Inweekly Jan. 21 2021 Issue

Independent News | January 21, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 3

FREE â–¶

winners & losers 4

outtakes 5

news 6, 8

At first, all hell broke loose.

cover story

buzz 10

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER SPECIALISTS

13

publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Savannah Evanoff, Jennifer Leigh, Jeremy Morrison, C.S. Satterwhite

contact us info@inweekly.net

a&e 14

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

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January 21, 2021

3

winners & losers

Capt. Paul Bowdich / Photo by Julie Ziegenhorn

winners PAUL D. BOWDICH Capt. Bowdich's tenure as the commanding officer of Naval Air Station Whiting Field ended last week with the installation of his replacement, Capt. Paul N. Flores.

Under Bowdich's leadership the past three years, Whiting Field supported the safe execution of roughly 400,000 flight hours and 3.5 million flight evolutions, as well as classroom and simulator training for approximately 3,700 student naval aviators. One hundred percent of all helicopter pilots in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard received their helicopter advanced training at Whiting. Bowdich also saw the first Navy land exchange to fruition with the swap of OLF Site 8 in Escambia County for a fully operational OLF Site X in Jay, Fla. The Navy lauded this event as a standard setter.

KATIE HUDON The 2020 Rising Star class

member earned her eighth degree, an MBA from the University of Florida, last month.

Also in 2020, Hudon was recognized as Santa Rosa County Woman of the Year. In previous years, she received the following awards—Distinguished Staff Award, Nautilus Excellence Award, Faculty/Staff Chinese Language Excellence Award and China Scholarship, Women's Law Association of Michigan Scholar, UWF Women's Leadership Award, Team Impact Award and Japan Travel Award. As director of Student Affairs at Pensacola State College, Hudon oversees student activities, academic advising, admissions and fitness center functional areas.

GRACE ARNEAULT The recent MBA graduate from the University of West Florida is the new president and CEO of the Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce. Arneault has been the public relations and event director at Winterfest Pensacola for three years, where she created and edited marketing content, brought nearly 30,000 visitors to the area through creative marketing campaigns and coordinated events, including parades and performances. She will work closely with outgoing chamber president Kristen Rhodes over the next 30 days to ensure a strong and smooth transition.

44

Ashley Moody / myfloridalegal.com

losers ASHLEY MOODY The Florida Attorney

General once touted her appointment to the board of directors of the Rule of Law Defense Fund, a nonprofit arm of the Republican Attorneys General Association, on her official state website. Following the violent riot in Washington, that reference was scrubbed from her online biography after discovering that the day before the riot, the Rule of Law Defense Fund sent out robocalls. One message obtained by the Associated Press stated, "At 1 p.m., we will march to the Capitol building and call on Congress to stop the steal. We're hoping patriots like you will join us to continue to fight to protect the integrity of our elections." A spokesperson for Moody told the Tampa Bay Times that Moody had left the board last year but would not provide the date of her departure or an explanation for why the organization was removed from her website after the riot.

FLORIDA LEGISLATURE With COVID raging through the state, Florida's GOP lawmakers are fast-tracking a measure to limit the legal liability for businesses that have exposed people to the virus. However, few lawsuits have been related to liability because of exposure to COVID-19. Democrats have argued that small businesses would be helped more by drafting bills to address more immediate concerns, such as meeting their note and rent obligations and other operational expenses.

PARLER The alternative social network popular with the radical right has been banned by Apple, Google and Amazon after the Big Tech companies said they had determined the platform wasn't going to rein in hate-filled, violent speech on its site, which could possibly lead to another event like the Jan. 5 siege of the U.S. Capitol. Amazon removed Parler from its cloud hosting service, Amazon Web Services, which kicked the site off the public internet. Meanwhile, Parler users are flocking to other alt-right apps. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

UNJUST JUSTICE On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I took a break and walked the route that has been used for the MLK parade for the past two decades after watching the virtual Living the Dream Pensacola presentations. In the brisk afternoon air, I reflected on Dr. King's legacy.

As I passed his bust in the tree-lined median for North Palafox Street, I thought about the 2020 Quality of Life results, especially the views of the 400 Black voters in Escambia County on race relations. I think few people were surprised that 81% believed systemic racism exists in our county, and over 70% felt race relations were either fair or poor both inside and outside Pensacola's city limits.

More than 80% had unfavorable opinions of the Pensacola Police and Escambia County Sheriff 's Office's relationships with the Black community. A vast majority, 78%, believed the criminal justice system doesn't treat Black and white citizens equally.

The prosecution of Brenda Morris supports their belief.

In March 2016, deputies arrested a 68-year-old Lincoln Park Primary School kindergarten teacher assistant for allegedly committing child abuse.

The state attorney's office upped the charge against Brenda Morris, a long-time Black substitute with no criminal record, to two counts of felony child abuse, both punishable by five years' incarceration.

At the trial, Assistant State Attorney Cassandra Andres presented to the court that the video from the hallway showed that Morris raised her hand and smacked the child across the face. She also and grabbed his foot, lifted his leg and knocked him to the ground.

According to Judge Tom Dannheisser's later ruling, the video didn't prove Andres' allegations.

"Ms. Morris, in fact, never raised her hand in response to the child's act," wrote the judge. "The video clearly showed that Ms. Morris' hand was continually resting on the wall while she was talking to the child and only dropped down by his head or brushed against the child's head after he spat at her."

According to court documents, the classroom teacher testified that the student tried to strike her in the face more than once on the day in question. The child, age 4, was disruptive and was violent toward her, was out of control and was using profanity, calling her a "bitch."

Principal Cassandra Smith testified that after being notified of the incident, she visited the classroom and observed the student at his computer, where he "appeared to be happy." Smith said Morris was doing a "really good job" at the school.

However, the jury returned a verdict of guilty on a single count of battery, a lesser charge. Although sentencing was set for three weeks later and Morris was entitled to an appellate bond, Andrea requested the court to remand her into custody pending sentencing, requiring her to be in jail over Christmas. Fortunately, Judge Dannheisser refused the request.

At sentencing, despite Morris' spotless record and the obvious mitigating circumstances presented, the assistant state attorney requested that the grandmother be sentenced to a year in the county jail. Judge Dannheisser rejected Andres' recommendation, withheld adjudication and imposed the legally minimum court costs with no probation term.

Morris appealed the verdict to the First District of Appeal and won. In his judgment of acquittal, Judge Dannheisser wrote, "The unanimous ruling by the First District Court of Appeal does not mean simply that Ms. Morris is 'not guilty.' This ruling holds that even under the facts as alleged by the State, that no crime was committed; Ms. Morris is innocent."

He added, "Our teachers have thankless jobs. They are expected to educate and manage simultaneously many young children with numerous behavioral problems and respond perfectly on every occasion. No Judge or attorney is held to this standard."

A Black grandmother was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, even though she was innocent. It's hard to accept her race wasn't a factor. {in} rick@inweekly.net

More than 80% had unfavorable opinions of the Pensacola Police and Escambia County Sheriff's Office's relationships with the Black community.

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FRED LEVIN TALES

Fred Levin / Photo courtesy of Levin Papantonio Rafferty

By Rick Outzen Routines often develop before you may realize they are routines. For the past five years, one of my routines—until the COVID pandemic struck—has been to have lunch on Saturdays at O'Riley's Irish Pub Downtown with Lumon May, Troy Rafferty and Fred Levin. We argued, teased, laughed and shared tall tales. If someone mentioned the name "Ashton Hayward," they had to cough up a dollar.

On Tuesday, Jan. 12, Fred Levin passed away on the same day that his brother Allen died in 2007. Over half a century, he built his law firm, now known as Levin Papantonio Rafferty, into one of the most successful personal injury law firms in the nation and changed legal history. He was also probably the most familiar face in his hometown of Pensacola and couldn't go anywhere without being greeted as "Mr. Levin."

At first, Fred wasn't part of what the bartenders called "The Breakfast Club."

Troy would take a break from work on his next big case, Lumon from SYSA games and me from writing. We used the time as a chance to catch up on the world. I liked the gathering because it reminded me of my father's Saturday mornings with his buddies at Joe's Sports Parlor in Greenville, Miss.

At O'Riley's, attorneys, Notre Dame fans, politicians, judges, basketball coaches, pro and college athletes and other friends often joined us. Fred started coming after his first bout with brain cancer. The grilled wings had to be extra crispy and nearly burnt and served with Tabasco. Those who took more 66

than their fair share off the platter got "the look" from Fred and weren't invited back.

Fred would tell Lumon how he would beat him in a District 3 commission race.

Troy could possibly be "the dumbest son of a bitch in the world," and I was told how I should write stories about his latest donation. Fred didn't take on all of us at every lunch, but we each had our turn being the target of his good-natured barbs.

Fred was Troy and Lumon's friend. Our newspaper had written numerous articles over the past 20 years—some flattering, others not so much. We had been on opposite sides of several issues. However, I came to appreciate him more and more as we shared grilled wings and jokes.

But what I enjoyed the most were the Fred Levin stories—both ones he told and those shared by his friends.

BOXING

Fred told me that his getting into professional boxing was luck. He became Roy Jones Jr.'s promotor because Roy and his father walked into his office in September 1988 after Jones had lost a controversial decision to South Korean fighter Park Sihun in the Olympics.

"I got more enjoyment out of boxing than anybody deserved," he shared. "You've got to understand, there were 50 times in world championship fights that I would get in the ring. I mean, I didn't know what it was to lose."

Law partner Mark Proctor traveled with Fred to the fights when Jones was on top of the boxing world and HBO televised his bouts.

"On the night of each fight, Fred would

enter the ring area accompanied by his two dear friends, Jack Kemp, former NFL Quarterback and GOP vice presidential candidate, and Dallas Maverick president Terdema Ussery," Proctor shared. "We would watch the fight; Roy would win; and at the end of the fight, when the referee would raise Roy's arm in the air as the victor, people would swarm into the ring in celebration."

He continued, "This is when our Fred Levin was at his best. With the start of a racehorse and the moves of a cat, Fred bounded into the ring, always one of the first, and headed straight for the HBO camera. We would all laugh, and Kemp would scream, 'The most dangerous place in the world to be is between Fred Levin and an HBO camera!' It was the consummate Fred and how I shall always remember him—Bigger than life, on top of the world, loving life."

Commissioner Lumon May shared a story about when he was in his 20s, long before he ran for political office, and traveled with Fred to a Derrick "Smoke" Gainer contest in Biloxi.

"Fred was promoting the fight and got a call while we're driving over that Smoke's opponent wasn't available for some reason," said May. "Fred started yelling, 'Get a busboy, dishwasher, put 'em in shorts and get them in the ring. We're not canceling the damn fight.'"

May laughed, "The hotel found some dishwasher that had done some amateur boxing to go in the ring, and Smoke knocks him out in the first ring. Fred jumps in the ring, lifts Smoke and starts screaming, 'Champion of the world, champion of the world.' It was the funniest thing."

Former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward remembers Fred getting into a heated argument with legendary boxing promoter Don King before a Roy Jones Jr. fight in Madison Square Garden in 2008.

"We went to dinner with Don King and Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys' husband, at an Italian restaurant in New York," said Hayward. "Levin and King were just screaming at each other, like two kids arguing at the dinner table. Fred was beating the table, as you can imagine. We were all drinking and having a big time. It was hilarious."

Fred and Hayward then picked up Jack Kemp and took him to Cipriani in Soho to celebrate Kemp's birthday. Hayward said, "Then we leave there and go to Madison Square Garden. And Fred walked in that place like he owned it."

When I asked Fred about who was the most formidable negotiator he had faced, he mentioned King.

"Don King was, seriously, probably the best negotiator in boxing, law practice or anything else—he was outstanding," said Fred. "I know that a lot of people think, 'Well, he's a bad dude.' He may have been, but I would say that of all the people I had to negotiate with, he was the best."

When Muhammad Ali died in June 2016, I asked Fred how he brought the three-time world heavyweight champion to Pensacola in 1997 to speak to local high school students.

The visit was six months after Ali had lit the Olympic flame at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. The retired champ, who was battling Parkinson's disease, launched a "Healing" tour to talk with students across the country about tolerance.

"It was chilling that Muhammad Ali, the baddest man in the world, was trying to get everybody together—Christians, Jews, Muslims," Levin told me.

He reached out to Ali's photographer, Howard Bingham, to see if the boxing champ would come to Pensacola. If Ali agreed, Levin would invite the students from area high schools to attend the Pensacola Bay Center event.

"At first, all hell broke loose," said Fred.

"The school board was up in arms. People were protesting, 'This is a Muslim, and you're bringing him here.'"

School officials pointed out that the event was not being held on school property. The event was not mandatory, and parents had to sign permission slips, as they would for any field trip.

"Somehow or another, we got through that, and I invited up Muhammad and his wife to spend the night at my home in Gulf Breeze," said Fred.

He held a fundraiser at his home on the eve of the event and told me about finding Gov. Lawton Chiles and Ali talking at his kitchen table after the party.

"According to the maid, it was hours that they talked," shared Fred. "The governor, when we got up the next morning, said that, 'You just have no idea what this means to me.'"

At the Bay Center event, students cheered as Ali exchanged mock punches with Roy Jones Jr. Ali did not speak to the audience, although he could hold a conversation in a whisper.

Levin said, "His wife, Lonnie, spoke to the crowd, and I remember she walked on the ice all around the thing. I was scared to death she was going to fall. She walked all around, talking to the students about love and healing."

For Levin, Ali's visit stood out for the purity of his message.

"Looking back on the history of Pensacola, this probably was one of the most significant events that ever took place here," said Levin, "because he was trying to do something that I don't think ever took off, and that was healing and trying to bring the races together."

EATING MULLET

Attorney Charles Liberis has hundreds of Fred Levin stories. He told me that Fred's happiest moments involved getting press and aggravating people—"which, he excelled at both."

"He loved to aggravate his brother inweekly.net

David," said Liberis. "He just aggravated the hell out of him, then everybody else he liked.

If he didn't aggravate you, he didn't like you."

Liberis handled a Chapter 11 bankruptcy of David Fredrics, Inc., a company owned by Fred and his best friend Fred Vigodsky.

"David Fredrics started as a lady store in Pensacola, by the name of Sam's Style Shop, and eventually it became 51 stores throughout the Southeast," said Liberis.

"We were at a creditors meeting in New York, trying to get a Chapter 11 plan."

The attorney for the creditors joked that he looked forward to Florida in the winter, thinking the bankruptcy would be filed in Miami. According to Liberis, Fred told him, "Morty, you're not going to be eating at Wolfie Cohen's restaurant. You're going to be eating mullet at Chet's Seafood." "'Let them eat mullet' became our rallying cry after that, and they did," said Liberis. "We filed a Chapter 11 down here and just kicked it something horrible."

PHILANTHROPY

Quint Studer first met Fred through a phone call. When he began as president of Baptist Hospital in June 1996, patient satisfaction was very low, and Studer dealt with numerous complaints from angry, frustrated family members.

"Fred was running media spots that if people felt wronged, call, and he would answer the phone," said Studer. "It was common for people who were bringing me complaints to start the conversation, 'We are coming to you, and when we leave, we are going to see Fred Levin.'"

He continued, "About a year after I started, I received a call from Fred. Being a hospital administrator, getting a calling from a litigating attorney is not always an uplifting situation. Fred said to me, 'You are doing a good job; we are seeing way fewer people than we used to.' He went on to say they very much wanted hospitals to do good work."

After he left Baptist and began to do good work in the community, Fred would send him notes, and they built a "very strong professional and personal relationship."

Studer said, "Fred noticed what was good, what was not and needed to be made better and that life was about building relationships to make the quality of life better for all."

Over the past decade, Fred donated over $30 million to education, health and charities, including the YMCA of Northwest Florida, Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, University of West Florida and University of Florida Levin College of Law. Fred knew how to combine fun with philanthropy, according to DeeDee Davis, CEO of NAI Pensacola. When she wanted to create a new fundraiser for the Council on Aging built around a Rat Pack theme, Davis first went to Fred.

She said, "Well, what better rat representing the whole era that could draw the attention than Fred Levin?"

The event raised over $200,000. Davis shared, "We are in the 10th year and will dedicate it to his memory this year because he was the one that set the stage. He was a hard act to follow. It took four or five January 21, 2021

rats the next year to follow in his footsteps because he was the king rat, for sure."

She added, "Fred achieved a level of success that few people ever see, but he never sacrificed fun. He was the master of laughing and joking, especially when he was the target. I would hate to think our community lost such a colorful philanthropist with no others to carry his torch and fill the gap."

CIVIL RIGHTS

In his biography "And Give Up Showbiz?," Fred shared how he first met civil rights leader Rev. H. K. Matthews in court.

Matthews had run a stop sign and crashed into Fred's client. Throughout the trial, Fred kept repeating that Matthews was speeding on his way to an NAACP meeting. The all-white jury awarded the case to Fred's client.

"For days, I felt like a horrible human being, and to this day, that win remains one of the real downers of my professional life," Fred told author Josh Young. However, Fred was later able to help the pastor.

In 1975, Matthews was arrested during a peaceful protest after a sheriff's deputy killed a Black man under suspicious circumstances. He was sentenced to prison for inciting a riot and allegedly making death threats. Fred went to his former law partner, Gov. Reuben Askew, and asked for the sentence to be commuted, which Askew did. He later got Gov. Bob Graham to pardon Matthews in 1980.

"Fred has certainly been a friend down through the years," said Matthews when I called him about the attorney's passing. "I remember several years ago at Living the Dream when Lumon wanted to give him an award.

Fred insisted that I present that award to him, so it was more than a surface friendship."

He continued, "I always said that true friends are like diamonds—precious and rare.

False friends are like autumn leaves found everywhere. And Fred was a true friend."

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SON OF PENSACOLA

Hayward knew Fred since his childhood. Fred's brother Martin was Ashton's father's best friend. The former mayor spent time in the Levin household while in high school and considered the trial lawyer a dear friend. Hayward shared that when he would ask his mentor why he continued to live in Pensacola, Fred said, "This is my hometown."

"Fred was Pensacola; he was one of the people," said Hayward. "When we would go to Chet's, people would walk up to our tables and say, 'Hey, Mayor,' and turn right to Fred, and Fred would tell them a story. It was important to him to be approachable."

Troy Raffety liked to say at our Saturday lunches—"Nobody likes being Fred Levin, more than Fred Levin."

Last year, Troy, Lumon, Fred and I drove to inspect the Malcolm Yonge Gym. The basketball team from nearby Lighthouse Academy was practicing when we walked into the gym. The teenagers yelled, "Mr. Levin, Mr. Levin," and wanted to shake his hand.

We laughed because we knew Fred would never let us forget that the kids knew him and not us. He didn't. {in} 7

WADING INTO A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT STORMWATER MULLET & SOLAR REALISM

Photo courtesy of myescambia.com

By Jeremy Morrison With the coronavirus raging, last year was a big mess. But environmentally speaking, there were some bright spots, with a decrease in human activity leading to a decrease in overall pollution output.

"This year has been the most environmental year many of us have ever had because we didn't drive our cars or fly," reflected local environmentalist Christian Wagley.

But that pandemic pollution stall won't last too long, and really, it's just a faint silver lining eclipsed by a dark, harrowing storm cloud looming over the horizon. The biggest threat facing humanity remains as clear as ever.

"Climate change is the issue," Wagley said. "It's the biggest issue by far."

In December, Wagley, who serves as a coastal organizer for Healthy Gulf, moderated a virtual forum featuring members of Pensacola's Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force, who reflected on the city's environmental progress in the two years since the task force submitted its report.

"My greatest fear is that we would have a report and it would just sit on a shelf somewhere and never be acted on," Pensacola

City Councilwoman Sherri Myers said at the time, recalling the uncertain mood when she first initiated the task force. "I was very nervous even using the word 'climate.'"

While the city has a long way to go in addressing the task force's list of recommendations, there has been positive environmental movement on the municipal front.

The city hired a sustainability coordinator last year, and it also joined the International Council for Local Environmental InitiativesLocal Governments for Sustainability.

"Those are all very positive," noted task force member Dr. Haris Alibasic, an assistant professor in the University of West Florida's Public Administration.

And the city's not alone in its local environmental efforts. Escambia County is also putting energy into this area and has been for a while—there's been a green roof on the county complex since before environmentalism was hip in local government circles.

"I remember W.D. Childers talking about putting a goat up on the green roof to keep the grass mowed," laughed Chips Kirschenfeld, Escambia's natural resources director and deputy county administrator.

The environment touches everything.

And municipal environmental efforts can have ripple effects. Mark Jackson, Pensacola's sustainability coordinator, gets that.

"A lot of the efforts, people see them as just these green efforts—'Oh, you just want to have solars or EVs or plant trees because you're a hippy or something.' But that's not the reason we want to do it," Jackson said.

"We want to do it because when you look at it, it really makes sense."

Take trees, for example, which the city manages through its tree ordinance and efforts like mapping the existing tree canopy.

"It makes sense to come in and have trees," Jackson continued, "because they reduce the air pollution; they increase property values; they can reduce some of the stormwater runoff; there's a benefit, just a human-nature benefit from the fact of just being around trees."

City Administrator Keith Wilkins takes a similarly holistic view of the city's environmental efforts.

"There's a lot more than just feel-good to it," he said. "It truly is sustainability and the resiliency of our city."

Wilkins is probably not one of the people that Councilwoman Myers was concerned about using the term "climate" around. The administrator, who used to handle environmental issues for Escambia County, understands the recommendations outlined in the city's task force report and the concerns and buys into the consensus such recommendations are based upon.

"I think we are susceptible to sea level rise, to climate change," Wilkins said. "That may sound distant to a lot of people, because some of these things take years to transcend through, like sea level rise, but they're real and basically time is running out to be able to turn things around—I'm one of those believers—and we need to take those actions."

Such concerns are not entirely environmental. They are also economic.

"You know, parts of downtown are susceptible to sea level rise and flooding," Wilkins said, pointing to the 2014 flooding and specifically to the western portion of the urban core that's ripe for development, "which is key real estate for downtown. We've got to be able to do something. When you pop open a manhole there and see mullet in the stormwater sewage you realize, 'OK, we're pretty close to sea level,' and it's very easily flooded, either through rainfall or tidal surge from storms— not even a hurricane, but just high tides."

While flooding represents a tangible concern for the city, other recommendations contained in the climate change task force report are considered by officials to be more of a piein-the-sky variety. Notably, the recommendation that Pensacola establish a 100% renewable energy goal has yet to be embraced beyond the theoretical by Mayor Grover Robinson.

"I think the mayor is very much a realist and doesn't think we'll hit 100% ever, and I don't necessarily either," Wilkins concluded.

Besides, Jackson contended, prior to any serious municipal leap into renewable energy, the city needs to have an accurate understanding of its carbon footprint, of how much energy it consumes.

"The first step is tracking what we are doing right now," the sustainability coordinator said.

This is another of the task force's recommendations, to conduct a greenhouse gas emissions inventory. The city has conducted a couple of preliminary assessments—though they were calculated using limited or generic data, the most recent indicated an output of 20,000 metric tons of CO2 annually—and there are plans to employ computer software and exact data to conduct a more accurate analysis.

After such an assessment is conducted— the timeline is unclear, but near real-time data is eventually expected—the city can use the information to dig down into specific sources of energy usage and determine how to make municipal operations more efficient.

"We really have to work first and foremost at becoming efficient," Jackson said.

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inweekly.net

GARDEN IN THE SKY

Escambia County has yet to replicate Pensacola's climate change task force efforts. But going forward, Kirschenfeld could see such a body assembled.

"That's an initiative that I've talked to [City Administrator] Janice Gilley about, and she's very interested," he said. "Maybe it won't be called a task force; maybe it'll be a technical committee."

Also, it's doubtful Escambia will be addressing climate change by name. Despite the prevailing science on the subject, this topic tends to be controversial in some circles.

"We really don't want to get into the politics of that," Kirschenfeld said. "What we want to get in to is the cause and effect that you're seeing, that the average person is seeing."

Cause-and-effect events like Hurricane Sally last fall, which pounded the area with slow-moving, heavy-rain weather seen as a foreshadowing of storm seasons to come.

"We're seeing more intense storms than we were even 20 or 30 years ago," Kirschenfeld said. "That's going to overwhelm the infiltration, the stormwater system, the drainage, everything."

Following the 2014 flood, the county's Land Development Code was tweaked to accommodate a 100-year-storm event, rather than a 25-year-storm event. Perhaps a task force would explore any further regulations in the LDC that might need addressing in the face of a changing climate.

"See if they are still suitable for the increased rainfall, the increased storm events that we're having," Kirschenfeld said.

January 21, 2021

But climate-change-centric efforts aside, Escambia continues to be active in its numerous environmental efforts. There are restoration efforts, such as in the Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar watershed, as well as activities such as the ongoing monitoring of air and water quality throughout the county.

And while the county has yet to throw the climate change label on any of its environmental efforts, it has offered up some green examples that other local governments or even private property owners would do well to explore.

Like the green roof atop the county's central office complex. That was funded by a $1 million Florida Department of Environmental Protection grant and intended as a demonstration project.

"This roof can hold the first inch of stormwater," Kirschenfeld said, looking over the brown grass of winter covering the rooftop. "If 90% of our stormwater events are less than an inch, you have zero runoff."

In addition to curtailing the impact of stormwater events, green roofs also serve to insulate a building. The county estimates its energy costs at the office complex have been reduced by 25%.

Standing alone, the county's green roof doesn't have a huge impact on stormwater runoff and flooding issues. But it's only a demonstration project, meant to inspire similar efforts on a larger scale.

"Generally speaking, all the buildings downtown could support a green roof," Kirschenfeld pointed out, noting that Toronto, dealing with urban flooding issues of its

own, became the first city in North America to require green roofs for new developments.

When it was first installed, Escambia's green roof was a garden oasis—"We had flowers; we had paths going through here; we had beach rosemary; we had beach sunflower"—but now the county's let it go wild. It's hoped this demonstrates to the community that green roofs can be a no-upkeep affair.

"Green roofs—I don't know, maybe it scares people, thinking it's a lot of upkeep," Kirschenfeld said. "That's one reason we let it go, is to show people we don't do anything."

A NEW ERA?

Local governments are not the only institutions facilitating discussions about environmental progress. There is also currently a push on the University West Florida campus for the adoption of a 100% renewable energy goal.

"Our goal as a university is to make the jump from fossil fuels to renewable energy by 2050," said Jay McGee, a UWF student majoring in marine biology and minoring in environmental sciences. "That would mean everything from how the lights are on to school vehicles."

McGee, also an intern with Environment Florida, has been working since August to garner support for this effort. He's currently gathering petition signatures and trying to get a resolution of support passed through the Student Government Association.

"There is going to be some hurdles to jump over, but administration really likes what we're doing," McGee said.

Noting Florida's tag as the "sunshine state," the UWF student pointed out that

the state doesn't compete with some other areas when it comes to solar. "[It] lags behind midwestern states, northern states—that's kind of embarrassing on Florida's part," McGee said.

Environment Florida, as well as the larger Environment America organization, is focusing on universities because they represent a usually closed community and also a considerable consumer of energy. Vanderbilt University last year became the first school to sign on, with a goal of going 100% renewable by 2050.

"We would like to be the first university in the state of Florida to do that," McGee said. "And I think that would have a kind of domino effect."

Also, the student said, such a green move would serve to mark UWF as an ecologically conscious university.

"This will basically usher in a new era for UWF," McGee said.

Wagley sees this new-era notion—this ecopanache, this signaling of green priorities—as essential for forward-thinking institutions.

"Any university that ignores these types of goals is clearly not on the cutting edge of education," the environmentalist said. "Students want to go somewhere that holds their values."

This isn't just true for universities, it's true for cities, for counties, for places.

Ecological efforts, ultimately, can be driven not only by environmental or even economic concerns, but by the fact that people want to live in a place, want to visit a place where the natural environment is viewed as precious.

"It's that quality of life, quality of place— that's what's going to drive it," Wagley said. {in}

9

process prospects. District 3 is home to some of the Black students that could benefit if the school system figured out how to crack that achievement gap.

"I believe we are on the right road," Dr. Laura Edler, the District 3 school board member, said. "And trust me, if at any time I feel we have deviated into another path, I will certainly stand here and let you know it."

District 4's Patty Hightower said that while it was worthwhile to recognize the district's past successes, the planning process would best serve students by identifying areas of need. She added, "We also need you to tell us about how we can improve."

SKANSKA UPDATE Last week, Mayor VACCINES Mayor Grover Robinson gave residents an update on COVID-19 and the vaccination during a live Facebook event on Wednesday, Jan. 13. Though cases and deaths have risen, he said there is little more that can be done.

"All we can do at this point and time are the things that we've been doing," he said, reiterating the importance of wearing a mask in public and practicing basic social-distancing and hand-washing safety measures.

Mayor Robinson said that during his regular meeting with local hospital officials, the health care community seemed "a little more confident and comfortable" now that its rank was receiving the vaccine. However, the general public will need to be patient, as individuals 65 and older are currently lining up for a limited supply of the vaccine.

While the health department, hospitals and, now, some private locations, such as Publix, are handling vaccine distribution, the mayor said that the city was communicating that any of its properties were also available. Also, there have been offers originating from the private sector.

"In fact, I got a call from Quint Studer offering the stadium," Robinson said, referring to the Blue Wahoos baseball stadium at Community Maritime Park.

CARES UPDATE Last week, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners advised staff to reach out again to approximately 2,500 Family CARES Grant applicants who do not have complete information on their application.

Two weeks ago, Deputy Administrator Chips Kirschenfeld told the board that over 4,000 submitted applicants did not receive the $3,000 individual assistance grants due to gaps in documents. After analyzing the applicants, county staff determined 2,500 would be approved if the missing documents were received.

"The county would like to stress that staff will contact individuals who still need to submit additional paperwork," said Kirschen010 1

feld, in the county's press release. "Please do not email or call the county to check on your status because staff needs to concentrate on processing rather than call taking. Applicants will have two weeks after they are contacted by staff to submit the necessary paperwork."

The Escambia County Family CARES Grant program application process was only open for five days in late September. The county has stated the volume of 9,558 applicants was "higher than anticipated," and it took three months to disburse 5,500 checks.

After the daily newspaper reported that some residents had been approved but hadn't gotten checks because county officials said they had run out of funds, the commissioners authorized staff to pay 236 additional households, moving the funds from CARES dollars allocated to its payroll reimbursement.

SCHOOL STRATEGY On Thursday, Jan. 14,

the Escambia County School District revealed its strategic planning process that will shape the district's vision and mission going forward.

"I'm excited about working together to tap into this shared knowledge," said Superintendent Tim Smith during the district's kick-off event.

Under the theme of "celebrating our past, designing our future, together," the process will identify what is already working well and consider ways for improvement.

The planning process will begin with input from school district staff before growing to include broader community input sessions.

An accompanying online portal will also be put on the web to access the information gathered through the process.

"We are very excited about the future, where we work to remember all of our students, so they have a successful learning experience," Smith said, stressing that the district will be putting particular focus on ways to close the local achievement gap between white and Black students.

Dr. Laura Edler, who represents District 3, said she was encouraged by the planning

Grover Robinson reported that the Florida Department of Transportation has told him that the Pensacola Bay Bridge should be back online in two months as expected.

Construction barges knocked out several spans during Hurricane Sally.

"They fully expect to have the bridge back up and open by March," Robinson said.

The mayor also addressed the mounting lawsuits against Skanska, whose barges broke loose during the hurricane and washed up throughout the area. He mentioned the string of businesses along Gregory Street that have claimed a loss of business due to the bridge outage.

"I've got a lot of people asking, 'What is the city going to do?'" the mayor said. "It's not so much 'What are we going to do?' but there are things that we did do."

Robinson explained that the city has no official role in lawsuits against Skanska, as FDOT, not the city, oversees its contract.

Anyone seeking damages would be interested to know that the city had declared a state of emergency ahead of Sally on Sept. 14. The city was the first jurisdiction to make such a declaration, the mayor noted, and he felt like it had provided people with adequate lead time to enact necessary safety protocols.

"There was certainly enough time in that state of emergency for these preparations to have taken place," he said. "We wished that Skanska had been responsible enough to do that."

On Thursday, Jan. 14, the Levin Papantonio Rafferty law firm held a town hall in Blue Wahoos Stadium to discuss their lawsuits to force Skanska to help local businesses hurt economically by the bridge being out of commission.

Partner Brian Barr told the crowd that the bridge contractor had failed to follow its own hurricane preparedness plan and didn't start to relocate its barges until hours before Hurricane Sally struck.

"They've moved the barges before, but you know what?" said Barr. "They didn't get paid by the state for the delay they wanted for those other storms. So for this one, they

said, 'We're not moving. We're going to stay; we're going to keep working, roll the dice.'"

Skanska has filed a limitation of liability complaint with the federal court, which has halted lawsuits filed in state court.

"They're seeking exoneration, completely not responsible, and if they can't get that, a limitation on their exposure," said Barr. "The exoneration, they have no chance of getting. They're basically saying, 'Oh, this is an act of God. We did all that we could do to prepare. It was impossible for us to do more than we did.' They can't meet that standard. I mean, all we have to do is look at their preparedness plan."

The contractor wants the damage cases to be maritime cases, according to Barr, which would limit the damages to "a little over a million dollars." Federal Judge Roger Vinson will make the decision on whether it's a maritime case.

"If he decides that the maritime law doesn't apply, then their limitation of liability complaint goes away and there is no action in federal court," said the attorney.

"We can go back to state court."

However, if the limitation action doesn't get dismissed, then local business owners will have until May 3 to file a claim with the federal court.

"I fully expect that once we run through the limitation, if we can't get it dismissed, then Skanska is going to want to resolve those claims," said Barr. "I don't think they'll do it before the limitation issue, but I mean, they have no real defense to this case."

FOO FOO VIRTUAL KICKOFF The 2021

Foo Foo Festival's virtual kickoff takes place at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 29. The public will hear about this year's plans and grant applications. The Seventh Annual Foo Foo Festival will take place Nov. 4-15.

Pensacola is celebrated for its unique culture, and the ability to celebrate the arts organizations, nonprofits and local businesses that thrive within this beloved coastal destination is important now more than ever.

The invitation to join this year's kickoff meeting is open to all nonprofits, prior participants, local-to-Pensacola community groups, local and regional arts organizations, businesses, hoteliers and musicians that are interested in learning how to participate in Foo Foo Festival as a grant recipient and "Friend of Foo Foo Fest." To access the kickoff Zoom meeting, go to bit.ly/2K98MNp.

SPACE FORCE HQ UPDATE On Wednes-

day, Jan. 13, U.S. Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett made the decision to locate U.S. Space Force's headquarters in Alabama's Huntsville Redstone Arsenal area, beating out Patrick Space Force Base near Cape Canaveral and four other finalists. Pensacola had made the semifinals in the yearlong inweekly.net

selection process, but Gov. Ron DeSantis had made it known that Cape Canaveral was his first choice for the Sunshine State.

"It's unfortunate that Florida was not selected as the U.S. Space Force HQ," FloridaWest CEO Scott Luth told Inweekly.

"However, for Northwest Florida and Pensacola, it is much better, strategically, that it landed with our neighbors in Alabama instead of way out west in Colorado."

He explained, "Pensacola is in great position to go after the Space Training & Readiness or STAR Command because that is what we do. It is a perfect complement to the Naval Aviation & Training Command.

Pensacola has been training astronauts here since the space program's beginning."

SPACECOM, established in August 2019, has been temporarily housed at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., which initially was considered by analysts as a top contender. Along with Patrick Space Force Base and Huntsville, other finalists were Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado and Port San Antonio in Texas.

CERVANTES WORK BEGINS The Florida

Department of Transportation has begun a $7 million construction project this month to improve pedestrian safety along a 2.2mile section of West Cervantes Street, from Dominguez Street to A Street.

FDOT will provide a Virtual Project Update online at nwflroads.com/projects/443-769-1. Maps, drawings and other information will be available that can be accessed anytime, from anywhere. The deadline for submitting comments related to the project will be Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.

Planned improvements along West Cervantes Street include constructing seven lighted midblock crosswalks, ADA-compliant ramps and a wider multi-use path. New traffic signals will be added at four intersections, and existing signals will be enhanced

with upgraded pedestrian features. Vehicle lane widths will be reduced, and the speed limit will be lowered to 30 mph.

The work is estimated for completion in early 2022. Funding for the project is a collaborative effort between the City of Pensacola, Escambia County and FDOT.

CIVICCON ON EDUCATION CivicCon

kicks off its fourth year of the CivicCon Speaker Series at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, with Dr. Timothy Smith, Escambia County School District's new superintendent. The event is titled "We Must Reach All Students."

Dr. Smith will talk about his impressions from his first two months on the job, what his priorities are shaping up to be for 2021 and his longer-term vision for what the Escambia County school system can achieve.

The event is free and virtual but requires registration to receive the link to watch the presentation. You can register at bit.ly/2LjX4jE.

ECAT SURVEY Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) has launched "Your Service, Your Say," a 10-year Transit Development Plan to reimagine the future of local transportation. The first phase focused on surveying current riders to evaluate their overall system experience. ECAT has kicked off the second phase by inviting the public, regardless of their existing transportation mode, to participate in an online survey at yourescambiatransit.com.

Survey responses will help shape the future of transit in Escambia County, allowing the ECAT team to implement route improvements and amenity upgrades that will be incorporated into the 10-year plan.

The "Your Service, Your Say" initiative will focus on updating the current ECAT fixed-route system to provide users with more frequent and reliable options.

This plan also seeks to integrate innovative transportation concepts and varying modes of transportation.

The outcome of this effort will be a

Transit Development Plan (TDP), which is a Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) requirement. The TDP will support the development of an effective multimodal transportation system in Escambia County and define public transit needs, which is a prerequisite to receiving state funds. For more information, visit yoursayescambia.com.

2021 PEN AIR SCHOLARSHIP Pen Air

Federal Credit Union is calling for applications from graduating high school seniors who have a passion for helping others and want to pursue post-secondary education.

The purpose of the scholarship is to help academically inclined student members who embody its core value of Communerosity obtain higher education.

Scholarships will be awarded based on a student's academic performance and passion for helping others. All applicants must be primary members of Pen Air and must submit the following to be eligible—an official high school transcript; a copy of an acceptance letter from the college, university, community college or technical school; and a completed and signed Pen Air Scholarship Application. The amount awarded per scholarship is up to $10,000 over a four-year period, depending on the degree pursued.

Pen Air's college scholarship program has given more than $98,500 to local high school graduates since its inception in 2010. All entries must be received by email or mail to Pen Air no later than March 31 to be eligible.

To apply or learn more about the scholarship program, visit penair.org/scholarships.

APPLICATIONS FOR MENTORSHIP The Spring Entrepreneur Hub, a Studer Community Institute initiative, has begun accepting applications for its Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) through Monday, Jan. 25. Based on the VMS program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Spring VMS program offers confidential, team-based mentoring services—each company receiving

four to five mentors to help their organization—to Pensacola entrepreneurs at no cost.

In May 2020, The Spring VMS launched with a pilot program of 10 companies and is now expanding the program. Companies from any industry and across locations in the entrepreneurial life cycle are qualified to apply for The Spring VMS. However, companies already open for business or in the revenue stage are more likely to be chosen. To learn more about the program, please visit thespringpensacola.com.

Interested entrepreneurs submit an application by 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 25, at bit.ly/3qbGMrK. Applications are assessed based on the stage of startup or years in business, evaluation of company leadership and quality and depth of strategic plan. For more information, contact The Spring's Entrepreneur Coordinator Gracie Price at gprice@ studeri.org or Chief Entrepreneur Officer D.C. Reeves at dcreeves@quintstuder.com.

STARTING A BUSINESS NOW You want to start a business. Is your idea a good one?

With the craziness of 2020, is it even a good time to consider starting a new business?

LLC? Partnership? Corporation? Join the SBDC from 10 a.m.-noon on Jan. 28 for a live, online webinar to address these questions.

In this webinar, presented by Glenn McDuffy and Christa Wilson of Florida SBDC at UWF, you will learn how to assess your business idea's feasibility. We'll identify and explain the eight good reasons to start a business during or after a crisis or recession. This event will help you determine if your business idea matches any of the eight reasons. You'll also discover the top 10 reasons why businesses fail. Learn the importance of a good business plan and the easiest way to create your roadmap from where you are today to where you want to be.

There is no fee. Register at sbdc.uwf. edu under "Training & Events." Registration ends 24 hours before the start time. A link for joining this no-cost webinar will be sent to those who register. {in}

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Calling All Entrepreneurs!

The Spring Entrepreneur Hub is accepting applications from local entrepreneurs to participate in their mentoring program, The Spring Venture Mentoring Service (VMS). The program is based on the successful model used by the renowned VMS program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

The program offers confidential, team mentoring services to entrepreneurs across the Pensacola community at no cost. Mentees are paired with 3-5 highly-experienced mentors from a pool of 24 local experts with more than 390 years of business ownership and 415 years as C-suite executives.

Companies from any industry or stage in the entrepreneurial life cycle are qualified to apply for The Spring VMS.

APPLY NOW THROUGH MONDAY, JANUARY 25 AT 5 P.M.

www.thespringpensacola.com/programs

From day one, the mentors have been so encouraging and willing to impart their business experience and knowledge to help us grow and see blind spots in our organization. Being part of VMS and with the help of our mentors we were able to successfully navigate some of the “interesting” events in 2020 and grow our junk removal business. We are excited for the future of Something Old Salvage because of the amazing support from everyone at The Spring.

– Anthony and Sabrina Simpson, Owners of Something Old Salvage and current mentees in The Spring VMS

MEET THE MENTORS Bob Anderson

Senior Vice President, SunTrust now Truist Financial

Hurst Butts

Owner/President, Volume ONE Salon, Wilfrids Barber and Fine Goods, Jack Cotter Distribution, HH2 Development

Dean Dalrymple Partner / Principal, Dalrymple Sallis Architecture

Steve Dana

Vice President and Senior Design Associate, Jerry Pate Design

Robert L. Foster Division Manager, Apogee.us Telecom

Capt. Sterling Gilliam

Director, National Naval Aviation Museum

Travis Goins

President, EBI Management Group

Dr. Jessica A. Griffen

Chairwoman and CEO, The Urban Development Center, Inc.

Bob Hart

Retired Attorney, Clark Partington

Ashton Hayward President, Andrews Research & Education Foundation

Chris Heaney

Deputy Supervisor of Elections for Operations, Escambia County, FL

James Hosman Market President, Centennial Bank

Jerry Jackson

Retired, GM Deepwater Projects, Royal Dutch Shell

James Mann

CEO, M4 Sciences Corporation and University of West Florida, Mechanical Engineering (courtesy appointment)

Mort O’Sullivan

Retired Managing Member of the Gulf Coast Region Warren Averett, LLC CPAs & Advisors

Kathy Sandstrom Retired Senior Partner, Heitman, LLC

Julie Sheppard

Tom Patterson

Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Counsel, IHMC

Lloyd Reshard

Retired COO and Vice Chairman Emeritus, Waffle House, Inc.

CEO, The JETTY IoT, CEO, Tocaro Blue, LLC CEO, Cognitive Big Data Systems

John A. Rigsby CEO, eduocity, LLC

Bert Thornton

Randall Wells

Registered Investment Advisor, FSA Investment Group

Veronique Zayas Founder and Creative Director, HatchMark Studio, Co-Founder, Emerald Republic Brewing Co.

James Waters

Entrepreneur Co-Founder and Former CTO, Performance Matters

Studer Community Institute 220 W. Garden St. Suite 501 Pensacola, FL 32502

Gracie Price Entrepreneur Coordinator gracie@thespringpensacola.com

www.thespringpensacola.com 212 1

inweekly.net

The Pandemic Isn't Over…

Just Because We're Over It

CURRENT CASES

27,733

PEAK HOSPITALIZATIONS

291

as of Monday, Jan. 18

Highest recorded day—Thursdsay, Jan. 14

Just for reference, 39% of those cases have been reported since early December.

Daily COVID-19 hospitalizations between the three local hospital systems have consistently been over 200 for the entire month of January. Just to compare, on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26), that number was 98, and on Halloween (Oct. 31), it was 47.

PEAK POSITIVITY RATE

19.2% Highest recorded week—Jan. 8

Positivity rates don’t get a lot of attention, but they are helpful in tracking community spread in relation to how many people are getting tested.

Earlier in the pandemic, the World Health Organization said governments should consider re-

January is setting COVID-19 records nationally and locally by pretty much every metric used to track it.

But we know pandemic fatigue is real and the lack of any "rules" statewide probably has you pretty checked out and lax about social distancing. However, you really should still be paying attention and being as safe as possible.

Because we don't expect you to just believe us on this and because we know studying local coronavirus data probably isn't high on your to-do list, we pulled some key stats for you—case numbers, hospitalizations, positivity rates and deaths. We also included some context for each number so you know why they matter.

And just so it's clear, we aren't advocating shutting down businesses again—just that each of us, as individuals, take it upon ourselves to be responsible patrons. Mask up, mind your distance and maybe take your order to-go if you're cool eating at home (and if you're lucky enough that this particular scenario applies to you, you better tip like you dined in, OK?) At this point, if you haven't been impacted by the pandemic personally, you should consider yourself lucky, not immune. Multiple members of our extended Inweekly family have lost loved ones to COVID-19 recently, so we are beyond aware of how serious things are right now. And as hopeful as we all are about vaccines, we still need to buckle down and be safe while we wait out the distribution process. {in}

opening if the rates of positivity in testing remain at or below 5% for at least two weeks.

Local officials saw the 5% threshold as critical, and Escambia County maintained the rate from May 21-June 22. The June spike led to Mayor Robinson mandating face masks and Gov. DeSantis closing bars statewide. The positivity rate didn’t consistently stay below 5% again until Sept. 11 and would remain near that level until Nov. 1. Since then, it has averaged around 12% and been over 15% every week in January so far. We’ve noticed our local officials no longer mention the 5% threshold.

CURRENT DEATHS

495 as of Sunday, Jan. 17

84 of those deaths happened in December and 15 so far in January. That’s 99 people dead locally from COVID-19 in the last month and a half.

For comparison in 2019, only two causes of death in Escambia County were higher than the current COVID-19 death count—cancer (762) and heart disease (654). The current COVID deaths in the county are higher than deaths caused by home, work and vehicular accidents (237), influenza and pneumonia (56), suicide (53) and homicide (28) combined.

*All these numbers are from the Escambia County COVID-19 Dashboard and include Florida residents and non-Florida residents who have tested, been treated for or died from COVID-19 while in Escambia County. We chose not to make a distinction because when you’re talking about things like hospitalizations where resources are limited, it doesn’t really matter where someone claims residence if they need a ventilator or ICU bed. If you want to stay up-to-date on the local numbers, just go to myescambia.com and click on the COVID-19 Dashboard link.

January 21, 2021

13

WEEK OF JANUARY 21-27

Arts & Encouragement hope, help and other signs of humanity at a time when we really need it...

Women's March Continues…Virtually

By Jennifer Leigh

Four years ago, hundreds gathered in downtown Pensacola for the inaugural local Women's March.

It was a gray, rainy day. Nevertheless, they persisted in plastic ponchos with signs held high—the ink bleeding down. Pensacola was just one dot on the global map of similar marches, all held the day after Donald Trump's inauguration. According to several news outlets, it was the largest protest in history.

The protests have continued every January. And even though Trump is out of office, the fight for equal rights—for women, minorities, the LGBTQ community, differently-abled people—continues.

"It's a pivotal moment in society," said Allison Ferreira, president of the Women's March Florida Pensacola chapter. "We're fighting for all the same issues—for the right of who to love, full autonomy of our bodies, for clean air and water, against racial injustice. We're not going to back down."

In planning for Pensacola's event, Ferreira said local organizers were working to move the event to Hollice T. Williams Park

from the downtown area when COVID numbers spiked. After a little regrouping, they planned to move the event to Zoom, which is how the state organizers got involved. Women's March chapters from Key West, Jacksonville and Miami will be joining in. Pensacola speakers will have the floor from noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23.

Following that first Women's March, there was a noticeable culture shift across the nation and the state. Women ran—and won—in historic numbers in the 2018 midterms and again in the 2020 election.

There was also a progressive shift in the state with Democrats running in 140 of 141 state and house races last year. It was the first time in history. And it's the hope of Pensacola organizers to keep that momentum going.

Karen Butler was a first-time candidate last year running against incumbent state Sen. Doug Broxson to represent Florida District 1. It was the fact that so many Republican candidates run uncontested that provoked her to start a campaign.

"That's not a race; it's a jog," joked the

20-year Air Force veteran. "Northwest Florida has never been represented by a woman in the state senate. It made me angry, and then I thought, 'Why not?' Somebody's going to have to do it; it might as well be me."

While Butler lost the race, she didn't sour on politics. In fact, she was encouraged by Election Night, receiving more than 98,407 votes to Broxson's 185,380. She hasn't ruled out a future campaign. As one of the speakers at the Pensacola Women's March, she hopes to encourage more women to take the leap and run for office.

"I have a voice now; I have a platform," she said. "More women have gotten more involved in civic organizations and politics.

Now we need to build on that. We've made in-roads; we've cleared out paths."

Butler said she wants to see more established women take younger women under their wings and put opportunities in front of them. That's how she got started— by someone asking her to run. And she saw how it touched at least one little girl.

One day during her campaign, she saw

a young girl—"I'm guessing about 11 years old," she said—who wanted her mom to take a picture of her by Butler's campaign sign. Butler approached the two, and the young girl started "screaming" once she realized who Butler was. It's one of the reasons she hasn't ruled out another campaign in the future—because it could get more women excited about running in the future.

"It was the coolest thing," she said.

"You just don't know how much of an impact you can have."

Even as the march ends, the work still continues.

Many of the volunteers of the Women's March Pensacola are involved in various boards and organizations working to bring progress to the panhandle. For anyone looking to get involved, signing into Saturday's march is a good first step. And with this year's event going virtual, Ferreira is hoping to see an even broader mix of attendees.

"You can sit at home from your own corner and learn something from the speakers," she said. "We're happy to bring a positive influence where people can come out and feel like they do have support, and we want everyone to help continue the fight." {in}

PENSACOLA WOMEN'S MARCH WHEN: Noon-2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23 COST: Free; donations accepted at bit.ly/donateWMFL DETAILS: Register for the webinar link at facebook.com/pensacolawomensmarch

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a&e happenings

Attending "normal" events might not be happening yet—but that doesn't mean local businesses and nonprofits aren't still keeping the community connected in creative ways.

MARDI GRAS EVENTS

PENSACOLA BEACH MARDI GRAS, INC. BEAD GIVE AWAY Pensacola Mardi

Gras, Inc. will host a bead giveaway for kids from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 30, in the Casino Beach parking lot, adjacent to the Pensacola Beach Visitor's Information Center. Mardi Gras goodie bags for kids and kritters will be set out on decorated tables for the grab-and-go event. The event is being hosted outside, and masks and social distancing are encouraged. For more information, visit pensacolabeachmardigras.com.

KIDS AND KRITTERS VIRTUAL PARADE The Kids and Kritters Virtual Parade will be a compilation of photos, videos and music to substitute for the in-person Mardi Gras walking procession. To participate, parents and pet owners should email a photo of their costumed child or pet to kandkparade@gmail.com. The virtual parade will go live Saturday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m. at pensacolabeachmardigras.com and facebook.com/ pensacolabeachmardigras.

MARDI GRAS-THEME LIGHTED BOAT PARADE The Pensacola Beach

Chamber of Commerce will host a Mardi Gras-themed lighted boat parade starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 6, from Sabine Marina in Little Sabine Bay. The parade will wind its way around the Santa Rosa Sound to the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk and then circle back. Spectators can safely watch the parade from Little Sabine, the beach boardwalk and anywhere off the Santa Rosa Sound. For more information, visit pensacolabeachchamber.com.

MARDI GRAS TROT Capture the spirit

of the season with the Mardi Gras Trot. The celebration will take place across multiple outdoor venues from 3-7 p.m. Saturday, January 21, 2021

Feb. 6, beginning at Perennial Patio Bar and ending four blocks away at Garden & Grain.

There will be live music and one-day-only special cocktails. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 on site. For more information, visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS THROUGH THE MONTH OF JANUARY Animal Allies will be hosting cat and kitten adoptions every Saturday and Sunday in January from noon-4 p.m. at PetSmart, 6251 N. Davis Highway. Many beautiful cats and kittens will be looking for their FUR-ever homes. Adoption fee includes shots, feline leukemia testing, spay/neuter and microchip. Adoption fees are $90 for kittens up to one year and $75 for adults. Learn to help cats in your neighborhood. Social distancing guidelines in place. Masks are required.

Located back in the cat adoption area.

CLINIC AT PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY NOW PROVIDING WELLNESS SERVICES The Barbara Grice Memorial

Clinic at Pensacola Humane Society is now offering low-cost wellness services each Friday for the public.

Services include wellness exams, vaccinations, microchipping, deworming, heartworm testing, ear cleaning and more. Wellness visits are available on Fridays only from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Appointments are required and can be made online through the link on the Pensacola Humane Society website at pensacolahumane.org or Barbara Grice Memorial Clinic Facebook page or by calling 898-3380.

Spay/neuter surgery appointments are available Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and can be made as mentioned above. Drop off is at 7:30 am with 2 p.m. pick up for dogs and 3 p.m. pick up for cats. The Pensacola Humane Society and Barbara Grice Memorial Clinic are located at 5 N. Q St.

PENSACOLA HABITAT CELEBRATES 29 FAMILIES CLOSING ON HOMES IN 2020 Amid the great local need for

affordable homeownership, Pensacola Habitat finished up the year with 29 closings despite the pandemic and challenging hurricane season.

Though delays and setbacks had occurred with less than average volunteer participation due to COVID-19 safety precautions, the 29 closings took place.

Three of them were on Dec. 16, just in time for Christmas.

"The experience with [Pensacola] Habitat was an amazing adventure. There was some good and not necessarily bad, just setbacks", said Danielle Johnson, one of the three homeowners who closed on their home in December.

The need for affordable homeownership has never been greater, especially after the challenging previous year. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity aims to serve as many individuals and families as possible and continues to grow. To learn more about how you can impact local families and make a difference, please visit pensacolahabitat.org/donate.

ARTS + CULTURE

ARBOR DAY TREE GIVEAWAY AND ART CONTEST ANNOUNCED UF IFAS

Extension and the Escambia County Natural Resources Department will hold a drivethrough tree giveaway from 9-11 a.m., or until supplies last, on Saturday, Jan. 23. The event will be held at the Escambia County 4-H Camp and Livestock Facility, located at 5701 Highway 99 in Molino.

To keep everyone healthy, attendees will be asked to stay in their vehicles and wear a mask when approached by volunteers. Each vehicle will receive two free native 1-gallon trees. Species available include overcup oak, willow oak, sweetgum and Savannah holly.

Participants and anyone interested in tree care are encouraged to watch a free online seminar at noon on Jan. 21 entitled "Tree Planting: More than Digging a Hole" to learn proper tree planting and care techniques. The presentation will go over the types of trees being given away as well.

Escambia County Extension will also host their fourth annual Arbor Day Mail Art Contest this year. To participate, mail a drawing, painting, photograph or mixed media artwork with the theme "Renew, Regrow, and Reforest" to Arbor Day Art Contest c/o Escambia County Extension, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment, FL 32533.

Please include your name, age and contact information on the back of your artwork.

Contest entries must arrive by mail or be dropped off by Jan. 25.

First place winners of the art contest will receive prizes including a 7-gallon tree, a shovel and a tree book. Second place winners will receive a tree book, and third place winners will receive gardening supplies. Categories include children (12 and under), teen (13-18) and adult (over 18).

Winners will be announced via Facebook Live (facebook.com/escambia.extension) on Jan. 29 and prizes given out by appoint-

ment. Resource Management Services provided support for the art contest.

For more information, contact Carrie Stevenson, Coastal Sustainability Agent III, UF IFAS Extension, at 850-475-5230 or ctsteven@ufl.edu.

CALL TO ARTISTS: CUBED 2021 The Pensacola Museum of Art invites all artists to submit their mural ideas for a chance to participate in the Cubed 2021: Live Mural Painting Event. Artists must be available March 6-7 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-foot 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 to 10 works of art to pma@uwf.edu by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1, 2021. Artists will receive a stipend of $250. Award notification will be Feb. 5, 2021. For more information, visit pensacolamuseum.org/call.html.

STAY-IN FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT West

Florida Public Libraries presents Family Movie Night. Come in and check out one of our Family Movie Night Bundles. Bundles include a family-friendly movie, a bag of microwave popcorn and a family-friendly activity. Movies can be checked out for seven days, and the rest is yours to keep.

DATES: •Friday, Jan. 22, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. — Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. and Molino Branch Library, 6450-A Highway 95A. •Saturday, Jan. 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Pensacola Library and Molino Branch Library •Friday, Jan. 29, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. – Pensacola Library and Molino Branch Library •Saturday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. – Pensacola Library and Molino Branch Library

BROWN BAG OPERA Join Pensacola Opera for a free mid-day performance from Pensacola Opera Artists in Residence Tuesday, Jan. 26, at noon. COVID-19 precautions will be in place, including masks and socially distanced seats with a capacity of 20 patrons.

Reservations are required. Reserve your seat by calling 433-6737. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: SING EASY Enjoy entertainment

from Pensacola talent in a safely-distanced, intimate speakeasy-style atmosphere from 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays in January. Tickets are $20. For more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

STAND-UP COMEDY AT THE REX THEATRE Visit The REX Theatre every Friday at

8 p.m. for national stand up acts. On Jan. 22, the Saints and Sinners Comedy Tour will be performing. Tickets are $20-$35 at the door.

For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

COMEDY MAGIC SHOW AT THE REX THEATRE Comedy magician Tom Coverly, 15

a&e happenings known as "The Illusionist," performs Saturday nights at The Rex Theatre, located at 18 N. Palafox. Shows start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10-$35. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

NEW EXHIBITS AT PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "Youth Art Focus" will be

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on display Jan. 22-Feb. 28. "Antarctica" is another new exhibit on view through April 4 at the downstairs gallery. Other exhibits include "Pretty/Ugly" the UWF BFA exit show of Madisen Pooton and "In Memoriam," from Panhandle Slim, which honors the lives of Ensign Joshua Kaleb Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and Airman Cameron Walters, who were killed in a terrorist attack at Naval Air Station Pensacola.

For more information and hours of operation, visit pensacolamuseum.org.

PENSACOLA OPERA'S "CARMEN"

Performances for Pensacola Opera's "Carmen" will be Friday, Jan. 22, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 24, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25, and online streaming options will be available. To purchase your tickets, visit pensacolaopera.com.

GREAT GULFCOAST ARTS FESTIVAL 2020 LIMITED-EDITION POSTER AVAILABLE ONLINE With the cancel-

lation of this year's Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival due to COVID-19, the festival committee invited local artist Kreg Yingst to create a poster for 2020 in his original woodcut print design.

The 250 limited-edition posters are each signed and numbered by the artist. Festival posters have become a local collector's item and are available online this year only.

The posters are available at ggaf.org for $27, including shipping and sales tax.

Yingst, a long-time GGAF artist, received his B.A. from Trinity University in San Antonio after attending the University of Texas and his M.A. in painting from Eastern Illinois University. After graduation, he taught art for 13 years and has been a full-time artist since 2003.

The Great Gulfcoast Arts Festival returns Nov. 5, 6 and 7, 2021, at Seville Square, Fountain Park, Bartram Park and Museum Plaza in Downtown Pensacola.

DRAG SHOWS AT DOLCE AND GELATO Bring your singles for live drag shows at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. Dates include 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ dolcegelatopensacola

OPERALIVE: THROWBACK THURSDAYS Take a walk down memory lane with

friends of the Pensacola Opera. Learn more about the craft and look back on past productions with live discussions on Facebook Live Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Viewers are encouraged to join in the conversation. Tune in at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

www.radiofreepensacola.com 616 1

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Per-

forming 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 well-being of all students and families and has implemented protocols based on guidance from 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 221-7438.

PENSACOLA CINEMA ART REOPENS

Pensacola Cinema Art is now open, showing matinee independent films. Admission is $7. Face masks are required, and there will be 50% maximum seating capacity.

Tickets can be reserved by calling or texting 863-446-7300 or emailing jpncinema@ gmail.com. For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

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 studiosouthon9mileroad.com. Studio South is located at 955 E. Nine Mile Road.

GALLERY NIGHT PENSACOLA PRESENTS: ARTIST TALKS Join Gallery Night

Director Sydney Robinson as she interviews Pensacola area artists about their creative process. The Artist Talks series is a biweekly virtual event available on Facebook Live. Join in by visiting facebook.com/ gallerynightpensacola.

SUNDAYS ON THE MEZZANINE Enjoy a full-length concert series every other Sunday at 3 p.m. on Facebook. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased online at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

LIVE MUSIC

WAYWARD SISTER AND NICK ANDREWS LIVE Enjoy live music from Way-

ward Sister and Nick Andrews Saturday, Jan. 23, at Gary's Brewery and Biergarten.

Show starts at 5 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

DUKE X DUTCHESS INDIE MUSIC SHOW Enjoy good music from artists such

as Duke X Dutchess, s.mplestr.ngs, Flight Gang Drae at Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave. Show starts at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Jan. 26. Tickets are $10-$15. For more information, visit dukexdutchess.com.

JAY MOODY LIVE Musician Jay Moody will be performing at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten Saturday, Jan. 30, starting at 6 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

CURT BOL JAZZ QUARTET Visit Five Sisters 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

Gallery is open from 5-7 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

Society 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 Me-

lodious 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 HOME GAMES Pensacola Ice Flyers 2020-2021

season has begun. Tickets are sold in groups of two starting at $18. Tickets for groups of three or more are also available, and prices vary. To purchase tickets, go to ticketmaster. com. Home games are at the Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. For more information, visit pensacolaiceflyers.com.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •7:35 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29: Birmingham vs.

Pensacola •7:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30: Macon vs.

Pensacola

PUBLIC ICE SKATING AT PENSACOLA BAY CENTER The Pensacola Bay Center will be open for ice skating. All sessions will be at a reduced capacity to maintain social distancing, and only one spectator is allowed per skater. Tickets are $12 for adults and children with skate rental or $9 for adults and children without skate rental. Groups of 15 or more receive a reduced rate of $10. Purchase tickets at pensacolabaycenter.com.

inweekly.net

a&e happenings DATES: •10:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 29 •10:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30 •1:30 and 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 31

K-9 PALOOZA 2021 Spectators are welcome to watch dog competitions and sports during a four-day action-packed event, Jan. 28-31, at the Escambia County Equestrian Center, 7750 Mobile Highway.

Dogs of many breeds and their handlers will participate in Obedience and Rally, Barn Hunt and FastCAT competitions throughout the day and Obedience practices and Agility fun practices in late afternoon.

Spectator admissions are $2/person over 12 years or $5/family, and seating is in the bleachers. Unentered, noncompeting dogs are not eligible to attend. Food truck on site.

Visit fi veflagsdogs.com for more information.

DOUBLE BRIDGE RUN ANNOUNCED FOR FEB. 6 Pensacola Sports has an-

nounced the course for 2021 Double Bridge Run Presented by Publix, which will go on as scheduled on Saturday, Feb. 6. The longer race will keep its normal 15K length, but to accommodate the necessary course changes and to have the same start and finish areas for both races, the usual 5K races will become a very unique and challenging 6K. Both races will begin in front of the Gulfside Pavilion on Pensacola Beach. The 15K will run east toward Portofino, turn around

and run over Bob Sikes Bridge into Gulf Breeze. The run continues over a quarter of a mile on the Gulf Breeze side of the Pensacola Bay Bridge before heading back to the Pensacola Beach Boardwalk finish line. The 6K participants will head out of the beach parking lot, run over the Bob Sikes Bridge, turn around and come back over the Bob Sikes Bridge and finish at the same finish line.

Registration is open at doublebridgerun.com.

A complete COVID-19 safety plan will be in place for the race and can be found on the event website. The plan includes more spread-out starting corrals, masking requirement, post-race party protocol, reduced touch points and other safety procedures.

PENSACOLA SPORTS LAUNCHES HOLE-IN-ONE MILLION DOLLAR SHOOTOUT Pensacola Sports, along with

several area golf courses, announced a new golf program to build excitement in the local golf scene. The program includes Marcus Pointe Golf Club, Scenic Hills Country Club and Tiger Point Golf Club.

All golfers can choose to participate when they sign in at the respective pro shop before their round. All participating golfers from all three courses will be entered into the same pool, increasing the amount the golfer can win.

The entry fee is $3, and that entry is valid for that round only. If a participating golfer hits a legitimate hole-in-one, after proper verifica-

tion, the golfer will win a third of the entire pot, with a minimum guaranteed winnings of $200.

Full rules and event information can be found at pensacolasports.org/holeinone.

In addition to the original winnings, all players who hit a hole-in-one during the program will be invited to participate in a $1 Million Dollar Shootout. The date and location of the Pensacola Sports' Million Dollar Shootout will be announced at a later date.

Players who make a hole-in-one must notify Pensacola Sports with their information that day. If multiple holes-in-one are hit in the same day, the prize will be divided evenly. The competition starts over immediately after a qualified winner is determined. There are approximately 144 reported holes-in-one at the Pensacola area courses annually.

The Pensacola Sports' Hole-in-One Million Dollar Shootout is also a fundraiser for Pensacola Sports, a private not-forprofit sports event and tourism company.

RELEASE & RENEW AT FITNESS IMPACT TRAINING At 8:15 a.m. on Mon-

days, 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 Thurs-

days 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 instructor 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. for more listings visit inweekly.net

It only takes one person to slash the statistics.

Did you know that 1 in 10 children Escambia County are victims of child abuse? It’s time to change that number. Visit KnowChildAbuse.org to learn to recognize, report and reduce child abuse.

January 21, 2021

17

free will astrology WEEK OF JANUARY 21 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): On May 4, 2019, my Aries friend Leah woke up in a state of amazement. During the night, she felt she had miraculously become completely enlightened. Over the next 16 hours, she understood her life perfectly. Everything made sense to her. She was in love with every person and animal she knew. But by the next morning, the exalted serenity had faded, and she realized that her enlightenment had been temporary. She wasn't mad or sad, however. The experience shook her up so delightfully that she vowed to forevermore seek to recreate the condition she had enjoyed. Recently she told me that on virtually every day since May 4, 2019, she has spent at least a few minutes, and sometimes much longer, exulting in the same ecstatic peace that visited her back then. That's the Aries way—turning a surprise, spontaneous blessing into a permanent breakthrough. I trust you will do that soon.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): One

morning, famous French army general Hubert Lyautey (1854–1934) instructed his gardener to spend the next day planting a row of saplings on his property. The gardener agreed but advised Lyautey that this particular species of tree required 100 years to fully mature. "In that case," Lyautey said, "plant them now." I recommend that you, too, expedite your long-term plans, Taurus. Astrologically speaking, the time is ripe for you to take crisp action to fulfill your big dreams.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Someone

asked poet E. E. Cummings what home was for him. He responded poetically, talking about his lover. Home was "the stars on the tip of your tongue, the flowers sprouting from your mouth, the roots entwined in the gaps between your fingers, the ocean echoing inside your ribcage." What about you, Gemini?

If you were asked to give a description of what makes you feel glad to be alive and helps give you the strength to be yourself, what would you say? Now would be a good time to identify and honor the influences that inspire you to create your inner sense of home.

By Rob Brezsny

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): "Be sweet

to me, world," pleads Cancerian poet Stephen Dunn in one of his poems. In the coming weeks, I invite you to address the world in a similar way. And since I expect the world will be unusually receptive and responsive to your requests, I'll encourage you to add even more entreaties. For example, you could say, "Be revelatory and educational with me, world," or, "Help me deepen my sense that life is meaningful, world," or "Feed my soul with experiences that will make me smarter and wilder and kinder, world." Can you think of other appeals and supplications you'd like to express to the world?

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Throughout his many rough travels in the deserts of the Middle East, the Leo diplomat and army officer known as Lawrence of Arabia (1888–1935) didn't give up his love of reading. While riding on the backs of camels, he managed to study numerous tomes, including the works of ancient Greek writers Aeschylus and Aristophanes. I'd love to see you perform comparable balancing acts in the coming weeks, Leo. The astrological omens suggest you'll be skilled at coordinating seemingly uncoordinatable projects and tasks—and that you'll thrive by doing so. (PS: Your efforts may be more metaphorical and less literal than Lawrence's.)

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Sculptor Stefan Saal testifies that one of his central questions as a creator of art is to know when a piece is done. "When making a thing I need to decide when is it thoroughly made, when is it dare-we-say 'perfected.'" He has tried to become a master of knowing where and when to stop. I recommend this practice to you in the next two weeks, Virgo. You've been doing good work and will continue to do good work, but it's crucial that you don't get overly fussy and fastidious as you refine and perhaps even finish your project.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): You're entering the potentially most playful and frisky and whimsical phase of your astrological cycle. To honor and encourage a full invocation of gleeful fun, I offer you the

following thoughts from Tumblr blogger Sparkledog. "I am so tired of being told that I am too old for the things I like. No cartoons. No toys. No fantasy animals.

No bright colors. Are adults supposed to live monotonous, bleak lives? I can be an adult and still love childish things. I can be intelligent and educated and informed and I can love stuffed animals and unicorns.

Please stop making me feel bad for loving the things that make me happy."

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "Nature

cannot be ordered about, except by obeying her," wrote philosopher Francis Bacon (1561–1626). That paradoxical observation could prove to be highly useful for you in the coming weeks. Here are some other variants on the theme—Surrendering will lead to power. Expressing vulnerability will generate strength. A willingness to transform yourself will transform the world around you. The more you're willing to acknowledge that you have a lot to learn, the smarter you'll be.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): In

his book "The Lover's Dictionary," David Levithan advises lovers and would-be lovers to tell each other their very best stories.

"Not the day's petty injustices," he writes.

"Not the glimmer of a seven-eighthsforgotten moment from your past. Not something that somebody said to somebody, who then told it to you." No, to foster the vibrant health of a love relationship—or any close alliance for that matter—you should consistently exchange your deepest, richest tales. This is always true, of course, but it's especially true for you right now.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): On

October 18, 1867, the United States government completed its purchase of Alaska from Russia. How much did this 586,000-acre kingdom cost? Two cents per acre, which in today's money would be about 37 cents. It was a tremendous bargain! I propose that we regard this transaction as a metaphor for what's possible for you in 2021: the addition of a valuable resource at a reasonable price.

(P.S. American public opinion about the Alaskan purchase was mostly favorable back then, but a few influential newspapers de-

scribed it as foolish. Don't let naysayers like them dissuade you from your smart action.)

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): "My

business is circumference," wrote poet Emily Dickinson in a letter to her mentor. What did she mean by that? "Circumference" was an important word for her. It appeared in 17 of her poems. Critic Rochelle Cecil writes that for Dickinson, circumference referred to a sense of boundlessness radiating out from a center— a place where "one feels completely free, where one can express anything and everything." According to critic Donna M. Campbell, circumference was Dickinson's metaphor for ecstasy. When she said, "My business is circumference," she meant that her calling was to be eternally in quest of awe and sublimity.

I propose that you make good use of Dickinson's circumference in the coming weeks, Aquarius. It's time to get your mind and heart and soul thoroughly expanded and elevated.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Should

I quote the wisdom of people who have engaged in behavior I consider unethical or immoral? Should I draw inspiration from teachers who at some times in their lives treated others badly? For instance, Piscesborn Ted Geisel, better known as beloved author Dr. Seuss, cheated on his wife while she was sick, ultimately leading to her suicide. Should I, therefore, banish him from my memory and never mention the good he did in the world? Or should I forgive him of his sins and continue to appreciate him? I don't have a fixed set of rules about how to decide questions like these. How about you? The coming weeks will be a good time to redefine your relationship with complicated people.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Where in your life do you push too hard? Where don't you push hard enough?

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

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news of the weird THE CONTINUING CRISIS Two Florida residents, Brian Montalvo Tolentino, 43, of Davenport and Juan Burgos-Lopez, 39, of Lake Wales, admitted to police they had removed four human skulls from tombs they had robbed in Mount Dora, WKMG-TV reported.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told local media on Jan. 8 that detectives serving a search warrant on Burgos-Lopez's property found a shed containing a ritualistic shrine and seven skulls the men told authorities they used in the practice of the Palo Mayombe religion. Three of the four graves robbed were of members of the armed forces because, Judd said, Lopez told authorities "the spirit is much stronger in a hero" and "it can protect you from evil."

Before vandalizing the graves, Judd added, the men drank rum and spit it on the ground, then smoked a cigar and exhaled the smoke "to protect them from the spirits." DNA on the cigars led authorities to the suspects.

WHEN YOU CARE ENOUGH TO SEND THE VERY BEST Romney Christopher Ellis, 57, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison on Jan. 5 by a federal court in Tampa, Florida, after waging a four-year-long campaign to harass and threaten his ex-wife, including at one point sending a package with a dead rat and a black rose to her home, according to court records. Ellis also threatened to decapitate her and set her on fire. Postal inspectors searched Ellis' home in February, reported the Associate Press, uncovering evidence, and he pleaded guilty in April.

PEOPLE AND THEIR PETS The South Korean startup Petpuls Lab has announced it developed an AI dog collar that can help owners discern what emotions their pets are feeling based on how they bark. "This device gives a dog a voice so that humans can understand," the company's director of global marketing, Andrew Gil, told Reuters.

The collar detects five emotions, and owners can find out through a smartphone app if their pets are happy, relaxed, anxious, angry or sad. Seoul National University tested the device and declared it has a 90% average accuracy rate. The collar sells for $99. •A couple in Sherbrooke, Quebec, were each fined $1,500 on Jan. 9, when police spotted the pair walking outside about an hour after the city's 8 p.m. curfew, with the husband wearing a leash, CTV News reported. The city's curfew allows for dog-walking after 8 p.m., but police rejected the couple's claim they were following the rules. It was the first weekend under new province-wide restrictions imposed by Premier Francois Legault, and officers throughout Quebec handed out more than 750 tickets.

POLICE REPORT Police in the Japanese community of Funabashi City have arrested

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

Ryusei Takada, 26, for allegedly stealing more than a dozen toilets from houses under construction. The Daily Mail reported the thefts began in October and continued, with local media dubbing the elusive thief the God of Toilets, until Takata flushed himself out by selling a brand-new fixture to a secondhand store in the city. Takada, a construction company office worker, admitted to the thefts and said he did it "to cover my living expenses."

INEXPLICABLE An armed man wearing camouflage tactical gear approached a 23-year-old worker as she was leaving the Cranbourne West Lost Dogs Home in Melbourne, Australia, about 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and demanded she turn over her cellphone, Detective Senior Sergeant Glen Cruse told the media. Victoria police said the man pointed his gun at the woman, then took her inside the shelter, tied her up and "asked where the cats were before he left the room and didn't return," the Daily Star reported. The woman freed herself and called for help; police are still looking for the man, and a motive.

WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME Veronica Gutierrez, 36, was arrested in Palm Springs, California, on Jan. 5 after allegedly carjacking an SUV that afternoon in Rosemead, an incident that was complicated by the fact that the car owner's 84-year-old mother was in the passenger seat at the time, according to authorities. Police Sgt. Richard Lewis said the owner had left the SUV's motor running with the heater on for her mother when the suspect drove off, eventually letting the mother go in Desert Hot Springs, more than 100 miles away. The East Bay Times reported the mother was unharmed, and Gutierrez was being held on suspicion of kidnapping for carjacking.

NEW FOOD The European Food Safety Agency on Jan. 13 approved yellow grubs, aka mealworms, as its first insect "novel food," to be used whole and dried in curries and as flour to make pastas and breads, Reuters reported. Mealworms are rich in protein, fat and fiber, according to agency food scientist Ermolaos Ververis, and "there is great interest ... in the edible insect sector." But sociologists point out that "the so-called 'yuck factor' (may) make the thought of eating insects repellent to many Europeans," said consumer researcher Giovanni Sogari of the University of Parma in Italy. "With time and exposure, such attitudes can change," he added. {in}

From Andrews McMeel Syndication News Of The Weird Š 2021 Andrews McMeel

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