Inweekly March 4 2021

Independent News | March 4, 2021 | Volume 22 | Number 9 | Sherri Myers, Teniadé Broughton, Ann Hill, Jennifer Brahier / Original Photos Courtesy of City of Pensacola

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winners & losers

outtakes

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news

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Care about something.

cover story

buzz 8

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publisher Rick Outzen

graphic designer Tim Bednarczyk

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editor & creative director Joani Delezen

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

a&e 17

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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Blazing the Path to Inclusive Excellence At the University of West Florida, we strive to foster an environment of inclusive excellence. There are no limits to our success when each member of our community is seen, heard and understood.

Inclusion is the driving force behind the annual Trailblazer Awards, held in partnership with Epps Christian Center.

Trailblazers make a lasting impact and support a culture of inclusive excellence, both on campus and in the community. They’re a crucial part of creating an environment that welcomes tand celebrates everyone in an ever-changing multicultural world.

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2021 Trailblazer Awards: Pastor Reginald Benjamin, Helping Hand Award Bishop Charles E. Young, Faith and Service Award Brigette Brooks, Community Service Award

Dr. Laura Dortch Edler, Education Leadership Award

Dr. Vanessa Phillips, Alumni Trailblazer Award

Fannie Finkley, Servant Leader Award

Dianne Krumel, Trailblazer Award

Vernon Watson, Community Voice Award

uwf.edu/inclusion

March 4, 2021

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winners & losers Congratulations

EBI MANAGEMENT GROUP, INC. 2020 GrowFL Florida Company to Watch 2020 Graduate of CO:LAB Pensacola

Sandy Sansing / Appleyard Agency

winners SANDY SANSING The Escambia County

CEO Mark Kilcawley, President Travis Goins and the EBI staff have opened their new company headquarters in downtown Pensacola

CO:LAB and FloridaWest are proud to support veteran-owned entrepreneurs like EBI. In a very difficult year, EBI has not just survived, they have thrived, bringing jobs and a Washington DC-based funding partner to Pensacola.

We celebrate their achievement and look forward to their continued growth.

Since 2008, CO:LAB has helped companies reach their potential.

CO:LAB companies create high-wage jobs for Escambia County.

FLORIDAWESTEDA.COM EBIMG.COM COLABPENSACOLA.COM 44

School Board declared Sansing its first "Escambia Literacy Ambassador" for his long-standing initiatives aligned to strengthen student literacy in Escambia County and the surrounding areas. Over the years, he has supported numerous endeavors, including Cram the Van, the Golden Apple Awards and Take Stock in Children Scholarships. For more than four decades, he has sponsored the Sandy Sansing Spelling Bee, awarding thousands of dollars in prizes to deserving students and championing classroom literacy.

STEVEN DONCHEY Renowned for his work in post-acute care, Dr. Donchey has been named Chief Medical Officer for Covenant Care's Home Health, Personal, Memory, Hospice and Palliative Care patient services.

He was previously associate medical director for Covenant Care in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and has been practicing for more than 20 years. Donchey is an Internal Medicine specialist in Niceville and is affiliated with the Fort Walton Beach Medical Center, North Okaloosa Medical Center, Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast and Twin Cities Hospital.

DELBERT LEE MORGAN Pen Air Federal Credit Union recently announced his selection as its new president and CEO. Morgan comes to Pen Air Federal Credit Union from ValleyStar Credit Union, where he served in a similar role for eight years.

Before ValleyStar CU, he served as president and CEO at Southeastern Federal Credit Union for over 10 years. Morgan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C., and holds certificates from the Wharton School of Leadership and ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking.

ASCENSION SACRED HEART Ascension Sacred Heart's hospitals in Pensacola and Miramar Beach have been named to Newsweek's 2021 list of Best Maternity Care Hospitals—two of only seven hospitals in Florida named to the list. The Best Maternity Care distinction recognizes facilities that have provided exceptional care to mothers, newborns and their families, as verified by the 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Survey.

Julie Clopper / Shutterstock.com

losers MR. POTATO HEAD Hasbro has re-

vamped its plastic spud that starred in the "Toy Story" movies to be gender-neutral.

The toy with detachable parts will soon be called just "Potato Head." It will hit the shelves later this year, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, Mrs. Potato Head has opened an account on Tinder.

STEPHEN MILLER The former White

House adviser behind the Trump administration's decision to enforce family separations at the border gaslighted President Joe Biden's immigration policies for their cruelty and inhumanity. On Fox News, Miller said Biden's decision to revoke a ban on legal immigration would force "thousands of young children into the arms of smugglers, into the arms of traffickers, into the arms of coyotes ... That is cruel. That is inhumane."

ANDREW CUOMO Once the darling of COVID press conferences, the New York governor is dealing with sexual harassment allegations from former advisers, condemnation from fellow Democrats over bullying backroom behavior and a federal probe into the state's handling of nursing home data amid allegations that Cuomo's administration withheld the extent of deaths caused by the virus. Bring on the locusts.

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH The little church on East Jackson Street had to close its doors after 71 years as its congregation dwindled down to only four parishioners. The church's property will be put up for sale, and the proceeds will be used to help struggling Presbyterian congregations in Florida.

SANTA ROSA BORROW PITS County

Commissioners Sam Parker, Bob Cole and James Calkins reversed course and dropped their land-use amendment that would have endangered the water supply of the south end of the county. The trio wanted to allow borrow pits in the protected water overlay district in East Milton.

Citizens called them out. State agencies balked and wanted more data analysis done to support the pits. Local newspapers blasted the decision. Commissioner Cole moved to drop the amendment in late February. His motion passed unanimously. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS State lawmakers want us to believe that we must protect Brett Barnett, Sheryl Wolf, Gregg Bench, Michael Bleich and their corporations with innocuous names—HUD Facilities, LLC; Gulf Coast Facilities LLC; Iane Properties II, LLC; and West Gregory Street Care, Inc. How dare the families of any of the 103 people that died of COVID in their long-term care facilities in Escambia County be allowed to seek answers and justice through the civil justice system. Our lawmakers aren't fighting for the families, even though these four corporations are tied to more than one out of every three COVID deaths in Escambia County nursing homes.

No, the state legislature's priority is to shield these faceless corporations with dozens of nursing homes around the state and country.

HUD Facilities manages Bayside Health and Rehabilitation Center (29 deaths, as of Feb. 26), Rosewood Health and Rehabilitation Center (21 deaths) and Arcadia Health and Rehabilitation Center (16 deaths). Barnett and Wolf are listed as their president and treasurer, respectively.

Bench's Iane Properties II, LLC manages Rehabilitation Center at Park Place, where 21 residents died from COVID. West Gregory Street Care, Inc. and Bleich are associated with Southern Oaks Care Center and its 16 COVID deaths.

I am not alleging that any of the deaths in those facilities were due to mismanagement or malpractice, but I believe that families who have questions and doubts should be allowed to seek answers in court. However, the Florida Legislature wants to preempt any lawsuits concerning deaths or injuries from COVID-19 in nursing homes.

Florida Senate's SB 74 would require families to prove by an overwhelming amount of evidence that health care providers were grossly negligent or engaged in intentional misconduct. Nursing homes could block lawsuits if supplies or personnel were not readily available to comply with COVID-19 standards.

House Bill 7005 has a similar requirement that gross negligent or intentional misconduct must be proved. Under the House's proposal, families couldn't file COVID-19 lawsuits against providers without first getting affidavits from

state-licensed physicians attesting that the claims resulted from the defendants' actions.

Neither proposal excludes so-called "bad actors" or facilities with poor track records of infection prevention and controls or quality of care.

According to state data, Florida has 3,818 nursing homes and assisted living facilities, with nearly 192,000 licensed beds. Since COVID-19 started spreading across Florida last year, health care regulators have cited long-term care facilities for failing to follow personal protective equipment for their staff and not isolating residents with COVID-19 from noninfected residents. Still, the Florida Health Care Association, the state's largest nursing home industry group, asked DeSantis last April to provide immunity to facilities from civil and criminal suits amid the pandemic.

Jason Hand, vice president of public policy and legal affairs for the Florida Senior Living Association, which represents 450 assisted living facilities, told The News Service of Florida that his group's members have clamored for legal protections.

"Our number one concern is COVID; our number two concern is COVID; our number three concern is COVID," Hand shared. "I mean, it's COVID. That's what we care about. That is the concern this year."

In a written statement, AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson called the death toll from COVID-19 in Florida nursing homes a "national disgrace."

"Disregard for Florida's nursing home residents and their loved ones is appalling," said Johnson. "Long-term care facilities must be accountable when their wrongdoing threatens the health—and lives—of residents and staff. Especially when isolated residents are vulnerable and often unable to advocate for themselves."

When did our lawmakers become so callous? Why have they chosen to ignore the pain and suffering of our most vulnerable during this pandemic?

Nursing homes shouldn't be given blanket immunity. The COVID deaths shouldn't be ignored, and families deserve to be allowed to challenge the bad actors in court.

We should place people above profits. {in} rick@inweekly.net

No, the state legislature's priority is to shield these faceless corporations with dozens of nursing homes around the state and country.

March 4, 2021

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ED AIN'T EASY

Photo by Tim Bednarczyk

By Rick Outzen The latest whipping boy for those wanting to do away with the county's economic development is the downtown tech park, two blocks of vacant land south of the Pensacola Bay Center between Florida Blanca Street and South Ninth Avenue.

The daily newspaper, DPZ CoDesign, County Commissioner Doug Underhill and, most recently, one-time Downtown Improvement Board Chairman John Peacock have targeted the 40 parcels. Though several Community Maritime Park parcels have been vacant longer, they have avoided criticism, thanks to the Blue Wahoos' popularity and Quint and Rishy Studer's willingness to invest millions to make the park successful.

In March 2000, the City of Pensacola purchased the 27.5 acres that would eventually become the Community Maritime Park on Pensacola Bay across from its city hall.

The interlocal agreement that made 9.2 acres next to Pensacola Bay Center available for the downtown tech park was signed eight years later.

Sadly, public projects, particularly those that involve economic development like the maritime park and the downtown tech park, never move quickly.

HIGH TECH DREAMS

The downtown tech park came about because the Pensacola Chamber saw an opportunity when Avalex, a high-tech firm that creates avionics and electronics for defense, law enforcement and commercial operators, had begun to outgrow its space in 2007.

Avalex and possibly AppRiver, another hightech company started in Gulf Breeze, could be the anchor tenants to attract similar firms with high-paying jobs.

In June 2007, the Escambia County Commission gave conceptional approval of a downtown tech park that would create as many as 1,000 high-paying jobs. The City of Pensacola owned 1.7 acres of the site, and Es66

cambia County owned the remaining 7.5 acres.

The Pensacola News Journal's editorial board endorsed the plan— "Putting a high-tech park on vacant land near the Pensacola Civic Center is exactly the kind of economic development effort the area needs."

The concept seemed to be a nobrainer, especially after the nearby Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) announced its $8 million expansion plans the next month. The chamber was optimistic that it would have the site ready in 12 to 18 months.

Unfortunately, the recession, chamber leadership changes and government red tape would not turn the land over to the Pensacola Escambia Development Commission (PEDC) for development until four years later.

In March 2008, the Pensacola City Council approved an interlocal agreement with the county to create the tech park. The plan called to spend $4 million on infrastructure improvements and hand the site over to the PEDC. Chamber CEO Evon Emerson said, "This is a watershed vote for our economy, and it will change the way we do business."

Charles Wood, the chamber's senior vice president for economic development, told Inweekly, "Theoretically, we could start selling lots then, and companies could start building their offices while the roads are constructed."

However, money was needed to do the infrastructure work. In May 2009, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced a $2 million federal grant for the tech park's infrastructure. The funding came with strings. The park's tenants would have to create 370 new high-tech jobs with an average wage of $50,000. The park needed to attract $20 million in private sector investment.

Meanwhile, Avalex still needed more workspace. The firm partnered with AppRiver on a proposal to buy the city's Hawkshaw property next to Gulf Power. Instead, the city council voted to sell the land to a development group headed by Jim Reeves.

Councilman Ronald Townsend told reporters that he didn't vote for Avalex because he wanted more residential on the site. Reeves' group eventually gave its option back to the city, and the land remains vacant today. Avalex built a $10 million headquarters in the Gulf Breeze area. AppRiver purchased its office building in Gulf Breeze.

The tech park continued to plod along, as did the maritime park. In April 2010, the city council approved the tech park's final plat and development plan that divided the two

blocks into 40 parcels. The park had finally cleared the county, city and University of West Florida Archaeology Institute hurdles.

Jim Hizer was hired to replace Emerson as the chamber's president and CEO while the area was dealing with the BP oil spill. In October 2010, the PEDC approved a $2.06 construction contract for phase one of the park.

The agreement extended Salamanca Street from Florida Blanca Street to Ninth Avenue and built the infrastructure, lighting, sidewalks and public park area. The daily newspaper declared, "Technology park back on track."

In December 2010, Inweekly broke the story that Community Maritime Park developer Scott Davison had misrepresented his capabilities to get the contract. He was fired, and Mayor Ashton Hayward scrambled to find a new contractor to complete the project in time for the 2012 baseball season.

Hizer brought in Scott Luth to head the chamber's economic development in July 2011. The next month, the tech park's infrastructure work was completed, and the site was turned over to PEDC. Hizer told the PNJ, "I can't anticipate how it will be developed or what amount of time it will take to develop it, but I'm certain the technology campus will prove to be a winner."

NEW REALITIES

When Blue Wahoos Stadium and Community Maritime Park finally opened in the spring of 2012, downtown Pensacola had the catalyst it needed to begin its renaissance.

The following year, the Studers started construction of their office building at the maritime park that would become the headquarters of the Studer Group, Envision Healthcare and Moore, Hill & Westmoreland, P.A. Unfortunately, the Pensacola Chamber imploded in 2013. Hizer was ousted as CEO. Tourism moved to Visit Pensacola, and economic development was spun off to create the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance.

Luth, who had worked on the incentives for the expansion of Navy Federal Credit Union to 10,000 jobs by 2026 and ST Aerospace Engineering at the Pensacola International Airport, was named FloridaWest's CEO. Studer's Maritime Place, the first new highrise office building in downtown Pensacola in nearly two decades, opened the same month FloridaWest was announced—October 2014.

However, the remaining maritime park parcels failed to be developed after Mayor Hayward blocked first a downtown YMCA and later the UWF Center for Entrepreneurship on the site.

Meanwhile, FloridaWest and the PEDC made several attempts to do something with the tech park. In March 2016, the tech park's first building plans went before the city's Gateway Review Board. The project was developed by Space Florida—a four-story, 70,000-square-foot commercial building.

It was later announced that the UWF Haas Center and Small Business Development

Center would be tenants in the building.

Then the project was put on hold until the PEDC found an anchor tenant.

In November 2017, UWF discussed submitting a Triumph application to buy the entire tech park for a Cybersecurity Innovation Center, only to drop the park from its application later.

While the tech park remained vacant, Mayor Ashton Hayward proposed—as one of his last acts as mayor—that Quint Studer be given the contract to master plan the remaining seven parcels at the maritime park.

Studer Properties paid $271,659 for the option to sublease the parcels for 18 months as it developed the West Main Master Plan.

In June 2020, the PEDC issued a request for developers' proposals for the tech park's parcels. The federal government had backed off its original requirements about job creation and high wages and agreed to change the scope to projects with a "clearly defined economic benefit to the community."

However, the PEDC might have to work out a cost-sharing agreement with the Economic Development Administration if the new projects didn't meet its standards.

PEDC board members believed June 2020 was an excellent time to seek proposals as the economy reopened after the COVID shutdowns. PEDC vice-chair Clorissti Shoemo said in a press release, "Pensacola offers a great business climate and a unique opportunity that may be coming just at the right time for those looking to expand operations or to relocate."

Though FloridaWest received interest from six developers from Florida, Atlanta and Chicago, no one submitted a proposal when the solicitation period ended in late October.

However, the seven vacant parcels at the Community Maritime Park got new hope. In early October, the Pensacola City Council voted to allow three development groups to take over Studer Properties' option for the parcels. The lease options gave the companies the exclusive rights to negotiate a permanent lease with the city to develop the property.

Studer Properties selected the three companies that would follow the West Main Master Plan. A joint venture between Inspired Communities of Florida and EJ Smith Enterprises got the option on four parcels. Another joint venture—Silver Hills Development and Edwards Companies, Inc.—proposed to build a 375-unit apartment building and 750-space parking garage. Valencia Hotel Group planned to build a 180-room upscale hotel on parcel seven, next to Nick's Boathouse.

The lease negotiations for the projects have stalled after the city council last month balked at signing a contract with Andrew Rothfeder, former president of Studer Properties, and Kuhn Realty to work on behalf of the city in negotiating the final lease terms.

The clock is ticking as the lease options expire on March 31. {in} inweekly.net

March 4, 2021

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Image courtesy of Florida Department of Transportation

BEULAH INTERCHANGE The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) will hold a hybrid public hearing concerning the I-10 at Beulah Road Project Development & Environment (PD&E) Study Thursday, March 18. This hybrid hearing is both virtual and in-person to allow interested persons to express their views concerning the proposed improvements.

Citizens are strongly encouraged to attend online using GoToWebinar or through listen-only audio by phone at (562) 247-8422 using access code 765-727-914.

Those who cannot participate virtually may attend the hearing in-person at Pine Forest United Methodist Church, 2800 Wilde Lake Blvd. The public hearing will begin with an informal open house from 5:30-6 p.m., followed by a formal presentation and public comment period.

Both virtual and in-person attendees must register either online by at bit. ly/3pRx7pN, email to the FDOT Project Manager, esaggers@hntb.com, or via phone at (850) 415-9001 to participate.

Maps, drawings and other project information are currently available for review online at bit.ly/3pRx7pN and from Thursday, Feb. 18-Thursday, April 1, at the Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St. TRUSTING THE TRUST The Escambia Children's Trust sputtered through its February meeting with chair Patty Hightower pushing for the partial board to move on a timetable recommended by Florida Children's Council and Commissioner Lumon May and others challenging if the board could make decisions before Gov. Ron DeSantis makes his appointments to the body.

The voters established the trust by 88

referendum in the November election, with 61% of the votes cast. The independent body, known as Children's Services Council, will be funded by an increase in ad valorem taxes of up to a maximum of 0.5 mils that will support other agencies' programs that cover early childhood education, safety, developmental, preventative, health and well-being services.

Florida law mandates five positions filled with Escambia County School Board Member Patty Hightower, Department of Children and Families Northwest Region Managing Director Walter Sachs, Circuit Judge Jennifer Frydrychowicz, County Commissioner Lumon May and School Superintendent Dr. Tim Smith.

Gov. DeSantis will appoint the remaining five from a list of 17 names the county sent to his office on Friday, Feb. 26. By law, he has 45 days to make the appointments.

At the Monday. Feb. 22, meeting, Michele Watson, the Florida Children's Council CEO, presented the five-member panel a list of items that needed to be accomplished to start collecting the tax in November—an estimated $8 million annually.

Watson wanted the board to accomplish several administrative duties in March and April, such as hiring an interim executive director, securing office space and obtaining a line of credit. Sources told Inweekly that Buzz Ritchie, former State Representative and president of Gulf Coast Community Bank, was whom Hightower wanted to recommend for the interim post.

In January, the board designated Ritchie its registered agent for its corporate filing with the state.

Judge Frydrychowicz expressed concern whether the 10-member board had a quo-

rum, and thus the authority, to take any action with only five members at the meeting.

Watson said that it took 18 months for the governor to appoint his board members in Alachua County, and the fivemember board began the executive search with all of the board member applicants participating in the process while it waited for the governor's decision.

"I think my big concern is, again—just going back to the law—the ordinance says the board of 10—(the citizens) voted to have 10 members," said Frydrychowicz. "And if, in fact, we are required to act this year, and we cannot reconcile with this part of the ordinance, this part of the statute, who wins?

And what trumps what? And to my layman terms, that's what I'm really trying to figure out."

The issue of quorum came up again when the board discussed approving bylaws presented by Hightower. She said she needed the bylaws to give her direction.

She asked County Attorney Alison Rogers to comment—because "Alachua operated with their five and they even hired their executive director with their five."

Before Rogers came to the microphone, Frydrychowicz said, "I kind of feel like we've been putting the cart before the horse because we don't have a budget, so we can't hire staff. We don't have a line of credit, so we can't hire. And yet, we're already talking about things that we can't do until we have those things. I think we have them a little confused."

Commissioner May said, "I do believe that there has been at least three to five attorney general reports as to what constitutes what a quorum is … If you feel comfortable that we can move forward without these things being recalled, and we have a legal opinion, you'll find my support."

Rogers said the Alachua County situation was different because the governor had failed to make his appointments within the 45 days prescribed by the law. She also pointed out the statute that sets up the Children's Services Trust addresses what should happen after the members are appointed but doesn't talk about letting some or half the members making decisions as a de facto board.

The county attorney said the Board of County Commissioners had authorized her office and county staff to assist the trust. She suggested that the people who supported the referendum vote also might be able to "help launch you as soon as you have your 10 members." However, Rogers felt the board didn't have quorum until the governor made his appointments.

Hightower asked, "So you're saying that we have the assistance of the county without asking?

"Well, at this point, you've got a pool of resources to tap into, whether that be to you or whether that be to the support personnel who are trying to move this along," said Rogers. "The effort is already underway through the administrator to get those names into the governor ASAP, so my advice would be to adjourn."

"Based on how the trust was set up and organized," said Superintendent Smith, "and then based upon what you've kindly shared with us, your interpretation, we really shouldn't be meeting until we are all 10.

Is that what I'm hearing?"

"That's my opinion," said Rogers.

Sachs asked if the board could get an Attorney General's opinion if the 45 days pass without the appointments being made. Roger said, "Yes, we can find a way to do something like that. I'm not sure what the status is of the opinions department through the pandemic of the Attorney General's office, but it's certainly a good idea."

The board agreed to not meet again until mid-April. Before the board adjourned, Commissioner May said, "If it takes another three or four months to get it right, then we got to get it right … I certainly want to make sure that we get it right for our community."

MUNICIPAL GOSPEL Florida League of

Cities President Antonio "Tony" Ortiz had a mission when he visited Pensacola on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

"Our mission resonates with every resident in the state of Florida and, for that matter, the whole nation because it's a mission that needs to get anywhere and everywhere, in terms of people getting involved," the FLC president explained.

Ortiz's visit aimed to promote the FLC's "Building Stronger Cities" initiative, which stresses "organizing, empowering and delivering" and, more particularly, emphasizes the merits of allowing local governments to make local decisions without state interference and encourages citizens to contact state representatives on the subject.

"Our message is very simple. It's about engagement, it's about acknowledging what we have in our hands, and it's about engaging the state legislators," Ortiz told the local press at Pensacola City Hall. "And this is a gospel that needs to be preached to the whole state, to the whole nation for that matter."

According to Pensacola mayor Grover Robinson, the crux of this issue regarding local vs. state authority resides in Florida's 1968 state constitution, which provides local governments with home rule authority, allowing them to establish a charter and set ordinances, codes, resolutions and such inweekly.net

without state interference. He said, "It really allows each community to be its own community and accentuate the things that it does best."

"Home rule safeguards your wishes," Ortiz said, "in respect to the needs of your local community and allows for local government to attend those needs without interference from state government."

This home rule concept has come into play recently, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis preempting local governments' COVID safety measures during the pandemic. For example, Pensacola enacted a mask mandate but rapidly lost its ability to enforce it because of the governor's executive order.

The home rule concept also has come under attack with the location and construction of 5G communication towers and short-term vacation rentals regulation.

With the 5G towers, state legislators have blocked local governments from having a seat at the table. As for the short-term rentals, legislation is currently circulating in Tallahassee, which would make their regulation a state function.

Ortiz urged citizens across Florida to contact their state legislators in Tallahassee on behalf of their local municipal governments and lobby for the home rule concept.

"This is not for everybody in Tallahassee," Ortiz clarified. "This is for those who have gone to Tallahassee and forgotten what they are there for. They are there to represent the people."

FUTURE OF CPAC Since last summer,

the city's Citizen Police Advisory Committee (CPAC) has met to discuss how best to improve the dynamic between the Pensacola Police Department (PPD) and the community it serves. The committee is due to submit a collection of recommendations to the mayor this month, and Mayor Grover Robinson sounds only half enthused by the prospects.

"We've tried to allow them to discuss many things and bring forward their ideas,"

March 4, 2021

said the mayor at the Feb. 22 weekly press conference. "Some things they've brought forward and presented, we can do and absolutely make changes. Some things have centered on stuff that really is going to be outside of our capacity to do."

CPAC's recommendations have thus far ranged from decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana to initiating a partnership between the PPD and a local youth athletic league. At the presser, Robinson said that some of the CPAC discussions were "onesided to the police." He encouraged the committee to strive to provide recommendations to the mayor that "build trust."

"Trust is a two-way street," Robinson said, referring to the relationship between police officers and citizens. "As we move forward, I want to continue to focus on some things that are important in our country and our state, and in this time in Northwest Florida that we continue to keep a focus on what we can do to build trust within our community."

He continued, "If we can build trust, we can have a great community. If we build common things that we can all agree on and work toward, those are things that will make our community better."

POLICE CHIEF SEARCHES The national

trend for police chief searches is for them to be open, transparent and with plenty of public input.

Jennifer A. Kingson wrote in Axios Cities that the choice of police chief has become like an election, with the need to build consensus around a candidate. Gary Peterson, CEO of Public Sector Search & Consulting, told her, "Communities are demanding—they want to have input in who's going to be their next police leader."

Pensacola Mayor Grover Robinson has launched a national search for the city's next police chief over the local police union's objection that wants one of its members to be appointed to the spot.

Robinson's predecessor, Ashton Hayward,

made his police chief appointments—Chip Simmons, David Alexander and Tommi Lyter—without any national search or public input. All were from inside the Pensacola Police Department.

High-profile searches are underway in San Jose, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Miami; and Memphis, Tenn. In San Jose, a top-down selection approach was scrapped in favor of community vetting of the candidates.

San Jose City Manager David Sykes told Axios, "We wanted to take some of the mystery" out of it and "do a much more kind of rigorous evaluative process."

Check out Kingson's article at bit.ly/3bIbymB.

UNIVERSAL PARK ACCESS Escambia

County invites the public to attend a virtual meeting discussing Project Universal Access on March 9 at 5:30 p.m. Natural Resources Management is seeking public input on universal access to the county's parks and public areas on the barrier islands. Residents can register at bit.ly/3pOv7OZ. "Escambia County is committed to providing access to our parks and public areas to people with disabilities," said Pensacola & Perdido Bays Estuary Program Senior Advisor Matt Posner. "Meetings like these are a great opportunity for the public to provide their feedback and input on how to ensure universal access best."

Presenters will provide information on steps taken to survey existing conditions on the islands, present public input on the topic and discuss potential future improvements. Written questions and comments provided will be responded to during the meeting as well. Questions and comments can be provided before the meeting at pns_gtm@baskervilledonovan.com.

CHARTER REVIEW Pensacola's city charter mandates a Charter Review Commission (CRC) be formed by January 2022.

The mayor and city council are to appoint nine members who must be city residents and registered voters. No elected officials can serve on the CRC. The CRC must complete its review and submit a report to the city council by July 31, 2022. The report will include any proposed amendments to the city charter. The city council decides whether the proposed amendments should be placed on the ballot for the 2022 general election or returned to the CRC for further review and revision.

The city's last charter review process occurred in 2008 and resulted in a switch from a council-manager to a strong-mayor form of government that city voters approved in 2009, 55%-45%.

Mayor Grover Robinson told reporters at his Feb. 22 presser that his staff would have a better idea of the upcoming review's particulars over the next couple of months.

"This is really sort of the first time we've had an opportunity to do it," said the mayor. "We sort of have a blank slate in front of us insofar as how to do it."

FIRST FEMALE COACHES In our Feb. 18

issue, Inweekly mentioned in our "Winners & Losers" column that NFL head coach Bruce Arians had hired the first woman to hold a coaching position in any league, Jen Welter. Barry Shuck, a member of the Professional Football Researchers Association, wrote Welter had already worked as the linebackers and special teams coach of the Texas Revolution in the Champions Indoor Football League.

Shuck pointed out that Welter still wasn't the first. Ebony Kimbrough and Miriam Parker co-head coached the Carolina Queens in 2005 in the Independent Women's Football League. The Winners & Losers crew has been properly reprimanded. As their punishment, they will have to watch all the March Escambia County commission meetings. {in}

9

The Busy Leader’s Podcast Listen at

People in the Pensacola area might not be aware that Quint Studer has a podcast called, The Busy Leader’s Podcast – A Catalyst for Inspired Action.

In this 30-minute podcast Quint chats with leaders from all industries and corners of America on how they’re tackling the biggest challenges of our time.

While the podcast showcases experts from around the world, he always tries to integrate local talent to position Pensacola in a positive light.

You’ll often walk away with tactical tools, tips, and leadership hacks you can apply to your own business, community, and life.

Apple

LOCAL GUESTS Harold Dawson

President & CEO, The Dawson Company

People and relationships are essential in both business and personal life. Harold shares tips from his personal and professional pivot.

Harold Griffin Jr.

Director of Business Development and Co-Owner of ITL Solutions

Harold shares the lessons learned through rapid growth as ITL Solutions went from 5 to 75 employees and revenue growth from $100,000 to $3.8 million.

Emily Ley

Author and Founder, Simplified®

Learn how Emily went from an intrapreneur to an entrepreneur and how she created a community and relationships around her Simplified® brand.

Peter Mougey

Shareholder, Levin Papantonio

Peter shares how measuring his staff’s employee engagement he is able to use the data to build and growing those around him.

ADDITIONAL GUESTS Mark Clement

President & CEO, TriHealth

JJ Cooper

Executive Editor, Baseball America

James & Deborah Fallows Authors of Our Towns

Tim Gronniger

President of Caravan Health

Dr. Diana Hendel Leadership Coach & Consultant, Former hospital CEO, Author

President, Bethesda Inc. and Creator of bi3

Dr. Bob Nelson

Regina Herzlinger Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Chuck Marohn

Jill Miller

Founder of Strong Towns

President, Nelson Motivation Inc.

Tiffany Pham

Founder & CEO of Mogul

Jake Poore

President & Chief Experience Officer, Integrated Loyalty Systems

Kevin Reichard

Founder and Publisher at August Publications

Kevin Sheridan

UPCOMING GUESTS Tony Brigmon Speaker

Keynote Speaker & Employee Engagement Expert

Dr. Marcus Chacos

Joe Tye

Author, Speaker and Executive Director, Michigan Center for Clinical Systems Improvement

CEO and Head Coach, Values Coach Inc.

Provolution Health, Australia

Tom Dalhborg, Sr.

Listen at

TheBusyLeadersHandbook.com/podcast

Apple For more information: NICOLE WEBB BODIE | CHIEF IMPACT OFFICER Studer Family of Companies (C) 850.748.2027, (E) nwebb@studeri.org 010 1

inweekly.net

Photos Courtesy of City of Pensacola

JENNIFER BRAHIER

TENIADÉ BROUGHTON

ANN HILL

SHERRI MYERS

MEET THE COUNCILWOMEN

By Larissa Hammond & Jennifer Leigh

A local glass ceiling shattered this past November when the Pensacola City Council elected its first female-majority council.

It’s not the first time four women have been seated on the council. In 2009-2011, Maren DeWeese, Jewel Cannada-Wynn, Diane Mack and Megan Pratt held office.

However, at that time, there were nine seats on the council; now there are seven. So with the semantics aside, it’s time to celebrate this milestone during a very special Women’s History Month.

Of the four, two of the women are new to the council—Jennifer Brahier and Teniadé Broughton. Ann Hill and Sherri Myers are returning members, with Myers being the longstanding veteran. She was initially elected in 2010 and served as the council vice president from 2017-2018.

The 2020 election that brought Brahier and Broughton to the council is the same one that saw Kamala Harris become the first female U.S. vice president, not to mention the first Black and South Asian American to hold the office. Several other notable female firsts were sworn in around the country last year, too, including Sarah McBride, who became the first trans woman to be elected to a State Senate seat. And this was all during the 100-year celebration of the 19th Amendment being ratified giving women the right to vote.

March 4, 2021

It’s safe to say we’ve made some progress, but there's still more glass to be broken, and the work of making sure no women are left behind or go unrecognized for their contributions, especially BIPOC and transgender women, is far from over. But Pensacola’s first female majority is a step toward progress.

Let’s meet the women doing the work.

JENNIFER BRAHIER District 1

Sometimes when you want something done a certain way, you have to do it yourself.

That's what led Jennifer Brahier to run for the Pensacola City Council District 1 seat in the 2020 election.

"I saw this quote. It said, 'If not now, when? If not me, who?' I really think that's an important question for a person," said Brahier. "If you have the desire to step into that arena, there's really nothing to wait for.

There's no better time than the time that you feel you should. That's really the most important thing. If you feel that you can effect change and help your fellow man or woman, it's our duty to step on in and give it a try."

She won the race by an extremely tight margin—only three votes—ultimately beating out the six-term incumbent P.C. Wu. The race resulted in a tie, causing it to roll into an automatic recount. The final result reminded

everyone that even small numbers can greatly change the equation.

"It was so empowering for so many people, and it's such a reminder that every vote counts," said Brahier. "Even though that's not the way I thought I wanted it, it was really powerful. It's a great civics lesson and just a great reminder for us all to not be complacent."

Solving problems seems to be something that comes naturally to Brahier, who is a mathematics instructor at Pensacola State College. But still, politics is a big shift from what she's known. Coming from a military family, she's learned to adapt.

"My parents were both military," she said.

"My dad was an Air Force pilot, and after he stopped flying, he was a diplomat, so we were with the embassies. I was born in Germany, but the last place we were stationed was Turkey. My dad was with SEATO and NATO, which were the treaty organizations. But my mother was from Chipley, Fla., so whenever we had choices, we always came back to the Gulf Coast."

She has always considered Pensacola her home.

"I love Pensacola," said Brahier. "I love the area. This is the first place we settled and stayed, and none of us really left after that because we were so grateful to have our own space."

She made it a goal to utilize the space that she found in Pensacola, choosing to remain in the same district she now represents and raising her family there. Over time, the city has undergone many changes that have resulted in major growth of the local population, which Brahier said she's grateful for.

"The rejuvenation of downtown has been a really wonderful thing. I think it makes it a place where young people want to be again, and that had been lacking in the past," said Brahier.

Although there are many positives to the growth of the city, including more sustainable jobs, opportunities for entrepreneurs and a wider social scene, there are also negatives that have come along for the ride.

"We've lost so much land to development," she said. "There's a lot of noise that comes through now that didn't before due to the loss of trees and such. We have to recognize that when we cut down a bunch of heritage trees, they're not going to come back in our lifetime."

Once she realized that the city she loved was not being stewarded well, she took a step forward to help give her district a voice.

"Locally, we have to be mindful that this is our land, our stuff; the city is ours," Brahier said. "I am here to represent the residents who actually own all of this. This is a joint venture on our part."

11

As Brahier starts doing the work to better the place she calls home, she'll be working as part of the council's first female majority.

"I think having a female majority is a fabulous thing," she said. "All our government should represent the population at large, and the United States is more female than male.

Now is the time for the old establishment system to be changed. As we move on from here, it's going to be a different world.

TENIADÉ BROUGHTON District 5

Just about everyone has been asked the age-old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Answers tend to range from simplistic to completely unrealistic, but not too many little girls give the answer "speechwriter for the president of the United States of America."

But Teniadé Broughton was not a typical little girl.

Born and raised in Pensacola, Broughton is proud to be able to trace her family history back at least seven generations, before the Civil War. This is extremely important to her because the ability to trace an African American family history back that far is often rare, due to scarcity and inaccuracy of records.

"It means a lot to me and reminds me that people paved the way for me to be here today," said Broughton.

Her deep roots led Broughton to run for the City Council District 5 seat. She comes from a family of civically minded public servants and held positions of student council president, class vice president and girl scout growing up.

"My family made sure I was involved in civic-minded activities," she said. "Public service was a part of who I've always been, and even though I didn't recognize it through running for office, it's been interesting."

Broughton's mother ran for the same seat 20 years ago, and although she was not elected, she helped to plant a seed in her daughter by taking her along to city council meetings, board meetings and other related activities.

Broughton also credits John Sunday for inspiring her to run for office. Sunday was a Black man who was in the House of Representatives during Reconstruction and built many homes in Pensacola. Broughton is the president of the John Sunday Society.

"As we tried to save the [John Sunday] house, it really got me more involved in the goings-on of local politics," she said. "We weren't able to save the house, but we saved the story.

I would say, I probably would not have run if it had not been for John Sunday."

Being rooted and grounded in Allen Chapel AME Church has resulted in support from her church family and community, helping Broughton become known as someone on the "home team."

She is a proud graduate of Booker T. Washington High School and will tell anyone and everyone that Pensacola runs in her blood.

"I was the candidate who was actually from my community," said Broughton. "I also think diversity has a lot to do with success.

My campaign team was very diverse. I had people of different political backgrounds, different identities and different economic standing. But we were all able to work to212 1

gether for a common goal. We all wanted to see improvements in our community."

The city has been actively welcoming new people and faces, but Broughton does not want the new to smother the old, especially in her district. To prevent the erasure of history, Broughton and others would like to see infrastructure improvements, revitalizations of neighborhood associations and growth and support of local small businesses.

Running her first campaign in the era of COVID-19, Broughton relied heavily on social media platforms and used them to help her get the word out and keep it relevant.

"I was worried about many things just because of the situation we're in," she said. "After Hurricane Sally, I lost almost all my yard signs.

People have to remember that Pensacola had a major hurricane in the midst of a pandemic."

And yet, through the storms, Broughton has emerged stronger with a determination to see that she makes the most of her position in the city council.

"In the end, everything has helped me to grow," said Broughton. "Having a female majority on the council is refreshing, and it shows how we've progressed as a society. As the playing field is leveled, we see the possibility for more opportunity."

ANN HILL

District 6, Current Council Vice President

It was the inaugural Pensacola Women's March that inspired Ann Hill to run for Pensacola City Council in 2018.

"You might say that I was drafted to run by friends and family," she said. "You might say I was the Pensacola equivalent of 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'"

As a former journalist, Hill spent countless hours in the city chambers. Caring about the issues that affected everyday people led her to become a reporter. She grew up deliberating the wars around her, from John F. Kennedy's Cold War to Lyndon Johnson's war on poverty to Bill Clinton's war on drugs. As Hill said, "Political issues have always captured my attention, although not so much the politicians."

Journalists have to do more listening than speaking. In retirement, Hill was ready to have her voice heard.

"As a news desk editor, I took deep dives into issues, doing a lot of fact-checking, filling out gaps in information," she said. "As a citizen, I watched dozens of council meetings and attended dozens of board meetings. I realized that I had about as much background, experience and understanding of local politics as I would need to run for this office. I realized that could bring local issues one step further in being able to cast a deciding vote on what was important to us. So I decided this time was my time to run for office."

After winning her seat in November 2018, Hill was elected Council vice president on Nov. 24, 2020.

But she says it isn't the first time she broke the glass ceiling. Working in newspapers, she was told not to bother seeking management positions because "men liked to curse and smoke" and a woman might "cramp their style." She did eventually become a desk editor.

Now, Hill is part of Pensacola's historic first female-majority council. Being first is

nice, she said. But she hopes it isn't the only thing that draws headlines.

"It shows progress, new opportunity, new direction," she added. "Hopefully, people will get used to our leadership and not notice after a while that City Council has a majority of women."

She sometimes gets asked what advice she has for young women who want to run for government. Her answers include things like attend government meetings and speak up at public forums, volunteer with government committees and candidates, study the issues and, lastly, vote.

Before she ran for City Council, Hill served on the board for the Belmont-DeVilliers Neighborhood Association and the Community Maritime Park. And even after it was required of her job, she watched city council meetings. As a council member, she said one of her goals is to encourage more citizens to become engaged in local issues. She tries to make government accessible by advocating for meetings to be recorded, and she uses Facebook to communicate issues.

"Taking responsibility for running government is not just for politicians," she said. "It's for everyone. 'We the people' means all the people.

Who better to work for change than those who have felt oppression and inequity?"

Growing up, there weren't too many female political figures to look up to, save for some names like Shirley Chisholm or New York Rep. Bella Abzug, said Hill. But locally, Hill was inspired by former city councilmember Diane Mack.

"When I decided to run, she gave me the good advice to spend time walking door to door," recalled Hill. "She helped found the Institute for Women in Politics, which held meetings that gave women candidates visibility and experience."

Like Mack did for Hill or Vice President Kamala Harris will do for other young women, Hill said she wants to see more women having their voice heard, too.

"I hope that the women on Pensacola City Council will inspire other women to begin filling the seats of our U.S. Senate and House, our governor's office and our state Legislature," she said. "That has already begun with the recent election of Michelle Salzman to the state House. Perhaps some of the women who have served on council will also consider higher office."

SHERRI MYERS District 2

Representing Pensacola's District 2 since 2010, Sherri Myers has been a very vocal voice on the City Council. And it's out of necessity, she said.

"Good women have a hard time in politics," said Myers. "There's a lot of dynamics that come into play, but I've never let my sex get in the way."

From practicing law to the City Council, Myers says she's never been a fan of "the good ole boys club." As an outspoken woman, she's felt there wasn't room for her at the table.

"The few times (former Pensacola Mayor) Ashton Hayward would come to council meetings, he would ask male members to have a beer," she said. "The social network did not include women."

Over the years, she's butted heads with male council members, namely Sam Hall, Brian Spencer and Larry Johnson, who she called out in a 2019 memo she filed when she was seeking council president. From comments about her breasts to sarcastic asides, she'd heard and seen it all, she said.

"The herstory of women who struggle in the halls of political power needs to be told and made part of an official record," Myers wrote. "I write this for all women, past and present and future, whose voices have not been heard and for those who have been silenced."

Myers said Hall, Spencer and Johnson would walk out in unison when she'd start to speak in meetings.

"One of the members even tried to get me off the city council," she said. "I was told I'm too argumentative, that it was 'my personality.'"

"I'm a watchdog, not a lap dog."

Now, the power dynamics are different on the council. It's a sign of progress, said Myers.

"I think the government body should look like the community it represents—and not just with gender, but race and ethnicity," she said. "It adds a wider perspective of the needs of the community."

Myers does not suffer fools. She's not afraid to tell someone if they've crossed her.

"I'm not going to let anyone be abusive to me, especially a man," she said.

On the flipside, Myers said she's never had bad dealings with women in government. She gives praise to former female council members Megan Pratt and Maren DeWeese, who were good public servants "that just happened to be women," Myers said. She looks forward to working with new colleagues. And her advice for first-time council members? Be patient.

"There's a lot to learn in order to be effective," she said. "It's taken me eight or nine years to truly understand how the budget works."

Being patient is still something that Myers is trying to work on after a decade in politics. She laments that even little changes take way too long, like getting filing cabinets for councilmembers.

"It took eight years," she said.

Myers wants to see a lot of changes made on the inside, like making government more transparent and moving away from the mayor-council government to shift power dynamics. She understands these changes are unlikely to happen during her time. But even if she weren't on City Council, Myers said she'd continue to "fight like hell" for her district.

"I will always be involved," she said. "I've always been a strong advocate for District 2."

When it comes to females of the future, Myers wants to see more women in politics.

She's proud to look back on her first race that was won with about $1,200 and a doorto-door campaign where she made personal connections with as many constituents as she could.

"Don't let being a woman hold you back," she said. "Be engaged before you run. Care about something. I'm very hopeful for the future of women in politics."

Negative comments may be a given when you're a public figure. Myers said she's inspired by Mae West and tries to brush off any of the negative with "comedy and wit."

"You have to set boundaries and demand respect," she said. {in} inweekly.net

Joyce Reese / Courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

A SEAT ON THE COUNCIL The History of Women in Pensacola City Government

By Hana Frenette

Because no one should celebrate presentday progress without also acknowledging the past, we took to the historical archives to learn more about the history of women in Pensacola city government.

The first iteration of the Pensacola City Council was established by Florida Gov. Andrew Jackson in 1821. A mayor and six councilmen were appointed to serve six respective charters. The first woman wasn't elected to council until 131 years later, when both Dorothy Dyson and Mary Ann Harrell were elected in 1951.

Dyson and Harrell made history with their unprecedented wins against all-male opponents and both served two-year terms, departing the council in 1953. It would be 27 years before another woman would hold a council seat in the city and 29 years before the first Black woman would be elected to the council. Since Dyson and Harrell's win nearly 70 years ago, just 15 women have served on the city council through 2020.

As of Jan. 1, 2020, United Nations statistics division data from 133 countries shows that women only constitute 36% of elected members in local deliberative bodies around the world. That percentage is slightly lower in the United States, with women making up just 35% of elected bodies. The City of Pensacola is inching closer toward equal gender representation within the city council with a much higher percentage of women serving in local elected positions than the national average, but it's been a slow climb.

Let's take a closer look at the women who March 4, 2021

have served on the Pensacola City Council over the last century and paved the way for the female-majority council we have today.

DOROTHY DYSON 1951-1953, Ward 5

Dorothy Dyson, often referred to early on in her campaign as Mrs. Raymond Dyson, attended the University of Iowa and worked as a partner at Dyson and Company, a general building contractor company.

She handled payroll, timekeeping, office management, labor relations and hiring and supervision at Dyson and Co. She served as Escambia County Commander of the American Cancer Society and Chairman County Division of T.B. association and was a sectional chairman of Community Chest and a member of the YWCA and the League of Women Voters.

Prior to the election in 1951, she told the Pensacola News Journal (PNJ) that she believed women were needed in local government and that she felt her active business experience gave her the capabilities to serve as councilwoman. A printed ad for her campaign ended with the statement, "I will keep in mind the good of all the people in the plans for the future rather than the good of the few."

Dyson ran for a second term and defeated her male opponent but resigned in 1953 so Dyson Construction could bid on future city projects, according to an article written

by The Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida.

MARY ANN HARRELL

CYNTHIA RUSSELL

1951-1953, Ward 1

1981-1983, Ward 3

In addition to being among the first two women ever elected to serve on the Pensacola City Council, Mary Ann Harrell was also the first independent insurance adjustor in the United States and manager of Gay and Taylor Insurance Adjustors of Pensacola. She received an A.B. degree from Randolph-Macon Women's College.

She was an active member of several community organizations and served as president of the American Association of University of Women and Pensacola Community Council, secretary-treasurer of Pensacola Claims Association, board member of Escambia County General Hospital and Greater Pensacola Community Chest, member of the Board of Directors of Pensacola Little Theatre, and member of Pensacola Pan-American Council, the League of Women Voters, YWCA and the Pensacola Country Club.

During her campaign in 1951, Harrell told the PNJ she believed that as a citizen interested in good government, her right to criticize any administration hinged, to some degree, upon her willingness to serve.

"Further, I believe a youthful freshness of viewpoint presented by a woman who has never served in public office is needed in our city government," Harrell added.

Harrell ran for a second term in 1953 against six male opponents but was not able to secure re-election.

After a 27-year gap with no women serving on the council, Cynthia Russell was elected in 1981. Russell, a director of speech pathology at the Rehabilitation Institute of West Florida, was the only woman to the ballot.

In a written statement issued to the PNJ a few months before the election, Russell stated she supported preservation of Pensacola's historic district, improvements to promote tourism, expansion of the Port of Pensacola and other means of enhancing the local economy.

She also noted she was concerned about high utility bills, particularly city sewer rates.

She served as an active member in the United Way Campaign beginning in 1977 and was also a member of the Florida Language Speech and Hearing Association.

An excerpt from the PNJ on May 4, 1981—A political newcomer, Russell, who is not married, says she has time to devote to city government.

JOYCE REESE 1983-1996, District 6

Joyce Reese, an Escambia High School teacher, was the first Black woman to be elected to the Pensacola City Council.

She began her political career in the 1960s as a young woman who was active in the civil rights movement, according to an excerpt from PNJ prior to her win. During her campaign, Reese told the daily paper that the 13

Mary Ann Harrell / Courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

concern for equality and unity she learned during the '60s lingered with her and that she wanted to make that contribution to the City of Pensacola.

The 1983 campaign came down to a runoff between Reese and her opponent, Alvin Durrant, and Reese was overjoyed to make it to the final runoff.

"I can't believe I made it," Reese told the PNJ when she learned she was one of the final two in the race for District 6. "I think people need somebody they can talk to."

Reese served a total of 13 consecutive years and was the longest-serving councilwoman in the council's history until 2020, when Jewel Cannada-Wynn entered her 14th year of service. Reese resigned in 1998 during her seventh term. Since Reese's initial win in 1983, a woman has held a city council seat every year except between May 2002-January 2004.

LOIS BENSON 1988-1990, District 1

Louis Benson was appointed to serve as District 1 councilwoman after former councilman John Kadlec resigned to take an out-oftown job offer. Benson joined fellow councilwoman Reese on the 10-member panel.

Benson worked as a high school English teacher before taking over an interior design company, Holden Interiors Inc. She attended Emory University and was an active member in numerous Pensacola civic organizations.

Benson resigned from the council to seek state office and served in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992-1994. She also ran for the Florida State Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives and the Mayor of Pensacola, the latter of which she lost in 2001 to John Fogg. In 1994, she ran for Florida's First Congressional District when Congressman Earl Hutto announced his retirement from the seat. She faced four other Republicans in the primary and received 31.4% of the votes. In the resulting runoff, her pro-choice views contributed to her defeat by pro-life newcomer Joe Scarborough who went on to win the seat.

414 1

1951 PNJ Ad for Dorothy Dyson

On Nov. 23, 2004, she was appointed to the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority Board District 2 seat following the resignation of George Watson. Benson is still serving as the current ECUA board member for District 2.

JOAN GILLSON 1993-1995, District 2

Joan Gillson attended the University of Alabama and worked at several professional design firms before becoming a division manager of J. Frank Co., a specialty advertising firm. She also served on the city's Human Services Appropriations Committee for three years and has served on the boards of the Junior League, Professional Secretaries International and the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

The PNJ noted in 1993 that while Gillson was a political newcomer, she wasn't an unfamiliar face to the city council. She'd gained a reputation as a citizen who began fighting city hall more than a decade ago over Pensacola's comprehensive plan, according to PNJ reporter Angie Basiouny in a 1993 article.

Councilman Hank Anson took note of Gillson's passion during the public meetings and encouraged her to run for his District 2 seat when he retired, which she did—and won.

RITA JONES 1995-2000, District 5

Prior to running for city council, Rita Jones worked for the Escambia County School District for 41 years as a teacher, principal and district math supervisor before retiring in 1994. She earned her bachelor's degree in mathematics from BethuneCookman University, a master's degree from Harvard University and Northwestern University, and a specialist degree Florida State University. She also studied at Pensacola Junior College, University of West Florida, Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University and The Case Institute of Technology.

Dorothy Dyson / Courtesy of UWF Historic Trust

Jones was heavily involved in numerous charities and local organizations and viewed volunteerism as a way of life. When campaigning for city council, Jones told the PNJ she wanted to be a representative, not a politician.

She served two council terms before resigning to run for the Escambia County Commission District 3 seat against incumbent Willie Junior, who was re-elected.

SHARON WAKEMAN 1998-1999, District 6

Sharon Wakeman served on the Pensacola Zoning Board of Adjustment from 1990-1998 and as the board's chairwoman before being appointed to the Pensacola City Council District 6 seat vacated by councilwoman Joyce Reese during her seventh term.

Wakeman received an associate's degree from the City College of San Diego and worked as an administrator for Trinity Presbyterian Church. She also served as president of the North Hill Preservation Association.

While campaigning in 1999 for a fulllength term after being appointed in 1998, Wakeman noted her priorities included establishing additional neighborhood associations, curbing alcohol/drug-related crime, starting more after-school programs for youth and preserving historical areas in Pensacola.

Wakeman did not win the election and was defeated by Rev. Hugh King for the District 6 seat. She served just over a year.

MARIE K. YOUNG 1997-2002, District 7

Marie K. Young received her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Florida A&M University and a master's degree in elementary education from Atlanta University. She worked as a physical education teacher and basketball coach in Georgiana, Ala., before moving to Pensacola, where she worked as an Escambia County School District principal and administrator for nearly 30 years prior to her city council service.

Young first ran for Pensacola City Council in 1995 but lost. She ran again in 1997 and won. In 1999, she supported efforts

by Movement for Change that eventually renamed a portion of Alcaniz Street for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Before moving to Pensacola, in anticipation of the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycotts, Young told the PNJ she participated in twice-weekly boycott planning sessions at a local church, including several attended by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom she saw at the time as "just a regular preacher."

"I couldn't see the total picture. When I moved back to Pensacola, I realized that I had been a part of history. I'd seen him; I shook hands with him; I'd sat in meetings with him," Young said in a 2008 PNJ article titled "40 years later, residents recall MLK's legacy."

In 2002, when four Escambia County Commissioners were removed from office in the soccer complex scandal, Governor Jeb Bush appointed Young to the District 3 Commission seat formerly held by Willie Junior and was elected by the other commissioners to serve as chairperson of the commission.

She ran for the District 3 Commission seat in 2004 and won, serving through 2012 after a second re-election in 2008.

DEBRA THOMPSON 1999-2001, At-Large A

Debra Thompson's election to the AtLarge A seat in 1999 marked the first time a Black man or woman held a city-wide seat on the Pensacola City Council. Thompson told the PNJ that she believed her key to victory had been her vigorous door-todoor campaigning and her previous work with Movement for Change, a minority citizen's group that pushed for a portion of Alcaniz Street to be renamed for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Thompson's win also created the most racially diverse council in the council's history, making her the fourth Black council member on the 10-person panel. inweekly.net

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Debra obtained her bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida and a master's degree in public administration from Florida State University. After serving one term on the Pensacola City council, she was appointed to the Florida Rehabilitation council by Governor Jed Bush.

JEWEL CANNADA-WYNN 2004-2010, 2012-2020, District 6, District 7

Jewel Cannada-Wynn was elected to the council after a brief period from 2002-2004 when no women served on the council and is the longest-serving councilwoman to date.

In 2010, she ran for re-election and lost to Brian Spencer. After the loss to Spencer, she served as deputy mayor under the city's council-manager form of government until 2012, when she ran for the District 7 seat and won. She also served as council president during her term in the District 7 seat. While Cannada-Wynn served as council president, Megan Pratt served as vice president of the council, marking the first and only time in the council's history that the two highest council positions were both occupied by women.

Her career in public service began as a military member where she served as a Security Forces Specialist. She retired from the United States Air Force Reserve after 20 years of service and began her career in the Escambia County educational system.

Wynn earned a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Maryland European Branch and a master's in history education from the University of West Florida.

MAREN DEWEESE 2009-2012, District 3

Maren DeWeese ran for council in 2008, defeating incumbent Mike DeSorbo in the election.

Before seeking office, DeWeese worked March 4, 2021

Debra Thompson / Courtesy Photo

as a mortgage lender from 1990-2002. She holds a bachelor's degree in business management and finance from the University of West Florida. DeWeese served as Pensacola City Council President in 2011.

In 2012, DeWeese was vocal in publicly questioning Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward about his relationship with Jerry Pate after she learned the owner of the landscaping design firm paid for a trip to Miami for Hayward and his wife. Pate also worked on the design of Maritime Park and the design of Main Street.

DeWeese resigned her council seat in 2012 in order to run for mayor against incumbent Hayward in 2014 but did not win the election.

DIANE MACK 2009-2011, District 8 At-Large

Prior to filing for her city council seat, Mack worked as the president of Diane Mack Advertising Inc., a marketing, advertising and public relations. Mack told the PNJ that after 28 years as a Pensacola resident, she felt the time was right to run for office.

"If I win this election, my vote will only be one of 10. But a good brain and strong voice should improve the odds of changing the way things are done," Mack said. "It's time to end business as usual at city hall."

Mack pushed for furthering economic development by focusing on factors within the city government's purview, including quality of place, shovel-ready development sites, expedited permitting, workforce development and determining the future of the Port of Pensacola.

MEGAN PRATT 2009-2014, District 9 At-Large

Megan Pratt received a bachelor's of science degree from M.I.T. in 1993, a master's in chemistry from Harvard in 1995 and her Ph.D. in neurobiology from Harvard in 1999 and then was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School in 2000.

In 2002, she returned to Pensacola and began working at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. She has spearheaded the IHMC's Science Saturdays program and, with her sister Holly, helped create the I LOVE Science program for fifth graders in the Escambia and Santa Rosa county school districts.

In 2012, she and her husband brought together a group of Pensacolians to found the Pensacola MESS Hall, a hands-on science museum in downtown Pensacola.

When Pratt began campaigning for the District 9 At-Large seat, her priorities included increasing the attractiveness of Pensacola for young professionals, families, small businesses and entrepreneurs.

Pratt also served as the Pensacola City Council Vice President from 2013-2014, while councilwoman Jewel Cannada-Wynn served as council president. Pratt is the daughter of former Pensacola City Councilwoman Lois Benson. {in} In the spirit of progress, we also think it's worth noting that the following City of Pensacola elected positions have never been held by a woman: •Mayor (although Jewel Cannada-Wynn served as Deputy Mayor from 2010-2012 when not serving on council) •District 4 council seat If you're inspired by the women in this story and want to learn more about running for a local elected office, you can visit escambiavotes.gov for information on upcoming elections, candidates and voting schedules.

The Institute for Women in Politics of Northwest Florida's purpose is "increasing the number of women serving in elected office in Escambia, Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties," so they are another valuable resource. Visit iwpflorida.org to learn more about the work they do.

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WEEK OF MARCH 4-10

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

A Pandemic Mental Health Check-In

By Carollyn Taylor

Kimberly Bowens / Courtesy Photo

If you're adulting in these crazy times and constantly wondering if you're doing this whole "trying to thrive in a pandemic thing" right, this article is for you.

So far, 2021 feels like an only slightly better version of 2020. Most of us are struggling in multiple ways, including our mental health—whether we realize it or not. During the pandemic, maintaining sanity has been a mental chore, and we all know how chores go, especially lately. So to help all of us gauge our mental health as we approach the one-year mark of the pandemic, we talked to Kimberly Bowens, a licensed mental health counselor at Reality Check Counseling Services.

PRACTICING IN A PANDEMIC

Mental health is personal. A good guiding practice for Bowens when she is treating her clients is to be observant of body language and non-verbal cues. Though she is grateful to have the virtual counseling option, "it has taken away some things in counseling that we rely on to help us work with clients, but I have seen a lot more new clients because their anxiety and depression has increased during the pandemic," she said.

She acknowledged that topics ranging from social isolation to health concerns March 4, 2021

have changed the way she deals with clients in different ways.

Not only has this pandemic impacted the way therapists interact with clients, but lack of personal touch has impacted the mental health of many people. Bowens unveiled the struggles people are facing by refraining from traditional greetings, such as hugging— not being able to give and receive affection in those thoughtful ways has taken a toll on people. Furthermore, the absence of these gestures can lead to depression and harmful habits.

"A lot of people don't know what to do with their time when they are left alone, so they start to do unhealthy things. They may start comfort eating, or they may start to have a lot of dark thoughts because they aren't able to get outside of the four walls of their house and engage in different activities that they used to do," Bowens says.

OPEN DIALOGUES AND SHARED STRUGGLES

In today's world, it can be difficult to find ways to keep an open mind and dig down into the hard conversations. Two of the most notable things we witnessed and experienced in 2020 in America were the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. This not only impacted people mentally, but it opened up a lot of trauma for our Black and brown communities.

When asked how the movement for racial justice has impacted her personal and professional life as an African American woman, Bowens stated, "I graduated from the University of Alabama, and it has a reputation for being a school that did not welcome African Americans, back years ago. And now there are of thousands students that attend school there, faculty members, people in positions that weren't even thought of during the early days there. A lot of the conversations we're having now, I'm used to having because we had those on campus," Bowens said.

Bowens is a firm believer in open dialogue so that we can grow from each other's experiences. The need for open dialogue and exploration has inspired clients to seek out adequate representation in their health care.

"Professionally, I have started to receive more clients that want to come to me, not only because I'm a woman, not only because I'm a young woman, but because I am a young Black woman. Sometimes when people feel like they are experiencing micro-aggressions at work, they don't feel comfortable going to a white therapist and expressing how they feel. They come to me because they feel like I'm relatable and can act as a sounding board," she said.

Whether they are experiencing work concerns or concerns in general surrounding racial tension, Bowens' clients find it helpful that she can aid them in finding healthy ways to solve problems or work through feelings of hypersensitivity in today's racial climate.

Bowens' personal experiences not only give her a unique perspective when she is working with clients, but they allow her to know the importance of self-care.

"Self-care is one of the things that I'm a huge supporter of. I promote self-care a lot," she told Inweekly.

Bowens encourages her clients and others to practice self-care in order to avoid things like burnout. Due to COVID-19, some are hesitant to take part in traditional outlets of self-care, like spa days, but Bowens reminded us that there are plenty of safe and affordable alternatives. She personally finds serenity in a place by the water she designates as her "happy place." In this space, she feels comfortable to "unwind and collect my thoughts." Other creative outlets she finds solace in are reading and journaling.

NOTHING IS "TOO SMALL"

Aside from Bowens' self-care remedies, we wanted to know if there was anything too small to seek treatment for.

"I definitely don't think that anything is too small because even with the most psychologically well-rounded person, there are always things that can be learned in counseling. If a person knows what to do in situations, that's great, but there may be those times where there are unexpected situations that may occur that a person who is the most prepared would not be prepared for. So there are always coping skills and different things of that nature that a person can learn from counseling," Bowens said.

She also acknowledged that there could be something small that needs addressing that you could find is actually a bigger issue upon entering therapy.

FINDING A THERAPIST

Of course, finding a therapist isn't a one-size-fits-all for anyone, and lots of factors come into play, like personalities and budgets. We asked Bowens for advice on where to start the process.

"The first thing that I would recommend when someone is seeking counseling is do your research. Every counselor is not going to be a good fit for everyone. I would recommend going to Psychology Today, because they have articles about mental health, but they also have a directory where you can search for counselors based on different things," Bowens said. "You can search by your zip code, by the issue you're seeking counseling for, by gender, by race, method of payment."

"I would also recommend that the person contact the people that they've narrowed their search down to and ask those people if they do consultations—free consultations," she continued. "So that way before they enter into a therapeutic relationship with someone, they've had a chance to interview them, to see if what they read about them matches up with how that person presents to them. I would say do your homework."

Though there are hundreds of counselors in the Pensacola area, Bowens takes pride in being one of the few who are nationally board certified. She is currently accepting new clients and can be found on Psychology Today, the National Board for Certified Counselors website, and Therapy for Black Girls in their website counselor directory.

For anyone debating seeking treatment from her or any licensed mental health professional in general, Bowens wants people to know that there shouldn't be a stigma when it comes to talking about mental health issues.

"A lot of times, people ignore thoughts and feelings that they have about mental health. The more attention it gets, the better, so people feel more comfortable reaching out and the stigma around mental health goes away," she said. {in} For more from Bowens, including posts related to mental health and her community involvement, visit facebook.com/counselingisheartwork.

17

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.

NONPROFITS + FUNDRAISERS

PENSACOLA HABITAT FOOD TRUCK FESTIVAL RETURNS IN MARCH

Pensacola Habitat for Humanity will be hosting their fifth annual award-winning Pensacola Habitat Food Truck Festival on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St. Pensacola Habitat for Humanity has been working hard to plan a safe, unique event during these difficult times in order to continue raising funds to support their mission of building homes, communities and hope in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Each week, Pensacola Habitat will release a "habi-hint," or clue, to the public regarding exciting, new elements of the festival. Participants will be entered into weekly drawings to win various prizes. Visit Pensacola Habitat's Facebook page, facebook.com/pensacolahabitat, for more information.

UNION PUBLIC HOUSE LIVESTREAM FUNDRAISER FOR KRIS NAGLE

Union Public House Pensacola is hosting a livestream benefit Sunday, March 14, starting at 1 p.m. to raise funds for 28-year-old Kris Nagle who has been in the hospital for weeks fighting complications from Guillian Barre Syndrome. Five bands, including Hello Crescendo, Guts, True Blue, Exophagy and NoCo, will be performing a live stream from UPH. Watch online at facebook.com/ unionpensacola. Funds can be donated online through Venmo at @UPHFundraiser and Cashapp at @$UPHFundraiser. Donations will be accepted through March 31.

CAT AND KITTEN ADOPTIONS IN MARCH Animal Allies will be at Pet

Supermarket at 6857 N. Ninth Avenue on Saturdays, March 13 and 27, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Come by and find your fluffy BFF or talk to Animal Allies about opportunities to donate, foster or volunteer. All cats are up to date on shots, tested negative for leukemia, and adoption fee includes spay or neuter with microchip and flea pill.

Minimum donation fees are $85 for kittens up to one year and $75 for adults. For more information, visit aaflorida.org.

CALL TO ARTISTS

VENDORS AND CRAFT EXHIBITORS FOR JAZZ PENSACOLA 2021 Jazz Pen-

sacola is calling arts and crafts exhibitors to submit applications for the 2021 Pensacola JazzFest planned for May 15-16 at Seville Square in historic downtown Pensacola.

Application forms can be downloaded at jazzpensacola.com. Only original art and handmade crafts will be accepted. No commercial/mass-produced products will be accepted.

All entries are $200 for a 10-by-10-foot canopy or smaller. All fees go to support Pensacola JazzFest, a free event for the 818 1

community. For more information, call Jazz Pensacola administrator Alice Crann Good at (850) 433-8382, Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., or visit jazzpensacola.com.

ARTISTS/GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: 2021 JAZZFEST POSTER Jazz Pensacola

invites fine artists/graphic designers to submit renderings for the official 2021 Pensacola JazzFest poster. The commission is $500.

Submissions should conform to a vertical orientation using a ratio that will fit, with margin, on a final poster size of 18 inches wide by 24 inches high. All content must be the submitter's original creation and must be unpublished. The submitter must have all rights to images and graphics used in the final artwork and during the design process. The poster must include the name of the festival—2021 Pensacola JazzFest.

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

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

Any mixed media suitable for twodimensional mechanical reproduction is allowed, including both hand-drawn and computer-generated graphics.

Rough drafts or sketches can be submitted, but, if selected, the final art must conform to the submitted draft or sketch.

Substantial deviation from the submitted sketch or draft will result in forfeiture by the artist of the cash prize and the selection of a new winner by Jazz Pensacola.

Submissions must be in low-res (72 ppi) JPEG format and emailed to info@ jazzpensacola.com. There is no limit to the number of entries by a single artist. Each entry must include the artist's name, address, email and telephone number.

The submission deadline is March 8, 2021. If selected, the completed art deadline is April 19, 2021. For more information, visit jazzpensacola.com.

FOO FOO FEST GRANT APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN Pensacola's Foo Foo

Festival officially announced its plans for its seventh annual events, taking place Nov. 4-15, 2021.

In 2021, the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival will once again fund top-scoring grant applicants, with the number of grants to be awarded contingent upon the number of submissions. This year, the Foo Foo Festival will provide up to $315,000 in grant funding, and grant applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in grant funding. All organizations, businesses and community partners are encouraged to participate as "Friends of Foo," receiving visibility at the 12-day event. To apply for this year's Foo Foo Festival, visit foofoofest.com.

The Foo Foo Fest team will continue to monitor developments surrounding COVID-19 leading up to November's events and will fully cooperate with any instructions heeded for Escambia County by local and state officials and the CDC.

The Foo Foo Fest grant application is Friday, April 30, 2021. On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, there will be an announcement of the public grant scoring.

For more information, visit foofoofest.com.

ARTS & CULTURE

309 PUNK PROJECT ONLINE FUNDRAISER 309 Punk Project is hosting virtual events through March 9 to raise funds to sustain operating costs as well as building costs and archival maintenance. The goal is to raise $20,000. You can donate online at 309punkmuseum.org.

EVENTS: Staremaster Video Installation—The front room of 309 has been transformed into a vibrant video installation from artist Sean Linezo. You can view it from 309's porch from 6-10 p.m. through Tuesday, March 9.

Julia Gorton, Jimbo Easter and Felicia Gail Artist Talk: Punk, Art Life—Thursday, March 4, at 7:30 p.m. Zoom event. Visit 309punkmuseum.org for the link.

Punk Across the Punk: The Hope Collective—Friday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 6, at 7:30 p.m. Zoom event.

Visit 309punkmuseum.org for the link.

Julia Arredondo Art Talk—Sunday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. Zoom event. Visit 309punkmuseum.org for the link.

309 in the Archives Screening —Monday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. Zoom event. Visit 309punkmuseum.org for the link.

Mini-Series Finale: Staremaster 2002 Documentary—Tuesday, March 9, at 9 p.m. Zoom event. Visit 309punkmuseum. org for the link.

STUDENT MASK SHOW AT ARTEL GALLERY View the Student Mask Show

at Artel Gallery, located at 223 S. Palafox, March 2-11. For more information, visit artelgallery.org.

PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PLT will present a family-friendly

version of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" 7:30 p.m. on March 5-6, March 11-12, and March 18-20 and 3 p.m. on March 7, 14 and 21 at Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. Tickets are $16-$31.

On Thursdays, tickets are half price. Streaming is also available. For more information, visit pensacolalittletheatre.com.

OPEN BOOKS BOOKSTORE & PRISON BOOK PROJECT Open Books will have several thousand books on sale Saturday, March 6, starting at 10 a.m. Individual titles are $1, or fill a whole bag for $5. Open Books is located at 1040 N. Guillemard St. For more information, visit facebook.com/ openbooksbookstore.

SNAP INTO HISTORY—INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY PHOTO BOOTH On Monday, March 8, from 10

a.m.-7 p.m., head to Pensacola Library, at

239 N. Spring St., where patrons can take their picture in the International Women's Day photo booth and send it in to be displayed on the WFPL Twitter and Facebook.

GALLERY 1060 MEMBERS' SHOW First City Art's annual Members Show will be on display March 18-May 1 featuring works of art from past, present and future FCAC members and staff. A virtual reception will take place in April. For more information, visit gallery1060.com.

PENSACOLA OPERA: H.M.S. PINAFORE Pensacola Opera's latest produc-

tion will debut Friday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Saenger Theatre with a matinee Sunday, March 14, at 2 p.m. Due to socialdistancing measures, limited seating is available for our mainstage shows this season. In-person performance tickets are only available for this event by calling the Pensacola Opera office at 433-6737.

A special Director's Champagne Brunch will be 11:45 a.m. Sunday, March 14.

Tickets available online.

Unable to join in person? Purchase tickets for the live stream experience. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

THE CHORAL SOCIETY OF PENSACOLA PRESENTS: SONGS OF IRELAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, the Choral Society presents a program featuring traditional and contemporary Irish songs, as well as music from neighboring Scotland and Wales. The performance is set for Saturday, March 13, at 2 p.m. in the parking garage of 316, Inc. (316 S. Baylen St.).

Admission to the half-hour program is free, but donations are welcome. Bring your own seating. Masks and distancing are required for audience members. For more information, visit choralsocietyofpensacola.org.

PENSACON RESCHEDULED FOR MAY 21-23 After extensive consultation with

partner venues, Pensacon organizers have announced the convention will now take place May 21-23.

To ensure safety, attendees will be required to wear face coverings while on all Pensacon grounds and within all Pensacon venues, outside of designated, distanced eating spaces. Among other precautions, handsanitizing stations will be set up throughout the convention, and social distancing policies, including seating/capacity limitations at some venues, will be employed.

For those who have already purchased tickets for the original February dates, your tickets are already rolled over to the new dates. For those who are unable to attend in May, your unused tickets will be rolled over to Pensacon 2022, which is expected to return to the convention's usual February timeframe.

Those who still need tickets can get them at pensacon.com. Weekend passes, which include admission for all three days of the convention, are $80. Single-day inweekly.net

a&e happenings tickets are available at a cost of $35 for Friday, May 21; $45 for Saturday, May 22; and $40 for Sunday, May 23. VIP Experience weekend passes are $155 and include early admission to the Pensacola Bay Center, preferred seating at panel venues, front-ofline privileges for celebrity autographs and photo ops, and exclusive T-shirt, spaceavailable parking and other perks. Additional taxes and fees apply to all tickets.

For a complete list of guests scheduled to appear, visit pensacon.com.

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

Friday at 8 p.m. for national stand up acts.

Tickets are $26-$35 at the door. For more information, visit rexpensacola.com.

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

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.

ON VIEW AT THE PENSACOLA MUSEUM OF ART "Antarctica" is another

new exhibition on view through April 4 at the downstairs gallery. Other exhibitions 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.

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 Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for regular drag shows. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola March 4, 2021

PENSACOLA OPERA AL FRESCO

Pensacola Opera's outdoor live concerts are Saturdays at 2 p.m. in the UWF Historic Trust Museum Plaza. For more information, visit pensacolaopera.com.

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.

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

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

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.

NOW SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART "Stray" will be playing at

Pensacola Cinema Art March 4 and 6 at the Studer Community Institute building, 220 W. Garden St. Admission is $7. Face masks are required, and there will be 50% maximum seating capacity. Tickets can be reserved by calling or texting 863-4467300 or emailing jpncinema@gmail.com.

For more information, visit pensacolacinemaart.com.

BLACK CITIZENSHIP IN THE AGE OF JIM CROW On view at Voices of Pen-

sacola is "Black Citizenship in the Age of Jim Crow," a traveling exhibition from the New York Historical Society Museum & Library with additions from the African American Heritage Society of Pensacola.

To learn more about it, visit africanamericanheritagesociety.org. Voices of Pensacola is located at 117 E. Government St. and open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

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.

19

a&e happenings CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS AT FIRST CITY ART First City Art Center of-

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

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 on select Sundays at 3 p.m. on Facebook. Tickets are $9.99 and can be purchased online at facebook.com/pensacolaopera.

LIVE MUSIC

GOLDIE LAHR AT GARY'S BREWERY & BIERGARTEN Pensacola musician Goldie Lahr will be performing at Gary's Brewery & Biergarten, located at 208 Newman Ave., on Friday, March 5, from 6-9 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

PAT MEUSEL AT DOLCE AND GELATO

Head to Dolce and Gelato, located at 2050 N. 12th Ave., for live music from Pat Meusel

020 2

at 4 p.m. on Saturdays, March 6 and 27 and April 3 and 17. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

ST. PATTY'S PRE-FUNK Enjoy some prefunk tunes at Gary's Brewery and Biergarten starting at 5 p.m. Friday, March 12. For more information, visit facebook.com/garysbrew.

LOCAL MUSICIAN JAM Enjoy live tunes for local artists while enjoying handmade gelato at Dolce and Gelato, Saturday, March 13, starting at 6 p.m. For more information, visit facebook.com/dolcegelatopensacola.

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-

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.

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.

OPEN JAM AT ARTEL GALLERY Artel

FITNESS + RECREATION

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.

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: •7:05 p.m. Saturday, March 13, vs. Knoxville •4:05 p.m. Sunday, March 14, vs. Knoxville

2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE The 2021

Sun Belt Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Championships will be held Friday, March 5-Monday, March 8, at the Pensacola Bay Center, located at 201 E. Gregory St. Individual tickets are on sale through ticketmaster.com.

Per COVID-19 protocols, fans attending must wear a facial covering, and seating at the Pensacola Bay Center will be at 50% arena capacity for each tournament session.

A free trolley will run around Downtown Pensacola on Saturday and Sunday, stopping at 12 host bars dedicated to each team.

On Sunday, March 7, a special "Fan Fest" event will take place outside the Bay Center from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. with food and drink, games and activities planned. For more information visit sunbeltsports.org.

WFPL MOLINO TRACK CHALLENGE

Put on your walking shoes and join the walking challenge at the Molino library.

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

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a&e happenings BLUE WAHOOS ANNOUNCE 2021 SCHEDULE The 2021 season schedule for

the Pensacola Blue Wahoos begins in May. Under the new Professional Development License system through Major League Baseball, the Blue Wahoos will play as part of the Double-A South league.

The league will adopt a six-game series format in 2021 with teams playing TuesdaySunday each week. Mondays will serve as a league-wide off day to facilitate team travel.

Stadium capacity limits are expected to be implemented to ensure fan safety during the 2021 season and will be announced leading up to the season. Game times and the team's promotional schedule will be released at a later date. For tickets, visit bluewahoos.com.

UPCOMING HOME GAMES: •May 11-16 vs. Birmingham Barons •May 18-23 vs. Rocket City Trash Pandas •June 1-6 vs. Mississippi Braves •June 15-20 vs. Montgomery Biscuits •June 29-July 4 vs. Biloxi Shuckers

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

BEER GARDEN YOGA Join Coastal

County Brewing Company Saturdays at 9 a.m. for the new Yoga in the Garden Series.

Classes will be led by Tara Taylor, a highly experienced 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.

YOGA CLASSES AT EVER'MAN Beginner Yoga with John is 10 a.m. Thursdays, 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and 12:15 p.m. Wednesdays.

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

March 4, 2021

OCEAN HOUR BEACH CLEAN-UPS

Ocean Hour has picked up its weekly beach clean-ups in the Pensacola area Saturdays at 8:45 a.m. On Saturday, Jan. 30, volunteers will be at Philip A. Payne Bridge. Supplies will be provided, but volunteers are welcome to bring their own. For locations, visit oceanhourfl.com.

FOOD + DRINKS

ATLAS BEVERAGE CLASS: WICKED WEED Ashville-based brewing company

Wicked Weed will be offering beverage tastings at the monthly ABC tasting, Thursday, March 4, at Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St. Classes are 5 and 7 p.m. and tickets are $25 per person. Reservations are required. Call 287-0200 or email taylor@goodgrits.com to reserve your spot.

SUN BELT CONFERENCE WATCH PARTY Enjoy watching the Sun Belt Con-

ference games with local beer at Perfect Plain Brewing Co., located at 50 E. Garden St., March 5-8. For more information, visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco.

2021 SPRING FOOD TRUCK FEST Enjoy the fare from Pensacola's finest food trucks as well as a market of local artisans at Community Maritime Park, located at 351 W. Cedar St., from 11 a.m.-8 p.m., Saturday, March 6.

Admission is $2 per person; free to kids 12 and under. For more information, visit orangebeachbreeze.com/april-food-truck-fest.

SEAFOOD & STUFFING COOKING CLASS Join Bodacious chefs to learn the

best tasting seafood dishes Monday, March 8, from 6-8 p.m. at Bodacious, located at 407-D S. Palafox. Cost is $65 per person.

To register, visit bodaciousshops.com.

DATE NIGHT CLASS: BOUILLABAISSE FOR TWO Learn to make a romantic three-course dinner for two while enjoying a romantic dinner Monday, March 10, from 6-8 p.m. Cost is $90 for two. Located at Bodacious, 407-D S. Palafox. To register, visit bodaciousshops.com.

VINO MAGNIFICO Head to V. Paul's at

29 S. Palafox for Vino Magnifico 5:30 p.m.

Tuesday, March 9. Sample five wines for $15 per person. Attendance is limited and reservations are required. Make your reservation at vpauls.com.

ANGELENA'S CULINARY CLASS: STUZZICHINI & APERITIVI Learn the art of

Italian entertaining with Chef James Briscione and Wine Director Brooke Parkhurst. The class begins at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 11.

Cost is $65 per person and covers a cooking demonstration, food tasting, wine pairings and a take-home booklet. Reservations are required. To reserve your spot, contact Brooke Parkhurst at brooke@angelenaspensacola.com or call 917-573-1613. for more listings visit inweekly.net 21

free will astrology WEEK OF MARCH 4 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In late

April of 1969, Cambridgeshire, UK, hosted the first-ever Thriplow Daffodil Weekend— a flower show highlighting 80 varieties of narcissus. In the intervening years, climate change has raised the average temperature 3.24 degrees Fahrenheit. So the flowers have been blooming progressively earlier each year, which has necessitated moving the festival back. The last pre-COVID show was on March 23-24, 2019, a month earlier than the original. Let's use this as a metaphor for shifting conditions in your world. I invite you to take an inventory of how your environment has been changing and what you could do to ensure you're adapting to new conditions.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Author Leo Buscaglia told us that among ancient Egyptians, two specific questions were key in evaluating whether a human life was welllived. They were "Did you bring joy?" and "Did you find joy?" In accordance with your current astrological potentials, I'm inviting you to meditate on those queries. And if you discover there's anything lacking in the joy you bring and the joy you find, now is a very favorable time to make corrections.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): At age 11,

the future first president of the United States, George Washington, became the "owner" of 10 slaves. A few years later, he "bought" 15 more. By the time he was president, 123 men, women and children were struggling in miserable bondage under his control. Finally, in his will, he authorized them to be freed after he and his wife died. Magnanimous? Hell, no.

He should have freed those people decades earlier—or better yet, never "owned" them in the first place. Another Founding Father, Benjamin Franklin, not only freed his slaves but became an abolitionist. By my count, at least 11 of the other Founding Fathers never owned slaves. Now here's the lesson I'd like us to apply to your life right now—Don't procrastinate in doing the right thing. Do it now.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): During World War II, the Japanese island of

By Rob Brezsny

Ōkunoshima housed a factory that manufactured poison gas for use in chemical warfare against China. These days, it is a tourist attraction famous for its thousands of feral but friendly bunnies. I'd love to see you initiate a comparable transmutation in the coming months, dear Cancerian—changing bad news into good news, twisted darkness into interesting light, soullessness into soulfulness.

Now is a good time to ramp up your efforts.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): "Scars speak

for you," writes author Gena Showalter.

"They say you're strong, and you've survived something that might have killed others." In that spirit, dear Leo, and in accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to authorize your scars to express interesting truths about you in the coming weeks. Allow them to demonstrate how resilient you've been and how well you've mastered the lessons that your past suffering has made available.

Give your scars permission to be wildly eloquent about the transformations you've been so courageous in achieving.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): According

to novelist Doris Lessing, "Everybody in the world is thinking—I wish there was just one other person I could really talk to, who could really understand me, who'd be kind to me."

She implied that hardly anyone ever gets such an experience—or that it's so rare as to be always tugging on our minds, forever a source of unquenched longing. But I'm more optimistic than Lessing. In my view, the treasured exchange she describes is not so impossible. And I think it will be especially possible for you in the coming weeks.

I suspect you're entering a grace period of being listened to, understood and treated kindly. Here's the catch—For best results, you should be forthright in seeking it out.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "How much

has to be explored and discarded before reaching the naked flesh of feeling," wrote composer Claude Debussy. In the coming weeks, I hope you'll regard his words as an incitement to do everything you can to reach the naked flesh of your feelings. Your ideas are fine. Your rational mind is a blessing. But for the foreseeable

future, what you need most is to deepen your relationship with your emotions. Study them, please. Encourage them to express themselves.

Respect their messages as gifts, even if you don't necessarily act upon them.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): You may

never wander out alone into a dark forest or camp all night on a remote beach or encounter a mountain lion as you climb to a glacier near the peak of a rugged mountain. But there will always be a primeval wilderness within you—uncivilized lands and untamed creatures and elemental forces that are beyond your rational understanding. That's mostly a good thing! To be healthy and wise, you need to be in regular contact with raw nature, even if it's just the kind that's inside you. The only time it may be a hindrance is if you try to deny its existence, whereupon it may turn unruly and inimical. So don't deny it! Especially now. (P.S. To help carry out this assignment, try to remember the dreams you have at night. Keep a recorder or notebook and pen near your bed.)

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21):

primed to explore edges, deepen your relationship with your edges and use your edges for healing and education and cultivating intimacy with your allies. As author Ali Smith says, "Edges are magic; there's a kind of forbidden magic on the borders of things, always a ceremony of crossing over, even if we ignore it or are unaware of it."

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Ac-

cording to intermedia artist Sidney Pink, "The idea of divine inspiration and an aha moment is largely a fantasy." What the hell is he talking about?! That's fake news, in my view. In the course of my creative career, I've been blessed with thousands of divine inspirations and aha moments. But I do acknowledge that my breakthroughs have been made possible by "hard work and unwavering dedication," which Sidney Pink extols. Now here's the climax of your oracle—You Aquarians are in a phase when you should be doing the hard work and unwavering dedication that will pave the way for divine inspirations and aha moments later this year.

"What damages a person most," wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "is to work, think and feel without inner necessity, without any deep personal desire, without pleasure—as a mere automaton of duty."

Once a year, I think every one of us, including me, should meditate on that quote.

Once a year, we should evaluate whether we are living according to our soul's code; whether we're following the path with heart; whether we're doing what we came to earth to accomplish. In my astrological opinion, the next two weeks will be your special time to engage in this exploration.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): For you

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): What are your edges, Capricorn? What aspects of your identity straddle two different categories? Which of your beliefs embrace seemingly opposed positions?

In your relations with other people, what are the taboo subjects? Where are the boundaries that you can sometimes cross and other times can't cross? I hope you'll meditate on these questions in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you're

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: What's your theme song for 2021 so far?

Pisceans, March is Love Yourself Bigger and Better and Bolder Month. To prepare you for this festival, I'm providing two inspirational quotes. 1. "If you aren't good at loving yourself, you will have a difficult time loving anyone, since you'll resent the time and energy you give another person that you aren't even giving to yourself."—Barbara De Angelis; 2. "Loving yourself does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion."—Margo Anand

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2021

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Hire a lawyer who is a former Merril Lynch stock broker.

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news of the weird RECENT ALARMING HEADLINES Shannon Stevens, along with her brother Erik and his girlfriend, snowmobiled to Erik's yurt in the backcountry near Haines, Alaska, on Feb. 13 and got the scare of a lifetime when she was attacked from below by a bear in an outhouse, the Associated Press reported. Erik heard his sister's screams and went out to investigate, opening the toilet seat to find "a bear face ... just looking right back up through the hole, right at me," he said. He shut the lid and ran back to the yurt, where they treated Shannon's wound with a first aid kit and determined is wasn't serious. Alaska Department of Fish and Game Wildlife Management biologist Carl Koch said the bear probably swiped at her with its paw, rather than biting her. "She could be the only person on Earth that this has ever happened to," Koch speculated.

AWWWWWW Reuters reported on Feb. 24 that a wayward sheep found in a forest in Australia, has been shorn of the more than 77 pounds of fleece he was carrying and is now recovering at Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary near Lancefield, Victoria. Named Baarack by his rescuers, the sheep was "in a bit of a bad way," said the sanctuary's Kyle Behrend. "Sheep need to be shorn at least annually, otherwise the fleece continues to grow and grow ... He was underweight and due to all the wool around his face he could barely see."

FAMILY VALUES On Feb. 10, prosecutors in Indianapolis charged Jeremy Farmer, 36, with murdering his father, Fred Farmer, 58, who disappeared in November of 2019.

Without a body, a weapon or a murder scene, detectives based their case instead on evidence that Jeremy cleaned out his dad's bank account, used his truck and credit cards, and likely sent fake texts full of emojis that Fred never used from his father's cellphone to family and friends for two months after the disappearance, WXIN-TV reported. Police hope someone will come forward with information about the fate of Fred Farmer.

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION Leslie Pilgrim of Huntington Beach, California, waited more than two hours at the DMV in Laguna Hills in early February to get a REAL ID, an upgraded driver's license that will be required for airline travel starting in October.

Staying compliant with COVID-19 safety rules, Pilgrim left her mask on throughout the process and was startled when officials took her photo while still wearing her mask, she told Fox 11. The clerk realized the error and took another photo, but when the new ID arrived in the mail, Pilgrim's masked-up face was on the license. The DMV advised her the license is valid, even with the mask, but Pilgrim is not taking any chances: She's

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

getting a new one made. "(A)t the end of the day, this is funny," she said. "With all the things happening in the world right now, this is an incredibly minor inconvenience," she said.

POLICE REPORT Brandon Soules, 19, was arrested by police in Coolidge, Arizona, on Feb. 17, for falsely reporting to police that he had been kidnapped in an apparent scheme to get out of work. On Feb. 10, police found Soules lying near a water tower with his hands bound behind his back and a bandana in his mouth, the Associated Press reported. Soules told officers two men had kidnapped him from his home, knocked him unconscious and driven him around in his car looking for money his father had hidden around town, but detectives could find no evidence of a kidnapping or assault, and when pressed, Soules confessed he made the story up to avoid work at The Tire Factory, which subsequently fired him.

THE PASSING PARADE Mr. Friendly Auto Service in Warren, Michigan, is one of two auto repair businesses in the area targeted by a serial pooper, police say. The man, seen on surveillance video, entered parked, unlocked vehicles to do his business, leaving his deposit behind for workers to find the next day, Fox 2 reported. The man first struck in November and returned in January, said Chris Phillips, manager of Mr. Friendly. In February, police said, the man struck at nearby Twin Tire, going from car to car until he found one left unlocked because of an electrical problem. "Now we've got double padlocks on the gate," said Phillips. "The guy needs to be caught.

There is something wrong with him."

SMOOTH REACTION Vidam Perevertilov, 52, chief engineer on a supply ship sailing in the South Pacific from New Zealand to Pitcairn Island, fell overboard after finishing his shift at 4 a.m. on Feb. 16. Alone in the dark and without a life jacket, Perevertilov nevertheless started swimming toward a spot that appeared on the horizon at dawn, The Guardian reported. The spot turned out to be an abandoned fishing buoy and Perevertilov spent the next 14 hours clinging to it before being rescued by his crew, who noticed his absence six hours after he fell and were able to determine where he left the ship. Perevertilov's son, Marat, said his father was unhurt, but exhausted, and he left the buoy in the ocean "so it could save another person's life." {in}

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

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com March 4, 2021

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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.

Independent News | March 4, 2021 | inweekly.net