Inweekly March 2 2023 Issue

REALISTICALLY WHIMSICAL

WITH MURAL ARTIST BANKS COMPTON

W E E K L Y S P E C I A L S

M E A T L O A F M O N D A Y S

$ 5 M e a t l o a f S p e c i a l w i t h m a s h e d p o t a t o e s a n d g r e e n b e a n s . D i n e i n O n l y . E v e r y M o n d a y s t a r t i n g a t 4 p . m .

T A C E A U X T U E S D A Y

$ 2 C a j u n s t y l e t a c o s . D i n e i n o n l y . E v e r y T u e s d a y s t a r t i n g a t 4 p . m .

W I N G W E D N E S D A Y

J o i n u s f o r 5 0 c e n t w i n g s D i n e i n o n l y

E v e r y W e d n e s d a y s t a r t i n g a t 4 p m

winners & losers

winners losers

MAGGIE BROWN The University of West Florida sophomore will appear in the Jeopardy! High School Reunion Tournament on Thursday, March 2. The 14-day special event pits 27 former teen contestants in the traditional College Championship format with a $100,000 grand prize for the champion. Brown was the Tate High School Class of 2021's co-salutatorian. She was on the 2020 Senior Homecoming Court and named to the 2021 Senior Hall of Fame. At UWF, she is the Honors Council service chair, Student Government Association secretary and works at the UWF library. Brown is also a Gulf Coast Diplomacy Council intern and helps coach Ransom Middle's academic team.

LANDRUM FAMILY FOUNDATION The foundation committed $100,000 to the Baptist Health Care Foundation for its new Baptist Hospital campus. The first-floor conference center will be named in honor of the Landrum family. H. Britt Landrum Jr. has served on the Baptist Health Care board of directors since 1993, including many years as past vice chair, until he became an honorary board member in 2016. In 2008, Baptist Health Care Foundation selected him to receive the Hollinger Award for Volunteer of the Year.

KEVIN STEPHENS The Emerald Coast Utilities Authority District 5 member paid off the lunchroom student debt at Tate High, Ransom Middle and Kingsfield Elementary. Stephens donated $1,000 per school to cover any outstanding balances and any future balances for the remainder of the school year, according to NorthEscambia. com. He is up for re-election in 2024.

REUNION BAND After 33 years of performing, the band that was formed in the summer of 1989 has announced its retirement. The Reunion Band has been a mainstay at outdoor events, class reunions, Mardi Gras balls, birthday parties and fundraisers, playing classic rock and R&B. The band will play six more times before closing its tent for good on June 1. Dates and locations will be announced soon for the band whose motto has been, "if you can't dance to it, then we don't play it."

HARVEY WEINSTEIN The movie producer last week was sentenced to 16 years in prison for committing sex crimes in Los Angeles County. In December, a jury had found him guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation and sexual penetration by a foreign object. Weinstein, 70, is currently serving a 23-year sentence in New York after his 2020 conviction in that state.

JASON PIZZO Circuit Judge John Cooper dismissed the next Senate Democratic leader's lawsuit concerning Gov. Ron DeSantis' use of state funds to fly migrants in Texas to Martha's Vineyard last year. Sen. Pizzo had alleged the state budget used to pay for the flights was unconstitutional. His case was made moot after the GOP's supermajority in both state chambers repealed the part of the budget used as a basis for the flights and created the Unauthorized Alien Transport Program in a special session called by DeSantis.

JARRELL LAMAR REYNOLDS The former recycling manager at the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority's Materials Recycling Facility has been sentenced to seven years in state prison, plus three years of probation, for selling $510,000 worth of recyclables through a shell company he owned. In September 2018, ECUA hired Reynolds. Within four months, he created JAT Recycling in Georgia to acquire the property from ECUA. Reynolds used the profits to purchase cars, investment properties and other personal expenses.

DAVID EASTMAN The Republican state lawmaker in Alaska has been censured by his colleagues for comments that fatal cases of child abuse are "actually a benefit to society because there aren't needs for government services and whatnot over the whole course of that child's life."

GEORGE SANTOS Politico reported donations totaling over $9,000 recorded by George Santos' 2019 campaign do not show up in the financial filings of the purported recipients, including a $2,800 contribution to Donald Trump's re-election committee that the former president's campaign never recorded. The apparent irregularities call further attention to the New York Republican's veracity or lack of it.

Maggie Brown / Courtesy Photo Harvey Weinstein / Photo by lev radin / shutterstock.com

outtakes

By Rick Outzen

The new brand of Republican conservatism championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis isn't shy about spending money and growing the size of government. For decades, Republicans professed to want to cut budgets and let voters keep more of their hard-earned paychecks. GOP candidates fought to cut regulations and reduce the number of state and federal agencies.

Not anymore. Today's Republican leaders don't hesitate to waste money and add more departments and employees.

Our state was the model of successful election administration in 2020. Of the nearly 11 million votes cast in the last presidential election in Florida, the state election commission only received 262 election fraud complaints. According to the Florida Department of State, less than 80 were handed over to law enforcement or prosecuting authorities for further investigation.

Despite the overwhelming level of election integrity in Florida, Gov. DeSantis wanted more. Last year, state lawmakers created the Office of Election Crimes and Security to "probe allegations of election law violations or election irregularities." It initially had 15 people and a budget of $1.2 million.

And of the 14 million people registered to vote in the state, the new state agency arrested 20 people for voter fraud—not precisely the return on investment that the governor wanted during the 2022 election cycle. However, his proposed 2023-24 budget request has increased the agency to 42 positions and $4.3 million.

Last year, Gov. DeSantis announced he would re-establish the Florida State Guard, which had been disbanded since 1947, claiming the Biden administration had refused to increase the National Guard in Florida. In February, the governor announced he wanted to triple the size of the State Guard and increase its budget from $10 million to more than $95 million.

In the current fiscal year, Gov. DeSantis has spent $1.565 million 'to facilitate the transport of unauthorized aliens from this state." The facilitation included $615,000 paid to Vertol Systems Company Inc. to fly 50 migrants in Texas to Martha's Vineyard flights, with a stop in Crestview. The stop in Okaloosa County was neces-

sary so that DeSantis could claim that he was transporting migrants out of Florida and protecting Panhandle residents.

A special legislative session was convened in February so lawmakers could create the "Unauthorized Alien Transport Program" within the state Division of Emergency Management and provide $10 million to transport more migrants from anywhere to wherever he wants.

His budget spends $147.4 million from the Opioid Settlement Agreement to establish the Office of Opioid Recovery. Instead of using the current agencies, the governor wants a new one to oversee these funds, an accredited Graduate Medical Education program to increase the number of psychiatric residents and other initiatives that support education, treatment and prevention for individuals with substance use disorders.

Then there is Gov. DeSantis' agenda to remake the New College of Florida into the Hillsdale College of the South. New College is a small liberal arts college with fewer than 800 students and has been ranked as one of the best public liberal arts schools in the country. The governor couldn't leave it alone.

In January, he removed six of the college's 13 trustees and replaced them with allies with his conservative views. The supporters weren't Reagan-era conservatives that believed in saving money and cutting red tape. The DeSantis cabal wasn't afraid to spend big bucks to remake the school in the Hillsdale image.

The new board fired the New College president and hired former education commissioner Richard Corcoran for $699,000 a year, more than double what his predecessor earned. The governor asked state lawmakers to give the college $15 million to overhaul the faculty and recruit new students—ones less liberal and LGBTQ+.

The DeSantis conservatives don't hesitate to spend money and grow government to suit their political agenda. Their brand of "freedom" is expensive and is only "freedom" for those who agree with their ideology.

I'm not even sure Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater would recognize it as conservatism. {in} rick@inweekly.net

OPEN SEASON ON GAY PENGUINS

al punching bag for just as long. Critics contend that the book promotes an LGBTQ agenda and amounts to "indoctrination." Those who spoke against the book at the Feb. 20 meeting backed

One man asked the board if this sentiment was the motivating force of their official calculus—"Surely, I'm assuming that we're not, that our board members are not making these decisions primarily based on religious belief—you know, homosexuality being a sin. I'm assuming that's not being the primary grounds that y'all's

Just before tossing the title from the district, Escambia County School Board Chairman Paul Fesko recalled listening to a kindergarten teacher share the book with a group of children years ago. The teacher didn't read the book but rather offered her own interpretation—"never any discussion about 'they were a couple,' 'they were in love,' 'they were embracing each other,' any of the things that went more on the sexual side."

Fesko thought the book offered an otherwise valuable account of penguin biology and had a suggestion. "The book may be edited, rewritten to make it less of a sexual, or even a romantic thing and more of the compassion that

Makes Three" was definitely pulled from availability because the penguins are perceived as -

By Jeremy Morrison

Three hours into the meeting, the Escambia County School Board appeared to have identified the edge, a boundary of sorts in the crusade to cull the district of obscene and pornographic material. Two of them suggested that perhaps the children's book "And Tango Makes Three" should be spared from the literary sanitation.

But, no, the gay penguins must go. They are indoctrinating our children.

"When I first saw we were getting a penguin book, I didn't really think much about it, and then I researched it a little bit," reckoned board member Kevin Adams, explaining that it violated state law. "It is targeting K-5 students, OK?"

"When I look at it, the fascination is still on that it's two male penguins raising a chick," concluded fellow board member David Williams.

In tandem with school districts throughout Florida and inspired by Gov. Ron DeSantis' marching orders, Escambia's school board is reviewing the books that might run afoul of new state regulations that target material that leans into the topics of sex, gender and race.

Escambia has a growing list of over 150 titles under review and is actively thinning books from teachers' classroom bookshelves. Last fall, the board tossed "The Perks of Being a Wall -

flower" by Stephen Chbosky, and on Feb. 20, they removed three more titles.

This time was different, though. In addition to the scripture-quoting cheerleaders praising the removals, the meeting chambers were now swollen with a growing number of critics, decrying what they see as a dangerous exercise in cultural and politically motivated censorship.

"The fact that we have two books that are being banned for having children—and penguins for crying out loud—that are LGBTQ is ridiculous," said Ella Jane Hoffmaster, co-vice president of the Booker T. Washington High School Student Government Association. "I feel as though I am not getting as good of an education because of this. I think I should be learning about all kinds of people."

DOES GOD LOVE 'DIRTY SEX STORIES'?

What constitutes a dangerous book? Pornographic? Something to shield students from?

"And Tango Makes Three" is a very illustrative book in this sense. And not just because it's a children's book full of illustrations. Written in 2005 by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson, the book is a nonfiction account of two male penguins who create a nontraditional family at New York City's Central Park Zoo.

"And Tango Makes Three" has been available to young readers for years and has been a cultur-

trict in February were "All Boys Aren't Blue" by George M. Johnson and "When Aidan Became a Brother" by Kyle Lukoff. The first title consists of essays about growing up Black and queer, while the second pertains to a trans child.

Critics contend that the books are obscene, pointing to, among other things, graphic sexual content and arguing that such books should not be provided to students. And they often frame their positions in religious and exclusionary terms.

"We have to answer to him," said Aaron Schneider, casting a scene in which the school board stood before God. "All of us have to answer to him for that. We can't pretend we're not going to get up there, and he's going to say, 'You did a good job; those kids really needed some dirty sex stories while they were growing up.'"

Meanwhile, those who lobbied for retaining the three titles pointed out that some books may be found objectionable by some people but that they relay life experiences and could also prove beneficial to marginalized youth, pointing to disturbing trends such as the suicide rates among gay and transgender youth.

Denise Malone, the mother of a gay, nowmarried son, called "And Tango Makes Three," an "adorable" book that provided a broader representation that better reflected the realities of society. "Same-sex unions are all over the place, and why not have a child read about two penguins, a cute little story like that, to realize that it really is a thing, there are same-sex unions out there."

"And Tango Makes Three" fell by a 3-2 vote. So, in a sense, it did establish the edge, a

boundary—there are enough votes to toss pretty much anything out.

Board members Bill Slayton and Patty Hightower supported the district assessment committee's determination that "And Tango Makes Three" should be retained. Targeting an awardwinning, nonfiction illustrated children's book about penguins might be too far.

That notion—in Escambia, in Florida, in 2023—turned out to be plain silly. And if it's open season on gay penguins, what books will survive cultural cleansing?

SUPERINTENDENT IN THE HOT SEAT?

The statewide culling of books currently being conducted in Florida's public school systems is a component of Gov. Ron DeSantis's culturewar offense on education in general. It aligns with his don't-say-gay, stop-woke-ism agenda that he's testing out for an eventual 2024 presidential run.

With new laws on the books, the governor has required Florida's public school systems to remove all offending material by this summer. Additionally, he has unleashed an army of politically and culturally motivated busybodies to challenge any material currently available in the public school systems.

In Escambia, this has led to a growing list of books, most flagged by Northview High English teacher Vickie Baggett, under scrutiny. A committee reviews each title, and if necessary, the school board makes the final decision.

Thus far, the assessment committees have recommended retaining all the titles they have reviewed. Four of those decisions have been challenged, with the board overruling the educators' judgment.

Unsatisfied with the pace and time-consuming debate of the district's current process—the Feb. 20 meeting stretched nearly five hours—Adams suggested Superintendent Tim Smith be more proactive and unilaterally remove questionable titles.

"Somebody who believes that book should stay can come in and appeal, OK? But we wouldn't have to go through all these books that we know have obscene and pornographic material, in my opinion," Adams said.

A few days after the Feb. 20 meeting, Adams infused a new element into this discussion. He has proposed the county commission and Florida Legislature put on the ballot in 2014 a referendum returning the superintendent position to an elected position.

That debate is teed up for the board's March 21 meeting. Stay tuned. This circus isn't close to being over. {in}

Photo by On The Run Photo / shutterstock.com

"I feel as though I am not getting as good of an education because of this." Ella Jane Hoffmaster

POSSIBLE MEDICAID NIGHTMARE

declines to renew the coverage automatically, the recipient will receive a notice to reapply.

An estimated 900,000 Floridians will lose coverage in April due to their incomes being above the threshold, according to Casey Penn, DCF assistant secretary for economic self-sufficiency. Those will be the first recipients re -

The state divides recipients into seven groups based on age and health conditions and determines eligibility by annual income for a family of four in relation to the federal poverty level. For example, one group comprises home and community-based services, nursing homes and hospice. The eligibility threshold for that group is an annual income of $61,608 with a

The next group reviewed by DCF for eligibility will be about 850,000 recipients who have not responded to information requests or used Medicaid benefits in the past year. The review for the remaining recipients will come on their next regularly scheduled renewal date. Children with significant medical issues and other vulnerable populations will be the last group. All reviews will be completed by April 2024.

Community Health, Lakeview and other providers are scrambling to re-enroll their Medicaid recipients or find them other programs. Community Health CEO Chandra Smiley said a minimum of three employees would be hired to

"We're kind of expecting a 3-4 percent hit initially, but with our patient base and their understanding of the re-enrollment process, are they going to get the letter and enroll in time?" Smiley said. "I expect us to be hit more than (3-4 percent) by people not following through with the process."

By Tom St. Myer

Millions of Floridians will scramble to reenroll in Medicaid or find alternative options as federal funding dries up and the state prepares to return to pre-pandemic eligibility standards. Health care providers will potentially be financially impacted, too, with a decline in revenue generated from Medicaid recipients.

Medicaid is a federal program that partners with states to provide health care coverage to low-income children, families, elders and people with disabilities. A significant number of Medicaid recipients live in Escambia County—25.1% of all residents in 2021, topping the state average by about three percentage points.

Community Health of Northwest Florida CEO Chandra Smiley said 93,000 of its patients, roughly 60%, receive Medicaid coverage. LifeView Group CEO Allison Hill said Lakeview has 9,800 active patients covered by Medicaid, and about 4,000 are children.

"Many of our severe and persistent mentally ill clients qualify for Medicaid," Hill said, "and it's critical for most to keep their insurance so they can receive services, like seeing their doctor and getting their medication."

VANISHING COVERAGE

The number of Floridians enrolled in Medicaid increased by over 40% over the past three years. In March 2020, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act provided states with additional federal funding for continuous Medicaid coverage. The state promised not to drop anyone to keep the federal dollars, and the Florida program grew from nearly 3.8 million beneficiaries pre-COVID to over 5.6 million, a 49.1% enrollment increase.

But the continuous coverage requirement ends March 31, which spells trouble for everyone involved in the system. The federal government funds a significant portion of Medicaid's $36 billion budget in Florida, and the CARES Act provided a 6.2 percentage point increase in federal Medicaid matching funds. The 6% amount will decrease to 5% in April, down to 2.5% in June, 1% in October and will be eliminated on Jan. 1, 2024.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) will review the Medicaid eligibility of nearly five million Floridians as the state reduces the number of recipients closer to the prepandemic 3.8 million. If DCF determines a recipient is still eligible, the agency will renew the coverage and send an approval letter. If DCF

Community Health's investment in new staff is well worth the cost if it mitigates the number of Medicaid recipients lost. Chief Financial Officer Jason Brewster said a 3% decrease in patients covered by Medicaid would cost Community Health over $1 million in lost revenue. An uninsured patient pays about $5, and Medicaid pays the remaining $145.

"If we lose 3,000 Medicaid visits, that's about a $400,000 cash-in-our-pocket loss," Brewster said. "But the part that's not included in that is if patients need X-rays or labs or any of the other things normally paid by Medicaid, we're going to need to pay that again."

AVOIDING DISASTER

Brewster advised Medicaid recipients to make sure their address is current. DCF will mail the letter about Medicaid re-enrollment to whatever address is on file. DCF's Florida Medicaid Redetermination Plan advises recipients to ensure their address is current through DCF virtual assistance or by signing into their accounts.

Other recommendations by DCF include recipients checking their redetermination date after Feb.28, providing a text number on their MyACCESS account to be reminded when redetermination is due and watching for a yellowstripe envelope that tells when renewal is due.

DCF advises recipients to review and apply for other coverage options if ineligible and consider Florida Healthy Kids for children.

DCF warns Medicaid recipients not to ignore a redetermination notice, file a new application before their redetermination date or forget to include any household members on the application. Recipients who lose coverage will be referred to alternatives, including Florida KidCare, the Medically Needy Program, federally qualified health centers, federally subsidized health programs and commercial coverage.

"There are a lot of alternatives for those right above the Medicaid level, but you really need to seek it out," Smiley said.

Florida Health Justice Project Executive Director Alison Yager voiced concern about a potential lapse in coverage for children across the state. She said Medicaid coverage served as a "critical lifeline" for children during the pandemic, and Medicaid serves about 54% of children in the state.

"For kids who have ongoing medical conditions, even one month without coverage could be terribly detrimental to that child's health and that family's finances," she said.

Health & Hope Clinic is an option for those in the Pensacola area who lose Medicaid and experience a lapse in coverage. The clinic provides accessible primary and preventive health care to the uninsured and medically underserved.

Health & Hope Executive Director Sally Bergosh is ramping up her recruitment of doctors for another possible increase in patients. The clinic tripled in patients during the pandemic and remains at that level.

"It hasn't slowed down,' Bergosh said. "We have 1,400 unique patients who would otherwise go to the ER for basic primary care."

Hill said Lakeview would utilize every measure possible to ensure patients maintain coverage. She noted this is nothing new for health care providers. Before COVID, Medicaid recertification occurred on an annual or bi-annual basis. Hill said Lakeview would provide recipients stepby-step directions on how to recertify and post notices in its outpatient areas reminding them of the upcoming re-enrollment period.

"If they need support from case management or their service provider, then we can provide guidance," Hill said. "Many times, we are asked to provide documentation to support the client's recertification, which we do with the client's permission.

She added, "Unfortunately, Medicaid eligibility is something that does change for individuals, so keeping up with the required paperwork and asking their caregivers for support with the process is critical." {in}

Photo by Tada Images / shutterstock.com

"For kids who have ongoing medical conditions, even one month without coverage could be terribly detrimental to that child's health and that family's finances." Alison Yager

UWF STUDENTS JOIN PROTEST

Last week, University of West Florida students joined with thousands on high school and college campuses across the state in protesting Gov. Ron DeSantis's education policies with a walkout. The statewide protest comes as the governor has dug deep into culture-war issues, among them reshaping public education in a way critics consider dangerous.

Although the walkout showing at UWF was small compared to other campuses around the state, a collection of students did gather in front of the John C. Pace Library on Cannon Green to raise awareness and sound the alarm bells about DeSantis's moves when it comes to education.

"We want to give voices to those who are kind of in fear of speaking out," said Laylah Curran, part of the leadership team of UWF's Student for Socialism chapter, sponsoring the local event.

Among the concerns of the students participating in the Feb. 23 protest against Gov. DeSantis is a fear the governor is targeting people of color and those in the LGBTQ+ community with repressive measures. In addition to the passage of the Stop Woke Act that limits the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools and workplaces, the governor also has public schools culled of books that pertain to issues of race, sexuality or gender and has ordered colleges to provide data on the gender-affirming care provided to students.

Off to the side of the protest, Sarah Brummet, a member of the Party of Socialism and Liberation, relayed how her work as a substitute teacher has provided some unique insight into how schools have adjusted to new state laws and teachers' worries about getting in trouble or even sued for teaching material found to be out of line with the state's evolving standards.

"I am an employee of the public school system," Brummet said, "and I'm seeing firsthand that teachers are fearful."

Brummet thinks that DeSantis' moves are meant to divide and distract and "really convince us that there's something wrong with LGBTQ people, that there's something wrong with under-

standing Black history and that our schools are indoctrination camps."

As students began to pause on the green and listen, one speaker after the next took to a microphone on the library steps and talked about why they disagreed with the governor's moves. They spoke about "racists, bigoted attacks on our schools" and how "teachers are scraping rainbow stickers off their cars."

"Is that the kind of country we want to live in?" said Chiara, president of UWF's Young Democratic Socialist of America chapter. "When they say 'woke,' they mean queer. When they say 'woke,' they mean Black."

REDO SUPERINTENDENT Ellen Odom, the general counsel for the Escambia County School Board, has notified the Escambia County Commission that District 1 School Board member Kevin Adams has announced his intention to present a resolution to the School Board at its March 21 meeting to request a referendum to revert to an elected superintendent.

Escambia voters approved a referendum switching from elected to appointed in November 2018, 62,418-61,508. Quint Studer led the charge, with D.C. Reeves managing the pro-appointed initiative. Walker Wilson, former president of Pensacola Young Professionals, rallied his organization to work the polls in favor of the change.

The School Board and the County Commission will both have to pass resolutions asking the state legislature to put a referendum on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot on March 19, 2024.

The Presidential Preference primaries have a much lower turnout than the general election.

The 2020 Presidential Preference Primary only had 53,605 votes cast, while the 2018 November general election had 123,926 people vote on the referendum.

Wilson told Inweekly that he opposed holding the referendum during a primary. "I wholeheartedly disagree that the right time to ask this question is during a presidential primary election when you see way less voter turnout. If you're going to ask this question again, it needs to be on that gen-

eral election ballot like we saw before, and let as many folks in our community be able to weigh in on this issue."

STATE BUDGET The state budget is growing as rapidly as the population in Florida. But what happens when the growth finally slows down?

Florida TaxWatch Executive Director Tony Carvajal spoke on that topic and dozens of others related to the budget on Friday, Feb. 24, at the Greater Pensacola Chamber Legislative Luncheon. Carvajal offered his expertise from 36 years of strategic planning, nonprofit management and business leadership.

The Florida economy is booming as the population continues to skyrocket. Florida is the fastest-growing state in the country with an average growth of over 900 people per day, and its economy is the 15th largest in the world. Sales tax is the primary revenue source at $28 billion. Next is motor fuel taxes at $2.8 billion.

"For 29 straight months, (our economy) has been growing, and it's not just regular growth," Carvajal said. "We have been growing faster than the estimates of the smart people who say, 'This is what our target is.' They have adjusted it five different times, and we're still exceeding (estimates)."

To align with that economic growth, Gov. Ron DeSantis is proposing a $114.8 billion budget this legislative session. That is an increase of almost $5 billion from last year and about $45 billion from just 10 years ago.

"Where does this normalize?" Carvajal said. "It's great to have a growing economy but not necessarily a growing state budget. If we are not careful when the days of reckoning come in, we have to worry about how we balance that out."

Carvajal explained how the money is budgeted. He said health and human services account for about half of the budget and that Medicaid alone is about one-third of the expenditures. Another quarter of the budget is devoted to education. He noted the budget calls for an increase in the level of reserves from $12 billion to about $15.7 billion.

The proposed budget includes about $2 billion in tax cuts. Permanent reductions include baby and toddler necessities, gas stoves and overthe-counter pet medicines. One-year reductions include children's books, toys and athletic equipment, oral and dental hygiene, cosmetics and toiletries, household items for less than $25, ENERGY STAR appliances, and pet foods.

"These are not just giveaways," Carvajal said. "These are ways we can get dollars back in consumers' hands, and each of you is probably touched directly or directly by some of these things."

Any form of tax relief will be welcomed by the hundreds of thousands of Floridians who barely earn enough to pay for housing. Carvajal said the state under-invested in the building of houses over a 10-year period and the proposed budget incentivizes rehabilitation of properties and expansion of workforce housing.

"There are more than 825,000 people in this state right now who are burdened with housing issues," he said. "That means they're either paying way too much on a day-to-day basis or they don't have a place to live."

EDUCATION & TRANSPORTATION

At his Feb. 21 presser, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves touched on education and transportation. He said the recent $1.7 million grant from the Escambia Children's Trust would be used for after-school programs.

"That'll allow us to offer some after-school programs for our city children at no cost for families who qualify for free or reduced lunch," Reeves said. "The city can do more to be an active participant in our children's education for city residents. We're excited about that."

The mayor shared that he has begun meeting regional leaders about restoring Amtrak to passenger rail service to Pensacola. On Friday, Feb. 17, he had a conference call with 30 people ranging from public officials to train operators. "Really, just to say, 'Hey, guys, we're here to help take the baton, and let's just move it another inch forward, another foot forward,' and that's what we're going to do."

The city faces a March 23 deadline to apply for a $500,000 Federal Railroad Administration grant. The grant would be used to assess the potential for restoring service to the area.

This isn't the first time local and regional officials have looked at the possibility of restoring passenger rail service to routes long abandoned. But this time is different. Now, stressed Reeves, money is being put on the table.

"If we get to a point where it doesn't make sense for the city of Pensacola, then that's OK," the mayor said, "but this is the time to look at it now, with all of this federal money coming down and the federal government looking to expand service, really, significantly, on their dime."

DISAPPOINTMENT Escambia County Commissioner Lumon May is disappointed that the $5.1 million handed out by the Escambia Children's Trust in February didn't focus on the children living in pockets of poverty. He believes the staff and application review committee tried to spread the money around the county.

"I've said this multiple times that it's very unfortunate that the children in the inner city and the urban core were used on all the propaganda material to get this tax passed," he said on WCOA. "Overwhelmingly, it was supported by people living in these pockets of poverty—32501, 32053, 32505—because they had lost hope and needed an opportunity."

Commissioner May continued, "I think we want to help all children of Escambia County, but we must be laser-focused on designated areas. I certainly think that the emphasis should have been put on those utilized to get the tax passed and those in the greatest need."

According to the gap analysis done by the UWF Haas Center for the Florida Chamber, the ZIP codes 32501 and 32505 have 2,880 children under the age of 12 living in poverty. Three of the five elementary schools serving those children are among the lowest-performing elementary schools in the entire state—Global Learning, Montclair and Oakcrest.

It's not difficult to understand Commissioner May's disappointment.

TIP OF THE SPEAR The City of Pensacola, Escambia County and ST Engineering held a ribboncutting ceremony for the aviation company's second hangar for maintenance, repair and overhaul at the Pensacola International Airport on Monday, Feb. 27.

Former Mayor Grover Robinson told Inweekly that the training program that ST Engineering and Pensacola State College are developing would make Pensacola a worldwide leader in aviation mechanics. He said, "If you want to become involved in aviation on the mechanical side, you're going to come to Pensacola, Florida and attend Pensacola State. This really sets Pensacola decades in the future for being a place that people want to come."

Robinson continued, "If you are the leader in education and establishing the talent, the jobs will find you. I think the ST Engineering MRO campus puts us at the tip of the spear for talent in aviation."

MENTAL HEALTH OF TEEN GIRLS According to new CDC data released last month, nearly three in five U.S. teen girls felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, double that of boys. Almost a third of female teens seriously

considered attempting suicide—up nearly 60% from a decade ago.

"High school should be a time for trailblazing, not trauma. These data show our kids need far more support to cope, hope and thrive," Debra Houry, M.D., M.P.H., CDC's Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science. "Proven school prevention programs can offer teens a vital lifeline in these growing waves of trauma."

Janet Garrett, director of Lakeview Center's children's outpatient services, told Inweekly, "We have seen an increase in anxiety and depression, not just with girls but with everyone around. We've noticed an increase of more children coming in seeking help for the after-effects of the pandemic."

She pointed out that teens had to deal with their social factors being taken away and losing family members and loved ones to the COVID-19 virus. The losses of friendship, social life, family members and normalcy have stacked up for them.

Garrett said, "We are seeing some more girls with depression and with anxiety. If I had to pick between the two, anxiety would be the one where we see more girls."

Anxiety comes from being away from the classroom for nearly two years while attending school via Zoom and then being put back in class. "They're having to come back and socialize, and the fear of being able to fit in and get along can cause anxiety, as well as the fear of not being able to do well in school."

She recommended that parents should look for changes in their teen's behavior, such as changes in sleep and eating patterns and in their friendships. Garrett said, "The key thing for parents is to have an open line of communication with their children and have those hard conversations about what depression and anxiety look like because they may not know how to verbalize it."

If parents notice changes, they can get help by calling Lakeview's central client registration at (850) 469-3500.

FIESTA-MAYOKI BREAKUP Fiesta Pensacola has notified the Mayokis that it will no longer hold a Landing Ceremony or formally send its court to the Mayoki Ball or pub crawl.

Why? Fiesta wrote, "Fiesta's tacit endorsement of Mayokis presents a public relations, reputational and potential financial risk to Fiesta that we are no longer willing to bear."

The fictitious Mayoki Indian tribe has participated in Fiesta Pensacola activities since 1961. The all-White group dresses up in feathered headdresses, skimpy outfits and war paint and parades around town during the Fiesta activities. The Fiesta court traditionally has been met at Quietwater Beach by the Mayoki court the Saturday before the Fiesta Coronation Ball.

Many have questioned the appropriateness of non-Native people wearing dressing in costumes, mimicking tribal dances and using Native American-sounding names. The Fiesta board stated in its letter that the Mayoki "royalty" would continue to be presented at the Fiesta Coronation Ball. However, they are requested to wear formal attire in lieu of Mayoki costumes.

The letter closed, "Our friendship goes back over 60 years, and we all want that to continue. We hope that everyone in your organization can understand why we are making this decision. We value you and are not suggesting you change. We simply must control what is best for Fiesta." {in}

FLORIDA OUTDOOR SHARED SPACES

SMOKEFREE POLICIES CAN HELP OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENT.

The Florida Clean Air Act was first passed in 1985 and adjusted over time to protect public health.

The recent update to Florida’s seminal Florida Clean Air Act, “The Regulation of Smoking by Counties and Municipalities Act”, allows local governments to enact policies to restrict smoking in outdoor shared spaces they own and operate, such as public beaches and community parks.

This change allows local leaders to set policies tailored to their communities rather than a statewide policy covering both Florida’s smallest towns and biggest cities.

Communities can also set policies regarding the use of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products in public places. Only unfiltered cigars are specifically omitted from the new local enforcement.

Since the law took effect July 1, 2022, many cities and counties across Florida have already begun to discuss how smokefree public places could help reduce a major source of toxic litter and how restrictions on tobacco use in places where kids play could keep young people from ever starting to use these products.

QUESTI ON S

Are cigarette butts found on the beach often?

For over 30 years, cigarette butts have been the most commonly found item in Ocean Conservancy’s annual Florida beach cleanup. Florida communities today spend thousands of dollars each week collecting thousands of cigarettes from public places. This toxic waste product was encountered more than all the straws and stirrers, cans, glass bottles and plastic grocery bags combined.

How do cigarette butts impact the environment?

Cigarettes are not biodegradable, and the plastics and toxic chemicals in cigarettes and their filters can be harmful if they enter the water supply. Cigarette butts can also be ingested by curious children, pets, or marine life mistaking the litter for food.

Is e-cigarette waste a problem?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists “nicotine & salts”, the chemicals found in e-cigarette cartridges and disposable devices, as an “acute hazardous waste.” Lithium-ion batteries, which are found in rechargeable e-cigarettes, are not only hazardous waste, but have also been known to explode and catch fire.

Will smokefree shared spaces negatively impact tourism?

Smokefree public policies can help support the economy by increasing tourism due to clean, pristine beaches. Litter free beaches are cited as an important decision-making factor when choosing a vacation destination. With thousands of public parks and hundreds of beaches across the country with smokefree policies, clean and smokefree beaches will become increasingly more important for Florida’s visitors.

What is the local impact of smokefree beaches and parks?

Smokefree shared space policies change the social norms surrounding tobacco and prevent people, including teens, from starting to smoke. When communities introduce smokefree policies, they also reduce the risk of exposure to secondhand smoke, which is associated with thousands of deaths each year. Spaces like beaches and parks are part of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. Smoking bans in public places have been found to directly and significantly reduce the number of hospital admissions with cardiac events such as heart at tacks.

For more information on how to get involved, visit TobaccoFreeFlorida.com/get-involved.

REALISTICALLY WHIMSICAL

WITH MURAL ARTIST BANKS COMPTON

Banks Compton is always looking for an excuse to chat; it's one of the reasons painting murals suits him so well.

"I love painting murals and having people in the community stop by and talk to me," Compton said. "That's probably my favorite way to work is just explain what I'm doing, teach them about how I paint something that large and learn more about where these people are from. That, to me, is super gratifying."

Compton, a full-time mural artist living in Foley, Ala., loves how accessible murals are as an art form.

"Murals serve as a relatively inexpensive way to really transform an area," Compton said. "It makes walking safer; murals actually slow down traffic because people are looking at the artwork. It puts a smile on people's faces. I think they do a lot of communal good."

Compton often finds himself in Pensacola,

By Savannah Evanoff

though, with friends he has made here. His goal is to paint a mural in all 50 states; so far, he's done four: Alabama, Mississippi, Arizona and Rhode Island.

Spoiler alert—he hopes Florida is next—maybe even Pensacola.

Compton will have a solo show at The Studio by Sarah Coleman Photography downtown this Friday, March 3, to demonstrate what he can do, showing off his smaller works and raffling off a 15-by-15-foot mural.

He will also paint a temporarily staged mural at CUBED, a two-day outdoor live mural painting performance outside of the Pensacola Museum of Art.

One of Compton's latest murals was for Alabama One Credit Union, which has 18 branches across the state.

"I finished my first mural for them in Tuscaloosa, and I'm working with the CEO of the company to hopefully be doing murals for the rest of

Banks Compton

Photo by Sarah Coleman Photography

their branches," Compton said. "(I'm) trying to help draw people into learning more about things like financial literacy through being attracted to things like art."

Compton didn't start out painting on walls. His first dabble in art was selling pet portraits in high school.

And it did well—so well, in fact, he was able to buy his first car at 16. It was a red 1997 Pontiac Sunfire convertible.

"It was a horrible car though because it was a convertible," Compton said. "It was freezing in the wintertime and hot in the summertime. And it leaked every time it rained, so I carried towels in my car. The seatbelts didn't really work. And I had no brights on my headlights. But it got me places."

It certainly did.

Through his high school hustle, Compton realized art was something he could make a living at. He was then accepted into the Rhode Island School of Design—one of the top art schools in the country—so he got his GED and dropped out to pursue a degree in painting.

While in college, he interned for a luxuryevent-planning company in New York building décor. Unfortunately, he and two of his friends lost their jobs during the pandemic.

"We took a road trip out west just to see of other places we could start over," Compton said.

They started in Fort Walton Beach and drove west through Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah, with Compton ultimately settling in Phoenix, Ariz. There, he stumbled upon mural artist Taylor Victoria Nelson (@taylor.victoria.art).

"I messaged her on Instagram, and I just said, 'I'm tall; can I come help you paint a mural?'" Compton said.

At 6-foot-2-inches, it was enough of a selling point for her to accept.

"We just became best friends, and I started helping her for all of her mural projects," Compton said.

After working alongside Nelson for a while, he scored his first solo gig doing a mural in Linden, Ala., near where he grew up. That area's largely responsible, too, for his love of murals.

Compton grew up on a "farm"—he says with air quotes, because it's not a working farm.

"We just have a little bit of land, and we call it the farm," Compton said. "So I've spent a lot of time outdoors. I love being outside. A lot of things in my paintings come from my family farm. There's different family objects and things that have become reoccurring symbols in my work. There's a lot of landscapes that come from that area, that talk about subjects coming from the regional south."

Spending the first 10 years of his life near the Mardi Gras festivities in Mobile also contributed to his proclivity for large-scale art, he said. And his aunt was a ballet dancer.

"My childhood was filled with building props for her ballet dance recitals that she would put on for her students," Compton said. "And that element of whimsy has always kind of followed me."

Compton's style is technically American regionalist—you can google it, he said. That's an "art nerdy term," so he prefers to call it "realistically whimsical."

"I like whimsical distortions of nature and landscapes," Compton said. "I love telling stories and narratives, and I'm doing more of that in my murals now than I originally started off with. But I love being able to tell a sto -

ry through paint, and so I'm trying to do more of that. But as of lately, I just like to do things in a whimsical way."

His upcoming solo show will feature smaller paintings, some with accompanying stories he collected in a diary he kept during the pandemic. He was in Italy at the time, working for another artist for his college's European honors program.

"We got along really well, and there were whispers of a flulike thing going around," Compton said. "He was like, 'It's fine, whatever.' And then our school called and said that we had to come home like immediately."

The artist offered Compton a room in his apartment, thinking it would "blow over in two weeks."

"It was so happening so quickly," Compton said. "I was like, 'OK, I'm gonna go home, and then I'm gonna come back when this is all over, and then I'm going to get that working visa and stay.' Thank God I didn't do it, because when we were in the air, they closed off all travel to Italy. I went right back home to my family farm near Demopolis, Ala. I grew up pretty much isolated, so it was like back to normal for a couple weeks, almost a month, before anything was weird again."

Reintegrating into society was the weirder part.

But Compton accurately describes himself as bubbly and outgoing, and his work reflects it. You'd have to dig pretty far back in the archives for something really angsty, he said.

Painting plays a role in that.

"Art, for me, is just a way of really working through a lot of my emotions and things," Compton said. "It's just externalizing those things and being able to look at them after I create them. I feel like it's a great way to work through stuff. I'm just really happy and grateful for where I am, and that's why being bubbly and happy is so easy for me. I feel like to have a great attitude about things is just to show gratitude for what I do have. I feel really fortunate in so many ways."

Compton's small, tight-knit family has always been supportive. They're truly the only reason he's able to do art full time, he said.

"Doing those pet portraits in high school, not only did my family support me, but even my community in that small town supported me," Compton said. "Everyone has always been super encouraging, and that's just what has made becoming an artist really possible for me. I'm really grateful for my family and the communities I've been able to surround myself with." {in}

BANKS COMPTON SOLO SHOW

WHAT: A solo show featuring new paintings

WHEN: 5-9 p.m., Friday, March 3

WHERE: The Studio by Sarah Coleman

Photography, 518 N. Ninth Ave.

COST: Free

DETAILS: bankscompton.com

"I like whimsical distortions of nature and landscapes. I love telling stories and narratives, and I'm doing more of that in my murals now than I originally started off with." Banks Compton

a&e happenings

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

THE ESCAMBIA-SANTA ROSA BAR FOUNDATION ACCEPTING GRANT APPLICATIONS FOR 2023 The Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association, is currently accepting grant applications for 2023. Grants are awarded to organizations that successfully demonstrate how a proposed program aligns with one or more of the tenets of the mission of the Foundation, which are to foster greater accessibility to the judicial system, improvements to the overall quality of the administration of justice, law-related education and increased public awareness of the judicial system, and improved management and operation of the court system.

Grants awards are typically in the $500$1,500 range. For more information on the Foundation and to download an application form, visit esrba.com/bar-foundation/about-esrbf.

CARING & SHARING MINISTRY FOOD

DRIVE The Gloria Green Caring & Sharing Ministry is attached to the Historic St Joseph Catholic Church, 140 W. Government St. On Tuesdays, the ministry feeds the homeless at 10:30 a.m. The ministry's food pantry opens at 11:30 a.m. and has clothing. Food donations needed are pop top canned goods, Beanie Weenies, Vienna sausage, potted meat, cans of tuna and chicken, and soups. Clothing donations needed include tennis shoes for men and women and sweatshirts and new underwear for men sized small, medium and large. Call DeeDee Green at 723-3390 for details.

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE VOLUN-

TEER HOUSE Learn how to get involved with Pensacola Little Theatre at this volunteer open house 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, March 11, at 400 S. Jefferson St. Visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

GRANT PROGRAM

VISIT PENSACOLA EVENT GRANT

PROGRAM Visit Pensacola is now accepting grant applications for its event marketing program for events in Escambia County occurring between Oct. 1, 2023-Sept. 30, 2024. Grant submissions are due by June 6 at noon and must be emailed or timestamped by drop off at the Visitor Information Center at 1401 E. Gregory St.

Grant workshops will be hosted at the dates and times below in the Bowden Building at 120 Church St. to aid the submission process. All

grant applicants are required to attend one of the workshops.

Dates:

•April 4: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

•April 14: 8:30-9:30 a.m.

•April 14: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

•April 17: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

•April 17: 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The Visit Pensacola Grant Committee will meet to review and score applications on June 20 at 8:30 a.m. at the UWF Historic Trust Bowden Building, First Floor. Applicants are required to attend to present to the committee. Following, the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors will vote to approve grants on June 28 at the monthly board meeting.

For more information on grant guidelines, scoring and the application process, please get in touch with Nicole Stacey at nstacey@visitpensacola.com.

CALL TO ARTISTS

DIY SHORT FILM FEST Filmmakers of any level are invited to submit short films to be screened at 309 Punk House on March 24. Priority will be given to local and regional submissions and those with relationships to the community. Suggested length is 3-10 minutes, but submissions up to 20 minutes will be considered. Submissions are due by March 17. Send your films to diyfilmfestpensacola@gmail.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART PCA is located at the Studer Community Institute, 220 W. Garden St. Classic films are available for free through the PCA website. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information and the latest showtimes.

NIGHT ON THE TRACKS Join 309 Punk Project for a night in Old East Hill at the second Night on the Tracks, Saturday, March 4, beginning at 5 p.m. Local venues, Doc's Hop Shop, Waterboyz, End of the Line, 309 Punk Project, From the Ground Up Garden and more will be participating. Enjoy art, music, food, drinks and more. For more information, visit facebook. com/309punkproject.

PENSACOLA RECORD FAIR Easy Going Gallery is hosting a record fair with thousands of records to flip through while listening to Pensaco -

la DJs, noon-5 p.m., Saturday, March 4, at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. Admission is free.

ASTROLOGY 101: LEARNING TO READ YOUR NEW YEAR HOROSCOPE CHART

Learn to read a horoscope chart, quickly and easily, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 4. Designed for people who want to learn astrology and are afraid of the seeming complexity. The class goal is to take someone with no astrological knowledge and give them the skills and confidence to look at a chart and derive a basic character analysis and some forecasting techniques. All materials will be supplied. All participants that supply their birth date, time and place will get an emailed copy of their chart. Astrologer Mark Bennett has been studying and practicing astrology for 50-plus years. More information available at empowermentschoolhouse.com.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY Odd Colony is celebrating International Women's Day, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, March 5, with a special beer release, brunch with Chef Amy Potmesil, music from DJ Hale Morrissette, Craft and vintage market and live art installation with Mosshound Designs. Odd Colony is located at 260 N. Palafox. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony.

ON YOUR FEET: THE STORY OF GLORIA ESTEFAN

A musical based on the life story of Gloria Estefan comes to the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Shows are at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 7, and Wednesday, March 8. Tickets are $59-$84 and available at pensacolasaenger.com.

‘A STÓR MO CHROÍ, O' LOVE OF MY HEART,' AN EVENING OF IRISH SONG AND POETRY An evening of Irish song and poetry with Irish brothers Mícheál & Owen Ó Súilleabháin, 6-7:30 p.m., March 9, at Old Christ Church, 405 S. Adams St. A reception will follow at the Museum of Commerce, 201 Zaragoza St. Event and reception are free, but tickets are required. Secure your spot on Eventbrite.

PENSACOLA OPERA: BROWN BAG OPERA Take a lunch break with the opera. Brown Bag Opera is a free monthly performance featuring the Jan Miller Studio Artists at the Opera Center, 75 S. Tarragona St. Musical performances include a variety of beloved arias, timeless

showtunes and stunning duets and trios. The next date is noon on Tuesday, March 21. Seating is first-come, first-served. Visit facebook.com/ pensacolaopera for details.

SPIRITS OF SEVILLE QUARTER GHOST

TOUR AND LUNCHEON Dine inside Pensacola's oldest and most haunted restaurant and investigate the spirits with actual paranormal equipment at Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. Tickets are $12 and include a voucher toward Seville Quarter's menu. Tours held weekdays 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and Sundays 2-4 p.m. Make an appointment by calling (850) 941-4321.

AFTER DARK: SEVILLE

QUARTER

GHOSTS, MURDER, MAYHEM, AND MYSTERY TOUR AND DINNER After Dark Paranormal Investigation and Dinner inside one of Pensacola's most haunted restaurants with actual ghost-hunting equipment Sundays from 6-8 p.m. Listen as your guide weaves tales of ghosts, debauchery, murder, mayhem, paranormal activities, history and more of Seville Quarter and downtown Historic Pensacola. Following your ghost tour, enjoy dinner at Seville Quarter Palace Café, 130 E Government St. Reservations required. Call (850) 941-4321. Tickets available at pensacolaghostevents.com

TABLE TALKS AT THE TRUST Join the Historic Trust for a monthly lunch and learn series on the third Wednesday of the month at the Voices of Pensacola Multicultural Center, located at 117 E. Government St., from noon-1 p.m. The program is free—just bring your lunch and enjoy a casual opportunity to learn about a variety of topics. For more information, please email hparchives@uwf.edu or call (850) 595-5985, ext. 125. The next date is March 15 with Lori McDuffie whose discussion is called Saving Your Keepsakes: Preparing for Hurricane Season.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Pensacola Arts Market is set up at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave., from 4-9 p.m. every first Friday of the month and 2-6 p.m. every third Sunday of the month. The market is located at Cordova Square, 1101 N. 12th Ave. every fourth Saturday of the month. Enjoy a local artisan market, handcrafted brews and ciders, live music, as well as food by the Hip Pocket Deli. Free admission.

a&e happenings

IHMC'S SCIENCE SATURDAY 2023 SESSIONS ON HUMAN HEALTH PERFORMANCE, SMART CITIES AND ROBOTICS

Science Saturdays is a series of 90-minute educational enrichment sessions geared to families and children in grades three-six. Topics in 2023 will include robotics, roller coasters, animal adaptations, human performance and more. The sessions are free to the families who attend.

For more information, visit ihmc.us/life/science_saturdays.

•March 25: Dr. Lakshmi Prayaga, University of West Florida, Smart Cities

•April 22: Dr. Gwen Bryan, IHMC, Robot Hands

BODY, MIND, SPIRIT MARKET AT EVER'MAN Local vendors, artisans, holistic practitioners, speakers and more. Held on the first Saturday of the month from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This is an inside and outside event for. Door prizes, entertainment and children's activities. Free admission. Ever'man Downtown, 315 W. Garden St. For vendor table, call (850) 941-4321 or go to empowermentschoolhouse.com.

ALL THAT WAS BRIGHT The latest exhibit at UWF TAG features work from Basqo Bim, Jacob Reptile and Jane Tardo. Exhibit will be up through March 2. TAG is located in the UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Bldg. 82.

A WAY OF SEEING Innisfree Hotels' Luna Fine Art Gallery's new exhibit is specifically designed for blind and visually impaired people, open nowMarch 12 at the gallery, located inside Hilton Pensacola Beach, located at 12 Via De Luna Drive. A fundraiser is scheduled for March 11 to benefit Independence for the Blind. Visit hiltonpensacolabeach.com/art-gallery for more information.

SEEN An online photography exhibit to be displayed on 309punkproject.org juried by Julia Gorton through April 1.

STEAM On view at Pensacola Museum of Art through April 9, the STEAM Exhibition is a community-centered, educational experience engaging contemporary art with science and new technologies. Artwork on display investigates concepts related to the environment, biology, digital interfaces and speculative fictions/imagined futures. Exhibiting artists challenge nar-

ratives of human and non-human ecologies, more-than-human relations and entangled response-abilities, as well as offer exciting insights into transdisciplinary processes. The main focus of the exhibition centers around the idea of ecosystems as a metaphor for critical thought. Visit the exhibit at PMA, 407 S. Jefferson St. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for details.

SUDDENLY AMERICAN: A MEETING OF HERITAGE AND COUNTRY

This exhibit looks at the transition of Florida from a Spanish territory to an American region, which formally occurred in 1821. Florida's embattled history dates back much farther than 1821. From refusing independence during the American Revolution to wanting their own freedom in 1810, Florida loved to cause problems. The United States eyed the region early on, using the Seminole Wars as an excuse to seize territory before turning to diplomatic means to acquire Florida. The Adams-Onis Treaty, debated and initially agreed upon in 1819, resulted in Spain ceding control of East Florida to the United States. At the same time, Spain also agreed to give up all claims on West Florida, in essence giving the entire Florida territory over to the United States. Ratified in 1821, the treaty was cause for celebration in Pensacola, the capital of West Florida, as it officially became part of America. On view at Pensacola Museum of History through Dec. 2023. Visit historicpensacola.org for details.

TEXTILES OF THE TIMES: REGENCY ERA DRESS MAKING

The period between 1811-1820 is historically defined as the Regency Period. This exhibit at the Pensacola Museum of History looks at a day in the life of a Regency-era Pensacolian through fashion and garment use. Drawing on historical documentation of stores known to have operated on Palafox, inside this recreation of a seamstress shop visitors will be able to explore the dress of yesteryear. On view at the Pensacola Museum of History through June 2023. Visit historicpensacola.org for details.

FOOD + DRINKS

ATLAS BEVERAGE CLASS: SCRATCH ANKLE DISTILLERY The next Atlas Beverage Class is Thursday, March 2, with classes at 5 and 7 p.m. Beverage tasting paired with appetizers. Cost is $25 per person. Reservations required. Make yours by calling 287-0200 or emailing taylor@goodgrits.com.

COOKING FUN-DA-MENTALS: IT STARTS WITH A ROUX Learn basic cooking skills, 6-8 p.m., Thursday, March 2, at Pensacola Cooks, 4051 Barrancas Ave. Cost is $50 per students (adults only). Visit facebook.com/pensacolacooks for details and tickets.

ST. JOSEPH'S FISH FRY LUNCH Enjoy a fried fish basket with a side and dessert for $10 Fridays through Lent (March 31) at St. Joseph's Parish Hall, 140 W. Government St. Delivery available for orders of five or more. Call to place orders at 449-4709, 206-2410 or 450-3257.

LADIES NIGHT OUT: FLAVORS OF THE BRITISH ISLES Learn to make shepherd's pie, Yorkshire pudding and more British favorites Friday, March 3, from 7-9 p.m., at Pensacola Cooks, 4051 Barrancas Ave. Cost is $50 per student. Bring your own beer or wine for free. Visit facebook.com/pensacolacooks for details and tickets.

BULLY DOG DAY AT COASTAL COUNTY BREWING COMPANY All bully breeds welcome to Coastal County Brewing, 3041 E. Olive Road, Saturday, March 4, from 1-3 p.m. There will be local vendors, dog treats and a parade of pets.

GROG MARCH PUB CRAWL The pub crawl will begin at O'Riley's Irish Pub at 4 p.m., Saturday, March 4, and will move on to other local bars. The pub crawl will then make a final stop at O'Riley's Irish Pub for an afterparty at 10 p.m. that includes raffles and giveaways of several prizes. Cost is a $10 donation to Manna Food Pantry. Donate an additional $10 for a T-shirt. All participants receive a 22-ounce Grog March mug, refills and lanyard. Tickets available on Eventbrite. More information is available is orileyspub.com.

SPRING BAKING FUN-DA-MENTALS SE -

RIES Learn the basics of baking in this threeday series, 5-8 p.m., Tuesday, March 7-Thursday, March 9, at Pensacola Cooks, 4051 Barrancas Ave. Cost is $185 per student. Visit coastalcountybrewing.com for details.

SECOND TUESDAY THEMED TRIVIA Visit

Perfect Plain Brewing Co., 50 E. Garden St., for themed trivia nights on the second Tuesday of

the month from 7-9 p.m. Visit facebook.com/ perfectplainbrewingco for details.

THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

Gary's Brewery Trivia Night is back by popular demand. Thursdays from 7-9 p.m., test your trivia skills with a glass of beer or wine. Arrive early to grab a spot. Gary's Brewery is located at 208 Newman Ave. For more information, visit facebook. com/garysbrew.

LIVE MUSIC

PUNK

IS A DRAG BENEFIT FOR STRIVE

Five punk bands—Box Cutter, Casper, Cookies & Cake, Crybaby, Hopeful and Pauper's Grave—six drag performers at The Handlebar, 319 Tarragona St., 8-11 p.m., Friday, March 3. $10 cover. Show is for ages 18 and up.

PENSACOLA CHORAL SOCIETY: THE NOTEBOOKS OF LEONARDO DA VINCI

The Choral Society of Pensacola presents the regional premiere of The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci by Jocelyn Hagen, a multimedia symphony for chorus, orchestra and video, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 4, at UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, University of West Florida, Bldg. 82. Tickets are $10-$20 in advance. Tickets are $5 more at the door. Visit choralsocietyofpensacola.org for tickets.

ALL VINYL SHOW DJ I E, Charlie B, Daugma will be playing an all-vinyl show at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, 8 p.m.-midnight, on Saturday, March 4. Presented by Easy Going Gallery. Admission is $10.

MONARCH AND THE MILKWEEDS With special guest Heavy Meadow, at From the Ground Up Community Garden, 501 N. Hayne St., 6 p.m. Sunday, March 5.

SNAILMATE, FEED LEMON, GLSNR, COOKIES & CAKE Handlebar show, 319 N. Tagrragona St., 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 7. Details at handlebar850.com

WOMEN'S DAY SHOW Tori Lucia and The Nitty Gritties, Pseudonyms, Taught Behavior, Crux, Marigold Apprentice, 5 p.m., Wednesday, March 8, at The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $10 cover.

a&e happenings

GET THE LED OUT Led Zeppelin tribute band, performing 8 p.m., Friday, March 10, at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. Tickets are $41.75-$46.75. Tickets available at pensacolasaenger.com.

FIFTH ANNUAL "I SANG KARAOKE AFTER THE MCGUIRE'S RUN" Head to Perfect Plain, 50 E. Garden St., after the run on Saturday, March 11, for DJ HDYCVT, karaoke and more. Details at facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

EASY GOING DJ LAB Show is every Saturday, noon-4 p.m., at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for details.

RESPECT THE DECKS Monthly vinyl spinning night at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St., at 8 p.m. $15 cover. The next date is Saturday, March 4. Visit facebook.com/easygoinggallery for details.

OPEN MIC NIGHT AT GARY'S BREWERY

Open mic night is hosted by Renee Amelia every other Wednesday at 6 p.m., located at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave.

GARY-OKE Sing your heart out at Gary's Brewery and Biergarten, 208 Newman Ave., every Wednesday from 6-10 p.m. Visit facebook.com/ garysbrew for details.

JAZZ BY THE BOOK Joe Occhipinti performs at West Florida Public Libraries twice a month. The concerts are free. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, at 1 p.m., the concert is at Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. Visit mywfpl.com for details.

PENSACOLA PICK NIGHT AT ODD COLONY Music pickers of all levels are invited to play at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, from 7-9 p.m. every last Monday of the month. Bring your acoustic instrument and jam. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for details.

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 Melodious 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.

F ITNESS + RECREATION

OCEAN HOUR WEEKLY CLEANUPS Ocean Hour Pensacola host weekly cleanups on Saturdays from 9-10 a.m. On Saturday, March 4, the group will be at two locations at Naval Live Oaks and Bob Sikes Bridge South. Meet at 8:45 a.m. Ocean Hour provides bags, gloves, grabbers and bug spray if needed. Closed-toe shoes are recommended. Follow Ocean Hour at facebook. com/oceanhourfl for more details.

SUN BELT MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tournaments are from through Monday, March 6

at Pensacola Bay Center, 201 W. Gregory St. Ticket packages are available at pensacolabaycenter.com.

PENSACOLA ICE FLYERS Games are played at the Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. Tickets are available at iceflyers.com.

Upcoming home games:

•7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 11

•4:05 p.m. Sunday, March 12

PUBLIC SKATE Pensacola Bay Center hosts public ice-skating sessions October-April. All public skate sessions last one hour. Sessions typically occur on the weekends and after Ice Flyers Home games. Capacity is limited for each session, so get your tickets early.

Upcoming times:

•9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11

•6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 12

FREE YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Take in a free yoga class at Ever'Man, 327 W. Garden St. Visit everman.org for full calendar of events.

FREE YOGA CLASSES AT COMMUNITY

HEALTH NORTHWEST FLORIDA Community Health Northwest Florida offers free yoga classes to people aged 18 and up. No experience required. The classes are led by Justin Nutt.

Schedule:

•Mondays

10-11 a.m. Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

•Tuesdays

10-11 a.m., Gentle Movement at Palafox TWO, 1380 N. Palafox

•Wednesdays

10-11a.m., Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

•Thursdays 10-11 a.m., Gentle Movement at Palafox TWO, 1380 N. Palafox

•Fridays

10-11 a.m., Community Chair Yoga at Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. Desoto St.

LIVE JAZZ AND SWING DANCING On the first Friday of each month from 6:30-11 p.m., enjoy a live band for dancing Lindy, Foxtrot, East Coast and West Coast Swing. Fun, friendly atmosphere with lessons for all levels, no partner required. Located at The Way You Move Dance Studio, 918 Winton Ave. Cost is $15. More information at thewayyoumove.us.

WEST COAST SWING DANCE Join the fun Wednesdays from 6:30-10 p.m. for $5 and the fourth Saturday of each month 6:30-11 p.m. for $10. All levels welcomed; no partner required. The Way You Move dance studio, 918 Winton Ave. More information at thewayyoumove.us.

BALLROOM, LATIN, SWING DANCE On the Second Saturday of each month from 6:3011 p.m., enjoy a mix of music for all dancers. All levels welcomed; no partner required. The Way You Move dance studio, 918 Winton Ave. Cost is $10. More information at thewayyoumove.us.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

free will astrology

WEEK OF MARCH 2

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In 1993, I began work on my memoirish novel "The Televisionary Oracle." It took me seven years to finish. The early part of the process was tough. I generated a lot of material I didn't like. Then one day, I discovered an approach that liberated me—I wrote about aspects of my character and behavior that needed improvement. Suddenly everything clicked, and my fruitless adventure transformed into a fluidic joy. Soon I was writing about other themes and experiences. But dealing with self-correction was a key catalyst. Are there any such qualities in yourself you might benefit from tackling, Aries? If so, I recommend you try my approach.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Two Taurus readers complained that my horoscopes contain too much poetry and flair to be useful. In response, I'm offering you a prosaic message. It's all true, though in a way that's more like a typical horoscope. (I wonder if this approach will spur your emotional intelligence and your soul's lust for life, which are crucial areas of growth for you these days.) Anyway, here's the oracle: Take a risk and extend feelers to interesting people outside your usual sphere. But don't let your social adventures distract you from your ambitions, which also need your wise attention. Your complex task—mix work and play; synergize business and pleasure.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Astrologer Jessica Shepherd advises us to sidle up to the Infinite Source of Life and say, "Show me what you've got." When we do, we often get lucky. That's because the Infinite Source of Life delights in bringing us captivating paradoxes. Yes and no may both be true in enchanting ways. Independence and interdependence can interweave to provide us with brisk teachings. If we dare to experiment with organized wildness and aggressive receptivity, our awareness will expand, and our heart will open. What about it, Gemini? Are you interested in the charming power that comes from engaging with cosmic contradictions? Now's a favorable time to do so. Go ahead and say, "Show me what you've got" to the Infinite Source of Life.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): "Only a lunatic would dance when sober," declared the ancient Roman philosopher Cicero. As a mu-

By Rob Brezsny

sician who loves to dance, I reject that limiting idea—especially for you. In the upcoming weeks, I hope you will do a lot of dancing-whilesober. Singing-while-sober, too. Maybe some crying-for-joy-while-sober, as well as freewheeling-your-way-through-unpredictable-conversations-while-sober and cavorting-and-reveling-while-sober. My point is that there is no need for you to be intoxicated as you engage in revelry. Even further—it will be better for your soul's long-term health if you are lucid and clearheaded as you celebrate this liberating phase of extra joy and pleasure.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Poet Mary Oliver wondered whether the soul is solid and unbreakable, like an iron bar. Or is it tender and fragile, like a moth in an owl's beak? She fantasized that maybe it's shaped like an iceberg or a hummingbird's eye. I am poetically inclined to imagine the soul as a silver diadem bedecked with emeralds, roses and live butterflies. What about you, Leo? How do you experience your soul? The coming weeks will be a ripe time to home in on this treasured part of you. Feel it; consult with it; feed it. Ask it to surprise you!

inforcing a cozy predicament. If you're not expanding your imagination to conjure up fresh perspectives, you could be contributing to some ignorance or repression. If you're not pushing to expose dodgy secrets and secret agendas, you might be supporting the whitewash. Know what I'm saying, Libra? Here's a further twist. If you're not peeved about the times you have wielded your anger unproductively, you may not use it brilliantly in the near future. And I really hope you will use it brilliantly.

that the coming weeks will be a favorable time to overcome at least some of the hurt and sadness caused by your original deprivation. Life will offer you experiences that make you feel more at home in the world and at peace with your destiny and in love with your body. Please help life help you! Make yourself receptive to kindness and charity and generosity.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): The philosopher Aldous Huxley was ambitious and driven. Author of almost 50 books, he was a passionate pacifist and explorer of consciousness. He was a visionary who expressed both dystopian and utopian perspectives. Later in his life, though, his views softened. "Do not burn yourselves out," he advised readers. "Be as I am: a part-time crusader, a halfhearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it."

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Storyteller

Martin Shaw believes that logic and factual information are not enough to sustain us. To nourish our depths, we need the mysterious stories provided by myths and fairy tales. He also says that conventional hero sagas starring big, strong, violent men are outmoded. Going forward, we require wily, lyrical tales imbued with the spirit of the Greek word metis, meaning "divine cunning in service to wisdom." That's what I wish for you now, Scorpio. I hope you will tap into it abundantly. As you do, your creative struggles will lead to personal liberations. For inspiration, read myths and fairy tales.

Now I'm offering you Huxley's counsel, Aquarius. As much as I love your zealous idealism and majestic quests, I hope that in the coming weeks, you will recharge yourself with creature comforts.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): According to the color consultant company Pantone, Viva Magenta is 2023's color of the year. According to me, Viva Magenta is the lucky hue and power pigment for you Virgos during the next ten months. Designer Amber Guyton says that Viva Magenta "is a rich shade of red that is both daring and warm." She adds that its "purple undertone gives it a warmth that sets it apart from mere red and makes it more versatile." For your purposes, Virgo, Viva Magenta is earthy and exciting; nurturing and inspiring; soothing yet arousing. The coming weeks will be a good time to get the hang of incorporating its spirit into your life.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): If you are not working to forge a gritty solution, you may be re -

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Many astrologers don't give enough encouragement to you Sagittarians on the subject of home. I will compensate for that. I believe it's a perfect time to prioritize your feelings of belonging and your sense of security. I urge you to focus energy on creating serenity and stability for yourself. Honor the buildings and lands you rely on. Give extra appreciation to the people you regard as your family and tribe. Offer blessings to the community that supports you.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): If you are like 95% of the population, you weren't given all the love and care you needed as a child. You may have made adaptations to partly compensate for this lack, but you are still running a deficit. That's the bad news, Capricorn. The good news is

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Piscean author and activist W. E. B. Dubois advised us to always be willing to give up what we are. Why? Because that's how we transform into a deeper and stronger version of ourselves. I think you would benefit from using his strategy. My reading of the astrological omens tells me that you are primed to add through subtraction, to gain power by shedding what has become outworn and irrelevant. Suggested step one—identify dispiriting self-images you can jettison. Step two—visualize a familiar burden you could live without. Step three—drop an activity that bores you. Step four—stop doing something that wastes your time.

HERE'S THE HOMEWORK: What's something you'd be wise to let go of? What's something to hold on to tighter? newsletter.freewillastrology.com {in}

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2023

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Your complex task—mix work and play; synergize business and pleasure.

Give extra appreciation to the people you regard as your family and tribe.

news of the weird

CAN'T POSSIBLY BE TRUE A newly released report from the U.K.'s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has determined that an inflight incident on June 29, 2022, could have turned out "very different," CNN reported. On that day, a flying instructor slumped over on a pilot's shoulder as they flew a small plane above Lancashire, England. The pilot, who had asked the instructor to accompany him because of wind conditions that day, thought his cohort was "just pretending to take a nap" as a joke, but after landing the plane, he realized the instructor had died. The report noted that the instructor likely "suffered a cardiac arrest as the aircraft took off."

UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT Neurosurgeon

Charlie Teo, 65, appeared before Australia's Health Care Complaints Commission in February to defend himself against charges relating to a brain tumor surgery he performed on a woman, ABC News reported. "I took out too much. I took out the wrong bit of the frontal lobe," Teo said. "I actually didn't know at the time. I'm learning from this case. It wasn't negligence. Maybe some ignorance on my behalf." The woman was left in a vegetative state and died several weeks later. Teo said one of the complainants against him had been "hoodwinked" and "coerced" into filing the charge by Teo's "enemies." "I did the wrong thing. Was that my intention? Absolutely not," he said.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL Quanisha Manago, 28, of Kershaw, South Carolina, got a special delivery on Feb. 13, but it wasn't from Amazon. WHNS-TV reported that Lancaster County Sheriff's officers were tipped off about a package coming Manago's way with valuable contents: two large bricks of cocaine, weighing over 6 pounds. Working with other agencies, an undercover agent delivered the box to Manago's home, then watched as she stored it in her car and started to drive away. That's when she was arrested. Sheriff Barry Faile said the cocaine had a street value of more than $180,000. "Thanks to all who participated, it will never hit the street," he said, adding the packaged was shipped from outside the United States.

GREAT ART! Nick Stoeberl, 33, was awarded a Guinness world record in 2012 for the male with the longest tongue (3.97 inches), United Press International reported, and now he's putting it to good use. Stoeberl, who's been dubbed Lickasso, is making paintings with his organ, selling them for up to $1,200 each. The California man said he wraps his tongue in plastic wrap first, then plies his art on canvas. "Why not express myself through that medium?" he asked.

BRIGHT IDEA Post-COVID, Carnival parades have resumed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and one unnamed man was ready to PAR-TAY! The Daily Mail reported that on Feb. 19, military police arrested a man wearing a 7-foot-tall penis costume and flip-flops; he had allegedly been chasing women in the city center and "acting suspiciously."

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

WEIRD SCIENCE Just looking for a few minutes of peace and quiet? You might be tempted to step inside the anechoic chamber at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, Oddity Central reported. However, even if you were allowed to try it, you might find it unbearable—it is the world's quietest place, at -20.3 decibels. (Calm breathing clocks in at 10 decibels.) "As soon as one enters the room, one immediately feels a strange and unique sensation which is hard to describe," said Hundraj Gopal, a speech and hearing scientist who helped design the chamber. "When you turn your head, you can hear that motion. The longest continuous time anyone has spent inside the chamber is 55 minutes," Gopal said. Microsoft uses the room to test microphones, receivers, headphones and speakers.

AWESOME! When friends presented tattoo artist Karen Green with a brand-new iPhone in 2007, she never even opened the box, CNN reported. She had recently upgraded her unsmart phone and didn't want to switch carriers, "and I figured it's an iPhone, so it'll never go out of date," Green said. On Feb. 19, Green's still-shrink-wrapped first-edition iPhone sold for more than $63,000 through an online auction with Louisiana-based LCG Auctions. Featuring a 2-megapixel camera and "sharp corners front and back," the phone sold originally for $599. Green will use the funds to support her tattoo business.

(NOT A) FETISH Don't call Aakash Majumdar's attraction to balloons a fetish. The 28-year-old resident of Mumbai, India, identifies as "objectum sexual," meaning he's attracted to inanimate objects—but not just sexually. News.com. au reported on Feb. 16 that Majumdar wakes up every morning and "makes out" with his balloons, which he sleeps beside. "I like their presence and warmth, and share intimate feelings with my balloons and vice versa," he said. "When you're in love, you spend a lot of time together and accept all kinds of flaws." Of course, being balloons, they're vulnerable: "One day while inflating a few balloons with a pump, a balloon got popped," he said. "I cried for the loss and after that, I became more careful."

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE Oh, to never be a teenager again. Around 1 a.m. on Feb. 20, a homeowner in Centereach, New York, heard loud noises coming from his yard, Fox News reported. His surveillance video showed six people kicking down several sections of his fence. About three hours later, the suspects, aged 12 to 18, returned and ran through the fence together, apparently in completion of a TikTok challenge mimicking the Kool-Aid man. Officers caught up with the kids around 4:15 a.m. and charged them with several counts of criminal mischief; some of them had also destroyed fences in other parts of Suffolk County. {in}