Inweekly May 26 2022 Issue

Amythyst Kiah on Music & Mental Health

Independent News | May 26, 2022 | Volume 23 | Number 21 | Amythyst Kiah | Photo by Sandlin Gaither

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winners & losers

outtakes

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5

news 6, 8

I was super blessed in that way.

feature story

buzz 10

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publisher Rick Outzen

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

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contact us info@inweekly.net

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winners & losers

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winners DIXON SCHOOL OF ARTS & SCIENCES Students from the school recently earned top honors at the acclaimed "Music in the Parks" music festival held in Atlanta. The Dixon Guitar Ensemble, under the direction of musician and teacher Quintarries Upshaw and classical pianist Alan Long, took first place as well as a Superior rating. Dixon students Alex Saldivar, Nashawn Hosea, Alicia Lee, Aaliyah Lee, Ka'Mora McNeal, Devin Tolentino, Elijah Autrey, Laila Long and Elijah Proctor-White had only been introduced to the guitar this past February.

ANTHONY GIORGIO President Joe Biden awarded the Pensacola Police officer the Department of Justice Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor at a ceremony in Washington D.C. Giorgio was recognized for his heroic actions while offduty at Johnson Beach on Mother's Day 2021.

He saved multiple people from drowning in the Gulf of Mexico.

ANNE M. PATTERSON The retired assistant

state attorney is being recognized for her contributions to justice for child victims of abuse on May 27.

Her son, Michael D. Patterson, requested the prosecution wing be named for his mother after making a substantial donation to Gulf Coast Kid's House (GCKH). Its State Attorney's Wing will now be called the Anne M. Patterson, ASA Justice Wing.

Ms. Patterson was critical in opening Gulf Coast Kid's House and forming the multidisciplinary response offered to children there. Patterson worked with the State Attorney's Office for over 35 years and remains an active supporter of GCKH.

MEMBERS FIRST CREDIT UNION OF FLORIDA The credit union gifted $140,000 to the Uni-

versity of West Florida to support various initiatives. The five-year pledge will support the Louis A. Maygarden Center for Financial Literacy Credit Counseling Program and the Women in Leadership Conference in UWF's College of Business. Established in February 2018, the center provides free counseling services and educational seminars to students and the public to enhance financial literacy in Northwest Florida. The UWF's Women in Leadership Conference offers over 400 attendees the opportunity to connect with prominent women leaders.

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losers 2020 CENSUS The News Service of Florida re-

ported our state was one of six states where the population was undercounted during the 2020 census, according to a report released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. Florida had an estimated 3.48% undercount, the fourth-highest rate in the country behind Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. Other states with undercounts were Illinois and Texas. States with population overcounts were Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island and Utah.

The report, known as the Post-Enumeration Survey, is designed to determine how well the census bureau performed in the once-a-decade census.

Census population numbers are essential, in part, because they help determine how many members of Congress represent each state and how certain federal money is distributed. Is anyone shocked by the undercount?

STEVE WYNN The Department of Justice has filed a civil enforcement action against the casino mogul and former finance chair of the Republican National Committee. The DOJ alleges Wynn lobbied President Donald Trump on behalf of China to extradite fugitive billionaire Guo Wengui, who fled to America in 2014. The Chinese government later charged Wengui with corruption. The allegations are that Wynn directly lobbied Trump over dinner and by phone. He also had multiple discussions with the then-President and senior officials at the White House and National Security Council about organizing a meeting with Chinese government officials. U.S. authorities ordered Wynn last year to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act, but DOJ said that he had "declined to do so."

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY The Governors High-

way Safety Association's latest report on fatal accidents estimates that 7,485 pedestrians were struck and killed by drivers in 2021—the most in a single year in four decades. The percentage of speedingrelated pedestrian crashes involving children ages 15 and younger more than doubled in the previous three years. Most of these fatalities occurred on weekdays (64%) and during daylight hours (53%), which is when children would typically be transported to and from school and related activities. inweekly.net

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outtakes

By Rick Outzen

OPEN OUR MUSEUM The National Naval Aviation Museum and the Blue Angels are integral to the fabric of our community. We are a Navy town, and we take pride in being the "Cradle of Naval Aviation."

We lost the special waiver that gave us access to the museum and the weekly Blue Angels practice sessions when an aviation student from Saudi Arabia, 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, killed three men and injured eight others on the morning of Dec. 6, 2019. Since that day, access to the Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola Lighthouse, Fort Barrancas and the Blue Angels practices has been restricted to only Department of Defense cardholders and veterans who possess a Veterans Health Identification Card.

Recently, a petition campaign, Open Our Museum, was launched to ask the Navy brass and the Defense Department to reestablish the public access waiver to NAS Pensacola. For five decades, tens of millions of people have visited the museum without incident. The museum has been a top 10 attraction in Florida and the leading stop for tourists between New Orleans and Orlando. Nearly three out of every four visitors to the museum have traveled from outside Florida to learn our nation's naval aviation history.

The loss of public access to the museum has impacted our local economy. The Naval Aviation Museum Foundation conducted a Matrix survey recently and discovered that visitors declined by 64% in January and February of 2020 due to restricted base access. Also, our local industry sectors lost an estimated $31.5 million in gross sales between 2019 and 2020, directly related to declining visitor traffic.

We have experienced phenomenal growth in tourism over the past three years, but we have done it without one of the more significant attractions.

While some may worry about the security risks associated with allowing the public on the base, it's important to remember that the special waiver wasn't suspended due to a random tourist attacking the base. It was an inside job. Alshamrani's attack might not have happened had the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) aviator been overseen better.

The Navy's investigation pointed out how

poorly Alshamrani had been supervised by the RSAF country liaison officer. His government didn't monitor his actions and behavior while in our country. The student traveled within the United States without the knowledge of his Saudi supervisors and U.S. military and civilian leadership.

During his time at NAS Pensacola, he reported to five separate commands over an 18-month period, limiting oversight by individual commanders. The report found that the lack of coordination and risk assessments across training commands likely increased the possibility of him committing the attack.

"Military leaders, government employees, contracted employees, peers, and civilians knew of isolated events and indicators, but all remained unaware of a complete picture of 2nd Lt. Alshamrani's potential threat indicators. While these indicators are apparent in hindsight, they were not evident in aggregate before 6 December 2019," the report stated.

The Chief of Naval Operations agreed with the assessment and noted that unfettered communication was critical to "ensure timely, accurate and effective factual understanding of and risk identification" so that commanders have made "fully informed decisions." The Navy accepted the report's recommendations to make the necessary policy changes and organizational realignment "in order to implement the most effective command and control of the International Military Student training pipeline."

In the past two and a half years, we can assume the Navy has implemented those recommendations. The supervision of the international military students has been tightened. The likelihood of another Alshamrani springing up has significantly been reduced.

We need limited public access to NAS Pensacola to visit the museum and other public attractions on the base. We need to celebrate our rich naval history once again and inspire the next generation of naval aviators who can learn about patriotism from the displays in the museum.

Visit openourmuseum.org, and please sign the petition. {in} rick@inweekly.net

The loss of public access to the museum has impacted our local economy.

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GROWING BIOTECH FOOTPRINT

Scott Luth, Grover Robinson, Michael Mullin, Jeff Bergosh and Lumon May / Photo Courtesy of FloridaWest

By Tom St. Myer Escambia County is a hotbed for employment in health care, tourism, military, education and cybersecurity. Is biotech on the cusp of joining that exclusive group?

ActiGraph, CIRCULOGENE, Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems and Pegasus Laboratories are a few of the biotech companies rapidly expanding their footprint in the county. Escambia County is a fertile recruiting pipeline with the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College producing graduates in biotech disciplines, and the lure of living in an area with ideal weather conditions and no state taxes, enticements from the FloridaWest Economic Alliance and funding from Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund awards have each contributed to the biotech surge.

"Every time we announce one of these projects or when somebody comes in and we're able to broadcast that and talk about it and celebrate that, it gets other companies looking at us," FloridaWest CEO Scott Luth said. "Well, hey, why did they choose there? Why are they thinking about that community? What is it about that community that makes a difference?"

He continued, "And when you put a team together like we have here in this community with the support of the city and the county and all of our funders and boards, we can really come together and support these companies coming in.

And that's really what we're seeing happen."

Headquartered in Pensacola for the past 37 years, Pegasus owns seniority among the area's biotech companies. Pegasus produces animal health products and pharmaceuticals distributed under their PRN Pharmacal brand into the veterinary market. The company employs 140 people, 66

and last month it announced plans to add 60-70 laboratory and life-science manufacturing jobs over the next five years. The average salary of the new positions is expected to be close to $70,000.

The expansion for Pegasus was made possible after partnering with Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development, FloridaWest and Triumph Gulf Coast to purchase the facility previously occupied by Hitachi in Ellyson Industrial Park.

"We've got such a strong base of people today that love it here, and we love them," said Steve Clifford, president and CEO of PBI-Gordon Companies, Pegasus' parent company. "They do great work here. They've helped us build a terrific enterprise here. They love it, so we want to grow the footprint here, and so long as we're able to attract people to the community, then we're going to be committed to the community."

Pegasus began with just a few employees in a small facility. The same is true of Intelligent Retinal Imaging Systems (IRIS). Founded in 2011 by nationally renowned retina surgeon Dr. Sunil Gupta, IRIS provides health care systems with diabetic retinopathy detection software that detects preventable blindness with 95% accuracy. The software connects primary-care physicians with optometrists and ophthalmologists to read eye exam images during a doctor visit.

Gupta initially opened IRIS out of his office before the company expanded and moved to a prominent location in downtown Pensacola. IRIS interpreting providers have reviewed over 1.6 million images, saving over 110,000 patients from potential blindness. More than 500 organizations have used its software.

"Dr. Gupta is just an amazing individual, an entrepreneur in his field," Luth said. "And for him to come in and begin to launch a company in our

incubator (CoLab) with a great concept and idea of how you can do early diabetic testing through the retinal scan has been amazing."

Funding through the Industry Resilience and Diversification Fund (IRDF) has positioned ActiGraph and CIRCULOGENE to expand their Pensacola operations and create new jobs. The IRDF award is a collaboration between FloridaWest and UWF. The Florida Legislature, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and UWF established the $30 million program in the aftermath of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Approximately $10 million in funding remained last year when the program reopened. The program's goal is to encourage the creation of sustainable, highpaying jobs in diverse industries across the eight Northwest Florida counties.

IRDF funds remain viable options for companies that promise to bring high-paying jobs to a region that has bounced back successfully from natural disasters and a recession.

"We got a couple more going through the contract negotiation process with UWF," Luth said.

"Hopefully, we'll see some more announcements come out of that soon."

He pointed out that in 2010, Escambia County was coming out of one of the worst recessions that area ever had experienced. Then the BP oil spill struck.

"Before that, this community was still trying to recover from a hurricane, and we were looking at well over double-digit unemployment back then," said Luth. Lewis Bear Jr. lobbied state lawmakers for funds to help diversify the economy's counties impacted by the oil spill while the state and federal governments wrestled with BP for recovery dollars.

"Those IRDF dollars just were so instrumen-

tal in allowing us to kind of move towards recovery," said the FloridaWest CEO. "A lot of folks kind of forget, but we've had a great 10-year run with very low unemployment since then. Those dollars made such a difference, and they're still making a difference today."

Founded in 2004, ActiGraph CEO Jeremy Wyatt said the company is changing the landscape of how clinical drug research is performed with digital measures generated by wearable sensors. Its software, hardware and scientific services are used in hundreds of clinical drug trials around the world, and 100% of its revenue comes from outside Pensacola.

ActiGraph will occupy just over 20,000 square feet of space at the Regions Center in downtown Pensacola, and approximately 75% of its global workforce will be based at the facility.

The company has over 2,000 clients in more than 110 countries.

"Our former CEO, Jeff Arnett, had a vision of keeping the business local, and I intend to continue that vision," Wyatt said. "My home is here, and many of our employees are locals. ActiGraph has grown significantly over the past two years, hiring remote employees across 16 states and four countries. Yet, even as we grow our global presence, the spirit and unique vibe of Pensacola is fundamental to the culture we've established. This city has a tremendous impact on the friendly, familylike environment that's been at our core for nearly 20 years. We've actually had several remote employees relocate to Pensacola after coming here for their orientation. They just love the city."

Earlier this year, CIRCULOGENE expanded its operations into downtown Pensacola. The innovative medical technology company will be the first company to establish a molecular DNA testing laboratory dedicated to cancer diagnostics in Pensacola. The company will receive patient samples from around the world to test for genetic mutations of their cancers to create better treatment strategies for patients.

CIRCULOGENE is headquartered in Birmingham, Ala. The expansion into Pensacola is expected to create up to 70 new jobs within four years, with an average wage topping 230% of the current average.

CIRCULOGENE President and CEO Mike Mullen said an increase in oncologists sending in blood for molecular profiling prompted the expansion. Mullen considered Pensacola to be an ideal location with its proximity to Birmingham and FloridaWest aggressively assisting to make the move possible.

At the grand opening in February, Mullen told Inweekly that his team targeted Florida for its expansion and considered cities in South Florida before deciding on Pensacola. He said, "Pensacola was a city that was clear to me that the leadership is committed to growing and creating high-paying jobs."

For Luth, CIRCULOGENE has been another example of the "leading-end technology that we're seeing coming out of here." He is optimistic that more companies will add to the area's growing biotech industry. {in} inweekly.net

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TROUBLING CREEK POLITICS SINGING IN THE RAIN

Barbara Albrecht / Photo by By Jeremy Morrison

By Jeremy Morrison Just beyond the Davis Highway bridge crossing Carpenter Creek, an embankment has washed out. The washout has led Pensacola City Councilwoman Sherri Myers to raise questions about the restoration efforts that, in turn, triggered Mayor Grover Robinson to issue a memo bemoaning Myers' "ambition to rant"—that has inspired Myers to co-opt the dig and slap it on a T-shirt.

But what started this whole cycle of events?

That depends on whom you ask. If you ask Barbara Albrecht, director of the Panhandle Watershed Alliance and president of the Bream Fishermen Association, she'll point to a large culvert in Carpenter Creek beneath the bridge on Davis.

"There's the problem, do you see that?" Albrecht asked, pointing beneath the bridge.

A SLIPPERY SLOPE

The Carpenter Creek watershed has long been a focal point for environmental restoration efforts. It suffers from sedimentation and erosion, as well as a loss of water quality and quantity, except during heavy rain events when the area is prone to flooding.

The collapsed embankment threatens to relieve a chunk of the parking lot from the rest of the Waterford at Carpenter's Creek, an assisted living facility on Davis Highway. The washout happened in August 2020, about a year after the city installed a Vortechs vault treatment system in the area. The stormwater filtration system pulls water in from the creek, diverting the flow, and filters it before redepositing it into the creek downstream via a culvert beneath the Davis Highway bridge.

The vault itself is buried near the creek.

88

"That box is kind of a nightmare," Albrecht said of the vault.

Albrecht and Myers feel the manner and direction in which the system feeds water back into Carpenter Creek significantly contributed to the embankment collapse, which the Florida Department of Transportation is now working to shore up with large sheets of steel.

"The bottom line is, I believe, that the city did the damage to this creek originally and that FDOT had to repair it because it's their property and it's undermining the Waterford parking lot," Myers said.

But Mayor Robinson disagrees, instead pinning the collapse on the cumulative effects of overdevelopment, the negative impacts of which are well established within the watershed.

"You took a tributary draw and turned it into a significant drainage way; that happens with overdevelopment," Robinson said. "A hundred years of development have created the problem we're solving."

Meanwhile, FDOT hasn't taken an official position on the cause of the collapse. FDOT Spokesperson Ian Satter explained, "Whatever the cause, our issue is protecting the slope. We just know there weren't erosion problems until recently."

CIVIL DEBATE

During a recent council meeting, Councilwoman Myers raised concerns about FDOT's restoration work. How are they dealing with the erosion issue? Would the lost tree canopy be replaced?

"I think that's something the city council should ask if they care about that creek," Myers said.

This did not sit well with Mayor Robinson,

who outlined his feelings in a memo to the council. He felt Myers was overstepping and ultimately mucking up an effort to have FDOT wrap up its involvement on the site and pivot to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for the restoration work associated with the creek.

The mayor wrote, "If Councilwoman Myers was a quarter as successful in solutions as rants, she would know that environmental restoration is not FDOT's strong suit."

A few days later, the mayor explained that he felt FDEP would be a more fruitful source of environmental restoration funds—specifically, the National Resource Damage Assessment funds—and that city and Escambia County officials were working on getting the state agency involved.

"To get that to happen takes a lot of teamwork, and we don't need individuals looking for political gain to go out and to structure something else or to disturb that effort of working together," Robinson said.

Myers told Inweekly that she doesn't want FDOT to perform the restoration work. She's just inquiring about the lost trees.

"No, I have never said that or implied that; that's something Grover made up. I've never even insinuated it," Myers said. "I want to know what they're going to do to mitigate the trees they've taken down. Are they going to plant some more trees there on that hill? Are they going to put trees someplace else in the Carpenter's Creek watershed?"

FDOT has made its intentions clear. Satter said, "We're not involved in the restoration project. We're involved in shoring up the right of way."

Escambia County has been working with environmental consulting firm Wood on a watershed-wide restoration plan for Carpenter Creek.

Funded through RESTORE—funds associated with environmental fines resulting from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill—the plan is currently in a public comment phase prior to selecting and commencing with restoration projects.

Mayor Robinson intends to have Wood make a presentation to the council outlining the best path forward. He said, "Our goal is to get Wood here to explain to council members what are the long-term implications and suggestions to get this solved."

For the area near the Davis Highway bridge, Wood's plans involve addressing the slope of the creek and raising the bank. Such restoration work is expensive and not all of the Carpenter Creek watershed projects will be funded with RESTORE dollars.

"That's probably where FDEP comes in," said Escambia County Commissioner Robert Bender, clarifying that he has yet to approach the state agency.

However, Mayor Robinson said he had and sounded confident FDEP could deliver the goods.

He said, "We went and met with DEP. There's money from NRDA that doesn't need any match from the local city."

Myers is looking forward to hearing from Wood again but is skeptical about the projects slated for the Davis Highway area due to cost and logistics.

"Personally, I don't believe it's ever going to happen," Myers said, explaining that she thinks the quickest solution is to remove the city's Vortechs vault.

In the meantime, the councilwoman is wrapping herself in the cloak woven by the mayor, wearing the word rant like a badge, wondering about the particulars of both the Vortechs vault installation and FDOT's remediation. She's also curious why her inquiry has fired up Mayor Robinson so much.

"I just want to know why they did what they did without telling anybody. And why we can't ask questions. Why I'm referred to as a ranter and irresponsible person by the mayor simply because I'm asking questions?" she asked.

Myers, who is running for mayor, plans to have T-shirts printed riffing on the mayor's critique. She said, "It will have a picture of the creek and the destruction there that's happened, and it's going to say, ‘I rant for Carpenter's Creek.'"

Mayor Robinson, meanwhile, has decried "politics" being introduced into Carpenter Creek restoration efforts. He said, "The best thing we do is scientific, not political."

And while officials continue assessing the best path forward, the Carpenter Creek watershed and specifically the stretch near Davis Highway continue to wait for a remedy—and the rains.

"Basically, if we have another hurricane with a 12-to-15-inch rain event," Albrecht said, looking out over Carpenter Creek, "people upstream are going to flood." {in} inweekly.net

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SALUTING NAVY BASEBALL The Pensacola

Blue Wahoos have partnered with Naval Air Station Pensacola to honor the legacy of the Navy in the Pensacola community and the history of Navy baseball by wearing accurate replicas of World War II-era Navy baseball uniforms on Memorial Day weekend and Independence Day weekend.

"We are very excited to share the history of Navy baseball in Pensacola with the Blue Wahoos and look forward to seeing Navy Baseball uniforms take the field here again," said Jason Boortz, Public Affairs Officer at NAS Pensacola.

The Navy baseball uniforms that will be worn by the team are modeled after those worn by the Navy's baseball team during World War II. Over 500 major league baseball players served in the military during the war, including Ted Williams, Bob Feller, Jackie Robinson, Stan Musial and Joe DiMaggio.

"During World War II, baseball was used as an outlet for not only recreation but goodwill," Blue Wahoos' senior writer Bill Vilona told Inweekly. "Our history with this is amazing. Ted Williams loved Pensacola so much he requested to come back and trained for tour duty during the Korean War." The Navy baseball jerseys will be worn onfield by the Blue Wahoos on May 28 and 29 and July 2. Following the July 2 game, the uniforms will be auctioned off to benefit the Navy-Marine Relief Society, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides financial assistance and additional programs and services to members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and their families.

Vilona added the Blue Wahoos plan to honor local hero General Chappie James with a special uniform on June 19. He shared, "We're wearing a four-star general uniform, which has been approved by Air Force, the James family and Major League Baseball, on that day."

STOMPING OUT FAIR DISTRICTS Florida's

"fair districts" are being "stomped off in our faces," with Gov. Ron DeSantis to blame, League of Women Voters of Florida (LWVFL) President Cecile M. Scoon told Pensacola Bay members during her "Coffee with Cecile" on Friday, May 13.

"We have a governor who is knowingly going outside of the limits that have been long established in writing and by history and by precedent," Scoon said. "Our governor is the enforcer of laws … you certainly don't go out and do something that is a direct, easy violation of the law."

In 2010, Florida voters approved the Fair Districts constitutional amendment that stated that congressional districts or districting plans may not be drawn to favor or disfavor an incumbent or political party. Districts shall not be drawn to deny racial or language minorities the equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.

Scoon, LWVFL's first Black president, believes DeSantis violated the amendment when he redrew Florida's congressional map. She asserted he wanted to silence the voices of two Black-majority districts.

"First rule (of Fair District Amendment) was thou shall not diminish," said Scoon. "We had four districts; we went down to two. That's straight-up wrong. So we said, we are not going to sit by and allow you to do that. If the courts want to dismantle what the people have put out—it was in our constitution, let them do it. But you're not just going to walk up here and slice it up, and we say nothing."

Earlier in the week, Leon County Judge Circuit Judge Layne Smith issued a temporary injunction against the redistricting plan after listening to LWVFL and the other plaintiffs. He agreed that the plan passed during the special session violated the Fair Districts amendment.

The temporary injunction focused on the new plan's overhaul of North Florida's Congressional District 5, which stretches from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee, and was designed to help elect a Black member of Congress. It is held

by U.S. Rep. Al Lawson, a Black Democrat.

The DeSantis-backed plan condensed the district in the Jacksonville area, reducing the chances of electing a Black representative. The governor has contended that keeping the sprawling east-west shape of the district would involve racial gerrymandering and violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Scoon said that the "cracking" of District

Five would split the district into three parts, removing all black representatives and promoting racial discrimination.

"He knows what he's doing," Scoon said. "He said, ‘I realize the maps I'm advocating for don't comport with the standard set by the Florida Supreme Court.'"

Later on Friday, May 13, the state appealed Smith's temporary-injunction ruling to the First District Court of Appeal, triggering an automatic stay. But Smith held a hearing Monday, May 16, and sided with voting-rights groups that requested he lift the stay.

With elections supervisors preparing for the Aug. 23 primary elections, Smith pointed to the possibility that an appeal would not be resolved quickly. If the stay were not vacated, that could result in supervisors using the DeSantis-backed map that Smith said violated part of the state Constitution. At the May 16 hearing, the judge said, "It's crunch time now, and this involves fundamental constitutional rights."

On Wednesday, May 18, the state asked the First District Court of Appeal to reinstate a stay.

An emergency motion argued that Judge Smith erred when he issued a temporary injunction and later when he lifted a stay on the ruling.

CONFEDERATE WIN The ghost of Pensacola's

Confederate monument has come back for a haunting, following a federal court's decision last week to reverse the dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the monument's removal and to send the matter back to state court.

"It's not over until it's over," said attorney David McCallister last week. He represents several plaintiffs, including the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Florida chapter of Save Southern Heritage, Inc., in their challenge to the city of Pensacola's 2020 removal of the Confederate monument located in what was then called Lee Square.

According to the May 16 ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, this case amounted to "a topsy-turvy procedural mess."

The court rejected the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida's decision to dismiss the lawsuit following the city's request to have the

case move from state court to the district court.

Neither the appeals court nor the district court, the reversal rationalizes, has jurisdiction over the matter—that lies back in state court.

"It's kind of like being in a baseball game," said McCallister, "and there was a long fly ball along the first baseline, and now the umpire is calling a foul."

The attorney intends to push for a reinstatement of a restraining order formerly in place, which sought to prevent the city from removing the Confederate monument. The implications of such a reinstatement would be pretty dramatic.

"That would imply the city would need to put the monument back where it was when they removed it," McCallister said. "They took the risk when they removed it."

Additionally, the attorney said he'll also be looking to revive a contempt motion against Mayor Grover Robinson. That motion was related to the city's placement of tarps over the monument before its removal, and McCallister feels it is contextually relevant.

"That, in my opinion, is why the city and city attorney moved it into federal court," he said.

While this recent reversal will surely be jarring to those who fought for the monument's removal, it's been clearly energizing to McCallister.

He told Inweekly, "We build monuments; we don't tear ‘em down."

He added, "The Southerners were like the Ukrainians, and Lincoln was Putin," the attorney said.

INSIDE FBI STING The Daily Beast has FBI

documents that reveal details of the FBI sting operation that led to Okaloosa County developer Stephen Alford pleading guilty to trying to extort $25 million from the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz to help free Bob Levinson, an American taken hostage in Iran, in exchange for a presidential pardon for the congressman.

The news site lays out how the federal agency was tipped off about the crime that Alford and an associate called "Project Homecoming."

The narrative that Rep. Gaetz told Tucker Carlson was that he had gone to the FBI for help, but

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the documents obtained by The Daily Beast tell a different story.

According to The Daily Beast, the FBI found out about the plot elsewhere and contacted the Gaetz family. A retired agent from Jacksonville tipped off a female FBI special agent to a lead.

She followed that lead to another former FBI agent based in Miami who told her about Project Homecoming.

When the FBI got in touch with Matt Gaetz over the phone, he claimed his father, former Florida Senate President Don Gaetz, had met twice with two men to discuss their plan. According to Rep. Gaetz, Alford was brought in for the second meeting and promised to "make Congressman Gaetz's criminal case go away."

At the end of the phone call, Gaetz asked the FBI agent to call his father.

On March 25, 2021, Don Gaetz and his attorney met with two special agents in the FBI's Fort Walton Beach office. Using a PowerPoint presentation, the FBI agents laid out how they wanted to sting the alleged perpetrators.

The next day, Papa Gaetz taped an in-person conversation with Alford's lawyer and later recorded another conversation with Alford, during which the developer promised a presidential pardon for his son.

On March 30, Don Gaetz met a special agent at a Publix in Niceville to receive a recording device for a follow-up conversation with Alford the next day. Hours later, The New York Times disclosed the sex trafficking investigation into Congressman Gaetz.

That evening, two special agents rang the doorbell at the Gaetz family residence. They had come for their recording device. The sting was off, but the records don't explain why, and they don't mention the Times story. Shortly after the FBI visit, Rep. Gaetz was interviewed on television

by Carlson. Read The Daily Beast article at bit. ly/3FWKU7S.

OPEN OUR MUSEUM A website and petition campaign called Open Our Museum has been organized by a group of local citizens and civic leaders working together to urge the U.S. Navy and the Department of Defense (DoD) to reestablish the public access waiver to NAS Pensacola so all citizens are allowed to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum and the base's other historic attractions.

For two-and-a-half years, the public has been restricted entry to a National Museum whose operations are paid for, in large part, by their hardearned tax dollars.

Following a terrorist attack on the base in December 2019, access to the National Naval Aviation Museum, as well as the Pensacola Lighthouse, Fort Barrancas and the Blue Angels practices, has been restricted to only DoD cardholders and veterans who possess a Veterans Health Identification Card. All other U.S. citizens are still not allowed access.

The community campaign hopes to change that. The museum is considered a top 10 attraction in Florida and the leading tourist attraction between Orlando and New Orleans. Its visitors come from every state in the U.S., with more than 70% visiting from outside Florida. Tens of millions of citizens have visited the National Naval Aviation Museum, and other base attractions, for decades without the occurrence of a single significant security incident.

To learn more and sign the petition, visit openourmuseum.org.

May 26, 2022

CLEANING UP GROTTO HALL The Environ-

mental Protection Agency has selected Pensacola to receive a $367,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant to conduct environmental site assessments, prepare a cleanup plan for brownfield sites and fund community outreach activities.

A brownfield site is real property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

The target area includes Pensacola's Westside, which was designated as a Community Redevelopment Area in 2007. Priority sites include the 1.75-acre former Grotto Hall, two vacant properties and one residential property.

The community-wide grant funding will include 10 Phase I environmental site assessments

and one cleanup plan. EPA's Brownfields Program empowers states, communities and other stakeholders to work together to prevent, assess, safely clean up and sustainably reuse brownfields.

EMS GROWING Escambia County Public Safety Director Eric Gilmore told Inweekly that the county has increased its staffing levels in Emergency Medical Services over the past year.

"We're bringing on five new paramedics, as of last week," said Gilmore. "We still have seven vacancies for paramedics, which is way down from the 18-20 that we had 10 months ago. I'm very proud of that."

The EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) only have three vacancies. He said, "Those current staffing levels are staffing levels that have been set 10 years ago. Our system is running a

lot of calls, so we're wanting to get all our vacancies filled and then bring on new FTEs, new positions that we didn't have before.

That's our ultimate goal, so we can even staff more trucks."

The county has ordered eight new trucks that will not replace current trucks. Gilmore said, "We're adding to the fleet. We're trying to bolster our staffing, equipment, trucks and apparatus so that we can get even more people on the road."

The pay raises have made a difference in hiring and retaining talent. The public safety director shared, "The pay has helped out. It's caught more attention. People who are in this field want to feel valued. They want to feel like they're getting paid for what they're worth, and the commissioners have made it a priority." {in} 11

By Sydney Robinson

Calling all gaybies, lesbians, gender expansive people, gays, trans folks, bi and pan peeps, asexuals, newly-out queers and the rest—Memorial Day Weekend 2022 is here.

While this decades-long tradition happens every May, this year is the first chance for many newly out folks to explore the time-honored tradition. It's also the first year back since the pandemic started for some signature events.

Whether it's your first time (hello, those of us who came out during quarantine) or your first time back since COVID and you're looking for a refresher, here are a few tips from some queer elders on how best to enjoy Memorial Day Weekend (MDW) on Pensacola Beach:

•Hydrate

You'll be tapping out on day one if you do nothing but sip your favorite hard seltzer all day in the direct sun. Pace yourself and stay hydrated with lots of water.

•The Sun Doesn't Discriminate

This isn't the weekend to bring out the tanning oil.

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Instead, you're going to want to apply sunscreen early and often or else you'll be the one in bed Saturday morning looking like the gayest lobster there ever was. And don't forget the tops of your feet if you'll be doing a lot of mingling and walking around on the beach. It's also not a bad idea to make plans to bring a pop-up tent or canopy to hide away for the hottest hours of the day.

Of course, traffic is going to be intense, and parking will be packed, so plan to carpool in advance.

And if you have a bike, bring it. It will make parking far out a much more appealing option.

•Ride It Out

morning-7a.m. Monday morning. This means you can leave your pop-up tents up throughout the weekend in designated areas, but you should take all small items (tent walls, tables, chairs, coolers, etc.) with you each night.

•Don't Risk It

•Plan Ahead

•It's OK To Be The "Mom Friend"

It should go without saying, but we will say it just in case—while we're on the topic of driving, don't drive impaired. The police will be out and actively seeking folks who are breaking the law.

•BYO Snacks

While everywhere on the beach is going to see increased traffic all weekend long, east of Portofino all the way to the National Seashore is where the heart of the party happens and is the only part of the island that allows overnight storage of tent frames.

If you bring a cooler full of water to share, or family-sized sunscreen, or have enough ibuprofen to relieve the headaches of an army, that's a quick way to earn the title of "The Mom Friend."

We promise there are far worse titles on MDW.

Between the traffic and all the fun you'll be having, the last thing you'll want to worry about is slipping away to find a meal at peak hours. Instead, pack plenty of food in a cooler to stash away. When you do decide it's time for a real meal, our go-to is always Peg Leg Pete's for the best crab legs on the beach, plus grouper nuggets and a frozen cocktail or two.

•That's The Spot

•Leave A Little Trace

The beach has rules about leaving things on the sand overnight, but for MDW, organizers are granted a special exemption from 7 a.m. Thursday

Speaking of 7 a.m. Thursday morning, if you have a group of friends who are MDW-ing together, send your hardiest scout out on Thursday to claim a piece of prime real estate. Once base camp is established, you and your pals can come and go throughout the weekend.

•Keep It Together

Sure, MDW is a great time to let loose, but pace yourself when it comes to drinking. Your friends love you, but they don't want to babysit you, and the sun and saltwater are working overtime to dehydrate you. Don't help them out by becoming a case study on alcohol poisoning on the best weekend of the year.

•Partying Sober

Speaking of drinking, you may feel pressure to inweekly.net

keep up with other folks, but MDW can be just as fun sober. Make the weekend what you want of it and find the people who are on the same page as you.

•Romance Reality Check

So you've spotted a sandy beauty and now you're tangled up near a sand dune together under the waning Florida sun? Romantic. Cute. We love it.

But don't get caught up and promise the world to someone you've known for 12 drunken hours. Just trust us on this one.

•When The Sun Goes Down

Whether you stay on the beach or head downtown after dark, just remember to pace yourself during the day so you can partake in the MDW nightlife. To help you map out your party plan, we included a calendar of events below.

•Clean It Up

It doesn't matter if you're White Claw wasted, caked in sand and glitter at the end of the weekend, as long as you leave the beaches looking pristine. Don't forget to pack your cans, bottles,

•P3 Comedy Fest

LGBTQ+ comedians from all over the country are coming to Pensacola for a weekend of laughs with proceeds from ticket sales to be donated to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (aka TAPS), who provides mental health services to grieving Gold Star Military Families. The fest returns to Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox. The first show is 7 p.m. Friday, May 27, with Colton Dowling, Anna Lepeley, Crist Guzman, Roman Ellis, Bailey Pope, Gray West and Stephen Henry, hosted by Olivia Searcy. The next show is at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 28, with Storhm Artiste, Kymbra Li, Lucy Tollefson, Abigail Nolan, Mitch Mitchell, Tim Millican, and Natasha Ferrier, hosted by Andrew Ferrara. Tickets are available through Eventbrite or facebook.com/oddcolony.

sunscreen bottles, deflated floaties and discarded accessories when you head home on Sunday.

•Be A Good Ally

If you're straight and headed to the gay part of the beach on MDW, just remember this weekend is about the celebration of LGBTQ community, and it may not be the time for you to hunt for your new gay best friend. When in doubt, go tubing on Blackwater River instead, especially if your other straight pals might not be a safe space for all queer identities (looking at you, transphobes).

•Keep It Inclusive and Intersectional

2022 shouldn't be a year where we are worried about retaining basic hard-fought rights, and yet, here we are. Whether you're looking to forget about the state of the world or looking for LGBTQ representation to bolster your strength to keep fighting, MDW is all that and more. Revel in the community, don't forget that all LGBTQ identities are valid and welcome, and keep your language inclusive and intersectional, y'all.

and perks like discounts on drinks, private bathrooms and VIP swag, and three-day "sass passes" are $75. For tickets and info, visit pensacolaunleashed.com.

•The Cabaret Presents: Genesis

The Cabaret will be hosting the special drag show "Genesis" for MDW with featured guests Axel Andrews and Mulan Alexander, plus guest DJ Apollo, DJ Dewight and performances from "The Misleading Ladies" Dee Ranged, Lauren Mitchell and Kendyll Michaels. Showtimes are at 10 p.m. and 12 a.m. on May 27, 28 and 29. For more information, find @thecabaretpensacola on Facebook and Instagram.

•Sexacola

Pensacola's biggest LGBTQ+ party is happening May 26-29 on Pensacola Beach with Ben Bakson, Isaac Escalante, Dan Slater, GSP, Will Lowe and Kidd Madonny at Park East from 9 p.m.-3 a.m. each night. For tickets and info, visit johnnychisholm.com.

This 18-and-up event located at The Dock describes itself as the "hottest lesbian party" during MDW. The event kicks off on Thursday with a foam party, followed by a glow party Friday, a "say gay" themed party on Saturday and a white party to wrap things up on Sunday. Weekend passes for the event are $75 and include admission to all four nights of events. For tickets and info, visit sexacolabeach.com.

•Pensacola UnLeashed

•The Roundup

•Johnny Chisholm Presents: Memorial Day Weekend

This year will be the 19th anniversary of Pensacola UnLeashed. Founders Kristy Lee and Missy Sebastian say Pensacola UnLeashed is the "longest-running and most attended girl party in the Southeast." Friday's show features Kristy Lee, B!T*H, DJ Dlux, Ivy, Mary, Tigerlily and Maven.

Saturday's show features Stephanie Callahan, Lindsey Hinkle, Meredith Hicks and others. Sunday's show features Amythyst Kiah* and others.

VIP tickets are $125 and include a three-day pass May 26, 2022

The MDW weekend events at The Roundup include drag bingo with Monica Heart and a hot body contest with DJ Rik-O-Check on Friday, a foam party on Saturday and a drag show on Sunday night. There is a $10 cover each night, and all events are 21 and up. For more information, visit facebook.com/theroundupbar. *Turn to page 15 for more with UnLeashed artist Amythyst Kiah. {in} 13

Cooking Through the Chapters

BodaciousShops.com 407 S. Palafox St.

• BODACIOUS KIDS CAMP •

Send your future chef on a trip through the wonderful world of books! Each day of camp we will explore a new book and will cook themed meals that are featured in and inspired by the pages of that book.

Over five days of camp, campers will learn the skills to be successful, safe, and creative chefs! Skills taught will include basic prep skills, knife skills and food prep techniques. Campers will be educated on healthy eating habits and will be engaged with hands-on cooking.

AGES 6-9 May 30 – June 3 & June 13 – June 17 AGES 10-12 July 11 – July 15 & July 25 – July 29 SCHEDULE 9AM – 1PM, Monday – Friday Drop-off at 8:45 AM daily Graduation ceremony at 12:15 PM on Friday Every camper gets a chef apron!

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4/22/22 9:59 AM

WEEK OF MAY 26-JUNE 1

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

Amythyst Kiah on Music and Mental Health

By Savannah Evanoff

Amythyst Kiah / Photo by Sandlin Gaither

Amythyst Kiah can no longer rely on emotional turmoil as fodder for her next album.

The Tennessee-based singer-songwriter is in the best mental and emotional space she has ever been. But it took her a handful of emotionally taxing songs, a few interviews probing into the hardest moments of her life and a really good therapist referral to get there.

Among the new tracks is Grammy-nominated "Black Myself," which Kiah wrote while working on the project "Songs of Our Native Daughters" with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla and Allison Russell. Before that, she'd never tackled the subject of the transatlantic slave trade, segregation and the struggles Black people faced, beyond a classroom setting, she said.

"What came out of that was finding this incredible commonality with all of our experiences as being people of color in folk music, Americana, country," Kiah said.

May 26, 2022

That camaraderie took away Kiah's feeling of aloneness.

"Engaging it in this way, in song, has really alleviated me of the anger I felt as I was learning more and more about Black history and learning more and more about how the Native Americans were treated in this country," Kiah said. "Being able to write these songs and be on this project allowed me to let that anger go and be able to address these issues in a way where I am really trying to practice compassion for everybody involved and come to some sort of sense of understanding. That was such an incredibly important thing not only from a creative perspective but just from a spiritual perspective."

Kiah never expected the song to receive a Grammy nomination. If anything, she was worried people would hate it.

"The way people respond to anything that has the word Black in it, there's a certain segment of

the population that's like, 'Oh, well that song isn't for me; that's for them,'" Kiah said. "The fact of the matter is, there are songs that we listen to all of the time, every day, where the story is not a story we personally lived, but we still can listen to the song and see that it's about a human being experiencing some type of adversity. Why is it that if the word Black is in it, all of a sudden, the humanity is thrown out of it?"

Kiah was pleasantly surprised with the response.

"I realized, 'Oh, my gosh, there's a lot of people out here that already get it,'" Kiah said.

"I was like, 'This is great.' I'm starting to see there are more people out here that understand this isn't about hating white people. This isn't about making people feel guilty or bad or anything; this is explaining why things have gone the way they've gone and what can we do to continue to make this better. I'm glad that way more people received it in the way I was hoping they would."

Another musical piece of the journey to Kiah's current emotional state was "Wild Turkey," which is a song she wrote about her mother's suicide.

Kiah hadn't yet addressed her feelings about the loss. She buried her head in books, using school as a coping mechanism—there are worse things, she said.

After later dabbling in the party scene, Kiah's father, Carl Phillips, suggested she go to therapy.

"I've had the same therapist this entire time," Kiah said. "Immediately, we hit it off. I was super blessed in that way. I found out the reason why I had created this sense of alienation, had social anxiety and was making all these self-sabotaging decisions was because I hadn't dealt with the grief of losing my mother. I was actually angry at her … Once I started to unpack all of that, then it was like, 'I need to write this down. I need to sing about this so I can release it.'"

It took her two years to write it.

"There was a lot of anxiety around writing this song," Kiah said. "It's literally the worst thing that's happened in my life. Once I finally figured some-

thing out, it was another pivotal moment in my life where I was like, 'OK, I've let this go now.' Not let go in a 'Now everything's fine,' but again, the anger, the alienation, the self-isolation, all the things I was doing to protect myself from rejection and abandonment, I can start to work through these anxieties so I can really enjoy meaningful relationships with people and feeling OK with being myself."

"Black Myself" and "Wild Turkey" are featured on her latest album, "Wary + Strange."

Phillips, Kiah's dad and tour manager (according to the Wikipedia page Kiah didn't know she had) has been instrumental in the journey, too.

"After my mom passed when I was 17, we were a pretty broken family," Kiah said. "It was kinda just the two of us figuring out, 'How are we gonna move on?' and really having to start from scratch in a lot of ways. Looking at where we came from, from having everything to having nothing and then building back up, that was an incredible lesson in life and that you're not guaranteed anything."

It showed Kiah what kind of man her father is, she said.

"No matter how many times he gets knocked down, he gets back up," Kiah said. "He is able to overcome adversity at any point. To me, that is how I try to judge character. Can this person continue to get up and continue to try? That is all we can really do."

So, yeah, Kiah's music is no longer the unburdening of trauma and heartbreak but instead something much different. While writing new music, she has been watching TV again, now appreciating the shows her friends watched 10 years ago.

"These songs now, some of them are inspired

by TV dramas I watched," Kiah said. "There's one that's inspired by 'The Haunting of Bly Manor.' There's been other interests I've been getting back into. I've always been interested in philosophy and Eastern religions, and I've been paying attention to things happening socio-politically … some of that is streaming into the songs, too. I'm able to just have fun." {in}

AMYTHYST KIAH @amythystkiah amythystkiah.com

Kiah will be performing Sunday, May 29, at Pensacola UnLeashed—which is a multiday event happening at Flounder's on the beach over Memorial Day weekend. For more information and to purchase passes, visit pensacolaunleashed.com.

15

highlights

2022 Photos by Sean Mullins & Quinn Clark

Phoebe Bridgers

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Leon Bridges

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Chelsea Cutler

Post Malone

Volume ONE

Moon Taxi May 26, 2022

Role Model 17

BLUE MOON ANTIQUE MALL 3721 W. Navy Blvd.

Pensacola, FL 32507 (850) 455-7377 Open 7 days a week

Mid Century • Antiques Affordable Furniture Vintage Clothing Home Decor • Collectibles

a&e happenings MEMORIAL DAY

MEMORIAL DAY CONCERT AT COMMUNITY MARITIME PARK Pensacola Civic Band and

the City of Pensacola will host a free concert event honoring American veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Service at 6 p.m. Monday, May 30, at Community Maritime Park. Bring your own blankets and chairs. Honored guest will be Pensacola resident and Pearl Harbor Survivor Frank Emond.

NONPROFITS & FUNDRAISERS

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ANIMAL ALLIES BINGO Animal Allies Florida

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is hosting Bingo at Scenic Hills Country Club, located at 8891 Burning Tree Road, twice a month.

Dates are June 7 & 21, July 12 & 26, Aug. 9 & 23, Sept. 6 & 20, Oct. 4 & 18, Nov. 8 & 22 and Dec. 6 & 20. Proceeds go to help local animals. The fun starts at 7 p.m. $10 gets you 30 cards. Winners share the pot. Food and drink will be available for purchase. You must be 18 years old to play.

ARTS & CULTURE

WHAT'S SHOWING AT PENSACOLA CINEMA ART PCA is located at the Studer ComSM 2014

munity Institute, 220 W. Garden St. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" is coming soon. Visit pensacolacinemaart.com for more information and the latest showtimes.

FARMING FOR THE ESCAMBIA RIVER DOCUMENTARY AND SEDIMENT PANEL

On the Rox | May 31 Jazz & R&B

Join Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program and more agencies for a film about agricultural conservation efforts to improve water quality in the Escambia River 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, May 26, at 6866 Caroline St. in Milton.

The film will be followed by a sedimentation panel discussion about current challenges and hope for the future with Blackwater Soil and Water Conservation District, Pensacola and Perdido Bays Estuary Program, The Longleaf Alliance and MSSTV.

RED John Logan's RED is the final Studio 400

1 2 Eleven | June 7 Pop & R&B

production of the '21-'22 season at Pensacola Little Theatre. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 27; Saturday, May 28; and Thursday, May 26; and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $14-$22. Pensacola Little Theatre is located at 400 S. Jefferson St. Get tickets at pensacolalittletheatre.com.

INFERNO BURLESQUE The hottest burlesque show in town comes to Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, on Saturday, May 28, at 8 p.m., featuring burlesque, variety and drag acts from all over the nation. Tickets are $15-$40. Visit vinylmusichall. com for more information.

$1 MEGA BOOK SALE AT OPEN BOOKS

Open Books Bookstore & Prison Book Project, 1040 N. Guillemard St., $1 Book sale event will be Saturday, May 28-Monday, May 30. Visit facebook.com/openbooks for details.

MARGIE SHORTT DANCERS Watch the

Margie Shortt Dancers perform at the Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, 7 p.m. Saturday, May 28.

Tickets are $20-$40. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.

WATERBOYZ SKATEBOARD ART SHOW Join Waterboyz, 380 N. Ninth Ave., Saturday, 818 1

June 4, for the WBZ Skateboard Art Show with live music from Panzacola.

Blank decks available for $20, or enter with your own board for $15. Submission due May 30.

Fifty boards will be accepted to the auction. Bids start at $40, with proceeds going toward Waterboyz nonprofit First Ride. Visit facebook.com/ waterboyzsurfandskate.

LIFE DRAWING GROUP AT ARTEL Artel's life

drawing group meets every Monday, except holidays, from 6-9 p.m. in Artel Gallery, 223 S. Palafox.

For more information, contact Melvin at (850) 549-8783 or visit artelgallery.org.

PENSACOLA ARTS MARKET Enjoy shopping

for a variety of handcrafted wares at Pensacola Arts Market Saturdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 1401 W. Intendencia St. Enjoy art, espresso, vintage goods, baked treats, handcrafted unique gifts and more. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/pensacolaartsmarket.

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

THE MAROON MARINES: ARCHAEOLOGY AT PROSPECT BLUFF A new temporary exhibit

at The Destination Archaeology Resource Center, located at 207 E. Main St., features the story of the largest free black settlement in what is now the United States. This exhibit is sponsored by City of Pensacola Councilmember Teniadé Broughton.

During the War of 1812, a fort was built by Black British Colonial Marines and Indigenous people along the Apalachicola River. Called "Negro Fort"

by American officials, it eventually became the center of the largest free Black settlement in what is now the United States. When the war ended, the U.S. believed the fort threatened the institution of slavery and must be destroyed. To the Maroon people who lived there, however, the fort at Prospect Bluff was a beacon of freedom worth fighting for.

For more information, visit fpan.us.

"KEEP IT 100" AT ARTEL GALLERY Back by

popular demand for the third year is the "Keep it 100," where all pieces are for sale and priced at $100. The exhibit is a juried show with Jimmy Rhea, professor at Pensacola State College, as juror. The exhibit will be on view through June 24. The opening reception will be Thursday, May 19, from 4-7 p.m. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox. Visit artelgallery.org for more information.

ART OF THE POSTER One of the latest Artel exhibits will be posters from Rick Otoupalik, the artist behind all of Artel's promotional posters for the past 20 years. The exhibit will be on view through June 24. Artel Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox. Visit artelgallery.org for more information.

DON MANDERSON AT ARTEL GALLERY

Graphic artist Don Manderson will have an exhibit on view at Artel Gallery through June 24. Artel

Gallery is located at 223 S. Palafox. Visit artelgallery.org for more information.

NEW BEGINNINGS Gallery 1060's newest ex-

hibit, "New Beginnings," runs through June 11 with a show reception to be held the evening of May 6 to coincide with First City Art Center's resumption of it's Hot Glass/Cold Brew series.

The show is free and open to the public during normal Gallery 1060 open hours. More information can be found at gallery1060.com.

GOODS OF DESIRES PMA's exhibition Goods of Desires from artist Cindy Leung is on view through Sept. 4. The exhibit uses Chinese exports to address the complex relationship between consumerism, colonization and cultural hybridity, as they originated in the East and were popularized in the West through trading and British colonization. Visit pensacolamuseum.org for details.

PMA MEMBERS SHOW The PMA Members Show is on view at Pensacola Museum of Art through May 29. View works of art from local artists. For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.

INTO THE MIRROR: CARRIE ANN BAADE

2021 Members Show winner Carrie Ann Baade describes herself as steward and axman, returning to the haunting moments in art history in order to reclaim them. By using the "bone yard" of Western painting with reverence, she cuts them up into fragments resulting in collage. In their repainting, these are fierce feminist parables. Paintings made of paintings; the old masterworks are infused with the artist's own experience. The exhibit is on view through May 29. For more information, visit pensacolamusuem.org.

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

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

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

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

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

FINDING 1821 Finding 1821 is part of the UWF

Historic Trust's Suddenly American exhibit. Using historic newspapers, maps and documents, it is possible to locate where businesses stood in the 1820s. From taverns to parasol shops, each site on the Finding 1821 trail reflects a local establishment that was near that location 200 years ago.

Outside each business is a QR code that links to a corresponding advert from an early 1820s inweekly.net

a&e happenings newspaper. Over a dozen sites have been identified so far. Take a stroll around town, visit local shops and explore the history of Pensacola through today's technology. Visit historicpensacola.org for more information.

SCRIPTEASERS WITH PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE Scripteasers, Studio 400's and Pensac-

ola Little Theatre's Script Reading Club invites you to monthly script readings at PLT, 400 S. Jefferson St. Want to bring your scripts for the group to read and discuss? Contact Pensacola Little Theatre to get in queue. The group reads prospective scripts for future seasons as well as new scripts that need a table read before the next edit. Not a playwright but love to read out loud? This is your easy, fun theatre night. Fascinated by the play selection process? Sit in for a listen and usually a lot of laughs.

Visit facebook.com/pensacolalittletheatre for more information and the latest dates.

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

OPEN MIC COMEDY AT BIG TOP BREWERY

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

NEW CLASSES AT MIXON MAGIC PERFORMING ARTS Mixon Magic Performing

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 (850) 221-7438.

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.

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

range of classes and workshops for artists of all

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

FOOD + DRINKS

MONTHLY WINE TASTING IN AGAPI GARDEN Visit Agapi Garden, at 555 Scenic Highway, from 5-7 p.m., to sample five wines for $10. For more information, call (850) 813-5683.

SUNDAY FUNDAY BRUNCH AT THE WELL The Well, located at 42 E. Garden St., has expanded its offerings with a Sunday Funday Brunch cocktail menu including items such as Spicy Paloma made with Mezcal, a cold brew cocktail with Irish whiskey, a cucumber-infused spritz and a Bloody Mary spiced with housemade hot sauce and garnished with fresh pickled vegetables. Price range is $9-$12. Brunch hours are Sundays from noon-4 p.m. Other small plate offerings are available Thursday-Saturday from 4 p.m.-one hour before closing. For more information, visit facebook.com/thewellpensacola.

FIRST FRIDAY FINE WINES Visit The Nest

General Store at 11 S. Palafox, Ste. C, on the first Friday of every month for a wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. Visit bluejaysbakery.com for more information.

BAYOU BUZZ COFFEE TASTING TOUR

Seville Savories Food Tour will host a coffee tour of downtown Pensacola Tuesdays-Fridays from

8:30-11:30 a.m. Tickets are available online at sevillesavoriesfoodtour.com.

BURGERS AND BORDEAUX AT UNION PUBLIC HOUSE Every Tuesday night, enjoy

a specialty burger and a glass of Bordeaux for $18 at Union Public House, located at 309 S. Reus St. For more information, visit facebook. com/unionpensacola.

WEEKNIGHT HAPPY HOUR Every weeknight before 6 p.m. at The 5 Barrel, get $1 off all The 5 Barrel pints, $2 wine by the glass and half off hummus plates when you buy a pint of beer. Visit the5barrel.com for more information.

TABLETOP TUESDAYS AT THE 5 BARREL

Join The 5 Barrel for a special Tabletop Tuesday event at 6 p.m. every Tuesday in March. A wide variety of games ranging from the classic chess to the crowd favorite Catan will be available. Players are welcome to bring their own games.

ARAGON WINE TASTINGS Wine tastings at

Aragon Wine Market are back every Thursday from 5-7 p.m. in store at 27 S. Ninth Ave. For more information, visit aragonwinemarket.com.

THURSDAY TRIVIA NIGHT AT THE 5 BARREL Gather a group for a weekly Thursday Trivia

Night Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. at The 5 Barrel.

There will be prizes for every round and select drafts for $3. Find out more at facebook.com/ the5barrel.

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a&e happenings THURSDAY BIERGARTEN TRIVIA NIGHT

on Palafox. Local makers, growers and creators gather each under the oak trees to sell their goods to the community. Interested vendors can request an application by emailing requeaskmikellah@ gmail.com. For more information, visit facebook. com/palafoxmarkets.

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

PALAFOX MARKET Palafox Market is back

at its regular location in MLK Jr. Plaza. In a carefully planned, phased reopening, Palafox Market has launched with about half its regular vendors, showcasing food, farm produce and products geared toward safety and sanitation such as handmade soaps and face masks. For more information, visit facebook.com/downtownpensacola.

EVER'MARKET AT NINE MILE ROAD Visit

Ever'Man at 1000 E. Nine Mile Road on the fourth Saturday of each month for the Ever'Market with food, music, giveaways, activities and more. Visit everman.org for more information.

200 SOUTH SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Every first Saturday of the month, the businesses at 200 South will host Small Business Saturday to show support for local businesses. Bring a receipt from a purchase from any other downtown business and receive 10% off your bill at Graffiti Pizza, World of Beer, Taco Agave and Blend Lounge.

PENSACOLA POSITIVITY'S SUNDAY MARKETS Sunday Markets on Palafox Street happen each Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in MLK Plaza

SATURDAYS AT THE MARKET OUTDOOR VENDOR EVENT Located at 5300 Berryhill

Road, the outdoor market features artisans and crafters alike from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Social distancing guidelines will be in effect. For more information, email saturdaysatthemarket@gmail.com.

PENSACOLA POP-UP FARMERS MARKET Check out fresh and organic produce, milk, eggs, meat, fresh-baked bread, mushrooms, lumber, grits, cornmeal, pies and plants Saturdays from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at East Hill Market, located at 1216 N. Ninth Ave. For a list of vendors, visit facebook. com/easthillmarket.

UPTOWN PENSACOLA MARKET Check out local vendors of art, produce and other local treasures every Saturday at 7201 N. Ninth Ave. from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information, visit facebook. com/uptownmarketpensacola.

TWILIGHT THREE-COURSE SPECIAL The

District's Twilight Three-Course special is back Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4:306 p.m. Guests enjoy three courses for $35 per person. Diners must be seated by 6 p.m. for offer

to be valid. To make a reservation, call (850) 3325224, or go to districtstreaks.com. The District is located at 123 E. Government St.

Palafox, Friday, May 27. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $16. Visit vinylmusichall.com for more information.

LIVE MUSIC

BANDS ON THE BLACKWATER 12Eleven will

folding chair, favorite beverage and dancing shoes to enjoy the great music Thursdays at 3200 N. 12th Ave. Nobius will be playing on May 26. Visit scpen.org/christophers-concerts for more information.

309 PUNK HOUSE SHOW AND FOOD DRIVE Surrender Box Cutter, Talon Burr's

CHRISTOPHER'S CONCERTS Bring your

be playing Bands on the Blackwater at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 27. The concert is held at Jernigan's Landing, 5158 Willing St., in Milton.

closing act and more will be playing at 309 N. Sixth Ave. Music starts at 8 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m. Bring canned food, dried beans and rice for a donation.

ABE PARTRIDGE Alabama singer-songwriter

Abe Partridge will be playing at Odd Colony, 260 N. Palafox, Thursday, May 26, from 7-10 p.m.

Tickets are $15. Visit facebook.com/oddcolony for more information.

VAGRANTS Vagrants will be playing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox, Friday, June 3. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12. Visit vinylmusichall. com for more information

EASY GOING GALLERY SHOW TGTG, KluS-

lim, Wild Charge and About to Sweat will be playing at Easy Going Gallery, 701 N. V St., 8 p.m.

Friday, May 20. Admission is $10. Visit facebook. com/easygoinggallery for more information.

BRIT FLOYD The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, and more ... including the iconic song echoes, performed note-for-note and in its entirety, Brit Floyd, "The World's Greatest Pink Floyd Show" returns to Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 3. Tickets are $50-$70. Visit pensacolasaenger.com for more information.

LATE NIGHT KARAOKE AT PERFECT PLAIN Become the star of the show every Friday night at Perfect Plain Brewing Co.'s free late night karaoke party every Friday through June. Perfect Plain Brewing Co. is located at 50 E. Garden St. Visit facebook.com/perfectplainbrewingco for more information.

for more listings visit inweekly.net

DEPARTURE Departure, a Tribute to Jour-

ney will be playing at Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S.

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May 26, 2022

21

free will astrology WEEK OF MAY 26 ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): In defining

the essential elements at play in a typical Aries person's agenda, I'm not inclined to invoke the words "sometimes" or "maybe." Nor do I make frequent use of the words "periodically," "if" or "ordinarily." Instead, my primary identifying term for many Aries characters is "NOW!!!" with three exclamation points. In referring to your sign's experiences, I also rely heavily on the following descriptors—pronto, presto, push, directly, why not?, engage, declare, activate, venture into, enterprising, seize, deliver and wield. You are authorized to fully activate and deploy these qualities in the next three weeks.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): I like Joan Did-

ion's definitions of self-respect. As you enter a favorable phase for deepening and enhancing your self-respect, they may be helpful. Didion said selfrespect is a "sense of one's intrinsic worth," and added, "People who respect themselves are willing to accept the risk that the venture will go bankrupt, that the liaison may not turn out to be one in which every day is a holiday. They are willing to invest something of themselves." And maybe the most essential thing about self-respect, according to Didion, is that it is "a discipline, a habit of mind that can never be faked but can be developed, trained, coaxed forth."

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): "Reality is not

simply there; it does not simply exist," claimed author Paul Celan. "It must be sought out and won." I think that is excellent advice for you right now. But what does it mean in practical terms?

How can you seek out and win reality? My first suggestion is to put your personal stamp on every situation you encounter. Do something subtle or strong to make each event serve your specific interests and goals. My second suggestion is to discern the illusions that other people are projecting and avoid buying into those misunderstandings. My third suggestion is to act as if it's always possible to make life richer, more vivid and more meaningful. And then figure out how to do that.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Wilma Mankiller was the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. She said, "The cow runs away from

By Rob Brezsny

the storm, while the buffalo charges directly toward it—and gets through it quicker." Political analyst Donna Brazile expounded on Mankiller's strategy: "Whenever I'm confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment. I become the buffalo." I recommend Mankiller's and Brazile's approach for you and me in the coming days, my fellow Cancerian. Now please excuse me as I race in the direction of the squall I see brewing in the distance.

My first suggestion is to put your personal stamp on every situation you encounter. Do something subtle or strong to make each event serve your specific interests and goals.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The New Yorker is

an influential Pulitzer Prize-winning magazine that features witty writing and impeccable factchecking. In 2017, its stories exposed the extensive sexual misconduct committed by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein—and helped lead to his prosecution. How did the magazine get its start?

It was co-founded in 1925 by Harold Ross, who had dropped out of school at age 13. He edited every issue for the next 26 years. I'm sensing the possibility of a comparable development in your life, Leo. In the coming months, you may get involved in a project that seems to be beyond the reach of your official capacities or formal credentials. I urge you to proceed as if you can and will succeed.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Virgo-born Jocko Willink is a retired naval officer and author. In his book "Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual", he lays down his manifesto: "Become the discipline—embrace its cold and relentless power. And it will make you better and stronger and smarter and faster and healthier than anything else. And most important—it will make you free." While I don't expect you to embrace Wil-

link's rigorous ethic with the same fanatical grip, I think you will benefit from doing the best you can. The cosmic rhythms will support you if you make a fun and earnest effort to cultivate liberation through discipline.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): "Some nights you are the lighthouse, some nights the sea," writes Libran author Ocean Vuong. According to my astrological analysis, you are better suited to be the lighthouse than the sea in the coming days.

Lately, you have thoroughly embodied the sea, and that has prepared you well to provide illumination. You have learned new secrets about the tides and the waves. You are attuned to the rhythms of the undercurrents. So I hope you will now embrace your role as a beacon, Libra. I expect that people will look to your radiance to guide and inspire them.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): "Movie people are possessed by demons, but a very low form of demons," observes author Edna O'Brien. She should know. She has hung out with many big film stars. Since you're probably not in the movie business yourself, your demons may be much higher quality than those of celebrity actors and directors. And I'm guessing that in the coming weeks, your demons will become even finer and more interesting than ever before—even to the point that they could become helpers and advisors. For the best results, treat them with respect and be willing to listen to their ideas.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): I'm all

in favor of you getting what you yearn for. I have no inhibitions or caveats as I urge you to unleash all your ingenuity and hard work in quest of your beautiful goals. And in the hope of inspiring you to upgrade your ability to fulfill these sacred prospects, I offer you a tip from Sagittarian author Martha Beck. She wrote, "To attract something that you want, become as joyful as you think that thing would make you."

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): According to author Caroline Myss, "You should see everything about your life as a lesson." Whoa!

Really? Each trip to the grocery store should be a learning opportunity? Myss says yes! For example, let's say you're in the snack foods aisle and you're tempted to put Doritos Nacho

Cheese Tortilla Chips and Lay's Barbecue Potato Chips in your cart. But your gut is screaming at you, "That stuff isn't healthy for you!" And yet you decide to ignore your gut's advice. You buy and eat both bags. Myss would say you have squandered a learning opportunity—"You've harmed yourself by blocking your intuitive voice," she writes. Now, in accordance with astrological omens, Capricorn, here's your homework assignment—regard every upcoming event as a chance to learn how to trust your intuition better.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): An Aquarian poet was disturbed when a suitor told her, "I'm really very fond of you." She responded, "I don't like fond. It sounds like something you would tell a dog. Give me love, or nothing. Throw your fond in a pond." I don't advise you to adopt a similar attitude anytime soon, Aquarius. In my oracular opinion, you should wholeheartedly welcome fondness. You should honor it and celebrate it.

In itself, it is a rich, complex attitude. And it may also lead, if you welcome it, to even more complex and profound interweavings.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): "I need a playlist of all the songs I used to love but forgot about," wrote Tumblr blogger Yuyuuyuyuu.

I think you could use such a playlist, too, Pisces.

In fact, I would love to see you receive a host of memos that remind you of all the things you love and need and are interested in—but have forgotten about or neglected. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to recover what has been lost. I hope you will re-establish connections and restore past glories that deserve to accompany you into the future.

THIS WEEK'S HOMEWORK: Is there a postponed dream that you might be able to resume working to fulfill? What is it? newsletter.freewillastrology.com {in}

freewillastrology.com

freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com Rob Brezsny © Copyright 2022

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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

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news of the weird BRIGHT IDEA For Alexander Leszczynski, 22, of North Redington Beach, Florida, it wasn't enough to be charged with wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering, the Tampa Bay Times reported. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Tampa claimed Leszczynski might face up to 30 years in prison for making up charitable entities to receive Payroll Protection Plan loans totaling almost $200,000 and trying to deposit fake checks to the tune of $2.7 million, among other schemes. But wait, there's more!

"When he discovered that the money had been frozen, he attempted to have it released by producing a fabricated pardon purportedly signed by former President Donald Trump," the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a news release. One of Leszczynski's fake charities was trying to seize control of two properties that belonged to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in prison while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. Leszczynski is being held without bail at the Pinellas County Jail.

WAIT, WHAT? During a preliminary hearing on May 16 in Saginaw County (Michigan) District Court, a 32-year-old unidentified woman testified that her "friend with benefits," 29-year-old Cortez L. Gill, accidentally shot her once on Nov. 11—but then proceeded to shoot her eight more times as she and her child struggled to escape him. MLive. com reported that the victim explained that she and Gill "tussled" over some car keys and he pulled out a gun, which he lowered to the ground. "The gun goes off and the bullet hit me ... in my abdomen. ... I was like, 'Cortez, I got hit. You have to call the police or get me in the car and take me to the hospital immediately.'" Instead, she said, Gill replied, "You see what you made me do?" and fired again at her, hitting her in the chest. She and her daughter ran outside, where she collapsed in a neighbor's yard. The next thing she remembers is waking up in a hospital on the day before Thanksgiving, where she learned that she had been shot nine times in total. Gill was bound over for trial.

I'LL JUST HAVE WATER, THANKS Investigators in Vancouver, Washington, looking into the sexual exploitation of children uncovered another nasty habit of Stephen Sharp, a night manager at an Arby's restaurant there. On May 10, Fox11-TV reported, Sharp admitted that he had downloaded and

By the Editors at Andrews McMeel

distributed child pornography. After conducting a search of his digital devices, police also found a video of him urinating into a container of milkshake mix from Arby's. He confessed that he had done so at least twice for sexual gratification. Sharp said it would have been added to another bag of mix and used during the next shift to make shakes for customers. Officers are seeking people who might have ordered a shake on Oct. 30 or 31, 2021, and still have a receipt; Sharp is facing multiple charges and eating institutional food at the Clark County jail.

CROTCH SHOT Kingsland, Arkansas, about 70 miles south of Little Rock, is the birthplace of Johnny Cash, and the town has honored him with a silhouette of the Man in Black on its water tower, The Wichita Eagle reported. But when Betty Graham, water office manager, arrived at her office early on May 11, she noticed what she first thought was a leak from the tower. Later she realized a sharpshooter had hit the tank right at Cash's sweet spot, creating the illusion that the famous singer is relieving himself. Graham said it could take at least a week to repair the damage; in the meantime, comments on a local Facebook page ranged from "would be a better tourist attraction than Old Faithful" to "Someone here knows who did this. I hope they'll come forward and turn the vandal in."

"People think it's funny, but a lot of hard work and effort went into getting the grant to get this painted," Graham said.

SKILLS Ayumi Takada, 37, of Tokyo, has been compared to Elastigirl from "The Incredibles" because of her incredibly elastic earlobes. Oddity Central reports that Ayumi can stretch her earlobes up to 4.5 centimeters, or about 1 1/2 inches—enough to, say, wrap them around a selfie stick, a calligraphy brush or the shaft of an umbrella. It's practically like having another hand.

"People always ask me if it's painful," she said. "But there's no pain at all when pulling them or holding an item. The earlobe naturally bounces right back into place straight away." {in}

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

Send your weird news items to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

May 26, 2022

23

AYCE: FAT

GIVEAWAY

Tuesday

MAY 24-29

May 24 • 6:35 pm AYCE Buffet (90-min.) + Game Ticket & Hat for ONLY $26!

ONE PRICE

Wednesday

Mississippi Braves

May 25 • 6:35 pm

All tickets include a hot dog, chips, & soda FOR JUST $17!

School’s Out Bash & First Wednesday night fireworks of the Summer!

MULLET

Thursday

May 26 • 6:35 pm Enjoy Drink Specials Including $2 drafts & BOGO domestic cans!

DOUBLE-A AFFILIATES

May 27 • 6:35 pm Jersey Bag Giveaway for the first 2,000 fans

FIREWORKS

Saturday

May 28 • 6:05 pm

Pensacola’s BEST Fireworks after the game!

Navy Baseball Night

MILITARY FAMILY

Sunday

May 29 • 4:05 pm

NEXT HOMESTAND: MAY 31-JUNE 5 VS. BILOXI SHUCKERS TUNE IN TO CATCH THE GAMES ON

Friday

GAME TIMES

Kids Run the Bases and Family Toss after the game

Mon.-Fri. 6:35 pm | Sat. 6:05 pm | Sun. 4:05 pm

All pre-game activities start 45 minutes prior to game time.

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5/17/22 11:44 AM

EIGHTH ANNUAL FISH HOUSE

CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL SATURDAY, JUNE 18

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OVER 50 DIFFERENT BEER TASTINGS AT THE FISH HOUSE CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL TICKETS $25 (PLUS TAX) BEGINNING JUNE 1ST: TICKET PRICE $35 (PLUS TAX)

PORTION OF PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF NWF

TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CALL THE TACKLE SHOP AT 850-912-6622 OR VISIT FISHHOUSEPENSACOLA.COM L I M I T E D T I C K E T S AVA I L A B L E . 2 1 + E V E N T . R A I N O R S H I N E E V E N T . 6 0 0 S . B A R R AC K S S T R E E T . F I S H H O U S E P E N S ACO L A . CO M Independent News | May 26, 2022 | inweekly.net