer "It's not the overt racism that people in the '60s experienced with hoses and attack dogs," Wyer said. "It's behind the scenes that's holding back the community."

The EPA strategic planning committee is focused on three interlinked areas to improve equity—wealth building, leadership accountability and narrative change.

The U.S. Census reports that minorities own 28% of businesses in Escambia County— close to the actual percentage of minorities in the county (31.1%). But Wyer said a significant number of minority businesses operate with just one or two employees and with minimal revenue streams. A 2019 study by Florida Health Charts reports the median income for the white population in Escambia County is $56, 446. That easily outpaces Hispanics at $42,627 and Blacks at $35,973.

The study further reports that 20% of Blacks, ages 16-24, in the region are neither employed nor in school. That is true for only 9% of whites in that same age range. Education is another area of concern, with 26% of Blacks earning a degree versus 47% of whites.

Dr. Lusharon Wiley, a board member and vice president of corporate culture for Innisfree Hotels, said her vision for wealth building is creating workforce opportunities in underserved neighborhoods and seeking grants and other funding sources to assist minority entrepreneurs.

"As a business leader, what can I do that will change the life of at least one individual?"

Wiley said. "I believe that we need to create opportunities for employment in communities where there are no jobs, no transportation to get to a job. Why have vocational schools so far out when the people who need jobs are located in the inner city? Why are there not opportunities in those communities?"

Minimal influence from minorities is one of the underlying issues, according to Wyer. Their voices are unheard in the rooms where decisions impact the community.

"Many of the boards I serve on, I'm their only minority," he said. "My goal is to make them more diverse so that it's not just my opinion being shared around the board room."

During EPA meetings, one of the primary topics has been addressing words that minorities associate with white privilege. Wiley said many terms commonly used are based on a history of racism and changing the narrative boils down to treating each other with respect.

"We're building with this core group of people who are very diverse," Wiley said.

"We have people coming from a Deep South Georgia segregated community to folks who are pretty wealthy. They're open to learning, changing the narrative and hearing other people's stories. It's sometimes uncomfortable for them to hear, but they're committed. In the messiness of those conversations, out of that comes growth and opportunity."

MacQueen agreed the conversations are sometimes uncomfortable but necessary for the EPA to fulfill its mission to confront systemic racism and transform the thinking that "little boy" is an acceptable term to describe a Black man.

"Many of the boards I serve on, I'm their only minority. My goal is to make them more diverse so that it's not just my opinion being shared around the board room." Wyer "They're very difficult conversations in a respectful way that allows mostly the white folks to understand why we are where we are and how it's 600 years of behavior that's unique in the world that has led us to this polarization of what the Black experience is like," MacQueen said. "It's wonderful to see everybody's commitment to EPA. We all have our day jobs and belong to boards and other organizations, but this seems to be where everybody wants to come back to and learn from each other. It's been a wonderful learning experience." {in}

EQUITY PROJECT ALLIANCE MEMBERS •Dick Appleyard •Rusty Branch •Donna Curry •Ted Ent •Shawn Graham •Kimberly Krupa •Julian MacQueen •Kim MacQueen •Peter Nowak •Scott Remington •Lloyd Reshard •Myra Van Hoose •Bill Wein •Brian Wyer

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SMITH REFLECTS ON "NEW NORM"

Students using Zoom / Photo Courtesy of Escambia County School District

By Jeremy Morrison For a couple of pandemic-weary years, educators and students have operated in a parallel universe where the tenants of normalcy have dissolved. Yet, somehow, they are expected to soldier on as if everything is as it's always been.

But everything is far from normal. The coronavirus pandemic has stunted, interrupted and upended the educational process.

"The pandemic, without question, has been one of the great challenges that we have faced," Escambia County School District Superintendent Tim Smith said recently. "It has been very challenging for kids to operate and go to school in an environment that's just so different."

Two years ago, students were split between on-campus and remote learning models, which presented issues for some students and created a new logistical realm for educators.

While public school students no longer have a remote option in Florida, the pandemic continues to generate waves of absentees for both students and staff.

As we enter our third year of COVID, Superintendent Smith took some time to discuss the pandemic's impact on his district.

"My hunch is that we are moving as a society into a phase where I think we expect there are probably going to be further variants with COVID," Smith said. "I think, mentally, we have to be prepared for that as a new norm."

"JUST NO OTHER WAY"

Superintendent Smith arrived in Escambia in November 2020 when the district was less than a year into the pandemic. The previous spring semester had retreated into a virtual February 17, 2022

learning environment. Since then, public education has been a roller coaster ride requiring flexibility and patience, not just when educating students but also when navigating the health and political minefields, such as mask mandates and bans.

Even so, when asked how his first year on the job has been and what he's discovered about Escambia, he paints the district in the most glowing swash of color. Smith adores the local community. He shared, "This is a fantastic county made up of people who care about education, support education, support our youth."

Encouraged by the district's teachers, Smith added, "They are dedicated; they've got determination; they have perseverance; they have grit. They just do what needs to be done."

The superintendent even had accolades for his school board members—"They have a heart for kids, big hearts for kids."

However, the pandemic's impact during the superintendent's tenure is impossible to overstate. Students for three years have struggled to keep up with their classwork, especially when the learning was done remotely.

"The reality is, we have some students who were on the remote platform last year who may have fallen behind," Smith said.

Now back at school and perhaps playing a bit of catch up, these students can experience academic anxiety of sorts.

"They may quickly get frustrated if they feel they're not as far ahead as they think they should be and what they're used to being in previous years," Smith explained. "That can be very stressful for students, to feel like they're behind or that they're deficient in learning any particular standards; that can be very stressful."

The superintendent said that he had not noticed a specific grade level presenting par-

ticular concerns when it comes to students falling behind.

"I'm not seeing a pattern emerge," he said. "I'd say it's across the board."

Probably the biggest concern for educators is the challenges presented by COVID-related absentees. As one variant of the coronavirus and the next sweep through our county, schools see both students and staff fall off the attendance rolls.

"Teachers and school-based personnel very much are having to adapt to that situation where COVID numbers increase dramatically," Smith said. "It's very difficult for kids if their teacher is not there, and it's very difficult for the teacher to move forward if a significant number of their kids are out."

The superintendent has noticed that the COVID infections and related absences tend to come in waves corresponding with the varying variants. The start of the school year, coming off of the summer's Delta variant, was pretty rough, and then things calmed down during the second half of the semester.

"It's very difficult for kids if their teacher is not there, and it's very difficult for the teacher to move forward if a significant number of their kids are out." Tim Smith "But then we got hit right out of the gate in the second semester with the Omicron variant in January," Smith said. "So we just keep pushing, and we try our best to meet the needs of the kids."

This is a problem without a solution— teachers can't teach, and students can't learn because both are out with COVID. "The one thing that's hard to get around with that is instructional time," Smith said of this pandemic conundrum. "Because if people contract COVID and they have the COVID virus, they have to stay at home. When that happens in large numbers, we lose instructional time; there's just no other way."

"JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN"

Aside from education concerns, the pandemic has also presented the district with off-the-charts logistical challenges. The staff

absences and labor shortages have required the district to get creative.

This January, for instance, during the peak of the Omicron variant, the school district saw a higher percentage of its employees out than at any other time. Superintendent Smith cast even this operational quagmire in light of optimism. He told Inweekly that he was impressed with how the district's staff covered for their fallen comrades.

"What you saw was people helping each other, colleagues helping their colleagues," Smith said. "You see teachers taking kids from other classes; they just make it happen," Rather than bemoan the classroom combinations, the superintendent prefers to praise the initiative of his teachers. Instead of complaining about a shortage of food service workers, he points out that school personnel is jumping online to help serve lunches. He's impressed with how custodial staff members are working at multiple schools to fill in for vacancies.

"You look at our bus drivers; they're always pitching in," Smith said. "They're doing double routes and triple routes, probably quadruple routes, when there's just no other alternative."

While Escambia's "incredible team effort" is undoubtedly admirable, these staffing shortages point to a more significant and longer-running issue. The district's inability to fill its jobs, both instructional and service level jobs, has been amplified by the challenges brought about by the pandemic, but it certainly predated the pandemic and probably has as much to do with the current job market.

"Getting applicants is very challenging," Smith said. "I've never seen it like this. I've never seen the labor market like this in my entire career. It has such a big trickle-down effect that it's been devastating."

When it comes to attracting teachers, the superintendent said that the district's human resources department is planning a series of recruiting trips to education colleges around the Southeast to enlist newly graduated teachers. Also, Escambia has reached out to the University of West Florida, which does not offer an actual education degree, to work with the school to attract students in relevant majors into the education field.

"For example, we spoke with the College of Engineering and Sciences, so they have students who could be math teachers or science teachers or technology teachers, so that's a really good group there to work with."

But partnering with UWF to attract noneducation majors is more of a long-game approach and doesn't address the immediate need. The superintendent admitted, "Those aren't quick turnarounds. They don't impact us in August, right?"

Attempting to remain positive, Smith acknowledged, "So it is daunting. I hope our recruiting trips go well, but we have to hire a lot of teachers, and we have to hire a lot of support personnel, too." {in} 7

LEARNING ABOUT RAIN AND SEASHELLS WITH CYNTHIA BARNETT

Cynthia Barnett / Courtesy Photo

By Hunter Morrison The Pensacola MESS Hall, an interactive science center, will host a one-of-a-kind author talk with environmental journalist and author Cynthia Barnett on Tuesday, Feb. 22.

Barnett will be discussing her book "Rain: A Natural and Cultural History," named a best book of 2015 by NPR's Science Friday, the Boston Globe and others.

The talk will highlight the natural and cultural history of rain, as well as rain in Florida history and future.

"Rainfall is becoming more severe in a climate-changed world, and that has been particularly a dramatic story in Pensacola and other parts of the Panhandle," said Barnett.

"Hurricanes, too, are becoming more severe in a warmer world. The talk will blend some

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of this cultural history with some of what we know about the changing climate."

Barnett's discussion will draw from science, history and art to illustrate some of the connections between rain and life, past, present and future. The talk will also highlight how water can be part of the solution in preparing for climate change.

"One thing that happened to me when I wrote my first two books, which were a little more policy-oriented, is that I really found that people appreciate the human drama and poetry of water much more than they do policy issues," Barnett said. "That's how I came to write my third book. I think of it more as poetry than pipeline."

In addition to the author talk at the Pensacola MESS Hall, Barnett will be signing her newest book, "The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans," at Bodacious Bookstore and Café. The book is a natural and

cultural history of seashells that reveals what they are telling us about nature, our changing oceans and ourselves.

"My idea for that book was to take one of the most beloved objects in nature, seashells, as a way to draw people to the story of what's happening to the ocean and its life," said Barnett. "Seashells all over the world and here in Florida are telling us a lot about climate change and other human impacts to the ocean."

"The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans" was recently named one of the top science books of 2021 by NPR's Science Friday. The Pensacola MESS Hall, which will be present at the book signing, will offer hands-on science activities related to seashells.

The Pensacola MESS Hall, which was founded in 2012, offers a hands-on science experience with rotating activities and exhibits.

The organization also hosts outreach programs and field trips. This is the MESS Hall's firstever author talk.

"I've been looking for the last several years about the opportunity to host an author talk," said Megan Pratt, executive director of the Pensacola MESS Hall. Barnett's name is on a list of impactful science speakers provided by the Florida Humanities Council.

"I saw her name and thought, 'Oh, that looks very cool,'" Pratt added. "Particularly, she is going to be speaking about rain, and we have an estuary-themed exhibit right now."

The MESS Hall will follow the author talk and book signing with an adult interactive forum in March that explores how cities should plan for extreme precipitation that comes with

climate change. Participants will use visualizations to explore potential vulnerabilities in city infrastructures, social networks and ecosystems from extreme precipitation.

"It all sort of seemed to flow together as a great combination of ideas and approach to thinking about current science issues," Pratt said.

"A lot of people think the Pensacola MESS Hall is just a place to bring the kids, but really, science is for everyone," said Pratt. "We're excited to have a really engaging event for adults to learn about current science issues."

Barnett hopes that her discussion at the author talk and material in her books will transpire into conversations about the natural world and climate change in the community.

She also hopes to inspire change.

"In my work, I try very hard to not hit anyone over the head with bad news," said Barnett. "These talks are really infused with a lot of wonder, but I hope that people will come away with a sense of what's happening to our state and our world. I also hope that I can inspire some to help us live differently and turn things around." {in}

AUTHOR TALK WITH CYNTHIA BARNETT

WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22 WHERE: Pensacola MESS Hall, 418 E. Wright St. COST: Free, but advance registration is required DETAILS: pensacolamesshall.org

BOOK SIGNING WITH CYNTHIA BARNETT

WHEN: Noon on Tuesday, Feb. 22 WHERE: Bodacious Bookstore and Cafe, 110 E. Intendencia St. DETAILS: bodaciousbookstore.com

inweekly.net

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

AD DESIGN COURTESY OF BRAND ON US ™, AN IDGROUP INITIATIVE.

In Memoriam Neil Overholtz With great sorrow and a heavy heart, we report the passing of our friend, colleague, and unrelenting advocate for justice, attorney, Neil Overholtz. Neil’s passing marks the dimming of one of the brightest stars in the products liability mass tort world.

During Neil’s two decades long career he fought tirelessly for his clients, primarily in the areas of pharmaceutical and medical device product liability.

Neil, as the proverbial David, took on and defeated the biggest Goliath’s for his clients. In doing so, he garnered the universal support and admiration of his peers who repeatedly selected him to lead coordinated efforts to master complex scientific concepts and uncover corporate corruption.

Federal Courts around the country recognized Neil’s prowess, regularly selecting Neil to leadership positions offered only to the best, sharpest attorneys.

Neil was unmatched in his ability to synthesize information gleaned through the review of millions of documents to present courts and witnesses with a clear picture of the conduct giving rise to liability.

He was a fearless and fearsome deposition taker, eliciting some of the most compelling testimony in litigation after litigation. It has been said that Neil was able, in short-order, to comprehend complex topics such as physics, chemistry, epidemiology, and pharmacology to such an astounding depth, that he knew more than most medical doctors, Ph.D.’s, and CEO’s he challenged during high-stakes, case-defining depositions.

Neil’s loss leaves a huge hole in the Plaintiff’s mass tort bar. He is gone now but will never be forgotten.

Neil leaves behind his wife Gaye Overholtz, his children Grace and Katie Overholtz and his step-children, Carl and Emily Dawson. Funeral arrangements are pending at this time. Inquiries may be sent to: NeilOverholtz@awkolaw.com and we will provide further information when available.

February 17, 2022

9

FOO FOO GRANTS In 2022, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $400,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000.

"Foo Foo Fest is almost like that kick-off event for the arts season for Pensacola," Maria Goldberg, who chairs the event, told Inweekly.

"So it's, 'Hey, come down and check it out during these two weeks. And while you're here, you're going to experience some of these great things, and then you're also going to see what else those organizations are doing for the rest of their season.' And because that's what Foo is about—Foo is about our awesome arts and cultural community."

All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to submit their various events—occurring Nov. 3-14—for consideration to become a "Friend of Foo," receiving visibility as part of the regional marketing campaign and throughout the 12-day event.

To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit acepensacola.org. To apply for consideration as a "Friend of Foo," visit foofoofest.com.

Foo Foo Fest Application Timeline: •Friday, March 11­— Foo Foo Fest Organization Letter of Intent Deadline •Friday, May 6—Foo Foo Fest Grant Application Deadline (Noon CST) •Tuesday, May 24—Public Grant Scoring and Official Announcement To watch the virtual kick-off event and download resources provided by the committee, visit acepensacola.org. For more informa010 1

tion on the 2022 Pensacola Foo Foo Festival, visit foofoofest.com.

UNDERHILL'S DODGE In September,

Commissioner Doug Underhill told the daily newspaper that he can't wait for his day in court to defend himself against the probable cause findings of the Florida Commission on Ethics. He said, "I'm confident that I didn't do anything wrong, and once the investigation and the hearing is done, I think that's what we'll all see."

However, he failed to respond to discovery responses from the Attorney General's advocate, missing the Friday, Jan. 28, deadline. The administrative hearing was set for Feb. 16-17.

The probable cause findings, which the ethics commission approved unanimously, concern a legal defense fund that Underhill set up and failed to report on a timely basis. He also allegedly took funds from a person lobbying the county for business. Underhill also released a shade meeting transcript in violation of Florida law and against the instructions of the county attorney.

The advocate filed a motion for the judge to compel the embattled commissioner to respond to the discovery request by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10. An emergency Zoom hearing was called, and Administrative Law Judge Garnett Chisenhall granted Underhill an extension, moving the hearing to March 22. The commissioner agreed to answer the advocate's request in 15 days.

WILL OTHERS HELP? The homeless encampment located beneath the I-110 overpass near downtown has been cleaned up in preparation for the Florida Department of Transportation to begin its greenway project. To clear the camp, the city had to relocate individuals residing there.

At his Feb. 7 press conference, Mayor Grover Robinson acknowledged that the closing of the encampment was but a step in the ongoing process to improve the outlook for the area's homeless population.

"Listen, homelessness is not over. We've moved a bunch of people, we've made life better for them, but we didn't stop homelessness.

We're going to continue to experience and deal with that," Robinson said. "What we need to do is be more willing and creative going forward."

The mayor said that the partnerships forged between various community groups that serve the homeless community would continue beyond this encampment phase.

He hoped the effort would be expanded to include other local governments in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

"We now have some incredible partnerships that we didn't have before," Robinson said, also suggesting that the city and other jurisdictions should designate funds in their annual budgets to address the issue of homelessness."

The mayor wondered aloud if the critics of his efforts might discourage others from helping with homelessness. He said, "Everyone ended up attacking the one individual who was trying to help, and I don't know that that will make them want to do it."

He also lamented the media's coverage.

Robinson said, "I think we have been successful; I don't think it was portrayed as successful.

That'll shape probably more of where the narrative goes from here, is how it's portrayed."

PITCHING WARRINGTON Warrington Middle School has been involved in state turnaround efforts for years. On Wednesday, Feb. 9, Escambia School Superintendent Tim Smith told state education officials that the struggling middle school appeared on track to make a much-needed C this year.

"The people are in place to make it happen, and I have a great deal of confidence that Warrington is going to be able to move up a grade level," Smith told Inweekly after his presentation in Tallahassee.

Warrington has struggled to overcome its D rating, putting the school in jeopardy of either closing or converting to a charter environment.

The school is under a state improvement plan and receives assistance from the Bureau of School Improvement and an external provider.

"If we don't get a C, we get into a tight spot there. Either the school has to close, or you go to a charter school situation," Smith explained.

"The importance of moving up to the C is huge. You've got kids there who are learning

and have exciting futures, so the whole thing is to get that level. So if we earn a C, the school is in a good spot and can continue the normal program that we have."

Last year, Smith persuaded the Florida State Board of Education to give Warrington Middle another year following a string of D grades. But the school was required to bring on new teachers and administrators, which made for a "very challenging" start to this academic year with the COVID spike.

"The students didn't know most of their teachers, and the teachers didn't know the school, so there was just kind of this whole learning curve." Tim Smith "A lot of teachers were absent; a lot of kids were absent; a lot of substitutes were not available," Smith said. "It was an incredibly challenging first nine weeks because people just had to get to know each other. The students didn't know most of their teachers, and the teachers didn't know the school, so there was just kind of this whole learning curve."

However, Smith said things at Warrington began "flowing much better" by the second nine weeks. By November, progress tests were reflecting "nice forward movement." He told state officials that he's confident Warrington will make the necessary C grade this year.

"It's very promising, very promising," Smith reflected after his presentation. "We've got the students, teachers, support staff and administrators to do it, so it's looking good."

CHILDERS HAS 20 DAYS Judge William Stone has given County Clerk Pam Childers 20 days to show cause why the relief requested by the Board of County Commissioners concerning its 401(a) retirement plan with ICMA should not be granted. The clerk stopped making payments to the plan for Commissioners Steven Barry, Robert Bender and Lumon May last month.

The commissioners have asked Judge Stone to declare that the ICMA contract is lawful and currently in force. They believe the clerk has no discretion to interpret the terms of the ICMA contract and take any steps to interfere with its performance.

Childers tried to do an end-around. She sent a letter to Commission Chairman Jeff Bergosh asserting County Attorney Alison Rogers had opined to an HR staffer that Commissioners Barry, Bender and May were no longer eligible for the 401(a) plan.

She wrote, "...it appears that the dispute as to the propriety of my refusing to further contributions to that Plan is moot. Would it not be prudent, therefore, to dispense with further litigation..." inweekly.net

However, Rogers never opined any such position. HR Director Crystal Dadura investigated and found her staffer had confused the clerk with the county attorney.

"Ms. Taber is still new and did not know that Ms. Pam Childers was the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller and not the County Attorney when sending the email to FRS," said Dadura in an email. "Ms. Taber was using the letter from Ms. Childers and was referencing Ms. Childers as the County Attorney when stating, 'per our County Attorney, they are no longer eligible for this plan.'"

The clerk should have had her attorney contact the county to seek clarification before sending a letter to Commissioner Bergosh.

ISLAND TIME Escambia County is adding speed tables to calm the traffic on Pensacola Beach. Commissioner Robert Bender told Inweekly, "In 2020, we did a crosswalk study.

At a town hall, some residents felt that we hadn't adequately captured what they were seeing. So this past summer, we redid the study, and it did show that we could make some improvements."

There were also complaints about speeding on Via de Luna. The county decided to install speed tables, similar to what is in front of the Flora-Bama on Perdido Key. "It's a little bit different design than a speed hump or bump," Bender said. "We held another town hall back in October of this past year. And people that attended, three to one, wanted the speed table. So we've been working on putting those in and getting them in before spring break."

The speed tables are relatively inexpensive, and they don't have to be permanent.

Bender said, "With spring break coming up and the summer season, we want to give it a good try to make sure that when people come out on the beach, they slow down."

He added, "I was actually talking with a large business manager out there this earlier this week. He said, 'When you get to the beach, be on beach time. You can slow down

and enjoy it. You're on island time.' We do want people to slow down because we are having more people on the beach."

CHILDREN'S TRUST Tammy Greer started work as the executive director of the Escambia Children's Trust on Monday, Feb. 14, following the board approving her contract on Feb. 8. The trust is an independent special taxing district approved by Escambia County voters in 2020. With a projected annual budget of $8-10 million, its mission is to fund preventive, developmental, treatment and rehabilitative services for children in Escambia County.

White praised the volunteer who has handled the operations while the board found an executive director.

"Carolyn Appleyard has been a tremendous help, and I just want to give her a shout out," White told Inweekly. "She has volunteered her services, and without her, we would not be anywhere where we are today. She has been our interim administrator and has been excellent. So we really appreciate all that she's done the past nine months."

DRIBBLE DRIVE The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championship will return to Pensacola March 2-7 at the Pensacola Bay Center.

The Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Dribble Drive, sponsored

by FPL, is scheduled for Saturday, March 5, beginning at 1 p.m. at the Bay Center. Children ages 3-12 can join the fun and dribble their basketballs around the venue grounds and into the Bay Center, where games will be taking place.

Each participant will receive a free T-shirt, basketball and two tickets to the March 5 men's quarterfinal games slated for 2 p.m.

Registration is available through sunbeltsports. org/dribbledrive.

Before the Dribble Drive, fans are invited to come to the Sun Belt Fan Fest at the Bay Center from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. for food, music, drinks and fun.

REPAIRS BEGIN The city of Pensacola began

repairs on Wednesday, Feb. 16, to the Plaza de Luna boardwalk and park that were damaged during Hurricane Sally. Waterfront areas of Plaza de Luna will be closed while repairs are completed, with an estimated completion date of July 2022.

All remaining FEMA-funded projects related to Hurricane Sally's damage in the city of Pensacola are expected to be completed by Summer 2022, except for Wayside Park.

Additional FEMA Project Status Updates (Subject to Change) •Bayview Park piers: Construction is underway. Estimated project completion in February 2022.

•Commendencia Slip: Construction bid opening Feb. 15. Construction to commence Spring 2022 with estimated project completion in Summer 2022.

•Osceola Golf Course and Clubhouse: Design nearing completion. Construction to commence Spring 2022 with estimated project completion in Summer 2022.

•Wayside Park: Coordinating with FEMA on funding amount. Construction to follow once funding is approved.

In addition to the FEMA approval process, which is necessary for the city of Pensacola to receive federal funding for these projects, some of the construction timelines have been delayed by the nationwide shortage of lumber and material.

NEW DRAINAGE The city of Pensacola

has installed drainage improvements at the intersection of Cross Street and Sixth Avenue to mitigate historical flooding issues, saving nearly $500,000 in taxpayer dollars by using in-house expertise from Public Works and Engineering staff. This portion of Cross Street had previously been impassable during rain events, flooding 9-12 inches deep with standing water remaining for several days.

The project was originally expected to require the installation of storm pipes and structures to mitigate flooding, with an estimated

cost of approximately $636, 400. However, city staff creatively solved the issue in-house by installing concrete valley gutters for a total cost of roughly $143,700.

"Projects like this continue to demonstrate what an incredible team we have here at the city of Pensacola," Mayor Grover Robinson said. "There are so many stories like this that we don't get the opportunity to share, but I am always proud of the hard work and dedication that city of Pensacola employees display every day while serving our citizens."

The city has installed three of the five proposed gutters on Cross Street. While more gutters are slated to be installed, the new gutters have already proven to be effective at reducing flooding in the area during and after rain events. Concrete valley gutters remedy flooding by routing standing water to any area with positive drainage.

HELP FOR CITY HOMEOWNERS Homeowners in the city of Pensacola with overdue or back mortgage and/or utility payments may be eligible for assistance through the city's Community Development Block Grant-Coronavirus Funds.

Applications are available at bit.ly/3rtW1zH until all funds have been committed.

In response to the pandemic, the city of Pensacola has received CDBG-Coronavirus Funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Approximately $261,000 will be made available to assist eligible homeowners within the city limits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic with overdue or back mortgage and/or utility payments.

Eligible expenses must occur between March 1, 2020, to date. Maximum assistance will be up to $7,500 per household and will be paid directly to the mortgage and/or utility company.

Also, the homeowner must live within the city limits and have income adversely impacted by COVID-19. Total household income cannot exceed 80% of Area Median Income. The program is only for mortgage and utility assistance.

For information, please get in touch with the city's Housing Department at housingprograms@cityofpensacola.com. {in}

MOST INVESTMENT LOSSES ARE FROM PRODUCTS WITH CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS PETER J. MOUGEY | Recovered $250 Million on Behalf of over 3,000 Investors SECURITIES & BUSINESS LITIGATION | HOLD YOUR STOCK BROKER ACCOUNTABLE

850.435.7000 | LEVINLAW.COM | PENSACOLA, FL February 17, 2022

11

Remembering the Tuskegee Airmen and

The Legacy of Chappie James

By C. Scott Satterwhite

The Tuskegee Airmen exhibit at the Chappie James Museum / Photos by Tim Bednarczyk

Late last year, the General Chappie James Museum and Flight Academy opened a new exhibit about the famed Tuskegee Airmen, and they're looking for the public to visit.

Located at his boyhood home, the museum opened in 2018 to celebrate the life of the nation's first African American four-star general.

Though General James is the primary focus, the museum also hosts a youth flight academy and a permanent exhibit to his mother's schoolhouse. Now, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit compliments the other aspects of the museum as it continues to educate Pensacolians, young and old.

Touring the new Tuskegee Airmen exhibit, board member Ellis Jones pointed to a picture of Eleanor Roosevelt sitting in the cockpit behind Alfred "Chief" Anderson. Anderson is seen as the father of Black aviation.

"This photograph was taken and the next day was all over the front pages of many newspapers," said Jones. "It gave a real favor212 1

able impression to a lot of Americans, seeing her in the backseat of this plane, knowing that she had gone up for a couple of hours from Tuskegee," said Jones. "This became one of the posters of the Tuskegee Airmen."

The Tuskegee Airmen exhibit features photos, timelines and military insignias. While James is a part of the exhibit, the focus is on the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and their story.

The Tuskegee Airmen are among one of the most storied group of veterans from World War II. Organized into a segregated military, the future Black aviators trained at one of the most famous HBCUs, Tuskegee Institute, beginning in 1941.

With the support of President Franklin Roosevelt, and with the urgings of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, the program grew to train some of the most skilled aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps, including James. Although James wasn't sent overseas to fight the Nazis, he trained countless pilots who did.

The exhibit goes into detail about the history of the Tuskegee Airmen and their many accomplishments during and after the war.

Although James is in the exhibit, the focus is on all of the aviators. Besides James, at least two other Pensacolians were part of the Tuskegee Airmen—Grover Crumbsy and James Pokinghome.

In addition to the airmen's military accomplishments, one of the exhibit panels covers the NAACP's "Double V" campaign— "V" for victory over oppression overseas and another "V" for victory over oppression in the United States.

Fighting against fascism in Europe, many African Americans couldn't help but notice the irony of training in racially segregated cities in a racially segregated military, often meeting racial violence inside and outside the gates of the camp. Many stories abound of Nazi POWs, imprisoned in the United States, receiving better treatment than Black troops in the South.

During the war, James and many of his fellow service members participated in protests that drew the attention of the NAACP's top lawyer, Thurgood Marshall. These protests, as well as the accomplishments of Black service members in the war, helped bring about the end of segregation in the Armed Forces.

Through a partnership with the UWF Historic Trust and the passion of local graphic designer Chuck Alvare, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit is the latest part of James' career showcased by the museum.

According to Jones, the response to the exhibit "has been great." Jones added, "The biggest challenge for us now is getting people to come in."

Like many museums and cultural institutions, mostly volunteers run the Chappie James Museum. COVID-19 has also made keeping regular hours difficult, but next to staffing, the size of the building is the greatest concern with allowing the public to enter freely. inweekly.net

"We have such a small space," said Jones.

"We've been trying to decide how do we divide the size of groups when they come in. Plus, our hours of operation have been diminished, so we're trying to figure out how do we keep our doors open; how do we advertise to let people know we're open, but on a limited basis."

Jones said that UWF students are helping create a social media plan to advertise, as well as various other marketing aspects for the museum.

"We're looking forward to getting some help from them to see how they can assist us," said Jones.

While the pandemic didn't help the museum, Jones did say that it was able to take advantage of the downtime that came from closure, pointing to the exhibit as a so-called COVID Project.

Located in James' former childhood home, the rest of the museum is broken up into two sections. One part is devoted to his mother, whose mantra is proudly displayed on the wall—"Thou Shalt Not Quit." The room is supposed to simulate what her small but influential schoolhouse meant to Pensacola's Black community.

The other room is devoted to General James' later years in the military. Though James did not fight in World War II, he flew combat missions in the Korean War and the Vietnam War, later leading the North American Aerospace Defense Command. James retired as a four-star general in the U.S. Air Force but tragically died less than a month later.

Among the items in the main room are a mixture of replicas and actual items from James' military career, including his personal flight suit that is on loan from his grandson.

Other items include a growing collection of models of aircraft that James flew when he was in the service, from his early days in Tuskegee to his final days after a long career.

February 17, 2022

Adjacent to the museum is the Chappie James Flight Academy, whose stated mission is to "build student confidence in the classroom using aviation as the key to learning discipline."

The academy is run by former military aviators and is open to youth between the ages of 13-17.

Clifton Curtis, president of the Chappie James Flight Academy, is a former Naval Aviator and current commercial pilot. Curtis said that he first heard of James as a teenager when he was in the youth organization Jack and Jill, a group dedicated to building African American community leaders.

As a Pensacola native, Curtis knew people who knew James but didn't understand the general's significance at that time. "I didn't quite grasp the enormity of who he was," said Curtis.

A family friend who knew James once told Curtis, "Nobody ever talks about Chappie anymore." He said that he's reminded of her often and thinks to himself, "Well, they're talking about him now."

The growth of the Flight Academy and the museum, as well as the recent renaming of the "3-Mile Bridge" to the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Bridge is a testament to how James' legacy has only grown since his death in 1978.

Jones said that he considers the general a personal hero as he continues to devote his time to helping tell his story. The main goal of the museum now is to get people to see the museum, grow the academy, learn about the Tuskegee Airmen and continue to tell James' extraordinary story.

Thanks to the efforts of the Chappie James Museum and Flight Academy, the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit is now on permanent display, retelling this history to new generations who the staff hopes will continue to be inspired for years to come. {in}

Chappie James Museum chappiejamesmuseum.org

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17-24

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

Pensacon Welcomes Ethan Embry

By Jennifer Leigh

Ethan Embry / Photo by Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Ethan Embry might have an ulterior motive for coming to Pensacon.

"I think Pensacola is lovely," he said over the phone recently. "I used to visit Orange Beach, and we'd go to the antique shops in Pensacola. If you came over to my house, you'd see it's super eclectic. I like to find beautiful things."

You might remember him for his roles in "Empire Records," "Can't Hardly Wait," "That Thing You Do" or "Grace and Frankie," where he plays Coyote, son to Frankie and Sol Bergstein, played by Lily Tomlin and Sam Waterston respectively.

Those early roles of the mid to late 1990s have stuck to Embry despite the fact he has a long list of credits. It used to embarrass him.

Now, he appreciates the nostalgia.

"I usually finish a movie and I move on.

February 17, 2022

I don't watch it or focus on it," he said. "But seeing what those films mean to other people causes me to have an affection for those parts."

"I usually finish a movie and I move on. I don't watch it or focus on it. But seeing what those films mean to other people causes me to have an affection for those parts." Ethan Embry He was just a teenager when he played the loveable goofball, Mark, in "Empire Records."

The movie was considered a flop when it opened in only 87 theaters and grossed $250,000. Over the years, the movie has become a cult classic.

It's even a meme. Visit Twitter on April 8 of any given year and you'll see Rex Manning Day trending. If you know, you know.

The movie's belated popularity was a "total surprise" to Embry.

"There was a movie night in Los Angeles and it was playing 'Empire Records,'" Embry recalled. "That was the first time I watched it with an audience, and it was a complete surprise."

He said he's gained an appreciation for the film's "don't sell out" attitude. It's a time capsule of the mid-1990s, when plaid and combat boots were closet staples and you actually bought tangible music.

"It had that Seattle vibe—do your art, stay hungry, stay poor," he said. "That's kind of gone now."

Acting since he was 12 years old, Embry is one of the lucky child actors who transitioned into adult roles without any scandals or tabloid headlines.

"It doesn't mean I wasn't an idiot," he said.

"I shied away from publicity. I wanted (acting) to be just a job—the fame part of it is not what drives me."

What does drive him is the work itself. He's a self-described character actor with a pragmatic attitude to Hollywood. But he does take pleasure in the introspective nature of acting.

It might even be a form of therapy.

"I see my job as a study of people," he said.

"And I'm able to educate myself—open myself up to (the character's) way of thinking. I learn a lot about myself as I'm looking for those traits within myself."

Nowadays, Embry has thrown himself into horror films—a genre that has generated a lot more respect in recent years.

"The labor that goes into them, it's like high art," Embry said. "Art exists to trigger an emotional reaction in an audience. That's what horror does. That feeling of fear is so strong.

Your body flinches; you might gasp out loud.

It's so much fun to see an audience react."

Like a lot of people, Embry is a fan of "The Walking Dead." Being on the show in 2015 (the episode "First Time Again," for you hardcore fans) was "quite the treat."

"It's a show that pops up in our industry once every 10 years," he said. "People have built a community around it. The people involved in that show are so creative, and you can tell how thankful they are."

Outside of his day job, Embry is active on Twitter, where he shares his thoughts on news and politics. He's unapologetic about his progressive views, and while he's open to

dialogue and discussion, he says the topic of equality for LGBTQ persons or minorities is not up for debate.

It's hard not to wonder if he was at all inspired by the political activism of Jane Fonda, who he works with on "Grace and Frankie." He remembers watching the democratic debates in between takes on set with Fonda, Tomlin, Waterston and Martin Sheen.

"I was watching it on my iPad, and then all four of them started watching with me," he said.

As a Georgia resident, he said he felt excited to vote in the 2020 election to help flip the state blue. He's also on board with Stacey Abrams becoming the next governor.

"She's really smart and has the right ideas not just for Georgia but to make America's experience better," he said.

Embry admits he doesn't believe he's changing any minds through social media. More than anything, he just wants people to have awareness.

"These days, it's more important to just pay attention, man."

Living in the South might be a bit of a culture shock from California, where Embry was born.

But he chooses to find common ground with people. Boycotting states can do more hurt than help, he said. Instead, he wants to show support.

"I find a major difference between the leaders who are writing these suppressive laws and the residents of their states," he said. "I believe most of us think in very similar ways."

Luckily, Embry's time in Florida will be about meeting with fans, and, of course, antiquing. He said he's looking forward to connecting with people and embracing some nostalgia.

"Each of those projects are a part of me in different ways," he said. "In 'White Squall,' I got to live on a boat for six months; I got to cuddle in a hammock with Liv Tyler; I was a rock star for four months … it's those experiences that I'm attached to." {in}

ETHAN EMBRY AT PENSACON

WHAT: A panel and Q&A with actor Ethan Embry WHEN: 4:30 p.m., Friday Feb. 18 WHERE: DeLuna Event Space, 116 E. Gonzalez St. DETAILS: pensacon.com *To see the rest of Inweeky's Pensacon picks, turn to page 16.

15

a&e happenings MARDI GRAS EVENTS

NAVARRE MARDI GRAS PARADE The

Navarre Mardi Gras Parade will be Saturday, Feb. 19, on Navarre Beach. This year's theme is "Welcome Back." No vendors will be allowed this year. For more parade info, visit nkoj.org.

PIRATES OF LOST TREASURE MARDI GRAS FLOTILLA On Saturday, Feb. 19,

Pirates of Lost Treasure (PLT) will host their annual Mardi Gras Flotilla starting from the Holiday Harbor Marina at 10:45 a.m. Registration will be $50 per boat. For more information regarding future PLT Mardi Gras events, go to piratesoflosttreasure.org. For additional information or questions, please contact CoChairman Gregg Slawson at (850) 748-3222.

KIDS AND KRITTERS PARADE The 12th an-

nual Kids and Kritters Parade is set for Saturday, Feb. 19, at 2 p.m. in the Casino Beach parking lot across from Sidelines on Pensacola Beach.

There is no charge to attend. Visit pensacolabeachmardigras.com for more information.

JAZZ PENSACOLA MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION Join Jazz Pensacola on Monday,

Feb. 21, from 6:30-9 p.m. for a fundraiser featuring The Seville Saints & Village Brass at Phineas Phogg's at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $20. Visit jazzpensacola.com for more information.

KREWE OF LAFITTE ILLUMINATED MARDI GRAS PARADE Don't miss one

of the most colorful parades of Mardi Gras season 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. For more information, visit kreweoflafitte.com.

MARDI GRAS PARTY AT ODD COLONY

Visit Odd Colony, located at 260 N. Palafox, for a slew of seasonal beer releases and Mardi Gras celebrating starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for more information.

PENSACOLA MARDI GRAS GRAND PARADE Head to Downtown Pensacola

where dozens of floats will parade down Palafox and Government streets at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Visit pensacolamardigras.com for more information.

Pensacon Picks

KREWE OF WRECKS MARDI GRAS PARADE The Krewe of Wrecks will host their annual Mardi Gras parade at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, on Pensacola Beach. Visit pensacolabeachmardigras.com for more information.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

KEEP PENSACOLA BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL COMMUNI-TEE CUP MINI GOLF TOURNAMENT Help support Keep Pensacola Beautiful programming at the Fourth Annual Communi-Tee Cup Mini Golf Tournament Thursday, Feb. 24, from 5:30-9 p.m. located at Goofy Golf Amusement Center, 3924 W. Navy Blvd. Tickets start at $15 for kids and $30 for adults. Team tickets are $100 for four players.

For more information, visit keeppensacolabeautiful.org/communi-tee-cup.

SUNDAY'S CHILD SET TO AWARD $120,000 IN GRANTS IN 2022 For 2022,

Sunday's Child organization raised $120,000 among 178 members, allowing the organization to offer four grants of $30,000 each to Pensacola Bay Area 501(c)(3)nonprofits that place value on diversity, inclusion and equality.

Grant applications are vetted by members, and winners are determined by the votes of members at an annual meeting in June of each year. The Sunday's Child mission is to promote equality and inspire inclusion across the community by awarding grants for significant charitable and economic initiatives with a vision of a fully accepting and inclusive Pensacola Bay area that embraces the LGBTQ+ citizens and their contributions to the community.

Sunday's Child is now accepting letters of intent through Wednesday, Feb. 23. A nonprofit workshop will be held on Feb. 3 for all local nonprofits wishing to learn more about the grants process. Visit sundayschild.org for more information.

WUWF HOSTS STORYCORPS FOR LOCAL STORYTELLING OPPORTUNITIES Sto-

ryCorps, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to recording, preserving and sharing the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, comes to Pensacola Feb. 17-March 11 to record interviews, in-person and virtually, as part of its Mobile Tour.

Participants have the option of recording in-person or via StoryCorps' Virtual Record-

Illustration by Pat Broderick

Need some guidance on what and who to see this year? Here's a list of panels and events that we think you shouldn't miss. For a full schedule, visit pensacon.com

GEORGE TAKEI "Oh myyy!" The original

PENSACON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

JOHN BARROWMAN Barrowman is a Pensacon favorite. Don't miss his Q&A 1:30 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 at DeLuna Event Space.

If you love films and filmmakers, here's a chance to support them. The film festival is 2, 3:30, 5 6, and 8 p.m. Friday, Feb . 18, 11 a.m., 12:30, 2, 3:30, 5, 6:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. The awards ceremony will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20. All of those events are located at the Pensacola Cultural Center Rehearsal Hall.

JOEY FATONE AND NICK CARTER

If you could never decide between *NSYNC or Backstreet Boys, then you're in luck. Members from both bands are at Pensacon 2022. Don't miss their joint panel 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18 at Pensacola Cultural Center.

RICHARD DREYFUSS Oscar-winning ac-

tor Richard Dreyfuss will be talking about his long and diverse career 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 at the DeLuna Event Space.

ing Booth, a video-conferencing platform that can be accessed remotely using an internetconnected device. Participants can learn more about safety precautions for in-person recording at storycorps.org.

Reservations to record can be made by calling StoryCorps' 24-hour toll-free reserva-

Mr. Sulu is at Pensacon. Check out his panel at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19 at the DeLuna Event Space.

MICHAEL ROOKER For fans of "Guardians of the Galaxy," and "Suicide Squad." Michael Rooker's Q&A is 12:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20 at DeLuna Event Space.

COSTUME CONTEST For fans of cosplay creations, see the best of the best all in one place. The contest takes place at 7 p.m.

Saturday, Feb. 19 at Court of DeLuna.

PENSACON

WHEN: Friday, Feb. 18-Sunday, Feb. 20 WHERE: Downtown Pensacola COST: $35-$45 for day passes or $85 for a three-day pass DETAILS: pensacon.com

tion line at (800) 850-4406 or visiting storycorps.org or wuwf.org/storycorps.

CALL TO ARTISTS

ARTS & CRAFTS EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZFEST Jazz Pensacola is calling arts and

crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the

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

127 Palafox Place Suite 100 (850)466-3115 autumnbeckblackledge.com 616 1

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 inweekly.net

a&e happenings 2022 Pensacola JazzFest, taking place 10 a.m.7 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday, April 3, at Seville Square.

Application form can be found at jazzpensacola.com.

Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/mass-produced products will be accepted. Please read the complete contract, particularly concerning refunds.

All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10 canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the community.

tion of Palafox and Romana to meet the artist.

More information can be found at gallerynightpensacola.org.

CUBED LIVE PAINTING The UWF Pen-

your favorite songs from musical theatre and movies from the Pensacola Choral Society at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, at Pensacola State College Ashmore Auditorium, 1000 College Blvd. Tickets are $10-$20. Purchase yours at performingarts.pensacolastate.edu or by calling (850) 484-1847.

sacola Museum of Art (PMA) invites all artists to submit their mural ideas for a chance to participate in the Cubed 2022 Live Painting Event. Artists must be available March 5-6 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for the live painting of their mural. Each artist will be working with one side of an 8-by-8 cube in the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza. Cubed Mural Paintings will be on display for one year.

Interested artists are encouraged to submit a letter of intent for their mural and a link to their online portfolio or a selection of five-10 works of art to pma@uwf.edu by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 20.

For additional information, contact the PMA at pma@uwf.edu, or call (850) 432-6247.

ARTS & CULTURE

2022 PENSACOLA FILM FESTIVAL The

Pensacola Film Festival will feature Oscarnominated short and feature films starting Feb. 25 on Fridays and Saturdays. Showtimes are 1 and 4:30 p.m. PCA is located at 220 W. Garden St. Tickets are $10 cash only and include a beverage and snacks. Visit pensacolacinemaart. com for more information.

AN EVENING IN ISRAEL The Global Corner will celebrate this year's Passport Program with a fundraiser at The Pensacola Opera Center, at 75 S. Tarragona St., from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. The event's theme is "An Evening in Israel" featuring authentic Israeli food and wine.

Visit theglobalcorner.org for more information.

NEWSBOYS: STAND TOGETHER TOUR

Newsboys featuring Danny Gokey, Mac Powell and Adam Agee will be at Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $24.25-$83.75. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for tickets and information.

FEBRUARY GALLERY NIGHT On Friday, Feb. 18, from 5-9 p.m., Gallery Night Pensacola will celebrate all things comic book, sci-fi and pop culture with its Pensacon-themed event.

February's Gallery Night event will "POP" with a night of art, music and food, and maybe you'll see some of your favorite comic book and sci-fi characters who are a part of the 2022 Pensacon convention weekend.

Performances on the Garden Street stage from 6-9 p.m. include music from nationally touring artists Vision Video featuring music legend Tom Ashton as well as Tyler Livingston and the Absolutes, a performance by nerdy dance troupe Noise Complaint and strolling performances from Hob the Troll. The featured artist is Brian Tan of BTanArt. Visit the Featured Artist booth located at the intersecFebruary 17, 2022

A DIFFERENT SWAG FASHION SHOW

Upcycle clothing brand Lemonbright will be hosting a fashion show at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at Sanders Beach, located at 913 S. I St. Tickets are $25-$40. Visit instagram.com/lemonbright for more information.

PENSACOLA CHORAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: STAGE AND SCREEN Enjoy

AUTHOR TALK WITH CYNTHIA BARNETT Pensacola MESS Hall presents an

author talk with environmental journalist and author Cynthia Barnett Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. at 418 E. Wright St. There is no cost for the event, but registration is required. Register at pensacolamesshall.org/rain.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy shop-

ping for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 1401 W. Intendencia St. 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.

MAPPING NORTHWEST FLORIDA EXHIBIT AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF HISTORY Visualized Landscapes: A Selection

of Northwest Florida Maps is now on view at Pensacola Museum of History.

The exhibit explores the shifting topography of Northwest Florida through a series of maps selected from the Trust Archive. Visualized Landscapes: A Selection of Northwest Florida Maps is on view on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History until August.

For more information about the UWF Historic Trust or to purchase tickets, visit historicpensacola.org.

YOUTH ART FOCUS AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART The Pensacola Museum

of Art, in partnership with the Escambia County School District, is proud to present the 68th Annual Youth Art Focus exhibition highlighting the best work from art students and educators from Escambia County Schools. On view through Feb. 27. Pensacola Museum of Art is located at 407 S. Jefferson St and open 17

a&e happenings Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

VISIONARY APONTE: ART AND BLACK FREEDOM Visionary Aponte: Art and Black

Freedom is from creator José Antonio Aponte, a free black carpenter, artist and former soldier who was also the leader of an ambitious antislavery conspiracy in Cuba in 1812. The exhibit is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through March 27.

Visit pensacolamuseum.org for more information.

2000 MEN: BLACK POLITICIANS DURING RECONSTRUCTION A new exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of History shares the stories and histories of Black politicians during the Reconstruction period. The Pensacola Museum of History is located at 330 S. Jefferson St. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.

UWF HISTORIC TRUST 9/11 EXHIBIT An

exhibit honoring victims lost and others impacted by the tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, is now on display on the second floor of the Pensacola Museum of History. The University of West Florida Historic Trust curated the exhibit, 9/11 Remembered, which runs through January, with items on loan from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York and the History Museum of Mobile. The gallery includes a section of the I-beam from one of the World Trade Center towers and a helmet and other items worn by first responders who responded to the 9/11

818 1

terrorist attacks. Visitors can also view a video of newsreels from 20 years ago on projectors and a video from NAS Pensacola that features military members who responded to the 9/11 attacks. For more information on UWF's Historic Trust, visit historicpensacola.org.

FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the UWF

Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago. Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s newspaper. Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola.org for more information.

SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio 400's

and Pensacola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue.

The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection

process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs. Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.

OPEN MIC AT THE GORDON Show off your talents on the second Thursday of every month at The Gordon's Open Mic showcase from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free. The Gordon is located at 306 N. DeVilliers St. Visit thegordon.org for more information.

the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Masks are required for entry into the building and studio. More information about Mixon Magic Performing Arts can be found at mixonmagic.com, by contacting hello@mixonmagic.com or emily@mixonmagic.com or by calling (850) 221-7438.

GENDER PORTRAITS Gender Portraits is

Try out some new jokes or enjoy some homegrown talent every Monday at 7 p.m. for Open Mic Comedy at Big Top Brewery, located at 21 W. Romano St. Everyone gets five minutes depending on the number of sign-ups. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.

a project from artist Drew Riley of the Austin Creative Alliance. The nonprofit organization supports sex and gender minorities using art as a foundation for education, activism and advocacy. The exhibit is on view at Voices of Pensacola, located at 117 E. Government St., through January. For more information, visit historicpensacola.org.

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing

BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW "Black Citizenship in the Age of

OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY

Arts (MMPA), a boutique performing arts studio located at 1010 N. 12th Ave., Ste. 238, will be offering a limited class schedule this fall. MMPA offers professional dance, fitness and "Mommy and Me" instruction for all ages and skill levels with weekly classes including, but not limited to, Creative Movement, Ballet/ Jazz Combo, Broadway, Tap, Showstoppers, Acting and Voice. Classes will be provided for children as young as 2 years old (with a parent or guardian) through adult.

MMPA is dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from

Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola, is now on view at Artel Gallery. To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

CRAFT CLASSES AT STUDIO SOUTH ON NINE MILE Learn a new craft or meet up with other makers at Studio South. Tuesday is Knit Night 4-7 p.m., and Sit & Stitch is Saturdays 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Both classes are free. For a full calendar of events, visit studiosouthon9mi-

inweekly.net

a&e happenings leroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.

CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center offers a wide

range of classes and workshops for artists of all levels. Classes include glass blowing, ceramics, painting and drawing, kiln-forming, stained glass and more. For a complete list of classes and times, visit firstcityart.org.

LIVE MUSIC

FLOYD NATION: EXPERIENCE PINK FLOYD Floyd Nation will perform at the

Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, Thursday, Feb. 17. Tickets are $33-$53. Visit pensacolasaenger. com for tickets and information.

RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS Red Jump-

suit Apparatus will be at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, on Thursday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15. Purchase yours at vinylmusichall.com.

and followed by the Blues Jam at 9 p.m. Seville Quarter is located at 130 E. Government St. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

LIVE MUSIC AT RED FISH BLUE FISH PENSACOLA BEACH Head to Red Fish Blue Fish for live performances from local bands all day on Fridays and Saturdays. For musician lineups, visit facebook.com/redfishbluefishpensacolabeach.

JOE OCCHIPINTI JAZZABOUTS Catch Joe Occhipinti and guests at Alice's Restaurant & Wine Bar, 1504 W. Intendencia St., Wednesdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and at Calvert's Restaurant & Bar, 670 Scenic Highway, Sundays from noon-3 p.m.

SAXOPHONIST JIM ANDREWS AT ALICE'S RESTAURANT Saxophonist Jim An-

drews will be performing at Alice's Restaurant, located at 1504 W. Intendencia St., on the first Friday of every month from 6-9:30 p.m.

FREE GALLERY NIGHT SHOW AT VINYL MUSIC HALL Travelin Light Yoga with sound

JAZZ BY THE BOOK Join Joe Occhipinti and

DONAVON FRANKENREITER Donavon

RAY COLEY AT CAZADORES MEXICAN RESTAURANT Ray Coley performs oldies

MOZART MADNESS This chamber orches-

CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five Sis-

healing by Brooke begins at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18, followed by The New Cahoots at 8:30 p.m. and John Hart Project at 9:30 p.m. All shows are free. Vinyl Music Hall is located at 2 S. Palafox.

Frankenreiter with special guest Christina Holmes will perform at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. Show starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19. Tickets are $20.

Proof of negative COVID-19 test or proof of full vaccination is required for this show. For more information, visit vinylmusichall.com.

tra concert features the composer's Clarinet Concerto in A Major with the PSO's own Richard Jernigan as soloist. The show is 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, at First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, located at 6 E. Wright St. Tickets are $10. Purchase yours at pensacolasymphony.com.

UWF PIANO CELEBRATION The UWF Dr.

Grier Williams School of Music will present its Annual Steinway/Bösendorfer Piano Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 7:30 p.m. The concert will be held in the Rolfs Music Hall at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Bldg. 82, on the Pensacola campus at 11000 University Parkway. The event is free; tickets are required.

Reserve yours by calling (850) 857-6285.

LIQUID STRANGER Liquid Stranger will be

playing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23. Tickets are $25. Get yours at vinylmusichall.com.

REVEREND HORTON HEAT Reverend Horton Heat with special guests Nik Flagstar and his Dirty Mangy Dogs at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. Tickets are $25. Get yours at vinylmusichall.com.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Blues Society of Northwest Florida and Seville Quarter present Monday Night Blues, the longest running weekly Blues Jam in Florida, starting at 7 p.m. with an opening February 17, 2022

the Jazzabouts at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St., every Tuesday from 1-3 p.m. for classic jazz favorites.

mix with jazz and blues every weekend with keyboard, horn and flute. Fridays and Saturdays from 6-9 p.m. and a jazz set on Sundays from 12-3 p.m. on the patio at Cazadores Mexican restaurant, located at 8183 W. Fairfield Dr. Weather permitting.

ters Blues Café, located at 421 W. Belmont St., Sundays from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and listen to Curt Bol Jazz Quartet. Visit curtbolband.com for more information.

OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel Gal-

lery is open from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays for open jam with Pensacola Folk Music Society. Feel free to visit and listen to music.

Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox.

KARAOKE AT MUGS AND JUGS Sing your heart out Sundays at Mugs & Jugs, 12080 Scenic Highway, or just enjoy drinks friends with $4 Smirnoff and $6.50 domestic pitcher drink deals from 7 p.m.-3 a.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/mugsjugs.

LIVE MUSIC AT HUB STACEY'S Sit back with good food and live music at Hub Stacey's, located at 312 E. Government St. For a full calendar of bands, check hubstaceys.com.

MONDAY NIGHT BLUES AT SEVILLE QUARTER Seville Quarter and the Blues Soci-

ety of Northwest Florida bring the "Blues" back to the Seville Quarter Entertainment District, located at 130 E. Government St. every Monday night in End O' the Alley starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit sevillequarter.com.

TUESDAY NIGHT JAZZ AT SEVILLE QUARTER Enjoy smooth jazz with Melodious 19

a&e happenings Allen and The Funk Heads every Tuesday night at Lili Marlene's in Seville Quarter, located at 130 E. Government St. Show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Visit sevillequarter.com for more information.

FITNESS + RECREATION

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS GAMES The Pensacola Ice Flyers home games are at Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets start at $15. Purchase yours at pensacolabaycenter.com.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •5:05 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 27 BIKE PENSACOLA FEBRUARY SLOW RIDE Bike Pensacola's February Slow Ride is

10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, starting at Alabama Square, 401 W. Gonzalez St. The ride will be about one hour and 10 minutes long, at a casual pace. Nobody will be "dropped" or left behind. Children must be at least 10 years of age to ride their own bicycle, and ages 10-16 must be accompanied by an adult. Visit facebook. com/bikepensacola for more information.

I PINK I CAN RUN Join the Krewe du YaYas for

their Ninth Annual I Pink I Can Run 4-mile run/ walk for breast cancer Saturday, Feb. 19. Participate live and in person at the Flora-Bama or virtually.

Visit keepingabreastfoundation.org/events/run.

NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS – FREE FOOTBALL EVENT FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL Join NFL players James Smith-

Williams, Justin Simmons, Jeremiah Sirles, Darius Jackson, Johnathan Abram, Trent Scott and Malik Reed for a free football clinic/camp with local coaches being held Friday evening and Saturday morning, Feb. 25 and 26, at Olive Baptist Church, 1836 E. Olive Road. For more details on the event, please visit olivebaptist. org/missions.

CHESS CLUB Learn how to play one of the

oldest games in the world with West Florida Public Libraries. Whether you are a beginner or a master chess player, this is a chance to learn new skills, practice your moves and improve your game in a friendly environment. The library will provide all the chessboards and pieces.

UPCOMING DATES: •Saturday, Feb. 26, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Genealogy Library, 5740 N. Ninth Ave. •Saturday, Feb. 26, 1-3:30 p.m. – Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway

F3 NATION FREE WORKOUTS FOR MEN F3, a national network of free, peer-led

workouts for all men, has expanded its outdoor workouts to Pensacola. The three Fs stand for Fitness, Fellowship and Faith. Classes are free of charge to all men 18 and older or 16 with an adult guardian. Each class ends with a circle of trust. Class times are 7-8 a.m. Saturdays and 5:30-6:15 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Visit f3pensacola.com.

OVER 50 DANCE CLUB Take part in the Over 50 Dance Club at Sanders Beach Resource Center, located at 913 S. I St., Tuesdays from 6:30-9 p.m. The dress code is dressy; cover is $5-$10. This club is tobacco- and alcohol-free.

For more information, call (850) 623-5013.

PENSACOLA PEGGERS CRIBBAGE CLUB LOOKING FOR MEMBERS Pensacola Peg-

gers Cribbage Club 396, the local Grass Roots Club affiliated with American Congress of Cribbage, is seeking new cribbage players for the group. The club meets weekly on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Sonny's BBQ, located at 6702 N. Ninth Ave., to play six games of cribbage.

WEEKLY FRIDAY DANCE Get moving every

Friday night with a dance sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles. Enjoy food from 6-7 p.m.

Dancing is from 7-10 p.m. A variety of bands and music provide the tunes. Cost of admission is $6.

Dances are located at 105 Kenmore Ave. in Pensacola. For more information, call (850) 476-5696.

PENSACOLA PARKRUN The Pensacola

Rec Plex North parkrun is 7:30 a.m. Saturdays.

The weekly timed 5K run or walk takes place at the University of West Florida and is open to everyone, regardless of fitness level. For more information, visit facebook.com/rpnparkrun or email recplexnorth@parkrun.com.

WFPL MOLINO TRACK CHALLENGE Put

on your walking shoes and join the walk-

ing challenge at the Molino library. Just visit Molino's track, turn on your favorite fitness tracker app to log your progress, dial up your tunes or an audiobook and start walking. When you finish, come into the library and log your progress with staff on our track challenge board. The top walker in this program will win The Coldest Water Bottle. The Molino Branch Library is located at 6450-A Highway 95A. For more information, visit mywfpl.com.

RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mondays,

Wednesdays and Fridays, release into a yin yoga flow centered around low-stress training for high-stress individuals. The focus will be on the basics of breath and openness in the shoulders, hips and spine. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online. Cost is $12 per class, and the location is 375 N. Ninth Ave., Ste. B. Limited space available. Ask about membership pricing.

GULF COAST BREWERY RUN Thursdays

at 6 p.m., join Pensacola Runners Association for a 5K fun run. Enjoy a free beer after the run and complimentary games such as cornhole, ping pong and more. Gulf Coast Brewery is located at 500 E. Heinberg St. For more information, visit facebook.com/gulfcoastbrewery.

BEER GARDEN YOGA Join Coastal County Brewing Company Saturdays at 9 a.m. for the new Yoga in the Garden Series. Classes will be led by Tara Taylor, a highly experienced instruc-

GREAT SOUTHERN WELCOMES JUST A FEW OF THE MANY, MANY CELEBRITIES WHO VISITED THE FISH HOUSE ...

YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOU MIGHT SEE!

FEBruary 18th - 2oth, 2022 join us!

Denise Crosby Star Trek, Days of Our Lives

Richard Karn & Debbie Dunning

Terry Kiser

Dave Acord

Weekend at Bernie’s

the Mandalorian

Home Improvement

TWO DIFFERENT FAN EXPERIENCES IN ONE GIANT COMPLEX FR I DA Y - SUN D AY THEME DECOR, PHOTO OPPS, AND DRINK FEATURES

George Newbern

Nestor Carbonell

Scandal, Father of the Bride

Lost, The Dark Night

Edward James Olmos Maria Canals-Barrera Battlestar Galactica, Miami Vice

Wizards of Waverly Place, Justice League

for more infoRMATION ABOUT PENSACON, visit GREATSOUTHERNRESTAURANTS.COM 020 2

inweekly.net

a&e happenings tor from Breathe Pensacola. All skill levels are welcome. Cost is $10 and includes a pint of beer after the class. Coastal County Brewing Company is located at 3041 E. Olive Road. For more information, visit facebook.com/coastalcounty.

SOUL FLOW YOGA AT BEAUTIFUL YOU STUDIO Every Tuesday at 7 a.m., flow and

vibe with some soulful music to start the day. This hour-long class will center around engaging the core through smooth yet strong yoga sequences. Cost is $10 per class or $99 for an unlimited 30-day pass. Located at 513 W. Intendencia St. For more info, go to mindandmetta.online.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m.

Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays. Funky Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Tuesdays. And Vinyasa Yoga Flow is 6 p.m. Thursdays. All classes at Ever'man, 327 W. Garden St. For a full calendar of events, visit everman.org.

OCEAN HOUR BEACH CLEAN-UPS Ocean

Hour has picked up its weekly beach cleanups in the Pensacola area Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. On Saturday, Aug. 28, volunteers will be at Philip A. Payne Bridge. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.

FOOD + DRINKS

MOS EISLEY CANTINA AT THE WELL

Angelena's Ristorante Italiano is located at 101 E. Intendencia St. Visit angelenaspensacola.com.

BATTLE OF THE BOWLS CHILI COOKOFF It's time for the Battle of the Bowls at

Coastal County Brewing Company, 3041 E. Olive Road, Saturday, Feb. 19, from noon-6 p.m. with cash prizes up for grabs for the best chili. Tickets are $25 to enter and $10 to taste.

Visit coastalcounty.com/events.

CCB COOKIE AND BEER PAIRINGS Pair

your beers with Girl Scout cookies from Troop 1104 Sunday, Feb. 20, beginning at 2 p.m. with flights of brews made special to highlight the flavors in some of your favorite annual varieties at Coastal County Brewing, located at 3041 E. Olive Road. Visit coastalcounty.com for more information.

PRINCESS BRUNCH Visit Bodacious, 407-D

S. Palafox, for a brunch fit for any young Princess Sunday, Feb. 20, at 10 a.m. Tickets are $79.

Purchase yours at bodaciousshops.com.

A DINNER TO DIE FOR MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATRE Enjoy an interac-

tive murder mystery and dinner Monday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at Alga Beer Co., located at 2435 N. 12th Ave. Tickets are $55 each and can be purchased at facebook.com/algabeerco.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH WINE & SPIRITS CELEBRATION Join Casks & Flights,

During Pensacon weekend, The Well, located at 42 E. Garden St., will transform into a dimly lit tavern known for its strong drinks, hot tunes and occasional outbreaks of shocking violence.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ thewellpensacola.

121 S. Palafox, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, to sample Black-owned or influenced wine and spirits in celebration of Black History Month; hosted by the POUR Club. Tickets are $25. Visit casksandflights.com for more information.

STAR WARS COMES TO PERFECT PLAIN

Enjoy a five-course French Wine Dinner prepared by The District's Executive Chef Josh Warner paired with exceptional French wines from Winebow Fine Wines at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. Cost is $250 per person (inclusive).

For reservations, please email matthew@districtsteaks.com, or call Bill at (850) 380-9458.

Join Perfect Plain, 50 E. Garden St., Thursday, Feb. 17-Sunday, Feb. 20, for Star Wars Episode X: The Brewery Strikes Back. The brewery will be celebrating with themed events, decor, cocktails, costumes and more. Star Wars trivia is 7 p.m. Feb. 17, the Star Wars Lego Competition is Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. with $20-$60 entry fees and the Resonance: Pajama Party is 8 p.m.

Monday, Feb. 21. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for more information.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS AT ODD COLONY The Lord of the Rings comes to Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, during Pensacon weekend with Bilbo's Birthday Party on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Expect drink specials, costumes and more. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for more information.

CHARCUTERIE NIGHT Learn how to pre-

pare a charcuterie tray at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Class is 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 17. Tickets are $55. Visit bodaciousshops.com for more information.

A CELEBRATION OF VOLPAIA The next Angelena's food and wine event is Thursday, Feb. 17, at 6 p.m. with a special celebration of Volpaia, the grandfather of Chianti. The wine dinner is $150 per person. Reservations are required.

Call (850) 542-8398 for more information.

February 17, 2022

AN EVENING IN FRANCE WINE DINNER

OYSTER ROAST DEMONSTRATION Enjoy

a demonstration focusing on the classic art of shucking and roasting oysters with Bodacious chefs Tuesday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Tickets are $65. Visit bodaciousshops.com for more information.

SIP & SIDE: WINE PAIRING WITH GOURMET SLIDERS Visit Bodacious, 407-D S. Palafox, for a Sip & Slide event featuring various wines and gourmet sliders Thursday, Feb. 24, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $65. Visit bodaciousshops.com for more information.

TASTE OF SPAIN Join Agapi Bistro + Garden, 555 Scenic Highway, 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, for an evening of tapas and wine pairings. Tickets are $75. Make your reservations by calling (850) 225-5235.

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free will astrology WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): You're slip-

ping into a phase when stuff that has been invisible will become visible, at least to you.

You will have extra power to peer beneath the surfaces and discern the hidden agendas and study the deeper workings. Your interest in trivia and distractions will dissipate, and you'll feel intensified yearnings to home in on core truths. Here's your guiding principle during this time: Favor the interests of the soul over those of the ego. And for inspiration, have fun with this quote by religious scholar Huston Smith— "The Transcendent was my morning meal, we had the Eternal at lunch, and I ate a slice of the Infinite at dinner."

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): "You cannot

have fun with anything that you don't love or admire or respect," declared comedian Mel Brooks. I agree! The joyous release that comes through playful amusement is most likely to unfold when you're in the presence of influences you are fond of. The good news, Taurus, is that in the coming weeks, you will have a special inclination and knack for hanging around people and influences like that. Therefore, you will have an enhanced capacity for mirth and delight and pleasure. Take full advantage, please!

As much as possible, gravitate toward what you love and admire and respect.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "The thing

about inspiration is that it takes your mind off everything else," says Gemini author Vikram Seth. I bring this truth to your attention because I believe you will soon be the beneficiary of steady, strong waves of inspiration.

I also predict that these waves will transport you away from minor irritations that are best left alone for now. Be alert and ever-ready to spring into action, my dear, so that as the inspirational surges flow, you will harvest the maximum rewards from their gifts.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): The advice

By Rob Brezsny

palpable blessings from meandering around without knowing exactly where you are. It's time for you to find out what you don't even realize you need to know; to stumble upon quiet little wonders and marvels that will ultimately prove to be guideposts for your holy quests in the future. Yes, I understand that being in unknown territory without a reliable map isn't usually a pleasure, but I believe it will be for you. P.S. Our fellow Cancerian, author Rebecca Solnit, wrote a book entitled "A Field Guide to Getting Lost." It might be helpful during your wanderings. Read a summary of it here—tinyurl.com/guidetogettinglost.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): "You face your

greatest opposition when you're closest to your biggest miracle," wrote author and filmmaker T. D. Jakes. According to my analysis of upcoming astrological omens, that's good advice for you. I suspect that the problems you encounter will be among your best and most useful ever. With the right attitude, you will harness the challenges to generate magnificent breakthroughs. And what's the right attitude?

Proceed with the hypothesis that life is now conspiring to bring your soul exactly what your soul needs to express its ripest beauty.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): "Always remember this," said actor Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952). "There are only 18 inches between a pat on the back and a kick in the rump." Metaphorically speaking, I believe her advice will be useful for you in the coming days. Lately, you've had to deal with too many experiences and influences akin to kicks in the rump. But now that will change. Soon there'll be a surge of experiences and influences that resemble pats on the back. In my estimation, you have finished paying your dues and making course corrections. Now it's time for you to receive meaningful appreciation and constructive approval.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Author Gayle

that Reb Nachman of Breslov offered two centuries ago is just right for you now—"Never ask directions from someone who knows the way, or you will never be able to get lost." In the coming weeks, you will attract tricky but

Forman offers a set of truths that I suspect will be useful for you in the coming weeks. They may even be inspirational and motivational.

Forman writes, "Sometimes fate or life or whatever you want to call it, leaves a door a little open, and you walk through it. But sometimes it locks the door and you have to find the key,

or pick the lock, or knock the damn thing down.

And sometimes, it doesn't even show you the door, and you have to build it yourself." Are you ready for the challenge, Libra? I think you are.

Do whatever you must do to go through the doorways you want and need to go through.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash described her process. "I dream of songs," she began. "I dream they fall down through the centuries, from my distant ancestors, and come to me. I dream of lullabies and sea shanties and keening cries and rhythms and stories and backbeats." Scorpio, I would love for you to explore comparable approaches to getting the creative ideas you need to live your best life possible. I would love for you to draw freely from sources beyond your conscious ego—including your ancestors, the people you were in previous incarnations, gods and spirits, heroes and allies, the intelligence of animals, and the wisdom of nature. The coming months will be a favorable time to expand your access. Start boosting the signals now!

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

Author Madeleine Thien has lived in Vancouver, Montreal and Iowa City and has taught at schools in Hong Kong and Brooklyn. Her father was born and raised in Malaysia and her mother in Hong Kong. She has a rich array of different roots. Not surprisingly, then, she has said, "I like to think of home as a verb, something we keep recreating." That's an excellent meditation for you right now, Sagittarius. And it will continue to be worthy of your ruminations for another four months. What's the next step you could take to feel comfortable and secure and at peace?

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): The fastest animal on earth is the peregrine falcon, which can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour when it dives from a great height. The seventhfastest creature is the humble pigeon. Having been clocked at 92.5 miles per hour, the bird outpaces the cheetah, which is the fastest land animal. I propose we make the pigeon your spirit creature for the coming weeks. On the one hand, you may seem mild and modest to casual observers. On the other hand, you will in fact be sleek, quick and agile. Like the

pigeon, you will also be highly adaptable, able to thrive in a variety of situations.

Like the pigeon, you will also be highly adaptable, able to thrive in a variety of situations.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): "Self-control might be as passionate and as active as the surrender to passion," wrote Aquarian author W. Somerset Maugham. Yes! I agree! And that's the perfect message for you to hear right now. If you choose to take advantage of the potentials that life is offering you, you will explore and experiment with the mysteries of self-discipline and self-command. You'll be a trailblazer of discernment and poise. You will indulge in and enjoy the pleasures of self-regulation.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In 1961,

Piscean cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was the first human to orbit the Earth in a spacecraft. As his feat neared its end, Gagarin left the capsule at 20,000 feet above the ground and parachuted the rest of the way. He arrived in a turnip field where a girl and her grandmother were working. They provided him with a horse and cart so he could travel to the nearest telephone and make a call to get picked up and brought back to headquarters. I foresee a metaphorically comparable series of events transpiring in your life, Pisces. Be flexible and adaptable as you adjust to changing conditions with changing strategies.

Your exceptional and illustrious activities may require the assistance of humble influences.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Name the three things most worthy of celebrating right now. Then celebrate them! newsletter.freewillastrology.com.

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freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2022

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news of the weird THANKS FOR NOTHING! Catherine Graham of Marshfield, Massachusetts, recently cashed in on her 15 minutes of fame on "The Price Is Right" with host Drew Carey. She flew to Los Angeles to visit her daughter and attended a taping of the show, which aired on Feb. 1. As luck would have it, Graham ended up on stage with Carey and played for a great trip—to New Hampshire! When Carey gushed, "New Hampshire is beautiful!" Graham replied, "Drew, I live in Boston! I've been to New Hampshire a million times!" But wait, there's more! In order to collect the prize roundtrip airfare, she'll have to travel to Los Angeles again to fly to Manchester, New Hampshire. "I just wish it was Tahiti ... or Bora Bora. A cruise around the world maybe," Graham told WBZ-TV. But, she said, "It was so fun."

BRIGHT IDEA The Idaho Potato Commission has your last-minute Valentine's Day gift covered: The group is releasing a limited-edition fragrance, Frites by Idaho, made from distilled potatoes and essential oils, that is designed to smell like a fresh plate of french fries, United Press International reported. "The smell is too good to resist," said IPC president Jamey Higham. "This perfume is a great gift for anyone who can't refuse a french fry." And it's priced right, too, at $1.89 a bottle!

'MURICA Still need a Valentine's Day gift idea?

Here you go: KFC is collaborating with Pillow Pets for the KFC Chicken Sandwich Snuggler, a giant cuddle-yummy you can wrap around your midsection before the carbs make it there. It's only $99.99, Canoe reported. "Enjoy a snuggle after sinking your teeth into a KFC Chicken Sandwich meal or spice up any room in your home (trust us, it's impossible to miss)," KFC crowed.

RESPECT FOR THE ELDERLY Richard Taylor, 28, began arguing with his grandmother on Feb. 1 because he wanted to buy a new bed, but apparently didn't have the funds to do so, KDKA Radio reported. So the Butler County, Pennsylvania, man broke into Margaret Taylor's bedroom, after she had locked it from inside, and forcibly stole her purse, then disconnected all the phones in the house and fled in a 2006 Ford Taurus—presumably on his way to the mattress store. Grandma headed to the neighbor's home to call 911, and a warrant was issued for Richard's arrest for robbery, theft and harassment. How will he sleep at night?

Oh yeah, new mattress.

STEP RIGHT UP A "dedicated employee ... (who) enjoyed his job (and) was well-liked by the people he worked with" was charged on Feb. 9 in North Versailles, Pennsylvania, after he allegedly placed a hidden camera in a urinal at the North Versailles Police Department, WPXI-TV reported. John Logan, 49, a 911 operator, is accused of placing the camera in a single-user bathroom in a hallway that

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

is off-limits to the public. Once the incident was reported, Logan allegedly went into the bathroom and removed the SD card from the camera; investigators searching Logan's home found flash drives with videos of officers exposed while using the bathroom. He was charged with invasion of privacy and tampering with physical evidence.

GREAT ART? The Associated Press reported on Feb. 10 that a bored security guard at an art gallery in Ekaterinburg, Russia, lent his own artistic hand to an avant-garde painting

by Anna Leporskaya, adding "eyes" to two of the three faces in the painting "Three Figures."

The Yeltsin Center revealed that the vandalism occurred on Dec. 7, and the painting was returned to the State Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, which owns it, for restoration. The guard, who worked for a private company providing security, used a ballpoint pen to make the small circles. The unnamed guard could face up to three months in prison.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL As overthe-road truckers protested COVID-related mandates in Canada's capital city, a 20-yearold Akron, Ohio, man wanted to get in on the action. So, on Feb. 7, he called in a bomb threat—to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, in Ottawa ... Ohio. The man said he was going to set off a bomb in Ottawa, then called back a second time and said he'd been shot, The Lima News reported. "When he found out he was talking to Ohio and not Canada, he said he hadn't been shot but was simply trying to waste (Canadian authorities') time and resources because he didn't agree with their mask mandate," said Sheriff's Office Cpt. Brad Brubaker. He also admitted there was no bomb. "You'd think with him being from Ohio, the 419 area code might have rung a bell," Brubaker added.

INEXPLICABLE On Feb. 6, a man in Raleigh, North Carolina, was stopped at a red light when the woman in the car next to him exited her car and approached his passenger window.

She screamed at him, "Fix my car. Fix the problem," he reported to ABC11-TV. "Once I locked the car, she got more aggressive." The man wanted to drive away, but he was boxed in by cars. "Next thing I know, I seen the knife coming out—the big machete knife­— she pulled it out from the sleeve" and started beating his passenger-side window with it. Eventually, she broke through the window. "I was just pressed against my driver-side seat ... until I could step on the gas," he said. When the light changed, he drove to a police station, where he filed a report. Raleigh police are investigating. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird © 2022 Andrews McMeel

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