Inweekly may 4 2017 issue

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Independent News | May 4, 2017 | Volume 18 | Number 17 | inweekly.net

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winners & losers 4

outtakes

news

5

6, 7, 8

Somehow, that's the best we could come up with.

buzz 10

publisher Rick Outzen editor & creative director Joani Delezen

a&e

13, 15, 17

contributing writers Duwayne Escobedo, Jennifer Leigh, Chuck Shepherd, Shelby Smithey

contact us info@inweekly.net

calendar 16

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. © 2015 Inweekly Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

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inweekly.net

Buz Eddy Edwin A. “Buz” Eddy has served as City Manager of Gulf Breeze since 1992.

On May 1, 2017, Mr. Eddy retired after 25 years of service.

Accomplishments of a leader

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GULF BREEZE NEWS

During Buz Eddy’s stewardship of the City of Gulf Breeze: He has put in place procedures and controls for accountability and performance to ensure Gulf Breeze will continue to operate under principles established by his administration.

He helped create: • The “Most Livable City Plan,” a 50-year plan for the redevelopment of the city.

• The Community Redevelopment Agency and establish a CRA district and comprehensive plan.

Fostered a business-friendly local government environment and negotiated development agreements with: • Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine • Baptist Health Care • Sacred Heart Health System • The Stem Cell Regenerative Medicine Center • The redevelopment of the Seashells Collections Shopping Complex

Disaster recovery: He earned respect and confidence of elected officials, employees and the public during his career, particularly in times of natural disasters such as: Hurricane Ivan, Hurricane Dennis and the major flood of 2014.

He took leadership roles in organizations such as: • The Board of the Florida/ County Managers Association • The International City/ County Managers Association • Santa Rosa County RESTORE Council Integrity: He showed fairness and diligence in providing elected officials with facts and advice on matters of policy and setting community goals.

Congratulations, Buz Eddy, on making the quality of life in Gulf Breeze one of the highest in the nation.

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winners

Lysia Bowling

losers

PALAFOX MARKET Ten years ago, the Downtown Improvement Board, under the leadership of Kim Kimbrough, organized a farmers' market for downtown Pensacola.

Some doubted its long-term sustainability, but Inweekly whole-heartedly supported it. Today Palafox Market has grown to more than 120 weekly vendors selling fresh produce, handmade goods, art and much more. Every week it brings hundreds to downtown.

LYSIA BOWLING Mayor Ashton Hay-

CONNIE BOOKMAN The founder and CEO of Pathways For Change has been appointed the chair of the Advertising Committee of The Florida Bar. The committee is charged with the responsibility of advising members of The Florida Bar on permissible advertising and solicitation practices.

Also, the committee is empowered to recommend to the board of governors such amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct as it believes are appropriate.

FRANK ARTILES The state senator resigned last month amid a firestorm of vulgar and racially charged comments he made. The Republican initially tried to dismiss the idea of resignation, but Senate leaders stripped him of his chairmanship, and Senate President Joe Negron appointed a special master to conduct a formal inquiry into Artiles' behavior and submit a report and possible recommendations for sanctions. Artiles had bailed before the investigation began.

DANIEL J. THORNBURGH The Aylstock,

Witkin, Kreis and Overholtz attorney was part of the trial team that helped a New Jersey woman, Margaret Engleman, win a $20-million verdict against Johnson & Johnson for injuries suffered after being implanted with a vaginal mesh device. The jury awarded Engleman $2.5 million in compensatory and $17.5 million in punitive damages. The verdict was the third straight against a J&J vaginal mesh product in which the plastic-like device eroded inside a patient, leaving shards of mesh that doctors were unable to remove entirely.

ward's city attorney doesn't deal with much of the municipality's legal work. Annually, lawyers outside of city hall handle $1.4 million’s worth of the mayor’s legal business.

Bowling is left with issuing legal opinions, which have been less than solid. Her draft of the anti-panhandling ordinance and her subsequent opinion arguing for its validity are under scrutiny. The ACLU is confident a judge will declare the law unconstitutional.

OPERATION CROSS CHECK About half of the 675 immigrants picked up in roundups across the country in days after President Trump took office either had no criminal convictions or had only committed traffic offenses, according to a report

by The Washington Post. Two people had been convicted of homicide, 80 had been convicted of assault, and 57 had drug convictions. However, 177 immigrants had no criminal convictions, and 163 had only traffic convictions.

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

REPORTING NEWS At the White House Correspondent's dinner, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein addressed the audience. The two are best known for uncovering former President Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal.

The pair lived through personal attacks as Nixon tried to make the conduct of the press the issue in Watergate, instead of the conduct of the president and his men. How did the reporters respond to the pressure?

"We tried to avoid the noise and let the reporting speak," Bernstein told his fellow journalists.

When asked over the years to describe the purpose and methodology of their reporting, Woodward and Bernstein called it the "best obtainable version of the truth."

"It's a simple concept, yet something very difficult to get right because of the enormous amount of effort, thinking, persistence, pushback, logical baggage and, for sure, luck that is required, not to mention some unnatural humility," said Bernstein.

He added, "Underlying everything reporters do in pursuit of the best obtainable version of the truth, whatever our beat or assignment, is the question ‘what is news?' What is it that we believe is important, relevant, hidden, perhaps, or even in plain sight and ignored by conventional journalistic wisdom or governmental wisdom?"

Then Bernstein shared two elements of reporting that he learned from his partner,

Bob Woodward. Both components are at the heart of the investigative reporting on this weekly newspaper.

"Almost inevitably, unreasonable government secrecy is the enemy, and usually the giveaway about what the real story might be," he said. "And when lying is combined with secrecy, there is usually a pretty good roadmap in front of us."

Bernstein added, "Yes, follow the money, but follow, also, the lies."

When officials make it difficult to get public records or they and their department heads refuse to answer questions, then that is the direction Inweekly begins to dig.

And the effort is always rewarded with a solid story, whether it's the expensive, failed turnaround of Warrington Middle School, the explosion of the Escambia County Jail, or undisclosed payouts and excessive turnover in the mayor's office.

The pursue of the best obtainable version of the truth can take time. The Warrington Middle School story took over a year to complete. We waited six months for the ATF reports that validated our reporting on the jail blast.

And Pensacola City Hall is a special case, where obtaining a morsel of truth is like panning for gold. You want to shout "Eureka" when you get it.

We are grateful for the standards Bernstein and Woodward have set for our profession. We will continue to strive to live up to their examples. {in}rick@inweekly.net

And Pensacola City Hall is a special case, where obtaining a morsel of truth is like panning for gold.

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5

EMERALD COASTKEEPERS' SPARKPLUG gan piling up massive amounts of trash on her property.

City and county officials initially refused to help after they visited Kenimer's property, but Murphy figured out that the tree fell from city-owned land. The city was out there the next day to clean up Kenimer's backyard.

"That's how I got started with Carpenter's Creek," Murphy said.

The late H.W. Olcott, a former Gulf Power executive, reported in the Pensacola News Journal in August 1974 that Carpenter's Creek "isn't much more than a muddy ditch for channeling the red clay runoff and siltation from its upper reaches down to Bayou Texar."

CARPENTER’S CREEK

Laurie Murphy / Courtesy Photo

By Duwayne Escobedo Laurie Murphy always wanted to be an environmentalist. However, her mom had another plan for her daughter. She wanted her to get a business degree.

Murphy got her degree, started a few companies, and served in senior management positions at others. In one job for a major retail chain, she assessed the finances, staffing, merchandising and marketing of more than 100 stores losing money and helped make them profitable.

"My passion wasn't there," said the 55-yearold Murphy. "I had no interest in business."

But raised in a strict Irish Catholic home, she obeyed her mom, even though it was the Popular Mechanics and National Geographic magazines the tomboy loved.

Murphy liked science and engineering and admired her father's work on F-18s and the Space Shuttle.

However, as a career businesswoman, she raised three daughters and two sons.

When her second husband, Joseph Aycock, suffered from the incurable Huntington's disease, Murphy took care of him until he died of bladder cancer when he was 57.

Finally, a decade ago Murphy decided she was free to pursue her "passion." She attended the University of West Florida in 2010 and earned a bachelor's in oceanography and a master's in Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Her first job? Emerald Coastkeeper Executive Director.

66

KICK BUTT LEADER

Murphy and her husband, Pat, previously served the organization as devoted volunteers. Then she took a class taught by Chassidy Hobbs, the Emerald Coastkeeper board president and former executive director. Hobbs urged her to take over the environmental advocacy group in 2015 and push its mission of swimmable, fishable, drinkable water in Pensacola, which is surrounded by bays, bayous, rivers and the Gulf of Mexico.

In a newsletter about Murphy's hiring, Hobbs called her a "kick butt Coastkeeper." The Pensacola Chapter is one of 311 groups located in 34 countries and six continents that make up the umbrella organization Waterkeepers.

"When I began to think about who has a scientific and business background with a passion for educating about clean water and healthy communities, Laurie was the first person I thought of, and we are so very fortunate to have her at the helm of our ship," Hobbs said. "She has hit the ground running and is going to be an amazing advocate, educating about and providing a voice for clean water throughout our community."

That's exactly what Murphy has done.

"I'm very much a workaholic, Type-A personality," Murphy admitted. "I don't enjoy relaxing. I love what I do now."

One of Murphy's' biggest projects is the cleanup of Carpenter's Creek. Brenda Kenimer introduced her to the problems on the creek in August 2016 when Kenimer asked for help to clear a tree that collapsed across the urban stream during flooding and be-

Today, the 8.5-acre site of the Carpenter's Creek headwaters are now preserved thanks to Escambia County buying it for about $125,000 on April 28. Murphy considers the purchase even better than the British Virgin Islands trip that her husband took her on recently for her birthday and their upcoming wedding anniversary.

"That's the most exciting birthday present I'll have," she said.

Murphy credits the beaver population for the beautiful lake and land. The critters built about seven beaver dams on the Carpenter's Creek headwaters.

"These are smart beavers," Murphy said. "They must have gone to 'beaver school.' They are some of the best architects I've ever seen. Without them there, there wouldn't be a lake."

Although Carpenter's Creek is slated for $2.3 million in RESTORE funds from the BP Deep Horizon Oil Spill, Murphy points out the project will cost an estimated $10-20 million to clean up the entire creek and will take 15 years or more to complete.

The timeframe bothers many of the elderly who have lived along the creek for decades. That's why Murphy pushes so hard to restore the impaired waterway. "‘This is all well and good, but we will not be around to see any of this,' they told me," Murphy recalled hearing from the long-time residents. "‘It'll take decades to clean up and make it nice. There's nothing in it for us.' We need to make things happen now so some of those people who have lived there can see nice stuff."

ESCAMBIA BAY

Murphy has also focused on water quality testing of the Escambia Bay around Gulf Power's Crist Plant. She reported the utility has an island of coal ash in the middle of Escambia River. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Gulf Power

to remove its coal ash pollution by 2018.

Her samples showed high levels of arsenic, cadmium and other dangerous metals in violation of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES) program.

"I've found some things that are very concerning," Murphy said. "EPA has found numerous violations and fined Gulf Power.

But it's never publicized."

Murphy continues to find even more work for herself. She knew stormwater runoff is a major pollutant to Pensacola waters.

She discovered the National Stormwater Center and became a certified stormwater inspector with the help of executive director John Whitescarver, one of EPA's original employees and who worked on the team that created the NPDES program.

Murphy wants to pass on what she learned and intends to teach her first stormwater volunteer class to local citizens from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at Cokesbury United Methodist Church.

"Stormwater is our largest source of pollution," Murphy said. "Citizens are our biggest culprits. It's really important to educate the public. We can certify all these volunteers to help the city and county before stormwater gets too out of control. We can help our bays, waters and drinking water become cleaner."

The message Murphy tries to get out to local citizens through Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, the Emerald Coastkeepers website, its blog and local media is that the environmental group is here to help citizens keep their paradise pristine.

"We want people to understand we are here for them," she said. "We don't work for the government. We will get out and look at problems. We're someone who is on their side and just like them. We will get real-life answers. We're here to give them the truth." {in}

EMERALD COASTKEEPERS CALENDAR FIRST CERTIFIED STORMWATER VOLUNTEER CLASS WHEN: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Monday, May 8 WHERE: Cokesbury United Methodist Church, 5725 N. 9th Ave. COST: Free, registration required DETAILS: emeraldcoastkeeper.org CARPENTER’S CREEK CLEANUP WHEN: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, May 20 WHERE: Sake Café, 4795 N. 9th Ave. COST: Free DETAILS: emeraldcoastkeeper.org

inweekly.net

CITIES MAY UNITE FOR BP FUNDS LOCAL CONTROL

By Duwayne Escobedo The $1.5 billion pot of BP oil spill reparations is up for grabs. The first $300 million payment sits in the bank waiting for the eight westernmost Northwest Florida counties to claim.

Everyone is clamoring for the money.

Everyone. Especially cities in the region from Pensacola to Crawfordville.

West Florida Regional Planning Council executive director Austin Mount, who took over the agency 18 months ago, has come up with a way he believes cities can get in on the action. The WFRPC heads the Infrastructure Committee as part of Florida's Great Northwest strategic plan, Northwest Florida Forward, for the so-called Triumph Gulf Coast funds being disbursed over the next 15 years.

Besides Infrastructure, Florida's Great Northwest created committees for Tal-

May 4, 2017

ent, Business Vitality, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and Quality of Place. They are tasked to come up with projects that have the potential to transform the region's economic landscape.

Mount has invited city leaders across Northwest Florida to attend a workshop at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 17 at the Destin Community Center to prioritize transportation, wastewater, environment and broadband projects.

"Let's come together and work to put a list of projects together," Mount said. "We will have a very good gauge of what the region's infrastructure needs are."

Mount said a unified approach is a way for the cities to have a voice in the Triumph process. Until now, the primary focus of the BP settlement allocations has been set at the county level with the board of commissioners of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Franklin, Gulf County and Wakulla calling the shots.

One of the loudest critics of the Triumph process has been Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward. He recommended cities receive a percentage of the revenue based on their percentage of their counties' populations. Under his allocation plan, Pensacola would get 17 percent of Escambia County's share or $12.75 million annually and $63.75 million total.

In a March editorial, Hayward criticized state lawmakers for focusing on everything but "local control."

"What is important is that cities get a seat at the table," Hayward wrote. "Without guaranteed local control over some percentage of revenue, cities will be left waiting for scraps to fall from the table and real progress will come at a snail's pace."

Mount pointed out that transportation, wastewater, and environmental problems are holding the region back.

"These are business issues, too," he said. "You can't attract companies bringing 100, 200 or 1,000 jobs if you don't have the infrastructure."

Mount also said a major drawback in the region is parking.

"We see it all across the coastal region," he said. "There is not enough land to park people coming from all across the country and all across the world."

The city leaders also can help the West Florida Regional Planning Council develop its economic development strategy that is due at the end of the year. Mount said that strategy is important because it allows the planning council to seek other federal and state grants for significant projects that are identified.

About $8-$10 billion in transportation needs exist, but only $750 million is allocated annually, Mount said.

"We have to make tough decisions on how to get some projects done to accommodate all the future growth that's going to happen," he said.

Already in the pipeline for the region are two bridge projects The $398.5-million Pensacola Bay Bridge replacement project will construct a new U.S. 98 bridge across Pensacola Bay. The work began recently and is scheduled to be completed in July 2020. In Okaloosa County, the more than $200-million Brooks Bridge project from Fort Walton Beach to Okaloosa Island is set to begin in 2020.

GET THE MONEY

There are also other interests WFRPC and city leaders must reconcile. For example, U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz's plans to push for reopening the Navarre Pass. He said that as a 7-year-old he became interested in the pass that existed for nearly three months in 1965 before Hurricane Betsy passed through and closed it in September of that year.

Gaetz wants to see $10-$20 million of Triumph funds directed to the pass that he estimates will have a $1 billion impact on the Navarre area, making it the "next great growth city in Northwest Florida."

"Many attempts have been made to open Navarre Pass, but the difference this time is having a member of Congress focused on the pass," Gaetz said. "There are challenges we still have to overcome."

Like Mount, Gaetz said it's important Northwest Florida residents reach out to state senators to make sure they pass the state House bill on Triumph Gulf Coast and "not siphon (Triumph) funds off."

Mount said he is hoping for collaboration and cooperation among Northwest Florida county and municipal governments.

But he is fully aware that the Triumph windfall is bringing out lots of self-interested groups.

"A lot of people have their hands out," Mount said. "Keeping the money in Northwest Florida is our No. 1 priority." {in}

7

LOCAL PLAYWRIGHT HONORED

Dana Langston / Courtesy Photo

By Jennifer Leigh Dana Langston was searching for scholarships late last year when she came across an application for the VSA Playwright Discovery Competition. On a whim, the 17-year-old decided to submit the one and only screenplay she had "just lying around."

It came as a shock when she found out that her play, "Silent Thank Yous" was one of the seven selected plays to be recognized at the Kennedy Center during the annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival in April.

"I quite frankly forgot about the contest," said Dana. "I was still in bed, checking social

media when I saw the email. I started freaking out...it was just amazing."

Langston has been writing most of her young life, starting with a novel she wrote in seventh grade based on a fictional history of a classmate. From there, she published six more books.

"Silent Thank Yous" was originally supposed to be a novel until she noticed the story was driven more by dialogue, Dana said. The story follows two people who suffer from mental illness; one is a veteran with PTSD. It was an easy story to write, she said, as she suffers from anxiety and depression.

"It's basically my life," said Dana. "It felt good to be truthful about mental illness...TV and movies don't always do that."

According to a press release from the Kennedy Center, the VSA Playwright Discovery Competition is an annual competition that invites middle and high school students with disabilities to examine the disability experience and express their views through the art of scriptwriting. The program was begun in 1984 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith and has continued annually since.

There was a total of 67 applicants from all over the country. Stephanie Litvak, Director of Program Development within the Kennedy Center Education Division explained that three external adjudicators read all of the submitted works and made recommendations based on a list of criteria including story development, pacing, compelling and believable characters, story structure and how the topic of disability was incorporated.

VSA, the international organization on arts and disability, was founded more than

35 years ago by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to provide arts and education opportunities for people with disabilities and increase access to the arts for all.

The Kennedy Center is a memorial to President Kennedy to carry forward his "commitment to civil and human rights and his personal commitment to people with disabilities," said Betty Siegel, Director of VSA and Accessibility at the Kennedy Center. The VSA Playwright Discovery Competition perfectly aligns with the philosophy of the center.

"The Kennedy Center is committed to, as part of the mission set by Congress when the Center was first established, to support arts education and to ensure the inclusion of people of all ages with disabilities," said Siegel.

"The work that we do in the Playwright Discovery Program is aligned with the Center in providing powerful arts education to support diversity and inclusion, academic achievement, as well as experiences and opportunities that support young people who are the future performers, writers, directors, etc. and are pursuing creative careers."

Each year, 7 million people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA programs, in every aspect of the arts—from visual arts, performing arts, to the literary arts, according to the Kennedy Center website.

It's important to include the voices of those who may struggle to be heard, that's why the VSA Playwright Discovery Competition is so important because it provides a "safe place" for young writers to share their perspectives and experiences, Sigel said.

"In a society that values social justice, human rights, representation, and voices from everyone in our respective communities, it is imperative to bring forward the stories of people who are overlooked and frequently invisible and unheard," she added. "By empowering and engaging young people with disabilities in the arts, we provide a path that is intuitively diverse, providing multiple means of engagement that allow each young person's strengths to be leveraged for their success."

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While the competition did not award any money, it did send Dana and her mom to Washington, D.C. for the last few days of the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival where selections from the plays were performed by professional stage actors. Dana even got to be a part of the production process by working with professional playwrights and directors to refine the script and further develop playwriting skills.

The experience was "incredible," she said.

"I couldn't have asked for better actors," she said. "One of the actors, Michael Willis, is a veteran of Vietnam. He was playing the vet in my play. He was so intense and so perfect. It was so good I actually started crying."

After graduating from West Florida of Advanced Technology, Dana will attend School of the Art Institute of Chicago to study painting and drawing. But after this experience, she said she may want to pursue a career in the theatrical arts. There's definitely an instant gratification from seeing an audience applaud your work.

"To see people interact with [the play] is amazing," Dana said. "It's better than I could ask for."

Dana credits her parents for being supportive in her creative endeavors.

"I am incredibly lucky," she said. "They definitely encourage me. They remember countless nights of me not sleeping just to get to the end of a book."

Some of Dana's inspiration to create comes from wanting to help others. That's why she founded Defective Dynamic, an organization that helps those with mental illness. The website provides basic information, advice motivation for those who suffer from mental illness. Dana said she hopes "Silent Thank Yous" will also help others who suffer.

"They're not alone," she said. "Nothing is permanent, there's always help out there.

I don't want anyone to feel what I felt...I want them to know they can work toward recovery." {in}

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9

Dr. Martha Saunders / Courtesy Photo UWF INAUGURATION The University of West Florida formally installed Dr. Martha Saunders as its sixth president during the inauguration ceremony held on April 21 at the UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts.

Marshall Criser III, chancellor of the State University System of Florida, Madeline Pumariega, chancellor of the Florida College System, Connie Crosby, widow of first UWF President Harold Crosby, past president Dr. John Cavanaugh, and Drs. Morris Marx and Judy Bense, presidents emeriti, attended the ceremony.

"I foresee a future when people arriving in this area will know they are in a university town because they can see it, hear it, feel it, experience it."

Dr. Martha Saunders Saunders was selected as the sixth UWF president in September 2016, following a unanimous resolution passed by the Board of Trustees and confirmation by the Board of Governors in November. She assumed the role on Jan. 1, as the university launched its 50th Anniversary milestone celebration.

010 1

Saunders' career in higher education began in 1984 at UWF, where she served as an instructor in the communication arts department. She quickly rose through the ranks, taking on roles including public relations program coordinator, director of the University Honors Program and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Saunders also served as vice president for academic affairs at Columbus State University and as the first female chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

She then led the University of Southern Mississippi as its first female president, before returning to UWF in 2013 as provost. In 2014, Saunders was appointed executive vice president at UWF, assuming the role as chief operating officer, in addition to chief academic officer and vice president for the Division of Academic Affairs.

Saunders envisions growth in enrollment, fundraising and campus structures at UWF by increasing its physical presence in downtown Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach, investing in programs such as global online, cybersecurity and supply chain logistics and visiting local high schools to recruit talented students.

"I foresee a future when people arriving in this area will know they are in a university town because they can see it, hear it, feel it, experience it," Saunders said. "Our students will come to us fully confident in their choice because we will take them where they want to be."

SOUTHERN LEAGUE ALL-STAR GAME For the first time in team history, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos are set to host the Southern League All-Star game and activities at Blue Wahoos Stadium on June 19-20.

Presented by Wind Creek Atmore, Visit Pensacola and Pensacola Sports, tickets for the Southern League All-Star Game and events went on sale Monday, May 1.

Festivities surrounding the All-Star Game include the All-Star Game Fan Fest & Home Run Derby, All-Star Gala at Seville Quarter, Southern League Hall of Fame Luncheon at New World Landing and the

postgame Bubba's Sweet Spot Celebration in Hancock Bank Club.

A special All-Star Package is available which includes one ticket to each event below and a special All-Star Game gift for $155. Fans will be able to purchase tickets online at bluewahoos.com or visiting the Box Office. Orders can also be placed over the phone by calling 934-8444.

Notable former Southern League AllStars include Carl Crawford (2001), Matt Holliday (2002), Jake Peavy (2002), Adam Wainwright (2003), Prince Fielder (2004), Joey Votto (2006), Todd Frazier (2009), Joc Pederson (2013), Kris Bryant (2014) and Dansby Swanson (2016).

Notable Blue Wahoos All-Stars include Didi Gregorius (2012), Ryan LaMarre (2012), Michael Lorenzen (2014), Robert Stephenson (2014-2015), Ray Chang (2015), Tim Adleman (2015), Phillip Ervin (2016) and Alejandro Chacin (2016).

This marks the first professional all-star game in the city of Pensacola in 55 years.

The last professional all-star game in Pensacola was the summer of 1962 when the Pensacola Senators, an affiliation of the Washington Senators, hosted the Alabama-Florida League All-Star Game at Admiral Mason Ballpark.

PRAISE FOR GAETZ Dan McFaul, former

Chief of Staff for Congressman Jeff Miller, told Inweekly that the gridlock in Congress hasn't

"Republicans are finding out that it's much easier to be the opposition party than it is to be the party in control. It's harder to lead. It's harder to get things through." Dan McFaul vanished simply because Republicans control the executive and legislative branches.

"Republicans are finding out that it's much easier to be the opposition party than it is to be the party in control," said McFaul, who is a partner with Ballard Partners. "It's harder to lead. It's harder to get things through."

He added, "You do have some conservative members of the party who want 100-percent of everything. They're not willing to compromise on a single area. Then you've got some of the folks who are kind of in the middle and some of these swing districts out in California and up in the northeast United States."

McFaul doesn't envy the job Rep. Paul Ryan has as the Speaker of the House—a job

that Ryan didn't necessarily want, but was recruited to take.

"It really is herding cats, getting a certain number of members to vote for a bill to get it passed," he said. "I like to think that the Congress is moving towards that direction."

McFaul praised the early work of Rep. Matt Gaetz, who holds the seat once held

by Miller.

"Certainly, your Congressman Matt Gaetz is doing a good job in moving towards that direction," he said. "He's introducing bills. He's becoming a leader on the Judiciary, on the Budget Committee and the Armed Services Committee, but Congress still has some work to do."

WAR HERO COMMEMORATION Gulf Islands National Seashore officials announced the annual commemoration of Private Rosamond Johnson will be held at the Perdido Key Area at the Star Pavilion on May 6, at 10 a.m.

The event is open to the public, and all are encouraged to attend.

The keynote speaker at this year's commemoration will be U.S. Navy Captain Frank Smith, Retired. Captain Smith will be joined

by Dan Brown, Gulf Islands National Seashore Superintendent, Alison Davenport, Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce, and Eugene Franklin, President/CEO Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. The NATTC Color Guard and Vocalist group will perform.

Additionally, the ceremony will feature music as well as, artwork and essay contest winners, from the Global Learning Academy in Pensacola.

The ceremony will conclude with words from the Johnson family, and wreath laying ceremony at the Johnson monument. This program is made possible by the support of the Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce, Johnson Beach Society, and Florida Black Chamber of Commerce.

After enlisting in the U.S. Army at 15, Johnson died in combat, two years later on the Korean Peninsula. While engaging with the enemy, on July 26, 1950, Private Johnson carried two wounded soldiers to safety. He was fatally wounded while attempting to save a third wounded man. On August 21, 1950, Rosamond was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart for the wounds he sustained while saving his fellow soldiers.

At the time of his death, Pensacola beaches were racially segregated. The Sunset Riding Club, Inc. leased a county-owned recreational area in 1950 for the sole use of bathing and recreational facilities for "colored citizens." In honor of his ultimate sacrifice, and in recognition as the first Escambia County resident, the recreational area became known as Rosainweekly.net

mond Johnson Beach. The area became the park of Gulf Islands National Seashore in 1971, and the name was retained. Today, a monument and wayside honor Private Johnson and his service to the United States of America.

Johnson Beach is located within the Perdido Key Area of Gulf Islands National Seashore. It is one of the most popular beach recreation areas of the seashore and is open daily from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

CHEERING TRAVEL Visit Pensacola is ask-

ing people to wear red and attend a rally at the Pensacola International Airport on Tuesday, May 9, from 9:30-11 a.m.

National Travel Rally Day is a concerted effort to demonstrate travel's positive impact on local workers, businesses, and economies.

It's the hospitality industry's chance to unite the local travel communities nationwide and publicly represent the importance of travel to media and elected officials.

As an important part of our area's tourism industry, Visit Pensacola asks local businesses to help lead its efforts by attending this event and by encouraging their staff to attend, as well.

May 4, 2017

"Our goal is to have representation from all types of hospitality positions, from the front-line employees working valet to the management and sales staff," said Visit Pensacola officials. "Employees who typically wear a uniform are encouraged to come dressed for work, while those who are not in uniform are encouraged to wear red to represent tourism and unity across the industry."

Visit Pensacola also urges stakeholders to create signs or posters and bring along noise makers and pom-poms to have fun and increase awareness of the impact and effects travel and tourism have on the local and national economy. Parking passes will be handed out to attendees.

Signs could welcome visitors, focus on the impact of travel in the economy or simply cheer for travel and tourism. Some examples: "Tourism Rocks!," "Travel means jobs!," and "I Love Travel!" They also ask locals checkin via social media and share that they are celebrating with the hashtag: #visitpensacola, #NTTW17, and #explorepcola.

If you have any questions, please email Leslie Brosofsky at lbrosofsky@visitpensacola. com or call 433-5398.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY TOWN HALL

District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry will host a town hall meeting Tuesday, May 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Barrineau Park Community Center located at 6055 Barrineau Park School Road in Molino. Residents are invited and encouraged to attend the open forum event to discuss issues with their commissioner.

For more information, contact the District 5 office at 595-4950 or district5@ myescambia.com.

CIVIL RIGHTS HOF NOMINATIONS The

Florida Commission on Human Relations is now accepting nominations for the Florida Civil Rights Hall of Fame. The deadline for submission of nominations is Sept. 30. The judges will be looking for individuals who have made significant contributions and provided leadership toward Florida's progress and achievements in civil rights.

"We are once again excited to be accepting nominations for next year's Civil Rights Hall of Fame. This program honors leaders and advocates who have tirelessly worked to protect the rights of various populations throughout Florida," said Michelle Wilson,

Commission Executive Director. "We must continue our efforts to honor the civil rights pioneers who came before us and use their heroic stories as a way to educate and empower our next generation."

Contributions of nominees can include community empowerment, legislative advocacy, grassroots organizing, coalition building, authored publications, organizational leadership, private and governmental entity diversity efforts and multicultural educational initiatives in any area of human and civil rights or related areas. Please visit fchr.state.fl.us/ outreach to view the rules, criteria, nomination form, and other relevant information.

The Florida Commission on Human Relations, established in 1969, is the state agency charged with administering the Florida Civil Rights Act and Florida Fair Housing Act. Through education and partnerships, the Commission works to prevent discrimination and costly litigation through teaching best business practices and fostering understanding amongst Floridians about their rights and responsibilities under both state and federal discrimination laws. {in}

11

adapted from the book by

E. B. WHITE

written by

JOSEPH ROBINETTE directors

JAY BIXLER & MAGGIE CRAIN

April 28 - 30 May 4 - 7

2017

Thursday & Friday at 7:30PM Saturday & Sunday at 3:00PM

Theatre Thursday Adult tickets 1/2 price

p en s aco lac h ildr e n s c h or us.com 212 1

www.pensacolalittletheatre.com | box office 850.432.2042 Produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois

inweekly.net

Celebrating The 'Original American Art'

with

Free Comic Book Day

By Jennifer Leigh In an age where everything is digital, comic books—actual paper books—are still as popular as ever.

But perhaps they're even more popular when they're free.

Since 2002, independent comic book shops all over North America have May 4, 2017

celebrated Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) on the first Saturday of May to promote comic stores and introduce readers to comics. Participating stores will have a selection of free—yes free— comics that range from children's titles, such as Barbie and Spongebob Squarepants, to Buffy the

Vampire Slayer, Marvel Universe Secret Empire and even the new Betty and Veronica series.

It's certainly a good time to celebrate comics. In June 2016, comic sales had their biggest sales month in 20 years, when the top 300 comics accounted for a total of 8.3

million copies ordered according to the pop culture website Vulture.

"There's still just something special about comics," said Harley Orr, owner of Pensacola Pop Comics. "It's a combination of two of our oldest forms of storytelling— a narrative of words and pictures working 13

congruently. Now, with the added digital distractions, it's nice to be able to unplug and hold something as simple as 15 pieces of folded paper in your hands and receive some solid entertainment."

At Pensacola Pop Comics, there won't just be free comics up for grabs, but the store will also be celebrating its fourth year in business with sales on select graphic novels and back issues as well as "a good quarter ton of comics for sale for a dollar a pound."

The store opened on FCBD in 2014. As in years past, Orr will be collecting canned foods to donate.

"Now that Publix has moved in next door, there's no excuse to come emptyhanded," he said.

As Orr points out, FCBD offers readers a chance to try out new titles without the risk of spending money.

"FCBD is an opportunity for publishers to try to catch a reader's eye by showcasing some of their better work," he said.

"It might be a reprint of a popular story, a sampling of their entire line, or a lead-in to a story they hope to hook you with, and hopefully, it will get potential customers back into the shops."

FCBD is also a way to engage young readers, which is why you'll find plenty of books that cater to that demographic.

West Florida Public Library (WFPL) is even getting in on the fun and giving kids the chance to win a special Guardians of the Galaxy book and other prizes by visiting local comic book stores and libraries and re-

ceiving a stamp from each location. Booklets can be picked up at library locations as well as Pensacola Pop Comics, TBS Comics and Price Busters. Orr leads a graphic novel discussion group at the library on the first Monday of the month, which happens to follow FCBD this year.

"Our next selection is Pride of Baghdad

by Brian K. Vaughan and Nico Henrichon," said Orr. "You don't even need to buy the book from me, though I do discount it

TBS Comics has been participating in FCBD since it began 15 years ago. To make sure everyone has an equal shot at the free stuff, each person will be able to choose four books from the FCBD selection starting at 10 a.m. Nehring suggests readers check out titles such as Marvel's Secret Empire, Wonder Woman Rebirth, Guardians of the Galaxy, DC Superhero Girls, Captain Canuck and Lady Mechanika.

Nehring refers to comics as the "original American art form" and says he believes their collectability is what makes them continue not only to be relevant, but popular. He's also seen an increase in gaming and role playing games recently.

"The digital age has put tremendous pressure and concern on the traditional comic book industry over the past few years to be sure," he said. "I believe that comic books, unlike newspapers and magazines, have a collectability component that shields it in part. Also, I love technology just like the next person, but how long can you look at screen in a single day? Comic books are a break from that. Sometimes it's just nice to unplug."

For folks who have passed by comic book shops with curiosity, but may have

"There's still just something special about comics. It's a combination of two of our oldest forms of storytelling—a narrative of words and pictures working congruently."

Harley Orr, owner of Pensacola Pop Comics heavily. The library has print copies available, and they have an awesome opportunity for patrons to access digital copies."

Over at TBS Comics, there will be free comics as well as a coloring station and a photo op.

"We are calling all our costumed heroes and villains to come out and help make the TBS FCBD 2017 a super event again," said Ed Nehring, who owns of TBS Comics.

"Plus, FCBD kicks off our annual back issue comic sale."

been intimidated—the world of comic books can be overwhelming—Orr said to just jump in. Store employees will always help guide you to something you'll enjoy whether it's on Free Comic Book Day or any other day.

"Comics are just another form of storytelling," he said. "If you like to read or watch story driven TV shows and movies, then I can find you something. It's such a diverse medium. And don't think you have to start at issue one. It's not like you turn on 'Law & Order' and think, 'I can't watch this, I've not seen the previous 743 episodes.'" {in}

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY

WHEN: Saturday, May 6 DETAILS: freecomicbookday.com PARTICIPATING STORES: PENSACOLA POP COMICS 909 N. 12th Ave. pensacolapopcomics.com PRICE BUSTERS 4771 Bayou Blvd. #5 pricebustersgames.com TBS COMICS 6873 N. 9th Ave. tbscomics.com FREE COMIC BOOK DAY AT WFPL For more information about the stamp booklet, visit mywfpl.com.

Feeling Cheated by Volkswagen Diesel?

Did you buy a 2009-2015 VW because you wanted an environmentally friendly car that got great mileage? Recently, VW has admitted they programmed cars to cheat emissions tests so their cars appeared more economical and environmentally friendly. You may have a claim for:

•Diminished value of your car, •Unfair and deceptive advertising and trade practices, •Several other violations and misrepresentations.

We are reviewing these cases now at no cost to you. If you have a 2009-2015 Volkswagen diesel or certain 2014-2015 Porsche or Audi diesels, we would be happy to talk to you about your potential claim. Call us now to discuss how you can seek justice for this misrepresentation to you, the innocent consumer.

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inweekly.net

WEEK OF MAY 4-10

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

WSRE Celebrates 50 Years

By Jennifer Leigh

1973 Archive Photo / Courtesy of WSRE Fifty years is a big milestone.

For a public broadcast station, it is cause for celebration.

In 1967, Pensacola State College (then Pensacola Junior College) licensed the local PBS station. In those 50 years, WSRETV has broadcasted popular PBS shows such as "Sesame Street" and "The Joy of Painting"—who doesn't love Big Bird and Bob Ross?—as well as producing local programs and award-winning documentaries.

"It's a big deal," said Bob Culkeen, general manager of WSRE. "And the community is a big supporter of WSRE." Culkeen came to WSRE in December but has been working in the public media and education fields since 1979. Although television faces many challenges in an internet age, Culkeen said public broadcasting has a special significance.

"It's a great time to be a public broadcaster," he said over the phone recently.

"We're not dependent on a single service when it comes to what we offer the community. Many of our programs are accesMay 4, 2017

sible online; our educational programming are a big resource for educators and parents. We just wrapped up another successful season of the Public Square Speakers Series. We're not just about the broadcast signal, but a service to the community."

Culkeen said the demographic of WSRE views are just as diverse as the programs.

Young families may be watching educational shows with their young ones while the older crowd is enjoying re-runs of Lawrence Welk.

WSRE has also seen an influx of supporters with their partnership with Pensacon. Over the years, you've seen folks take selfies against the PBS Nerd backdrop.

WSRE has since added shows like "Mystery Science Theater 3000" and "Doctor Who" to their lineup and last year, Mystery Science Theater fans were packed inside the Jean & Paul Amos Stadium to watch hosts Trace Beaulieu and Frank Conniff riff on old movies live as part of the Public Square Speakers Series. The series has also brought "Sesame Street" stars Caroll

Spinney (Big Bird) and Sonia Manzano (Maria) and award-winning documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy to Pensacola, just to name a few.

Alongside the PBS standards, WSRE also creates its own quality content at the 43,000-square foot facility that includes three studios on the PSC campus. There, shows such as "Conversations with Jeff Weeks" and "In Your Own Backyard" highlight interesting people and places around the Gulf Coast. The station also produces the "Legislative Review," which airs live twice a year with lawmakers before and after each legislative session. This year also marks the tenth anniversary of "StudioAmped," which is the station's own version of "Austin City Limits."

"Looking back and looking forward, we're always looking at creating more quality content," he said. "We're always working with the community to give members what they want, and we're looking to expand our local production."

After the inauguration of President Donald Trump, public media has gained some attention; or rather the future of public media has gained attention. Among the 17 federal programs that the Trump administration wants to cut is the Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which has a budget of $445 million, according to Time. The cost per American is $1.37 and 82 percent of U.S. television households watch PBS over the course of a year.

Culkeen said there may be some challenges if state and federal funds are cut, but stations like WSRE are not totally funded by the government.

"They're funded by viewers like you," he said, referencing the PBS ads you hear after programs. "You drive it. We're bringing you the content you asked for."

WSRE has a total of four channels,

including PBS Kids, which offers educational kids programming 24/7.

"Some people might think, ‘Why do you need children's programming at two in the morning?' But when you think about it, there may be kids at Sacred Heart Hospital coming out of procedures in the middle of the night," he said. "If they want to watch TV guess what's on? Quality-trusted programs they can watch for free."

To celebrate 50 years, WSRE will be hosting a Cinco de Mayo 50th Anniversary Paint Party at the Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, where guests will be painting the "Tree of Life" under the guidance of Painting with a Twist instructors.

The party will also be the unveiling of the mural-size painting of the "12th Avenue Tunnel of Trees." Donors will have the opportunity to have their names displayed on the canvas.

And while it's a mural of a Pensacola landmark, the theme of the evening is a throwback to a PBS staple.

"Because we are a PBS member station and PBS is the home of Bob Ross' ‘Joy of Painting' program, we couldn't resist the ‘Happy Little Trees' theme," said Mary Riker, marketing manager for WSRE. "Bob Ross is a fan favorite and part of the station's 50year history."

Celebrating the station's 50 years is as much a celebration of the folks that keep it going as it is of the programs we all love to watch.

"Community support is important, and we have a lot of longtime supporters," he said. "One of our board members said he remembers when he was a student at Pensacola Junior College when they rolled a black and white TV on a cart playing PBS and how impactful it was. Now, he's a board member." {in}

WSRE’S CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA WHEN: 6-9 p.m. Friday, May 5 WHERE: Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd.

COST: $50, a portion of the proceeds benefit WSRE-TV Foundation DETAILS: wsre.org

15

calendar THURSDAY 5.4

WORK ON FLORIDA TRAIL 8 a.m. Regular meet

up of Western Gate Florida Trail Association to work on National Scenic Trail and side trail.

Meet at Blackwater River Forestry Center, 11650 Munson Highway. meetup.com/ftawesterngate

SOUTHWEST BRANCH LIBRARY BOOK CLUB

10:30 a.m. John Grisham’s “The Whistler.”

12248 Gulf Beach Highway. mywfpl.com SPRING FLING WITH THE BOGANS 4-7 p.m.

Feat. art of Ben, Chris and Laura Bogan. 500 N. 9th Ave. ATLAS BEVERAGE CLASSES 5-7 p.m. $20 per person. Atlas Oyster House, 600 S. Barracks St. CHRISTOPHER'S CONCERTS 6-8 p.m. Free.

Crosstown Band. St. Christopher's Episcopal Church, 3200 N. 12th Ave. THE MINT JUBILEE 6-9 p.m. $50-$100. The Barkley House, 410 S. Florida Blanca. gulfcoastdiplomacy.org SELECT LATIN DANCE LESSONS AND PARTY

6:30-9 p.m. $10. Salsa, Cha Cha, Bachata and more. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com BLUE WAHOOS VS. BILOXI SHUCKERS 6:35 p.m. Blue Wahoos Stadium, 351 W. Cedar St. bluewahoos.com

FRIDAY 5.5

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR YOUR GARDEN 10-

11:30 a.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org CINCO DE MEOW 11a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrate Cinco

616 1

De Mayo with an adoption special: $20 for cats for 3 years and up, $30 for those that are under 3. Escambia County Animal Shelter, 200 W. Fairfield Dr. CINCO DE MAYO FESTIVAL 11 a.m.-until. Lunch and drink specials, live music. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Free. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. HAPPY HOUR COOK OUTS 5 p.m. Drink specials, free cookout. Seville Quarter, 130 E. Government St. sevillequarter.com CINCO DE MAYO AT JACKSON’S 5:30 p.m. Craft tequilas and menu from Chef Irv Miller. $75 plus tax per person. Jackson’s Steakhouse, 400 S. Palafox. jacksonsrestaurant.com CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA PAINT PARTY 6-8 p.m. $50 per person. Jean & Paul Amos Performance Studio, 1000 College Blvd. wsre.org/50 RESTORATIVE YOGA 6 p.m. Free. Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org DATE NIGHT DANCING 6:30-8 p.m. $15. Learn the basics of several romantic ballroom and country dance styles in unique group classes that keeps partners together. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. dancecraftfl.com NEWSBOYS 7 p.m. $25-$100. Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. pensacolabaycenter.com OPEN MIC 7-11 p.m. Single Fin Cafe, 380 N. 9th Ave. facebook.com/singlefincafe PENSACOLA CHILDREN’S CHORUS: SHOWTIME 7:30 p.m. $25-$41. Saenger Theatre,

118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com

CHARLOTTE'S WEB 7:30 p.m. $7-$30. Pensacola

Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com.

CEDRIC BURNSIDE 9 p.m. $5. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

SATURDAY 5.6

BRAIN TUMOR RUN FOR RESEARCH 5K 7:30 a.m.

Plaza de Luna. braintumorrun.com

SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods and live music. Pace Presbyterian Church, Woodbine Road, Pace.

CLEAN UP WITH OCEAN HOUR 8:45 a.m. Naval Live Oaks Headquarters is on Highway 98 about two miles east of Gulf Breeze on the right. Buckets, grabbers, gloves and trash bags will be supplied. For more information, contact oceanhourfl@gmail.com.

PALAFOX MARKET 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com COOKING DEMONSTRATIONS 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com PAWS ON PALAFOX 9 a.m. $25, all proceeds go to Pensacola Humane Society. Walk begins at Plaza de Luna. pensacolahumane.org/pawson-palafox

CLASS 9:30 a.m.-11 a.m. Free. Blues Angels Music, 657 N. Pace Blvd.

DEBBIE’S KITCHEN: SPINACH ENCHILADAS AND PICA DE GALLO 10 a.m.-12 p.m. $10-$15.

Ever’man Educational Center, 327 W. Garden St. everman.org BURGER BATTLE BY THE BAY 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $10$12 admission. Community Maritime Park, 351 W. Cedar St. INDULGE, FASHION + FUN FOR MOMS 2-4 p.m.

Center court, Cordova Mall, 5100 N. 9th Ave. simon.com/mall/cordova-mall WOOKIE NIGHTS: A STAR WARS CELEBRATION

7 p.m. $15. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. vinylmusichall.com

PENSACOLA CHILDREN’S CHORUS: SHOWTIME

7:30 p.m. $25-$41. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. pensacolasaenger.com CHARLOTTE'S WEB 7:30 p.m. $7-$30. Pensacola Little Theatre, 400 S. Jefferson St. pensacolalittletheatre.com MEDITATIONS OF THE SOUL 7:30 p.m. $20$25. Choral Society of Pensacola performance. First United Methodist Church, 6 East Wright St. choralsocietyofpensacola.org HOMELESS BENEFIT SHOW: SOUR, COOKIES & CAKE, DARK STAR COVEN, ROSWELL 9

p.m.-12 a.m. $5 cover and suggested donation of non-perishable food item. Chizuko, 506 W. Belmont St. for more listings visit inweekly.net

FREE BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE UKULELE

inweekly.net

a&e

by Shelby Smithey

Kitty Get a Job

Behind the scenes with Kitty Get a Job / Courtesy Photo Broad City, The Lonely Island and Funny or Die are just a few of the sketch comedy groups that got their start on YouTube. Local videographer Chris Jadallah and friends are bringing sketch comedy to Pensacola with Kitty Get a Job, a YouTube comedy show with a totally different sketch each month.

Kitty Get a Job is a collaborative effort with different writers and actors for each sketch. Members include Jadallah, his brother Jeremy Jadallah, Ben Murphy, Tyler Simmons, Ryan McBride, Page Spinoso, Jeremy Sommers, Blake Baylor, Sam Shields, Margo Crane, Michael Daw, Kyle Golden, Kyle Hebert and David Cooke.

"I have always had a passion for making people laugh, and this is a way I can make that happen," Jadallah said. "Since any of the 15 members of our crew are welcome to write a sketch for the show, we get an array of different styles. So it's very interesting to see a sketch because they're all pretty different."

Jadallah said that they are heavily influenced by comedians like Louis CK and Tom Segura. He is also a fan of Julian Smith, Balloon Shop, Key and Peele, Edgar Wright and the Eric Andre Show.

"We appreciate comedians who aren't afraid to talk about those usually untouchable topics," he said. "I think there's a way to do it that more so dethrones these terrible topics instead of making light of them."

The process of making a Kitty Get a Job May 4, 2017

sketch usually starts with a weekly meeting where anyone is welcome to bring in a sketch, then they vote on the next one to work on.

"Anyone who has a sketch pitches it to the group," Jadallah said. "Every sketch is a massive collaboration. Even on the shoot day there is still collaboration happening.

I am in the director's chair usually with someone alongside me, but I will always listen to crew on set about ideas to enhance a scene."

As far as improv in the sketches goes, they are very careful not just to show up and film improv.

"That was something we wanted to clarify from the beginning," he said. "We write the sketches and rehearse the sketches, and then improv can happen, but it's better informed and almost always lands better than just walking in with a complete improv idea of a sketch."

Jadallah said that one of his favorite sketches is "Steel Death 2."

"I was lucky enough to make an appearance in that one, as well as help write the sketch alongside Tyler Simmons and edit a big portion of it," he said. "But I would say that one and ‘He's Following Me' are tied in my book."

Jadallah said that he grew up watching Saturday Night Live and comedians including Chris Farley and Adam Sandler.

"I've always just really enjoyed seeing people laugh," he said. "And in high school I really explored that with silly videos I made

number of people that told me I was crazy for the student body. for trying to do something like that in PenIn high school I would sacola. But there was always a part of me preach that laughter was that knew it could be done. I just needed to a cure-all. It can certainly be done in a different way that had been in make you feel really good the past." when you're laughing Jadallah said that Pensacola needed to with somebody." be taught how to respect film production Being a videographer, and what goes into it, and he feels Calliope Jadallah makes sure to Films is on the way to doing that. bring as much production "Of course I would be nowhere without value into the sketches as my fantastic crew that works alongside possible. me," he said. "And awesome enough, they "The sketches are for are also a part of the sketches and the us to practice different writers' meeting. So we do these passion shooting techniques and projects together and then I turn around styles," he said. "We are and hire them for the pay projects and constantly trying to take they're already trained and we work together it to the next level or so well. Nothing makes me feel better than approach it differently. It being able to pay other creatives to work needs to look pretty and alongside me. I mean we have a project curmake you laugh. We still rently where we have six crew members for have to tell a story and six days. Projects like that were thought to the cinematography is be pretty much unheard of in Pensacola." what does that."

Jadallah said that he believes compaJadallah said that nies like his and a few other production they voted for the name companies are making Pensacola a producof Kitty Get a Job almost tion town. a year ago.

"We have a long way to go but we have "Between about nine taken some big steps in the past two years," people in the meeting at the time, he said. "I'm humbled by the fact that I get we had over 160 names submitted as to do what I've always wanted with people a possible name," he said. "The final that I love. And on top of that help support four names were Kitty Get a Job, Stop those people around me and help get them Sign City, Small City Crime or Hotwhere they want to be as well. That is cerdogs Live. The final two were actually tainly what drives me to keep pushing and Kitty Get a Job and Hotdogs Live. growing my company. I suppose I believe Somehow, that's the best we could if I keep doing things for the right reasons come up with. Hotdogs Live did make then my company will continue to grow." it into a sketch just recently though, Jadallah said that writing and working so no hard feelings Hotdogs Live." together with fellow Kitty Get a Job memJadallah said that Kitty Get a bers is a dream come true for him.

Job was the name that he submitted "We all bring something different to the because he always had a lot of cats at table, and all of us are not only becoming his house. better writers but better crew members "I still have two, but I used to have too," he said. "These silly sketches and this like five," he said. "And anytime they writers' meeting bring some of the most would run into the house I would yell joy to my life. And I work for them and at them to get a job and start paying they work for me. And I just can't wait to rent or they had to move out. Or keep helping everyone grow and of course just yell ‘kitty get a job.' I still yell at growing myself with everyone in the room. my cats to get jobs and start paying When I get those phone calls to put my rent. As an insult amongst friends, crew to work nothing makes me happier. we would usually yell at each other to And I can't wait to get some of those bigger get jobs and then I just transferred to phone calls that could seriously change our my kitties. And here we are, Kitty Get lives." {in} a Job has now got its own logo and T-shirts."

Since 2013, Jadallah has owned Calliope Films, his video production company.

Kitty Get a Job releases a new sketch on the first Friday of each "It's a pretty surmonth. Check out their channel by searching "Kitty Get a Job" real thing to me to be on YouTube. honest," Jadallah said.

"I can't tell you the

KITTY GET A JOB

17

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

UWF RECOGNIZES STUDENT EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE The University of West Florida honored more than 175 students at the 29th annual Student Leadership Awards Banquet, hosted by the Division of Student Affairs on April 9 in the UWF Conference Center and Ballroom.

The division presented 14 awards recognizing students for various achievements, including completing thousands of hours of community service and embracing leadership roles that benefit the campus and community.

Awards for Sustained Leadership and Service The Awards for Sustained Leadership and Service, named after two long-serving leaders in the Division of Student Affairs, Linda O. Dye and Kenneth L. Curtis, recognize two seniors for their significant contributions, sustained leadership and service to campus life. Each award included a $500 scholarship. Dr. Kevin Bailey, vice president for student affairs, and Dr. Jim Hurd, senior associate vice president for student affairs, presented the recipients with these awards.

Kaitlin Englund received the Linda O. Dye Award, and Samuel Friday received the Kenneth L. Curtis Award.

Englund was honored for sustained service to the University Commons Service Desk and Ticket Center, The Voyager student newspaper and her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. She earned particular distinction for empowering and developing other students.

Friday was acknowledged for his involvement in multiple campus organizations, in particular for his service as the chief student leader of ArgoCamp, the Student Ambassadors program and his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Mu. He will continue his service to college students after graduation as a leadership consultant for his fraternity.

Hal Crosby Leadership Award Jacob Hebert, president of the Student Government Association, received the Hal Crosby Leadership Award. Named after the University’s founding president, the award honors a graduating senior whose sustained leadership and service to the campus and community leave a substantial and positive impact. Hebert became the first UWF student to serve on the Florida Board of Governors when he was elected chair of the Florida Student Association in May 2016.

Deborah L. Ford Emerging Leader Award Dr. Rebecca Kennedy, assistant vice president of student affairs and director of UWF Counseling and Psychological Services, awarded sophomore Leonie Dupuis with the Deborah L. Ford Emerging Leader Award. Named after a former vice president for student affairs, the award is presented annually to a freshman or sophomore who demonstrates a genuine commitment to the University, specifically in the area of student life.

Dupuis is the president and founder of the UWF chapter of She’s the First, an organization founded to promote girls’ education in developing countries. Dupuis is actively involved with SGA and the Kugelman Honors Program.

Outstanding Student Leaders Robin Zimmern, associate dean of students, recognized senior Timothy Jones with the Outstanding Student Leader Award, given to a junior or senior who demonstrates a collegiate record of leadership and service to the University and campus life.

Jones is active in UWF MEN, Tau Kappa Epsilon and the Student Veterans of America. He is also a professional speaker and facilitator with a focus on veteran homelessness and sexual assault prevention.

Dr. Brandon Frye, dean of students, presented Amanda Haggard with the Outstanding Graduate Student Leader Award, recognizing a collegiate record of leadership and service to UWF and the Pensacola community. As president of the Graduate Student Social Work Organization. Haggard advocated for and worked to serve youths, women, veterans and members of the LGBT community, and connected GSSWO members to professional development and licensure preparation opportunities.

William Vittetoe, director of International Programs, presented Hunter Werenskjold with the Global Citizenship Award for his efforts supporting international students at UWF and, in the words of his nominator, “embodying the belief in togetherness instead of otherness.”

Student-Athlete Leadership Awards Dwight Rutledge, compliance coordinator for Intercollegiate Athletics, awarded Student-Athlete Leadership Awards to men’s cross-country athlete Tim Wenger and women’s basketball player Katie Bobos.

Wenger, president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, finished first for UWF in every event, earning three NCAA All South Region selections and three First-Team All-Gulf South Conference selections. The Gulf South Conference selected Wenger for the All-Academic Team, and athletes programwide count Wenger as a friend and avid supporter.

Bobos led the women’s basketball team to a historic season, becoming the all-time leading rebounder at UWF. She also serves as a tutor and mentor for other student athletes and regularly volunteers in the Pensacola community.

Bill Healey, director of Recreation and Sports Services, inducted students Melissa Farrell and Chris Taylor into the Intramural Hall of Fame. Farrell played more than 120 games for approximately 34 teams while at UWF, winning championships in flag football, volleyball and soccer. Taylor won championships in volleyball, flag football and basketball, participated in the National Flag Football Tournament and participated in every intramural sport offered at UWF. Both were commended for their sportsmanship and service as intramural sports officials and staff members.

Healey also presented Alan Moore, president of the Handball Club, with the Sport Club Leader of the Year Award.

Chance Ryon received the William M. Healey Leadership Award, named for the recreation director, and was given a $500 scholarship. The award honors a recreational sports participant or employee who demonstrates leadership, sportsmanship and integrity while advancing the mission of Recreation and Sports Services.

Aubrey Frazier, assistant director for leadership, service and fraternity/sorority life, presented the Legacy Awards to seniors whose leadership in Fraternal and Sorority Life will leave a lasting impact. Frazier honored Malcolm Griffith, Sigma Chi; Diamond Hadley, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.; Ali Berkowitz, Alpha Chi Omega; Taylor Suwarow, Kappa Delta; Hakeem Douglas, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Heather Jackson, Alpha Gamma Delta; Samuel Friday, Sigma Alpha Mu; Cassidy Koch and Autumn Wable, Alpha Delta Pi; and Picasso Knowles, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Cannon Citations Dr. Ben Stubbs, associate director of University Commons and Student Involvement, awarded Cannon Citations to Ryan Dawkins, Sydney Stone, Diamond Hadley, Jennifer Davidson, Lauren McCurdy, Jacob Hebert, Lauren Meadors and Allee Millsap. Inspired by alumnus Robert Annin, who retrieved the cannon that stands on the Pensacola campus’ Cannon Green from Pensacola Pass, the award recognizes significant student achievement and lasting impact.

President’s Volunteer Service Award Eleven student organizations and 91 individuals were honored for their community service with the President’s Volunteer Service Award, created in 2003 by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation under President George W. Bush “to recognize the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve.”

Collectively, students in these organizations recorded more than 8,800 hours of community service in 2016. These organizations included chapters of the University’s Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Kugelman Honors Program and academic student organizations. Students who completed 25 hours of service or more were recognized individually for their contributions.

Who’s Who The Student Leadership Awards program also recognized 77 students named Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges.

For more information about the Student Leadership Awards, visit uwf.edu/sla.

Sponsored by The Studer Family

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inweekly.net

news of the weird ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT A San Francisco startup recently introduced a countertop gadget to squeeze fruit and vegetables for you so that your hands don't get sore. However, the Juicero (a) requires that the fruit and veggies be pre-sliced in precise sections conveniently available for purchase from the Juicero company, (b) has, for some reason, a Wi-Fi connection, and (c) sells for $399.

(Bonus: Creator Jeff Dunn originally priced it at $699, but had to discount it after brutal shopper feedback. Double Bonus: Venture capitalists actually invested $120 million to develop the Juicero, anticipating frenzied consumer love.)

GREAT ART! Monument to Flossing: Russian artist Mariana Shumkova is certainly doing her part for oral hygiene, publicly unveiling her St. Petersburg statuette of a frightening, malformed head displaying actual extracted human teeth, misaligned and populating holes in the face that represent the mouth and eyes. She told Pravda in April that "only (something with) a strong emotional impact" would make people think about tooth care.

•Artist Lucy Gafford of Mobile, Alabama, has a flourishing audience of fans (exact numbers not revealed), reported AL.com in March, but lacking a formal "brick and mortar" gallery show, she must exhibit her estimated 400 pieces online only. Gafford, who has long hair, periodically flings loose, wet strands onto her shower wall and arranges them into designs, which she photographs and posts, at a rate of about one new creation a week since 2014.

BRIGHT IDEAS Though complete details were not available in news reports of the case, it is nonetheless clear that magistrates in Llandudno, Wales, had ordered several punishments in April for David Roberts, 50, including probation, a curfew, paying court costs, and, in the magistrates' words, that Roberts attend a "thinking skills" course.

Roberts had overreacted to a speeding motorcyclist on a footpath by later installing a chest-high, barbed-wire line across the path that almost slashed another cyclist. (A search did not turn up "thinking skills" courses in Wales—or in America, where they are certainly badly needed, even though successful classes of that type would surely make News of the Weird's job harder.)

RAISING A HARDY GENERATION Preschoolers at the Elves and Fairies Woodland Nursery in Edmondsham, England, rough it all day long outside, using tools (even a saw!), burning wood, planting crops. Climbing ropes and rolling in the mud are also encouraged.

Kids as young as age 2 grow and cook herbs and vegetables (incidentally absorbing "arithmetic" by measuring ingredients). In its most recent accreditation inspection, the nursery was judged "outstanding."

by Chuck Shepherd

COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS Criminal Defenses Unlikely to Succeed: (1) To protest a disorderly conduct charge in Sebastian, Florida, in March, Kristen Morrow, 37, and George Harris, 25 (who were so "active" under a blanket that bystanders complained), began screaming at a sheriff's deputy—that Morrow is a "famous music talent" and that the couple are "with" the Illuminati. (The shadowy "Illuminati," if it exists, reputedly forbids associates to acknowledge that it exists.) Morrow and Harris were arrested.

(2) Wesley Pettis, 24, charged with damaging 60 trees in West Jordan, Utah, in 2016, was ordered to probation and counseling in March, stemming from his defense that, well, the trees had hurt him "first."

LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS Legendary German Engineering: The state-ofthe-art Berlin Brandenburg Airport, originally scheduled to open in 2012, has largely been "completed," but ubiquitous malfunctions have moved the opening back to at least 2020.

Among the problems: cabling wrongly laid out; escalators too short; 4,000 doors incorrectly numbered; a chief planner who turned out to be an impostor; complete failure of the "futuristic" fire safety system, e.g., no smoke exhaust and no working alarms (provoking a suggested alternative to just hire 800 low-paid staff to walk around the airport and watch for fires). The initial $2.2 billion price tag is now $6.5 billion (and counting).

RICH NUMBERS IN THE NEWS (1) A onebedroom, rotting-wood bungalow (built in 1905) in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California, sold in April for $755,000 ($260,000 over the asking price). (2) Business Week reported in April that Wins Finance Holdings (part of the Russell 2000 small-company index) has reported stock price fluctuations since its 2015 startup— of as much as 4,555 percent (and that no one knows why). (3) New Zealand officials reported in March that Apple had earned more than NZ$4.2 billion ($2.88 billion in U.S. dollars) in sales last year, but according to the country's rules, did not owe a penny in income tax.

UNDIGNIFIED DEATHS Dark Day for Competitive Eating: A 42-year-old man choked to death on April 2 at a Voodoo Doughnut shop in Denver as he accepted the store's "Tex-Ass Challenge" to eat a half-pounder (equivalent of six regular donuts) in 80 seconds. Later the same day, in Fairfield, Connecticut, a 21-year-old college student died, three days after collapsing, choking, at a pancake-eating contest at the Sacred Heart University student center. {in} From Universal Press Syndicate Chuck Shepherd’s News Of The Weird © 2015 Chuck Shepherd

Send your weird news to Chuck Shepherd, P.O. Box 18737, Tampa, Fla., 33679 or weirdnews@earthlink.net, or go to newsoftheweird.com May 4, 2017

19

With a program format that has forever altered

journalistic storytelling on the radio, host Ira Glass pursues a theme in unexpected ways each week.

Photo: Douglas Barnes/Showtime

Broadcast

Saturdays NOON Repeated

Wednesdays NOON

Learn more and find the full list of WUWF programs at wuwf.org/ programs.

Listen on WUWF 88.1 FM or wuwf.org.

BOTTOMLESS CHAMPAGNE AND MIMOSAS FOR $5 AND BLOODY MARYS FOR $2

Mother’s Day Brunch SUNDAY, MAY 14, FROM 11:00 A.M. UNTIL 3:00 P.M. Chef de Cuisine Jason Hughes’ feature will be available throughout the day: Salmon Wellington — salmon fillet, caramelized shallots, wild mushroom duxelles, and spinach baked in flaky puff pastry.

Served with grilled asparagus and finished with a Dijon and tarragon hollandaise. Additionally, we’ll be serving from our regular menus—brunch from 11 till 3, dinner from 3 till—with all your Fish House favorites. For details, visit fishhousepensacola.com.

DOWNTOWN ON THE WATER · 600 SOUTH BARRACKS STREET · FISHHOUSEPENSACOLA.COM · (850) 470-0003 · OPEN DAILY AT 11 A.M.

Independent News | May 4, 2017 | inweekly.net