Inweekly oct 1 2015 issue

An Interview with Folk Artist Panhandle Slim

Independent News | October 1, 2015 | Volume 16 | Number 39 | inweekly.net

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winners & losers 4

outtakes 5

news

buzz 10

6, 8

Pensacola stands out for its diversity, without any question.

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cover story

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15

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publisher Rick Outzen

art director Richard Humphreys

editor & creative director Joani Delezen

contributing writers Jason Leger, Jennifer Leigh, Emily Richey, Chuck Shepherd, Shelby Smithey

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

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winners & losers

John A. Boehner

winners

losers

GANNETT COMPANY The media giant has united its Florida newspapers, including the Pensacola News Journal, Tallahassee Democrat, Fort Myers News–Press and Florida Today, to fight corruption in local governments across the state. The Gannett newspapers have proposed an anti-corruption bill for the 2016 Florida legislative session. Twenty state attorneys are also supporting the bill. State Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville), a long-time advocate for tougher ethics laws, has agreed to sponsor the bill.

JOHN A. BOEHNER The Speaker of the House announced that he would resign his position and give up his House seat at the end of October. The pressure from conservatives in his party had reached the breaking point. Ohio voters elected Boehner to Congress in 1990, and he has been House Speaker since 2012. Maybe it was something Pope Francis said when he addressed Congress the previous day.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY The county’s neigh-

by the Florida Department of Health shows that 6.9 percent of high school students smoke cigarettes, part of a steady decline during the past two decades. However, they are flocking to electronic cigarettes.

The report found that 15.8 percent of highschool students use electronic cigarettes, which allow people to inhale vaporized nicotine in different flavors. That was up from 10.8 percent in 2014 and 5.4 percent in 2013.

borhood cleanup program has collected and disposed of more than 250,320 pounds of debris during this year. The initiative involves an aggressive cleanup effort, targeting different neighborhoods throughout the county, with crew members and volunteers working hard to pick up a variety of debris and waste, including electronics, furniture, paint, old batteries and tires.

PENSACOLA STATE COLLEGE The college is listed in the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers in the nation for the seventh straight year, according to Community College Week magazine. Pensacola State College also ranked in the Top 50 list for granting associate degrees in specific areas. The college ranks 26th in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing; and 40th in Health Professions and Related Programs.

Overall, PSC ranks 96th in awarding associate degrees in all disciplines.

TEEN SMOKING A state report released

ESCAMBIA COUNTY JAIL How many deaths will it take for the county to realize something is wrong at the jail? Five deaths, three of which were apparent suicides, have occurred in the last 11 months. Staffing, supervision, training and everything else need to be examined. Something is definitely amiss. The county’s insurance carrier should be getting very nervous.

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outtakes

by Rick Outzen

A HIGHER STANDARD Five years ago, Governor Charlie Crist and Attorney General Bill McCollum empaneled a statewide grand jury to investigate the causes and circumstances of corruption in state and local government and recommend changes.

In December 2010, the grand jury issued its report that challenged the widespread notion that it was okay that government business was an insider game, where a few profited off the resources of the many.

The report stated, “The cadets at our nation’s military academies swear an oath to neither lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do. There is no reason we should hold our public officials to a lesser standard.”

The grand jury coined the phrase “Florida’s Corruption Tax” to refer to fraud, waste, and abuse of funds at all levels of government. It understood that while government has become more complex, and the variety of revenue sources has expanded, government fundamentally must be based on a shared trust and integrity.

The grand jury examined the criminal activity of public officials who had abused their powers via their public office. It considered whether Florida’s prosecutors had sufficient resources to combat corruption and addressed the effectiveness of Florida’s current statutes in fighting public corruption.

It found that one reason Florida’s ethics laws and anti-corruption measures weren’t taken seriously by some politicians and govern-

ment contractors was that they were rarely punished under the public corruption laws in the state. The act was not criminalized. The cases were too difficult to prove due to their definitions and extra elements of profit. When punishments were imposed, they were often too lenient.

Since the 2010 report, State Sen. Don Gaetz has tried to implement many of the recommendations and has been moderately successful. However, local governments are still battling bribery, bid tampering, fraud and other abuses.

Last week, the Gannett and its Florida newspapers, which include the Pensacola News Journal, began a campaign to have the legislature pass an anti-corruption bill based on the recommendations of the 2010 report.

The bill adds government contractors to the list of “public servants” subject to corruption statutes. It also removes the requirement that prosecutors prove that defendants in corruption cases acted with corrupt thoughts or intent—a greater burden of proof than for other crimes.

Writing editorials and columns won't make the bill a law. It needs sponsors in both state chambers. Sen. Gaetz has agreed to sponsor it in the Senate, but a House sponsor is still needed.

Let’s hope someone steps up soon. We can’t afford to pay this "tax" any longer. {in} rick@inweekly.net

Our local governments are still battling bribery, bid tampering, fraud and other abuses.

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AIMING FOR PENSACOLA

Dr. Matt Clavin / Courtesy Photo

By Rick Outzen Pensacola was not a cornerstone of the antebellum South or the Confederacy, according to a new book written by University of Houston history professor Matt Clavin. The port city was just the opposite, a refuge for runaway slaves.

The book, “Aiming for Pensacola: Fugitive Slaves on the Atlantic and Southern Frontiers,” recounts how fugitive slaves sought freedom by sojourning deeper into the American South toward an unlikely destination: the small seaport of Pensacola.

As neighboring Gulf Coast seaports like New Orleans experienced rapid population growth and economic development based on racial slavery, Pensacola became known for something else: as an enclave of diverse, free peoples of European, African and Native American descent. Farmers, laborers, mechanics, soldiers and sailors learned to cooperate across racial lines and possessed no vested interest in maintaining slavery or white supremacy.

The interracial resistance to slavery thrived in Pensacola in the years before the Civil War. Clavin contends that resistance 66

would play a role in demolishing the foundations of Southern slavery.

Dr. Clavin writes and teaches in the areas of American and Atlantic history, with a focus on the history of race, slavery and abolition.

He received his Ph.D. at American University in 2005 and is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships from the American Antiquarian Society, the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, the National Endowment for the Humanities and others. His book is published by the Harvard University Press and is available on Amazon.com.

According to Clavin, Pensacola was a frontier in the decades leading up to the Civil War, existing on the edges of the antebellum South.

“Much of the East Coast of the United States was expanding, and across the southwest you had the expansion of slavery, cotton slaves,” he recently said on News Talk 1370 WCOA’s “Pensacola Speaks.” “That's the general narrative, but there were pockets of areas, places like Pensacola that cotton didn't grow, that plantation slavery didn't really take root, so it's just a very, very unique place.”

Pensacola was not your typical southern town. Clavin said, “Pensacola was a port town. It attracted folks from all over the globe, literally.”

During the recent debate over whether Confederate flags should fly over city and county buildings, some portrayed Pensacola as a cornerstone of the south, even a cornerstone of the confederacy, but it really wasn't, according to Clavin. He said that slave owners had great

power politically and economically in Pensacola, like other places, but the U.S. military was really the economic engine.

“It kept Pensacola connected to the North and being that the military was oftentimes close to 50-percent foreigners in the antebellum era, you're talking about the typical person on Pensacola streets before the Civil War was not a native-born southerner,’ he said. “It could have been a person of Spanish descent, French descent.”

He added, “Pensacola Gazette, they were still publishing in the French language in the 1820s, as well as Spanish on occasion. That diversity really persisted through the Civil War era.”

Clavin said the city had significant number of Creoles, people of multiethnic, multi-racial descent.

“They're there through the end of the Civil War era, even through reconstruction,” said Clavin. “Pensacola stands out for its diversity, without any question.”

Pensacola became a safe haven because it was a seaport on the edges of the South, and its people didn’t enforce laws regarding runaway slaves, even when there were laws in place to capture fugitive slaves.

Clavin said, “Pensacola had a little brick building that just about everybody broke out of, even if you tried to incarcerate them. Slaves tried to get to Pensacola from all over the Deep South. They walked, they ran, sometimes they got on a boat, in places like Santa Rosa County, further east, from Alabama, they might float or sail their way to Pensacola.”

Once in Pensacola, most slaves sought passage on a ship to the Bahama Islands, where slavery was abolished, to England, to Canada, or to Mexico where they could disappear. Oftentimes they sought and connected with family and friends at the military base.

Clavin said the Navy Yard employed slaves. He found newspaper articles of slaves being sold away from Pensacola and a year later, they escaped from Georgia, Alabama or other parts of Florida and

“It's not to say that all white Pensacolians were helping slaves...but there were enough of them.” Dr. Matt Clavin reconnected with friends or family in Pensacola pretending they were free.

“They'd work on the docks or at the Navy Yard and oftentimes they would get away with it because the lack of enforcement,” he said.

In the years after the War of 1812, Pensacola was “hemorrhaging” fugitive sales from the region, according to Clavin. The geography of the area and the presence of the U.S. military separated Pensacola from Mobile and New Orleans where slavery thrived. He said that the military undermined slave owners’ authority.

“For example, in the military, in the 1830s in Pensacola, slaves were allowed to testify against white people,” said Clavin. “Nowhere else in the South could you find that.”

He said on the military base, “AfricanAmerican slaves lived in barracks, they didn't have an overseer or owner anywhere near the Navy Yard. They were under the authority of the military, but from a slave's point of view, this was fantastic.”

While many historians recognize the role the Underground Railroad played in helping slaves escape to freedom in the north, they overlook the role of sympathetic southerners.

“It's not to say that all white Pensacolians were helping slaves; they were not,” said Clavin. “But there were enough of them. They worked on the water, they worked on the docks, they're blacksmiths, they're artisans, they worked alongside these black people and they got along, quite frankly.”

He said, “The book has a lot to say about inter-racialism and Pensacola being this frontier town, where black and white people, despite the regional culture which frowned upon inter-racial relations of many different varieties, they persist.

They even thrive in Pensacola during the era of slavery.” {in} inweekly.net

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7

UNDERHILL TALKS ABOUT DISTRICT 2 area,” he said. “Also, for families from Myrtle Grove and elsewhere on the west side, that's their local beach, and they need to continue to have access to it.”

This summer, a new citizens group was formed to help revitalize the Warrington area. Underhill said the grass-roots organization got together and just said, "We're tired of talking about what's wrong with Warrington.

Let's start doing something right."

He said, “The “Bring Back Warrington” group is not like a lot of these citizen involvement groups in that negativity is not allowed. I mean, you've got to come with positive mentality, a positive vision for Warrington. It doesn't mean that we don't talk about the things that are problems, but the whole focus is on what can we do to make a difference today.”

Underhill pointed out this is the same group that launched the food truck rally on Barrancas Avenue.

“While the city is struggling on what to do with food trucks, we know what to do with food trucks in Warrington,” said the commissioner with a smile. “Go get lunch.”

Underhill discussed the numerous capital improvement projects in District 2. For him, infrastructure is critical to economic development and job creation.

“We've got a lot of deferred maintenance infrastructure issues,” he said. “At Checker's there at Navy Boulevard and Gulf Beach Highway, we refer to that as ‘dysfunction junction,’ and you only have to drive through it once to know why we call it that. That should have been taken care of years ago. Construction is getting underway there.”

New bridges are under construction at Navy Point and on Corry Field Road. He said, “You know, we always talk about what can government do to bring back jobs. The biggest thing that government needs to be doing is fixing the infrastructure to create an environment where the private sector wants to bring in jobs.”

Underhill has been a big proponent of Escambia County becoming a hub for the cyber security industry.

“Twenty-five years ago when I started (with the Navy), I went to Defense Language Institute to learn Arabic,” he said.

“My chief back then told me, ‘Take Arabic, and you'll have a job for the rest of your life.’ I was at the cutting edge of what

became a lifetime in the counter terrorism industry.”

He said that high school graduates today should be advised to get into cyber security.

“We're at the front end of something,” said Underhill. “This isn't where we have to chase down an industry that maybe Mobile, Ala. or someone else has already got a market share on. This is ours and, quite frankly, nobody in the southeast can compete with us in it because of the Center for Information Dominance, because of the military presence that's here and a lot of civilian jobs in cyber security.”

He doesn’t want children who grow up on the west side of Escambia to be left out of cyber security jobs.

“I'll tell you the big challenge and the one I'm mostly worried about is how do we make sure that our kids, if you're a kid growing up in Warrington, how do you get on that first and second rung of the ladder,” he said.

The commissioner is concerned about public education and the county’s low graduation rate.

“We spend a lot of time in my office doing things like getting cats out of trees and fixing pot holes,” said Underhill, “but if we really want to make a difference in Escambia County, 100 percent of our population needs to get together and say it will not be acceptable five years from now to have a 30-percent drop out rate. It is no longer acceptable to have 30 percent of our kids showing up at school on the first day of kindergarten unprepared for kindergarten.”

He added, “We need to, as a society, just say no more of that. We can bring in all the VTMAE's and all the different economic development things we want to do, but if we don't fix this one thing, then nothing else that we do is going to make a difference.”

The commissioner sees the education issue being a problem for the entire community to help solve.

“One third of our kids not showing up at kindergarten ready to learn—that's on us as a county,” he said. “We've got to see new ideas. We've got to see a diversity of ideas, because what's good for my kid might not be good for a kid from Brownsville.”

He added, “If it takes 5,000 different options, then we need to provide that, and I know that sounds like okay, how are you going to pay for it? A journey of a thousand steps begins with a single step, so we just have to set that as an expectation of ourselves that we will no longer accept having a failing education system.” {in}

“One third of our kids not showing up at kindergarten ready to learn—that's on us as a county.” Underhill

Doug Underhill / Courtesy Photo

By Rick Outzen Escambia County’s newest commissioner has gone through his first budget cycle. He has debated the confederate battle, location of the new county jail and the formula for allocating local gas tax revenues.

Commissioner Doug Underhill has not been afraid to speak his mind, even if he might step on a few toes. He recently spoke with Inweekly about his initiation into county government. He discussed Perdido Key, infrastructure projects in District 2, the future of cyber security in Escambia County and how to make sure our children are prepared for jobs in that industry.

On the topic of Perdido Key, Commissioner Underhill wants the county to master plan the area for the final development of the island and do it with input from all the stakeholders.

“So often in Escambia County somebody will come up with a plan, and then 88

we'll go out and try to build the equity holder buy-in after the plan has already been made,” said Underhill. “We're going to flip that back into the right paradigm, which is we're going to pull all the citizens together, the equity holders on the island together, and build out a master plan where those equity holders are in it from the get-go instead of bringing them in at the end.”

Without a master plan, the commissioner believes the island would become nothing but condominiums and wouldn't be accessible to Escambia County residents.

“We have to remember that that island is important to those of us who live on it, but it's also very important to those who live just off the island in the greater Perdido

“While the city is struggling on what to do with food trucks, we know what to do with food trucks in Warrington, go get lunch.”

Doug Underhill

inweekly.net

DIFFERENCE MAKERS

Ray Palmer, Pensacola Sports Association Wins State Award Ray Palmer and the Pensacola Sports Association (PSA) are committed to enhancing the Pensacola sports scene, promoting health, fitness and sportsmanship and growing sports tourism in the Pensacola area. Their efforts were recognized last week by the Florida Sports Foundation as they were awarded the 2015 Florida Sports Leadership Award.

Florida Sports Foundation President John Webb made a special trip to Pensacola to attend the PSA’s monthly board meeting, during which he made a brief announcement and informed the board and Ray Palmer, PSA Executive Director, of the recognition. The Florida Sports Foundation, a Division of Enterprise Florida, supports 27 sports commissions in the state, awards this recognition once a year to a director and commission based on its ongoing success in the sports tourism industry.

“Just as Florida with the leadership of Visit Florida leads the nation in the tourism industry, the Florida Sports Foundation sets the bar nationally as the model in the sports tourism segment, said Ray Palmer on his recognition. “Florida is where the world comes to play and sports and recreation spending is responsible for $44.4 billion in economic output. The 27 sports commission’s directors and staffs are some of the most highly respected names in the entire industry. For the Pensacola Sports Association to be recognized with this award by the Governor of Florida and the Florida Sports Foundation is truly an honor second to none.”

The PSA has a full line-up of sports tourism events in the fall including the Pensacola Marathon Presented by Publix (Nov. 8), FCSAA State Volleyball Championship (Nov. 4-8), Pensacola Futures USTA Tennis Championship (Nov. 12-22), NCAA DII National Soccer Championships (Dec. 2-5) and NIRSA Flag Football National Championship (Jan. 1-3). Other sports tourism events include youth soccer, ice hockey, equestrian, and senior softball. A full listing of PSA and other sporting events can be found at www.pensacolasports.com.

“The Pensacola Sports Association has a long heritage of hosting a variety of amateur, leisure and collegiate sports in the Panhandle of Florida,” said FSF President John Webb. “Over the years, their sports tourism events have brought in a significant number of out-of-state visitors from the Gulf Coast region of the United States and the Southeast to enhance the quality of life of those living in Northwest Florida. Because of the professional efforts of Ray and the PSA the area will continue to experience sports tourism growth.”

“This honor is certainly well deserved,” said Steve Hayes, President of Visit Pensacola. “With each event that PSA brings to the Pensacola Bay Area, a new group of people are introduced to our beautiful destination. When they plan their vacations, we hope they remember the great time they had here in Pensacola.”

The PSA is one of the oldest sports associations/commissions in the United States, beginning in 1954. Today the PSA manages or assists in numerous events a year throughout the Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa county areas. Events include a high school all-star series, flag football, 5K-15K runs, marathons, triathlons, bicycle races, collegiate national championships, and annual awards and scholarships banquets to name a few. The PSA is dedicated to building a better community through sports.

Sponsored by Quint and Rishy Studer October 1, 2015

9

GO ARGOS University of

Judy Bense / Photo Courtesy of UWF

010 1

West Florida President Dr. Judy Bense presented the 2015 State of the University address last week, providing an update on the university’s recent accomplishments, as well as priorities and initiatives for the 201516 academic year.

She spoke of the school receiving the 2015 Community Engagement Classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The honor recognized UWF for its efforts and commitment to the community and use of resources, knowledge and research to make a positive difference in Northwest Florida and beyond.

The Military Order of the Purple Heart also designated UWF as a “Purple

Heart University.” This designation is given to universities for outstanding service to military service members, veterans, their dependents and their survivors. UWF is one of only two universities in Florida to receive the honor.

On “Pensacola Speaks,” Bense shared the highlights of her address.

“First of all, we've got a lot to be proud of, and I am so happy we're at a real peaceful and progressive state,” she said. “It's very different than last year. That shows we've solved a lot of our problems.”

The university has reached an agreement regarding the UFF/UWF Collective Bargaining contract negotiations for 2015-16.

Bense said, “The faculty is happy.

We've settled with the union early, and it was amicable. We handled cost of living, wage compression and raises. Everybody in the university got a raise. That always makes people feel better, and it makes us feel good that we can do it.”

Every 10 years, universities and college go through a reaccreditation process.

“This is our tenth year, and we're sailing

through it just fine,” said the UWF president. “That's thanks to Martha Saunders, our Provost, and all of our deans.”

Last year, the State of Board Education implemented a new performance-funding model. UWF didn’t do well, ranking at the bottom of the state’s universities. Bense met the challenge, placing Dr. Saunders in charge of both academics and operations.

“It was the last year of my original contract, and I'll be dead-gummed if I'm going to quit while we're down, so I asked for some more time to get us up, and it worked,” said Bense. “One of the things about people in Northwest Florida is there's no cavalry coming to save us.”

She said, “We don't have a delegation of 50 important, rich alums in the legislature.

We have to roll up our shirt sleeves and fix ourselves. We've done it a million times.”

The effort worked, and the state board recognized UWF for its turnaround. However, the victory was short-lived.

“We were the poster child of improvement,” said Bense. “What happened?

We're not going to have a good score this

inweekly.net

year. Those in the bottom six or seven universities roller coaster at the bottom, and we all struggle to stay above 26 out of 50. We struggle to not be in the bottom three. That's just the way the system is, and maybe we can modify that system a little bit this year. “ Recently Bense was given a contract extension that ensures she will be the UWF president to December 2016. The extension gives the UWF Board of Trustees time to find her replacement.

“Every president is temporary, but the most important part of the presidency is the succession,” she said. “You need to pick a good next one that buys into the vision and buys into the plan that the university wants. This gives them that chance to make a good succession plan, and I know they'll do a good job.”

Bense said, “The extension gives our board of trustees a nice long period of time to be able to do the search, to get it right, to have the faculty staff and student community involved in it. That's what I'm happiest about.”

of the country. They regularly bring children to the WSRE Imagination Station at Blue Wahoos Stadium, so we’ve seen firsthand the positive difference they make in the lives of those kids and families,” said Jill Hubbs, WSRE’s director of educational content and services.

Broadcast and streamed live from the Tisch WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in New York, the annual multiplatform event is part of the public media initiative, American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen, helping communities bolster graduation rates through the power and reach of local public media stations.

“American Graduate Day” celebrates the exceptional work of individuals and groups who are Champions of Education: those helping youth stay on track to college and career successes. It is anchored by “Stories of Champions,” a series of 14 short profile pieces scheduled to air every half hour that spotlight individuals and influential figures in local communities around the country who are successfully keeping students on the path to graduation.

WSRE’s “Stories of Champions” clip about Autism Pensacola puts the spotlight on Susan Byram, president and CEO of the organization. The clip is one of three “Stories of Champions” videos produced by WSRE for local broadcast leading up to the national “American Graduate Day” event.

The local videos also showcase the work and commitment of Laurie Rogers, Pace Center for Girls executive director with Lisa Armstead, Pace Center for Girls teacher; and Jennifer Ponson of Pensacola State College, SkillsUSA regional coordinator. All three videos can also be viewed online at wsre.org/americangraduate.

These local “Stories of Champions” videos, including the one selected for national broadcast, were produced by Hubbs and WSRE producers/directors Ted King and James Roy.

"Every president is temporary, but the most important part of the presidency is the succession.” Judy Bense

MR. REEVES, TAKE DOWN THAT FENCE The Community Maritime Park Associates Board of Trustees voted on Sept.

23 to replace the left field fence that is being held up by 2×4s with a permanent fence that will better accommodate football at the Blue Wahoos Stadium.

The cost to build the new fence, which increases the outfield by approximately 17 feet, and also construct enclosed pads for the park’s dumpsters, is $71,725.

Maritime Place will contribute $2,500 for one of the pads, the city of Pensacola will contribute $6,500, and the balance will be loaned by the University of West Florida and CMPA reserves. Rent from UWF football will reimburse the reserves and the university.

Mayor Ashton Hayward came to show his support for the solution, as did UWF VP Dr. Brendan Kelly. The CMPA board approved the solution by an 8-3 vote.

AUTISM PENSACOLA ON PBS WSRE,

PBS for the Gulf Coast, has received word from “American Graduate Day 2015” producers in New York that the station’s locally-produced “Stories of Champions” video clip about Autism Pensacola will be televised during the day-long “American Graduate Day” broadcast, which premieres Saturday, Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. CDT on PBS stations nationwide.

The local piece is scheduled to air during the 2:30 p.m. half-hour block, which will focus on supporting students with special needs.

“We are thrilled that our piece on Autism Pensacola will be shared with the rest October 1, 2015

HEALTHY WEIGHT CITY On Sept. 19,

Dr. John Lanza and the Florida Department of Health Escambia County presented the city of Pensacola a plaque recognizing the city as a 2015 Healthy Weight Community Champion.

The City was selected in January to receive the designation due to the city implementing the “Penny for Progress Sidewalk Plan” each fiscal year; maintaining 93 parks and open spaces and 61 playgrounds, as well as having a farmer’s market within the City’s urban core. Councilman Brian Spencer was on hand to accept the recognition. {in}

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inweekly.net

An Interview with Folk Artist Panhandle Slim

BY SCOTT SATTERWHITE His paintings are everywhere. Well, everywhere in our town at least.

If you’ve lived in Pensacola and bothered to step out of your house, there’s a good chance you’ve come across the work of artist Scott Stanton—otherwise known as Panhandle Slim.

Often painted on pieces of discarded wood, old maps, and sometimes overtop of other paintings found in thrift shops, his images of iconic figures usually with a quote beside their head are both distinct and ubiquitous throughout the community.

A longtime fixture in Pensacola’s subcultures, Stanton first made his mark as a professional skater (sponsored by Zorlac, he even had his own board design).

Following that fame in the ‘80s skate scene, he fronted several bands over the next two decades (Plaid Girl, This Bike is a Pipe Bomb, and Causey Way to name just a few). He also assisted legendary musician and longtime friend, the late Wesley Willis.

Since Willis’s 2003 death, he somewhat reinvented himself—from Scott Stanton the skater/musician to the folk artist who goes by Panhandle Slim.

Panhandle Slim paints constantly, producing dozens of works annually. Currently October 1, 2015

living in Savannah, Georgia, Panhandle Slim draws his influence from Southern folk artist Howard Finster—as well as those he paints. The diversity of his subjects stretches from Dolly Parton to Malcolm X, from the Pope to Bill O'Reilly, and so on.

Panhandle Slim’s distinct style—head shot and a quote—pushed his work into many unlikely venues. The art lovers are just as likely to see a Panhandle Slim show at a gallery as they would at a restaurant like Sluggo’s. From classrooms to bars, his paintings are literally everywhere.

While well known in certain communities, images of Panhandle Slim’s paintings went viral after he memorialized the nine people shot to death in the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina last June. After researching the victims and creating nine very poignant works of art, he delivered the paintings directly to the church and quietly left them by the memorial. That’s his style: Humble and unpretentious; powerful in simplicity.

Though his paintings are everywhere, interviews with Panhandle Slim are rare.

For many who are used to seeing quotes painted by Panhandle Slim, this interview will be the first time they’ve read his own words. In this interview, Panhandle Slim

describes his art, the Charleston shootings, his family and his hometown of Pensacola.

INWEEKLY: Your paintings of celebrities are all over town, from numerous bars to my son’s first grade classroom.

Where did you first get the idea to paint pop icons?

PANHANDLE SLIM: I saw a Howard Finster painting that I wanted but couldn’t afford. I went home and made one to the best of my ability. Taking my jigsaw and cutting out the wood was the easy part for me. The painting was the new venture for me.

I painted Dolly Parton as my first painting. I had so much fun doing [that painting], I did more and more. From Hank Williams to Malcolm X, [these] were some of my first paintings. It was not until later that the voice or spirit of Wesley Willis told me to start painting lyrics and stories on the paintings. So my love for music and my days of loitering in this pop-influenced world shaped my adventure in painting.

INWEEKLY: What inspires you to paint?

PANHANDLE SLIM: The urge to create.

The drive to learn something new every day. The passion to spread a message from the past. The desire to connect with other people who might be thinking as I do, as well as the desire to connect with people

who may not think like me. The idea of creating a little piece of art that was not with us yesterday inspires me. The idea that after someone throws away some old wood, I can take that wood, paint something on it, and someone hangs that painting in their personal space: that inspires me. The smile on a person’s face inspires me.

INWEEKLY: After your years as a professional skater, singer for numerous bands, why decide to go with this somewhat-new persona—Panhandle Slim?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Good question. I’m not really sure, but I believe there is some psychology behind it. Maybe if I approach this as a “different person”, that protects me from Scott Stanton, the real life person.

[The name] allows me to be and do what I want. Real life, work and the competitive nature of life can bring pressure upon an individual. Approaching something with the idea of having, for a while, satisfied one’s soul is very healthy to me.

Creating a new “character” gives one a clean slate to approach the river to “row, row, row, your boat.” I don’t think “Scott Stanton” would have taken all the art chances if I didn’t go at it as “Panhandle Slim.” Scott might have let the fear of “you don’t know how to paint” and “you are not an artist” stop this mission dead on the track. But then again, I’m not really sure. But I bet there is a good answer.

15

INWEEKLY: Where did you come up with the name “Panhandle Slim”?

PANHANDLE SLIM: The first few paintings I did were signed “Scott Causey.”

[Note- Stanton was the lead singer for the band Causey Way]. That’s what Wesley Willis used to call me… [Then] my buddy Jody Bilinski from Pensacola, who was an old bandmate, came up to Michigan to visit me. He was wearing a western wear shirt called “Panhandle Slim,” and I said, “I like that name. I’m going to sign my painting with that name.” I started that day. I thought, I am from the Panhandle of Florida.

INWEEKLY: It suits you. So what made you venture into the folk art style of painting?

PANHANDLE SLIM: I did not really know it at the time, but punk rock, skateboarding and the spirit of doing-it-without-a-guidebook or lessons drove my paintings. Folk art spoke to me. It told me that anyone can create art, and that made me create art.

Punk Rock told me that anyone can create music, and I did so. Skateboarding told me that there are no rules or limits in being an

athlete. I don’t think folk artists care at all what art coaches think. We just create what comes to our mind, and folks either like it or they don’t.

INWEEKLY: Your art is seen by many as folk art. How do you see yourself and your work in the long tradition of Southern folk art?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Well, I don’t, but since you asked, I will try to answer. I still scratch my head that I am indeed an “artist” and I’m in a subculture called “folk artist,” and even more specifically, a folk artist from the South. If I had not lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan, for so many years, I doubt I would have fully recognized my Southern culture and the fact that I am “country,” as

the kids that I substitute-taught in Michigan referred to me as. They would ask, “Are you country?” I would enter the school halls at 7 a.m., and the kids in the hall would start saying, “Run, Forrest, Run!” I did not take this as mean spirited, because the kids liked me. I did, however realize that the way a person speaks can represent a full picture to someone else.

The South influenced the way I speak and to a great deal the way I think…for better and for worse.

My paintings help me come to terms with that. As Flannery O’Connor said, “Southern writers are stuck with the South, and it’s a good thing to be stuck with.” In the long tradition of folk art, I hope I leave some kind of mark while I document so much of history and pop culture with my paintings.

“I did not really know it at the time, but punk rock, skateboarding and the spirit of doing-itwithout-a-guidebook or lessons drove my paintings.”

INWEEKLY: What about you as a performer? So much of your previous incarnations involved some aspect of performance.

How does performance fit into the work of Panhandle Slim? Is it different or is it similar to you as the musician?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Yes. The music was all about playing shows, and the show was very much performance.

We used to joke that [the

that feeling I would get when I created a new trick or maneuver on my skateboard.

It was a new creation, and only a select few would get it and appreciate it, and that satisfied my soul.

INWEEKLY: You gained a lot of recognition for your paintings of the nine people killed in the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. Why did you want to memorialize these people in your paintings?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Well, like most people with any conscience, I watched the news and what happened at the church in Charleston and was filled with every emotion. I sat and thought, “What can I do?”

The whole “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me” filled my being.

I can start small. I can get to know something about these nine people, and I can paint them. I can paint, and then drive the paintings over to Emanuel AME in Charleston, South Carolina, because it’s so close to Savannah, Georgia. Charleston is, in fact, Savanna’s sister/brother city, so I need to do this.

I’m glad I followed through on that simple thought I had. I have made real friends today because of that decision to follow through with an idea. I simply had the nine people, their family members and their church community in mind when I did the paintings and delivered them to the church.

I had no idea I would encounter the overflowing love of the people gathered outside the church, as well as the people representing the church. Everyone was there, gathered in love and unity, and it was a moment I’ll never forget and will always cherish.

Some of the family members got the paintings of their loved one. Some of those family members have become my friends.

They are deeply spiritual and empathetic towards all humans.

They pray for me, and I pray for them.

“When I create a new painting, I very much get that feeling I would get when I created a new trick or maneuver on my skateboard.” concerts] were a show, not a listen. That’s funny because my painting is so far from that. I have been asked to do events that call for “live painting” and have to kindly refuse. That is the last thing I want to do. The painting part is so personal to me, and I do it alone. I enjoy watching my paint dry; I can’t imagine anyone else wanting to watch. When I was a pro skateboarder, it became a job to go to demos—meaning, I would go skate in front of large crowds. I did not like that at all. When I create a new painting, I very much get 616 1

INWEEKLY: Were you concerned about any backlash from that community in particular, like maybe your art or your message would be taken the wrong way?

PANHANDLE SLIM: I was not worried about any backlash since I was doing this out of pure love for the family members, the church, and the souls of the nine who transitioned on. I prayed that my intentions would be taken as a love offering.

INWEEKLY: What do you hope will come from the paintings of the Emanuel AME Church victims, or even the coverage these paintings have received?

PANHANDLE SLIM: I hope they bring some sort of comfort to anyone who needs comfort in dealing with this horror. The coverage scared me a bit. A lot of people were contacting me from the media. I really did not know what to say at that moment as the story was breaking all over the media.

The paintings said it all. The paintings gave a brief insight to the nine individuals. inweekly.net

National Public Radio contacted me a few times for an interview, and I finally had to tell them I am not a very good speaker and do not feel a radio interview on this mass shooting is what I should be doing. The nine paintings were my statement.

Social media spread these paintings, and I think that was a good thing. I believe it helped people in a small way. It helped people learn a small bit about these nine individuals from Charleston. In doing my research of these nine people and the Emanuel AME Church, I learned a great deal and gained a great deal of respect for the church and their congregation INWEEKLY: Outside of the Charleston paintings, back here in your hometown of Pensacola, people really love your art, too. It’s all over the place. How does it feel to go back to Pensacola and see your art in so many different spots?

PANHANDLE SLIM: It feels great! This experience with my paintings has opened my mind a great deal and has led me to new people in Pensacola, my home. I have had so many great art shows in Pensacola and so many people there own my paintings. Growing up in Pensacola, I had many issues and connected them to Pensacola. The problem was Pensacola, not my mentality. I believe most people go through this journey when dealing with their hometown.

Having so many great experiences in the last several years going back to Pensacola and having art shows and getting such great support from a wide range of people...leaving town, I would drive over the bay bridge heading east on I-10 and think, Pensacola and the people have really changed. They are evolving.

It then hit me: they are not changing, I am changing. I am changing, I am evolving.

My open mind is opening more, and I am accepting. My paintings have connected me with people I went to 2nd grade with when I first moved to Pensacola. They connected me to the Mayor. They connected me to my Mom’s psychiatrist. They connected me to a kid I had a fight with in the 5th grade.

He is now very successful in the world of business. They connected me to my remedial reading teacher at St. Paul’s Catho-

lic School. They connected me with my middle school art teacher. They connected me with relationships gone sour, relationships that went sour long ago.

They have connected me with people who have ideas very different from mine.

They have connected me to movements I didn’t know about before painting. In short, this little adventure has opened doors, and Pensacola is a very big part of this adventure.

Pensacola is home, and home has shown me a great deal of love and support.

“This little adventure has opened doors, and Pensacola is a very big part of this adventure. ”

October 1, 2015

INWEEKLY: I also see you doing exhibits elsewhere and catch snapshots of you leaving your paintings in various places. How is your art received in other places?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Very well. They are so simple, and the paintings and quotes connect with everyone.

The paintings and quotes cover such a wide range of opinions. They usually connect with someone. I really like setting up random art shows outside in cities where no one is familiar with my paintings. I usually meet some interesting people, and they ask me interesting questions, like, “who are you?” “Does the city let you do this?”

“Did you get permission to do this?” Then we discuss the paintings and the topics, politics, philosophy of the quotes. I usually

go away learning a great deal and making a new friend or two.

The internet and Facebook allow me to connect with people all over. So when I am in their hometown, all I have to do is announce it on Facebook and people show up.

It is amazing, and I am grateful.

INWEEKLY: I know your son Tex paints, too. How do your kids feel about your art and having an artist for a dad?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Yes, my sons are quite talented and imaginative. My son Tex is detailed in his art, much like his uncle [musician Kent Stanton] and his great grandpa. I had a show at an art museum in Savannah, and Tex’s class took a field trip to the art museum, and my paintings happened to be there then.

When I picked him up from school that day, he had a glow on his face. I could tell he was

so proud, and his friends at school wanted his autograph. He told me there was a security guard there guarding my paintings. I think that blew him away because he’s used to seeing my paintings all stacked in the backyard with bird poop and other elements of nature finding a home on my paintings. But really, I don’t think my boys think much of it, because they are so used to seeing my paintings all day.

INWEEKLY: Is there one story about your paintings that really stands out to you as an artist and speaks to why you continue to paint?

PANHANDLE SLIM: That’s a tough question. Narrowing it down to one story? I would say the Charleston 9 experience. But one thing that led me to that experience was when a person who works for the NAACP out west contacted me and asked me to paint the president of the NAACP, Cornell William Brooks.

He was coming to Colorado to speak, and they wanted to have a painting of him there when he came. That opened my eyes to how these simple paintings are reaching out farther than I ever dreamed of, much farther. This all started with a painting or two I made to decorate my garage wall.

INWEEKLY: If someone painted you in your style, what quote would you like to see by your face?

PANHANDLE SLIM: Umm, well if it was done in my style and it has my face…that would have to be a quote I said, so I will leave that to the artist and hopefully I said something or did something they feel like quoting me on. I didn’t really answer that, did I? INWEEKLY: That’s close enough. Thank you very much! I really appreciate it.

To follow Panhandle Slim and see his recent works, check out facebook.com/artforfolk1 {in} 17

WEEK OF OCTOBER 1-8

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

Opening Night for the Orchestra

by Jennifer Leigh

“Usually the things that I struggle with from stellar musicians, then from on the horn run parallel to things that I the historical and emotional struggle with in my personal life. In order context that Music Director to overcome certain aspects of playing, I Peter Rubardt conveys to the often have to examine my mind, personality audience for each piece. and personal life,” she said. “I believe this “He opens new horizons, is true for everyone. In this sense, music even for the musicians,” Yakeeps me very honest with myself. I never novskiy said.

And in a world where screens get exhausted of music, only of myself. If dictate most of our lives, Adams points out that a night of classical music is often more refreshing, not stuffy.

“It's rare that society offers a place or quiet space where you can reflect and just absorb,” she said. “We all my face muscles get tired of the horn on desperately need this.” a particular day, I play piano and sing. It all It’s also an interesting works together.” outlet to experience history.

It’s that tireless passion that Yanovs“Art is a reflection of its kiy said is what sets PSO apart from other society, and classical music tells orchestras. the story of where we come “Every year, to my astonishment, PSO from—the story of our ancestors,” Adams is getting better,” he said. “There are better said. “They had a different sense of timing players; Peter keeps improving—if it’s posand understanding of the music. It's good sible—and me too.” for us to give in every once in awhile and Yanovskiy boldly jokes that not all experience time, space and entertainment orchestras are created equal. In fact, some the way they felt it.” can even be boring.

Musicians like Adams and Yanovskiy will “I’ve been to many concerts I wish I practice for hours every day to perfect their never heard,” he said. “It takes somebody craft; not always because they want to, but really special to make the music come alive. out of necessity.

Pensacola has it. This isn’t happening in evYanovskiy, a professor and director of ery concert hall every night; the musicians strings at the University of West Florida and actually put their hearts into the music. also preparing for a solo show at Carnegie Anyone who goes to a PSO concert will Hall in November (you can also see him remember it for the rest of their lives.” {in} perform at Gadsden Street United Methodist Church Oct. 18), may practice as much as four hours a day.

“Unless you’re improving, you’re declining,” he said. “If I don’t practice, it becomes obvious within a matter of days…I know I don’t sound good, and that’s what keeps me practicing. Plus, you get to spend WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 time with some of the greatest WHERE: Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox minds, like Bach. It’s very rewarding.”

COST: $22 - $90 In some cases, the music is DETAILS: pensacolasymphony.com therapy. In the two to three hours a day she spends with music, Adams often finds some comfort.

“Art is a reflection of its society, and classical music tells the story of where we come from—the story of our ancestors.” Jacquelyn Adams

Pensacola Symphony Orchestra String Section / Courtesy Photo It’s the night local classical music lovers anticipate all year—Pensacola Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) opening night.

And PSO musicians have been looking forward to the start of the season, as well.

“Opening night marks my musical ‘home’ for the season,” said Jacquelyn Adams, principal horn. “It is a feeling of belonging somewhere. It's kicking off another year…striving to reach the highest quality level of music-making possible. Opening nights never get old. If they do, I'll likely retire and do something else.”

Adams, who is in her third season with PSO, still gets those pre-performance jitters, although they dissipate once the show begins.

“I always want to wow the audience and my colleagues, so sometimes I do feel anxious,” she said. “Nerves usually evolve into voracious excitement at the opportunity to share the music and our hard work with the audience once the concert is in motion.”

Even after 16 years with PSO, not to mention previous years with orchestras in Russia and around the United States, Leonid Yanovskiy feels those same jitters.

As Concertmaster, Yanovskiy leads the string section, which makes up more than half of the orchestra. He admits it can be 818 1

stressful, but he said nerves of any kind are a good thing.

“Adrenaline gets into my blood basically every time I get on stage,” he said. “It was invented for human beings to be good at their peak. I always tell musicians, don’t be afraid of it — it’s really good for you.”

This year’s opening night features “highly romantic pieces,” Yanovskiy said.

The music includes Strauss’ “Don Juan,” Tchaikovsky’s “Francesca de Rimini” and Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2.”

“I can't wait to experience ‘Don Juan’ at the opening concert. Every horn player's dream—it's a dramatic piece with soaring horn lines,” said Adams. “PSO programs are brilliantly put together with the audience's interest in mind. We wouldn't perform a program we wouldn't want to listen to.”

Other pieces the horn player looks forward to throughout the rest of the season include Shostakovich “Symphony No. 10,” and Barber’s “Adagio for Strings,” which Adams describes as “one of the greatest pieces of all time.”

“Talk about emotional healing, that piece could save humanity,” she added.

Even the classical music neophyte will be engaged, if not from the performance

PENSACOLA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OPENING NIGHT

inweekly.net

calendar

Ears & Fingers

by Jason Leger

Kurt Vile “b’lieve i’m goin down” “Tender is the night for a broken heart.”

This line leapt at me from the highlight of “Depression Cherry,” the rolling ‘Space Song.’

Kurt Vile has paved a pathway for himself with smirked punchlines, dense, nearly mumbled rhetoric, and hazy, druggy aesthetics. He is the surprisingly-talented loner who has learned over time to not take himself very seriously. ‘Pretty Pimpin,’ the first single from his sixth solo album, “b’lieve i’m goin down,” shows his penchant for tongue-in-cheek dialogue drawn together by his disconnected persona. He warbles about brushing a stranger’s teeth and hair, but it’s actually his own, taking the larger idea of not knowing oneself and compacting it into cute references about confusion. Elsewhere, drug references, introspection, and extreme introversion make Vile relatable and believable.

The thing about this album that sets it

THURSDAY 10.1

WINE TASTING AT AWM 5 p.m. Try something

new every week at Aragon Wine Market’s regular wine tasting, only a few blocks from downtown. Aragon Wine Market, 27 S. 9th Ave. aragonwinemarket.com

apart from his past releases is the confidence.

Vile has found his sound, his voice and his delivery. He actually probably found most of this on his previous release, “Wakin’ on a Pretty Daze,” but on “b’lieve,” Vile sounds like a veteran and is no longer dabbling or hiding behind excessive reverb. There is piano and banjo and moodiness and a very strong singer-songwriter aesthetic. “Just a certified badass out for a night on the town.” The certainty of delivery is Vile’s strongest sensibility, as must be the case with wit and passion. His melodies are shaky and seem to slip from the sides of his mouth, but that is exactly what is expected, and it allows the music to provide a backbone for the words to stand at the forefront. The majority of the album plays out as dark and calm, as Vile called “b’lieve” “KV’s nightlife,” written mostly in his alone time, while his family was sleeping.

This could very well be the landmark album for Kurt Vile, as ‘Pretty Pimpin’ is easily his strongest single, and I think the credit and attention he will be afforded is past due. “b’lieve i’m goin down” is out now via Matador Records.

IF YOU HAVEN’T HEARD: BAIO

You’re certain to have heard Chris Baio in some capacity, as he is one fourth of Vampire Weekend and has made quite an independent name for himself as a DJ. With the recent release of his first solo full length, Baio has taken strides to separate himself from simply being VW’s bass player, and stepped into a role of calling all his own shots. So far,

BALLROOM DANCING 6:30 p.m. Learn how to

waltz, hustle, and tango at this weekly class, which is followed by a social dance at 8:45 p.m.

DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com GARDENING CLASS 6:30-8 p.m. Tom Garner and Renee Perry of East Hill Edible Garden-

it’s really working for him. When I heard the first single, ‘Brainwash Yyrr Face,’ I wasn’t particularly pleased, mostly due to the spelling in the title, but overall it just bored me. I expected much the same from the second single, ‘Sister of Pearl,’ but I was actually quite floored. After a few weeks on repeat, the song is now top five for me this year, proving that Baio is more than just a pretty face and some low end grooves. If you trust me at all, give it a spin, and I guarantee the infectious nature of it will catch you. “The Names” is out now via Glassnote.

TRACK OF THE WEEK:

Run the Jewels ‘Oh My Darling, Don’t Meow’

Last week, EL-P and Killer Mike released the second cat-inspired remix from the upcoming “Meow the Jewels,” a re-imagining of last year’s brilliant “Run the Jewels 2” that originally started out as a joke, but ended up a Kickstarter success story. The song, ‘Oh My Darling, Don’t Meow,’ adds manipulated cat tracks to the single ‘Oh My Darling, Don’t Cry,’ and I think it’s a notable change to an already impressive work. Just Blaze provided the kitty-flavored remix for this track that builds on the chaos from the original version.

Check this song out as a free download on Run the Jewels’ website, and according to ElP, “if all goes right” “Meow the Jewels” will be out very soon via full Kickstarter funding. {in}

Festival introduce you to the songwriters who create the songs that inspire our daily lives.Various locations. pensacolabeachsongfest.com THE MAIN SQUEEZE 7 p.m. With Post Pluto.

Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $10. vinylmusichall.com DARKNESS DIVIDED 8:30 p.m. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $8. pensacolahandlebar. com

FRIDAY 10.2

WINE TASTING 5-7 p.m. Out and about in East Hill on Friday night? Stop by City Grocery for their free weekly wine tasting before settling in or heading out for the night. City Grocery, 2050 N. 12th Ave. LATIN DANCING 6:30 p.m. Learn the basics of salsa dancing. DanceCraft, 8618 Pensacola Blvd. $10. dancecraftfl.com LOUIS PRIMA JR & THE WITNESSES 7 p.m. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $15-$60. vinylmusichall.com PENSACOLA BEACH SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL

7 p.m. Let the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival introduce you to the songwriters who create the songs that inspire our daily lives.Various locations. pensacolabeachsongfest.com THE COMEDY GET DOWN 8 p.m. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see five members of comedy royalty come together for the comedy event of the year. Featuring Cedric “The Entertainer,” Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley, George Lopez, and Charlie Murphy.

The Pensacola Bay Center, 201 E. Gregory St. $52.24-$250. pensacolabaycenter.com CROSSWORD 9:15 p.m. With Big Lo, Strange Tang, Ms. Charm Taylor, Blake Benton, Smash, and Backback Beatz. Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $5. pensacolahandlebar.com

SATURDAY 10.3

2nd ANNUAL WOBTOBERFEST 7 a.m. Grab your

ing will teach a class on how to grow your own vegetables and herbs naturally and without weeds. Series of four classes. Bayview Senior Center, 2000 E. Lloyd St. $50. facebook.com/ EastHillEdibleGardening PENSACOLA BEACH SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL

7 p.m. Let the Pensacola Beach Songwriters

friends and head to World of Beer for the 2nd annual Wobtoberfest 5k. Participants will be running the 5k course on the streets of Downtown Pensacola. After the race, WOB will host the rewards celebration with food, beer, live music, kids’ activities, games, and more. World of Beer, 200 S. Palafox St. $30 wob5kpensacola. racehawk.com SANTA ROSA FARMERS MARKET 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

FOREVER DIETING? unique & affordable

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27 S. 9th Ave.

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www.aragonwinemarket.com October 1, 2015

TIME TO CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT FOOD. A LUMINOUS LIFE HYPNOTHERAPY

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calendar farmers, home gardeners and area artists. Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza, N. Palafox. palafoxmarket.com ANNUAL PUMPKIN PARTY 12-6 p.m. Pick out your own handblown glass pumpkins and check out the new studio space. Strong Street Studio, 109 N. A St. strongsuitestudio.com PENSACOLA BEACH SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL 7 p.m. Let the Pen-

GIVEAWAY: 8TH ANNUAL HANGOUT OYSTER COOK-OFF AND CRAFT BEER WEEKEND Once again, Inweekly has partnered with the fine folks at The Hangout to give one lucky reader and a guest the ultimate foodie weekend getaway during their annual Hangout Oyster Cook-Off and Craft Beer Weekend Nov. 6-7th.

THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE:

- a pair of tickets to the Friday Craft Beer Festival - a pair of admission tickets to Saturday's Cook-Off - 4 tasting ticket booklets for Saturday's Cook-Off - a condo for the weekend To enter, visit inweekly.net.

For more details on the Oyster Cook-Off and Craft Beer Weekend, visit hangoutcookoff.com *Contest ends Oct. 9th. The winner will be announced the following week.

Fresh local produce, honey, baked goods, and live music. PARA Football Complex, 54005551 Limbaugh Lane, Pace.

PALAFOX MARKET 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Fresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art and antiques are just a few of the items offered at the weekly Palafox Market. Items originate directly from participating vendors, including dozens of local

sacola Beach Songwriters Festival introduce you to the songwriters who create the songs that inspire our daily lives.Various locations. pensacolabeachsongfest.com BRET MICHAELS 7 p.m. With Gotham City Troubadour and Palafoxx. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $40. vinylmusichall.com PENSACOLA SYMPHONY 7:30 p.m.

It’s opening night! This week’s concert includes pieces by Strauss, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff. Saenger Theatre, 118 S. Palafox. $22-$90. Pensacolasymphony.com

SUNDAY 10.4

ANNUAL PUMPKIN PARTY 12-6

p.m. Pick out your own handblown glass pumpkins and check out the new studio space. Strong Street Studio, 109 N. A St. strongsuitestudio.com RHIANNON GIDDENS 7 p.m.

With Leyla McCalla. Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox. $20. vinylmusichall.com PENSACOLA BEACH SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL 7 p.m. Let the Pen-

sacola Beach Songwriters Festival introduce you to the songwriters who create the songs that inspire our daily lives.Various locations. pensacolabeachsongfest.com THE JUKEBOX ROMANTICS 9 p.m. With Dunce Caps, Dynamite Pinata, Satan & The Sunbeams. The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St. $6. pensacolahandlebar.com

Marital and Family Law New Location: 127 Palafox Place Suite 100 Pensacola, Florida | 466-3115 020 2

arts & culture

≥exhibits

CREATIVE TRIO

An exhibition by artists Diane Brim, Marilyn Givens and Ruth Gordon.

The three display abstract paintings and pottery. On display from Sep 3 through Oct 13.

Museum hours and location: MondaySaturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday 1-5 p.m. Quayside Art Gallery, 17 E. Zaragossa. quaysidegallery.com

VISIONS: THROUGH PAINTINGS, POETRY, AND PROSE An

exhibition by artist Margaret Biggs that celebrates and explores Gulf Coast inspired landscapes, seascapes, still life, and holistic pieces within a stylized manner, which borders between the elements of abstraction and realism. On display from Sep 25 through Nov 14. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

LINCOLN: INSPIRATION THROUGH THE AGEs This ex-

hibition is inspired by the 2014 PMA acquisition of a

bronze sculpture by American late 19th century monumental sculptor, Daniel Chester French, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War and as a testament to the impact made by Abraham Lincoln within the realm of art history.

On display until Oct. 7. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org IT’S ELECTRIC On exhibit through October 2. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place. artelgallery. org MICHAEL FAGAN

Fagan’s process of using “layered acrylics” begins with a textured surface, a background wash of acrylics, watercolor ink, and metallic paints. Michael then uses pen and ink and a specially-designed nib for acrylic backline for a crisp foreground contrast. On exhibit through October 2.

Museum hours and location: TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place. artelgallery.org

FRESH PRODUCE

Sally Miller transforms the vault into a warm room of inviting colors. On exhibit through October 2.

Museum hours and location: TuesdaySaturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artel Gallery, 223 Palafox Place. artelgallery.org TERRA INCOGNITA: PHOTOGRAPHS OF AMERICA’S THIRD COAST On loan from

the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, this exhibit is a photographic project of 15 years duration by national-recognized photographer and author Richard Sexton. On display August 21-October 17. Museum hours and location: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission $10 for adults; $8 for seniors and military; members and children 11 and under are free for the rest of summer. Pensacola Museum of Art, 407 S. Jefferson St. pensacolamuseum.org

≥Classes & Workshops

“MAKE-YOUROWN-GLASS” CLASS

10a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3. Held weekly on Friday and Saturdays, First City Art Center offers weekly

“Make-Your-OwnGlass” classes, no previous glassblowing skills necessary.

The classes are open to anyone age 8 and older and range in price from $25-$45.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required and can be made by calling 429-1222. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

INTRODUCTION TO POTTERY ON THE WHEEL 6-8:30 p.m.

Monday, October 5.

During this weekly workshop held on Monday evenings at First City Art Center, instructor Pearl VanHoove works individually with students to develop consistency in throwing on the wheel. Participants receive and introduction to materials, equipment and throwing techniques. Each session begins with a brief demonstrations followed by hands-on time at the wheel.

The class is $40 and open to individuals age 14 and up.

Pre-registration and pre-payment is required and can be made by calling 429-1222. Class is limited to two participants. First City Art Center, 1060 N. Guillemard St. firstcityart.org

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by Jennifer Leigh

Courtesy Photo

Pumpkin Palooza The perfect pumpkin isn’t always found in a patch.

For a lot of people, the perfect holiday gourd is made of glass and found inside Scott Novota’s studio.

It was about 10 years ago that Novota made his first glass pumpkin. It was a custom order.

“A friend asked for one to give as a present many, many moons ago,” he recalled. “It was, quite honestly, horrible. It was not a pretty piece of glass.”

The friend was happy with it, however, and soon Novota was getting more orders before it took off as a signature piece of sorts—even though no two pumpkins are exactly identical.

This year’s pumpkin party is particular“I get a lot of custom orders that are ly special since it will be at the new studio, very specific,” he said. “I can get it close, which was rebuilt after the roof collapsed but they’re not the same.” in 2014 ruining most of the studio’s equipIt takes Novota around 25 hours, from ment and electronics. After a successstart to finish, to make a group of about ful Kickstarter campaign, Strong Street 15 pumpkins. These pieces vary in sizes, Studio (which is now at 109 N. A Street) is shapes and colors which run the gamut celebrating not just the fall season, but a from traditional orange to nearly every fresh start. color in the rainbow.

“It feels really great,” Novota said.

When creating the pumpkins, most of “The humbling part is all of the people the time is spent waiting for them to cool that have come out of the woodwork. Even off. This time can make a glass artist anxcustomers went above the call of duty. ious, since you don’t really know what the The silver lining is that the shop has a new end result will be. start. The setback will maybe make a good “It’s like Christmas to go back and see comeback.”{in} them,” Novota said. “And it’s a nice surprise to see everything lived.”

Over the years, the glass pumpkins have gained popularity. Each year Novota and his wife Molli put together the annual Pumpkin Party at the Strong Street Studio featuring live glass blowing demonstrations, WHEN: 12-6 p.m. Saturday Oct. 3 and Sunday metal artwork and furniture by Ben Oct. 4 Bogan, and literally hundreds of WHERE: Strong Street Studio, 109 N. A Street pumpkins. Novota estimates this DETAILS: strongstreetstudio.com year he will have around 800 pump-

STRONG STREET STUDIO PUMPKIN PARTYT

kins for sale.

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news of the weird PRIORITIES PlayStations and Xboxes, However, State-of-the-Art: A New York University Center for Justice study released in September warned that, unless major upgrades are made quickly, 43 states will conduct 2016 elections on electronic voting machines at least 10 years old and woefully suspect. Those states use machines no longer made or poorly supported, and those in 14 states are more than 15 years old. There are apprehensions over antiquated security (risking miscounts, potential for hacking), but also fear of election-day breakdowns causing long lines at the polls, depressing turnout and dampening confidence in the overall fairness of the process. The NYU center estimated the costs of upgrading at greater than $1 billion.

MEN ARE SIMPLE Update: Five years after News of the Weird mentioned it, Japan's Love Plus virtual-girlfriend app is more popular than ever, serving a growing segment of the country's lonely males—those beyond peak marital years and resigned to artificial "relationships." Love Plus models (Rinko, Manaka and Nene) are chosen mostly (and surprisingly) not for physical attributes, but for flirting and companionship. One user described his "girlfriend" (in a September Time magazine dispatch) as "someone to say good morning to in the morning and ... goodnight to at night."

Said a Swedish observer, "You wouldn't see (this phenomenon) in Europe or America."

One problem: Men can get stuck in a "love loop" waiting for the next app update—with, they hope, more "features."

THE JOB OF THE RESEARCHER Scientists at North Carolina State and Wake Forest universities have developed a machine that vomits, realistically, enabling the study of "aerosolization" of dangerous norovirus. "Vomiting Larry" can replicate the process of retching, including the pressure at which particles are expelled (which, along with volume and "other vomit metrics," can teach the extent of the virus' threat in large populations). The researchers must use a harmless stand-in "bacteriophage" for the studies—because norovirus is highly infectious even in the laboratory.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS Police in South Union Township, Pennsylvania, say David Lee, 46, is the one who swiped a Straight Talk cellphone from a Wal-mart shelf on Sept. 15 (but wound up in the hospital). After snatching the phone, Lee went to a different section of the store and tried to open the packaging with a knife, but mishandled it and slashed his arm so severely that he had to be medevaced to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh (and a hazmat crew had to be summoned to clean up all of the blood Lee had splattered).

POLICE REPORT Relentless Wannabes: (1) Authorities in Winter Haven, Florida, arrested James Garfield, 28, with the typical faux-po-

by Chuck Shepherd

lice set-up—Ford Crown Victoria with police lights, uniform with gold-star badge, video camera, Taser, and business cards printed with "law enforcement." (Explained Garfield lamely, the "law enforcement" was just a "printing mistake.") (2) In nearby Frostproof, Florida, Thomas Hook, 48, was also arrested in September, his 14th law-enforcementimpersonator arrest since 1992. His paraphernalia included the Crown Vic with a prisoner cage, scanner, spotlight, "private investigator" and "fugitive recovery" badges, and an equally bogus card identifying him as a retired Marine Corps major. Hook's one other connection to law enforcement: He is a registered sex offender.

Personal Injury • Criminal Justice

127 Palafox Place, Suite 100 Pensacola, FL 32502 | 850-444-0000 www.stevensonklotz.com

BUDDHISTS ACTING OUT (1) Police in Scotland's Highlands were called in September when a Buddhist retreat participant, Raymond Storrie, became riled up that another, Robert Jenner, had boiling water for his tea, but not Storrie's. After Storrie vengefully snatched Jenner's own hot water, Jenner punched him twice in the head, leading Storrie to threaten to kill Jenner (but also asking, plaintively, "Is this how you practice dharma?"). (2) A Buddhist monk from Louisiana, Khang Nguyen Le, was arrested in New York City in September and accused of embezzling nearly $400,000 from his temple to fuel his gambling habit (blackjack, mostly at a Lake Charles, Louisiana, casino).

OOPS! An official of the Missouri Republican Party apologized in September for the "thoughtless" act of using an original Thomas Hart Benton mural in the state Capitol as a writing surface. Valinda Freed and a man were exchanging business cards, and Freed, needing to jot down information on the card, placed it directly on the mural to backstop her writing.

NO LONGER WEIRD Stories that were formerly weird, but which now occur with such frequency that they must be permanently retired from circulation: (1) Once again, in July, despite being handcuffed (by a King County, Washington, sheriff's deputy) and placed in the back seat of a squad car, the prisoner managed to drive off alone. Teddy Bell, 26, was apprehended a while later with the help of K-9 officers. (2) And once again (in July in Bergen, Norway) the accused was convicted of murder based on a telltale Internet-search history.

Police discovered about 250 computer queries such as "How do you poison someone without getting caught?" (Ultimately, the woman confessed that she killed her husband by lighting a charcoal grill in his bedroom while he slept.) {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 October 1, 2015

23

A C E L E B R AT I O N O F D I F F E R E N C E M A K E R S I N P E N S ACO L A Pensacola has been blessed with families who have helped to mold our community, generation after generation. This series of stories celebrates the 1st generation to come to Pensacola and the legacy of contributions they started. Here’s a look back at the 1st generation of difference makers.

THE

Abe & Rose Levin FAMILY

For Pensacola’s Levin family, even their name has a history. All began in Lithuania about 1890 when young Max Weber (or Webber) fled to avoid military conscription.

As he arrived in Baltimore, immigration officials mispronounced his name, thus Max Weber became Max Levin. His family grew to six children, including twins, Abe and Bessie. In 1925, eighteen-year-old Abe journeyed to Florida to make his fortune.

The Early Years Abe gained several skills, and when the land bubble burst, he and his bride, the former Rose Lefkowitz, relocated to Pensacola. Abe established a pawn shop where his personality generated friends and business. Abe’s love of

Abe and Rose Levin with their boys in 1950

sports (and gambling) made his shop a center for gin rummy games and wagers. Soon a leather goods line was added.

Rose, beloved matriarch of the Levin Family

Finding Work-Life Balance Abe added a leather goods line and ran the L&L Pawn and Luggage Shop in downtown Pensacola for more than 50 years. He sustained a remarkable work schedule well into his eighties. He was also an original co-owner of the Pensacola Greyhound Track. Following the war, he launched a second company with family members providing beach chairs near the Beach Casino and concessions at the dog track.

Abraham Ivan Levin

The Levin Family Their Pride and Joy The Levin family came to include six sons: David, Herman, Stanley, Fred, Martin and Allen.

Although Abe had not enjoyed the opportunity for higher education, he paved the way for his sons to pursue their education. David, Stanley and Fred all earned law degrees from the University of Florida. Thus began the family’s close ties to their alma mater, which culminated in the naming of the UF Levin College of Law. Because Abe and Rose decided to be in Pensacola, our community has benefitted from the talents and generosity of their children and grandchildren, generations of difference makers in law, real estate, politics, sports, retail, media and philanthropy.

Saluting 1st Generation Difference Makers If you have a suggestion for a family to feature, email Quint@studergroup.com.

SponSored QS0451-Legacy Abe Levin Family Full Page IN.indd 1

by

Quint and R ishy studeR

Independent News | October 1, 2015 | inweekly.net

9/28/15 3:40 PM